Installations

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh)



Social Media Revolution 2 is a remake of an original video that highlights sometimes frightening facts about our constant inhabitation of social media sites.  Information from the video is taken from both the blog Socialnomics, and book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman, also worth checking out.

Woo hoo...website updated at last!

I am glad to say that my website - http://www.jennysteele.co.uk/ has been re-laid out and updated, with still yet more new work to come...! Please check it out and keep your eyes on it for fresh instalments in the coming week!

Sunday 21 November 2010

Creative Agitation at the MadLab


Another great digital resource that the North West boasts is The Manchester Digital Laboratory which is a non-profit community venue for creative's and hackers to meet and explore the potential of digital technology.  The space, which is funded and run by Big Lottery Funding, a collection of commercial sponsors and volunteers; offers a programme of events, space and resources relating to all things creative and technological

The venue currently offers a range of events, workshops and meetings, with facilities also available for hire, with wi-fi and projector system.  Manchester MadLab is located in a former shop in 36-40 Edge St, Manchester, M4 1HN, with group events usually happening at weekends.   

Friday 19 November 2010

all over...Toby Paterson..and Lucy McKenzie


Toby Paterson - Ausstellungsansicht, 2009


Toby Paterson, Hypothetical Relief (Sofia), 2009
Acrylic paint on perspex, 30cm x 30cm
A few weeks ago on a visit to Edinburgh, I took the opportunity to visit the Fruitmarket Gallery where I used to work. Sadly, it was in between exhibitions ('Childish Things' has now started), but my partner and I delighted in visiting the fantastic bookshop.  The excellent selection of visual art books and back catalogues reminded me of the practices of two Scottish artists who began to achieve acclaim for their work whilst I was still studying at undergraduate level in Dundee.  As my practice has developed over time, it is interesting to see how, in particular my interests, and theirs have altered over a nine year period.

Paterson's reliefs, drawings and sculptures reference constructivist and modernist geometric artworks and architecture. Specifically his abstract pastel photo montage style reliefs and wall drawings, hold great resonance and links to my own current drawings I am working on that explore physical and digital architecture.

Mixed Media installation, Exhibition at Modern Institute, 2009
The practice of Lucy McKenzie, who is also a graduate of DOJCAD, also explores past architectural styles, sometimes juxtaposing them with abstracted images of popular culture within painting and installation 
Lucy McKenzie, Salon Library for the Great Exhibition, 1902, 2006 

Lucy McKenzie, Untitled, 2004



Wednesday 17 November 2010

Geometrics at the Tate

Going to the Tate Modern, for me, is now like visiting an old friend, or watching your favourite movie over and over again.  You know what you are going to receive from the free exhibitions when you visit yet again with another group of students, or another group of friends or family, but every time you go to the Tate or watch your favourite movie you notice another feature, line or artwork, that makes you consider what you are currently doing, in a new light.

Last week, on another visit to the Southbank, I was particularly struck by the geometric forms in the Chromatic Structures section upon Level 3, that features work from artists such as Victor Pasmore, Helio Oiticia, Charles Biederman and Mary Martin that explore geometric form and colour to produce autonomous abstract art.  I was particularly taken by the reliefs of Victor Pasmore, and Charles Biederman.  Although informed by pure organic forms and geometry, these works reflect the geometric forms and bright colours of interfaces I have been referencing in my recent drawings, and various relief structures recreate smaller layers of larger reliefs I have been building in installations.

Victor Pasmore, Abstract in White, Black, Indian and Lilac, 1957

Tuesday 16 November 2010

CHArt Conference highlights - 'Technology and the 'Death of Art History'

Last week I attended the annual CHArt conference for the first time, which was held at the British Computer Society in Southampton Street.  CHArt, Computers and the History of Art research group, celebrates this year 25 years of functioning as a friendly and inclusive group that holds an annual conference and publishes a corresponding journal on of research papers on a wide range of discourses relating to the the relationship between the computer and the history of art.

