August 2012
Featured as the axis artist of the month.
This is the written transcript as presented on the Axis Artists Website.
Ruth Wilbur: You describe your work as an, 'investigation of the totality of the human condition, delicate, abject and limiting'. What have you discovered about yourself through experimentation with materials?
Simon Withers: I would say more than anything else I have reached an understanding in relation to personal compromise. I have accepted that I'm incapable of holding a pure reasoned idea in my mind for an indefinite period of time, so I need to construct something tangible, perhaps a painting, a sculpture, or work with a performative element. These works are the compromise, the inferior attempts to create a sense of self and make sense of my relationship with the universe. I've come to realise that these experiments acknowledge that I have no idea what my end game is and, frustratingly perhaps, my reasoning may always remain unresolved.
RW: You talk about approaching work with the utmost seriousness whilst working with the intensity of a child at play. Does playful experimentation help you find new working methods?
SW: Whilst my work is approached playfully, my relationship with accidental experimentation remains cautious. I approach work with a significant degree of volition and control.
RW: How did your 'Displacement' series come about?
SW: Each drawing was created by using a single ink jet cartridge. I needed to change my home printer and wondered what to do with my remaining cartridges. I took them to the studio and looked at them anew. I decided to blow into one end of the cartridge and force the ink out through the other nozzle. I connected immediately with this as a way of making drawings and the process reflected previous work; I regularly throw or spit out substances. A number of my works break down the connection between the artist's hand and the creation of work.
RW: What's Nottingham art scene like?
SW: There is a flourishing arts scene in the city today, a result of the independent artists and art collectives and the recent additions of two of Nottingham’s newest arts centres, Nottingham Contemporary and The New Art Exchange. It seems that each and every week there is a plethora of artist-led and institutional activity taking place in the city. Increasingly there is a greater co-mingling of artists and organisations…the sharing of space, resources and audiences.
RW: What was the last exhibition you saw that had an impact on you and why?
SW: I work as a Gallery Assistant at Nottingham Contemporary and spend a considerable amount of time with the work on show. In May 2012 we were exhibiting engravings by the artist James Gillray. I knew of a few examples of his work before the exhibition but the show gave me an opportunity to find out more about him.
RW: In April 2012 you decided to run a clearance sale including over 70% of your work. What made you decide to sell so much of your work? Was the process cathartic?
SW: In mid April 2012, I was moving my artwork into my new studio space at Primary Project Space. Prior to this point my work had been in temporary storage and it was during the move that I realised I had shifted the entire contents of my studio on four occasions in less than a year and I could no longer see the purpose of holding onto everything. I decided to get rid of 70% of all the work I had remaining. Initially I thought about simply destroying it all, however, once I surveyed it, I decided that was too drastic and instead held a clearance sale.
I sold over 80 works, some for a few pence and all others within the £40 price bracket; how much I sold work for was not important but the preservation of the work was. One family came to the sale that had little disposable income to spend on such luxuries as art and they left with three or four items for less than £20...this was rewarding. All this testimony felt like a huge weight upon my shoulders and reducing the burden helped.
RW: You are employed by Nottingham Contemporary as an inspirational Zebra. Where did the idea come from and what does an inspirational Zebra do?
SW: Mr Zebra is a mascot inspired by Klaus Weber's original logo design for Nottingham Contemporary. Before the organisation opened to the public one of the first vacancies they advertised was for two inspirational Zebras. I applied and got the job. Since then I have embraced the role, adopting a persona, a somewhat existential experience. I have developed a back-story as to how Mr Zebra attained the job and I've written an explanation on the origins of animals appropriating human guises. I have an evolving theory about how animals in the past have changed their natural behaviour as they've adopted human characteristics.
RW: This sounds a little like an extension of your artistic practice...
SW: Yes, as Mr Zebra is experiencing life amongst humans his natural instincts are changing...he is becoming more human (a little like Dr. Spock perhaps!) and is beginning to feel as human's feel. I write stories from Mr Zebra's perspective and publish them on my website. And what do inspirational Zebras do? Basically Mr Zebra brings great joy to the good people of Nottingham and helps spread the positive nature of Nottingham Contemporary.
RW: What have you got coming up?
SW: My work is currently on show in the exhibition 'Artefacts of Failure' at QUAD in Derby, this runs until the 7 October 2012. In late August I will be participating at the ‘In Dialogue’ symposium in Nottingham. I'm presenting a ‘Speaking in Tongues’ work. Principally this will involve me throwing wet clay against a surface until sufficient clay has been embedded into the wall. Later in the year I'm exhibiting work at Nottingham Contemporary in two of the cabinets within the small collections room; the exhibition, 'The Rashleigh Jackson Collection', will reveal some of the issues surrounding the ethics of collecting.
August 2012
Featured as the axis artist of the month.
This is the written transcript as presented on the Axis Artists Website.
Ruth Wilbur: You describe your work as an, 'investigation of the totality of the human condition, delicate, abject and limiting'. What have you discovered about yourself through experimentation with materials?
Simon Withers: I would say more than anything else I have reached an understanding in relation to personal compromise. I have accepted that I'm incapable of holding a pure reasoned idea in my mind for an indefinite period of time, so I need to construct something tangible, perhaps a painting, a sculpture, or work with a performative element. These works are the compromise, the inferior attempts to create a sense of self and make sense of my relationship with the universe. I've come to realise that these experiments acknowledge that I have no idea what my end game is and, frustratingly perhaps, my reasoning may always remain unresolved.
RW: You talk about approaching work with the utmost seriousness whilst working with the intensity of a child at play. Does playful experimentation help you find new working methods?
SW: Whilst my work is approached playfully, my relationship with accidental experimentation remains cautious. I approach work with a significant degree of volition and control.
