I went into College this afternoon to meet up with Nancy, Jay and Ellie.We were there to design our Poster and decide on the text and font we would use.
It was a really good session with all of us putting forward our ideas.
We have decided to place a portion of each of our images on the bottom half of our poster, and to place a simple text on the top half. It looks pretty amazing! Our images work well together and I think that our exhibition is going to be very interesting.
We haven't made a final decision about the name of our Exhibition, but our thoughts are "Eclectic," since this afternoon I have suggested "Eclectic Mix" and put that forward on our FaceBook group page. I'm waiting to hear what everyone's opinions are. The word Eclectic is an apt name as its definition is taking ideas from a wide range of sources. We all liked this as we are a photographic collective of creative practitioners.
We discussed the theme of our exhibits, that is how we would like to display our work, and how we would frame them. We thought that it would be a good idea to search charity shops, car boot sales and auction houses for frames of all shapes and sizes, and that we would print our images after purchasing the frames. As the owner of Sprouts wants us to fill the wall with art, we thought that this would make the exhibit pleasing to view and give an appealing finished quality.
We have also decided that we will make a book of small images so that we can number each exhibit and give prices for the work. We do not want to price the individual images on the wall.
I had emailed Nula with regard to playing the harp at the Opening Night on March 1st, and to our delight she has agreed to do this. We have to discuss a budget as we will need to pay for our Posters, Flyers and Invitations, and we also intend to buy some drinks for our guests.
Lucy has set up an Invite Event page on FaceBook which we will add too in the near future.
We finished off our meeting by driving to Sprouts to view the space. I had been the only member of our group to meet visit the venue and meet Garry the owner. It was good to have a positive reaction from other group members.
About Me
- Penelope Davies
- Carmarthen, West Wales, United Kingdom
- All images Copyright of Penelope Davies.
Tuesday 31 January 2012
Monday 30 January 2012
Three Days in London
My daughter and I travelled to London on the train hoping to visit the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery, but this is the final week of the show and it was impossible to view the exhibition without tickets. We were also told to start queuing for tickets around 4am but it was 6am by the time we arrived and it was already too late. Disappointing but understandable. If I had known in advance that I would have been able to visit, then I would have been more organised. Maybe at some time in the future I can travel further to see his paintings.
But all was far from lost. After all, there are plenty of Galleries and Museums in London. The trip was also a Birthday treat for my daughter, and so we shared the time between both our interests.
We visited the National Gallery and saw a West End show, “Legally Blonde” at the Savoy Theatre on Saturday; Sunday we visited Tate Britain and did some sightseeing, Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, walked along the River Thames and across Westminster Bridge; on Monday we visited Madame Toussads and the Science Museum. We also spent some time wandering around Harrods which had some beautiful photographs and sculptures in its Gallery. I bought a book “100 Days of Active Resistance” by Vivienne Westwood which is full of wonderful photographs accompanied by photographs that people from all over the world have contributed, showing that people can be, and are proactive in many ways.
London is full of arts and culture and it is always for me, an inspiration to be in the middle of it all.
Two of the paintings that stood out for me at the National Gallery were works by Rogier van der Weyden The Magdalena Reading (before 1438) and A Man seated reading at a Table in a Lofty Room (c 1628-30) by a follower of Rembrandt. Interestingly to me, they both use window light and the subjects of the paintings are reading. This is something that I have been attracted to in Vermeer’s paintings. I have experimented with ambient window light, and like the atmosphere created by the light and with a subject reading. I am drawn to these two things.
Tate Britain was wonderful. I had never been here before and wanted to view some 20th century art. There were photographs by Martin Boyce and John Stezaker; both collage pieces depicting a portrait of a man and woman appearing to wear masks. There was also a photograph by Rose Finn Kelsey titled “a restless image” a discrepancy between the felt position and the seen position. The image is of a girl doing a hand stand on a beach.
The Science Museum was very interesting and had far too much to take in, in one visit. I enjoyed the participation of experiments for the brain, and was in awe at the 1969 Apollo 10 Command Shuttle that brought the astronauts back down to earth. It looks so primitive and hardly strong enough to do such a job. I liked the quote that stood next to the shuttle “is this that pinpoint which is divided by sword and fire among so many nations? How ridiculous are the boundaries of mortals.” I began to think that if those who want to destroy our planet were taken up into space, to look at our fragile earth from a distance, would they perhaps think twice about what they are doing. Maybe it wouldn’t make a difference to them, but then again, maybe it would.
