Many more photographs

http://www.flickr.com/photos/birdlouise/sets/72157637944443193/

Moving Lines ( Number 4)

This film is definitely better mute. The others are interesting with or without audio.

More small films...

They take forever to upload.

Extra project bits...

Moving Lines ( number 3)

Moving Lines ( Number Two)

Moving Lines ( Number One)

A week later

Looking at the whole of the Popty Bach project with the 20/20 vision that is hindsight is a wonderful thing.

 Back at work this week, I have missed the whole project immensely, and of course thought of a million ways of adding and doing more, but interestingly not changing what I have done. 

 The workshop,  intended to be a research/ pilot ,was a successful and beneficial project in its own right. Certainly a brave and unique initiative for the arts community of south west Wales

As there were just six of us on the project,(we were told how other  Traingle workshops can have dozens of artists in much smaller spaces,making the atmosphere and work ethic even more intense,) we could take time to talk to each other about individual concerns, and how they were addressed through the workshop. Individual and global politics and lifestyle were discussed daily, and expressed in the work made at the workshop.  So were the universal languages of colour and symbols. We all have practical workshop and some outreach experience ,  it was interesting to discuss themes and current methods of communication between art professionals and the public.

There are more photos to sort through, but the job of sorting through what has been given to us in other ways is bigger. 

 I really hope to be able to experience an international Triangle Arts Network workshop next year. 

 

Thursday Openday Allday

Quarter to eight now, and still folks looking around. Liz `the amazing`, is operating a hot, hand made, pizza delivery service, like an angel with a baking tray.Anchovies and spinach and no cheese for me.

There must have been nearly a hundred people through the workshop space today, that is more than any private view I have been to recently. It has been good weather, and the feed back from the visitors has been wonderful. Witty broke our pact and moved her work. It was somewhere else though. 

Pete the film has been here and we all got interviewed for Culture Colony. Watch that space.

Sat for most of the day at the front of the workshop by the roller shutter, talking and taking photos.

That is, to all intents and purposes the end of the Popty Bach 2013 workshop. I am back to work in the morning , but back here tomorrow night.

friends

moss circle

circle room

The whole roof

 these machines are art

 Witty quick draw

 piles

Cliff 

We all agree that its going to take a while to digest everything we have seen and done during the last ten days. Victoria has some catching up to do with this blog, and there is a bit more socializing to do over the week end. I may be a bit tired at work tomorrow.

Later on the same day.

Wow . This morning we decided to have a group walk around and crit style event. It was enlightening and amazing. We took time to comment and discuss in some detail, each piece of work from each artist. Everyone has been prolific , and the comments were absorbing and the discussion interesting.I didn't take my camera along, because I needed to listen, and if you have use a camera it separates you from the reality of the event some what. The pictures with this entry are from Witty`s camera

Cliff space

Igshaans roof

Toria`s  space

 The circle

 Cliffs shower

 Witty`s other space

 Petes Space

 In the cloud lounge

Deconstructed space

Thank you Witty! There are loads more pictures from the week , which will eventually end up on flickr.

It was great to share our difficulties and demons, as well as offer each other encouragement. It gave me a feeling that is a cross between being humbled and uplifted at the same time. There is a kind of communal understanding, of the issues that have been troubling us all, and ample support from within the group. 

We have all been thinking  as we work, about our own interests and inspirations, but also about common themes; the nature of `fine art`, genre and classification of your work as an artist. There has been some thought about the meaning of a `finished` piece of art, and as we are expecting visitors at an open day event tomorrow, it seemed appropriate that we had something to show them. Personally , this has been a bit of an hindrance to the clarity of my creative thought. I think I am not the only one! The idea behind the Triangle model for workshops and residencies emphasizes sharing ideas, communication and experimentation, rather than preparing products for exhibition. I have to admit, I felt a bit embarrassed of what I had created in the past couple of days. Certainly not ready to show anyone.  

