I have often walked down this street before...

Ho illustrious passers-by and greetings from the windward side of town! A veritable map of discovery was last week found amongst the library shelves, who knows for how long it had been there? Never before has an A1 folded sheet of paper probably brought more unexpected joy to a normal working day in providing a treasure map of sorts offering an insight into the architectural history of Taunton, Somerset.

Printed in 1975, Taunton: A look around the centre is an illustrated and annotated map designed by Richard Guise with historical advice from Mick Aston and John Hunt produced for the European Architectural Heritage Year. It was amazing to see just what has changed in the last 43 years (this map was made prior to The Brewhouse Theatre being built, being one such example) and what has largely remained the same. Particularly when it comes to some of Guise’s opinions about the potential uses for space in the town, development of the river and ambition/opportunities present which he has annotated on this map. I wonder how many of them were his own opinions or those gathered from his experiences working with the Civic Society (which now doesn’t even exist!)? Some of them are a little cynical, which makes it even more interesting that it was printed at all when one thinks of similar ‘historical’ maps for the public that are almost lacking in personality for fear of unsettling things. For me, this is interesting as many of the ideas he presented over forty years ago echo the sort of comments collected during a public art consultation project I worked on with Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset Art Works in 2010 called, ‘Routes, river, rail’. 

The aim of ‘Routes, river, rail’ was broadly speaking to come up with creative ways of consulting different groups of people in the community and put forward ideas and proposals for how the routes between the train station, river and public spaces such as Firepool, Goodlands Gardens and Tangier within the town could be connected. It was to look at things such as lighting, surfaces, pathways, land-markers, signage, bridges and how different groups have different needs or aspirations of these spaces. Artistic practice was a way of collecting those ideas and proposing ones that could be made reality, it included things from gorilla gardening, painting bridges and creating literally easier to navigate pathways through urban areas (this led to the removal of a part of fencing where Goodlands Gardens meets the bridge on North Street). The ‘could be made’ and ‘proposed’ being the two difficult parts of that sentence. I do not like to dwell too much on past projects, but this one probably had the most significant impact on my understanding of art outside of the academic world, I had graduated a few months before, and into the politics and reality of what art means to people outside that protective art bubble I was so used to. It was when I first discovered blogging and it was a big eye-opener, not all for the better or for worse but made me aware of the attitudes and values that different groups had towards art; some resistant, some open, some hesitant, some confused. I think I was confused too, that suddenly art wasn’t about me, ‘the artist’ and something I was actively making/doing but could be something that we as groups were doing, through walks, talking, making maps, postcards and listening. It put me in touch with some amazing people, Transition Town (who still do a lot of Green activities that included Gorilla gardening), Stefan Jennings (who was commissioned to build the Willow Cathedral in Longrun Meadows) and furthered my links with The Brewhouse Theatre and working with people like Tim Hill on projects such as ‘Sounding out Somerset’ during the Olympics in 2012. 

And though this is all long over the affects of it remain and I am still interested because I still read and see and am party to the impact of developments and changes happening within the town I live in. Finding this map is like finding a missing piece of the puzzle and could have only helped what we were trying to do then and undoubtedly what other groups of people are still trying to do now. It seems to take a lot of repetition before any progress can be made or in order to be listened to. A list of statements from this 1975 map that still hold relevance as follows,

“It’s sad that we so often turn our backs onto rivers in towns.”

“Important skyline”

“Views out over the town to the Quantocks.”

“Two important trees form an effective end to the view down middle street.”

“Blank expanse of wall…ideal for a mural.”

“Why does the highest point in the old town strangely lack drama or a significant building?”

“If we’ve got to have Gasometers why not paint them in good strong colours and designs …they won’t go away because we paint them sky blue.”

“Goodland Gardens -an attempt to attract people back to the neglected river.”

I wish we had had this map in 2010! The politics of this aside the discovery of this map still presents an inspiring example of creative map-making as a way of understanding and learning about place. Maps put facts into context and present snippets of information without overloading people. I learnt several new things such as;

St Johns Church on Park Street was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott.

