Artist Statement:

Branthwaite’s work spans a broad range of approaches where sites, subject and context interplay to create the specific content of each work. Seminal points in his career have forced direction changes and reconsideration of methodologies. In 2001 a residency at Red Gallery in Hull brought about interests in art making and the position of the Artifact within Art Practice. An Arts Council England Graduate placement in 2004 started what is still a key concern- The link between form and Function that acts as a metaphor for the dialogue between concept and art work.

Branthwaites work often alludes to a function or utilitarian use but constantly avoids any clear usage or clear meaning. This tension is created to provoke a question of the objects and environments that make up the fabric of our daily existence. Recent work includes the creation of sculptures that reference flat-pack furniture and installations that adjust ways of seeing and experiencing environments.

The work presented here is influenced by radical architectural thinking and introduces concepts of regeneration outside of the ‘city living’ approach. The ‘additional’ buildings in the image are made of collections of images of ceramic goods. This use of local materials and skills aims to draw on new questions about the innovation that could be incorporated in urban regeneration projects but is often omitted in favor of standardised design solutions. The work should not be read as a criticism but as an alternative conceptual approach that runs along side regeneration thinking and introduces new ways of ‘talking’ between the past and present city landscapes.

Click here to go to Michael Branthwaite’s Website

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

Artist Statement: ‘Eterniments / Joyful Sorrow’

When artist is an authentic witness and confessor of faith, the art becomes a passage to the invisible world. In“Reversed Perspective”,artist reviles existence of something beyond the obvious fact of miracle, found in “everyday’’- the discovery of God’s presence,developing the endless possibilities of “practising imagination”,and focusing direction towards achieving the highest goal: Redemption, Revelation and Salvation. We can feel at first hand the presence of the Holy Spirit, of Its Uncreated Energy . It all has one goal – the change of the entire visible world. Its complete, essential transfiguration.

At some times,we simply do not know if we are on earth or in heaven. We feel, with our entire being, that God is with us at that time. Truly with us.Those moments of stepping into eternity ,I have named ‘’eterniments’’.I strive to turn my art into prayer to God.

Click here to go to Jasna Nikolic’s Website

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

Ann Kopka’s artistic practice incorporates mixed media painting, drawing, 3D, installation, and digital arts. She is currently engaged in researching the properties of everyday ephemera; disposable discarded objects of little or no intrinsic value, drawing attention to the throwaway nature of consumer society and questioning our perceptions of its value systems.

Through the concept of making ‘something out of nothing’, items such as found papers, redundant photographs, discarded packaging and discarded everyday objects, are subjected to investigative processes and either become the source material for painting or are transformed into objects for reflective contemplation and exploration.

In this instance charity shop jugs became the source material for the painting ‘Talking Pottery’.

Ann has studied BA Fine Art, at Central St Martins’ College of Art & Design and has completed a two year contemporary Fine Art course at the City Lit in Central London. In 2001 Ann graduated from the Open University with a first class honours degree specialising in the Practices and Debates of Modern Art.

Ann has exhibited at galleries in Central London and North West London, London Docklands, Hampstead, Watford and Boston. In 2006 Ann was selected by the charity BlindArt to exhibit a large scale multi sensory relief image constructed entirely with tea leaves, for the Sense & Sensuality Exhibition at the Bankside Gallery, Southwark. In 2008 a grid of 9 multi sensory reliefs constructed from teabags was shortlisted by Brunel University for the Essence Exhibition at the Beldam Gallery.

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

Artist Statement:

More than Words uses the language of film, TV and popular culture to explore modern notions of romance and tragedy as well as the depiction of gender. It takes the visual perfection of advertising as an analogy for our quest for an ideal state of being. The collages solidify the most instant and passing experience of consumerism trapping what is by its very nature throw-away, and repositioning it as the raw material for something new. In this way it re-appropriates recognisable imagery, subverting its intended meaning

This series looks at how the images that surround us ‘speaks’ to us. By removing the images from their original context alongside slogans which give them a certain meaning we can now see how they ‘talk’ to us about our common humanity and our need to reach out and touch something that is shared in our experience of the world.

