Been playing with ideas with Molly, adding colour to the 3D and making the2D take form.
All posts filed under “news”
Preparation for making a sculpture
When the shape had been decided a jig was to be made allowing for an unfurling of the spiral. It needed to be transportable and strong enough to take the forces of steam bent timber. A tree that had been felled due to Ash dieback was selected from the Tyntesfield National Trust site, and was milled into planks locally, ready to take to the boat yard.
Food Tables
Who’s in our food? Craft story telling commission for the the Brigstow Institute at Bristol University.
We’ve been working on a piece to open up how we talk about the sustainability of our food. Who is involved and what is influencing our choices?
Collecting peoples stories from across the UK fishing industry, we created story telling furniture and crockery to offer a place at their table.
A collaboration with Anagram
Trinity: Devising work through music
We have been devising the new sculpture for Trinity Academy using music. The students selected a song and we workshop the movement, words and textures that it brought out.
Devising new works
Devising new work with masterful theatre maker Caroline Mary Williams at Cove park. Learning incredible techniques for collaborative theatre work and having inspiring conversation in an epic space in Scotland.
Appreciating working together to evolve ideas.
The Collider goes to Tribeca!
The Machine to decipher human relationships has been built and will be heading to New York this April. Go and see it if you can, see more here.
Produced written and directed by Anagram. Amy Rose, May Abdalla
Set design: Synnove Fredericks
Developers: Clarice Hilton, Mike Golembewski
Animation: Barry Gene Murphy
Interactive set detail: Pete Bennett
Sound and music: Aaron Cupples, Brigitte Hart
Originally supported by National Film Board of Canada Interactive, the Digital Catapult Creative XR Fund and National Theatre Immersive Storytelling Studio.
An iteration of this project called “The Collider: Chapter One” premiered at IDFA Doclab 2018. Set to tour UK and internationally in 2019 / 2020
VICE
“Anagram’s new project is one big mindfuck of vulnerability, dancing lines and chocolate bars.”
MEDIUM
“Anagram manage to find ways to push each participant beyond their everyday comfy places, without ever making them feel exposed, uncomfortable, or like they might be doing it wrong. The languid and searching narratives that play out for each of us elicit magical moments… I am certain this piece will never be experienced the same way twice.”
A Crash Course in Cloudspotting is at the Unlimited Festival at the South Bank Centre London
Cloudspotting is at the Southbank Centre in Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of the Unlimited Festival. Come and say hello!
See more here.
A Crash Course in Cloudspotting at Ovalhouse Theatre
CLOUDSPOTTING: The subversive act of horizontality is being tested out at Ovalhouse Theatre foyer Monday 29th January to February 10th.
Directed by Raquel Meseguer (Uncharted Collective) and devised with Composer Jamie McCarthy.
It is a research and development piece so please leave some feedback.
Photo by Ludo des Cognets
CRAFT SCHOOL at Newly Art Gallery | 22 July – 16 September 2017
Delighted to be back at the Newlyn Art Gallery as part of Craft School. Showing the Fire and Smoke table films along side an incredible group of creators. 
Go and seeit!
Ravi Bains / Blackhorse Workshop / Kinsley Byrne / Ishinomaki Laboratory / Sarah Johnson / Felix McCormack / Richard Wentworth / Celia Pym / Heather Scott / Oliver Udy / Kai Venus / Jacob Dodd / Francli Craftwear / James Hankey / Louis-Jack Horton-Stephens
A Crash Course in Cloudspotting (The Subversive act of Horizontality)
Wonderful! We’ve been awarded the Unlimited Commission for 2017! Hooray!
The cloudspotting course will look at the question of etiquette of public spaces; explore chronic pain experience and identity in illness; explore access for invisible disability communities and use pain science to influence modes of listening.
I will be the designer for the piece and very much looking forward to working with Raquel Meseguer as part of the Unchartered Collective and Composer Jamie McCarthy to develop the piece later this year.
To find out more about what we will be up to go here to see Unlimited’s website.