My daughter had never been to Harrods, and it is many years since I visited it myself. I think I may have been there on a school trip many moons ago. But Harrods is truly fascinating to my eye. There is everything imaginable there that you would ever want to buy. The Gallery on the second floor was fabulous. The sculptures we saw there were amazing; sadly I didn’t have £45,000 or more to buy a piece of sculpture. But the sculptures I particularly liked were of a woman, one in a cape, one not, holding on to the earth by a kind of lasso. I liked the strength of the art and the context that I imagined it held within it. Holding on to a fragile earth that needs to be cherished and nurtured by us all. Really beautiful.
Thinking about our current project to curate an exhibition, I took notice of the way the sculpture, paintings and photographs were exhibited together. The one factor that I noticed the most was the distance between each piece to give each its own space. Walking around the art it is then noticeable that you can think and ponder over each piece singularly. Of course in a place such as Harrods, the ultimate desire is to sell. But it was also evident in the galleries and museums that art work is mostly set apart, so that the viewer can see it without distraction from other pieces.
Sprouts Interior Mobile Image
In our exhibition venue, we will not have this luxury, the restaurant is small and intimate and we have made a conscious decision that we will cover the whole of the wall with our work. This is also a stipulation by the owner of the Restaurant. But to overcome the danger of our work being seen to be crowded, we are going to use an eclectic array of frames so that it will help eye of the viewer to keep an interest in each piece he/she surveys.
Madam Toussads was another museum that I had not visited since I was at school. My daughter specifically wanted to go there and we spent a very enjoyable 2/3 hours viewing the wax work celebrities and historical figures, being scared out of our wits in a dark tunnel full of actors playing gruesome characters, and watching a 15min superhero 3D film that was incredibly realistic. While watching the film, it took me a little time to adjust to the fact that the shattered glass wasn’t going to harm me as it seemed to come careering towards me. The effects were brilliant and a really good experience.
Our three days in London, although I haven’t yet found out what inspired me the most throughout our time there, was a great opportunity to view art and sense the culture that is London. If I could, I would visit the galleries and museums in London far more often; there is so much to see, and never enough time to see it all. It’s very tiring trying to take in so much that is visual and educational and enjoyable all at once.
It will probably take me a few days to digest what I have seen, and my inspiration from the visit will come at a time when I am least expecting it.
Friday 27 January 2012
Artist Statement Task
The Group Tutorial with Louise today was to discuss and share our Artist Statements. Several in the group were not too sure how to tackle this. Only a few of us had written the full Artist Statement.
It is not an easy task as it requires very few words but needs to be succinct and concise.
This is my Artist Statement
I am exploring objects of memory and the connections linking the past to the present. It is my intention to convey my belief that those who come before us have an influence on our lives within those objects of memory. I am exploring how everyday objects become part of our inner life, and researching the philosophy of the objects and the inner elf.
Using my love of nature I link family, object and self, with the landscape as a platform for my photographs.
I had originally written two more short paragraphs but when I read them to the group, I felt that those two paragraphs were unnecessary.
It is not an easy task as it requires very few words but needs to be succinct and concise.
This is my Artist Statement
I am exploring objects of memory and the connections linking the past to the present. It is my intention to convey my belief that those who come before us have an influence on our lives within those objects of memory. I am exploring how everyday objects become part of our inner life, and researching the philosophy of the objects and the inner elf.
Using my love of nature I link family, object and self, with the landscape as a platform for my photographs.
I had originally written two more short paragraphs but when I read them to the group, I felt that those two paragraphs were unnecessary.
Memory and Nature
Meeting 27th jan 2012
At the meeting today ... Ellie, Jess, Lucy, Nancy, Steph and me.
We discussed our plan of action today. I relayed to the group the conversation I had had at Sprouts with Garry and his partner yesterday, and then we made notes of what we should do next.
It was decided that on Tuesday 31st January, we would meet at college to design our poster, leaflets and invitations. We will invite friends and family on the social networks (FaceBook, Twitter, Tumblr and Fickr), and that we will make formal invitations to lecturers, businesses, curators, gallery owners and any visiting artist or other artists that we would like to invite.
It was decided that as this is a great opportunity for all of us, that we should make the absolute most of it. We are going to try and create a buzzing atmosphere on our Opening Night by inviting as many people as we can, arranging some musical entertainment, and also buy some drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for our guests.
