ARTISTS TALKING

# 14 [19 June 2012]

Later today they will bury an old friend of mine. Their burrying has caused all kinds of memories and feelings around him to resurface and I am at once young and yet older at he same time.

daybreak
yesterday's dreams shift
sparrow to sparrow

# 13 [8 June 2012]

Still mulling over Barefoot Blindfold and finding that the birds and birdsong seem to now pop up in all I'm doing - from working on a possible new piece of work with Gavin Wade to weeding the back border.

Good to also find out that other participants in Barefoot Blindfold are building the experience into new works. Final year fine art student at Loughborough University, Katie Murray, contacted me to say that she's been making some bigger drawings / works using some of the techniques that she tried out during Barefoot Blindfold.

Her 'blind' drawings of burdsong during Barefoot Blindfold very much remind me of sonograms of birdsong. Well in a way they are - from bird through the air into her ear onto her brain down to her fingertips into the pencil crayon and on to the paper.

I've uploaded one of them to here - the originals will go up in the Landscaping Our Society shed (I refuse to call it the Landscaping and Gardening Society shed as it is now known) on Loughborough University campus.

You can catch Katie's degree show at Loughborough University:

http://lborofineart.co.uk/2012/kmurray.html

# 12 [23 May 2012]

The blind man's guide,
Meek and neglected thing, of no renown!
Soon will peep forth the primrose, ere it fades
Friends shall I have at dawn, blackbird and thrush
To rouse me, and a hundred warblers more!

from 'The Recluse' by William Wordsworth

http://littleonion.posterous.com/choreographed-by-...

# 11 [22 May 2012]

After the first half-hour of sitting back to fruit tree blindfold barefoot arms hands and upper body choreographed by birdsong we remained in silence but now not blindfold each participant was invited to record some of how they felt, heard saw in and around the orchard area of Anne-Marie's Loughborough University Fruit Route that we were in.

All took different approaches I returned to the technique I developed during my Spoil Heap Harvest piece for Transform Snibston. Making what I call 'presaged images'. Taking mnaterials, plants, soil etc from the environment and pressing them into - onto paper.

I made two presages and I've one of them here. It is made by pressing plant materials picked from the orchard margin into the paper - bluebell flower nettle leaf buttercup. The other image I made is the imprint of grass etc from the bottom of my bare left foot.

# 10 [21 May 2012]

Choreographed by Birds

Barefoot Blindfold took place on Friday the 18th May at 5am. Anne-Marie Culhane and I were joined by nine others.

From Anne-Marie 'slow walking' us into the recently planted orchard at the top of her new Fruit Route at Loughborough University to being blindfold barefoot to breakfast and discussion in the Landscaping Our Society garden shed the piece has produced much for us to reflect on beyond the experience.

It was good also to hear from artist Marion Michell that she too joined in from afar - if you want to do it yourself please do and share back with us your experiences.

Here is a link to Marion's blog where you can find her thoughts on this and lots of other thoughts too!

http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/sing...

We will share back more fully elements of Barefoot Blindfold shortly but in the meantime here is me Barefoot Blindfold being chorographed by birdsong. The video was shot by dancer Miriam Keye of Strandlooper.

# 9 [17 May 2012]

Support for Fruit Routes - Barefoot Blindfold has been welcome and diverse.

Diverse is the word for instance we've had support from two strong women from very different fields of work Prof. Sue Thomas from De Montford Universoty and the upcoming female rap artiste Phreeda Sharp have both shown their support for Barefoot Blindfold on Twitter.

Sue Thomas' current work TECHNOBIOPHILIA adresses issues around nature and cyberspace and was the subject of her recent  Professorial Lecture at DMU ;The Future of Cyberspace - Technobiophilia

Meanshile possibly the fiercist of current young UK female rappers, Phreeda Sharp, has sent messages of good luck and a wondering of what a posse of Barefoot Blindfiold Bad Janes would be like on Twitter Phreeda @PHREEDASHARP said:

"It'd be pretty phucking cool if there were blindfolded barefoot Bad Janes there!"

