Cube Documentary, Morgan Jones (1998/1999)

I spent a lot of time at The Cube in the past. This film is from 98/99 and it brings back memories of moving to Bristol and spending all my time hanging out at the Cube. There's a lot in this film that makes me think of how I want to run projects now.

This is wonderful: 500 letters
This is fantastic: snippets
I love this painting by Dominique Goblet

Susan Hiller

Nice interview with Susan Hiller in the Guardian, i've loved her work since I first saw From the Freud Museum (above) and i'm hoping I get a chance to see the new show at Tate Britain when I go to London at the end of Feb.

Tate blog and the joy of twitter

Thanks to twitter I found out about the book I mentioned in the previous post, and thanks to twitter I was able to follow David Gauntlett and read his recommendation for the Tate's blog: http://blog.tate.org.uk/, which is indeed well worth checking out for an insight into how they work behind the scenes at Tate. 

As part of our group project at Newlyn one of the roles i've been given is of marketing and publicity, and it's for that reason i've set up a new twitter account for the MA Curatorial Practice group. At the moment i'm still waiting for the group to discuss how we can best use this, but in the meantime if you want to add us/me and wait for updates we can be found here UCFcurators.

I'll be updating this blog with news about our show as it comes together, but we may well decide to set up a blog specifically for documenting the exhibition- what do you think? Is a blog all you need, or do websites show that you are more serious about what you do? I love blogs, I love the immediacy of them and the informality, but it's been pointed out to me that perhaps I should be more professional in my on-line persona- any  thoughts?

Making is Connecting- David Gauntlett

I've just heard about this book, which is due to be published at the start of April this year. The author is speaking at an event in Leicester this weekend:

Through making things, people engage with the world and create connections with each other. Both online and offline, we see that people want to make their mark on the world, and to make connections. David Gauntlett will discuss the rise of a ‘making-and-doing’ culture, where people are rejecting traditional teaching and television, and making their own learning and entertainment instead.

David Gauntlett is Professor of Media and Communications at University of Westminster. He is the author of several books, including Creative Explorations (2007), which was shortlisted for the Times Higher Young Academic Author of the Year Award, and Making is Connecting: The social meaning of creativity, from DIY and knitting to YouTube and Web 2.0 (2011). He produces the popular website about media and identities, Theory.org.uk.

Time: February 23, 2011 from 7pm to 8pm
Location: Phoenix Square Film and Digital Media Centre
Street: 4 Midland Street
City/Town: Leicester
Phone: 0116 2422800

Register here

This sounds right up my street, and really links in with a lot of the ideas i've been having about creating crafting communities via the web. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy and report back to you.

Radio Silence

4′33″ - mr_hopkinson's computer ( John Cage Cover Version )

Sorry about the radio silence, after the excitement (?!) of getting my log book handed in for the deadline, I have slumped into a bit of a decline in terms of using the internet. At the moment i'm back in Somerset, trapped in my house by snow and desperate to  have contact with some human beings. My cats are both lovely (and seem to have readjusted to being back together) but I am missing my fellow course mates and the seminars at Uni.
Next up is getting our proposals for the exhibition at Newlyn gallery in May all sorted out ready to present them when we start back in January- it's been hard in a way to come up with the minimum of three proposals required as we all seem to be operating on a very similar wavelength, so lots of the ideas we have merge into each other, and so far there haven't been any violent disagreements about any of the artists we are looking at. Some may need to be discounted because of finance, others because of location, but in general I think we have found some fantastic artists and I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

In the meantime enjoy Mr_Hopkinson's computer singing his version of John Cage's 4'33"

Craft Unbound

I just got this excellent book out the library- Craft Unbound: make the common precious by Kevin Murray. I'm adding it to my wish list right away (or rather i'm emailing my friend in Australia to see if she can lay her hands on a copy of it for me). I don't know much about contemporary art and craft in Australia and this book is a real eye opener to me, pretty much every page I turned to had something that made me coo.

It's made me realise the strangeness of Australia, I don't mean to offend you strange Australians, but I hadn't really thought much about what it must mean to be Australian- living in a country that is incredibly old and yet incredibly young at the same time. I have spent a bit of time getting my head round New Zealand, thanks to having several 'New Zealish' friends who have given me some insight into life in Aotearoa, but I have yet to be educated in Australian. My knowledge of Australia pretty much stops with Bush Tucker Man (which I was addicted to when I was younger) and Rolf Harris. 

This excellent book looks at 'poor craft' people making contemporary work with whatever is available to them.  It includes work from Kantjupayi Benson woven from grasses (above is her biplane).

Sally Marsland who makes work using resin and powdered pigments

Anna Phillips who makes work using solidified shampoo and bath water!

Whilst I can't seem to get hold of a copy of the book in the UK (outside the Uni library) I can access the fascinating website and suggest you take a look too: Craft Unbound