ARTISTS TALKING

# 78 [16 March 2011]

It's funny how you have to enter a particular frame of mind to be able to paint... for me, the process starts with detailed drawings based on zooms of nature; doing nothing also figures quite highly too, well, physically doing nothing and thinking and reflecting on what I intend to do with the paint. This building-up stage can take weeks, it could be viewed as procrastination, but for me it's all part of the process. It's definitely not waiting for inspiration, more a ritual.

Last week I started the drawings, a series based on clumps of grass growing on a red-earth hill. Then I projected them onto canvases 120 x 120cm, four of them. I dedicated a lot of time to creating the images even though I know that these initial stages may be totally eradicated by the process of painting, but that doesn't matter to me; these initial drawing phases are important to prepare me mentally for what is to follow.

This week I've been creating textures with PVA and gesso primer on the canvases with what started life as a paint brush but now resembles a stick. This painstaking process may also be obliterated when the real creativity with paint starts. When these textures are dry I'll start rubbing and dripping paint - if it works, great, but usually the painting has something else in mind and the painting's direction will have to change. I do have an end image in mind, but the exciting thing is that I don't really know what will happen.

If I just started throwing paint around, the lack of direction and mental focus would be missing and the end result may reflect that. Sometimes though I do paint with no intention or idea of what I want to happen... making those images work is a nightmare. Maybe making these paintings work will also be a nightmare, losing sight of that initial idea may actually help though.

Making videos is linked to this process - but obviously is not as messy. I'm having a little break from starting any new ones, but not from screenings. My new video 'St Louis. Path 1' was screened at Better Bankside in London last Friday by Ottica TV and this Friday that video plus another at Grimsby Minster organised by Grimsby Institute entitled: Lightworks.

# 77 [7 March 2011]

I drove to Agen on Saturday to view the space for my show which starts in July - and very nice it is too. It's in a museum dedicated to the work of Gertrude Shoen, a sculptor who gave many of her pieces to the mairie. Apparently she's quite well known, but never really made it - her initiative means her work will at least make a mark locally, be seen and live on.

What a great idea - why should work be hidden away, never to be seen?

Coincidently, I just stumbled across the work I donated to Douai Abbey on the internet... I just did a google search for Jonathan Moss to see which of my images came up first and those pictures appeared. I've not seen them hung yet, so it was a nice surprise to see photos of them in-situ. They are in a corridor that leads from the monastery to the library - so will only be viewed by the monks, which adds a level of quietude and intimacy that would rarely be found in a public place.

I now really need to focus on the new series of paintings I started before Christmas; life has been hectic though as I shall soon be the proud owner of a garret in the centre of Perpignan (it comes with an apartment underneath!), strangely next door to the school of art. Hopefully it will give us access to a little bit of culture every now and then which we miss living up our mountain.

# 76 [17 February 2011]

I went to the opening of a show on Friday, works by two artists I vaguely know. The first: Doris Schlapfer, a friend of an artist who lives in the village and the second: Patrick Sauze who coincidently owns a barn here in St Louis, but never visits - we met once about ten years ago.

The exhibition was at The Maison des Art at Bages, called 'Screens:Ecrans'. It was an interesting exhibition - hung well in a decent space. I thought the work was quite powerful and wouldn't have looked out of place in a cutting-edge new gallery in the East End for example. However, Bages is on the coast in a tiny fishing village, idyllic - next to a lagoon full of flamingoes - really hidden away from anything.

Having entered into a dialogue with Lauren Healey (a-n ed for jobs and opps) on the art 'system' here in France I took the opportunity to do some research. At the opening I asked the artists why such a gallery showing decent work isn't known - they replied that it is known, in the departement of the Aude.

I emailed Patrick to pick his brain a little: You can see what I'm up to on my blog which is on a-n (the artists' newsletter) a great resource and community for artists and curators and students - check it out, it's great. Does something like that exist in France? You will also see a link to 'axis' - which may be interesting for you; it's another artist and curator organisation, but more about promotion - they now accept international artists. Both a-n and axis are good for opportunities world-wide.

 I think I mentioned to you how surprised I was that the gallery in Bages is little-known outside Aude, if a gallery with exciting contemporary work like that existed in the UK its reputation would be wider spread; maybe it's a 'cultural' thing rather than an 'art ' thing.

 I would be interested to hear how you view the situation, i.e. the divide between art practices in the provinces and the cities. That difference doesn't seem to exist in the UK, rather, art created and shown in obscure places, let alone in small galleries, is celebrated and soon becomes known and held as valid and exciting to the wider art community.

