Dali

The image above is a still from Dreams designed by Dali Spellbound.
Dali's work deals with dreams like Mayne and Laura's work is doing. I really like the large eyes in this still, very surreal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzxlbgPkxHE

The link above is to the video of Dreams designed by Dali in Spellbound 1945.

Review of the Leeds Art Walk

I attended the Leeds Art Walk which started at 5.30pm at the Audrey Burton Gallery, A Discipline of the Mind: The drawings of Wilheimina Barns- Graham.

The exhibition was curated by Mel Gooding for The Pier Art Centre in collaboration with The Barns- Graham Charitable Trust. The mood here was really quiet people were arriving late because of the snow so it wasn't a very settled atmosphere.

The show was a series of drawings from Wilheimina's early work. The drawings and paintings were hung in different ways depending on the size and weight of the images. Some of the images were in normal black frames and were hung with simple picture hooks. Others, the more larger ones were hung from two long wires running up the wall. And others in frames were hung using two screws and hooks on the frames then painted over in white. There were two plinths both had glass boxes on top that were not lit and was just normal glass but were slotted into a lip on the plinth so the plinth framed the glass. They plinths were just lit up by the electric lights that were already in there and there was no natural light in there. The paintings and drawings were a mix of drawings of Lanzarote's volcanic landscape and drawings of the British countryside. The drawings were very simple kind of childlike some of them. I can appreciate that she recorded what was around her but these images were not to my taste. The talk Leeds University gave us was very academic and formal which I didn't expect. Also you could hardly hear the lady speak as she was really quiet.

The Art Walk at 6.15pm then moved on to Leeds Art Gallery with the woman running the art walk leaving most of us behind when she set off without telling us meaning we missed the talk at Leeds Art Gallery. The woman taking us round was not very organised at all. Leeds Art Gallery had a very unexciting feel as there was only our group there, there was no real energy in the room. At Leeds Art Gallery we saw the Northern art Prize which was a vast range of different works ranging from video, drawings, paintings and sculpture. Foe some of the video pieces boards had been put up and TVs had been mounted on them with no wires to be seen. The larger piece which was of a gig filled a whole room to give the experience of being at a gig. This piece you could see no wires as far as i could tell. It was very dark in there from what i could see the wires were hidden behind the wall. I loved this piece was amazing. In another room there was a range of plinths which had been lit up by the lights above it having stronger bulbs put it to really light them up. I didn't particularly like the pieces in this room, the work was a bit pretentious for my liking with the pieces such as two pencils shaved right down another piece was of an ash tray with a diamond in it. These pieces just didn't feel like allot of effort had gone into them in my opinion. The drawings and paintings that were hung up were hung with screws and and painted over to match the walls.

We then went on to the Howard Assembly Rooms: Janet Cardiff: Voices: The forty part Motet.

Here it was really over crowded and the lady giving us the talk was really quiet and I couldn't here what she was saying. But because it was so busy and because it was a Private view then it was really buzzing everyone was very excited. We walked in the and the room was lovely, polished wood that shone in the soft lit room. There was a circle of 40 speakers at head height. It was quiet, then slowly different instruments and voices started coming through the speakers working it's way round the room. It was beautiful the room really fitted the piece. The piece was designed so you could listen to an individual speaker and listen to one person as if a conversations was happening. The atmosphere was amazing people sharing the same experience in the same space. The speakers were all connected by wires on the floors, and all round the room in certain sections the wires were covered in black rubber so no one would trip on them. And black tape was placed round the speakers feet to show people where they were. But i did see someone nearly knock over a speaker taking the rest with it.

I loved this piece it was really relaxing and had a very good atmosphere.

Overall the Art Walk was poorly run, the organisation was not good and I don't feel that they showed the best of what was going on in Leeds now. 3 locations didn't really cover it. But the final stop at the private view was amazing I really enjoyed it.

Review of Wakefield Art Walk

The walk was 5pm-9pm. We arrived at 5pm at the Cathedral but it wasn't set up yet. There was no times of the events on the leaflet. So we moved onto the next venue which was Mocca Moocho who told us they weren't doing the art walk tonight. We moved onto the Wakefield Museum which had an exhibition on and free wine. There was an interactive setup with household objects that we could re-arrange and take pictures.

This was very good the pictures you took you gave them it then it became part of the work as they were show on a TV next to this piece. The wall indented and laced with velvet with the fruit sat on it. It gave you instructions on what to do to get your picture in the work. The gold frame made it look like an old fashioned painting of fruit (still life).

As the map wasn't very accurate we asked for directions to Art of Oak which is an art shop with an exhibition space downstairs. We met the manager who explained to us that he doesn't really own the exhibition space to make a profit but uses it to bring more customers to the art shop. We were the first ones to visit this space, so he showed us round the exhibition space downstairs and gave us some free wine.

We then moved on to West Gate studios which is studio spaces where you could meet a number of artists in there studio space, exchange business cards and buy there work if you wanted to all with free wine. (But unfortunately my businesses cards I ordered hadn't come yet for this event, but will hand them out next time).

