19th July 2009

i took to the plinth and my father died.. images will be posted in due course..

totem

textures

heron

hat

entwistle geese

sparkles!

mobile phone versions of dave's fire

pete's got soul.. the effects of a typical thursday night..

us as pink bags!

latest plinth update

another couple of crazy days.. we did the not part of festival today.. manky manc's answer to the fringe.. it was excellent.. really good fun and we met new peeps.. we danced in the pink bags to an afro brazilian band, nice to meet you juba do leao! and listened to wry ditties from kriss foster - whose artwork is equally as cute as his songs.. meaning that most literally.. a very sharp man.. afterwards though we were absolutely done in.. so hot but really happy! yesterday i had a good phonecall with andy from REDD who seems very supportive of the post plinth show, so they are going to sort the shop space by the sounds of it.. chuffed! the plan continues to unfold and i cant wait to get to london next week.. also some positive response to the press release from work, i'm to get a call from ben soon from the LEP.. cheers wayne! so it's motoring.. i can really see the work in my mind now - nelson's column rearing up above our heads and the national in an almost spherical perspective bulbous behind.. ace!

plinth update

it's been a while since i manged to make a blog entry.. things have been so hectic it's crazy busy time preparing for the plinth, and also seeing my dad who is in intensive care each day. thankfully he has cancelled his date with the grim reaper some four times over the last fortnight, so we're hoping that's a permanent arrangement - well for now anyway! but it's meant i havent had the time each day to make an entry so here we go.. time right now to update: things have moved forward somewhat, i've had some press about the project and am now looking for a space to house the product in onces it's created. i'm meeting rebecca and jane from creative industries bolton today, hopefully to get some print sponsorship. the intention with the product is to create a photo-montage in a 3D format, which i can use to line a room enabling the viewer to literally place themselves on the plinth, as if they were a plinther themselves, within the traflagar square environement - if that makes sense! fantastically louise, my bosom buddy and partner in many art crimes, has also secured a place on the plinth about a month after me! the universe so loves us two, so we intend to amalagamate our product, her sound with my visuals, to create a really sensory experience. she intends to capture sounds whilst on the plinth and use them to make a sound sculpture of the experience. i think she may also have a bit of spoken word going on in there too.. sounds fab! we've had interest from a local gallery - neo artists - who seem to want to show the work, but logistically it may be that their space is unsuitable. i really want a disused shop space or something similar, as i want the work to be accessable by all and in an everyday type setting. it's important to me to keep with the theme of inclusivity, and as we all know, galleries are hardly that! however, they have managed to secure some empty shop spaces themselves so hopefully something may come together in this vein. the one and other website is now streaming the event and i am asking people to pledge to watch me - an option on the website - so if you find me, in plinthers week 2, then please do! work seem supportive of our projects, both hers and mine, and our PR officer sent me a draft copy of their press release, which only needed a little tweeking here and there.. i'm not sure mr. gormley would appreciate being referred to as andrew so i had to amend that bit! but for now things are moving and the support i am getting is amazing. i've agreed to wear a tee shirt for an organisation called the children's trust for a little while up there, all power to them, and as the boyf works for a very similar organisation, how could i refuse their request? hopefully i will get another moment today to blog, as the meetings i am having in the next few hours could be instrumental so after the private view of neo-artists latest offerings i will get back to you ..

emerging talent - our show

the glitter and the glam

4th plinth first press meeting

had the first press meeting with the marketing director at work today. it seemed to go okay. i explained what was happening and what my intentions are, and it looks like we're on the same page regarding content. i want to use this particular press run as an opportunity to promote arts education, and highlight the possibilities for learners to progress into an active and thriving market place. the way i see it is that the creative industries are contributing to the country's economy in a fiercely positive way, and even under the current financial climate are one of the few growth sectors in the economy. to be frank i feel we are propping up the economy and yet still we are overlooked, ignored and undervalued. it's incredible really because once a discussion about this starts most people realise just how prevalent the arts are in our day to day lives, how we make purchasing and consumer decisions based on visual principles and aesthetic choice but maybe that's just it.. the almost unconscious act of choosing the colour of paint to go on our walls, our music taste, the type of car we drive, the styling of our hair - all based on some instinctive sense of what feels right to us - informs both ourselves and others of our lives and personalities, and fundamentally demonstrate 'who we are'. because these choices are made at some almost limbic level it could be proposed that the more advanced aspects of the brain miss out on this decision making process, and therefore the higher brain function, in effect, denies that the process did indeed take place and rationalises this as a kind of 'well i just like it - that's why' decision. in a culture where the arts and socio-politics have become so formally divided the intrinsic link between the two is now lost on most people unfortunate not to have been educated in art communications. additionally with a culture that bases so much importance on fiscal and administrative power the left brain is given importance and standing, and through fear and lack of understanding this culture seeks to deny the contribution that right brain thinking gives us all. bluntly put young people are encouraged to study accounting, law, and the sciences - all considered 'academic' subjects - whilst the arts, communication, media and performance arts are considered to be the 'soft' options. the irony of this is lost in the ignorance of mainstream folk, whilst again and again young people find themselves funnelled into a series of career decisions which are based on a false understanding of what options are truly open to them. at the end of the day there only so many trips, falls and accidents that 'wasn't your fault' to fund our thrusting and hungry power elite, and only so many trees to fell to supply the paper needed to administrate this charade. without standing on my own personal soapbox too firm footedly, i would hope that when given the chance to promote the arts and arts education i would grasp it with both hands and yell with all my might - as it stands i am being afforded this fantastic opportunity and wish to utilise it to the best of my ability... for one and all...