In Victorian times there used to be a workhouse somewhere behind the hospital on East Street.

Musgrove, Galmington, Trull Road and Sherford were sites for the ‘Well-to-do villas built on the windward side of town away from factory smells and fall-out.

In Medieval Taunton the Bishop’s Vivarium later to became Vivary Park.

Taunton was one of the first towns to have street lighting in 1886

I am interested in ways people process information and ways we learn a sense of place, why (for example) this map was more appealing and interesting to me than reading a book on the history of Taunton or visiting the museum? How many other people think the same? This is a very visual way of communicating information and offers locations or vantage points where people might go to see these things first-hand. There were little bits of personal history within this map in particular that appealed to me, from the fact it was printed by Barnicotts of Taunton (where two members of my family worked) to its statement of Crown Walk as being a ‘Potential for events, kiosks, exhibitions -at present a bit sad, wide and empty’ which was before the in-shops were built and my family had a fruit business based there (ironically, I feel it is in danger of becoming a ‘bit sad’ again) and the reference to Taunton having the largest Industry for shirts and Collars in 1896 being the collar factory, where Fine Art students at Somerset College (where I studied) had an art exhibition in 2012. I appreciate this will be irrelevant to most people but I mention because it highlights a more universal truth about how places have resonance, you unfold a map out of a place people know and recognise and automatically they are looking for connections, things they recognise, where they live, where their grandparents lived, where they went to school. It is an opener to a host of other conversations. 

In 1975 the purpose of this map was made as a way of presenting current thoughts of the time, ideas for the future as well as illustrating the evolution of the town throughout history.  Forty-three years later and it is still a presentation of the history of the town but has also become a form of social-history in itself. It is not just a map of architectural history, it is a map of the thoughts and values of the people (the civic society) who made it at the time. Attitudes will have changed, things listed on this map as ‘Taunton’s Top 10’ may no longer be the same. The history is still there but to someone like me in their early thirties or younger this map is now also history in itself. I like the idea that one-day maybe an updated map could be made, an unvetted one that did not have to conform to a council-led directive, but one that reflects the current values, opinions, stories and aspirations of people living in Taunton today.

Maybe? It is something to think on. If anyone has any thoughts on this or knows more about this map then please do get in touch via my contact page. I would be interested in hearing from you.

Writer's Block

So it has come to this... Is the beginning of the year really that un-interesting?

'A parcel!'

'I wonder what it could be?'

Thinks: Maybe it's a belated Christmas present? A free DVD? A book? Or no, better yet, an early birthday present!?

Opens.... 

'Uh, yay, it's a block of wood.'

Ok, so maybe I was a little disappointed but only because at the age of 27, I still have child-like, wildly over-the-top and romantic notions of what the post should be (it rarely lives up to this expectation). And whilst at first, it isn't exactly the most inspiring of things to receive in the mail it is indefinitely better than getting bills or bank statements. 

Anyway, it isn't just a block of wood, in actuality...

It's a cheese board for serving stilton, brie, assorted cheddars and biscuits,

It's a potable chopping block for your mobile carrot dicing needs,

It's the infamous karate block of wood that ten-thousand, yes ten-thousand of the best martial artists couldn't chop in half,

It's a step for when you need to be 1cm taller,

It's a pantone test board for 11_0601,

It's a shelf,

An uninspiring book-end,

A unique garden feature,

A prospective home to a wood worm,

A toad's and other small creatures floating transportation device,

It's an imagination enhancer-inator -the essential, must-have toy for next Christmas,

It's a percussion instrument,

It's an ornate piece of firewood,

It's the last thing an ant will ever see,

It's a 'colour-of-milk' testing board,

It's a poem,

It's a weapon in the wrong hands,

It's a poor subsidiary visibility-board so motorists notice you in dark conditions,