As we have the space for a month, all members of the group are going to choose six images each to exhibit. We are not limited by wall space and although the brief for our assignment is to exhibit one image each, the owner of the restaurant has requested that we cover the wall with as much art as possible.
It wasn't decided today when we would visit the restaurant next week, to meet for lunch, and view the space together, as some of us have prior commitments. It was decided that we will continue to keep in touch on FaceBook to arrange a time convenient for us all.
It was unfortunate that neither of the two male students from our group attended the meeting today. Neither of them sent an apology for their absence.
It seems we have "girl power" in the group. None of us intend to sit on our laurels to let this opportunity pass us by. It is important to all of us that we make new connections in the art world and that our names begin to get recognised.
The excitement of our group was very obvious. Our conversation became quite loud and lively as we discussed the various issues on our minds. We generated a great atmosphere!
When we have designed our posters and leaflets next week, we intend to work out our budget.
I am going to email Nula (Harpist) to ask her if she is available to play at our venue on the opening night.
We discussed our plan of action today. I relayed to the group the conversation I had had at Sprouts with Garry and his partner yesterday, and then we made notes of what we should do next.
It was decided that on Tuesday 31st January, we would meet at college to design our poster, leaflets and invitations. We will invite friends and family on the social networks (FaceBook, Twitter, Tumblr and Fickr), and that we will make formal invitations to lecturers, businesses, curators, gallery owners and any visiting artist or other artists that we would like to invite.
It was decided that as this is a great opportunity for all of us, that we should make the absolute most of it. We are going to try and create a buzzing atmosphere on our Opening Night by inviting as many people as we can, arranging some musical entertainment, and also buy some drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for our guests.
As we have the space for a month, all members of the group are going to choose six images each to exhibit. We are not limited by wall space and although the brief for our assignment is to exhibit one image each, the owner of the restaurant has requested that we cover the wall with as much art as possible.
It wasn't decided today when we would visit the restaurant next week, to meet for lunch, and view the space together, as some of us have prior commitments. It was decided that we will continue to keep in touch on FaceBook to arrange a time convenient for us all.
It was unfortunate that neither of the two male students from our group attended the meeting today. Neither of them sent an apology for their absence.
It seems we have "girl power" in the group. None of us intend to sit on our laurels to let this opportunity pass us by. It is important to all of us that we make new connections in the art world and that our names begin to get recognised.
The excitement of our group was very obvious. Our conversation became quite loud and lively as we discussed the various issues on our minds. We generated a great atmosphere!
When we have designed our posters and leaflets next week, we intend to work out our budget.
I am going to email Nula (Harpist) to ask her if she is available to play at our venue on the opening night.
Nula busking in the City Centre
Exhibition Venue "Sprouts" on Union Street, Plymouth
Link to Sprouts Website:-
http://sproutsplymouth.weebly.com/
Yesterday our group had a meeting at lunch time and all were determined that we should find our Venue very soon. We have emailed various establishments, shops, galleries, the Art College, the University and others. Up to today we had not received a definite offer of a space. We were all eager to secure a space and discussed doing this as a matter of urgency. We agreed to pull out all the stops.
I met my friend Pete Davey for a coffee this afternoon and he mentioned Sprouts Restaurant. He said that they have art exhibitions there regularly. I thought this was a great opportunity to investigate and so rather than waste any more time, I decided to walk to Union Street immediately.
When I arrived at the restaurant there was a lull in the day's business, and very fortunately for me the owner Garry and his partner agreed to have a chat. They were both very welcoming and after I had explained who I was, and that a group of eight students were looking to set up an exhibition of our work in March, they were very enthusiastic. We had a very lively chat and it was agreed that our opening night would take place on March 1st 2012.
I was overcome with excitement when I left the restaurant. I hardly knew what to do with myself. I wanted to share my excitement with other members of our group; I called Nancy and Steph to relay our good news. They were as enthusiastic and excited as I was, and it was great to share our good fortune.
Later in the evening I logged on to FaceBook where we have set up a group, and posted as much as I could remember of my meeting with Garry and his partner at "Sprouts."
We are all overjoyed that we have a venue, and on Friday 27th at lunch time we will meet to discuss some important details, and start arranging and organising how we will promote our exhibition, and make a list of people to invite, and any other matters that arise.
