BaseNorth have been looking around the Sunniside area for alternative sites for our exhibition. There are many empty offices and shops up for sale, which we are going to contact to find out whether we can rent one of these spaces temporarily. We have to consider that we may not get a space or the rent may be too expensive, if so how do we work around this? We still haven’t heard back about the MA art space on the corner of Talbot Street, this has inspired us to think of different ways to show our work. What if we produced a printed artwork? We could make a temporary installation outside that only existed for a day. Even though it has been frustrating not being able to show our work it only makes us more determined and creative. Going through this process has also solidified our ideas as a group and we are working much more collaboratively. Last week BaseNorth got the opportunity to meet, Mike Clasper and his wife who are the sponsors of the Douglas Clasper Award. It was great to meet them and we felt that they really believed in our ideas and supported our vision for the exhibition project.
So now we are without a space to use for our exhibition; for future presentation we need to find somewhere before we can do much else which is very frustrating . As the work we made for the exhibition we intended to be at the rednile space was engaged with the site and context of the space and area, the work will obviously change to some extent with a change of location. However it is important to us to keep the location within the Sunnyside area of Sunderland. We have looked at another space in the area which is at the other end of the regeneration cycle, newly regenerated office space waiting for businesses to take up residency, very possibly what the rednile space may become.
Anna Puhakka
My work in the past couple of weeks has begun to take a turn. The old feeling that what I was making was not quite right returned, this leading to a time of reflecting and re-thinking what I am doing. After university with less time on my hands I find reflecting on work a much more strenuous process then before.
I've spent much time looking at old silent movies over the past few weeks and have found myself very inspired. I have written a loose script for one of my own and will start filming later this week. I am filming on a DV-cam because I like the slightly pixelated quality. Lets just hope my editing skills are up to scratch.
Nicola Smith
Knowing that we are not exhibiting at the Rednile space has made me re-consider the work I planned to make. We have been looking at a new space on the corner of Talbot Street, which is a very large space with high ceilings; it is intended to be let out as office space. I still feel that I would like to work with text but on a much larger scale, I keep thinking of the slogan, COMING SOON used on movie posters, seems fitting for this space which still hasn't been rented out by any business. The empty dead office space reminds me of the famous Klein piece, The Void. I find it funny how The Void has filtered down into an office space with its white walls and blue carpets. This has inspired a new text piece; I have been experimenting with writing the name Klein in blue electrical tape. I am enjoying how I can move theindividual letters around in a space.
Sarah Stamp
At first I was not at all inspired by the other space we have looked at, but with more consideration I feel the aspects which I disliked are actually quite interesting. For example the empty deadness of the unused office space and the large size offers me an opportunity to make new work which is more spontaneous than the speech I have recorded which was quite a lengthy process. Over the past few weeks I have become very interested in ceefax and its imminent demise, it now looks so old when compared with other technology. This regeneration of technology has many similarities to the regeneration occurring in cities.
Sarah Stamp
This week I haven't been doing much pertaining to the project as I have been preparing to go to Brussels and do something I proposed what seems like forever ago. It is quite difficult knowing we can't use the rednile space as the work feels like it was made for the space. I have been slightly concerned about the acoustics and what my work would sound like at a louder volume as I haven't had much experience of working with sound, however after testing it in the rednile space it sounds as I hoped. So now all I need is a similar space to play it in not too much to ask? I have also been thinking about the visual aspect, initially I just wanted to hide the speakers or have them somewhere discrete. I now keep thinking about having the sound coming form this one suitcase I have which is quite old fashioned looking. I also have been thinking about having some kind of seating as it makes a visual reference to the domestic which is quite a big part of the sound but I also think it allows people to engage more when they can sit and be comfortable, I recently went to the Jordan Baseman exhibition at the Hatton gallery and I definitely stayed much longer because I could relax.
Anna Puhakka
This past week I have been working on a sculpture, which incorporates a game to its underside and mirrors. I have also been using plastic balls to create miniature army formations. I am particularly enjoying the photographs of these small sculptures. There is a chance that work will change depending on the space we exhibiting in. I guess incorporating these ideas in to a new space will make it a nice challenge.
Nicola Smith
Today I have tested out the painted text on the double doors in the space, in the back of my mind knowing that the exhibition could all fall through. The red paint really stood out and is perfectly framed by the door. I really enjoyed painting the words onto the door, even though I was happy with the finish I have been considering whether the words are still working? Ive been thinking about replacing them with the Suga Babes song title, Round Round Babey Come Round. For some reason this makes more sense to me than, In The End There Are Only More Beginnings, this sounds too hopeful were as Round Round…is more fitting with the roundabout image and the structure of the language used in the archived newspaper reports regarding the Seaburn Fountain/Roundabout changes.