RW: How did your 'Displacement' series come about?
SW: Each drawing was created by using a single ink jet cartridge. I needed to change my home printer and wondered what to do with my remaining cartridges. I took them to the studio and looked at them anew. I decided to blow into one end of the cartridge and force the ink out through the other nozzle. I connected immediately with this as a way of making drawings and the process reflected previous work; I regularly throw or spit out substances. A number of my works break down the connection between the artist's hand and the creation of work.
RW: What's Nottingham art scene like?
SW: There is a flourishing arts scene in the city today, a result of the independent artists and art collectives and the recent additions of two of Nottingham’s newest arts centres, Nottingham Contemporary and The New Art Exchange. It seems that each and every week there is a plethora of artist-led and institutional activity taking place in the city. Increasingly there is a greater co-mingling of artists and organisations…the sharing of space, resources and audiences.
RW: What was the last exhibition you saw that had an impact on you and why?
SW: I work as a Gallery Assistant at Nottingham Contemporary and spend a considerable amount of time with the work on show. In May 2012 we were exhibiting engravings by the artist James Gillray. I knew of a few examples of his work before the exhibition but the show gave me an opportunity to find out more about him.
RW: In April 2012 you decided to run a clearance sale including over 70% of your work. What made you decide to sell so much of your work? Was the process cathartic?
SW: In mid April 2012, I was moving my artwork into my new studio space at Primary Project Space. Prior to this point my work had been in temporary storage and it was during the move that I realised I had shifted the entire contents of my studio on four occasions in less than a year and I could no longer see the purpose of holding onto everything. I decided to get rid of 70% of all the work I had remaining. Initially I thought about simply destroying it all, however, once I surveyed it, I decided that was too drastic and instead held a clearance sale.
I sold over 80 works, some for a few pence and all others within the £40 price bracket; how much I sold work for was not important but the preservation of the work was. One family came to the sale that had little disposable income to spend on such luxuries as art and they left with three or four items for less than £20...this was rewarding. All this testimony felt like a huge weight upon my shoulders and reducing the burden helped.
RW: You are employed by Nottingham Contemporary as an inspirational Zebra. Where did the idea come from and what does an inspirational Zebra do?
SW: Mr Zebra is a mascot inspired by Klaus Weber's original logo design for Nottingham Contemporary. Before the organisation opened to the public one of the first vacancies they advertised was for two inspirational Zebras. I applied and got the job. Since then I have embraced the role, adopting a persona, a somewhat existential experience. I have developed a back-story as to how Mr Zebra attained the job and I've written an explanation on the origins of animals appropriating human guises. I have an evolving theory about how animals in the past have changed their natural behaviour as they've adopted human characteristics.
RW: This sounds a little like an extension of your artistic practice...
SW: Yes, as Mr Zebra is experiencing life amongst humans his natural instincts are changing...he is becoming more human (a little like Dr. Spock perhaps!) and is beginning to feel as human's feel. I write stories from Mr Zebra's perspective and publish them on my website. And what do inspirational Zebras do? Basically Mr Zebra brings great joy to the good people of Nottingham and helps spread the positive nature of Nottingham Contemporary.
RW: What have you got coming up?
SW: My work is currently on show in the exhibition 'Artefacts of Failure' at QUAD in Derby, this runs until the 7 October 2012. In late August I will be participating at the ‘In Dialogue’ symposium in Nottingham. I'm presenting a ‘Speaking in Tongues’ work. Principally this will involve me throwing wet clay against a surface until sufficient clay has been embedded into the wall. Later in the year I'm exhibiting work at Nottingham Contemporary in two of the cabinets within the small collections room; the exhibition, 'The Rashleigh Jackson Collection', will reveal some of the issues surrounding the ethics of collecting.
Rebecca Travis
Questions to Simon Withers
I am not certain what the year was or the context for this communication. I think our correspondence would have been during the
(dis)comfort exhibition at the Angel Row Gallery.
Bourgeois sees the needle as a 'healer/fixer' do you consciously project any symbolism onto your use of the needle in your tapestry work?
I have written previously that I would use a single needle for making all of the works. The needle (through intense stitching) would (though the acids in the hands) begin to tarnish the steel…the polished surface of the needle would begin to be removed. I felt this process was significant…workman like and the labour and the shear graft through diligent repetitious procedures are serene; the expenditure of energy is with purpose. Hand and eye coordination work with a precision instrument. The steel needle worn by acid fingers is testament to virtuous activity.
The debate is being brought up in my writing about needle work being labelled as 'craft' rather than a 'fine art', how do you feel about this matter?
To start with and to offer some additional context to this work, A major influence in the construction of these tapestries is derived from the rugs/carpets made by Afghan tribes during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan during the 1980’s. (I am an owner of a first generation rug from this period.) The rug has woven into the design (instead of traditional motifs) hand grenades, Soviet troop carriers, attack helicopters and land mines. The designs are considered to be very stylised for the period (relative to traditional rug designs), however I believe that they should be viewed in context of the times and perceived as the development of a new language. These rugs have strong contemporary art sensibilities.’ The Russian occupation of Afghanistan had been undertaken with no exit strategy in mind. The Soviet forces became entrenched and stalemate ensued, this facilitated ‘more time’ (duration of conflict) toward rug adaptation and development. The designs were improved upon over time and greater intricacy of detail woven into them. With this maturity came greater interest from the outside world and demand increased, both economically and culturally the rugs became dollar commodities. (They may even have helped finance the war effort) I speculate as to whether current Afghan rugs are continuing to develop a new language. Is the current occupation of the country by UN coalition forces influencing rug design?