The place where we are working is huge and full of disused machinery and materials. It is very beautiful everywhere. The old buildings, the countryside, the excessive quantities of everything. Where or how do you make or create anything in an environment that is already so excessive ? What kind of `art` can stand next to living installations already so gorgeous. I was in a tricky confused place creatively, but in heaven physically.

I needed to do something that did justice  the wonderful materials around me, that made you look at the surroundings and appreciate the splendor of it all.

Out of the chaos of the pile of materials that we were allowed to use, I had to find an entropy. An indicative order and calmness. So I began to tidy up in a big way as an active aid to thought  Folding, sorting, sweeping, so it was all easier to see that we are surrounded by, the nature of all these materials and equipment, and that they are visual and exciting in themselves.

I took apart some of the installations I had made and just left the cut pieces in piles , they made tactile and interesting items. There are still some deliberate  made pieces in the space, but more subtle and conceptually more fulfilling. Hopefully a sculptural form will emerge,

Witty and I made a compromise about one area, where we both were not happy with our work. But we agreed to leave it standing. For now.

 natural beauty

tidy and contain

visit from Penny!

 Area of great compromise

deconstruction

Morning!

Bit lost on which day I am on now but never mind. Pete got up this morning, and compared the misty morning weather to  Mariele Neudeckesr work. Which delighted me. I love her work. Pete has boundless energy and is full of ideas and conversation.Good start to the day! Made me think about the piece I am working on now

.............Neudecker start to the day!

 THin line

Fat shadow

 WIP

Victoria Vermeer

I am finding it difficult to think out of the textile box that I normally operate from.The challenge for me is to make art that sits in the immediate surroundings, has a relationship with the surroundings, but doesn`t blend in so well it gets lost in the beautiful installation that is already the project area. Everything you look at is so interesting .
I have spent a fair amount of time just moving things around, seeing what happens. Trying to collaborate with Victoria, but she has the responsibility of running the project, and the proximity of her every day life to contend with. Discussing collaboration at the dinner table, and Witty quite rightly commented that its about the decision making, when you collaborate. How to either compromise, or work out a way that works for both parties.

Cat happy body 5...  or 5 act happy by do or...Patchy day bop 5..

Things are now taking shape. Work is appearing all over the factory, the atmosphere is intense and very happy, the weather is glorious and this is just a fab thing to be involved in. I have learned a lot about south African poltics . Collaborations are beginning to happen, in the kitchen and in the factory.

Igshaan`s stuffed chillis

 Witty and Seren at The Oriel Myrddin Gallery

Pete and Cliff.  The Universal language of symbolism in textiles. Lovely.

Scared vs not scared. Lovely.

In his studio space

Measure

Green Lady

Holy shit

comparison

Greener

pieces

Moss

Toria's post

   Catching up today after giving my presentation yesterday , taking Pete, Igshaan, Clif and Witty to a proper local pub (the only one open on a Sunday), an expedition for everyone to Carmarthen today to deliver posters to the art college  at Jobs Well for our open day  and  visit Oriel Myrddin  Gallery to see the current Mary Lloyd Jones show and meet their community arts officer Seren Stacey. The arrival of the three African artists seems to have the desired effect of turning heads wherever we go-good publicity. Staff at the college are enthusiastic and welcoming and promise to bring students up on Thursday.

Back at the mill later, I started working with Lou Bird, which is great fun and so much better than working alone-this is what I .......

pet's anenome

pete's elephant in the sunset

witty's women big and small

my flowerbed

igshaan talks to pam at oriel myrddin

igshaan and his web

pete's optical tunnel

my white painted lamp

lou's yellows

lou adjusts her curtain

igshaans
moss garden

with Seren Lou and Witty at Oriel Myrddin

Add caption

pete's kalaidoscope

the wheel and lamp-sounds like a pub

my head in the shed, by Igshaan.

Pete
looking remarkably like prince charlie

was waiting for. 

Pete Telfer is coming to film here tomorrow for Culture Colony. Triangle Network has posted popty bach on its home page as an event-we exist in a wider web now.