Gallery4allarts
- Newsletter Welcome
to the 2009 Newsletter page! Please, click
links below. Thank you. March
- April - May, June
-July -
August -September, October - November,
December
2008 - January 2009 To
read notes on how to send your art related advert; please
browse main newsletter page. __________________________________ 2009 ______________________________________________________________ For Theatre
and Music events (limited)
please, browse to the bottom of page. Thank you. _______________________________________________________________________________________
WelshArtNow
- The online art magazine
“ The August edition of the artzine WelshArtNow has been
published and can be viewed at www.welshartnow.org. This
months issue carries some interesting reviews by Derrick
Price and Jude Roland, two outstanding critics. The role
of the critic is not an easy one, their response can
determine the success or not, of a creative venture.
Welsh art has suffered, from a total lack of critical
debate and this does not engender a healthy open art
scene. There have been dominant voices but you must ask
is this what Welsh art requires, a pseudo cultural high
priest? This magazine gives voice to many varied opinions,
we believe in spreading it out. Our Featured artists
are Infinity Bunce and Mark
Morris. Infinity is a Welsh
artist forging a career in the crucible of the London
art world. She does top notch portraits of - ordinary
people - like us. Her pictures look real and now. Mark
produces truly mesmerising sculptural forms that inspire
contemplation.”
_______________________________________________ 15th of
August 2009 Shoot Liverpool
Interactive Photography Experience at the Bluecoat Saturday August
15th @ the
Bluecoat , Liverpool Following a popular
treasure hunt event at Tate
Liverpool in 2008, Shoot Experience are returning to Liverpool
this summer with their unique interactive photographic story-telling
experience.
Held at the Bluecoat, this Shoot Storyboard event will take Liverpool
by storm on Saturday August 15th. Teams begin the day at the Bluecoat,
where they are given different parts of a pre-written story and
sent into the local streets to find inspiration and take photos
that respond
to or represent each phrase or word. At the end of the day, teams
return to the Bluecoat to submit their photos and all the images
are compiled to create a unique photographic storyboard. Prizes
are of course awarded for the best and quirkiest photographs, as
participants
relax after one of the most fun and creative days to be had in
Liverpool. The Bluecoat is the oldest Grade 1 listed building in
central Liverpool
and re-opened in March 2008, after a £14.5m redevelopment,
as a major landmark on the UK map of contemporary culture. The Bluecoat
uses its spaces to showcase talent across all creative disciplines
including visual art, music, literature, dance and live art and nurtures
new talent by providing studio spaces for artists within a unique
creative community.
Experience in photography is not necessary to enjoy the event,
all that is required is creativity and enthusiasm. Fantastic prizes
such
as Olympus cameras are given for categories including best overall
and most creative photo. Please see http://www.shootexperience.com/events/info/170
for more details, or buy tickets at HYPERLINK "http://www.shootexperience.com/tickets" http://www.shootexperience.com/tickets.
After the event, there will be an exhibition of all of the images
taken on the day at the Open Eye Gallery, Established in 1977, Open
Eye Gallery is one of the UK's leading photography venues. Currently
preparing for its ambitious move to the Liverpool waterfront in 2010,
the Gallery is continuing, throughout 2009, to present occasional
exhibitions and events.
Shoot Experience is an experiential photography organisaton producing
a wide variety of public photography events, competitions, workshops
and corporate events. Shoot Liverpool Date: Saturday August 15th
2009
Venue: The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BX Time: 11.15am-6.30pm
Cost: £12.50 per person BUY TICKETS: 0151 702 5324, HYPERLINK "http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/" http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/
Exhibition Dates: Wednesday
26th August to Saturday 5th September Venue: Open
Eye Gallery,
28-32 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4AQ Time:
10.30am-5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday Contact details: 0151 709
9460, info@openeye.org.uk Website: HYPERLINK "http://www.openeye.org.uk/" http://www.openeye.org.uk/
___________________________________________________________________________________
until Tuesday 15 September
2009
‘ Paul
Neagu (1938-2004): A Portrait’ - Photo
Exhibition by Laurentiu Garofeanu
Open until Tuesday 15 September 2009
@The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square,
18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295 ext.
