First people (not cars)
Yesterday evening at the annual Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture the audience was charmed into seeing the world a different way and recognising our own failures in the process. The lecture was given by Jan Gehl, an internationally acknowledged champion of urban quality focused on and driven by people and their well-being (rather than cars or egos).
In fact his critique of architects represented them as people who looked at the world from 3 kilometres up and dropped buildings into skylines. His counter was that the skyline was not as important as the way that the building meets the ground. In the analysis he offered us of Edinburgh, the topography and skyline are excellent, but the point where you move the human eye level you see the disaster.
His critique of traffic engineers was equally damning. In his analysis the past 50 years have been dominated by the motor car at the expense of everyone and everything else. In 2012 we need to make prioritising the car in public as unacceptable as smoking – that’s the level of challenge in effect Gehl was suggesting.
So much is true and in so many ways self evident, but the full ramifications of the analysis are wider and more comprehensive than you might think. For instance, having a Department of Walking, Cycling and Transport? Having the driver press the button at the junction to get permission to cross, rather than the pedestrian? Having newspaper articles about bicycle congestion and demands for wider bicycle lanes?
What was a shame was that there were only a couple of artists in the room (lots of architects and obviously a majority of urban planners), but I didn’t see people who really ought to have been there – no-one from the VeloCity programme for Glasgow, no-one from Ayr Renaissance, and I didn’t recognise anyone from the health sector.
There was a really interesting question at the end. The individual noted that Gehl had not used the word design once in his presentation. The questioner contrasted this with the Scottish Government’s consultation on a new Policy on Architecture and Place-making. Gehl basically said that he did two things. He (and his practice) worked on “programmes and Strategies” and these set the tasks for the designers. He (particularly in his academic life) worked on the in depth understanding of people and their experiences in public spaces. These two obviously complement each other, but in essence he is ‘bracketing’ the designers – by evaluating (and that was his word) what works and what doesn’t, and then inscribing it into Programmes and Strategies, he is driving the design agenda.
For me this demonstrated an important articulation of the value of operating between the academic and the practice, as well as everything else he said. It all seems so obvious when Gehl says it, but then you look around.
Maybe his books should be mandatory reading not only on urban planning programmes?
What art have I seen?
Inspired Editions: Prints and Multiples at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Very good answer to the question “What does Robert Burns mean to you?” when asked to Scottish artists living and working now.
The National Trust for Scotland’s press release:
Earlier this year, conservation charity The National trust for Scotland launched a programme of contemporary exhibitions for the first time. Inspired Editions: Prints and Multiples brings together 14 of the very best artists today and will run between 7 September and 24 December 2012.
All of the sculptures and prints on show are ‘editions’ – that means there are a small number of versions available for purchase – a move which makes them much more affordable to the general public.
The artists taking part in Inspired Editions are:
· ROB AND NICK CARTER (The Red Rose)
· CALUM COLVIN (Burns Country)
· GRAHAM FAGEN (Red Rose)
· EUAN HENG (Volunteer)
· KENNY HUNTER (Monument to a Mouse)
· WHYN LEWIS (Survivor)
· DAVID MACH (Robbie Burns)
· JO McDONALD (The Songs you used to Play II)
· HARLAND MILLER (Sweet Afton)
· ROBERT POWELL (A Tripartite Diptych: The Ploughman Poet flanked by Ossian/Macpherson and Topaz McGonagall)
· JEPHSON ROBB (Love & Kisses)
· CATHERINE SARGEANT (Tirl)
· FIONA WATSON (My Heart’s in the Highlands a-chasing the Deer)
Affordability, without compromising on quality, was an important consideration for this new exhibition, which was curated by Sheilagh Tennant.
Commenting on the exhibition, Sheilagh said:
“There are over a dozen artists involved and it’s fascinating to see the variety of different interpretations of Burns’ work.”
The roots of the new exhibition were in Inspired 2009, an exhibition of original work inspired by the life and times of Robert Burns. This exhibition was part of the 2009 Homecoming Scotland programme of events and was also curated by Tennant.
Sheilagh adds:
“Inspired 2009 was a labour of love really – I had been aware for a long time that there had never been a major exhibition of contemporary art inspired by the work of Burns and the Homecoming celebrations provided a perfect vehicle.
“However, during the run of the exhibition, I became aware that, while many would have liked to, most people were disappointed that they could not afford to buy the work on show in Inspired 2009. When I was invited to manage the new contemporary exhibition programme at the RBBM, this provided the opportunity to exhibit a series of editioned work inspired by Burns’ life and works.”
Inspired Editions runs daily at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway. Entry to the exhibition is free and a proportion of all sales from the museum will go to support the property.
The museum is a cultural hub for Ayrshire and beyond, attracting the best from the world of art, music and literature and presenting their works with irreverence and fun.