More than Words is a critique of contemporary consumer culture and commodity fetishism. It interrogates and explores the depiction of the human condition through the prism of advertising and mass media. Both placing work as intervention in advertising space and taking found images to create re-interpretations of this experience in gallery space.

My work deals with the fragmented nature of imagery in contemporary media where hackneyed cliché has replaced the genuine experiences the pictures once represented, twisted by the need to create the desire to consume.

Click here to go to Paul Stanley’s Website

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

Artist Statement:

I am a photographer living and working out of stoke-on-trent, uk. My work investigates and documents those parts of urban life which often go unnoticed and are often wilfully ignored.

Whilst on the surface, a city appears to be the sum of its buildings, inhabitants, attractions and planning, there has to be a deeper explanation as to why each has its own unique feel. City life is full of transient experiences, actions and conversations which happen in an instant and disappear just as quickly. However, I believe they leave an imprint – a series of indelible imprints in terms of visible marks and ephemeral memories which collectively make up an urban identity.

This picture was taken in Prague in 2008.

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

Aaron Head has been selected for the Talking City Com:mission Action Research.

The Com:missions explore the impact that one artist can make in one place, in one day. The com:missions are designed to investigate the impact of short, sharp interventions within the public realm, and question how working quickly and responsively feels for the artist.

Here is the documentation of his Com:mission

What did you do?

I undertook an action that consisted of displaying a countdown of five in an inaudible and visual way. I did this in a variety of busy public spaces in Milton Keynes. This was filmed and has been edited to create the film ‘5… 4… 3… 2… 1…’

How did it feel to work within the public realm in a quick and responsive way?

I think it was quite organic in a creative sense. It allowed me to repeat myself as many times as possible. I think this allowed me to develop the aesthetic of the work as the day went on. I also feel that towards the end of the day I was creating a presence in the city. In that way the work began to exist through gossip and retrospect. The work then develops an identity independent of myself, which could aid in it’s understanding and adoption as an image or idea.

What responses did you encounter from the public?

Some apathy, Some smiles and laughter, a lot of avoidance. In a commercial centre like Milton Keynes where people are well used to the arts of advertising I think the slight absurdity of my action jarred with a lot of peoples expectations. So I think the most common response was a faltering step.

What did you enjoy about the Talking City Com:mission?

I enjoyed being a presence in the city, which I hope created a folk and anecdotal element to the work. I also enjoyed the structure of this commission, it felt creatively empowering, as I have been trusted to create the work in my own time and in my own way. Faith in the integrity of the artist doesn’t seem to be so common in many commissions. I didn’t feel that I had to make work that ticked certain political boxes. I think the attitude was ‘we like your idea, get out their and do it and let’s see what happens’.

What did you find difficult?

I found it difficult being the fool. But that difficulty is an indispensable part of the work.

What would you do differently next time?

I think I would try and get permission from the local authorities in advance so that I could do the action in increasingly challenging spaces like a supermarket or Milton Keynes Snow Dome. If I did the work again I would also use a number of cameras to show different angles on one action.

What impact, if any, could this experience have on your practice?

I think it’s perhaps good to have a singular and simple idea in your mind and then to go out and do it, to see what happens. This was quite an instinctive work and it was good to just follow my instincts for a while.

Aaron Head talking city commission Have a look at the proposal that Aaron sent in originally.

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

Meg Mosley has been selected for the Talking City Com:mission Action Research.

The Com:missions explore the impact that one artist can make in one place, in one day. The com:missions are designed to investigate the impact of short, sharp interventions within the public realm, and question how working quickly and responsively feels for the artist.

