Fastnet and Dogger

I’m in a group show this week with my friend Laurie Lax. It is called Fastnet and Dogger and features work by Eliot Sargeantson, Robert Prideaux, Laurie and Me. It is part of a series of four shows called Madescapes, which explore the idea of landscape in contemporary art. I’m showing a sound piece that recalls stories of my experiences in different landscapes (the city, a quarry and suburbia) told using electronic voices which gradually deteriorate and talk over one another.

The shows take place in an empty shop in Bristol that is owned by the council in Bristol. I really like the idea of art and artists occupying disused or empty spaces, I think it is where art works best. Artists can fit into the nooks and crannies that otherwise would be dismissed or forgotten. Artists can bring these places to life, as they have to make them workable and they have to be secure enough to turn into a gallery or a studio. The best thing about these spaces are that they are free or cheap, good for artists such as myself on a shoestring budget at the best of times.

The show is at 9 Waring House, Redcliff Hill, Bristol, United Kingdom.

Farewell Rogue Artists Studios!

Owing to my impending move to Glasgow later in September, I’ve had to give up my space at Rogue Artists Studios in Manchester. I’ve been there since January 2008. Over the three and a half years, I used the studio as much as I could and I experimented with lots of ideas, some worked out, some will never see the light of day again. The studio can be a great place to try things out without having to worry if they turn out to be a bit rubbish. I had a couple of parties in there, a few studio visits, drank approximately 1.5 million cups of coffee and seemed to have stared out the window for about 40% of the time. I think I have leaned a lot about studio practice and the space has helped me to start to find direction in my work. I’m sad to be leaving and it was sad to pack everything up, but I hope to get another space next year, and I think the move to Glasgow will be a step forwards.