Along with the Auld Kirk and Brig o’ Doon, the cottage where Burns was born has been combined with the Burns Monument and the new award-winning museum building to form the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Generously supported by the Scottish Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund, the museum commemorates the life and works of Robert Burns.
Since opening to the public in December 2010, the museum has welcomed more than half a million visitors and has won a series of accolades including being selected as a finalist for the prestigious Art Fund prize, securing a five star rating from VisitScotland and being named as Horace Broon’s ‘new favourite place in Scotland’.
What art have I seen?
“Cheer up! It’s not the end of the world…” (or ‘we’re a’ doomed’)
at Edinburgh Printmakers
Ricky Allman, Martin Barrett, Gordon Cheung, Etienne Clement, Jake & Dinos Chapman, David Faithfull, Damien Hirst, Konstantin Kalinovich, Kris Kuksi, Lori Nix, Andy Warhol.
Curated by Norman Shaw and Sarah-Manning Shaw
In recent years there has been a great deal of interest amongst health researchers in the role of social stigma in affecting health. Social stigma can be articulated as a majority view that works to spoil the identity of others on the basis of a discriminating characteristic such as race, gender or class. The social stigma associated with some minority groups has been shown to have health salience in terms of providing an obstacle to gaining access health care, housing provision, welfare, employment and other underlying factors affecting health. Groups that have been the subjects of research include disabled, homeless and itinerant populations and this body of work has revealed the multitude of interpersonal and institutional factors linking discrimination with health. Stigma has also been adopted as a deliberate strategy in health promotion initiatives, most notably in tobacco control with recent work beginning to question whether the denormalisation and stigmatisation…
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Collaborate Creatively
Workshop in association with World Event for Young Artists (WEYA) and a-n.
Nottingham, 12-3pm, 13th September 2012 open to participants in the WEYA event.
Presenters:
Drawing on his text for a-n Reflections on Collaboration, Chris Fremantle will explore with guest artists the principles and approaches to creating great collaborative relationships amongst artists and into other disciplines and contexts. Includes informal and facilitated discussion exploring how artists can realise their ambitions and a hands-on workshop highlighting contexts for innovation and guiding good practice.
Collaboration is one of those hot topics. Missions, Models, Money have had a whole stream of work around the issue over the past few years, Grant Kester‘s new book The One and the Many theorises the subject, and a-n has been tagging articles as ‘Collaborative Relationships‘ for about five years.
Donald Campbell 1942-2012 RIP
Donald Campbell, Garden Villa I Tatti, Gesso, tempera and graphite on panel
Donald Campbell was one of the best painters I ever had the privilege of knowing. He was also one of the most sensitive and intelligent people. He will be sadly missed.
Arts and Health Projects
Bio-hacking highlighting three different individuals exploring the augmentation of their own bodies (on the back of the Wellcome exhibition Superhuman):
Superhuman: The artist, the scholar and the zealot « Wellcome Trust Blog.
W.A.G.E. – 7pm on 18 September, Glasgow
W.A.G.E. (Working Artists for the Greater Economy) are speaking at a public meeting at The Art School (New Vic) 468 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, at 7pm on 18 September on their ‘exhibition fees’ campaign.
There will be an introduction by Charlotte Prodger and Corin Sworn and an open discussion.
This event has been organised by Transmission and the Scottish Artists Union.
Circulate the poster WAGE event 180912
Arts and Health Projects
I never saw the Montreal based Canadian Centre for Architecture’s exhibition on the medicalization of architecture, but the book is excellent. Art Agenda announcement.
What art have I seen?
Donald Urquhart and Gerry Loose Orchard at the Scottish Poetry Library
Arts & Health projects
Alexander Melamid’s ironic project on the health benefits of exposure to art.
He wanted to know the specifics about the patient’s malady, and about any museums he had visited recently. Told that the patient had been looking at a lot of Whistlers, be nodded and said, “Not enough masterpieces.”
Alexander Melamid’s Art Healing Ministry in SoHo – NYTimes.com.
What art have I seen?
Attended an outstanding seminar with Tim Rollins and the K.O.S. at the Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh. Saw the exhibition being installed and the workshop working with Darwin’s Origin of Species.
What am I reading?
Hackerspaces and DIYbio in Asia: connecting science and community with open data, kits and protocols in Journal of Peer Production.
Nothing and Everything: The Influence of Buddhism on the American Avant Garde: 1942 – 1962
Buddhism emerges in various ways over the past 40 years, whether with Ginsberg et al or with Gary Snyder, or more recently with Mary Jane Jacobs amongst others. Ellen Pearlman has written a history of the early period of this development and she is in conversation in Brooklyn Rail here.
What art have I seen?