Here is the documentation of Meg’s Com:mission

Intro to the project:

Celebration and the social diversity of everyday life are major themes in Meg Mosley’s art. This diary records the events of a day spent as an artist investigating office life. The work was commissioned by Anna Francis and the Longhouse annual programme of work carried out by community arts organisation, Multistory. Whose focus is bringing together communities and artists to develop creative solutions to local problems and tackle a wide range of social issues. For the past four years, Meg has worked as manager of Positive Press, which is the publishing branch of Jenny Mosley Consultancies. For this project she switched roles to become a participant observer and dig deeper into the dynamics of the office as a community: creating dialogues and actions through a series of interviews and portraits that explore office elegance and working the nine to five.

Working nine to five

I defy anyone to say they are working nine to five without thinking of Dolly Parton warbling ‘What a way to make a living!’ Or maybe that’s just me!

As an artist juggling my career and working in the public realm of an office to support my practice, I have always mused about photographing and interviewing my colleagues. My office’s all female community houses a spectrum of women from myself just about to turn 30 through to ladies in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. I have been particularly fascinated by the effort they put into dressing with style and deportment of such class and detail. So for this project, I proposed a day where I would photograph them and give them the spotlight to share their opinions on marriage, relationships, parenthood and the work place, discussions usually shared over a cup of tea or a work break, but this time held in a series of short interviews.

As my colleague, Rosalyn, rightly pointed out, ‘You’re just being nosey’. I chuckled but explained that it was more than that because the community and their values were something I experienced every day and it was important to me to know more about them and where their values and ideas came from.

The day of the photo shoot:

I proposed by ‘round robin’ email a day I would photograph and interview them. It caused quite a stir! I also sent round a questionnaire and juxtaposed a picture of artist Cindy Sherman ‘secretary’ 1978’ where she dressed up as a secretary next to a picture of one of our secretaries at her desk. In the questionnaire, I also included quotes fitting it seemed to the environment of office elegance I took from the book 1960’s: Elegance: a complete guide for every woman who wants to be well and properly dressed on all occasions by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, a gift from a friend who knows my nostalgia for the elegant ladies!

My observations of the research day:

The element I hoped to capture in my research is how offices are like strange families with certain characters and certain rules not to be broken (like using someone else’s tea mug. Quite right too!). Offices can be odd and difficult places where we all like to keep our own sense of identity. I share my offices with the team of secretaries who support the consultancy and I observe daily the ladies rituals. The envy of the slim Bev indulging in burgers or fish and chips to break up the day with a taste bud sensation! ‘We’re always on a diet but we love when it’s somebody’s birthday and we get to eat cream cakes!’ says Lisa’! Joanna dresses in leopard print and drinking from her fave floral mug that she has cherished for years. Sandra reminds herself of a life outside the office at concerts when she gazes at her Barry Manilow poster by her computer! Jenny seeing the office as needing ‘love and kindness’ and in her absence leaves us themed gifts for all celebrations and occasions including valentines! Rosalyn expresses herself with fabulous glamour puss style in faux fur and sexy boots with the Daily Mail newspaper under her arm and Danka is picked up from the offices by her husband and they walk hand in hand home.

During this special day, my colleagues discussed their stories of secretarial life. Joanna shared a photo of herself at her desk blowing smoke in the days before the smoking ban and Rosalyn said, ‘There used to be a picture of me at my desk just like that (pointing to the photo I took of her). My husband carried it in his wallet’. There was talk how so many women loathe and detest not wearing makeup, put down to the fact in the ‘60’s many women wore Cleopatra eye make up, with white lipstick, white head scarf’s, triangle head scarf’s tied under chin, white or cream duster coats and stilettos’. Joanna talked of Danka in a photo post caesarean birth with full makeup on!

Reflection:

When I looked at portraits, I felt more of an understanding of the team, their sense of worth and how they pull together and live life to the full. I was inspired by their stories of different routes through life and different balances they have chosen for themselves and their families. I really appreciated their generosity. Rosalyn helped me to dress up in her faux furs and impersonate her coming to work and drinking from her special office tea cup and saucer a embellished with pink roses!!! I sashayed around the office her glamorous faux furs swishing and her Daily Mail tucked under my arm, and thought, ‘So this is how it feels to experience office elegance!’