108
Opening times: Mon - Fri 12.00 - 18.00. Admission free
(booking essential, by phone or e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk).
To commemorate Paul
Neagu (1938-2004) - sculptor, painter, poet,
and larger-than-life character - the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian
Cultural Centre in London have opened a special exhibition of portraits
of Paul and his work, taken by photographer and film-maker Laurentiu
Garofeanu during 2003-2004.
Paul Neagu came to London in 1969 at the invitation of Richard
Demarco.
By that time he had already worked on the construction of dams in
the Danube, and studied painting at the Nicolae Grigorescu Institute
in Bucharest.
In London he started his career by lecturing at Chelsea School of
Art and Hornsey College of Art, and many of the young sculptors he
taught subsequently achieved international recognition. Since gaining
British citizenship in 1977 he has been widely recognised, not only
for his input in British sculpture, but also as the author of a series
of drawings, paintings and performances. In 1992 he obtained Romanian
citizenship, and became a citizen of both Britain and Romania.
His inspirations are said to come partly from works of Cubism, Marcel
Duchamp, Brancusi, but his major influences can also be said to be
the metaphysics of geometry, mythology, and eschatology. Focusing
on his interest in the concept of movement, exploiting his background
as a technician and engineer in his creations, he also explores themes
of modern philosophy, using metaphor rather than logic as a tool.
The exhibition was launched
with a special Culture Power presentation in memoriam Paul
Neagu,
on
2 July, where ‘The Heart of the
Tornado’, a documentary film by Laurentiu
and Agniezska Garofeanu,
was screened. The projection was introduced by art critic and writer
Mel Gooding and followed by a lively Q&A with the film-maker,
and with friends of Paul sharing some of their memories of this great
man.
This exhibition was made possible through a Ratiu
Foundation grant.
Organised by The
Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in
London
www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com; www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk
________________________________________________________ 7th of September
2009 Grants for the Arts Seminars for First-time Applicants @
Blackburne House, Liverpool
Below are details for the next Grants for the Arts seminar to be
held in Liverpool on 7 September 2009 - 2pm - 4pm specifically targeting
individuals - If anyone would like to book a place then please contact
my colleague Rachael McKenna 0161 827 9241 or email: gfaseminarsnw@artscouncil.org.uk Grants for the Arts Seminars for First-time Applicants
Arts Council England, North West is offering a seminar for potential
first-time applicants to Grants for the arts.
The seminar is free of charge and is designed to provide a valuable
introduction to the scheme, offering guidance on how to complete
an application form and budget for your activity, how to understand
the assessment criteria and how to write the proposal, as well as
getting further advice on your ideas and support in making your application.
The next seminar will be held at Blackburne House in Liverpool on
Monday 7 September from 2-4pm, specifically targetting individual
artsists. Further seminars will be confirmed later in the year.
If you would like to attend the seminar, please book by email listing
your name, contact number and any access requirements.
For bookings only: gfaseminarsnw@artscouncil.org.uk or Rachael McKenna
on 0161 827 9241.
If you would like further details about Grants for the arts
and details of how to apply, please visit www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding <http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding> or
contact 0845 300 6200.