Socrates Sculpture Park: last visit was in 2009. This time the summer is taken up by Civic Action: A Vision for Long Island City, a show jointly put together with the Noguchi Museum. Civic Action includes projects by Mary Miss, Natalie Jeremijenko and xClinic, Rirkrit Tiravanija and George Trakas.
Quite a line up.
Civic Action, Photo Chris Fremantle
Various experiments in thinking about site, place, economy, conviviality and ecology. The projects started with discussions and seminars at the Noguchi Museum and have resulted in prototypes in Socrates.
Civic Action Curator, Amy Smith-Stewart states:
The exhibition at Socrates shows us what the neighborhood once was and what it could be. It asks questions. Why can’t the community reclaim its scenic riverfront? How can the cultural activity of the Park extend out beyond its immediate surroundings? Why does the ecology around us matter? And how can this place become an innovative district for artists, scientists and urban planners and how can the area improve the quality of life for New Yorkers?
What is Socrates: if a sculpture park is normally like a museum (ie looking after stuff), then Socrates is more like a contemporary art gallery (showing new ideas and installations) mixed with some aspects of a workshop (bringing communities into contact with artists). And its also a public park being used for walking, practising the trumpet and sitting in the sun.
The curatorial approach has also evolved. In the past it was perhaps more like a sculpture park as museum – some works installed for long periods, stand alone objects to be admired.
A publication for Civic Action would be good.
Civic Action, 2012, Photo Chris Fremantle
Making Policy Public – MAS CONTEXT
Vendor Power, Copyright Kevin Noble for CUP
The Center for Urban Pedagogy‘s Making Policy Public series is a standout project engaging marginalised interest groups with designers and communities. MAS Context provides and overview of the series here. Its a good description, though it doesn’t offer a critical commentary.
What Art have I seen?
Brandon Ballengée’s the Collapse: The Cry of Silent Forms at Ronald Feldman, NYC.
NB Ballanjee has put together significant amounts of background research into a series of ‘appendices’ available on Feldman’s.
What art have I seen?
Ellsworth Kelly Plant Drawing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Thoughts on Sculpture in the Landscape
“Your head can be everywhere, but your feet have to be some place.” Peter Berg
The sculptures at Glenkiln outside Dumfries (several Moores, an Epstein and a Rodin) can be found because they exist on maps, even the AA Road Atlas. They are located on the side of a glen overlooking a reservoir because of the initiative of an individual – a patron and owner of a Scottish estate.
Is sculpture in the landscape anachronistic?
It’s not high on the agenda for public art development. That agenda, taken in no particular order, would probably include: interdisciplinarity, duration, design teams, publics, commons vs privatisation, spaces for dissent. It would be rooted in the APG rubric “context is half the work”. It might be driven by social or environmental concern.
I’m sorry I’m not able to attend the symposium Sculpture in the Landscape at Scottish Sculpture Workshop in August. The symposium proposes to address and define new concepts for outdoor public sculpture collections, focusing on the existing Lumsden Sculpture Walk. The brief for the Symposium is as follows:
SSW founder Fred Bushe, RSA OBE, established the Lumsden Sculpture Walk in 1985 in partnership with the local council. It was to provide a showcase for the work carried out by SSW artists, integrate SSW with the village of Lumsden, and become an arts destination and cultural site. Moving on three decades, SSW would like to address the current state of the site and the artworks, and look into ways of rejuvenating the walk for future generations. In doing so, we feel it is pertinent to explore contemporary critical thinking regarding public art, and consider how outdoor sculpture collections can become dynamic and relevant in the 21st century.
Item one on the Agenda: The construction of the public and private realms, the revealing of difference, the imagining of spectacle. These are all deeply underpinned by the complexity of modern overdeveloped societies and the greater complexity of ecological systems on which we are reliant. It’s creating work “within a ‘mesh’ of social, political and phenomenal relations” (TJ Demos). Interdisciplinarity is not sexy and desirable – it’s the necessary response to complexity. It’s the necessary relinquishing of ego when faced with innumerable unnameable interwoven challenges – think of the Flow Chart of the Declaration of Occupy Wall Street, and the adoption of anonymity, not just for personal safety, but also to foreground issues over personalities. In The Guide to This World & Nearer Ones (2009), Creative Time’s temporary public art project on New York’s Governors Island, Nils Norman is quoted as saying,
“I’ve been looking at the history of bohemian artist movements to find a possible place of dissention. Is Bohemia still a place where artists can experiment and develop strategies outside the mainstream? The normalising effect of the market makes this now almost completely impossible, and Bohemia has been instrumentalised by people who make direct links to ‘creatives,’ bohemian lifestyles and a new class of urban entrepreneurs through city regeneration. Where can alternatives be developed? Where is it possible to drop out and develop new languages and codes.”