It's a tiny seat,

A ready-meal for a beaver,

An ill-formed Frisbee, 

It's something to talk to that's a really good listener,

A Zen-garden for a doll's house,

It's a physical manifestation of silence,

It's a modesty concealer for nudists,

A slate for your minimalist wood cabin,

A sledge for small cats or squirrels,

It's an unsolved Mensa puzzle,

A washboard without ridges,

A squibble-board for the popular sport of Huffle-whack,

A portable roof,

It's a sophisticated counting aid for the representation of one,

It's a life-form from Mars,

It's delicious...(putt) or maybe it isn't,

It's a ramp for ducklings to escape busy roads,

It's an ancient artefact used for mapping snowy tundra,

It's a shadow-spotting reflective plain,

It's a writer's block un-blocker,

...

It's a canvas for creating a unique piece of artwork on that can be sold, with others, at auction raising money for Musgrove Park Hospital, 'Art for Life'.

Oh!  

    That's right! This superbly cut, sanded and  primed A5 block of MDF is a canvas ready for the painting, drawing, collaging or any other media. Once complete, the block is sent back to the 'Art for Life' team where it is photographed and posted online with other artist's blocks (there looks to be about 100-200 artists taking part!). The public can then start biding online in advance prior to the auction which, this year, is going to be held at the hospital on Tuesday 20th May. All proceeds raised go towards supporting, 'Art for Life' which facilitates and provides an access to art in the hospital making a more welcoming, stimulating and supportive environment for visitors, patients and staff. 

Pretty exciting after all. Whilst I still admit to having an initial lack of enthralment at getting what is essentially a block of wood through the door, in reality, the potential of a blank canvas is most interesting and to reiterate, it's the opportunity to create something, small, unique and special that will be both an original piece of artwork for someone to own as well as raising money for an excellent local charitable cause. 

It was my intention to have fun with creating alternative uses for the canvas and I hope I have succeeded in demonstrating some of the delights, absurdity and possibilities that can come from nothing. The challenge now is to turn said block of wood into 'art' (Ho Ho, is that all and you thought the other ideas were wacky). I'm fortunate to have been invited to take part in this for the second time and on a more serious note, the standard is always high and it is a challenge I look forward to embarking on and contributing towards. I have a few ideas already, stay posted as I'll be putting more details of both my block, other artists' blocks and how you can bid on them here on the blog in the near future.

I've until February 21st to complete it so I'd better get going. 

And, well, you know if all else fails the cheese board option would make a pretty good backup! 

http://www.artforlife.nhs.uk/

Lead Soldiers : Royal Marines 40 Commando combat art at Taunton's Market House

‘Combat Art’ lays down its arms (pencil, pen, brush, paper) at Taunton’s Market House in its first exhibition of drawings, paintings and photography created by Taunton’s 40 Commando Royal Marines on their last tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Not out of lack of imagination but as somebody whose own drawing/painting experiences are relatively limited to working in the security and isolation of indoors, I find it almost impossible to truly comprehend the reality of how it must feel to be a Marine drawing ‘in the field’ so to speak, whilst serving duty in the unfamiliar and at times, hostile terrain of Afghanistan. Having to be constantly alert, in a state of anxious boredom, doing a job and the uncertainty one day may bring to the next; I can see the impending need and difficulties faced in order to occupy one’s mind, perhaps escape it, process and document the day’s events, express one’s thoughts or simply just doodle.

 This was the thinking behind ‘Art Kits’, created by Royal Marine widow Anita St John-Grey whose idea was to supply a compact art kit that could fit into the trouser pocket of Marines from all ranks as a way of therapy, documentation and combating the stress of filling ‘dead time’ whilst on/between operations. 500 bespoke made kits were supplied to Marines whose results can be seen in an exhibition of work (brought into fruition by non profit organisation, Art Kits Ltd. joint managed by curator Tim Martin, artist Jon England and arts educator Stuart Rosamond) at Taunton’s Market House for two weeks.