www.artscouncil.org.uk ________________________________ 25th of August - 25th
of October 2009 “The Human
Emotion Project” The Human Emotion Project,
invented and managed by South African artist Alison Williams will
be presented at the INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
OF CONTEMPORARY ART. The Festival will take place in Villa Garikula,
Georgia from 25th of August to 25th of October 2009. The Human Emotion Project is a collaboration of international artists
using film/video to interpret human emotion visually for global screenings. The curator Karaman
Kutatelatze has chosen also, Joas Sebastian Nebe’s film "Loosing control" for the screening at
the festival. The film "Loosing control" interprets fear
as changing cityscape and is part of the collection of PHILOSOPHICAL
CARTOONS. The collection is part of the DIAF (Deutsches Institut
fuer Animationsfilm), Dresden, Germany. For more informations about the Human Emotion Project, please refer
to http://www.artreview.com/group/humanemotionproject2009 For more informations
about Joas Sebastian Nebe’ art
please go to www.jsnebe.de
_________________ “Encounter”
University of Chester
Fine Art Department Staff Exhibition
Encounter is an exhibition of artwork by staff from the Department
of Fine Art, Faculty of Arts and Media, at the University of Chester.
The academic staff who teach across undergraduate and postgraduate
programmes in Fine Art and Photography are all practising artists
with national and international exhibition and research profiles.
As such the work within this exhibition is a representative selection
of that practice and seeks to exemplify the interests and concerns
that drive each individual. Diversity of intent and outcome therefore,
is a prevailing feature of this show.
www.contemporaryurbancentre.org Tel: 0151 708 3513 _________________________ Postgraduate Research
Forum - CALL FOR PAPERS @Tate
Liverpool
Call For Papers for a postgraduate research forum titled Painting: Series,
Space and Style, taking place at Tate Liverpool on 22 October. Painting: Series, Space and Style
Thursday 22nd October 2009, 2-5pm
In 1958 Mark Rothko was commissioned to paint a series of paintings
for the Four Seasons restaurant, in the Seagram Building in New York.
This commission would mark a stylistic departure from his earlier
work, towards a more severe architectural scheme. As the series progressed,
his colours shifted from bright and intense hues to a selection of
maroon, dark red and black. Working in a studio that was similar
in proportions to the restaurant, Rothko painted three different
versions of the series. The artist later commented on his intention
for the paintings to create a deliberately oppressive atmosphere,
like that of Michelangelo’s Laurentian Library in Florence.
Having decided that the fashionable restaurant was an unsuitable
place for the contemplation of his art, Rothko withdrew from the
Seagram commission. Instead, in 1968 and 1969 shortly before his
death, the artist presented nine of the paintings to the Tate Gallery
on the condition that a room would be devoted exclusively to their
display, finally achieving the immersive environment he had envisaged
for the paintings. To coincide with the display of the Seagram Murals at Tate Liverpool,
this research forum invites proposals for papers that explore the
themes of series, space and style in modern and contemporary painting.
How can individual paintings work collectively? What is the relationship
between a painting and the environment in which it is displayed?
What are the factors that inspire a radical change in style? Topics
for discussion could include, but are not limited to: • Works in series
• Repetitions and variations on a theme
• Late style or late work
• Painting becoming installation
• Public versus private display
•
Rothko’s influence on subsequent generations The forum will be chaired by Achim Borchardt-Hume. Formerly of Tate
Modern, where he was responsible for curating the recent Rothko exhibition,
Borchardt-Hume is now Chief Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery, London. All current postgraduate and PhD students are invited to submit
proposals for papers of no more than twenty minutes. Cross-disciplinary
approaches are welcome.
Please submit proposals (500 words max) accompanied by a brief academic
biography to antoinette.mckane@tate.org.uk no later than SATURDAY
15th August 2009. The information is also on the Tate website:
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/eventseducation/symposia/19663.htm
________________________________________________________ July - August
2009 “Watercolours
of Liverpool by Keith F. Smith” Gostins Gallery
Gostins Building
32 - 36 Hanover Street
Liverpool
L1 4LN Contact: lisedgar@live.co.uk _________________________
until August 2009 "Tactile" - Mosaic
Exhibition by Liverpool artist: Debbie Ryan @ Norton Priory Gardens _____________________________________________________ until 27th September
2009 2nd Biennale
of Contemporary Art in Tessaloniki, Greece The
theme and title for this years biennial is "PRAXIS:
Art in Times of Uncertainty", inspired
from the book by Terry Eagleton: "After Theory" and
deals " with praxis, not in contrast with, but in conjunction
with theory, as an inherent component of the identity and social
role of the artist."... "PRAXIS:
Art in Times of Uncertainty " "In his seminal novel
A Tale of Two Cities (1859) about
life in Paris and London, the English novelist
Charles
Dickens wrote ‘It
was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age
of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…we had everything
before us, we had nothing before us.’ aptly capturing the
mood of the time. Almost a hundred and fifty years later the feeling
of
disillusionment, the failure of politics to handle the ‘big’ problems,
the recent financial collapse, the assault on the environment and
a general sense of individual and collective alienation which a
global society has not been able to rectify all seem palpable.