There is I believe based upon the aforementioned a developing craft dialogue is being fashioned. This I suggest shall aid craft status within the hegemony of contemporary fine art practice. The words ’Craftism’ and ’Future Craft’ hint at a possible new direction for the craft/fine art craft…I would call the cross over (if it is as such) ‘Compatibles’…between what could viewed as two opposing positions…I chose not to take this view. It is possible that the rise of new technologies and mega craft shops have contributed to both the development of and the popularity of the medium. Craft I believe has gone urban and the focus is no longer on the nostalgic or the comforting. The urban incarnations embrace the political and the ironic; the work is being no means pastoral…it is an attitudinal shift as well as an aesthetic shift.
Contemporary craft sensibilities I believe no longer are the reaffirmations of place, the Afghan Rug testifies to this. Where once craft may have been akin to traditions, stable, singular, authoritative, collectively truthful and rooted to the good earth; so craft can no longer be so validated by tradition. Craft is being developed and reinterpreted. The Fine Art practitioner that looks to craft for a particular material language may well seek to play with the meaning of that language. Stories from nana roosie play with ambiguities triggered by age-old materials.
The nana roosie tapestries become emblematic within the contemporary ‘survivalists’ position, a position where we are increasingly self-aware and yet made anxious by the world around us. The nana works are strategic and sustainable both in relation to the manufacturer of the craft and to the autonomous individual who makes the craft, ‘I’ who validates the world. The nana roosie works are placed between these two positions.
Finally on the idea of what Craft is? When I occasionally talk and write about ‘The Craft’ in my work I do not always think about the correctness applied to the materials or about technical skills involved. One continues to apply the aforementioned, however they are applied in dissimilar ways…through the evolving process, ideas and to the discipline. The work does not always have to show significant technical abilities…it is about a different form of authentic character…of how the materials are used/maltreated but also to the commitment…I think that maybe Craft needs to reclaim ground from the more ‘Hobby’ aspects that are popularly associated with the term…
Needlework is traditionally an activity associated with females, as a male what appeals to you about working in this medium? Do you think that more male artists working in embroidery/textiles/tapestry would help for needlework to shrug off its 'craft' labelling?
Although I acknowledge that at first it appears that Needlework could possibly be associated with female handling, I have never subscribed to the idea that Needlework was gender specific. If my work required of me to use needlework (appropriateness of materials is always at the forefront of my work) then I would not seek permission (a mental state of crossing thresholds) or simply avoid using them. Stitching has always been part of my vocabulary…I am part of a generation of feral youth who embroidered their own denim jeans with symbols lifted from ‘Prog Rock’ record sleeves…it could be an extension to both being part of a tribe (Rock Fan) yet expressing an element of creative individualism within it…as Richard Dawkins calls it… ‘Transmission & Imitation’…a process of self replication…copied from person to person…evolutionary…maybe in time more male artists will make use of embroidery, textiles and tapestry…I believe there are a fair number of male artists who do use these materials…and as the nature of art practice continues to diversify, so more artists will find their way to exploring these mediums…we maybe more transient nowadays! …Labelling will always be present for those who shy away from taking personal ownership of materials…craft materials are an addition to the visual vocabulary.
Questions to Simon Withers
I am not certain what the year was or the context for this communication. I think our correspondence would have been during the
(dis)comfort exhibition at the Angel Row Gallery.
Bourgeois sees the needle as a 'healer/fixer' do you consciously project any symbolism onto your use of the needle in your tapestry work?
I have written previously that I would use a single needle for making all of the works. The needle (through intense stitching) would (though the acids in the hands) begin to tarnish the steel…the polished surface of the needle would begin to be removed. I felt this process was significant…workman like and the labour and the shear graft through diligent repetitious procedures are serene; the expenditure of energy is with purpose. Hand and eye coordination work with a precision instrument. The steel needle worn by acid fingers is testament to virtuous activity.
The debate is being brought up in my writing about needle work being labelled as 'craft' rather than a 'fine art', how do you feel about this matter?
To start with and to offer some additional context to this work, A major influence in the construction of these tapestries is derived from the rugs/carpets made by Afghan tribes during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan during the 1980’s. (I am an owner of a first generation rug from this period.) The rug has woven into the design (instead of traditional motifs) hand grenades, Soviet troop carriers, attack helicopters and land mines. The designs are considered to be very stylised for the period (relative to traditional rug designs), however I believe that they should be viewed in context of the times and perceived as the development of a new language. These rugs have strong contemporary art sensibilities.’ The Russian occupation of Afghanistan had been undertaken with no exit strategy in mind. The Soviet forces became entrenched and stalemate ensued, this facilitated ‘more time’ (duration of conflict) toward rug adaptation and development. The designs were improved upon over time and greater intricacy of detail woven into them. With this maturity came greater interest from the outside world and demand increased, both economically and culturally the rugs became dollar commodities. (They may even have helped finance the war effort) I speculate as to whether current Afghan rugs are continuing to develop a new language. Is the current occupation of the country by UN coalition forces influencing rug design?
There is I believe based upon the aforementioned a developing craft dialogue is being fashioned. This I suggest shall aid craft status within the hegemony of contemporary fine art practice. The words ’Craftism’ and ’Future Craft’ hint at a possible new direction for the craft/fine art craft…I would call the cross over (if it is as such) ‘Compatibles’…between what could viewed as two opposing positions…I chose not to take this view. It is possible that the rise of new technologies and mega craft shops have contributed to both the development of and the popularity of the medium. Craft I believe has gone urban and the focus is no longer on the nostalgic or the comforting. The urban incarnations embrace the political and the ironic; the work is being no means pastoral…it is an attitudinal shift as well as an aesthetic shift.
