Triparks Commission Added to Butterscotch World
After completing the one day land art commission on Monday I have added a 4 minute video of the project to my section of Butterscotch World.
I am officially an ‘emerging artist’ with Triparks
I've landed myself an emerging artist position on the Triparks project. I did not know anything about the project until an email came through today inviting artists to apply. With the prospect of spending 2 days working alongside exhibiting artists and getting funded for it I filled out the short application form and emailed it off with my CV. Within 2 hours I got a phone call offering me a place on the project!
As far as I can gather it is like an apprenticeship role. The exhibiting artists, who have been working on this project for months, are the main spectacle and I am one of 3 assisting artists who are being brought in to produce little bolt-on projects. So this Friday I am off to meet the artists and learn about their work, I will then spend the weekend producing my own piece of art in response to the knowledge I have gathered and then we install it along with the main works on the following Monday. So I will actually be exhibiting alongside established professional artists and I will get funded for it! Pretty cool eh?
I don't know which artists are in which location or even how the pairing up is going to be done but I quite like the look of Volkhardt Müller's work. But to be honest whoever I end up working with it's gonna be interesting! To read more about the project visit http://www.auneheadarts.org.uk/dartmoor/projects/triparks/index2.html
Open Mic Sunday 20th September 2009 at The Perfect 5th, Taunton
Last night was another quiet one in terms of bodies but again, like last week, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming and those who were there stayed right until the end making for an intimate close friends kind of feel. I was pondering aloud on the subject of a less-than-packed room with Dave Marrow who observed that actually the energy is nicer and I responded "Yeah! Maybe people don't always want a packed venue on a relaxing Sunday. Maybe they desire lots of personal space and room to breathe".
There were lots of highlights on the night as the video demonstrates but by far the most special moment for myself was when I made my drumming début. On previous Open Mics the only man available to provide percussive backing to rappers and solo singer-songwriters has been Gary, who, bless his cotton socks, has a tendency to hog the sound somewhat. But last night, feeling unpressured by the small audience, I was brave enough to get up on the kit and lay down a simple hip hop beat for Dave Marrow. Nothing fancy, no variation, just the same beat that I learned by listening to Dr Dre's Big Egos and tapping my hands on my computer desk. Doing the beat myself also gave me the ability to instantly stop the beat, feed Dave another freestyle topic and then kick the beat straight back in again. This kept the performance fluid and pacey, allowed Mr Marrow to get in the zone and ultimately resulted in a well entertained audience.
I hope to see you there this Sunday!
Exhibition Launch Last Night
Here are a few photos from the first night of my exhibition entitled People Watching the People Watchers. The project is drawing a lot of attention and in the few hours that it's been on display I have received more reactions than any exhibition before. I concluded about a year ago that by simply including the images of people in a piece of work you immediately make it more attractive to onlookers than a piece of work consisting solely of non-human content. Once you have succeeded in drawing an audience, all other relating factors begin to increase such as criticism, applause, insults, debate, queries and suggestions. When I strive to create a thought provoking and entertaining piece of art, audience figures are important. I have to become good at the skills of marketing and the skills of producing art in equal proportions because the two activities are co-supporting. So far this exhibition seems to be supporting my theory.
Picked up the keys for my exhibition location
Today I collected the keys to No. 5 East Reach in preparation for this Fridays exhibition launch. My video installation will be viewable from the street at times of darkness on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. This is my first exhibition in my home town, so lets see what response I get. I am anticipating a variety of reactions to be expressed, considering the property is next door to the popular late night kebab shop, Mr Scrumptous and just down the road from well known nightclub Shout. It is situated within close proximity to both the wealthiest and the poorest areas in Taunton and will catch the attention of both left and right wing political audiences.
Notice I wrote that reactions will be 'expressed' and not 'voiced'. Mayonnaise smeared down the window will be interpreted as a primitive gesture of appreciation and recorded in photo.
To view more details on this project please visit People Watching the People Watchers. To view more details on all the coordinated exhibitions by the members of my art group visit Kingston Studios Art Group.
Open Mic Sunday (13th Sep)
Wow! What a great night. It was quiet in terms of numbers but I think that allowed it to become personal and relaxed. Everyone had enough person space to stay calm. We were short of acts but the community really pulled together and made a great night happen and by the end I was actually rushing to fit everyone in. Toward the early stages of the night (about 9:20) I announced on stage that we were short of acts, I explained that sometimes this happens and asked the audience what we could do to make some entertainment happen. In response to me announcing this a few people phoned their mates, a couple of performers who had not planned to play had their arm twisted and got up on stage. Most bizarrely of all, Jo (a manager at P5th), Josh and Paul (bar staff/musicians) decided that to help out the shortage situation one of them would get up on stage, read a poem topless and drink a shot of rum, the lucky contestant was chosen with the traditional art of paper-scissors-stone.