Might we
be the observers of a universal depreciation of the system of thought,
of an irreversible collapse of ideologies? In the field of cultural
production the dominance of the art market, the ineffectiveness
of cultural theory and the over-theorisation
of culture seem to have dissociated art from real life. In his provocatively
titled book After Theory, the English theorist Terry Eagleton claims
not the death of theory, but the redefinition of its goals and fields
of research. Perhaps this time of uncertainty could be the moment
for the reconsideration of the intrinsic worth of artistic practice.
The moment to explore art as a privileged space for relatively free
expression of ideas and for an alternative view of the world and
the social environment. An art that goes back to life, back to Praxis,
to the creative activity that contributes to the formation of a political
view and to a new way of thinking and being. According to ancient
Chinese philosophy, revolution is realignment with the order of the
world. Could this be the time to seek a true revolution? Can art
provide a window of opportunity in these uncertain times? " Gabriela Salgado, Bisi Silva, Syrago Tsiara November 2008
http://www.thessalonikibiennale.gr/programme.php?lang=en&ptype=1 __________________________________________________________ "How Green is art?" Artist
Paul Matosic looks for the 'green' in art "We are all aware
of the term food miles and some may even aspire to shop within a local
economy, buying only locally produced seasonal
food, leaving the exotic imported food on the shelves. Can
we apply the same criteria to the way we consume art, if you live in
an urban
area with a thriving artistic community - maybe. However, within
a rural community where the only art outlets are for the tourist
trade your choice of artwork might be limited.
It is ironic that at a time when internationalism is being promoted
as the way forward for the creative industries, we are being encouraged
to reduce our consumption of long haul air flights etc. The credit
crunch has probably had more effect on people’s carbon foot
print than any laudable government initiative encouraging people
to consider the environment. How does the art world
deal with climate change? Often it simply does nothing, taking
the attitude that
we have
such a small impact
on the issue that any effort we make will not be noticed. In an industry
where getting noticed is the key to success, making unnoticed initiatives
is simply not going to happen. Artists produce waste, it’s
inevitable, using physical materials creates a waste residue. Even
artists who do not deal with physical stuff inevitably create residue
by marketing. This is where through working together, galleries and
artists can set an example of good practice that might just be noticed
and emulated by others.
The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) is the main arts body responsible
for funding and developing the arts in Wales. They are the ones
that hand out cash to artists and arts organisations. An ideal
position from which to promote a green agenda within the arts?
We asked them what initiatives they had, we were disappointed to
be told that they recycle paper and ink cartridges. This is aimed
at their internal administrative process rather than any public
promotion of green values within Welsh art. Even their web site
prompts on every page. ‘Print this page’. In this electronic
age shouldn’t we all be trying to move to paperless solutions?
Good practice has to come from the galleries and the art organisations.
They have to accept that their administration processes contribute
to climate change and that there is room for change. I was once
asked by a gallery to provide printed information, despite having
all the information in electronic form on their system. Because
the project purported to be dealing with climate change I refused
to comply, I was not selected. How about the art itself? Are some art forms more environmentally
friendly than others? Video art would seem to be the perfect solution.
