Rules (of engagement)

As was writ large...

and as was savoured...an amusing contrast in the dynamics of engagement at Gilbert and George's recent SCAPEGOATING PICTURES for London exhibition at the White Cube, Bermondsey.

White Cube

Elefest

Celebrating cultural resilience!

As an area of London, Elephant & Castle could hardly be described as enticing.

Dominated as it is by two large roundabouts and a fading shopping centre that, in a moment of desperation, was once painted pink.....but fluffy it ain't, and despite ongoing changes, fluffy it will never be!

Now in its 12th year, and founded and directed by Rob Wray, Elefest is a celebration of all that South London grungy goodness, it's creative and cultural diversity and of course all the wonderful people who live there. It is on from  2-5 October so check out the events, no excuses,  and head to Elephant and Castle! 

ELEFEST

Paper

Sourcing materials

And the beauty of knowing about people who, through their passion, knowledge and sheer hard graft have set up businesses providing you with the stuff you love… 

If you want paper, or advise about paper, and not just the odd sheet of gold-flecked novelty stuff but reams and rolls of it, in the correct  weight, texture, quality, shade, size and quantity to suit the task at hand, then the free plug  for the place to know (and go – an experience in itself) is: 

John Purcell Paper

Delight in detail

Mapping the walk to work...

An exercise in appreciating.

colour.form.sanctuary.seasons.colour.form.pattern.scale.humour.irreverance.
colour.form.playful.deserving.basquiat.colour.texture.pattern. 

  

Arty jobs + Arty news.

To ease the pain of the dreaded search for work, Arts Council England provide a service where you can subscribe to a daily or weekly update of all the Art Jobs they have been requested to advertise, dropped straight into your inbox. 

             

                                    
                                     They also do the same with Art news, so you can

                               keep a check on what is going on, or add your own news if,

                 for example, you need support with a project or wish to promote an event.

Arts Jobs

Find yourself through Design

On until the 21st Sept, there is still a chance to catch up with the latest products, ideas and innovations at the London Design Festival.

Check the guide for the events located across London, held in places such as the V&A and the Design Council.

100% Design at Earls Court and Tent London + Super Brands London at The Old Truman Brewery are the places to go to get the biggest fix of designers under one roof.

London Design Festival

Serpentine Pavilion 2014

 A unique spatial experience that will be around until 19th October.

The Serpentine Pavilion 2014

Designed by Smiljan Radić

The Serpentine Gallery

Photograph © 2014 John Offenbach

Rules to play with...

Sister Corita Kent or John Cage ? So it's not entirely clear who actually was the originator of these rules but as these two fantastic artists probably bounced a lot of ideas off each other, does it really matter.

(Lettered by David Mekelbury)

Digging for Gold

Marketing manoeuvre or clever conceptual art piece?

A  trip to Folkestone Triennial  may land you with more than you bargained for, or it may not, depending on the degree you decide to interact with Michael Sailstorfer’s new work Folkestone Digs where 30 bars of gold may, or may not, still be buried under the sand of Outer Harbour Beach.

The triennial is on until 2nd November, but if you don't make it there, Dan Addison's blog 'Gold Rush', found on their website, vividly captures and reflects on that particular piece of beach action.

But  mention of the above is not intended to overshadow the many other interesting (some big name) artists exhibiting public artworks, that are waiting to be discovered as you walk round the town. 

So, with the added benefit of lungfuls of fresh sea air, this is also a chance to support Creative Foundation in their bid to transform the town through creative activity.

Folkestone Triennial

Accessing the Avant-garde

Fortunately there are a few people out there that make our lives easier.

Kenneth Goldsmith founded ubuweb in 1996 with the intention of making marginal visual, concrete and sound poetry accessible to all.

It remains a non commercial and free resource that has now grown into a huge archive of all that is Avant-garde, and includes film, video and sound art mp3 archives

                                                                ENJOY!

 Alfred Jarry (1873-1907): Ubu Roi (1965) (Übü király)

Ubuweb

From external to internal.

The serious business of working on ourselves!

Plugging in to all that stimulation from the outside world is all very well. It allows us to expand on our range of experiences and influences that impact on our creativity, often triggering unexpected and exciting developments.

But a vital and possibly even more significant requirement, not often mentioned on art courses, is the work we need to do on ourselves, from the inside.  

That gradual build up of an awareness of our own particular creative identity. A mindfulness as to our strengths and weaknesses, thought patterns and work processes. A knowledge that helps to keep us strong enough to keep taking risks, to have the energy to play and endlessly experiment and most importantly, to keep us producing and showing. 

Some creatives, with their nonconformist streak, may well have an aversion to self-help books, but many have turned to Julia Cameron's The Artists Way in order to access some practical exercises  that can help  tune us in more deeply to our own creative spirits.

As with all these types of books, you extract what works for you. 15 years on, writing 'morning pages' is a daily routine that still proves invaluable in focusing the mind and dealing with all the stuff that gets in the way. 

Nature Fix

Getting out into nature is one of the best ways to re-vitalise. Spending time re-connecting with the elements and being reminded of our place in the world. Looking, listening and ideally, getting totally immersed.

