“Our Vision For Educational Excellence Everywhere” 1.

November 2016

“An excellent education unlocks opportunity, helping children from all backgrounds to shape their own destiny. Wherever they live and whatever their background, ability or needs, every child and young person in this country deserves a world class education that allows them to reach their full potential and prepares them to succeed in adult life in modern Britain.” [1.]



[1.]:  ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’ (Government White Paper: Cm9230).  Presented To Parliament by Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan, March 2016

Completed Print Cycle: 'Change Of Use'

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

Time has already put some distance from September's 'A Minor Place' exhibition, and increasingly my thoughts already turn to what comes next.  However, here's one last bit of online housekeeping related to the work in that show.

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Mixed Media on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2015

'Untitled (Change Of Use'), Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

The pieces shown here represent the print cycle which became entitled 'Change Of Use', and which formed a significant strand within my 'AMP' contribution. I've already talked about the screen-printed portion of this cycle, as it was in progress, and also, about some of the original, mixed-media studies that kicked the whole thing off, (indeed, which seeded my entire output over much of this year).  However, it feels more useful to think of the entire cycle as a larger, perpetually-evolving whole - which, had I felt so inclined - might have continued ad-infinitum.

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Mixed Media on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Mixed Media on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Mixed Media on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Mixed Media on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

My intention was to explore a kind of fractal versioning within a group of motifs and core images, and to oscillate between direct, hand-made interventions, and the processes of traditional (screen) printing, and digital manipulation and reproduction. Thus, all of the original 'studies' were scanned and one was digitally combined with certain photographic images to seed an initial run of screen prints, (produced at Leicester Print workshop, earlier in the year).  However, alongside the 'good' versions, I also ran off a number of prints on low-grade newsprint paper.  These were subsequently torn up and collaged back into a second series of mixed-media studies, which were returned to the digital realm once again.

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change of Use)', Digital Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Manipulation, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

It is, of course, within Photoshop that the number of related images explodes exponentially.  Each digital manipulation, filter or layer effect seems to suggest numerous new possibilities, each punctuated by a click of the 'save as' command.  Four of these were to ultimately form stencils for a second major run of screen prints, others were outputted as digital prints in their own right.  When one also takes into account the fact that no two screen prints was exactly like another (achieved through varying ink colours and transparency, and the order of laying them down), it becomes obvious that such a body of individual images might quickly transcend all reasonable bounds, in terms of sheer quantity.

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)' Digital Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Manipulation, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Manipulation 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change of Use)', Digital Manipulation, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Manipulation, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Digital Manipulation, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

It is also obvious that, should one choose, such a chain reaction (or reactions) could feasibly occupy the entirety of one's practice over an entire life (or what remains of it).  Intriguing as that idea is, in the end - I allowed the deadline of of our exhibition deadline to draw a line under the project.  I satisfied myself with having proved a certain experimental point, and with having already generated and framed more pieces than I could exhibit in September.

Future exhibition of the entire cycle is somewhat precluded by the fact that three pieces were sold from the 'A Minor Place' show - although that is, in itself, more than a little gratifying.  However, what remains feels like too significant a tranche of work not to exploit in one way or another.  Whilst it's currently boxed up, and my mind is turning to new possibilities - I certainly wouldn't rule out exhibiting all, or some of the 'Change Of Use' cycle  again in the not too distant future. 

'Untitled (Change of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use'), Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 20 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30cm, 2016

'Untitled (Change Of Use)', Screen-Print on Paper, 30 cm X 30 cm, 2016

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Sinus Trouble (It's Draining, Men)

All Images: Clifton, Nottingham, July 2016

It's impossible to ignore the advantages of employment in Education, and an academic year punctuated by regular holidays - for any artist who also requires a day job.  Admittedly, it can lead to a slightly stop-start approach to creativity.  However, over recent years, I've learned to lay up as much groundwork and pre-planning during term time; in order to hit the ground running with whichever project I have in hand - as soon as the next block of really usable time appears.

This time round, I'm very much at the start of things - having drawn some form of mental line under the four strands of work that featured in last month's 'A Minor Place' exhibition.  The intervening weeks have involved the inevitable pause for artistic breath, and the physical readjustments attendant on commencing another school year; but also the tentative collection of material and weighing-up of possibilities for new artwork.

It's far too early to predict how things will ultimately pan out, but there are various trains of thought starting to coalesce.  One such involves putting far more emphasis on using writing as the starting point for a given project, and it was my intention to pay this some proper attention during the current Half Term hiatus.  How frustrating is it then - that I've spent the last five days laying on my bed with my head in the bucket of a really heavy cold?  It's far from life threatening of course - just a routine bout of 'Man Flu', really; but certainly enough to rob me of any energy or focus.  It is also the down-side working in schools, I suppose.  Looks like, as is usually the case - I can't have my cake and eat it.  

So, instead, all I've really had the energy or motivation to do so far, is to half-heartedly sort through my photographic archives, and write the last couple of posts from a semi-prone position.  Amongst the half-forgotten photos were these - commemorating a cycle ride I took into Nottingham's Edgelands, earlier in the summer.  They don't really relate to anything much, apart from a general interest in tunnels, subways and underpasses, but they do seem to chime with the images in my last post, both formally and, perhaps - psychologically.

There's clearly a spare geometry about all these images, - something I'd have to fight hard to keep out of so much of my work.  And they also display a similar tawdry banality - of the kind that so easily flips over into mild, dystopian glamour.  Indeed, I flatter myself the final one might be a still from a certain, slightly cliched, variety of Brutalist Science Fiction film.  To be honest, they're really not far removed from the kind of images I've generated before, on numerous occasions.

But, I'd be lying if I said there isn't a kind of persistent psychic resonance to be found in that idea of moving through darkness towards the light, and possibly - towards a dimension of greater promise beyond.  Let's face it, 'the light at the end of the tunnel'  is hardly an original idea - is it now?

So maybe, this and the previous post are really just a minor pictorial essay on having one's forward motion frustrated, and on being forced to struggle through the gloom for a while.  Today is the first when I started to notice the first signs of possible recovery and, as these images suggest - that I'm slowly moving towards the end of the tunnel, (just in time to go back to work - no doubt).

There - how's that for turning a routine episode of viral infection into a full-blown, self pitying, existential crisis?