 What I can relate to, and perhaps what is more important in the thinking behind the Combat Art exhibition, is the overriding theme that is the human need to create. The desire to respond, process, document, express, escape (delete as appropriate) one’s surroundings/situation. On a fundamental level, it is a basic human urge to ‘make things’ whether that manifests itself in the form of painting, drawing, carving, photographing, cooking, planting or whatever, so having the facility (and when necessary) equipment  to conduct that creative impulse should almost be seen as mandatory. I'm in the opinion that creativity is both important at the time of its impulse to be fulfilled as it is after the event  and you’re left with a portrait, a series of marks, a landscape, a doodle, as a way of reflecting and communicating that experience/memory with others. Making it relevant in telling the stories and experiences of 'those who have been there' that this work is shown and continues to be seen long after its initial creation.

In honesty, I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by the quality of the actual work produced in this exhibition with the exception of Marine Thomas Harrison’s portraits (pictured) which are ambitiously big (for oil paintings created outside!) expressively painterly and poignantly haunting. Similarly his landscape paintings (often in muted greens/pinks/greys, assuming from night vision goggles/lack of light) remind me of Philip Guston’s paintings (which is slightly irrelevant, but I get very excited making connections in people’s work to that of other artists I admire and tend to do so out of respect rather than an attempt at denying either artist of a ‘lack of originality’, cough cough). In another room of the exhibition photos by professional photographer Rhys O’Leary provide an additional insightful context into ‘sense of place’ and atmosphere of Afghanistan. I do however, remind myself, that I’m not, ‘as the audience’ really being asked to scrutinise or critique the work, its merits are in the fact that the work exists and that these Art kits have enabled that work to happen and possibly help/improve the experiences of the individuals that created it whilst they were in these quite volatile situations. That and sometimes a ‘shit’ doodle (and I should know, I’m somewhat of a serial doodler, many of which are unashamedly shit) or cartoony sketch, humour; can say as much (if not more) about a person’s state of mind/experiences than a laboured, well thought out ‘masterpiece’.

 My personal thoughts of military art in general is I do not share an unquestioned patriotism that everything the military churns out in the way of choirs, calendars and art should be pedestaled in the way it often is, immune to or without criticism or debate.  If I were to take my personal and political views out of the equation however, I am a firm believer that great art can come from anywhere/anyone and what individuals have achieved in this exhibition is still remarkable and humbling; what I am saying is that I am not as interested in military as I am interested in the work created by a group of people working in difficult, unusual conditions.  I reiterate that what is important is that we acknowledge and allow for these opportunities to happen so people have the time, the means and the choice to create if and when they need to. And so for me, the great success of this exhibition is the kit itself and what it represents in allowing ‘art for all’ even if you don’t for whatever reason use what’s in the art kit, the fact that you’ve been given it/issued it is a recognition of the importance that is placed on art as therapy and art as a force for expression/communication; deservedly so the kit itself also has its own plinth on display as you enter the exhibition downstairs.

Which leaves me wondering, why stop at just the army? Maybe people from all occupations, farmers, doctors, nurses, patients, teachers, politicians, policemen, engineers, cleaners, managers, builders, retailers...would benefit from more access to art in their lives? I am by no means trying to compare any of those roles to the military and what they do (....), but I’d think most people, most  people who’ve ever  faced challenges and adversities head-on, battled with management or lack-of, been bombarded with essays, been on the front-line of retail/catering at Christmas, fought off the throws of monotony, boredom and depression and dealt with the post-traumatic stress of life in all its minor and major difficulties (I salute you) could also perhaps gain from having/creating a little Art Kit of their own. The results would be stunning (possibly also a little concerning) but having that opportunity to create is what is crucial.

Combat Art: Personal Reflections from Afghanistan, runs at the Market House (West Wing), Taunton, Somerset, from November 9 – 23, Wednesday to Saturday, 11am – 5pm.
http://artkitsltd.wordpress.com/

Four legs good, two legs bad

 
To clarify: From the start, this post has nothing to do with ‘Animal Farm’, its author George Orwell or indeed much if anything to do with politics. It does however have a lot to do with pigs, people and to some extent definitions of what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’. Fear not though, neither will I be getting too philosophical or start digressing into a discussion on ethics. What’s it all about? ‘Snout and about’ of course:  “The public art project with a twist in its tail!”