Item two: Geometry. Numbers, algebra and other truths, which by their essential nature appear to stand outside time, provide a false sense of certainty in a world which is in a state of constant change. The use of geometry in architecture and art makes the world we construct for ourselves seem to have something to do with the unchanging ideal, whereas our lived experience is caught between on the one hand organised growth and on the other entropy. The architects’ angle (Libeskind) or curve (Gehry) may be generated in digital space and realised through CAD driven routers and saws, but in 50 or 100 years the angle and curve will have changed in response to the environment. Duration, maintenance, care – these are perhaps the more interesting challenges. Merle Laderman Ukeles’ Manifesto for Maintenance Art written in 1967 remains a provocation. In response to a recent Workshop on time, it seemed to me that artists involved in work in public have developed strong skills around spatial strategies and critiques, but the discussion of time is less nuanced – the time of the project, exhibition, residency is dominant. Hamish Fulton’s work NO TALKING FOR SEVEN DAYS is a challenge I’ve stared at for 10 years.
Item three: Training requirements. Firstly teamwork. If the question is interdisciplinarity then we need training. Who are ‘we’? We are in particular visual and applied artists. We are better networked, better collaborators, and have more social capital than we did in 1985, let alone in 1958. But we still arrive in a place (meeting/site) and think “What (from my sketchbook/back pocket) will I do here?” We might no longer think “Which piece of work in my studio can I plop down here?” We might now think “What is this place about and which of my tactics will engage with this place in the most interesting way?” How does our training equip us to fully engage within teams and with inhabitants (human and other)? Do we speak each others’ languages? Can the artists communicate effectively with the (landscape) architects? Do the architects understand collaboration? Can the hierarchies of professional status be set aside?
Item four: Who pays? Pre-enclosure, pre-agricultural improvements, common land provided subsistence for the majority of the population. Subsistence meant collecting firewood, grazing beasts and fowl, harvesting leaves, fungi, roots and fruits. The question of commons and enclosure (for which we can read privatisation) is as sharp now as it was then. It is sharp in Scotland because of the 2003 Land Reform Act (and a new tranche of funding for community land purchases has just been announced). It is sharp in Lumsden because when you stand in the village the hills around are owned by just three estates. It’s also sharp because the new territory that we have discovered in the past 15 years, the territory of the digital, is also moving quickly from being one characterised by commons to one characterised by enclosure. Your personality is being enclosed and value extracted from it by Facebook. As someone recently said to me, Graphic Designers spend their time paying for and learning to use the next new iteration of software from Adobe and Apple. The development of Creative Commons licensing, Open Source software (OpenOffice, WordPress, VideoLAN, Mozilla‘s suite, etc) are all more than just free – they represent the ‘subsistence economy’ of the digital era.
So to the most important part of the agenda, open to the floor: how does a footpath along the side of a road, interrupted by a Primary School, enable anything useful to be developed in response to these issues?
‘It is a wet afternoon in Glasgow, May 2062. The temperature is barely six degrees above freezing, the Clyde has burst its banks as is now customary for this time of year, and is lapping about the entrance to the old Central Station, now the R. D. Laing Cultural Exploratorium. The upper floors are a museum, the ground level a hydroponic research gardens. The red iron-rich waters lapping around the station’s baroque entrance have become one of the sights of the city.
The rain is incessant, but Glasgow is buoyant. The GI (how old-fashioned the acronym sounds now – as if ‘international’ still means something) has just opened, now well into its sixth decade. Its legendary founder, and now honorary President has just made an appearance at the show’s opening in a climate controlled inflatable. At 95, she is remarkably sprightly, and makes a point of attending each opening in…
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Frederick Huth Jackson’s Diary
Frederick Huth Jackson (1863-1921)
Frederick Huth Jackson kept a diary of his visit to New Zealand in 1883-84. Frederick Huth Jackson Diary 1883 lo res.
He was aged 20 at the time.
The first half survives, and was transcribed by Richard Fremantle in the early 70s. This covers his own journey to New Zealand on the SS Ionic and his travels through the North and South Islands. The second half, describing his time escorting Baron Hübner, is sadly missing.
Ayr Converses Walk
Ayr Converses Walk, a set by www.dooks.org on Flickr.
Chris Dooks, Morag Deyes, Rob Close, Lianne Hackett and I were taken for a walk around the Ayr by Kevin Bell (Surveyor at J&E Shepherd). These are some images Chris Dooks took, particularly in the vicinity of Plot 9.
What art have I seen?
Richard Wright, Works on Paper, Kelvingrove Art Gallery with excellent documentation on the Modern Institute’s site.
Posted to ecoartscotland.net
Art after nature: TJ Demos on the post natural condition, in Artforum (April 2012) is, as Suzaan Boettger pointed out, important because it represents a key moment demonstrating that ecoart is impacting on mainstream contemporary art’s discourses (maybe).