On the day of the private view, I sent an email to everyone. ‘You are all invited to the ‘Working Nine to Five’ art exhibition held at the prestigious 28a Stairwell Gallery!’ They all gathered on the stairs to see the pictures, which in essence of the office objet d’art were blown up and laminated by Sandra in secret as not to give away the unveiling! The manager, my mother, was invited too. The photographs were studied with great enthusiasm and they were intrigued by each other’s comments.

The photographs will remain in this exalted gallery space but they have also been pinned to our notice boards in proper office style. I hope they will carry an important message to us all:

Nobody is ordinary. All people are fascinating.

Photos from behind the scenes:

Meg Mosley’s Cartoons:

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

Les Bicknell has been selected for the Talking City Com:mission Action Research.

The Com:missions explore the impact that one artist can make in one place, in one day. The com:missions are designed to investigate the impact of short, sharp interventions within the public realm, and question how working quickly and responsively feels for the artist.

Artist Statement:

An exploration of the ideas around a sense of place has been at the core of my practice. This could be a personal mapping of my surroundings, working with a Parish Council to celebrate its specialness or researching the history of a specific space to create appropriate and meaningful pieces of public art. The use of the book form has developed my connection to and an understanding of audience and heightened my understanding of the idea of communication. These ideas around the book manifest themselves as form as content and manipulation as narrative.

Current relationships with government administrations on the development of spaces for the public have strengthened my interest in the role of the artist in society. This connects with the exploring reflective practice through a virtual learning environment in my role as Senior Lecturer at Norwich University College of the Arts.

My practice in general explores the idea of the book; specifically this body of work is an exploration of ideas around a sense of place.

The book as a symbol of power and knowledge can be a vehicle to communicate directly; it is a form that is understood in these terms but repositioning its context and purpose challenges these very notions. The work becomes a question rather than an answer, a collaboration between maker and reader/viewer. The practical aspects of the book form, of disseminating information; of making things clearer is an interesting idea to question.

The sculptural forms are derived from and examine the book form. The work explores the idea of form as a content and manipulation as the narrative.

The work positions itself conceptually and physically between and within the idea of both sculpture and book. The hybrid nature of the work finds its roots in both forms – exploring and challenging both genres.

The idea of a sense of place comes from stillness and silence, a reflective experience of taking time to look, listen and consider the spaces I find myself in and my connection to them. The immediate landscape around my house and the walks I undertake provide a starting point for the work, the unseen and the seen have equal worth when making the work.

CHECK BACK SOON FOR DOCUMENTATION OF LES BICKNELL’S COM:MISSION

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

David Bethell has been selected for the Talking City Com:mission Intervention.

The Com:missions explore the impact that one artist can make in one place, in one day. The com:missions are designed to investigate the impact of short, sharp interventions within the public realm, and question how working quickly and responsively feels for the artist.

Here is the documentation of his Com:mission:

Aiming to set off from the sea lion in Ipstones to Foxt at 3pm, we left the pub with curious punters wondering why I was carrying a road roller. I replied “why to roll a road”.  My dress code was that of a working man. A little ironic as they all think I am a bit of a bum.  So the journey had begun just after 3pm. Armed with a make shift road roller and a camera crew followed by a few good friends, I was off.

Having completed the construction of the road roller just after 2:30pm after 3 hours of  continuous working I had made a horse drawn road roller based on the traditional design apart my version was made from six 6 ft pieces of wood, twine, two cart wheels, cardboard and a broom handle. All brought within one hour from two shops, one of the quickest shopping sprees known to man.