Convert the white walled gallery space to the black walls of the
video space. The artist film does offer some solution to the problem
of art miles. Perhaps this proliferation is more due to the ease
of exhibition than any environmental concern. Live streaming could
offer a solution. Art made in one location and beamed into the gallery.
It still needs content though. A recent exhibition with a gallery
in America, specifically about climate change; hypocritical to leave
a trail of carbon footprints across the Atlantic. The solution was
to build the installation here, web stream to the gallery and add
to this projected image with more of the same material. In this instance,
the activity became the message rather than the installation; the
materials, redundant technology, a comment on built in redundancy,
endemic within consumer society. Technology offers some solutions
but should not be a cheap fix and is no replacement for the physicality
of objects.
Some early conceptual and minimalist artists, offered art mile reduction
methods; the wall drawings of Sol Lewitt, who sent specific instructions
to a team of technicians on how to execute his drawings. Do you
remember Carl André, the guy who caused a storm when he
laid out his bricks in the Tate? This work could be emulated anywhere
using local materials. The Tate bricks aspired to specific mathematical
dimensions, which could not be substituted by any old local brick,
perhaps these issues were more to do with conditions of ownership
rather than aesthetic design.
What are some of the leading lights in the art world saying about
his? I have never heard Hirst expressing any opinion or consideration
for environmental issues; his motives seem firmly rooted in the
production of wealth. Art might be the first victim of any major
environmental catastrophe How useful will art/artist be in the ‘day
after tomorrow’ scenario. You might see Tracy Emin’s
bed floating down the Thames, finding a new function as an improvised
raft. The works of Henry Moore and Richard Serra would certainly
be most sought after in any post cataclysmic age. Big metal sculptures
are sure to be useful in post apocalyptic soceity. There could
be benefits to this, some of the more horrendous public sculpture
works in Wales could find themselves mopped up to other uses.
The real art miles are incurred when art/artists move between countries,
so called international art. There are strategies that artists
can adopt to keep this to a minimum. I have done several international
exhibitions without transporting any materials but only because
of the type of work and the materials that I use; and through negotiation
with the exhibition organisers. It does not work with pre prepared
work. There are problems, the increased amount of time required
to source the materials, but hey whizzing around a new town looking
for stuff is very much like a holiday experience anyway and time
spent meeting new artists and curators can lead to more opportunities
and ideas. I try to avoid transporting materials but have to accept
that sometimes it is unavoidable. Any art work that expresses a
concern for the environment should lead by example or at least
acknowledge its own carbon print.
One of the largest International art festivals is the Venice biennale.
In 2007 Heather and Ivan Morison represented Wales, they created
a large shed like installation from wood sourced from their own
forest in Wales. Perhaps the origin of the wood was integral to
the work and certainly the structure was fairly complex and time
consuming to develop. I think it is safe to assume that they have
wood in Italy so perhaps this work could have been made on site
using local sourced materials and local craftspeople, I do not
for a minute doubt the integrity of their work just raise the question
about its development within a climate change paradigm.
Every two years Cardiff stages the Artes Mundi one of the largest
most prestigious art exhibitions in Europe. Two curators spend
a year roaming the world looking at the work of many artists. Selected
artists are invited to bring their work to Wales to show it on
the international stage. An exhibition that is big in every way:
big art, big money, big talk, big crowds, big air miles - massive
carbon emissions. It has much to commend it but is it totally out
of kilter with the environmental concerns of our age. Is it really
art at any cost or would we expect a more enlightened creative
response to this? International art raises the cultural profile
of Wales and is beloved of arts bureaucrats and disinterested politicians.
It might improve trade and bring much need tourist cash to the
Welsh economy but at what cost. Most of the time, the benefits
of these initiatives are measured in economics with scant regard
for infrastructure and the environment.
Of course to a greater or lesser extent we are all complicit in this
problem and it would be hypocritical not to acknowledge this. So
as you sit holding this paper based bit of communication in front
of you, sipping your Latte at a pavement cafe. First thought should
be ‘it’s December what am I doing sitting outside’.