Perhaps more importantly, the piece concludes with the work of artists who are at this moment, as has happened at key points in the past, choosing to position the focus of their work outside the artworld. Artists such as Nils Norman, whose work Demos focuses on, as well as Fritz Haeg, Superflex, Marjetica Potrc, Art not Oil, Allora & Calzadilla and The Yes Men all engage directly with the biopolitical and the eco-financial (though the work of many of these can be seen in galleries and museums pretty regularly, e.g. Haeg’s Animal Estates 1.0 was included in the Whitney Biennial in 2008). It would be trite…
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New Growth Walking from Renton to Kilmahew, 9 June 2012
Invited to participate in the Invisible College.
Walked from Renton to Kilmahew.
Looked for new growth.
Thoughts on VeloCity
PAR+RS will be covering VeloCity, starting with this piece. VeloCity is an ambitious programme for Glasgow’s public realm leading up to the Commonwealth Games, 2014, and looking beyond. Glasgow has used key events (Garden Festival, 1988; European City of Culture, 1990; City of Architecture and Design, 1999.
Work in Progress
Public Art Scotland ‘Work in Progress’ installed in The Lighthouse, Glasgow, for the Scottish Government’s International Summit on Architecture and Place, May 2012 (Photo: Chris Fremantle)
Tim Rollins and John Ahearn
Spirit of the Bronx at Frieze New York – FT.com.
Tim Rollins and John Ahearn: the contradictions of earnest and ethically engaged artists interested in beauty being part of Frieze NY.
Precarious Workers Brigade Alternative Curriculum
- ARE YOU UNSURE WHAT JOB YOU WILL BE DOING IN 3 MONTHS?
- DO YOU FREELANCE BUT YOU DON’T FEEL FREE?
- ARE YOU ANXIOUS DURING THE DAY AND SLEEPLESS AT NIGHT?
- HAS THE CARROT YOU WERE PROMISED GONE OFF?
- DO YOU THINK YOU WILL NEVER OWN A HOUSE IN YOUR F*&%$£ LIFE?
If your answer to these questions is yes, then the Carrot Workers Collective/Precarious Workers Brigade have produced Training for Exploitation: Towards and Alternative Curriculum.
Management response to ballot on strike action
Fremantle Consultants: Response to call for Ballot on Strike Action
Fremantle Consultants rejects the accusation of hypocrisy levelled by the workers.
Fremantle Consultants manages a portfolio of work across producing, project management and research.
Fremantle Consultants is currently co-producing PAR+RS, Creative Scotland’s national public art development programme, project managing the Therapeutic Design and Arts Strategy for the New South Glasgow Hospitals as well as contributing to the Art, Space and Nature MFA programme at Edinburgh College of Art.
Recently, Fremantle Consultants completed a Visiting Researcher project with Gray’s School of Art, supporting the establishment of a new research cluster. Fremantle Consultants worked with a range of staff to develop research trajectories and reflect on key issues.
Fremantle Consultants provided project management services to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde assuring the delivery of the public art strategies for two new hospitals, the New Victoria and the New Stobhill. Working with 11 artists on a range of installations, Fremantle Consultants delivered the programme on time and within budget.
Fremantle Consultants produced a major DEFRA funded Climate Challenge Fund project working with a wide range of partners across England.
Staff of Fremantle Consultants are encouraged to engage with community organisations and give their time pro bono to Ayr Gaiety Partnership as well as the Scottish Artists Union.
In the current economically challenging context, Fremantle Consultants is successfully building the business and delivering quality and impact for clients. The cultural sector must focus on building capacity in the creative economy and innovating in the provision of services to clients.
ayr converses Cultural Hustings
ayr converses flyer April 2012
ayr converses hustings focused on arts & cultural regeneration in Ayr in the 2012 local council elections.
A full note of involvement is available here, and video of the event can be seen here
Notification of intention to ballot for strike action
The cultural workers of Fremantle Consultants have called a ballot on strike action. They accuse the management of gross hypocrisy.
This email dated 24 April 2012 constitutes formal notification seven days in advance of the ballot. The ballot will take place on 2 May 2012.
Cultural workers at Fremantle Consultants’ offices at 21 Woodfield Road, Ayr, KA8 8LZ, will be balloted.
Subject to the ballot, strike action will take place on Friday 4 May 2012.
This strike action is undertaken as a ‘wildcat’ strike, not associated with any Union.
The cultural workers at Fremantle Consultants have been in negotiations with management since 27 February 2006, during which time no resolution has been reached.
Fremantle Consultants are accused of:-
- Believing in the value of arts and culture for their own sake, the importance of aesthetics and fun, whilst simultaneously basing arts and cultural development on the social, health, mental health and environmental impacts.