I did wonder how my contraption would work and how long it would last. Would it last the whole duration of the walk, approximately 1 half miles through mud, make shift paths and the odd cattle grid. Or would it fall apart within minutes of the starting point.  It was an interesting and amusing experiment. As the design and the way I constructed the road roller has been specifically made not to last. Thus questioning the craftsmanship but questioning my body and my work ethic.

Having decided on the idea a few weeks ago I was glad to see that my construction was not a million miles away from my design. I was relatively pleased. The work had stemmed from my previous piece of work ‘Plough’ made for Interrogation Walsall.  The work was still questioning some of the same issues, such as the craftsmanship and the quality of a product, and the machine against a location whilst also looking at the potential of a space.

So back to the beginning of the story, I set off just past 3pm with a few odd looks. The moment to test how well the road roller would roll had come to pass. The result was a success. I was pleased. It did actually roll! So now which one of us would collapse first was the next question, would it be me or would it be the road roller? The first challenge was a hill followed by small bridge, All clear. Whilst I was rolling and roaming the countryside, I began to think how romantic the work was and how the work would look both as a film and as a set of photographs but I also enjoyed the fact that I had taken this root many times when I was a lot younger. I was re rolling my memories. I did think that it would be terrible if a road was actually built here.

The reason for choosing this specific path was to both celebrate the Staffordshire Moorland’ s rural landscape and its agricultural landscape relating to the farming industry, but the path would also take me through worn tracks made from grass, soil, bits of stone,  and rock. This would hopefully give me a path that was both rural and  slightly urban at the same time.
As the path got longer my legs began to ache and the road roller had little marks on it apart from mud. The machine was doing a little better than I expected! O dear! At least it was a labour of love for me rather than a just hard plain work. I thought back to my proposal as I stated that I did want this to symbolise the decline and the loss of labour intensive jobs during the recession.

During the walk, we didn’t come across anyone apart from two young ladies and a dog. Their expressions were lit by bemusement. I said nothing and carried on my way. I hope they thought ‘that man isn’t going to destroy our woods with that machine.’ Even if I wanted to I do not think the road roller was capable of doing so.

Once I entered the woods the road roller had started to deteriorate and once it started there was no stopping it.  I think this was mainly due to me trying to roll a set of a stairs and some boulders along the way. Once the roller had hit the self destruct button, I came to a halt, out of breath and relieved that my work had fallen before I did. This happened approximately at the half way stage.

I carried the remains to Foxt; as I am sure that there maybe a mark two version at a later date. We didn’t really see anyone apart from the odd person walking their dog, again looking bemused. I suppose it’s not every day you see someone carrying bits of wood, twine, wheels and cardboard dressed in orange pants.  It must have looked a bit odd, but if they had seen the Road Roller then it would have been perfectly normal.

What I enjoyed most about the project was the fact that I had to work within a really short time period and within a tight budget; this made and gave my work the feel that I was after.  I will also be looking to do another version of Road Roller within a different location.  This may take the form of a disused Railway or along a canal.  This may help me and my work encounter a few more people, if I were to do it on the Canal anyway. As I felt there could have been more people that saw the work, either as an audience or as onlookers. I suppose this is down to choosing the right location.  I am pleased with how my work has developed for this project and I am sure I will develop the work even further, both considering my presence as the performer and the location. I will also look more at my costume and what I am wearing. I will also give more warning to people that wish to come and see the performance and research the location first. The previous location that I chose for this performancewas a disused railway, but it reopened on the day that I wanted to carry out the performance. A lesson to be learnt there.

I hope you have enjoyed this story.

Click here to go to David Bethells’ website

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.

MADE presentation – Worcester the making of a modern city

Nathaniel Pitt has been asked to give a talk at the MADE symposium ‘Worcester – Building a Modern City’ which takes place on Tuesday, 30th March 2010.  As one of the original Interrogation agents, Agent Pitt made contact and invited us to come over and Interrogate the public art of Worcester. A contact point was established, and Agent Pitt, Agent Orange, Agent Winnett and I met up – the video piece above was the result of the days interrogation.

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.