The content of the papers, and the backgrounds of the speakers was indeed very wide ranging, and this was supported by a supportive approach by the CHArt committee and chairpersons.  The papers were 'curated' into four sessions - Technology, Curation, Access and Dissemination, opened by a keynote speech by Will Vaughan, Professor Emeritus at Birkbeck, London.  Professor Vaughan was one of the founding members of the research group, and in his opening paper entitled 'Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards' he described how the original group was a workshop run on a local basis in the 1980's. Interesting original ephemera such as typewritten newsletters and survey documents to decide the name of the group (such as HATE and HALITOSIS...) were the background to an overview set out by Vaughan as a grassroots organization that  mapped the relationship between the computer and the impact on the arts.

From a person of my generation, his first hand description of the perception of the computer, and the digital in the early 1980's was very interesting to additionally consider how computer software is now branded, designed and marketed as welcoming and friendly.  He explained how computing was associated with 'men in white coats', employed predominantly for data management, but when it came to art historians there was considerable mistrust in putting responsibility in this intangible system.  Vaughan enjoyed exploring the possibilities of this medium getting to grips with the BBC basic software, where he wrote a programme that could generate faux Mondrian artworks creating a game whereby the user had to guess a computer generated Mondrian from an original by the master.  The undertone of this game, which tests connoisseurship, is a strong thread running through visual art history - to be able to distinguish what is valued art, and what is not.

Somewhere in the 1990's, Vaughan describes a 'watershed' - with the acceleration of digital production and mediated communication - we are suddenly living within a whole new set of immaterial circumstances.  After the invention of the daguerreotype, painting became much more self consciously about the paint - evidenced in the 'pure' painting of Mark Rothko.  Discussing the digital and Internet as a time- based medium, Vaughan seem concerned with the lack of 'stillness' in digitally generated artwork, suggesting that  a sense of 'stillness' was a prerequisite for a fine artwork.

'Art History is Technology' - Dr Charlotte Frost

Frost's paper highlighted how digital technologies sought to destabilise the authority of art historical knowledge through references to Foucauldian theory and Derrida's 'Archive Fever'.  Derrida's 1995 theory is contingent upon the external happening to physically materialise a sense of archive.  Frost then went onto relate our current discipline of art history as being deeply embedded in using photography as an analytical and recording tool.  She explored more recent examples (Visitors Studio, 2004) of 'digital art' being created and curated online in a performative manner.  Overall, Frost is proposed that art history relies of technological developments, and latest developments of artists work using digital media opens and expands critical/ historical developments.

'Real Time Realtime - Time as a Technological Material in Art' - Jamie Allen, Newcastle University

Predominantly exploring our experience and perceptions of time in relation to digital media, Allen sets out an art historical context that references the beginnings of conceptual art, Alan Kaprow and a plethora of theorists such as Hansen, Manovich and Heidegger.  Allen's outlined a  theory of our experience of time in relation to digital media; with three distinctions of 'real-time', 'realtime' and 'real time', characterised by conceptions of time, chronocracy, and simulations of the real.  Allen then went onto to relate his theories to examples of digital media artworks, including his own work, that discuss awareness and materiality of time through manipulation of digital processes.

Life after Death - the relevance of digital technologies for entry into the 'canon' of temporary, ephemeral and non-gallery sited works - Tracy Piper - Wright, Glyndwr University

This paper proposed the importance of digital technology, predominantly digital photography, recorded in open access databases online such as Flickr to document 'real' evidence of temporary, ephemeral public artworks.  Piper- Wright's examples of the artist's marketing photography, in contrast with the audiences response online through images of their experience in and around these works highlighted a stark difference in perception and projection of the physical artwork produced an insightful divide between experience and idealised intention of the artist.  Her proposal of 'democratic documentation' presented interesting discussion, questioning ownership of photography of an artists work, and whether this form of documentation can be discussed in other areas of fine art production.