Launched this Monday in the Orchard Shopping Centre and former ‘home’ to the wooden pig seats me and Michael Fairfax unveiled the pigs along with their new look to the people of Taunton. The, ‘twist in its tail’ that the project title refers to is that the original pig seats have been altered lest they be left to languish in a store room in the shopping centre rotting, gathering dust and in some cases, falling to bits. The other ‘twist’, perhaps, is that who could have predicted the reaction they would receive sparking some strong opinions of a ‘marmite’ nature. Or then again, to cause such a stir, a debate, ‘delight’ or ‘outrage’ may be exactly the point that was intended.  Reactions from, ‘Fit for the bonfire’ to ‘Drop them off at the recycle centre when you've done with them’, ‘They looked better when they were covered in pigeon mess’ and ‘This reminds me of the Italian woman destroying the Jesus painting’ to ‘21^st Century makeover for 21^st Century pigs’, ‘Love it or hate it that’s the beauty of art’ and ‘Awesome! I love them!’

 

Wow! “Welcome to the world of public art,” I tell myself. Still, could have been worse, they might have received no reaction at all. Besides, and it is important to stress, that these pigs are no longer functioning as they did as seats. They’ve not been designed with sitting in mind or to be aesthetically in-keeping with a particular location operating in the way that public seating is supposed to do. Love or hate them, they’ve been turned into ‘art’ objects that are to be auctioned for charity then after their purpose or destiny is a mystery yet to be defined.

 

What are my thoughts, well I think it would have been naive to think that covering one of Taunton’s beloved pig seats in collaged images of tools wasn’t going to promote some accusations of ‘vandalism’ or desecration. In fact, admittedly on a regular basis I commit the act of desecrating sheets of brilliant white paper with drawings, scribbles and doodles. I too, am long aware of the sentimentality and, as ridiculous as it may sound to some, ‘icon-like’ status that the pig seats in their original condition had (for let’s put it in perspective, they were only seats and not a unique commissioned piece of artwork). I grew-up in Taunton and have great fondness for the pigs and toads which is why the decision to ‘do’ something with the pig seats as to leaving them to rot and eventually be thrown away could only be seen as a positive thing  from my point of view (baring in mind I was also doing this for free). So much so, that my original reaction was ‘to auction them as they are’, that was until I saw the state they were in at least! When talking about restoration is it about restoring something back that was lost, preserving what is already there or re-enacting what something would have looked like when new? Or is it better to create something entirely new and use an act of destruction in order to recreate or transform? Therein lays the debate as to what would have been a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ use of the pig seats. Personally, I’d like to think my intervention sits somewhere between the two, restoring what was once there and additionally changing it to make it into something new, leaving my mark so to speak. Or to reiterate what I said in the guide book;

 

“I have adorned my pig with collaged images of hand tools. Featured are images of tools used in farming past and present which I hope create an association that alludes to the history of Taunton as a market town. I wanted to remain sensitive to the original design of the pig as I saw my role as one of preserving as well as restoring the original seat that I had grown up with. Much time, love and care was spent cleaning, polishing and staining the wood before collaging the tools onto its surface. The level of reverence and respect that has been demonstrated in restoring the pig echoes the treatment, appreciation and awe I have towards tools as the inspiration in my own art practice. I wanted very much to retain the original recognisability of the pig seat as an icon of my own and many others childhoods whilst giving it a new look as an art object that left my own mark, as an artist but still had an association with the agricultural context of Taunton’s market history.”

 

 

So if, ‘Four legs good’ is the pigs and ‘two legs’ bad is us, (the humans) then perhaps there is an irony in that quote that is similar to the reaction towards our (the artists) intervention with the pigs. Maybe we should have left the pigs alone and succumb to their own ends, they may have started a revolution and created a political upheaval before in a megalomaniacal reverse in fortune become the makers of their own undoing. But then again, maybe they are just pig shaped blocks of wood that had it not been for our involvement would have been on three legs and quite frankly on their last legs! Or who knows, could have even eventually found their way into Tesco frozen beef lasagne!