Makes neon signs. She was asked by Saga to make the sonic the hedgehog sign. Everything was hung up with pins and wires hanging down going to the sockets to have them all lit up for the art walk. Her space was amazing. Everything looked quite dangerous with wires everywhere. But it is her space but maybe taping some of the wires might have made it a bit safer with people coming round.

This piece was beautiful paper birds going down over several floors with the light hitting it it was lovely. They were hung with wire and tied at the top and bottom. The place it was put was perfect because as people was walking the staircase to see the studios they can see this all the way up and down.

We then moved to Interval Cafe at Wakefield Theatre, thankfully we knew where this was as the map was very inaccurate. There, there was free wine at the bar and painting all around and you could talk to the artists about there work, in this venue they were asking us to fill out feed back forms for this haven't.

We then went to the art house which again was a studio space we met a number of artists there was also a craft stall and free wine.

Our final stop was at the Cathedral and there was a band playing.


Overall there was a number of spaces we didn't get to and i think that the art walk may benefit from an optional tour so people can find all the venues. As the event runs from 5-9 there was too much for us to see in that time particularly with the map not been very accurate. However it is a really good night but would have benefited from more organising as the artists showing there work don't even know who organises the event or who runs the website. And maybe a should have taken a note book to jot everything down. Overall this event is good for making contacts and finding new venues.

Contacts:

Wakefield Theatre Royal - Janine Heseltine (engagement officer) (contact if your looking for an exhibition space)
01924 334 115
janine.heseltine@theatre royalwakefield.co.uk

Laura Slater (textiles designer/ maker)

www.lauraslater.co.uk
laura@lauraslater.co.uk
07929599215

Abu Jafar (visual Artist)
www.abujafar.com
01924312056

Kat Hall (visual artist)
07947 158978
k.hall@wakefield.ac.uk

Julia Peta Bickerstaff
Newworkshops.com
01924387999
info@neonworkshops.com

Glenis MA Fergus (visual artist)
07870885379
glenferdy49@blueyonder.co.uk

Rosemary Firth
firthrosemary@hotmail.com
01302 738377
www.gallery12a.com

If you want to find out more about Wakefield art walk go to www.artwalk.org.uk
(be warned the dates and day are slightly out but you can work them out )

Third Angel Alex Kelly art talk

He talked about the relationship between art and science.
At this talk I met Paul Digby - Hybrid Co-worker and Alex Kelly Co - Worker of Third Angel.
Alex Kelly works with Rachel who is the other co - worker of Third Angel and they work together within a small network of people with different talents. Alex and Rachel nearly always work together and have a selection of people that they work with a rotate depending on what project they are working on. Alex sees his practice as a multi stranded practice where each section of it intertwines with each other.

Alex Kelly is obsessed with the Voyager Satellite program from the 1990's. He loves how samples from earth have been sent into space from our civilisation to hopefully show other forms of life how we live. The satellite contains 53 languages that we speak on earth and contains a drawing of a circle.

Book about this mission - 'Members of Earth' Reference only

In 1999 Dry Vulcan (a German company) collaborated with Third angel.

Show - Hang Up - He uses telephone boxes in this show as it fascinates him when sometimes you see someone in a phone box but when you walk by another time there could be no-one in it.

In 2001 Alex was invited by Tarisa Brayshaw to do a show with her students called "Of course it's a journey" For this show they all read a passage about the Voyager Satellite.

Book- Faster by James Gleick there's a section Alex calls the hurry sickness section

Alex Kelly and Rachel worked with scientists (Institute of Work Psychology Sheffield) to do a show called Keroshi. Alex said that artists and scientists get on well.
Alex said "We make shows the way they make experiments."
Keroshi means 'Death from over work' in Japanese.

In 2005 Third Angel aimed to slow a space down in Sheffield. The show was called standing alone standing together. A group of people wearing similar clothes occupying a space. It consisted of 3 1hr cycles.

To see there work visit thirdangel.co.uk

In 2006 he did a show called Presumption for this project the worked with Chris Thorpe and Rachel.

Book - 'Clock of the long now' It's a bout a clock built in the Arizona Desert that only ticks once a year.

He's also worked with Chris Hall film maker.

Alex said,
"I describe myself as a serial collaborator".

Group called Forced Entertainment video group.

The talk was very informative about the work and people he has been involved with. I learnt that it is better to work within a small community rather than by your self as then you can use different people talents depending on the project. The only downfall for me was he didn't mention how he got funding for these projects. I would have like to know that as i could have brought that information into my own practice. Overall a very interesting talk.

picasso

A girl on a school trip fell into a £80million Picasso painting ripping a 6inch hole in it. The painting i think was called the anchor, and she had ripped the bottom of it so it didn't ruin the focal point of the piece.

Walks

There is a Wakefield art walk tomorrow starting at 5pm finishing at 9pm.

Then next week on the 3rd of February there's the Leeds art walk.

Alex Kelly

I'm off to see Alex Kelly's talk next Thursday if anyone fancies going?
Then I'm off to project space Leeds after for there opening night of a new exhibition i think.
I will re-read the details for that and let people know.