My mate Kandinsky

And a couple of little numbers that have caught my fancy at present. I think I may copy one - to go on a wall over a large dark blue settee.

 

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

 

Return to the edge

I originally started painting this as one of a series of pub signs, with a place in Digbeth - more of an art centre than pub though.

Over a couple of years, it seems to have moved on though!

Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours.

If not the best, certainly one of the best things I produced during my foundation course in 1970.

It kind of got missed.
I liked it and enjoyed making it - but didn't feel it was important enough to push forward.

It could have been spotted.
I could have been pushed in "that direction"
& I could still be pushing chicken wire into various shapes.
  - Mind, come to think of it, I wouldn't mind making a flock of imps and gargoyles in 3D (with chicken wire)

The thing was two strands of chicken wire, joined together, twisted with pliers and then fixed to an old felt notice board.
It originated from a cartoon box from the Beano. I re-drew it, cut it up, stretched and distorted it - then transformed it into wire.

My tutors were waiting for a complete explanation of the process and maybe a bit of why(?)
They felt it didn't follow through clearly enough.
The problem was that I didn't have the will or ability to follow it through from start to finish - in terms of verbiage.
I suppose I felt that if you couldn't read or follow an obscure message, then that was your problem.

The start of the existence of "evidence lead work"
As oppose to the production of an item, followed by an explanation of how and why it came about.

On hindsight I name the piece "neighbours", seeing as the cartoon was about a little guy being bullied by his enormous neighbour over the garden fence.

p.s.
In contemporary terms, the fact that the construction is made out of fencing material follows/fits into the system which informs production of art and its tick box presentation.

Audience

 

A volatile post to make - it has seemed to have a mind of its own.
I'll try to put a bit more on it later.

Maybe a collection of scrappy notes
Maybe not just a way of presenting work or even storing it and archiving it.

But also presenting it
for myself,
Grouping it from various sources,
in order to make sense of it.

" Chairs to view an exhibition from"
From the Green Street Show 2007, With Peter Hadfield.
Actually, there is a painting of his in the background of people at an art opening (not looking at any of the work - just networking)



Finding that themes can come back again
  (or around, depends on which way you look at it).
It's interesting to note how the viewpoint can change,
(or not ) with time.

From an original idea of mine which I still intend to build one day.
Following the nature of the show, Peter suggested we just build it as good as we could for now with the materials available.

*

 

 

The realisation or re-realisation that I'm interested in "audience" started with the "Rock Dog" picture and then with the Yehudi Menhuin Triptych.

 

 

Rock Dog left



Rock Dog right

The programme seem to be playing up a tad, although it will allow me to type this in. These first pictures are from the painting I sent to Nick South, I painted them this summer after a trip to see him in London working on recording a sound track for the upcoming cartoon "Rock Dog"

 

 

 

Other parts

An audience of two

*

Following this panoramic image, I came across an old piano front which I felt would make an ideal home for a similar painting, only in triptych format .

 

Yehudi



 

 



 

*

 

*

 

*

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collecting up all the background notes and sketches informed me that although they were aimed at a larger goal - it seems many of them could have gone off in their own direction.

 

Other parts of the audience at the Royal Albert Hall (note the red carpet)



 

 

* 

 

 

 

 



 

****************************************************************************************