I received this reply which seems to speak volumes about the outlook of artists regarding communities and networks:

I think that unfortunately the artist's life is difficult in France,
there is a lack of vision. I think there is a saturation of artists, too many artists and not enough quality places.
There may be communities such as "a-n " and "axis" in France, but I do not know.

So the prospects don't look good here - if the equivalent of a-n and axis exist in France, there seems to be an unspoken hierarchy of artists, maybe at the top are those who don't need that system of networking and support. . . the outlook seems to be more dependent upon a gallery structure rather than artists getting together and creating opportunities. It's another world which doesn't seem to be changing.

I remember somebody asking me, whilst I studied at the RCA, whether or not she should move to France for the art-scene. I said maybe not, perhaps it's different in the cities though... I'm beginning to think I was right.

It is heartening when I'm contacted by someone like Jane Boyer though, another a-n-er, she also lives in France and we plan to share experiences - so it's not so isolated after all.

However, it is about the 'work' - sadly due to making applications that has suffered this week, but that's the life of an artist these days (maybe not for French artists though). The ISBN came through for the 'Path' book, so that will be printed as soon as the author has completed the text; a copy will be in the British Library which is good. Also, tonight I'm sending the path video by FTP to Ottica TV (http://www.ottica-tv.com/) for their annual screening at Better Bankside next to Tate Modern - its just started to snow, so hopefully we won't lose the internet connection.

http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=11547

http://www.jonathan-moss.com/

# 75 [9 February 2011]

  Usually I cast February off as the month to just get through - the coldest, dullest, quietest. . . isn't it funny how lots of exciting things seem to happen when you least expect it.

Last week I was contacted by Lauren Healy, Jobs and Opps editor for a-n. She asked for my views and experiences regarding making contacts internationally, social networks, approaches that I’ve used to begin /continue my international practice and for some specific information related to the French arts scene.

I think she plans to write an article for the Jobs and Opps page. My response attempted to sum up my experience living here up a mountain in the middle of the Pyrenees whilst trying to have a foot in a happening art-scene. I outlined the ups and downs of my working practice and concluded:

. . . it seems that my working practice here reflects that of many contemporary artists - it's about collaborating, creating art events and not relying upon the established gallery system. Where I show isn't restricted to where I live, which is mostly made possible through online networking.

In an ideal world I would exhibit more in France, but, as yet, the internet is not used in the same way by artists and curators for networking, i.e. they don't have an equivalent to a-n.

[An hour after I posted this blog-post I was telephoned by a curator in Agen inviting me to have a solo show in a museum. She saw my work during the open studio event I participated in last May. . . so it looks like I'll be showing in France pretty soon, made possible by old fashioned personal contact, funny how things turn out.]

  I went to check the Jobs and Opps pages and stumbled across Nick Kaplony's selection for the current Choice Blog - I recognised the photo which accompanied it, a photographic scan of my village I made during the summer (I held a flat-bed scanner up and waved it about a bit). That was a nice surprise to be chosen. So people do read my blog, which is a bonus as primarily I write it for myself, it helps make concrete my sometimes vague ideas and acts as a pseudo journal recording any developments regarding my working practice. 

He wrote this about the blog:

http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/article/10510...

I checked out his work and it seems we share a common interest in Rorschach ink blots - all fuel and inspiration for this new aspect of my work.

  I've been working on the book of the images from the video 'St Louis. Path 1' - I've decided to create it through Blurb.com as a record of the project and give the proceeds to charity. A writer friend who specialises in Surrealism is going to write an introduction for it. Everything seems to be coming together, just one aspect to organise, the ISBN. I contacted a friend, Silvie Turner, who also used Blurb for one of her projects and who has published many books on printmaking - not only did she send me the details for the ISBN, but invited me to show my book at an artists' book event she is organising. She has a great collection including books by Lanyon, Caulfield, Chadwick, Emin, Long, Paolozzi, Pasmore, Phillips, Tilson,Tyson. . .

So, the dead month of February has sprung into life - no time to let the bitter howling wind get me down.

http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=11547

http://www.jonathan-moss.com

# 74 [23 January 2011]

This week I bit the bullet and finished the first in the series of scanned path videos. I've been living with the images for a while and wondering how to create a gripping video from them.

First I colour-corrected them, set the contrast and reduced them to a megabyte etc. in Photoshop then exported to FCP.