- Promoting localism and grassroots activity whilst simultaneously working on massively centralising public service projects;
- Articulating and supporting commons based and alternative approaches to knowledge and creativity whilst simultaneously developing projects intended to utilise copyright to financialise artworks.
- Critiquing corporate capital whilst being reliant on the self-same systems professionally and personally.
- Challenging the roots and effects of precarity within the arts whilst utilising processes and procedures which reinforce precarious working.
Organising Committee
Notes
- Only workers at Fremantle Consultants are entitled to vote.
- Because there are less than 50 people entitled to vote there is no requirement to appoint a scrutineer.
- The ballot paper is attached strike ballot as required and has been agreed by the branch secretary.
- Unison’s guidance as set out in Unison Industrial Action Handbook (2009) has been followed.
Arts & Cultural Regeneration Hustings, 25th April 2012
ayr converses hosts an arts & cultural regeneration in Ayr focused hustings for the three Ayr ward candidates in the 2012 local council elections. Download flyer: ayr converses a5_final please distribute.
ayr converses is hosting an arts & cultural regeneration in Ayr focused hustings on Wednesday 25 April 2012 at the Foresters’ Hall, New Road, Ayr KA8 8EX. The hustings is from 8pm – 9.30pm. All those who wish to see South Ayrshire Council place greater focus on the arts and culture in the regeneration of our town are welcome to attend.
The aim is to hear from candidates – party political & independent – on how the arts & culture – including the creative industries – can act as drivers for the regeneration of Ayr and what will be their policies and practice for the arts & culture over the next five years. Each candidate who wishes to speak will be given a set time in which to speak. Members of the arts & cultural community including Chris Taylor of Hipshot Theatre, Laurin Campbell, the new YDance freelancer in South Ayrshire & Chris Fremantle of Ayr Gaiety Partnership & Public Art Scotland will be given the same set time in which to share their vision for the future of our town. The hustings will be chaired by Karen Murray of Newton & Heathfield Community Association.
ayr converses has invited all candidates who are standing in the three Ayr wards – Ayr North, Ayr West, Ayr East – and has copied the invitation to all candidates standing in the other five South Ayrshire Council wards. Parties have been asked to put forward a spokesperson to speak on arts, culture & economic regeneration. The same opportunity has been extended to independents. A good number of candidates have confirmed that they will attend and participate with all parties represented. Independent candidates have also confirmed that they will participate.
There will be refreshments by su casa after the hustings to give those participating time to meet & converse in a sociable setting. Those attending will be asked to make a small contribution to a collection towards the cost of hall hire & refreshments.
notes:
“A hustings event is a meeting where election candidates or parties debate policies and answer questions from the audience … voters can ask candidates about issues that are important to them.” Electoral Commission
ayr converses aims to facilitate communication between individuals and groups in the town of ayr with the aim of acting as an ideas bank + soundboard, strengthening community ties and furthering cultural and economic regeneration. The website, which will be launched end April 2012, is open source – with input it will become a repository of ideas, suggestions & positive proposals that will point the way forward for Ayr and inspire all those who love to live, work, study and play in the town + visitors to Ayr.
for further information, please email info@ayrconverses.org.uk
What art have I seen?
George Wyllie: A Life Less Ordinary, Collins Gallery, University of Strathclyde.
What Art have I seen?
Image from Electronic Arts Intermix
Mono Lake, Nancy Holt and Robert Smithson, CCA Glasgow
There is an excerpt at http://youtu.be/lwyE2DxaN40
Smithson created one of his nonsite works with materials collected on this trip.
Funded PhD Opportunities
3 PhD Studentships (Reference IDEAS 12)
Grays School of Art, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
IDEAS Research Institute for Innovation, Design And Sustainability
Closing Date: 9th April 2012
Applications are invited from excellent candidates for PhD studentships in the IDEAS Research Institute at The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. IDEAS is a multi-disciplinary research centre encompassing the disciplines of Architecture & Built Environment, Art & Design, Computing, Engineering and Environmental Science.
Theme: Creativity, Design & Innovation
Art in the Public Sphere: The Case of Feminist Manifestos
This PhD project will creatively contribute to the artistic and theoretical exploration of the unique interweaving of politics and poetics in this still under-researched genre of revolutionary discourse, the manifesto. The project will specifically address the contribution of visual art practice associated with second-wave and later feminist movements, focusing on lesser known British feminist manifestos produced in and since second-wave feminism, through the study of anthologised documents but also through archival research in libraries and special collections. One of the project’s aims is to not simply discover but also uncover feminist manifestos in unexpected forms and locations, in corroboration of the thesis that certain works of art, as well as the familiar written proclamations, may be considered as manifestos thanks to their reception, function and interpretation.