The other is does not this magazine contribute to global warming
with its use of paper, printing, distribution etc. I am not advocating
a return to cave based society, where everything is reduced to
its lowest possible environmental impact. Print is okay, I like
books and magazines they are a convenient way of transporting information,
magazines can be passed onto others, articles can be harvested
for future reference and print is a wonderful source of collage
material. Yes this magazine could be made into an on line edition,
but in so doing it becomes less accessible, especially for those
without a computer. The solutions are not easy or obvious; perhaps
a creative approach is required - just what an artist might offer!
Paul Matosic is an international artist Artist Paul Matosic looks for the 'green' in art
We are all aware of the term food miles and some may even aspire
to shop within a local economy, buying only locally produced seasonal
food, leaving the exotic imported food on the shelves. Can we apply
the same criteria to the way we consume art, if you live in an
urban area with a thriving artistic community - maybe. However,
within a rural community where the only art outlets are for the
tourist trade your choice of artwork might be limited.
It is ironic that at a time when internationalism is being promoted
as the way forward for the creative industries, we are being encouraged
to reduce our consumption of long haul air flights etc. The credit
crunch has probably had more effect on people’s carbon foot
print than any laudable government initiative encouraging people
to consider the environment. How does the art world
deal with climate change? Often it simply does nothing, taking
the attitude that
we have
such a small impact
on the issue that any effort we make will not be noticed. In an industry
where getting noticed is the key to success, making unnoticed initiatives
is simply not going to happen. Artists produce waste, it’s
inevitable, using physical materials creates a waste residue. Even
artists who do not deal with physical stuff inevitably create residue
by marketing. This is where through working together, galleries and
artists can set an example of good practice that might just be noticed
and emulated by others.
The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) is the main arts body responsible
for funding and developing the arts in Wales. They are the ones
that hand out cash to artists and arts organisations. An ideal
position from which to promote a green agenda within the arts?
We asked them what initiatives they had, we were disappointed to
be told that they recycle paper and ink cartridges. This is aimed
at their internal administrative process rather than any public
promotion of green values within Welsh art. Even their web site
prompts on every page. ‘Print this page’. In this electronic
age shouldn’t we all be trying to move to paperless solutions?
Good practice has to come from the galleries and the art organisations.
They have to accept that their administration processes contribute
to climate change and that there is room for change. I was once
asked by a gallery to provide printed information, despite having
all the information in electronic form on their system. Because
the project purported to be dealing with climate change I refused
to comply, I was not selected. How about the art itself? Are some art forms more environmentally
friendly than others? Video art would seem to be the perfect solution.
Convert the white walled gallery space to the black walls of the
video space. The artist film does offer some solution to the problem
of art miles. Perhaps this proliferation is more due to the ease
of exhibition than any environmental concern. Live streaming could
offer a solution. Art made in one location and beamed into the gallery.
It still needs content though. A recent exhibition with a gallery
in America, specifically about climate change; hypocritical to leave
a trail of carbon footprints across the Atlantic. The solution was
to build the installation here, web stream to the gallery and add
to this projected image with more of the same material. In this instance,
the activity became the message rather than the installation; the
materials, redundant technology, a comment on built in redundancy,
endemic within consumer society. Technology offers some solutions
but should not be a cheap fix and is no replacement for the physicality
of objects.
Some early conceptual and minimalist artists, offered art mile reduction
methods; the wall drawings of Sol Lewitt, who sent specific instructions
to a team of technicians on how to execute his drawings. Do you
remember Carl André, the guy who caused a storm when he
laid out his bricks in the Tate? This work could be emulated anywhere
using local materials. The Tate bricks aspired to specific mathematical
dimensions, which could not be substituted by any old local brick,
perhaps these issues were more to do with conditions of ownership
rather than aesthetic design.