One decision that had to be made was how many frames per second; 25 individual fps meant it flowed well, but was difficult to appreciate each image. In the end I opted for 5 different images per second, it still retains the flow and continuation, but allows a little more time to focus on each scan. I may use some animation software to blend the scans, we'll see.

This definitely wasn't an easy project. The first video I created, in colour, looked fine, but for some reason lacked the wow factor - the images were distorted as a result of the scanning process, just enough for the viewer to query what was going on, but it wasn't enough.

I decided that the colour detracted from the patterns and comprehension of the forms, so I created a black and white version with a touch of blue to add depth. Now I was on to something.

Some of the scans had mirror images in them, so I decided to extend this idea and mirror each image. Suddenly a whole world of bizarre and 'phantasic' images appeared.

The 60s intro to 'Dr Who' sprung to mind, as did Rorschach ink blots and paintings by Arcimboldo. The images are reminiscent of gargoyles, samurai warriors, vaulted cathedrals, some touching on the primordial.

Rorschach psychologists may have a lot to say about individual viewers' reading of the images. In fact they are so loaded I'm thinking of creating prints from the stills and even a book.

I will work on other versions and then choose the strongest to promote.

I find it bizarre, and magical, that from such an insignificant origin (a path nobody would usually bother to notice) has evolved into something visually powerful.

The following is the text which accompanies the video:

'St Louis (Path 1)' is an animation created from scans of a path situated next to my home in the French Pyrenees. Hundreds of images were created with a flat-bed scanner of the rocky path, back-breaking, but I thought I was onto something good. Each scan was slightly distorted when I moved the scanner creating an unfamiliar image. Eventually I took this image manipulation one stage further in post-production.

Initially I was grabbed by the bright blue and orange shale, but as the creative process took over the final version is monotone, however more versions are in the pipeline.

The final result, reminiscent of a Rorschach ink blot, is beautiful, yet can be strangely disquieting.

http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=11547

http://www.jonathan-moss.com/

# 73 [7 January 2011]

Instead of hibernating this winter I decided to lock myself in my studio and paint. I made up lots of 100cm X 100cm canvasses, surrounded myself with them and then got to work. It has been refreshing not to have an end in sight and just to experiment.

Music and films figured highly whilst working, in particular 'Glassworks' by Philip Glass and the series of films 'Comedies and Proverbs' by Eric Rohmer - strangely, instead of distracting me they allowed me to focus more. I only have a short space of time during the day whilst the children are at school and the time restrictions have also added a new momentum to my working practice.

Lots more to do, started two more series today and still a few yet to finish.

http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=11547

http://www.jonathan-moss.com/

# 72 [2 November 2010]

I've been curating an exhibition called 'Rivesaltes: Landscape of Trauma' which is showing locally before it tours. It is a show including the work of artists with whom I have collaborated - sound: Lois Laplace, Blaise Merino; sculpture: Deev Vanorbeek; photographs: Peter Watkins, Chris Webb. My paintings, videos and audio works are also on display. Many of the collaborations are documented in this blog.

Some texts accompany the art: an introduction by me, the interview with Norbert Herz (intern at the camp in 1942), a quote from 'The Journal of Rivesaltes' (1942) by Friedel Bohny Reital, time-line and statements by some of the artists - just enough to give the work a context.

The show has been received well with sympathetic reviews in the local press.

http://www.lindependant.com/articles/2010-10-29/le...

I did a Google search for it and discovered that it is advertised on a site called 'Harkis and the Rights of Man' - which was a nice surprise. The Harkis (Algerians who fought against their countrymen for France during the civil war and thus not able to return to Algeria) were held / housed at the camp during the 70s.

I have been invited to take the show to Toulouse to be part of the CineEspagne film festival next year.

So, it is generating some interest. The director of the Rivesaltes memorial organisation in Perpignan is planning to visit, I'm hoping she will adopt the exhibition and help me organise the tour.

I'm looking forward to reading the comments made by the visitors - there may even be locals who have particular associations with the camp.

In my introduction to the show I wrote:

'Some people might say "Whatever happened half a century ago during the occupation is in the past." But now I see that my work is surprisingly relevant because the French Government is repeating history, seeing that we have arrived at the point where the Roma must be rounded up in accommodation centres or sent back from France to Romania.'

I'm hoping it will touch those who visit.

http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=11547

# 71 [6 August 2010]

Its been a busy few weeks for me: screenings, painting and making a new video.

One of the screenings is virtual and curated by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne who runs New Media Fest. I submitted a video I made a couple of years ago made up of scans of my face: http://videochannel.newmediafest.org/2010/self-fea...