Stuck in the city there are plenty of details to notice but sometimes only grand vistas and infinite horizons will suffice.

In desperate need of a nature fix but without the means, literature was turned to as a substitute.

Two books that convey the joy, sensuality and respect experienced in different environments, written with an abundance of knowledge, intelligence and experience by two passionate and dedicated nature lovers are:

The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd

and

Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey Through Britain by Richard Deakin

(which inspired a naughty but glorious skinny-dip in the River Dart this summer!)

Investigating Iniva

For a decade the Institute of International Visual Arts has been creating exhibitions, publications, multimedia, education and research projects that engage with new ideas and emerging debates in the contemporary visual arts, reflecting in particular the diversity of contemporary society.

Their website is a treasure trove of information and  deserves a prolonged visit!

Just one of the many events they are hosting is the 'sorryyoufeeluncomfortable' Residency and Open Studio taking place from 11 Sep – 27 Sep.

As described on the website: 'The sorryyoufeeluncomfortable collective was formed during the recent Baldwin's Nigger Reloaded project created in collaboration with artist Barby Asante and Education Curator Teresa Cisneros and hosted at Iniva.  The purpose at the heart of this initial project was to bring together a group of artists, thinkers, and makers interested in exploring questions related to both personal and societal experiences.'  

Iniva

The Devil's Music

         Laura Dukes with Ukulele and Mose Vinson on piano with Sonny Blake, vocals and L.T Lewis, drums. 
                  .

Time for a musical interlude, and if the raw soul of these musicians doesn't inspire then there is always the quality of integrity lending great beauty to their old age.

These clips are part of a four episode series first transmitted in 1979. Alexis Korner presents not only some great footage of American Blues artists but also adds context through describing some of the social history of that era.

And best of all The Devil's Music is available to view for free on BBC iPlayer!

The Devil's Music

Getting out there.

Tapping into the energy and activities already generated by interesting organisations is one way of upping your game. Refresh yourself by doing some research into what's happening in your area and joining in.

In this spirit, the Bold and Curious has joined Drawing Room Network and is hoping a bit of immersion in the world of contemporary drawing will inspire and generate a whole new body of work. 

On the 26th September Drawing Room are visiting three artist spaces as part of their Painting, Sculpture and Drawing in Bermondsey  and ending up with a tour of their new exhibition The Nakeds, joined by the gallery directors discussing key works and ideas explored in the group exhibition.

Drawing Room

                                   

            Maria Lassnig, Woman in the Bed, 2002

          Pencil and watercolour on paper, 50.2 x 64.1cm

             Private collection, New York.

Escaping London

In recognition that London is not the center of the universe and that there are plenty of very good reasons to escape.

This is one reason...

'Islington Mill is a leading independent UK arts organisation based in Salford, in the NW England. Structured around an organic network of independent artists, Islington Mill runs innovative inter-disciplinary public arts programmes and artist residencies alongside studio spaces and an artists’ B&B. Drawing on the radical and subversive creative energy running through its arts activities, Islington Mill also has a reputation for putting on legendary experimental gatherings, events and parties.'

Islington Mill

and another reason is to make really interesting artworks such as the pieces found on this microsite for Remote Performances project.

'Remote Performances project, a repository for participating artists: documents, observations, notations, ephemera and the tangential.' 


Remote Performances



HIGHLAND GATHERING by Kenneth Richmond–London–Geoffrey Bles–1960.                                                         

Contemporary Art Society offerings.

For those of you lucky enough to have the cash...

Spend £100 (non members) and on the 20th September you get to go on CASt:South London.

This is the Contemporary Art Society's bus tour visiting a range of galleries, arts organisations and public collections across South London from the emerging to the established.

...but for this offering all you need is a curious mind.

A free talk  - Taking Up Space: Women Only Shows with the East London Fawcett Group on 30th Sept.

A panel debate described as bringing together the voices of artists, curators and critics and opening up a space for a dialogical rather than conclusive exchange.

Sonia Boyce, Missionary Position II, 1985. © Sonia Boyce

Check out Contemporary Arts Society for all the details.

Studio 1.1 Lottery Draw

Feeling lucky?

Pay £10 and buy a limited edition print by Jordan Mckenzie to enter for Studio 1.1's  Lottery draw. 

‘Woolworth’s Death Mask’ – the last bag of Pick ‘ Mix bought from Woolworths Bethnal Green branch 06/01/2009

(photo Sean Pines)

The winner will be given a four week slot (to use however they like!) as part of the Gallery's programme the following year.

250 prints only, draw on 19th October.

Studio 1.1

Welcome

As summer turns to autumn, an unexpected time for new beginnings, but this is when eager students begin their studies and queues form at the enrollment desks of adult education colleges. An apt time to tap into this renewed enthusiasm for learning and growth whilst the leaves turn from green to gold. 

Open House London - Weekend of 20/21 September

Not to be missed! A great opportunity to check out the interiors of a whole host of buildings.

The ballot that gives you the chance to attend debates on the 15/16th Sept and some landmark buildings over the weekend closes on the 7th Sept.

And there is also a competition for a place to visit The Leadenhall Building!

Open House London