Financial Times | Artisans
I made a fine solid Ash table for Jonathan Foyle and his family, and he wrote an article about it for the Financial Times. Great to be in there with all the other brilliant makers he’s covered in the Artisans series.
See the article here… Pictures by Gareth Iwan Jones
FT | Artisans | Pic Gareth Iwan Jones
FT | Artisans | Pic Gareth Iwan Jones
FT | Artisans | Pic Gareth Iwan Jones
FT | Artisans Pic Gareth Iwan Jones
All the Journeys I Never Took is ON TOUR 2017
It’s been a pleasure to work on the design of All the Journeys I Never Took with director Raquel Meseguer and Poet Rebecca Tantony. The dates are now set for the 2017 TOUR! See here for more details and how to book.
All The Journeys I Never Took is a personal account of what it’s like to discover our place in the world. A place which echoes with unravelling journeys, first dates, travel, break-ups, family and confidences. At turns both confessional and an exploration of current affairs, this show explores what a contemporary definition of home might be: something physical, a person, a concept best left behind or a destination to keep heading towards. Become the observer. Sit back. Absorb and enjoy the journey.
This unique performance is for one or two audience members at a time. Suitable for audiences 16+
18th February Salisbury Playhouse.
21st May Bath Festival.
3rd June Burdall’s Yard, Bath Fringe.
17th June Eastliegh Unwrapped.
1st July Ledbury Poetry Festival.
15th July Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter.
July Worcester Festival.
26 Sep Oval Theatre, London.
28th October Octagon Theatre, Yeovil.
October Bristol Festival of Literature.
The Edge of Things – Newlyn Art Gallery
LOOK! I will be looking at the ‘Edge of Things’ as part of Transitions at the Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall from the 27th February – 4th March 2017.
Wildwood Residency at Alde Valley Festival
Heading back to Suffolk for a harvest residency at White House Farm. The residency will be focusing on preparing and sewing deer hides for leather and buckskin in the woodland. It will be great to be back there and continue preparations for the Common Land Project. Lots of events going on, you can join us for an Autumn Supper on the 6th October to hear more.
The! Cornucopia ! 2016 ! exhibition will be open daily 10am-6pm from 17th Sept ~ 2nd Oct and at weekends in October.
All the Journeys I Never Took
It’s an honour to be working on the design of poet, Rebecca Tantony’s latest spoken word show. We will be teaming up with Lucy English as producer and Director, Raquel Meseguer. The show will be on tour around the UK in 2017. Here is a descriptive taster….
With the cityscape framed, the audience becomes a voyeur to the bustle around. Taking the time to be, to listen, to let our senses roam. A personal story. A story that explores what it is like to leave behind the middle man- lover, father, priest- and discover our place in the world. A space that echoes with unravelling journeys, break ups, first dates, family, confidences. Here we ask the audience to take an active role. Here we mutter poems of love, of loss, of the human. The city provides our actors and backdrop. Here the everyday is elevated.
To find out some more visit Rebecca’s website here rebecca-tantony.com
Materials
I’ve been gathering everyday objects to show off their material applications and processes whilst working with the Interior Design department at UWE (the University of the West of England). Whoever knew ceramics were present in so many things, teeth, pencil leads and enamel…
Borders
I’m back in the Salzamt Linz, Austria. My journey here has seen the impact of the displacement of thousands of people by foot. They slept in Salzburg train station and were offered clothes, medical care and a train direct to Germany.
Skins
I’m in residence in beautiful Suffolk for a short time in the lead up to the Alde Valley Festival, I am turning deer hides into buckskins that would otherwise go to waste from the annual deer cull. The process uses local deer hide, wood ash and cider to turn them into a hard wearing material.
Here is an object from round one in the Salzamt in Linz, Austria. I will be back there in September for round two!
Residency at the Salzamt
I am in residence at the Salzamt Atelierhaus in Linz, Austria. A little this spring and some more in September. More to come. http://blog.salzamt-linz.at/
YOU MOVE ME – WAITING WATCHING & WAITING
Here are some pictures of the piece “Waiting, Watching & Waiting” from YOU MOVE ME with Jo Lathwood and the Antlers gallery. Go and see it at the Create Centre! All images are by Paul Blakemore.
