Temporary Art Space

Changeover 27th March – 3rd April 2009

What could be more temporary than guerilla exhibitions in a Temporary Art Space during the taking down of one show and the hanging of the next? Every day promises to be different with variable opening times according to the hanging schedule. The public will be able to see the inner workings of a gallery as the parasitic 'Changeover' exhibitions attempt to occupy an ever decreasing space.

Kathryn Oubridge: Neither Made Nor Unmade

Changeover: Friday 27th March – Friday 3rd April 2009

Temporary Art Space, The Piece Hall, Halifax (UK)

CHANGEOVER

What could be more temporary than guerrilla exhibitions in a Temporary Art Space during the taking down of one show and the hanging of the next? Every day promises to be different with variable opening times according to the hanging schedule. The public will be able to see the inner workings of a gallery as the parasitic 'Changeover' exhibitions attempt to occupy an ever decreasing space.

NEITHER MADE NOR UNMADE

The work explores states of transition. Whether this is a work in progress of something being put together or taken apart is unclear. The title alludes to 'Neither From Nor Towards' by the artist Cornelia Parker, whose work often addresses states of flux and change.

'Neither Made Nor Unmade' also reflects on context and meaning. The tiles come from a site-specific installation made for Holy Trinity Church in Leeds in 2008. How do we read the work now it has been uprooted from its original setting? Does it remain the same, or is it in the process of becoming something else?

KATHRYN OUBRIDGE

The artist's practice embraces many processes and is founded on the belief that art practice is a 'doing think' – that activity of the artist enhances our scope for reflection and re-evaluation. The work (which might be gallery based or be site-specific) usually involves a response to the site or situation in which it is presented. Current areas of interest are in modes of communication and the impact of the internet on our understanding of place and space.

The artist is a studio holder at East Street Arts and divides her working time between Leeds and Liverpool.

http://www.kathrynoubridge.com/

Temporary Diary by Kevin Boniface

Invigilating Duty

After introducing myself to Jenny and Krishna I went and got some take-out coffee and a scale model of a Hawker Hurricane from the model shop downstairs. The man in the shop was very knowledgeable and told me about the pink camouflage used on Spitfires to hide them in the clouds. I thought this was interesting but Georgia says it's not and besides, she already knew.

The first three hours were very quiet. We chatted, drank coffee and I built the aeroplane.

A girl with blue hair came in and initially mistook Milk, Two Sugars piece for a Chapman's original but after reading its accompanying 'statement' giggled for the duration of her visit.

A tall man asked if he could take photos with his big camera, I said it was ok, and he did.

The last couple of hours were much busier. We had a steady stream of visitors and even had to shut up late.

A woman with her young daughter said she really liked Jared's drop-leaf table. She said she really felt for it; the way it had been captured, bound up in string and was being dragged across the floor by the egg (stunt double). "…there's nothing it can do, it can't even open, it must be very humiliating for a table."

Not long after that, a man in black denim and glasses left saying loudly "A ten year old could have done that!"

For the last hour or so we were entertained by a Mr Edwards from Almonbury and his amazing feats of paper folding. He's made 6,000 tiny origami crane birds, each from a third of a bus ticket. He gave the kids a jumping frog made from a lottery ticket – in its own presentation case made from junk mail. I couldn't decide between an eagle and its prey (also from a lottery ticket) or a peacock made from a dollar bill. In the end, despite its £3.50 price tag, I went for the peacock because it can actually fan out its tail.

I showed Mr Edwards my Airfix Hurricane but he didn't seem impressed.

Kevin Boniface, March 2009

Temporary Diary by Kevin Boniface

Preview

We were a bit late as usual. On our way over Tom began to speak about himself in the 3rd person. He kept it up for the entire evening which was deeply amusing and, perhaps surprisingly, never wore thin.

We had to melt an entire glue stick with a lighter to get Milk, Two Sugars' pesky mannequins in place but it worked and they didn't fall over unlike Jared's egg which only made it to about half-seven thus fulfilling its temporary brief all over the gallery floor.

There were quite a few people there including – ourselves excepted – Steve, Ann, Taome, Eden, Steve, Steve, Gus, Julian, Pav, Jenny, Joey, Christoph, Molly, Edie, Liz, Bob, Jared, and some other people who's names have either escaped me or I never knew. Everyone was, of course, very nice.

I think the show looked good, I was a bit worried about how we were going to reconcile such a diverse range of stuff but I think we just about pulled it off! Several people said very complimentary things about it (which I guess they would, but hey?) I love Natalie's drawings – I think they're amazing, I think the bunting/streamer thing also worked really well. Also, in the end I think the diversity of stuff really worked in the show's favour. People initially engaged with the larger pieces but then stayed on as they kept discovering more at different levels and scales; quite a lot of people stayed for the duration. I was talking to a man in a winter coat with a furry hood who kept interrupting himself by saying things like "oh look! another one – over there, look!" and when his companion asked him the time and he noticed Francis Elliot's clock, he wigged out!

I met Jenny (one of the volunteers) who used to work as a writer for the Huddersfield Examiner and still knows some of the staff. She said she'd read Compact News so I apologised profusely but she said not to worry as she really likes it. I thought she was going to kick my head in but she didn't – in fact she seemed nice and not the type to have kicked my head in at all, so that's definitely good.

All in all I think it was quite a good do. I always get nervous at these sorts of things; I'm not comfortable talking out loud to people who might actually listen to what I've got to say. Conversing, being insightful and shedding light on things aren't my strong points. I generally prefer drinking wine and going off on one about something I probably won't give a shit about in the morning, but I think I may have actually enjoyed myself last night. And Kevin Boniface keeps laughing involuntarily when he remembers the things Tom said about himself in the 3rd person.

Kevin Boniface, March 2009

Huddersfield artists host free exhibition at Halifax Piece Hall

Mar 13 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD artists are bringing art for art’s sake to the people – without funding or any interest in selling their work.

The Temporary Art Group’s second show is a riot of Sellotaped sticks and tiny wheelchairs.

Plenty of artists whine about not being offered lucrative exhibitions or lavish grants. Not Paddock couple Kevin and Georgia Boniface, though.

They decided they weren’t going to wait to be invited to show off – and didn’t expect to make any money from their art, either.

The pair and their pals – Alice Bradshaw, Bob Milner and Tom Senior – staged their first three-day Temporary Art Show at Bates’ Mill in Queen Street South, Huddersfield last May, covering costs between them.

And they were so staggered by its success that they’ve gleefully set about doing it all over again, only this time in a six-month slot in empty units at Halifax Piece Hall – now up and running.

Their credit crunch-ignoring, DIY ethic is an industrial-strength blast of fresh air for West Yorkshire’s art scene.

Read the full article here: http://www.examiner.co.uk/leisure-and-entertainmen…