Temporary Art Space

Changeover 24th April – 1st May 2009

Beermat installation under Safelight

Changeover 24th April – 1st May 2009

Sarah Farmer My Bedroom Sings in G

Music is "a purposeless play" which is "an affirmation of life – not an attempt to bring order out of chaos nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply a way of waking up to the very life we're living" – John Cage

Sarah Farmer uses the electrical sounds of everyday objects such as fridges, TVs, computers, lamps etc alongside sounds found within the exhibition space to create sonic performances and installations. The artists interests lie in surrounding sounds – the unnoticed musical potential of our environments and what is revealed when we actually listen closely.

My Bedroom sings in G was originally a performance in which microphones on timer switches were used to rhythmically amplify the sounds of appliances that the artist encountered daily. This is a recording of the event.

www.sarahmfarmer.co.uk

Anton Harding Safelight

Anton Harding, b. London 1966, studied printing, printmaking, photography, history of art and architecture, media at London College of Printing (1984-88), film, video and photographic arts at University of Westminster (1989-92) and 16+ Education at University of Huddersfield (1997-98). Now living and practicing in Huddersfield, Anton is a member of Yorkshire Sculptors Group and Riverside Artists Group. He has been exhibiting in individual and group exhibitions since 1991.

Anton's practice has ranged from the documentary and political statement of Abolishing the Currency and Deathwish, the surreal quality of his Dreamscapes Xerograms and assemblages, to the pure play of light and exploration of perception seen in the current installation Safelight and in many of his photographs.

Whodunnit?

18 April 2009 By Colin Drury

IS it vandals – or artists? That's the question being asked after a Halifax sculpture was partially dismantled and reassembled.

Brick Wall, on the Piece Hall lawn, is a drystone structure with three holes in the middle. Despite a sign asking the public not to touch, the top layer of bricks were removed and used to fill in the holes.

Alice Bradshaw, co-director of Temporary Art Space, which is staging the exhibition, said: "I've been trying to work out why someone would do this."

"Is it just vandalism or has someone been inspired to interact with art?"

The sculpture, by Luke Powell and Tom Blaker, is now back in its original state. Children have repeatedly been asked not to sit on the wall, while there have been complaints it is ruining the lawn.

Matthew Geraghty, Piece Hall manager, said: "We hope the artwork will draw people to the Piece hall to enjoy modern art amid our valuable heritage."

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/Whodunnit.518…

Some readers' comments:

That looks like my barbecue. Mayor of Salterhebble 18/04/2009 10:50:32

Art?! It looks like a castle gardez l'eau! Cheaper than the Piece Hall toilets too. Marlboro, 18/04/2009 11:53:03

It's just another brick in the wall. Ori Bule, 18/04/2009 12:00:52

Sculpture….? looks like a triple recycling bin. Tins, bottles and other waste. Hardly crime of the century is it. Goodness me. In the words of Van the man "and it stoned me". yorkshirepudding, hfx 18/04/2009 14:13:46

Colonel Mustard with the hammer? exhecman, 19/04/2009 09:40:44

The Reverend Green with Miss Scarlett on the Piece Hall Lawn Elliesdad, 19/04/2009 16:29:39

In the news today:

Hazel Blears, the Community Secretary, will also unveil provisions to help local people or entrepreneurs temporarily convert empty shops into community projects or businesses, such as local art displays, to avoid high streets being boarded up. The provisions include special planning application waivers, standard interim-use leases, and temporarily leasing shops to councils that will allow the shops to get makeovers.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/re…

MPs plan to let artists take over empty shops to prevent ghost towns

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/14/gov…

Communities should use more empty shops as neighbourhood resources to help prevent town centres becoming magnets for crime, the government is to say.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7997449.stm

Govt: Turn empty shops into art galleries

http://www.politics.co.uk/news/housing-and-planning/govt-turn-empty-shops-into-art-galleries-$1287777.htm

Hazel Blears' plan to let artists take over empty Woolworths stores to prevent ghost towns

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1169852/Ha…

Blears unveils social enterprise plan for empty shops to tackle recession in the high street

http://www.24dash.com/news/Local_Government/2009-0…

More empty shops should be used by communities as art galleries, cafes or advice centres to stop the recession turning high streets into crime-ridden ghost towns, the Government is due to urge.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest-national-news/Plan…

Empty shops should be converted to art galleries to keep high streets alive during downturn

Shops left empty as a result of retailers going under during the recession should re-open as art galleries, play groups and trendy cafes, ministers will say today.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politic…

Brick Wall has become a centre of attention in the Piece Hall. The public sculpture created by Luke Powell and Tom Blaker for the current exhibition at Temporary Art Space has barely been installed a week before vandals “interacted” with the dry stone wall sculpture which is located on the North East lawn in the Piece Hall. Whilst children have been hopping in and out of the 3 holes in Brick Wall and sitting on it chatting, reading books and eating lunch, others decided to dismantle the top layer of the artwork and use it to fill the 3 holes. Creative intervention or thoughtless vandalism?

According to one disgruntled Calderdale resident, Brick Wall is not art and is ruining the lawns. The unnamed woman has reportedly complained to Council officials about the infamous new addition to the Piece Hall. The Council are trying to reassure the complainer that Brick Wall is Temporary.