Leaving the Studio

I moved into my studio at 13 Scot Lane on February 6th last year, and last week I got notice to quit by April 4th. It has been a long lease for an Axisweb tenancy and very valuable to me. I got the ACE funding and completed the geranium project (R&D), so I have no complaints. I do have quite a headache though. I’ve three weks effectively to pack up and move just when I’m getting some interest in seeing the project from people who might think of showing it.

The shop the day I moved my gear in

Moving in Day 6th February 2019

I spent the week sorting out software licenses, meeting people to discuss possible exhibitions and planning for a project for the NHS in Barnsley. I really need to do some drawing!

I’ve got the Future Now conference at York St. John’s next week, Thursday and Friday, with a meetings with an ACE officer and a portfolio review. It was this time last year when I attended this conference and showed my work to Jane Bhoyroo from Yorkshire Sculpture International whose response convinced me of its viability and Denise Fahmy from ACE who gave me really valuable advice about making an application. Looking forward to hearing Cornelia Parker speak at this one.

Some links that are interesting and may potentially come up again in the next few months.

https://alittlepieceofland.org.uk/

https://access-space.org/

https://artspace.org.uk/

Geranium Project (R&D) – December Open Event

‘Geranium’ 02/12/2019

Introduction

‘Geranium’ began as a room, approximately 5mtrs by 4mtrs, that depicted a garden as a drawing and by projection onto one wall. The audience can explore the drawn surfaces which include text and interactive elements, watch the filmed garden where shadows drift across the lawn suggesting people, and listen to the birdsong and poetry playing in the space. It has turned into a more confined space that channels you towards and through the projection into a Virtual world.

The Geranium Project:

There is a purple or pink flower with five petals, it has long palmately cleft leaves that are broadly circular. Drifts of these used to grow in my mother’s garden and in my own garden now, and I’ve always loved them. For a long time I’ve had a blind spot about the name, when I see the flowers I’m suddenly at a loss but when I can’t see them I can remember. It has reached the point where my wife refuses to tell me what they’re called. This is why the project is called geranium, after this lethologica (an inability to remember a particular word) I’ve suffered from for a number of years. I have wanted to create a space that tells a story since I completed my MA in 2005 and became fascinated with non linear narratives or stories that can be navigated by the audience. My intention is that encountering this space, listening to the poems and hearing snatches of the narrative offers one or two clues that can be explored through an online space or using virtual reality. I see the project as an opportunity to find out how to best present the idea to an audience and to use that initial audience to help refine the experience so that it becomes coherent and strong enough for exhibition.

The Geranium Project (R&D) 22

After a desultory effort at last weeks blog due to a truncated week this week was better focused and, eventually, more productive.

This is a better photograph of the drawing begun last week, I’m hoping to be able to interpret this into a 3d model for the hedges in one of the garden versions. The main thrust of the week was developing the interior of the installation upstairs while preparing for an event in mid December where the new installation and the VR need to be presented.

I spent Monday doing some work on the drawing and installing the projector for the new installation. I’ve raised the height to limit the shadows now that I’m not having the revealed texts, and need to limit the width of the projection to the eight foot square backcloth that you will be able to walk through. Doing this on a shoestring means that I’ve used a drip cover I had as the projection screen, after testing I’ve had to paint the centre of it white so that the video shows up better. The next stage is to limit the space, making the environment more oppresive and confining. This will limit the audience to two or three at a time, but that will (may) allow for the ‘player’ to leave the installation and enter the VR world.

Alongside this we had a heavy frost on Tuesday so I took the opportunity to photgraph the garden and on Wednesday I adjusted the VR to make the frost garden. The two pictures below show scenes from within the ‘frost garden’ in VR.

colour adjusted garden

Frost Garden in VR (the ground is icy now)

On Friday I worked on the installation, using the ‘Snow Line’ scultpure to build up one side of the installation.

Composite views of the new installation

Lit view of the new installation

Lit view of the new installation

The installation is taking shape now and I’ve created a couple of niches where some interactive elements will be installed – I need to introduce some lighting and at a low level and the sound needs significant work.