Contemporary craft sensibilities I believe no longer are the reaffirmations of place, the Afghan Rug testifies to this. Where once craft may have been akin to traditions, stable, singular, authoritative, collectively truthful and rooted to the good earth; so craft can no longer be so validated by tradition. Craft is being developed and reinterpreted. The Fine Art practitioner that looks to craft for a particular material language may well seek to play with the meaning of that language. Stories from nana roosie play with ambiguities triggered by age-old materials.
The nana roosie tapestries become emblematic within the contemporary ‘survivalists’ position, a position where we are increasingly self-aware and yet made anxious by the world around us. The nana works are strategic and sustainable both in relation to the manufacturer of the craft and to the autonomous individual who makes the craft, ‘I’ who validates the world. The nana roosie works are placed between these two positions.
Finally on the idea of what Craft is? When I occasionally talk and write about ‘The Craft’ in my work I do not always think about the correctness applied to the materials or about technical skills involved. One continues to apply the aforementioned, however they are applied in dissimilar ways…through the evolving process, ideas and to the discipline. The work does not always have to show significant technical abilities…it is about a different form of authentic character…of how the materials are used/maltreated but also to the commitment…I think that maybe Craft needs to reclaim ground from the more ‘Hobby’ aspects that are popularly associated with the term…
Needlework is traditionally an activity associated with females, as a male what appeals to you about working in this medium? Do you think that more male artists working in embroidery/textiles/tapestry would help for needlework to shrug off its 'craft' labelling?
Although I acknowledge that at first it appears that Needlework could possibly be associated with female handling, I have never subscribed to the idea that Needlework was gender specific. If my work required of me to use needlework (appropriateness of materials is always at the forefront of my work) then I would not seek permission (a mental state of crossing thresholds) or simply avoid using them. Stitching has always been part of my vocabulary…I am part of a generation of feral youth who embroidered their own denim jeans with symbols lifted from ‘Prog Rock’ record sleeves…it could be an extension to both being part of a tribe (Rock Fan) yet expressing an element of creative individualism within it…as Richard Dawkins calls it… ‘Transmission & Imitation’…a process of self replication…copied from person to person…evolutionary…maybe in time more male artists will make use of embroidery, textiles and tapestry…I believe there are a fair number of male artists who do use these materials…and as the nature of art practice continues to diversify, so more artists will find their way to exploring these mediums…we maybe more transient nowadays! …Labelling will always be present for those who shy away from taking personal ownership of materials…craft materials are an addition to the visual vocabulary.
General questions: 2012
1. What's Nottingham art scene like? Feel free to tell me how it has changed over time - I know you have been instrumental in setting up studio groups etc.
There is a flourishing arts scene in the City today; I believe it has been made manifest by the independent artists and art collectives; and with the recent additions of two of Nottingham’s newest arts centers, Nottingham Contemporary and The New Art Exchange. One could say that each and every week there is always a plethora of artists led (the independent sector) and the institutional activity taking place in the City. Increasingly there is a greater co-mingling of artists and organisations…the sharing of space, resources and audiences.
When I first encountered the arts in the City (late 1970’s and early 1980’s) The Midland Group afforded the City its dynamic visual and performance art venue; however by its demise (by the tail end of the decade) there seemed to be a vacuum left in its wake. Nottingham (from my perspective) had a number of long established artists’ studios (Canal Street, Wollaton Street and Carrington Street Studios) all these were fearlessly independent. Transversely in Nottingham these were to be added to by some bright new groups, Can, Egerton and Oldknows Studio Group (the three groups were all housed in the same building). These studios were created by ex Trent graduates; this trend has continued to this day. Thereafter groups such as Alderaan and Reactor were perhaps part of a new wave of Studios and to which others followed…(including Stand Assembly with Moot, Tether, and Backlit).
Trent has always been supportive of its art graduates; the strength of Nottingham has been its ability to retain graduates and also to attract graduates from other cities. I’m not sure this is the time to begin to piece together the history of the Nottingham independent arts scene…so many artists’ names and projects to consider; I would do it a disservice!
One group I would like to mention (I joined the group in 1995) would be Oldknows Studio Group. This group set up a successful independent Gallery modeled (I believe) on venues such as Tramway in Glasgow. The Gallery closed in ‘95 and generally in Nottingham events such as the open studios had ceased…perhaps the personal energies created by this generation of artists (those who had driven this DIY culture in Nottingham) began to wane. Upon joining the group I re-connected the group with the notion of artists’ activity and public engagement (although there possibility wasn’t a specific term used at the time). Oldknows were not alone in this however; Contemporary Arts in Practice (CAP) and Strata both respectively brought further benefits to the greater community; express concerns about the lack of secure artists’ studio provision and exploring commercial possibilities; in both cases but particularly CAP it was though the running of artists auctions…these continue still with the collaborations between The Lakeside Arts Centre and (CIA).
The Artists networks and the close working relationships between artists is I feel more prevalent today than previously…I think this began to alter as the new wave of groups (Reactor and Stand Assembly) began to operate in a distinctive way, these collectives offered new alternatives for the artistic community and facilitated change in artistic behavior. The scene today is possibly at its most relaxed…the networks and collaborations have become enriched by these alterations. I would say that this has not been at the cost of the loss of any independence and identity of each constituent group. The groups and collectives could be exemplified by Primary which opened in 2011. Primary is host to independent artists and artist collectives such as the Nu-urban Gardeners. Additionally Primary has both Reactor and Tether residing as well as writers Wayne Burrows and Michael Pinchbeck. Primary is also the home of and the Arts and Culture designers, Joff and Olly and the online and printed magazine Nottingham Visual Arts.
One of the artistic communities inherent strengths within the City of Nottingham are the distinctive activities presented by each of the groups. So whether one visits Primary, 1 Thoresby Street, Backlit or 3rd space (for example) each has a unique character.
