The works during this residency have developed into a ‘series’ based on Corris and has therefore become a site-specific development of a new body of work. I’ve began to investigate spatial relationships between the organic and industry; using casting processes […]
After a recent visit to Berlin, I had the opportunity to see works by Joseph Beuys Das Kapital Raum 1970 – 1977 at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum fur Gegenwart including his film and performance works as video documentation and […]
A blog to document my 6 month graduate residency at Airspace Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent
This first week has involved taking some time to engage and explore Corris, taking walks along the mountains, fields and through this quaint village. The large quantities of slate slabs of walls and fences, and slate pieces abandoned outside houses, the […]
My upcoming residency at Orchard Square provides me with the opportunity to purchase new equipment, props and materials by virtue of a £500 materials budget. It’s an offer seldom presented to me, but provides me with a perfect excuse to […]
The dig is over and people who have worked closely together for the past 8 weeks are dispersing all over the world. The ‘goodbyes’ and ‘see you next year’ are quiet but the emotions are strong -unlike the theatre, where […]
I’ll be spending three weeks as artist in residence in the Attic Studio at Stiwdio Maelor in Corris, North Wales. Having spent the last few months isolated from my practice this residency is an opportunity to research, engage and focus […]
Mike talked about the way you see both a long period of time within a structure and a sudden moment. An instance of the latter being where a small pile of stones fell over and were left lying there. It […]
Artist in Residence in the attic studio at Stiwdio Maelor. This blog will support my residency research, documentation and process of making.
Jim says the 3D photo modelling he is doing is beginning to be used in planning – and saves a lot of time where the excavation is chaotic and difficult to draw. It means they can do a simple plan […]
In Trench T they are uncovering an Iron Age wall around a structure, which is built over, and through, the Neolithic. There must be many reasons why they chose to reuse the site, but perhaps one was that it commands […]
Open Day on site – so I used the need to stay in the Art Hut, to be available for visitors, as an opportunity to play with my collection of stones – now trying a Neolithic version of oil paint […]
Yesterday, a second quick painting of an archaeologist in the trench. At last I am beginning to paint with the same direct approach that I have for drawing. A shame the dig ends next week, just as I’m getting […]
A small piece of flint with a sharp edge has been found in Trench X. It doesn’t fit known examples of flint tools; but, like yesterday’s ‘crayon’ has an indentation for a finger or thumb that facilitates a good grip. […]
Rain today provides an ideal opportunity to review material collected to date. I’m not sure why I’m collecting small bags of crushed stone but no doubt a reason will eventually emerge. Rain also prevents any drawing in the trenches but […]
This October sees me take up an artists’ residence in orchard Square – a retail unit in Sheffield. The residency will be open to the public, and as such it provides a means to develop my body of work and add […]
As this is a long term project, it can feel overwhelming in its scale and complexity (like the dig itself). Despite the fact that archaeology is rooted in the past, my residency is about bearing witness to the human activity […]
There are some pieces of stone which have been uncovered and now the parts with iron layers are rusting. They are difficult to draw and paint because I’m not interested in just rocks and prefer people. My project is about […]
One of the supervisors is feeling that he hasn’t accomplished much in his trench, because it is not only complex but confusing. There is a balance to be achieved between working fast through the midden, to get to the structure of […]
Yesterday persistent rain and mud making an abstract painting on the floor of the supervisors’ hut. Today, bright sunlight creating sharp shadows and the ever present wind blowing clouds into many shapes.
I have a meeting in Taunton at 11am. According to Google maps, it’s a 2-hour drive. I follow the instructions dictated out loud by my phone the whole way ‘at the roundabout take the third exit and stay on the […]
the ups & downs of my first artist-in-residence project
Today I discovered micromorphology. Samples of soil on site are cut and put carefully into small tin boxes or, if larger, wrapped in clingfilm. These are then sent away to be suspended in resin, from which very fine slices are […]