Dr Alexandra Kokoli: +44 (0)1224 263692, a.m.kokoli@rgu.ac.uk
Cultural Leadership, its role, processes and implications for cultural development
Applications are invited for a 3 year PhD to explore cultural leadership as a practice and its implications for social, cultural and economic development in a local and global context. Cultural leadership has emerged as a need that is sharply focused in particular in the fields of art and design. We do not sufficiently understand the practice of cultural leadership as it relates to art and design practices in particular in relation to coping with rapid change and increased levels of self organisation. This research will build on the AHRC funded Artist as Leader project (2006-8) initially mining this archive of 32+ in depth interviews with cultural leaders in Britain. The research will result in a framework for cultural leadership in Scotland that is informed by its rural culture. This research is timely because of the local initiatives in cultural development (City Gardens Project, related application for City of Culture 2017, national review of cultural delivery agencies, and emergence of new regional, lead cultural body: AB+).
The successful candidate will meet RGU’s criteria for eligibility and be able to demonstrate the potential to develop advanced research skills. They should hold a Master’s degree in Fine Art/Design, Art/Design History, Critical/Cultural Theory, or equivalent practice or policy experience. In the case of a practicing artist/designer or arts administrator, some experience in practice-led research would be an advantage. The prospective student should be highly self-motivated and have a keen and imaginative critical interest in the arts in contemporary life.
Professor Anne Douglas: +44 (0)1224 263647, a.douglas@rgu.ac.uk
Smart Textiles for Health and Wellbeing
Technologically enhanced textiles can respond to a range of physical and psychological health barriers, which have the potential to transform lifestyles. Smart textiles can help manage body temperature, incorporate antimicrobial properties, provide insulation, breathability, compression, re-shaping, moisture absorption, articulation enabling mobility, constrain movement and improve circulation. Current textile products designed for medical application often do not provide satisfactory solutions because they don’t address the full range of an individual’s needs, which includes both the physical and the psychological. In recent years a number of technical innovations have shown potential but have not been successfully applied to provide solutions that meet the needs of individuals. Current products are related to monitoring health rather than providing a more interactive system that builds a stronger connection with the wearer, which are both responsive and adaptive and take into account an individual’s emotional needs.
We are looking for a design graduate with technical expertise to undertake a PhD programme of research with the aim of understanding how textile and clothing solutions can be designed to improve the quality of life for individuals experiencing long-term medical conditions, which have a direct impact on their mobility, self-esteem and wellbeing. Through the application of advanced technology and design, this project seeks to explore new wearable smart clothing concepts with direct relevance to a range of mobility related health issues. The project will investigate a range of new technologies from micro-scale computing (speckled) to combined laser scanning and laser cutting, and new materials in order to develop advanced clothing concepts that can be used to alleviate the effects of long term debilitating conditions.
The project is suitable for someone with a first degree in product or textile and/or fashion design. They should also have some basic knowledge of materials science and computer based technologies.
This PhD research programme builds on the current work of the Molecular Imprinted Textiles (MIT) group (a project funded by the Scottish Academy of Fashion), a Scottish Govt funded project ‘Future Textile Visions’ (FTV) and an AHRC network application currently awaiting decision. The project will be headed by Josie Steed, Course Director for Fashion and Textiles, and Julian Malins, Professor of Design at Gray’s School of Art.
Josie Steed: +44 1224 263678, j.steed@rgu.ac.uk
Candidates for the studentship must have a high quality Honours Degree (preferably a First Class) or a Masters qualification (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Each studentship provides full university fees for UK/EU applicants and a tax-free maintenance allowance of £13,590 per annum for 3 years. Additional fee support may be available to students who are not UK/EU residents and who would normally be required to pay the full overseas postgraduate fee. The studentships start on 1 October 2012.
Applicants should Apply Online at http://www.rgu.ac.uk/researchdegrees/applicants/page.cfm?pge=26828. When applying, please click on advertised studentships and select IDEAS 12.
For further information on research at Robert Gordon University and in the IDEAS Research Institute, please see:
http://www.rgu.ac.uk/research/ideas
Informal enquiries may be addressed to potential supervisors or to the IDEAS Graduate School Leader, Professor Linda Lawton, + 44 (0)1224 262823/262473, email ideas@rgu.ac.uk
USUK Call for Artists
Image thanks to Coral Lambert
DEADLINE MARCH 15th 2012
The 13th USUK International Cast Iron Sculpture Symposium
To be hosted at Salem Art Works, Salem, New York and Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Lumsden, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.
US Component: Friday 15th June – Sunday 1st July 2012
UK Component: Friday 7th July – Sunday 22nd July 2012
The 13th USUK Iron Symposium will take place for the first time at two venues: Salem Art Works (SAW), USA and Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW), UK. During each 15 day symposium, internationally selected artists will produce work in cast iron with experimental and traditional sand molds using a coke fired iron cupola furnace. In addition to artists’ presentations, panels and technical demonstrations, artists learn from each other by working together in the critically engaged environment created by the symposium and its unique sites. Highlights of the 13th USUK Iron Symposium include a public iron pour and sculpture exhibitions at Salem Art Works, in Upstate New York and an iron pour with live fire performances at Scottish Sculpture Workshop, in the UK.