YOU MOVE ME
You Move Me will open on friday the 28th November!
Jo Lathwood has made a river themed installation for you to explore and I have made a piece of treasure to find along the way, along side artists: Laurie Lax, Helen Jones, and Olivia Jones.
You Move Me is a new group exhibition by Antlers Gallery. Images by Paul Blakemore
OPEN: 29 November – 23 December 20145 – 10 January 2015 (closed for Christmas/ New Year)
TIMES: Monday to Friday 10am – 7pm / Saturday and Sunday 12am – 4pm
LOCATION: Create Centre, Smeaton Road, Spike Island, Bristol, BS1 6XN. Here is a map.
SANCTUARY TOUR
This summer I had the pleasure of working with Caitlin Shepherd designing and building a touring structure for “Sanctuary”. The space was a focal point to hold a sound installation exploring people’s idea of sanctuary.
PRIMITIVE SKILLS
I’ve just come back from a course in primitive skills with Lynx Vilden. It was a very special treat. We worked with flint knives, we killed, ate and worked a lamb. Creating and tanning hides, cordage, pouches, broth and bone tools like the ones pictured. We picked plants, shared stories and walked together. It was great!
It feels relevant to share this here as I’ve found these techniques hugely inspirational, people who have taken the time to learn and test these crafts have a great simplicity, honesty and skill. It gives such an insight into the history of technology, our environment and human ability.
You can watch a video about Lynx here. I think it’s in French (I haven’t watched the other videos out there on the internet).
SONDRY FOLK RESIDENCY
Somewhere in a Kentish woodland I have been looking at ways to make Pine needle blankets. You may have noticed, pine woodland as a quieter, insulated space that is warmer to sleep under. I wanted to make something simple and repetitive to celebrate this, and so the pine needle blanket came into being.
I am fully committed to it now and have much more to make! Luckily I have a supply of the needles being delivered by post. Many, many thanks to those involved in hosting my stay in the woodland. Updates of the blanket will be posted here.
http://www.sondryfolk.com/
WILD CITY LAUNCHES
Wild City opened today at the Knowle West Media Centre in Bristol. Scenes of the Northern Slopes; Knowle West open green spaces, were composed from photos groups had taken through out the year and put into boxes to be hung at the centre and in the community. Landscape images are being projected at human height to you can walk into the images.
It will be in the gallery space at the Media Centre until early May when they will be taken out into shops and homes with directions on how to get to the Northern Slopes.
It’s open to everyone Monday – Friday. best to call in advance incase the space is being used.
WIGS
For the next piece I will be working on I’ve been to visit Campbell Young Associates in Bristol to discover the art of wig making.
Hairs are aligned using a very impressive brush of sharp nails, keeping the thick tops of the hairs and thinner lighter ends in place. The mesh base is moulded to an individuals head and then individual strands of human hair are knotted into place taking growth direction and density of hair into account.
Each head has its own form to work the wig on. They used to be made in wood like this one but have been replaced by styrofoam.
WILD CITY at the Knowle West Media Centre
I will be joining the Knowle West media Centre and the Guardians of the Northern Slopes to create an exhibition using photographic perspectives of the people in the area. The centre is an amazing space that has grown out of the local community and gives people access to digital technology. The residency will run between February and March 2014 and I’m very much looking forward to working with them.
The image comes from Wildfest! 2013 on the Northerns Slopes.
Object Atelier in Bristol!
Object Atelier took the family of interactive furniture to four new homes in Bristol. The Rocking bench to a dentist, the Balance table to a theatre, the Tapas table to a bar and the puppet table to a school. They all gathered together at the Tobacco Factory for the weekend market. Take a look at more images of the pieces here or read about our journey here objectatelier.wordpress.com
Able Table
We installed the puppet table at Begbrook Primary Academy in Bristol, transforming it into a drawing table complete with illustrated table cloth. All colouring pens are attached to each other to make a game of interaction and cooperation. Come and see it at the Tobacco Factory on the 10th February!