The space at Sprouts is completely free of charge to us; there were just two conditions that Garry stipulated. These are that we fill the exhibition wall completely with our art (this should not be difficult as there are eight of us) and that we invite as many people as we can to the Opening Night on March 1st 2012 so that there will be a great atmosphere and plenty of business for "Sprouts." This will be advantageous for all of us.
This is an incredibly good deal for us and I just know that it is going to be a great success! It is such an exciting time and I just want to Thank "Sprouts" for giving us this opportunity.
http://sproutsplymouth.weebly.com/
Yesterday our group had a meeting at lunch time and all were determined that we should find our Venue very soon. We have emailed various establishments, shops, galleries, the Art College, the University and others. Up to today we had not received a definite offer of a space. We were all eager to secure a space and discussed doing this as a matter of urgency. We agreed to pull out all the stops.
I met my friend Pete Davey for a coffee this afternoon and he mentioned Sprouts Restaurant. He said that they have art exhibitions there regularly. I thought this was a great opportunity to investigate and so rather than waste any more time, I decided to walk to Union Street immediately.
When I arrived at the restaurant there was a lull in the day's business, and very fortunately for me the owner Garry and his partner agreed to have a chat. They were both very welcoming and after I had explained who I was, and that a group of eight students were looking to set up an exhibition of our work in March, they were very enthusiastic. We had a very lively chat and it was agreed that our opening night would take place on March 1st 2012.
I was overcome with excitement when I left the restaurant. I hardly knew what to do with myself. I wanted to share my excitement with other members of our group; I called Nancy and Steph to relay our good news. They were as enthusiastic and excited as I was, and it was great to share our good fortune.
Later in the evening I logged on to FaceBook where we have set up a group, and posted as much as I could remember of my meeting with Garry and his partner at "Sprouts."
We are all overjoyed that we have a venue, and on Friday 27th at lunch time we will meet to discuss some important details, and start arranging and organising how we will promote our exhibition, and make a list of people to invite, and any other matters that arise.
The space at Sprouts is completely free of charge to us; there were just two conditions that Garry stipulated. These are that we fill the exhibition wall completely with our art (this should not be difficult as there are eight of us) and that we invite as many people as we can to the Opening Night on March 1st 2012 so that there will be a great atmosphere and plenty of business for "Sprouts." This will be advantageous for all of us.
This is an incredibly good deal for us and I just know that it is going to be a great success! It is such an exciting time and I just want to Thank "Sprouts" for giving us this opportunity.
Monday 23 January 2012
Talking to Buskers in the City
As I walked around the city today I saw Dave who is a Busker, he doesn't use an instrument but he sings as he sells the Big Issue. He can normally be found sanding outside Marks and Spencer's near the Shopping Mall. I told him a little about my idea to document Buskers in Plymouth, and asked if he would like to take part. He said that he would be very interested and would be happy for me to photograph him. He gave me his mobile number and I said I would call him to arrange a day to meet for a coffee, and chat to him about my idea and what I would like to do.
I have been thinking that it may be a good idea to document the Buskers Music Lives, not only on the streets of Plymouth but in other places and situations that they perform their art.
I continued with my errands in town and as I approached Tesco's, I could hear a Harp being played. I absolutely love the sound of the harp and could not believe my luck. I sat and listened to the beautiful sound of the instrument and then got up to have a chat. The harpist's name is Fionnula, Nula for short. She is a self trained artist and makes her living playing the harp. Nula said that she often busks in Plymouth. In the Summer she sits in the Barbican where she said that she feels it is more intimate, and as there are more tourists in that area, she is able to make more money. I explained to her who I was and about my idea to create photographic documentary, and she said that she would also be happy to take part. I have her contact details and will email her very soon.
On my way home I was feeling very excited that this project could be successful. Approaching people in the street is not something that I find easy to do, but I have found that when I do talk to the Buskers, they are very forthcoming and interested in what I want to do. This is great for my confidence and I am looking forward to developing my idea.
I have been thinking that it may be a good idea to document the Buskers Music Lives, not only on the streets of Plymouth but in other places and situations that they perform their art.
I continued with my errands in town and as I approached Tesco's, I could hear a Harp being played. I absolutely love the sound of the harp and could not believe my luck. I sat and listened to the beautiful sound of the instrument and then got up to have a chat. The harpist's name is Fionnula, Nula for short. She is a self trained artist and makes her living playing the harp. Nula said that she often busks in Plymouth. In the Summer she sits in the Barbican where she said that she feels it is more intimate, and as there are more tourists in that area, she is able to make more money. I explained to her who I was and about my idea to create photographic documentary, and she said that she would also be happy to take part. I have her contact details and will email her very soon.