Ben Bunch, 'Entanglements' at The Proposition, New York

Sadly, I will not be able to make it to the exhibition, but I am sorry to miss the current show at The Proposition, New York, which features the three dimensional sculptures of Ben Bunch alongside the abstract paintings of Evan Levine.  However, it is the humorous reproductions of technology by Bunch in the show that runs from the 23rd October until December 5th 2010 at this Chelsea space that I am very sorry to not be missing in person.  Bunch expertly crafts representations of the interior and exterior of everyday technological objects upon through low-fi materials such as foam, chipboard and wire.  The result are playful and cartoon like forms that reference our close, even fond relationship and personal reliance on these objects function and our inability to quantify and fully comprehend their workings.
Ben Bunch, 'Pop-up', 2010, Foam, wireboard, chipboard and glue. 32" x 32" x 15"


Ben Bunch, 'Drill Baby Drill', 2010.  Foam, wire, chipboard and glue.  17" x 17" x 20".

Ben Bunch, 'Force-Field-Donut-Hole', 2010.  Foam, foam core and glue.  26"x 26"x 8".

Saturday 13 November 2010

100sq ft launch at Cholmeley Boys Club, 27th November 2010


My drawing 'Digitas Mundae' is featured in the 100 sqft exhibition, which has a launch party at the Cholmeley Boys Club, 66 Boleyn Road, London N16 8JG from 7pm until 2am with bar and music from 'Our friends Eclectic'.  The exhibition is open daily from Sunday 28th November until Thursday 2nd December, 2pm - 8pm.  Hope that you can make it along!

Big Draw Exhibition at Centrespace Gallery, Bristol


Big Draw Exhibition at Centrespace Gallery, Bristol, October 2010

View of Big Draw Exhibition, Centrespace Gallery, Bristol, October 2010

'Facade (Interface)', Pen, pencil and vinyl on paper at Centrespace Gallery, Bristol

'Facade (Interface)', Pen, pencil and vinyl on paper at Centrespace Gallery, Bristol


Above are images of the Big Draw exhibition at the Centrespace Gallery in Bristol in October 2010, which included my drawing Facade (Interface).  Thanks to Rebecca Edelmann, Gallery Manager at Centrespace for providing the photographs and all her help with the exhibition.  

Wednesday 3 November 2010

'Old Media' season at Arnolfini, Bristol

LoveLetters_1.0. MUC=Resurrection 2009

Last week I had a rather lovely day trip to Bristol to collect my drawing from the Centrespace Gallery that was in their October Big Draw exhibition, and to visit the exhibitions in the 'Old Media' season at the Arnolfini.  The series of exhibitions and events explore 'outdated' technologies, and how this media related to society at the time of its use.  The current exhibitions include 'Fun with Software', 'Coal Fired Computers and Tantalum Memorial' and 'Status Project' run until 21st November (11am  - 6pm, excluding mondays). 

The largest, and most engaging group exhibition, 'Fun with Software', does what it says on the tin.  The curator, Olga Goriunova, a Senior Lecturer in Media Practices at London Metropolitan University presents a range of works by artists; David Link, Erik Thiele, Christoph Haag, Martin Rumori, Franziska Windisch & Ludwig Zeller, Harwood, JODI, Shulgin/Laskin; and the RunMe archive that explore humourous approaches to software and processing. 


'Open Circuit', Christoph Haag, Martin Rumori, FranziskaWindisch and Ludwig Zeller
'Open Circuit', is an interactive sound installation, whereby participants can move speakers around a large scale open track circuit that pick up signals of "everyday sounds".  I particularly enjoyed the formal aesthetics of this work, which the audience were able to play around with creating sounds upon the copper tracks.

'London.pl' is a series of large digital prints that rewrite William Blake's London in Perl.Perl programming language.  The language of Blake's original poem is translated into codes and comments.  The most imposing work in  the exhibition through scale and production value is 'LoveLetters_1.0 MUC=Resurrection by David Link - which is reproduction of the Ferranti Mark 1 industrial computer with a built in random generator that produces love letters.  Members of the public can use the software to generate a love letter, which will then be projected onto the wall in the main entrance to the gallery.

'Status Project', Heath Bunting


On the upper gallery, Heath Bunting, who lives and works in Bristol, presents 'Status Project' - work from an ongoing project that seeks to document notions of class systems and identity, through information that is held in administrative databases for the multitudes of organisations and institutions we must be involved with to live our lives as a citizen.  The mapping languages used by Bunting in the large scale recreate interesting topologies of our categorised identities from minor and major personal and commercial decisions.