2. What one piece of advice would you like to share?
I’m not certain I can offer a profound wisdom…I think more than anything else I would perhaps say that it is most important to maintain one's integrity…in life and in art…and to remind the self in times of self doubt that you can only do the best you can…this is important if one has particular long and latent periods of artistic uncertainty.
3. Tell me about the agency 'Mere Jelly'
Mere Jelly became a re-imagining of a project that originally involved a group of artists to which I was not personally implicated with. Working with my co-lease holder at Oldknows, I suggested re-utilising the name mere jelly for this project. ..... and I had previously undertaken a good many projects for the studio group and we wanted to look at developing projects beyond of our immediate environment. We talked about setting up a project space and to curate exhibitions, we also wanted to address the idea of developing a more commercial strand to the venture. In 2003 Mere Jelly secured a significant R&D award from ACE and to take some East Midlands artists work to an Art Fair. Somewhat ambitiously we set our sights on doing Fresh Art Fair in the first instant and then (with some repute) move on to do other contemporary fairs; (Zoo had yet to be created) we wondered if our mere jelly model could eventually take us to Frieze?
In 2004 Mere Jelly attended the On the Wall art fair…but the less said about that the better! All I can say is that we worked hard for the artists and produced a rather delightful publication and we attracted some attention for some of the artists from a well-known London Gallery. Mere jelly survived for a further year, ...... and I converted our respective studios (housed in what had previously been the Oldknows Gallery) and turned them into a flexible space. This had a devastating effect on our own practices (we had to pack up all our work up when we ran events in the space, events such as an Artists Cabaret event and a series of fundraising events.)
In early 2005 Mere Jelly spent a considerable amount of time producing an organisational development document…this was thorough and ambitious. Mere Jelly presented this to ACE in the first instance and during our meeting we pulled out a large chart illustrating the whole mere jelly plan…the chart was absurdly involved and complex…simply it was all a little too much for ACE at the time…and in retrospect it was!
4. What was the last exhibition you saw that had an impact on you and why?
I would say that the last exhibition that had an impact upon me would be an exhibition held at Nottingham Contemporary. I work as a gallery assistant (GA) there and like my compatriots’ we all spend a considerable amount of time with the work. In the previous exhibition we were exhibiting engravings by the artist James Gillray. I knew of a few examples of his work before the exhibition but this show gave me an opportunity to find out more about the man, the period of which he lived in reference to the work. As GA’s we have the opportunity to deliver ‘spot talks’, short 20-30 minute dialogues with the visitor on our chosen area of interest in relation to the artists on show. I generally take the opportunity to deliver a talk that is akin to a stream of consciousness…exploring possibilities for further research; this includes contemporising the work…in the case of Gillray it was an exploration of the character John Bull, from Arbuthnot’s original character through to the Britpop union Jack attire of David Bowie to Geri Halliwell. I had time to look at the political cartoons of Sir David Low and discuss the Holocaust cartoon contest held at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary arts (2010)...Given the time I enjoy eking out meta-narratives’ within these exhibitions.
5. What's important to you?
My wife and our cat Livy; named after the Roman historian, Titus Livius Patavinus ; my family and friends. I would also add the continuation of reasonably good health (but I really could do with a new back!).
6. If you could change one thing about the world/your practice what would it be?
This question has turned into knotty questions in my mind…as soon as I start thinking of drawing attention to one act of goodness (say ending world poverty) the repercussions would lead to far greater complications…I had wondered about changing Parliamentary democracy (it seems to be failing ‘we’ the people)…so walking speedily away from that matter my thoughts turned to something more amorphous; and so; the thing I would change would be the abolishment of the egoic self…this would perhaps lead to greater altruism in the world? The world is in need of change.
More specific:
7. Describe yourself in 140 characters
I would say that I am patient, accommodating and understanding toward others; whilst being beset with self depreciation…I don’t stop trying.
8. You state The Time Machine, Frankenstein; The Box Man etc have a big influence on your practice. Can you elaborate on this? Or perhaps generally state your influences.
I guess I should not identify myself too much within these parables of the sublime; however whilst reading them I could find qualities in each that haunt me. The Time Machine for example reminds me that I am a mere helpless substance which is pushed around through the course of time. If somewhat idealistically I like the notion that one could take conscious journeys whilst unable to escape the manacle of the present.
Should I choose to one such journey could take me to the point of absolute entropy where everything collapses…the time traveler in the novella undertakes such a journey and in some of my own work I also endeavour to take such an expedition. I have produced and continue to produce a series of drawings called blueprints; these speculate (through the use of diagrams and mathematical factual errors) my failed attempts to present the findings in a physical form…I wonder if this has some bearing on Derrida’s appropriated deconstructed notions of Grammatology?
In the novel Frankenstein the doctor’s creation (the monster or creature) could be about ascendency of failure...as one climbs a mountain or a tower (so to speak) so one is reaching the maximum point of descent. The Monster (should the poor creature be called such) is a threat to revolution…perhaps this ties in with the notion of changing the egoic self. The creation is the knowledge…compassionate and the alternative.
The Box man is (I suggest) Kafkaesque, and adopts (amongst many themes) the idea of tracing self identity within a defined space, the story presents issues of self-development as one undertakes individual self –emancipatory expeditions into nothingness…I believe I am exploring a relationship to this in the Blueprint series but in other works also…from my Multi-Fold painting practice through to the work commonly entitled ‘Speaking in Tongues’. The process of explaining work (perhaps as a justification for others?) is a perplexing one… I can help explain, locate and interpret the context of the work in the first instant; however in my second inter-relationship with the work there is no context as I need to be adrift from the former model…I would like to be sufficiently brave to remain mute.
I think all three works have an element of folly about them…likewise my own efforts. The work is about alienation and confusion of tongues (multi-language) it is perhaps an attempting to arrive at an unknown place…it is this uncharted journey that is important rather than the arrival; I will not have any idea when one has reached the end!