Scanned image of Nula's Business Card
Scanned image of Al Marconi Business Card
(Busker I had met in town last Friday)
On my way home I was feeling very excited that this project could be successful. Approaching people in the street is not something that I find easy to do, but I have found that when I do talk to the Buskers, they are very forthcoming and interested in what I want to do. This is great for my confidence and I am looking forward to developing my idea.
Friday 20 January 2012
Final Major Project
Today was the first of our discussions relating to our Final Major Project. We had a Group Tutorial with Louise and we each gave a brief outline of I thoughts and ideas. There were some great ideas around the table, all of them interesting and different. I think this is going to be a very exciting project.
I had initially thought that I would continue with my "Linking the Past with the Present" idea and develop it further. I had enjoyed the previous two assignments and have lots more ideas to develop that came from those projects. However, as we were discussing it, Louise pointed out that it may be difficult to photograph family members and revisit sites of memory, ancestry etc, and that it might be frustrating and stressful for me if I was unable to give the project the time I feel it deserves.
After leaving, I pondered on this all day. I could see that the opinion that Louise had shared with me was valid and one that I could fully understand. I am not in a financial position to be travelling back and forth to Wales, and for the project, it would be very important to photograph my family and spend time interviewing them about their memories several times. I want the project to have depth and be able to continue with a narrative that satisfies me.
With hindsight, I think it would be better to leave that particular project to another time in the future when I can give it my full attention. It may be best suited to my using it as a Personal Project outside of college. The thought has also entered my head that in fact this is a subject that could develop even further. I have many recollections of Village Life in Wales, of growing up in the 1960's and 70's. I have thought that it would be quite interesting to make a Photographic Social History Documentary on village life as I remember it, and of investigating how that village life has changed. My own village of Llanfallteg, in West Wales has changed a great deal since I left in 1978 and surprisingly many aspects are greatly improved. Community life seems to be thriving.There has been an increase in the numbers of houses being built over the past 20 years. I don't see this as completely successful as many of the houses are far too big and dominate the village. Unfortunately people have been able to buy the land at a cheap price and taken advantage by building huge mansion type houses to make a personal profit. I believe that this practise has now been curtailed by the Welsh Councils, thank goodness, and that it is more difficult to apply for planning permission that doesn't comply with certain criteria.
It is sad to me that I would not now be able to afford to move back to the village, and I do wonder how many local people were priced out of the market in the area. When my Dad sold our home n 1989, I think he received £29,000 for it. Now I should imagine that it is probably worth at least a £100,000. but I don't want to think about that because it makes me too sad to think of it not belonging to our family any more. A wrong decision made by all of us at the time.
I have veered off on a tangent.
My intention now is to write about my second idea for the Final Major Project. This past week I have been photographing two Buskers in the City Centre. I've spoken to them and found it interesting that they do not hold out much hope that Busking will continue for long in Plymouth. One of them said to me "If you can conquer Plymouth, you can conquer anywhere in the World" This made me laugh, but he also said that Busking in Plymouth is a dying art. I felt this was a sad statement. It would be a loss to the city I think, if we didn't have our Buskers. After he said this, I did start to wonder about the rarity of the Busker in the City and that although I frequent the city often, I do not hear Buskers more than maybe twice a week.
I had initially thought that I would continue with my "Linking the Past with the Present" idea and develop it further. I had enjoyed the previous two assignments and have lots more ideas to develop that came from those projects. However, as we were discussing it, Louise pointed out that it may be difficult to photograph family members and revisit sites of memory, ancestry etc, and that it might be frustrating and stressful for me if I was unable to give the project the time I feel it deserves.
After leaving, I pondered on this all day. I could see that the opinion that Louise had shared with me was valid and one that I could fully understand. I am not in a financial position to be travelling back and forth to Wales, and for the project, it would be very important to photograph my family and spend time interviewing them about their memories several times. I want the project to have depth and be able to continue with a narrative that satisfies me.
