Community of Practice>2

This past weekend Hannah Westwood, Harriet Hill and Zoha Zokaei and I met to 'critique' our ongoing practices.  Meeting at Hannah's studio at Bond House, New Cross - we talked about Hannah's ambitious large scale 'explosion' drawings for her upcoming solo exhibition, 'Eye of the Storm' at Tenderpixel, which opens on the 12th May 2011.  I will not give away too much, but the panel drawings are set to over take and overwhelm the boutique gallery space entirely!

Zoha reflected on her recent exhibition at the Waterman's Art Centre, where she showcased a series of new photographs, which I wrote about in a previous blog post 'The Concealed Exchange'.  We talked about her experiences of collaborating with other creative professionals to direct and produce the work, and avenues to develop and exhibit the works in other locations.

Harriet discussed her open house and studio last month, as part of the local area of Peckham's Open Studio event - and the positive opportunity for feedback when exhibiting work in progress.  I presented the drawings and prints that I have been working on over the past month, in preparation for the Chongqing Residency, which is getting closer and closer...!  As ever, questions and constructive feedback assisted pushing the work to the next stage.  I am currently working on a large woodcut, which I made the first print of today, but our Albion Press at RUTC, is not large enough for an even print, so I am on the look out now for a print studio with a larger press.  I will post a photograph when I get the first acceptable A/P!

'Netizen Layout', Pen, pencil and cardboard relief on paper, 2011, Jenny Steele

'A Brief History of Privatisation'

'A Brief History of Privatisation', Ellie Harrison, 2011

Ellie Harrison, an Ealing born and Glasgow based artist, showcases the current exhibition in the Upper Foyer Gallery at the Waterman's Centre.  I have been interested in, and following, Harrison's career for some time now, and was looking forward to seeing her latest exhibition, 'A Brief History of Privatisation' in person. 

The layout and format of Harrison's website in itself tells us a lot about her ambitious, humorous, resourceful and wide ranging practice that takes inspiration from, and is formed, at times, through practices within her daily life.  In this latest gallery project, Harrison has installed a group of six massage chairs in a circle facing each other within a darkened room, with a neon projection of  the dates from 1900, until 2011 flashing upon a projected screen.  Each of the chairs represents one of they 'key' public services from the government; Post, Rail, Electricity, Gas, Health and Telecoms.  The chairs switch 'on' at the point that they were controlled by the government, and switch 'off' again when the services were privatised.  The neon text glows with the colour of the political party that was in power at that point in time. 

When visiting the exhibition, as the only audience member in the room, I found myself jumping to and from the chairs that were providing the massage service at the time, never being particularly satisfied by any massage offered by any of the chairs.  But that indeed is the situation of such massage chairs, that they offer only a nudge to your skin, as opposed to a pair of physical hands that can really give you a bespoke service.  Even when the simulated feeling of relaxation and support is offered for a period of time, for however short, it is always disappointing when it is removed and one is left unsupported.  The situation of the chairs placed in an ordered board like fashion gives a humorous suggestion that somehow decisions are made by a powerful group of individuals somewhere, upon a tier above us, with little consequence for the outcome.

You can see further images of the exhibition on Ellie's Facebook page here, and download the exhibition guide here.  Ellie also exhibits two works Toytown and Vending Machine in the foyer, and lower gallery area.  The exhibition runs until 2nd May at Waterman's Art Centre, Brentford, Middlesex.

The Concealed Exchange - Zoha Zokaei

The Concealed Exchange, 2011

'The Concealed Exhange' in the Riverside Gallery at Waterman's Art Centre, was the latest solo exhibition by Iranian born artist, Zoha Zokaei, also a graduate of Goldsmiths MFA (2007).  Zokaei's recent multi-media practice explores the delicate and taboo subject of violence and abuse to females in traditional societies and communities.  Most interestingly and perhaps controversially, her work refers to the uncomfortable supporting role of the larger framework of that society, in victimising the abused people to be the actual victim, or putting them again within dangerous and abusive situations.

Zokaei exhibited two short films works, Victim (2009) and Revenge (2011), as well as a new series of narrative photographs.  The series of 3 photographs, entitled 'The Concealed Exhange' chart an idyllic family dinner setting, before and after an act of abuse has taken place, subsequent to which daily occurrences continue with an uncomfortable and knowing silence.  I particularly like the new photographic route to her practice, and I going to following closely to see what she does next.

Revenge, 2011

Studio Chongqing 2011 Symposium

Next month, I will be travelling to Manchester again to attend the 'Studio Chongqing' Symposium at the Chinese Arts Centre.  The symposium, curated by Nina Chua and Jessica Longmore, will explore and evaluate work made by artists whilst upon the Chonqing residency programme.  Some of my own questions about my upcoming residency will be posed to the previous artists in residence, Johannes Zits and Ed Pien.