9. You sold 60-70% percent of your work in a clearance sale in April 2012. Was it a cathartic exercise? What was the experience like? (Note) This will need changing as the sale was part of a process that involved me getting rid of 70% of my work.
In mid April 2012 I began moving my artwork into my new studio space at Primary (the work had been in temporary storage). I realised during the move that I have shifted the entire contents of my studio on four occasions in less than a year... each time I sorted through some of the work and made decisions as to what I wanted to keep and what I needed to throw out. I have previously (every couple of years...and usually in January) identified work that I would get rid of...and so the process continued until 2010. From this date hence I believed I had thrown everything out that I had considered no longer pertinent...I admit the majority of the work had never been included in any exhibitions and I don’t possess a record of all the works produced...I simply could no longer see the purpose of holding onto everything. By May I had decided that I would get rid of 70% of all the work I had remaining. Initially I thought about simply destroying it all; however I had the opportunity to pull together all my large Multi-Fold paintings and to look at them in their entirety (those which I had retained) in the ground floor project space at Primary. Having cause to reflect I decided that I would at least give the work an opportunity to find a new home.
In May I held a weekend clearance sale in Primaries project space. A select number of people attended and all but one purchased work from me. I think I sold over 80 works, some for a few pence and all others within the £40 price bracket; how much I sold work for was not too important...the preservation of the work was. I recall that one family came to the sale that had little disposable income to spend on such luxuries as art, they left with three or four items for less than £20...this was rewarding, likewise others who attended and took work away purchased for themselves or that would be given away as gifts.
The exercise I felt was very rewarding...I approached it with a good deal of humour; I think this is reflected in the way I marketed the event...I had a shopping trolley in the exhibition and the show was more of an installation with an a superabundance of clichéd slogans...’Amazing Bargains’, ‘harebrained prices’ and ‘stupendous Sale’ were just some of the legends banded around. The net result of the show was that I did not sell any large canvases and the question remained as to what I would do with them and also the remaining work. A few empty frames returned to the studio and the majority of the paper works were destroyed, other work sold after the sale, some material I added into a recycle pile at Primary whist other work will be donated to Primary for future fund raising events.
On the subject of seven large canvases; they are currently hanging on some metal fencing in an inner courtyard at Primary. I hope they shall remain outside for a year. I realised that the exercise of the sale was of a practical nature and the emotional side of deciding not to destroy the work in one moment has softened the experience. During the sale I received favourable comments from my visitors and for many the surprise had been that I seemed to have produced so much work that they personally were unaware of. If there is some melancholy (if I’m truly honest) is that the exhibition reminded me that opportunities to present whole bodies of work had not been fulfilled and perhaps (by doing what I have done) removes any future prospect of presenting the larger embodiment to others...evidence of work can be the tangible proof of one’s existence. I hope also that I have not undermined the good faith of those who have purchased work from me (at credible prices) in the past by selling work absurdly cheap...all I can say the sale was vital. To conclude, Of the remaining artworks?; I believe I wish to keep the remainder; possibly as a personal record or a history as to what I have been doing for the past twenty or so years...all this testimony however feels like a huge weight upon my shoulders...reducing the burden may help.
10. Can I use what you have written about NUGS in your biography as a response to the question 'what is NUGS'? (can we take some pictures of NUGS from your website?)
Yes most certainly…to both…take whichever photos you like…the vast majority of them have been taken by me…I am sure we do not need to concern ourselves too much with accreditation issues in this instance.
11. You are employed by Nottingham Contemporary as a gallery assistant and inspirational Zebra - what does an inspirational Zebra do? (and why a zebra not a lion or camel or donkey?)... I see from your website Zed is a zebra, disguised as a man, dressing up as a zebra....
Mr. Zebra now made manifest is from an original logo designed by Klaus Weber for Nottingham Contemporary. The actual logo contains two Zebra kicking against each other. Prior to the organization opening to the public one of the first vacancies they advertised was for two inspirational Zebra’s. I applied and got the job; originally I was one of two people in the rank…I however genuinely got deep into the role and adopted a particular persona. Through the gape of the Zebra (I propose) is an experience that is somewhat existential. I developed a back story as to how Mr. Zebra attained the job and I have written an explanation as to what are the origins of Animals appropriating human guises.
I have an evolving theory as to how animals in the past began to change their natural behavior as they adopted human characteristics...this applies to those who chose (with free will) and decided to live amongst us. I explore the idea of an animal’s relationship to pain and ultimately death in the wild. This experience of death subsequently changes when it is altered whilst in the presence of man...I am thinking it may look peculiar to us when we see footage of a Gazelle (for example) continuing to wag its tail even after it has been brought down by a lion. The theory suggests that in the animal Kingdom nature (animals in particular) have a natural ability to disassociate themselves from pain and from their own body and in due course, the moment of death...this is why Mr. Zebra and others can do what they do and still feel very differently to us; they have a sense of detachment...this is not a detachment of indifference. As such Mr. Zebra can view stuffed relatives (in display at Wollaton Hall) for example without being too emotionally attached.
As Mr. Zebra experiences life amongst humans so his natural instincts change...he actually becomes more human (a little like Dr Spock perhaps!)...he begins to feel as human's feel...he increasingly connects with them...thus Mr. Zebra integrates with the human and the human community...this integration would not have been the first time an animal has experienced this...The History presents stories of animals who no longer took off their human skin and they lived life as a human...never reverting back to their own kind...One thing the animals do not do is surrender to we humans the keys to solving the communication with animals question...ultimately possessing the power to communicate with the animal is stuff of great fables… and the legend of a Quagga called Alexander Victoria, he made the journey from Africa to England and took to wearing a human form in order to improve the well being of animals kept in cages in Victorian England...The Zebra trained as a vet and for all intent and purpose (whilst dressed as a human) convinced Victorian England that he 'Doctor Puddleby' could communicate with the Animals.