With hindsight, I think it would be better to leave that particular project to another time in the future when I can give it my full attention. It may be best suited to my using it as a Personal Project outside of college. The thought has also entered my head that in fact this is a subject that could develop even further. I have many recollections of Village Life in Wales, of growing up in the 1960's and 70's. I have thought that it would be quite interesting to make a Photographic Social History Documentary on village life as I remember it, and of investigating how that village life has changed. My own village of Llanfallteg, in West Wales has changed a great deal since I left in 1978 and surprisingly many aspects are greatly improved. Community life seems to be thriving.There has been an increase in the numbers of houses being built over the past 20 years. I don't see this as completely successful as many of the houses are far too big and dominate the village. Unfortunately people have been able to buy the land at a cheap price and taken advantage by building huge mansion type houses to make a personal profit. I believe that this practise has now been curtailed by the Welsh Councils, thank goodness, and that it is more difficult to apply for planning permission that doesn't comply with certain criteria.
It is sad to me that I would not now be able to afford to move back to the village, and I do wonder how many local people were priced out of the market in the area. When my Dad sold our home n 1989, I think he received £29,000 for it. Now I should imagine that it is probably worth at least a £100,000. but I don't want to think about that because it makes me too sad to think of it not belonging to our family any more. A wrong decision made by all of us at the time.
I have veered off on a tangent.
My intention now is to write about my second idea for the Final Major Project. This past week I have been photographing two Buskers in the City Centre. I've spoken to them and found it interesting that they do not hold out much hope that Busking will continue for long in Plymouth. One of them said to me "If you can conquer Plymouth, you can conquer anywhere in the World" This made me laugh, but he also said that Busking in Plymouth is a dying art. I felt this was a sad statement. It would be a loss to the city I think, if we didn't have our Buskers. After he said this, I did start to wonder about the rarity of the Busker in the City and that although I frequent the city often, I do not hear Buskers more than maybe twice a week.
So ... Ive been thinking about this idea. How do I get in touch with the Plymouth Buskers ....I've thought about getting in contact with The Big Issue, to write a small article, or place an advert to ask buskers to contact me if they are interested in allowing me to document their Busking Lives. Or maybe I could send a letter to the Evening Herald (Local Plymouth Paper)? I have the contact details of Al Marconi, the Spanish Guitarist I met in town yesterday so I can email him; but when I met the young singer/guitarist on Wednesday, I wasn't thinking about a project, I just saw him and felt I wanted to take some photos of him to which he gladly agreed.
There is a lot to think about but I am already excited that this project could develop into something that I will enjoy doing. I think the next step is to take some action into getting it off the ground.
Thursday 19 January 2012
AOP Student Awards 2012
I have entered the AOP Student Awards 2012 with the following two images. The deadline is January 27th 2012.
This image is my submission for the portraiture category
One Dog and His Man
Shot on 35mm Black and White Ilford Film
This image is my submission for the Landscape category
Linking the Past to the Present
shot on Mamiya 67 using 120mm Black and White film
Fujifilm Student Awards 2012 "Extreme"
This is the image I have submitted as my entry for the fujifilm student award 2012. The brief is to capture the word "Extreme" in a photograph.
On a visit to Falmouth recently, there lay a bicycle on the sea bed that appeared to have been there quite a long time. It was covered in sea creatures and seaweed. Unfortunately it was very tricky to get a shot of it as I had to lean precariously over the railings under the viaduct. I regret that I only shot one image and that the exposure isn't great. However I thought that as it complies with the brief of "Extreme" that I would enter the competition and give it a go.
On a visit to Falmouth recently, there lay a bicycle on the sea bed that appeared to have been there quite a long time. It was covered in sea creatures and seaweed. Unfortunately it was very tricky to get a shot of it as I had to lean precariously over the railings under the viaduct. I regret that I only shot one image and that the exposure isn't great. However I thought that as it complies with the brief of "Extreme" that I would enter the competition and give it a go.
Sea Bicycle
Wednesday 18 January 2012
Beth Emily Richards
Beth came along to the college to give us a lecture from the perspective of a practising artists. She is also employed on a part time basis at the University. This was something she said was very important; as an artist it is advantageous to earn a regular income which also gives you plenty of time to continue with personal practise. Beth had studied at the Art College.After achieving her BA, she moved to work and live in London, but decided to return to her home city of Plymouth where she felt that it would be more beneficial for her. She saw that there would be less competition in applying for funding and be better placed to continue with her art work .
