Honourable mention in the Annual Award, Image of ‘The Hoad’ in Ulverston
Monochrome Architecture Award
Northern Soul
Northern Soul – We talk to the people who work, rest and play in the North of England and scour the region for interesting stories, histories, ambitions and events.
The Awesome Foundation
The Awesome Foundation is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, £500 at a time.
Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly. These micro-grants, £500 or the local equivalent, come out of pockets of the chapter’s “trustees” and are given on a no-strings-attached basis to people and groups working on awesome projects.
The Whitaker – An Ethnological project
The Whitaker Gallery and Museum, having recently been rescued from closure by three dedicated people, has been my focus of attention for the last couple of months.
My evaluation of the project covers not only whether it was a success but whether I have had influence on the outcomes. Not being born in the Rossendale valley and without the local accent, from a reflexivity point of view, I am an outsider. The fact that I am lurking around the place every other day with a camera does makes me stand out like a sore thumb.
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo advertises the show at Open Eye Gallery
Double Negative
Laura writes a splendid article about the Tell it Like it is show.
E Architect Magazine
Preston Harris exhibition promotionAn Exhibition curated by Charles Quick, the Preston Bus Station is 50 years old, I was allowed in to shoot the PR images before the main opening. What a splendid show it is, integrated on all floors of the Harris Museum.
The Unseen
The way we hide our faults is exemplified in the home
The home is of course a different meaning – feel for each individual. When a stranger enters with the all showing tool, the camera, when pointed in the right direction it picks the teeth of the question what is home?
Yes we do all know our homes but when challenged by some event needing to display them then the outward view, the face is different we clean polish and tidy. The detail on show is buffed and preened but the hidden is more often than not left to its own devices.
There is a conflict of materialism and worth in my images the real meaning of the Estate agents image is to show off, to exaggerate the home (the homeliness) to such an extreme that the viewer almost expects to be deceived.
My aim is to say that the home is a unique place that is molded and personalised by the owner, it is these very faults and scars in the home that makes it their home. The next owner will no doubt add their own and erase the previous owners marks of distinction.
I see my camera as the Staff Sergeant’s white gloved hand running across the tops of the lockers looking for dust.
Unseen is unseen I move furniture fascinated by the impression of years of one position. The wall paper that doesn’t stretch behind the radiator, the squashed spider long since reduced to dry exoskeleton.
This is what is behind the façade of the estate agent’s photo it is the reality the truth. And not a little amusing that these spaces and crannies exist even in the most doted upon home.
The Urban Moth
The study of a completely fictitious species of moths that can react to the Anthropocene and change their camouflage to suit.
The project is a collaboration with Angela Tait a ceramicist and artist.
The concept is a reimagined species which lives within the Manchester Museum and surrounding area. These creatures have evolved rapidly to survive in a contemporary arena. The fine porcelain moths, each one adorned with photographic macro details from the museum, live on and amongst the collection, architecture and environs. The habitats, feeding habits and other notable details are contained in ‘The Urban Moth’, an entomological field guide. The essential reference book contains records of sightings along with remarks made by the authors over a period of observation.
This idea was born of a residency that the artists undertook with the entomology department during 2016. During the development phase of the residency the artists spent time photographing, drawing and exploring the collection of moths and butterflies. During discussions with the lepidopterists they started to consider the politics of the Anthropocene. The resulting Urban Moth project explores the influence of the human upon the planet whilst anchoring the project firmly within the educational
agenda of a contemporary museum.
Socially Engaged Art Project – Media City
The audience or group was a cross section of business people and entrepreneurs not normally accustomed to making art but probably involved in commissioning it through the creative industry they work in. Participants were asked to choose small objects in their possession and the items would be printed as a photogram using the cyanotype process.
Their part of the industry is overlooked from an artistic angle, they are deemed as the facilitators, the bean counters. Marginalized, neglected. They are a non artistic niche.
The issue of authorship is always a discussion point in art and more so in SEA. This is not fully understood and often abused by this community, artists are regularly undermined with copyright and ownership issues. The non-creative often sees this as an insignificant problem much to the annoyance of the artist
This project highlighted who owns artwork. For a change the responsibility for completion and the ‘creative expert’ title was temporally passed on to these participants. This is alien to many of these people, used to asking artists to fulfil ever changing briefs and commissions.
Artists themselves through the education system are often very unprepared for dealing with the business environment as much as the business people are for dealing with creatives.
This project gave a small insight into the other side of the fence where the artists exist.