What are some of the leading lights in the art world saying about
his? I have never heard Hirst expressing any opinion or consideration
for environmental issues; his motives seem firmly rooted in the
production of wealth. Art might be the first victim of any major
environmental catastrophe How useful will art/artist be in the ‘day
after tomorrow’ scenario. You might see Tracy Emin’s
bed floating down the Thames, finding a new function as an improvised
raft. The works of Henry Moore and Richard Serra would certainly
be most sought after in any post cataclysmic age. Big metal sculptures
are sure to be useful in post apocalyptic soceity. There could
be benefits to this, some of the more horrendous public sculpture
works in Wales could find themselves mopped up to other uses.
The real art miles are incurred when art/artists move between countries,
so called international art. There are strategies that artists
can adopt to keep this to a minimum. I have done several international
exhibitions without transporting any materials but only because
of the type of work and the materials that I use; and through negotiation
with the exhibition organisers. It does not work with pre prepared
work. There are problems, the increased amount of time required
to source the materials, but hey whizzing around a new town looking
for stuff is very much like a holiday experience anyway and time
spent meeting new artists and curators can lead to more opportunities
and ideas. I try to avoid transporting materials but have to accept
that sometimes it is unavoidable. Any art work that expresses a
concern for the environment should lead by example or at least
acknowledge its own carbon print.
One of the largest International art festivals is the Venice biennale.
In 2007 Heather and Ivan Morison represented Wales, they created
a large shed like installation from wood sourced from their own
forest in Wales. Perhaps the origin of the wood was integral to
the work and certainly the structure was fairly complex and time
consuming to develop. I think it is safe to assume that they have
wood in Italy so perhaps this work could have been made on site
using local sourced materials and local craftspeople, I do not
for a minute doubt the integrity of their work just raise the question
about its development within a climate change paradigm.
Every two years Cardiff stages the Artes Mundi one of the largest
most prestigious art exhibitions in Europe. Two curators spend
a year roaming the world looking at the work of many artists. Selected
artists are invited to bring their work to Wales to show it on
the international stage. An exhibition that is big in every way:
big art, big money, big talk, big crowds, big air miles - massive
carbon emissions. It has much to commend it but is it totally out
of kilter with the environmental concerns of our age. Is it really
art at any cost or would we expect a more enlightened creative
response to this? International art raises the cultural profile
of Wales and is beloved of arts bureaucrats and disinterested politicians.
It might improve trade and bring much need tourist cash to the
Welsh economy but at what cost. Most of the time, the benefits
of these initiatives are measured in economics with scant regard
for infrastructure and the environment.
Of course to a greater or lesser extent we are all complicit in this
problem and it would be hypocritical not to acknowledge this. So
as you sit holding this paper based bit of communication in front
of you, sipping your Latte at a pavement cafe. First thought should
be ‘it’s December what am I doing sitting outside’.
The other is does not this magazine contribute to global warming
with its use of paper, printing, distribution etc. I am not advocating
a return to cave based society, where everything is reduced to
its lowest possible environmental impact. Print is okay, I like
books and magazines they are a convenient way of transporting information,
magazines can be passed onto others, articles can be harvested
for future reference and print is a wonderful source of collage
material. Yes this magazine could be made into an on line edition,
but in so doing it becomes less accessible, especially for those
without a computer. The solutions are not easy or obvious; perhaps
a creative approach is required - just what an artist might offer!" Paul Matosic is an international
artist. This article has been published with the kind permission of the
http://www.welshartnow.org/ _________________________________________________________________________ 'Waste into
Art' - Exhibition Reviews This exhibition was
organised in Liverpool at the Liverpool Art Academy by Red
Dot artist collective, during May 2009. http://www.catalystmedia.org.uk/reviews/waste_into_art.php
http://www.la-art.co.uk/Exhibtions/E146.php
http://www.artinliverpool.com/index.php/maingalleries/laa/1518-laa-waste-into-art ___________________________________________________________________ Back Back
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