…and what do we inspirational Zebras do? I recount the following…‘You give great hugs’ the girl said…she had whispered into my ear with a timbre of such delicacy; and could I discern, a yearning also… and this would be pretty much the final comment of the season… it had not been the only time during my seventy two hours as Mr. Zebra that I’d heard this said...there were a great many people out on the streets of the City who responded equally well to the gift of the big Zebra hug…it is no bad thing this hugging…perhaps there should be a national give the Zebra a hug day? There is an ingredient of escapism in this roll and a level of entertainment; Basically Mr. Zebra spreads great joy to the good people of Nottingham and I help broaden the message of the good and positive character of Nottingham Contemporary.
12. What have you learned about the human condition through work you have made? You describe your multi-fold series as multi-fold series as 'the exercising of control over chance and the pursuit of the nature of being’. Does making work through a series of experiments help you unpick and make visible that which is deliberate and that which is chance? '
I would say more than anything else what I have learned through my practice is that I have reached an understanding in relation to personal compromise. What I mean by this is that I am incapable of holding a pure reasoned idea in my mind for an indefinite period of time…this I may add never reached to a point of a single idea…it was always a multitude of ideas. I therefore have to construct something tangible, perhaps a painting, a sculpture or a work with a performative element…these works are the compromise, the inferior attempts to make sense of the self and my relationship with the universe. I cannot consider myself to be a conceptual based artist…I would say I try to avoid branding myself as anything…sometimes I fall and refer to myself as an artist. It is possible (as I have hinted at previously) that my experiments acknowledge that I have no idea what my end game is and perhaps there is a possibility that my work will always remain unanswered…this shall be equally uncomfortable for me and for others.
13. Can you tell me about a couple of key projects/ recent pieces of work?
I have previously described by practice as a series of continuing experiments. Each experiment is seldom at rest; I relentlessly juggle the work. There are common theses to be found within the work; sometimes they just require time to find the reference points. I had a solo exhibition in 2011 called ‘Wildflowers’, this formed part of a series of pop up exhibitions organised by Nottingham Studios. I would say that show gave me an opportunity to bring together so many of the constituent ingredients. In the basement I presented in the gloomy (an appropriate ambience was created by lowering the light levels) store room a series of Multi-Fold paintings entitled, ‘The Carrier Awaits’. This series of works had always been destined to be destroyed after a five year period, following their creator proclaiming them to be subject to the rule of the short life...henceforth they would be destroyed after five years. As a complete series of works this would be their only showing, the demise of this work has commenced and the process has a certain slowness to it...it is this work that now hangs exhausted upon the railings at Primary. The exhibition also contained new work from the, Speaking in tongues’ provocations and several evacuation drawings from my ‘Displacement’ series. Having invigilated the exhibition I realised that a number of key elements arose, firstly there are a number of works that break down the connection between the artists hand and the creation of a work, I seem to throw or spit out substances for example; even my painting practice leads me to create an image through the back of a canvas. Other work such as the Blueprints and ‘Gravity's Rainbow’ (a series of paper rocks and are prejudiced by Article 102 of the Iranian penal code) involve further ideas of disconnection…I am in three places at once, the present, the past and in the future (The three of the perfect pair)!
As part of the same exhibition there had been one work that I was most pleased with. The installed work called, ‘City Planning’ originally involved me tying around lamp posts (near Key sites in the City of Nottingham) a series of 20 public order notices. My interest in City Planning included the re-imagining of place, through the relocating, the demolishing and the rebuilding of a city. On each notice (almost identical to authentic ones) outlined what was to be demolished and thereafter what the proposed changes would be. This work was then exhibited in the shop window along with an accompanying City Planning archive box.
This action (I viewed the creation of this work as belonging to the walking art tradition) transforms a private art and positions it within the public space; with the possibility of public engagement thereafter…the encounter for the public with the work is subtle (this is due to the nature/appearance of the work). Once a personal encounter is established with the impostor, the ideas behind the work become investigative…to be surveyed by the individual…each notice begins to shape a larger grand narrative, an all-encompassing plan for the redesign of a City. It is possible to begin to form a relationship with the idea of redesign in context to actual city planning…not necessarily organically but forcibly…by an individual or through an authoritative constitution. The conceit is for a city to have a coherent form…the city to be used for a grand scheme…is this in conflict to the organic nature of a City?
14. You talk about approaching work with the utmost seriousness and working with the intensity of a child at play. Does creating work as a series of experiments help you find new processes are new working methods? Do you have examples of happy accidents and failures that have been fortuitous in your practice?
I have referred previously to a new set of drawings called (for want of a description) ‘Displacements’, each drawing is created by using a single ink jet cartridge. I found it necessary to change my home printer and wondered what I would do with my remaining cartridges’. I took them to the studio and looked at these anew. I established that it would be possible for me to blow in one end of the cartridge and to force the ink out through the other nozzle. I connected immediately with this as a way of making drawings…I believe it connects perfectly to how I made Multi-folds; I certainly think there is an association to automatic drawing.
My relationship to accident remains a cautious one, I am aware that at some point the ‘one time accident’ or experiment very takes on a differing mode. I would say that I have a significant degree of volition and thereafter control within the creation of a work…I think this is why (to draw a comparison) I am drawn to a work like Frankenstein. There is an element of self deceit in all that I create…a quixotic journey perhaps?
15. What are you doing next? You have a group exhibition coming up at QUAD in Derby called accidentally on Purpose (Artefacts of Failure) - can you tell me more about the work you have done for this?