Founded in 1996 by sculptor, Coral Lambert, the focus of the USUK Iron Symposium is to provide a platform for artists to explore and push the boundaries of the cast iron medium in contemporary sculpture. No previous casting experience is necessary; artists from different disciplines are encouraged to apply. Past participants and collaborators include land artists, paper makers, biologists, archeologists and architects.
Over the past 16 years, the USUK Iron Symposium has been hosted by the US and UK in alternating years including venues in New Orleans, Minnesota, Suffolk and Wales. In 2012 this symposium will take place in both the US and UK for the first time. Salem Art Works and Scottish Sculpture Workshop both offer unique settings and facilities to host this year’s symposium. For more information please visit their respective websites at http://www.salemartworks.org and http://www.ssw.org.uk
Both SAW and SSW will provide accommodations, studio space, equipment usage, technical guidance, consumables and equipment for the iron pour at the following rates:
SSW: £350* + materials
£206 + materials for students and up to one year after graduation
SAW: $700** + materials (food included)
*Internships also available for the UK component, please contact the SSW office for more information.
**Scholarships may be available for the US component, please contact the SAW office for more information.
Mold Materials will be charged per amount of individual usage. Travel to and from USUK Iron Symposium is the responsibility of the artist. Limited group transportation will be available from the nearest train, bus or airport.
Artists may apply to either the US component at SAW, the UK component at SSW or both, please specify your interest. Digital applications will be accepted via email. Please email USUK Director, Coral Lambert at lambertc@alfred.edu by the March 15, 2012 deadline with the following:
Name, Address, Resume, Statement of Intent/Proposed Project, 4 jpeg images of your work
Please note: All previous USUK Iron Symposium participants are invited to exhibit work for the USUK Iron Olympic Show to be held at Salem Art Works in June 2012. Please send an image of your work to the above email by the March 15th deadline. Thank you, we look forward to receiving your applications.
Four Funded PhD Opportunities
Tim Collins, Acting Head of Research, recently announced that Glasgow School of Art hasa number of studentships on offer.
There are two Studentships within the School of Fine Art.
Areas of focus could include:
Society and Environmental Art
Prof Timothy Collins [t.collins@gsa.ac.uk)
Additional supervisors include artists Ross Sinclair and Sue Brind, Justin Carter, and Clara Ursitti as well as Dr Ken Neil.
Art and Curatorial Practices
Dr Frances Mckee (francis@cca-glasgow.com}
Additional supervisors offering support in these areas include critics, artists and curators such as John Calcutt, Dr Ross Birrell and Dr Sarah Lowndes.
Photography, Painting
Prof Roger Wilson [r.wilson@gsa.ac.uk]
Additional supervisors include artists Prof Thomas Joshua Cooper, Dr Nicky Bird, and Stephanie Smith.
We have one studentship in the School of Design.
Areas of focus could include:
Design and Innovation
Prof Irene McAra McWilliam (I.McAra-McWilliam@gsa.ac.uk)
Additional supervisors offering support include designers Jimmy Stephen-Cran and Paul Stickley, Dr Gordon Hush and Dr Ben Craven.
Design for Health and Care
Prof Alastair Macdonald (a.macdonald@gsa.ac.uk)
Additional supervisors includes Dr Paul Chapman, and Dr David Loudon, there is also co-support available in the MEARU research unit.
We have one studentship in the Mackintosh School of Architecture
Areas of focus could include:
Place, Memory and Practice
Prof Chris Platt (c.platt@gsa.ac.uk)
Additional supervisors include Prof Brian Evans, Prof Thomas Maver, Dr Robert Proctor, Sally Stewart and Prof Florian Urban.
Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit
Reader Tim Sharpe (t.sharpe@gsa.ac.uk)
Additional supervisors include Dr Masa Noguchi Dr. Filbert Musau and Dr Raid Hanna.
What Art have I seen?
Image from Stills
Ship of Fools, Allan Sekula, at Stills in Edinburgh
An Ecology Of Mind | A Daughter’s Portrait of Gregory Bateson
An Ecology Of Mind | A Daughter’s Portrait of Gregory Bateson.
There will be a screening and panel discussion of Nora Bateson’s film of Gregory Bateson,
Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture,
L1 Minto House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
5.30 – 8pm on 23 February 2012
There will be a workshop on 24 Feb for students of any discipline, Masters level and above, at Edinburgh College of Art
Please email chris@fremnatle.org if you wish to attend the film.
This event is sponsored by the School of Architecture and the CORE research group.
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