Beth showed us examples of her work which concentrates on Performance Art and Video Editing. She is very interested in photographing "endurance," looking at how the body can be pushed to its limits. She also looks at how photography is manipulated and how information can be falsified depending how a photograph is placed in a context.
After the British Art Show left Plymouth, Beth became involved with a performance group, this is their website www.cometours.co.uk
In Beth's lecture she mentioned other artists' who had influenced her own work. These were Chris Burden and John Baldessari.
Beth showed us examples of her work which concentrates on Performance Art and Video Editing. She is very interested in photographing "endurance," looking at how the body can be pushed to its limits. She also looks at how photography is manipulated and how information can be falsified depending how a photograph is placed in a context.
After the British Art Show left Plymouth, Beth became involved with a performance group, this is their website www.cometours.co.uk
In Beth's lecture she mentioned other artists' who had influenced her own work. These were Chris Burden and John Baldessari.
Chris Burden "5 Day Locker Piece"
With thanks to www.liveplaces.com for this image
John Baldessari (1973) "Throwing three balls to make a straight line"
with thanks to goodformenwithbeards.blogspot.com for this image
Beth left us with an important message "make opportunities happen"
In the City
In the City ... I always carry my Pentax 35mm camera with me wherever I go. Film has become my favoured medium; I rarely shoot with digital now. The film I used for these shots expired in 2005. This is a collage made up of a few images I shot as I was walking around the city. A Busker playing his guitar and singing was happy for me to take photos of him. I had not seem him before and when I asked him where he generally stood, he said "in anonymous places."
Tuesday 17 January 2012
Second Meeting Group 2 on 17th January 2012
All Photographs were shot on a Mobile and only intended as examples of how to exhibit work
Portraits and Text from MA show
Our Group met this morning to further discuss our plans for our Exhibition.We have decided to meet at least once a week and have set up a new group on FaceBook in order to keep in touch with any new ideas, uploading any photos we have shot to share, show the images that we may use for our exhibition and for any other information we may want to post.
We began by discussing our choices of Venues. We had hoped to contact the proprietor of the Pipe Gallery but unfortunately for us one of the other groups has already secured that space. This was disappointing but made us realise that we meed to push on with securing a space for ourselves.
James has emailed the Art Centre but had not heard back from them yet. Later in the day Steph and I visited the Art Centre and spoke to a woman who advised us to return tomorrow to discuss our needs with either Paula and/or Caroline. We intend to do this.
From Art Centre
I had met with one of my friends who is currently studying an MA at the Art College and asked him to forward me the contact details for the Zero One Gallery in the West End of the City. He has now done this.
Plymouth College of Art One Zero Nine 109 Cornwall Street Plymouth PL11PA
Telephone: 01752 257 384
Flexible space one floor downstairs only, in Cornwall Street. tTe upstairs is a training room and is being currently used.
You will have to confirm precisely what you wish to do there and specify the week numbers/dates and who will be on site. Its a good space and idel for your project hope all this helps.
Jay said that he would speak to Matt about possible exhibition spaces in the City Centre.
Other gallery.exhibition spaces proposed were The Breton Side Bus Station, Whittards in the Mall Shopping Centre (Jess works in the Mall on Saturdays and will approach the Office). We are also continuing to think about other spaces.
We decided to visit the Peninsula Gallery at the University and the Plymouth Museum together after our meeting. We wanted to take note of the layout of the pieces, the framing, installations, and gather any other ideas of how to exhibit our work.
From MA Show
There was a great enthusiasm within our group and we had a very uplifting day together discussing our ideas and thoughts of how we would exhibit our work, and what we might achieve in our exhibition. There were lots of ideas about interactive sources, interviews, contemporary methods of hanging our pieces. None of us are keen on traditional framing for our pieces. We are all inclined towards a more contemporary feel.
We discussed the possibility of using a projector to show all of our work together and possibly to include other images apart from our single photographic pieces. Nancy said that her mother who is an artist has an excellent projector that we could use.
We also discussed having a "Comments Book" so that the public could express their opinions on our work.
During the visit to the Museum, Steph and Jess both took part in dressing up in Polar Clothing at the Scott of the Antarctic Exhibition. We had fun and found ourselves on the Spotlight BBC1 News later that evening. We discussed the possibility of some interactive source at our exhibition though as yet this was unconfirmed. We need to talk more about this.
As we have to provide a Group Sketch Book, it was decided that this could be left at college so that we can access it at anytime and write our ideas during our meetings.
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