I had neglected this technique due to its time-consuming nature... well, that was the case until I decided that I should start scanning outside, the minutiae of nature that surrounds me which is mostly ignored.

There is a great path just up the road from my studio, grass followed by mud, then rocks, then scree... very varied and ideal for a new video. The aim was to scan the path and then join the scans together to create an animation... a simple idea in theory. One week later: 300 scans, one aching back and one neglected family... I have at last completed the images.

The amazing thing about them is that, at first glance, they appear to be unmanipulated photos, yet something seems to be wrong with the space... for each scan I slowly moved the scanner in different directions.

The locals thought I was a little crazy and wondered what on earth I was up to with 100 or so metres of extension cable, laptop and scanner... I thought I was too. I'm sure I'm onto something exciting though.

I've colour-corrected them already and this weekend plan to export them to FCP... that's when the really hard work will start. I have enough images for a one minute video which, if it works out, I plan to submit to one minute film festivals. The 'stills' work independently, so I may print a few off, as ends in themselves and perhaps as starting points for new paintings.

This week I've also been playing with caustic soda on aluminium, but that's another story.

http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=11547

http://www.jonathan-moss.com

# 70 [28 June 2010]

At last I've done it... made a video featuring my interview with Norbert Herz, the intern at the camp at Rivesaltes during 1942.

I have been debating whether or not to make my videos self-explanatory, less abstract and more descriptive. A while back I posted on the AN forum  how much information should you give in a work of art... My videos are usually quite abstract, so need some sort of context, which I usually provide at the start with a few lines of text explaining where the video was made and a little history of the camp, this time I've built on that.

The new video is entitled simply: 'Rivesaltes' (rather than my normal 'RQV' or 'RSA'); at the start is the usual text with the addition of a quote from the memorial stone at the camp which reads:

Delivered to the Nazis in the occupied zone by authority of the French government, deported to the extermination camp of Auschwitz, and murdered because they were Jews. We will never forget these victims of racist and xenophobic hatred.

Then dispersed throughout the video are five sentences spoken by Norbert Herz, for example:

People lost their lives, and many children, many, many children lost their mothers and fathers.

The images and sound are evocative, made at the camp, the sound is the howling wind and sometimes crunch of a footstep, the images are presented as a triptych... moving forms, occasionally a glimpse of a hut, but mostly shots of trees, bushes, grass and stones.

The images present a blurry indescriptive view of the camp... I've explored how we perceive the world and how we sometimes have a vague memory of something. I filmed a random walk in the camp - trying to avoid my personal reaction to it. Nothing is focused - I've not sought to emphasise any aspect of the filming, it's just a walk, not necessarily mine - a walk anybody could make at the camp. The images aren't ones I planned to make... just 'open' images for anyone to interpret.

This is all sounding a bit 'Death of the Author'... and to a certain extent that is what has guided the development of the video.

Norbert Herz is talking, explaining his experience of the camp, an experience he had 70 years ago, a strong memory, but more recollections of experiences and feelings.

Is there suspense in the video? I'm not sure there has to be, but it is a film, with a beginning, middle and end... the viewer may wonder who is talking and it is only at the end that this is revealed - I'm hoping it works.

So, I'm frantically promoting 'Rivesaltes' now and hoping there is some interest.

I hope to create my own vimeo channel and spend some time interacting with other members - all good networking - so little time though. I'm also bogged down with framing the new series of paintings on metal that I've just completed. They are quite fragile so need to be protected, quite good timing though as it's good weather now and I can work in the studio without a coat (at last).

http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=11547

http://www.jonathan-moss.com

# 69 [18 May 2010]

I'm now recovering from four days of guests as part of a local open studio event. It's good from time-to-time to be able to chat to people interested in what I do, openings rarely give you that opportunity. The weather was terrible, but hundreds of people came up to my little village, not only to see my work, but for concerts and performances.

A friend of mine made a sound and video performance in our 17th Century chapel - images projected on to the ceiling; there was also a string quartet and a jazz duo on at other times over the weekend. Also, a choir sang in my studio, which proved to be a good idea as I made a few sales that night.

Amongst the people who just came for the entertainment were some collectors... I also met a printmaker who has a large etching press which I may be able to use, a film-maker who knows all about Final Cut (and of particular interest for me, export settings for broadcast) and two gallery owners who have invited me to exhibit - so, all in all I can say it was a worthwhile experience.

Back to work now though - my camera has been repaired so I'm planning on making some films, this time at night and I also have a new series of paintings which needs to be completed.

http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=11547

http://www.jonathan-moss