Connecting to communities

With the Turner Prize nomination of Assemble, an architecture collective who, together with the remaining local residents, have transformed a Liverpool street in desperate decline, the recognition of bold and inspired artistic social interventions is having it's moment.

This neatly coincides with the Bermondsey White Cube exhibition by Theaster Gates, an artist that knows much about the regeneration of devastated neighbourhoods through the projects he has initiated in his hometown of Chicago.

His recent TED Talk, How to revive a neighborhood with imagination, beauty and art has to be  one of the best examples of  how it is possible to change the world around you, starting with what is available to you and building on and on from that.

Open Spaces

Wish I was here..

And continuing  on  with the quest for alternative gallery spaces, something altogether more bold, curious, ambitious and inspiring.!

The event that is Hidden Door!

Exposure

Open House

In a continued quest to show work in viable spaces, The Stromboli Group took advantage of the already well established Artists Open House that is part of Dulwich Festival to curate a group show.

 Lucky enough to have a house to occupy for two weekends, that all important freedom was present to create a feel that worked for the space and the collective artists.

 With a minimal of cash input, some publicity generated  by the official organisers, a mailing list sent to friends, family and colleagues and also aided by experienced local Open Housers who publicised a mini art trail, we had a steady stream of visitors, lots of positive feedback (and quite a few sales !)

Nifty Needlework

Art to craft

Treasures made by the hands of skillful relatives makes them all the more precious and a delight to pass down the generations. 

Embroidery and tapestry add a certain quality of materiality to an image, somehow shifting it away from fine art and placing it within the realm of craft and so can be deliberately used to defy easy categorisation. 

Grayson Perry brought art, social observation and tapestry to the mainstream with his six large scale works The Vanity of Small Differences and Maurizio Anzeri transforms found photographs by embroidering on to their unsuspecting subjects. 

Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh is a fascinating Tapestry Studio open to the public, where it is possible to watch weavers from a viewing balcony as they work on their latest tapestries. Collaborations include artists such as Patrick Caulfield and David Hockney.

Additional Accidental

Spotted on a South London pavement...classy!

Accidental drawings

Free to view and visible on a pavement or road near you. Accidental drawings generally involve urban decay and repair of some sort or other and just need a small adjustment in vision to be recognised and appreciated as such.

A particular favourite of mine is this grid of lines in Heddington, that, after several failed attempts, I finally managed to capture.  

Dynamic Duos

Having previously mentioned the benefits of the supportive and stimulating presence of others, those fortunate enough to meet just one significant other have come to my attention.

Catupulted to high level visibility through his recent appointment as Greek's new Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, I discovered, is also known for his joint venture Vital Space founded in 2010 with his partner, Landscape Artist Danae Stratou. A  fascinating project that provides a participatory platform for those that believe in the power of art to change the world.

Danae Stratou - Still from Globalising Wall 2009

Design duo Wayne & Geraldine Hemingway , made famous by their joint fashion venture Red or Dead have penetrated the world of architecture and festivals  with their inspired vision for  Britain - check out Hemingway Designs for proof.

And in previous blog posts I came across the mention of designers Charles and Rae Eames, artists Gilbert and George and filmmakers Ila Beka and Louise Lemoine.

The power of +1.

Movers and Shakers

Human Dynamos

AARON ROSE deserves a mention under this category. His name keeps cropping up in connection with some of my favourite artists and he seems to have his fingers in many juicy pies...Alleged Press being a current project.

He was right at the heart of the Beautiful Losers art movement and his film of the same name has some precious footage of the wonderful MARGARET KILGALLEN at work and play.

Margaret Kilgallen
 cover of In the Sweet Bye & Bye

I also discovered a documentary he has made on SISTER CORITA KENT, Become a Microscope, of which there is a short clip, Breaking A Habit on  NOWNESS a video channel launched in 2010 and described as showcasing contemporary culture through film. A site with a youthful edge and also worth taking a roam around.

Observation

Taking the time to notice.

Falling into the category of someone who rushes around everywhere, taking those few extra moments to stop and take in a scene, is something I know would be of great benefit to me creatively.

Sketching, irrelevant as to whether you are a good at drawing or not, is probably the best way of forcing yourself to really look and get immersed in a scene but obviously has it's moment. A quick photo could do the trick or some hastily scribbled notes could serve as a reminder.

 Van Gogh's Letters are an incredible example of someone who took the time to look at the world and so importantly, recognised the worth of capturing those every day scenes. Luckily he also had the writing and drawing skills to do justice to what he saw and fortunately for us, those receiving the letters appreciated their true value and preserved them.

Soul Music

When one's spirit creaks and groans and is in need of feelgood replenishment there is nothing better than a hefty dose of music to lift it out of the doldrums and get it back in finely tuned working order.

The great thing about radio is that you can get on with things whilst it plays away in the background and BBC Radio 6 has a great supply of cutting edge and iconic music from the past 40 years to tap into. 

Craig Charles and his Funk and Soul Show gets a special mention for his much appreciated contribution in lightening (and grooving) up the world.

However, you WILL want to stop and watch if you sign on to Jazz on the Tube. The joy of seeing musical geniuses at work is enough to forget all your woes.

A word of warning, don't sign up for the daily dose if you don't want your inbox inundated with the best of the coolest jazz clips around!