Counterwork

24.09.11

Place, Space & Identity 3 Comes to a Close

PSI3 officially ended on Wednesday with an excellent event at the Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent.
There was an overview of all the projects, people had the chance to meet with the artists and there were some thought-provoking speeches by Ros Robins, director of Arts Council West Midlands, and journalist and lecturer Oliver Bennett. Bennett’s talk in particular I found very interesting - he spoke about the role of art and artists in regeneration and the palpable ‘end’ of big, iconic arts regeneration projects. He charted the rise of such projects (Guggenheim in Bilbao, Angel of the North) and the problems of trying to replicate these successes, which is very difficult. It’s not as simple as just building a big arts centre by a renowned architect or installing a massive sculpture. There is a quality involved that you can’t really manufacture or predict - you can do your damnedest to try and engineer such a thing but you cannot guarantee that what results will work itself into the hearts of those that live with it, or that an art gallery will spark the sustained revival of a town or city’s flagging economy.
There is also another debate (in my mind) about whether economic revival should be the goal art in regeneration - please refer to my earlier post with video of Mr Stewart Lee. 

26.08.11

Installation Time

Installation for Platform 4 begins on Tuesday 30th August and will take about four days. Look out for A & A Scaffolders, North West Synthetic Surfaces and me.

03.08.11

Gearing Up

Things are gearing up with PSI3. I’m meeting with a scaffolder tomorrow to discuss the building of a platform.
Keep up to date with progress at psi3.counterwork.co.uk.

26.07.11

Home At Core Gallery

I’m going to be making new work at Core Gallery, Deptford, in October for the group show Home.

For my work I intend to build a secret room - a refuge - only accessible via a short but claustrophobic maze. This room will be the refuge of a person who is attempting to escape from the current financial and cultural crises.

Other artists include: Lucy Austin, Delaine Le Bas, Graham Crowley, Rosalind Davis, Peter Davis, Kate Murdoch, Freddie Robins, Emily Speed, Annabel Tilley and Rose Wylie.

23.06.11

PSI3 Launch Imminent

Place, Space and Identity 3 launches tomorrow at 4pm in the wonderful setting of Bethesda Chapel, Junction of Albion Street and Bethesda Street, City Centre (Hanley), Stoke-on-Trent.
All of the artists will be on hand to talk about their work and explain a little about their plans for the next few months.
I hope to see you there.

10.06.11

New Commission

I’ve been commissioned as one of six artists for a major project in Stoke-on-Trent - Place, Space and Identity 3.
Yesterday I met with the other artists and the project organisers and we went on a tour of the locations where work may be sited.
There is a little more info on my project page and more photos from the recce below.

More...

23.06.10

All Systems Go Is Go

All Systems Go private view this Friday. See here for details.

09.06.10

New Work Images

In progress images of new work for All Systems Go, being installed in Southall, West London.

More...