Here's Phreeda's video 'BAD JANE':

http://www.phreedasharp.com/

# 8 [17 May 2012]

Barefoot Blindfold

Well Anne-Marie spent the day yesterday making herself available for talks and iideas around Fruit Routes at Loughborough University as part of their Environmnet Day. Quite a few people signed up or at least told her that they were coming along at 5 am on Friday for our collaborative participative dawn chorus piece Barefoot Blindfold - we just hope the weather holds out - we do it whatever the weather!

http://littleonion.posterous.com/barefoot-blindfol...

Me, well I've been making blindfolds for 'barefoot blindfold' but also and excitingly spent time, as patt of my PCAS (PSHE &  Citizenship Advisory Service) work, at an infnt school in Leicester planning a Keyhole Garden project and associated activities.

In terms of 'memory foam' gardens are linked ifor me with memory and memories. Within the wider culktural landsacpe too gatdens are often assocoated with memories and memorial gardens abound. The act of planting is always a hopeful thing a looking forward to positive growth and flowering, fruiting and that meories even the sad and painful  might be planted and grow into the new and hopeful is a thoought sitting with me today as I recieved this picture from the daughter of a good friend of mine who died recently. It's a plaque on a bench in memory of him by his family by the lake in Abbey Park Leicester. Think I'll be heading down there to eat my lunch sometime soon.

# 7 [9 May 2012]

Barefoot Blindfold - Fruit Routes Video

As Anne-Marie Culhane and I finalise plans for our 18th of May participative performance ;Barefoot Blindfold' on Loughborough University Campus:

http://barefootblindfold-estw.eventbrite.co.uk/

I thought I'd share a bit of background on Fruit Routes and the how the area of fruit trees that Barefoot Blindfold will take place in came about.

The trees were planted as an integral and in fact defining element of Anne-Marie Culhane's extended Fruit Route piece for Loughborough University Sustainabilty:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/sustainability/biodiversity...

The video below was made by me during the Fruit Routes planting weekend where I also wrote and performed a piece 'The Cut In Her Stomach' from a stump close to the Pilkington Library where we will meet for Barefoot Blindfold. The video captures something of the energy and thoughts of the many participants that took part in the planting.

# 6 [8 May 2012]

Barefoot Blindfold - Dawn Chorus

There is now an event page at Eventbrite where you can book a free place at Barefoot Blindfold:

http://barefootblindfold-estw.eventbrite.co.uk/

It's on Anne-Marie Culhane's Fruit Route at Loughborough University and starts at 5am on 18th May finishing at 8am including breakfast.

To be barefoot blindfold at dawn amongst fruit trees the sounds of nature choreographing our movements will be a new and experirence for those taking part and for those that maybe stop to watch too but so much better to take part - Join us!

More information on Fruite Routes is available here:

http://fruitroutesloughborough.wordpress.com

# 5 [7 May 2012]

BAREFOOT BLINDFOLD
18th May 5am - 8am

Just finalising the score for a new piece, 'Barefoot Blindfold', with Anne-Marie Culhane.

http://littleonion.posterous.com/barefoot-blindfol...

I see this as another strand of my ongoing Memory Foam series in that within the immersive experience we hope to create, emotions, memories and stories will arise from the sounds and silences weaved through the piece.

'Barefoof Blindfold' is part of Anne-Marie's ongoing work FRUIT ROUTES for at Loughborough University a work that I've been happy to be a part of over the last six months or so.

Barefoot Blindfold will take place on Friday the 18th of May in and amongst the fruit trees planted in and across the Loughborough University campus during Fruit Routes. It's a daybreak exxperience starting at 5am in the morning - dawn.

Exact happenings are not yet finalised but meeting at the Pilkington Library participants (it could be you!) are 'slow walked' to a Fruit Route orchard area where the event will unfold.

After we have breakfast and share our stories, emotions, evoked memories.

Any and all of the above is subject to change.

Why not join us? It's free. Places limited so call 07849073394 or email mail@amculhane.co.uk

Free eticket at:
http://barefootblindfold-estw.eventbrite.co.uk/