My involvement in this exhibition is the presentation of six prints from an unrealized project called ‘The March of Silence’. The success (being selected for this exhibition) has given me cause to reflect upon this failed project. The MoS is immeasurably a project of ‘what might have been’ if things had gone my way. The backstory to this commences in 1998. I originally submitted a proposal entitled, ‘Propaganda’ to the Artangel commissions and the basic idea was to use aircraft, helicopters and balloons to drop thousands of printed paper leaflets. In 2006 a new call-out provided me with an opportunity to completely reassess the idea. The March of Silence proposal involved the commissioning of a hot air balloon. The design of the balloon envelope would be of an ‘iconic’ composite stone head. I reintroduced the idea of dropping paper flyers from the balloon. I submitted my proposal for the March of Silence to the Jerwood Artangel Open Competition. On the strength of the proposal I became one of 17 artists short-listed (from over 800 applications) and asked to attend a second stage interview. Although I was unsuccessful I continued to develop the project and put the idea forward for one of the Cultural Olympiad commissions. The creative programmer wrote to me (at the time) about the March of Silence, ‘it is certainly something of interest to the Cultural Olympiad and if it is successful in raising all the necessary finance would be something that I would recommend to London 2012 for inclusion in the official programme’. I submitted my proposal with some optimism...weeks later I received my response from the Cultural Olympiad; ‘no thank you’…so in 2012 at the cusp of the Olympics (the writing of this text) the failed project is to be duly exhibited.
In late August I will be undertaking a tract (part of the ‘In Dialogue’ event in Nottingham). I shall be presenting a further ‘Speaking in Tongues’ work. Principally this shall involve me throwing wet clay against a surface (a wall perhaps)…and fixing my eyes upon a point on the wall I will pinch off some clay and mould it into a ball in my right hand. I raise up my right arm with clay in hand and forcibly release the ball of clay towards the wall…’Splat.’ The process continues until sufficient clay has been embedded into the wall. I have undertaken a rendering of this work once before in 2011 to an audience in during a Beacon Bi-Monthly event. This proposal I envisage will be a very different proposition. I have previously explained the habitual nature of affording an explanation for the work…In applying procedures for an interpretation of Speaking in Tongues I am required to contemplate being in two states. Firstly, to consider the intent of the work through the asking of questions as to why, and what (for example) the work is about…this is normal practice and rudimentary. The explanation is simply part of applying a justification to the act and thereafter to be able to articulate the reasoning behind an action. The written text supports the reasoning and is the testament that both behind the action (‘behind’ as implied here is that thought and reasoning follows an action) whilst it is also evident the act is also premeditated. The second state is of equal importance and possibly requires the greater discipline, the problematical act of not thinking.
Later on in the year I have an exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary, I will be presenting work in two of the cabinets within the small collections room. The Exhibition is entitled, The Rashleigh Jackson Collection and Some of the curious and diverse contents (ricks, coins and archaeological material) begin to reveal some of the issues and complications that surround the ethics of collecting; whilst other objects in the collection are fragments from other sources. I am currently finalising the material and for the purposes of thorough research and examination I am compiling a short biography on Rashleigh Jackson with an accompanying Rashleigh Jackson family tree.
15. Tell me about an interesting response you've had to work you've made...
Countless years ago I was presenting to a gallery curator (their name will remain anonymous) some multi-fold paintings in my studio at Oldknows. At the time I was also making some larger Multi-folds (my customary size is 6ft x 5ft) however I found them to be just too unwieldy for me to sufficiently take control of. I presented to the curator one of the larger paintings entitled ‘Anxiety Blue’. The curator looked at the work and we talked about this particular example…the substantial enveloping ultramarine multi-form upon a hinterland of absence. We started to look at other paintings and during the continuing discussion the curator stopped talking and delicately asked me if I would not mind turning the Anxiety Blue painting to the wall, they explained that being in the presence of the painting was having a detrimental effect upon them emotionally. I duly turned the work to the wall and later (as a mirror reflected) I understood why this was essential…I subsequently destroyed the painting. Perhaps from such a kernel my installation called ‘metahang’ held at Nottingham Castle came into being.
Austin Osman Banner
(A fiction)
2010
I came into this world at some equitable hour on May 17th 1974. On the same day the majority of Symbionese Liberation Army were destroyed in a shoot-out. My father worked at the Babbington Colliery (Cinderhill Nottingham) and my mother worked at Wolsey’s in Kimberley; their respective places of work no longer exist…with all the local pits closing and the hosiery factory demolished my options for toil began to narrow…the only remaining option for work was at the local Blanchard’s Bakery in Watnall…so I took a job working in the bread plant; creating Wonderloaf…I could draw and I had an interest in Art so in due course and with my parents blessing, I became the first member of the family to enter higher education; I went away to Art College and obtained a BA in Fine Art. I have been a resident in San Francisco, Rome and London…I currently live in Nottingham with my family and our two cats…Lucifer & Marcus Aurelius.
(A fiction)
2010
I came into this world at some equitable hour on May 17th 1974. On the same day the majority of Symbionese Liberation Army were destroyed in a shoot-out. My father worked at the Babbington Colliery (Cinderhill Nottingham) and my mother worked at Wolsey’s in Kimberley; their respective places of work no longer exist…with all the local pits closing and the hosiery factory demolished my options for toil began to narrow…the only remaining option for work was at the local Blanchard’s Bakery in Watnall…so I took a job working in the bread plant; creating Wonderloaf…I could draw and I had an interest in Art so in due course and with my parents blessing, I became the first member of the family to enter higher education; I went away to Art College and obtained a BA in Fine Art. I have been a resident in San Francisco, Rome and London…I currently live in Nottingham with my family and our two cats…Lucifer & Marcus Aurelius.