Tickets for the symposium are free, but limited. To register, please go to http://chongqing-symposium-auto.eventbrite.com/.


Please see below excerpts from the Press Release:


Studio Chongqing A Live Collection of Work and Experiences from the 501 Residency, Chongqing, China.

Thursday 21st April, 1-4pm
Chinese Art Centre, Market Buildings, Thomas Street, Manchester M4 1EU
Free
Studio Chongqing aims to give a glimpse into the experience of a series of artists who have been resident at the 501 Contemporary Art Space, Chongqing.


In central China lies Chongqing City, virtually unknown to the world, but home to over 32 million people and rising. This restless megalopolis is in a continuous state of construction, demolition and reconstruction to accommodate its burgeoning population.


Within the technicolour district of Huang Jue Ping sits the 501 Contemporary Artspace. Over the last 2 years, the Chinese Art Centre has introduced many artists from Manchester and beyond to the residency programme at the 501. For Studio Chongqing we have brought together, both physically and virtually artists from Manchester and all over the world to present to you an aspect of their experience in Chongqing.


Please join us for this afternoon of performance, presentation and discussion and catch a glimpse through the window of Studio Chongqing.

Eastman Cheng (Hong Kong)
Nina Chua (Manchester)
Philip Davenport (Manchester)
David Hancock (Manchester)
The Chinese Art Centre (Manchester)
Sue Manchoulas (London/Australia)
Hetain Patel (Nottingham)
Ed Pien (Toronto)
Sarah Sanders (Manchester)
Nicola Smith (Manchester)
Johannes Zits (Toronto)


This event has been curated by Nina Chua and Jessica Longmore.  If you require any further information on the event please contact Jessica contact@jessicalongmore.com

INTERFACE Conference 2011

I am pleased to let you know that my lighting paper abstract 'Redirection and Network TimeOut - occupation of Internet Architecture in the Chinese Municipality of Chongqing'  has been selected for the INTERFACE 2011 Conference at UCL, held from the 27th-29th July 2011.  The 3rd International Symposium for Humanities and Technology is sponsored by Goldsmiths College, Kings College and UAL, amongst other institutions. 

Please see a revised version of the abstract below -

The People’s Republic of China is internationally renowned for censoring politically or sexually threatening sites upon the internet; monitoring and re-directing sites that are against the government’s values. Western social networking sites such as Blogger, Wordpress and Twitter, and their Chinese counterparts ‘Fanfou’ (Twitter) and Xiaonei (Facebook) – periodically go dark or flash up a ‘Network Timeout’ information message when information within the site is deemed as inappropriate. The development of Software Programmes such as Psiphon (Citizen Lab, Toronto) and Tor allow the user to potentially be anonymous and steer around filtering systems.

Navigation of the aforementioned digital architecture of the Internet is halted and redirected through a hierarchical system, where physical, or digital, mobility is controlled from the top down. Traditional Chinese architecture was built around the concept that the centre or most protected areas of the building were only for the eldest or those with highest esteem within the community – with courtyards, buildings and walls separating the majority of people from possible sites to occupy.

During a residency in Chongqing this summer, I will research into the navigation of both digital and physical architectural sites in the municipality through interview and visual studies. I will also explore the development of interface design in Chinese Internet sites, and how it still heavily interprets and relies upon print layouts to guide the viewer through the digital space. The paper will reflect on the findings of the research enquiry, discussing the government’s control of the assumed non-hierarchical terrain of the Internet.

Parallax Exhibition

Xiaonei, Pencil, pen and relief on paper, 2011

Some of my drawings and prints have been selected for the Parallax AF exhibition, from 1-3rd July at La Galleria, Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall - an exhibition is curated by Gayane Umerova. More news to follow!

Popular Culture...

I often get teased about how little I know about popular culture..which is not true as I know a lot about it, but have little capacity for remembering small facts and lines from films!

Two loosely based examples 'popular culture' that I am really enjoying at the moment are the series of adverts for the British Census, and the TV series, 'The Boat that Guy Built'. 

The billboard advertisements feature photographs of everyday objects such as a computer and bus that have been carefully constructed out of purple paper.  The adverts remind me of my former love for the Skoda Fabia, 'Full of Lovely Stuff' advert, which still delights me - using evident hand processes to suggest a sense of humanism and integrity to products or processes.

'The Boat That Guy Built' features a humorous motorcycle racer and mechanic called Guy who has set himself the task of doing up his long boat using inventions from the industrial revolution as he travels along English canals.  He has so far woven a cotton sheet, created a clock suitable for a barge, thrown a Wedgwood mug and created other facilities for his barge.  His lighthearted journey highlights some very  interesting insights into industrial labour, and the breadth of inventions that changed our lives prior to the digital revolution.  Here is in the last episode...