 

Pecha Kucha at the Brew

Have a look, have a listen as 15 artists talk about their work over ten slides in 2 minutes (oO-er!)

 

Click on the link here:

http://pechakuchasomerset.wordpress.com/

 

 

Then have a read of my thoughts on the whole thing (plus some more info about what a pecha kucha actually is) below!

 

 

"This Pecha Kucha formed part of the Reveal Artist Dialogue Session at The Brewhouse, Taunton on 9 Jan 2013. 15 Artists presented 10 images for 10 seconds each. The aim was to pair up artists to make collaborative work over the next 6 months. Although some artists saw potential pairs others were looking for specific types of artists from different disciplines, i.e. digital media, that weren't present on the evening. Various ways forward were suggested - to put out a call for others to come forward, to look at other forms of collaboration that may not rely on locality or specific practices? One such suggestion was to look at collaborating remotely either through correspondence or by the web? Next steps - For artists to use the comments section to suggest ideas, pairs, ways forward. These ideas will be reviewed by the group in early February."

 

Funny, I don't seem to have much problem with making impromptu speeches at various art/none-art, formal and informal occasions. But for some reason the prospect of having only two minutes to explain succinctly my art practice of the last six years absolutely terrified me! After finally having installed a fairly decent capability to talk about my work in depth, I am now in a situation where I have to condense, refine and whittle away to the few key issues. There'll be no time to warbble on Heidegger, waffle on Merleau-Ponty or pontificate on epistemology here! And maybe, I should be happy - 'how refreshing, how liberating to be free from the ties of theory and over explanation that art is sometimes endanger of over-doing'...The images aka 'the art work', should really always speak for itself. Easier said than done!

 

Nonetheless, the challenge appealed to me and maybe there is a 'zen-like' wisdom to be gleaned from the whole experience. So the events of the evening of Wednesday 9th Jan transpired in an experience that I can only imagine must be similar to speed-dating (but with art instead of the romance, obviously!) in the way it felt difficult to 'take it all in' when the only thing really on my mind was trying to remember what the heck I was going to say and how I was going to fit it all in two minutes! Still, when my time finally came to speak, apart from what was, at the start, the fastest bit of talking in the history of pecha kucha's I eventually found my pace before speeding up again towards the end. Sigh! Delivery aside, the content of what I wanted to say was there (just about) and hopefully the images did most of the talking. Good, so we're still learning. I think if I ever did one of these again I'd just say some words or write a poem or something and really reduce it down to the key ideas. Less is more?...

 

Having the opportunity to re-listen and see my fellow artist, pecha kucha-ers again on the blog link (above) has been so useful. Perhaps a flaw in the pecha kucha process is that there is much emphasis on actually, 'doing' the two minute talk when in fact the art of listening and processing what is being said in those two minute talks is also a skill -and to be frank, one I was incapable of under the pressure of having to talk myself. I wonder if any of the other artists also felt this way? It may come as a surprise to some people, that I actually prefer to listen than to talk (yes, really!) and would have possibly preferred the role of an active viewer, listening intently and thinking about what was being said. I doff my hat to anyone capable of processing all what was said as well as actually doing a talk themselves.

 

So, after all this reflection, let's watch this space and see who 'pairs' up with who. I'd certainly like to collaborate with someone, Andy Davey being so far at the top of that list, as I think there's lots in common in terms of the drawing nature to both our practices. However, there is also the debate of whether working with someone completely different to your work, is equally if not more insightful? I don't know, I'm not particularly looking for a radical new change but want to improve and keep rekindling the path I'm already working on. All food for thought. We shall see with eagar anticipation what happens next...Although I would also interested in hearing from anyone who looks at the blog and has suggestions of which artists they'd think would be good to put together.

 

Let me know!