I also took the oportunity to improve my own performance by asking Jack 2 Jack (a college band) to perform a few of my poems. I had never heard anyone read my writing and was intrigued to discover what music would fit it. I then tried reading one myself to their musical backing. It was a valuable experience.
Steve, David, Asher, Mark and Adam were all guys not planning to play but their raw and honest performances gave the night a really personal feel and the audience responded accordingly. Fantastic!
So thank you Taunton for making sure everyone in the Perfect 5th went home smiling last night, I know I did.
‘Authority’ paranoia over photography in London (and everywhere else)
Huge thanks to Jamie Gordon of Gordon Valiant Photography for sending me a link to this video after he read my previous post.
I think I am going to draw up a letter addressed to "The Police Officer Who Has Just Stopped Me" and always carry a copy with me when photographing. It will explain how often this happens, cite the relevant laws and be signed by me. That way the next time it happens I can just hand them a copy. I'm sure that will grab their attention and get them talking in the station. Hopefully they'll feel prompted to look up the laws and refresh their memory and the lives of photographers in this region will become easier.
But! Is Vivary Park public property or private land? What about the seating area in front of Cafe Nero? I have been photographing in both these locations during this project. The seating area outside Starbucks is a different case. All the staff in there know me now and are aware of the project. If they see me they just smile. They know that if I'm taking someone's photograph then I will be coming up to the counter in the next few minutes buying a couple of coffees. They also trust me not to pester people or cause a nuisance to other customers. Does that passive acknoledgement count as granting permission or is a letter needed?
Run in with Police during portrait shoot of homeless people
I had just finished taking the portrait of 2 gentlemen on a bench in Vivary Park yesterday. As I packed away my camera I was approached by a policeman and a community support officer. They were primarily interested in talking to the two people I was photographing. So right in front of me they had a very polite and pointless conversation with them about something that had happened a few days previous. They then turned their attention to me and asked a few tentative questions about whether or not I am asking permission before I photographed people. Now here we have yet another person who's knowledge of the laws on photography is based on myth. I didn't break step from my task in hand as I spoke with the policeman, I continued to get out my black writing pad with the model release forms inside and fill one out for the pictures I had just taken. I glanced at the policeman, pointed with my pen to the words "Model Release Form" and said "I am well aware of the laws on photography", at which point he said "Ok then" and turned to walk away.
As soon as they were out of ear shot the subjects of my photos said to me "Ya' know if you weren't here they would have searched our bags". They went on to explain that is the reason it was a community support officer with a proper policeman, was that he would have asked him to travel with him because only the proper copper has the power to search bags. I asked what they were looking for and they said alcohol.
The two guys then went on to tell me some more stories about being homeless for 14 years. I asked if each person has a regular spots that they sleep in and he said no they don't it's best to move around, especially in the early hours after a Friday and Saturday night. If a drunken yob finds you sleeping rough then you're in for trouble. He's been kicked, punched and had bottles thrown at him before. He usually throws the bottles back but that's when it gets complicated because the police ask "Why were you throwing bottles" and it all gets very confused. He'd once had petrol thrown over him but before the culprit could get away he's chased him down and got him in a head-lock. Stood their he flicked open his zippo and calmly asked in his dulcet Birmingham voice "Do you really want me to do this kid?". After that the police let him use the shower to get the and gave him a clean set of clothes.
The Christian group on Mount Street do cups of tea for 20 pence, an English breakfast for 50 pence and they'll do your washing and let you use a shower too. Now as with everyone I photograph I like to buy them a little gift to say thank you. Being in Vivary Park there was no service counters around so I said "How much is a beer these days... £2.50?" they said "Yeah about that" and I said "Well how about I give you a fiver to say thank you and you guys can spend it when you're near a bar?". They were very grateful. Smiles all round we shook hands and I carried on my mission to find People Watchers. A part of me hopes that at least some of that £5 will go on a couple of cups of tea and 2 full English breakfasts.
Oh and going back to the earlier point, it may be anti-social to take an adult's photograph in a public place without asking permission but it is not illegal! It is what you do with that photograph that dictates the legality.
People Watchers Project Progress
Regardless of all the bureaucracy of the exhibition, the actual art project itself is trooping on well. I was in town from midday until 5pm on Wednesday and Thursday looking for People Watchers and got some really good results. On Thursday (yesterday) I actually ran out of model release forms because I hadn't counted on finding 4 subjects to have their portraits taken. In future I will carry 10 blank forms with me. I have been buying gifts for each of my People Watchers. Normally a coffee or a beer. Just to say thank you for their time and co-operation.
The project is being launched next Friday 18th Sep. Please keep your eye on People Watching the People Watchers on my website.
Darlingtons Video Now Online
The full version of The Darlingtons - Glitch (music video by Martin Joiner) is now available online!
Note the high quality video, YouTube has really improved over the last year or so!