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Artist Discussion
3 May 2007.
Eric Rosoman off-site curator at The City Gallery Leicester talks to the Transition artist's about the work on display. the interesting aspect was that it allowed the artist to discuss the intentions and methods behind the work. allowance of personal reflection were also further my understanding how this event could of been open to the public and how during the week each artist could of done a talk about their work.
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Reflection on Transition Preview
Well it was the night of the preview, and after two hard days of curating and physically getting involved with the setting up of the work, I have to say it went extremely well, we were told it was the biggest turn out yet, but the best comment summed it up completely when i was told it was an anti-gallery, that that for me was completely what i had wanted the gallery to be I kept talking to Lucy about chaos within the gallery space, something unusual to the viewer, just like my own work, where the viewer is questioning completely about taking the work, but when seeing someone else take the work they themselves took it, moving the pieces around to get the one they wanted, it was great a real pleasure to give to someone else. positive comments were made about the video animation as well, when walking past i could see people standing around, actually watching me progress in my drawing, the ones they could then take with them.
The co-curation with Lucy was brilliant ever bit of the way we spoke about every little thing we wanted from the exhibition and how it should be done. On some occasions, out side forces were brought into effect when it was something we had never approached before, the editing down of text and exhibition information were edited over and over again by each other.
But like I said before it was the anti-gallery environment that created it for me, the spread of great food, and the performances that happened through the night, Joe and his randomly turning on of the main lights, making people unaware of the performance to question whats happening with the lighting, Owens magnificence performance on the sonic washing machine, it pulled in the crowd and he whirled them. Transforming the environment yet again people playing the game, complete interaction with each piece, it was fun and maybe the metro got it right when they said it was a playground, and it truly was explored.
For me it was seeing the audience interact with the work that gave me a development in my own self thought if the audience are informed of the what they can do they will surly interact with it, but the simple quiet gallery space evolved into a networking interacting game, that was played by all.
One vital bit of information I learned is getting workers in to do the physical work, having to sacrifice the work of some in the means of creating a collective was a bit hard as well, but i think everyone sacrificed a little to create the perfect collaboration with the curation of the show, and the only wish i have in hindsight in that I wish the setup and been ready before setting up the show, I mean just like the plinths so that they could of been painted on the first day instead of 2.30 Tuesday afternoon, it seemed to unfavour the placing of the work, although on reflection I feel maybe it wasn't that bad, and each piece could be viewed as individual as well as a whole.
Private View
1 May 2007
6pm -8pm
Exhibition Set Up
April 2007
April saw the exhibition really taking shape, with the main focus being on the set up of the show and the equipment people will need for exhibiting the work . Discussion with the gallery highlighted how they are also able to make plinths and walls should we need them to, plinth diagrams were forwarded to them as in some cases specialist plinths were needed. Health and Safety and risk assessment issues were also raised, suggesting that both myself and Lucy will have to create one for the show. The positioning of the floor plan came about through thinking of how best the individual art worked as a collective, the electrical sockets were also an issue as so much technology was being used.
Marketing and Press Releases
The show was advertised within the Metro May 1 and the Nottingham Culture magazine.
Transition Poster and Artist Information
The handouts in the gallery were decided to include the floor plan as well as artist information, we decided to create it this way to inform the viewer of the positioning of the art and who had created it, as well as inform them briefly about the artist and the work they have exhibited in Transition.
Curatorial Statement
Art for change encourages the advancement of progressive social change by using art as a catalyst for disseminating information to people.
Within art, change is cyclical, and one expects circumstances to recur, this formation can bring about notions of timelessness and repetitiveness. In society changes take place due to gradual modifications in mindsets and beliefs or suddenly through revolutions. Societies, which do not follow this path, have changes thrust upon them by forces beyond their control.
Transition can be a familiar or unfamiliar situation amongst life, whether through the visual material or by audience interaction, disconcerting our categories of perception, moving the senses, or misinterpreting the rules. Evolving, manipulating and promoting the avenue of change, either functional or non-functional. Change is random, lacking direction or arrangement leading to unpredictable outcomes.
Co-curators Lucy Stevens and Cat Preston.documenting of co curation of the exhibition Transition at Surface Gallery Nottingham
Transition 1 – 5 May
Exhibition Leaflet
Nine MA visual artists from Nottingham Trent University have been selected by curators Lucy Stevens and Cat Preston in response to the theme of transition. ‘Transition’ meaning to change and evolve is used in the exhibition to express the notion of making and breaking rules that present the viewer with a series of ominous and amusing games.
Owen Baxter
Sonic Washing Machine
Owen Baxter explores making sonic art using interactive technology. Recorded sound of his washing machine is transformed it into a virtual instrument that can be played and synthetically altered using different control devices, producing original compositions that sound interesting and fun to play.
Joon Kwon
Untitled
This animation examines the results of a power game played between a school student and a strict school system. The character overcomes the obstacles that have stood in her way and we witness her changing from victim to winner.
Tetsuya Fukushima
Untitled
He strives to create imaginary space using his memories and dreams emphasizing mood and atmosphere by exaggerating shapes and colours. In this exhibition paintings are projected on the wall to represent the transitional processes from real to unreal and convey an atmosphere that emphases a sense of fading presence.
Soo Kwon
How Do I Look
Soo plays with the audience’s perception of her by using herself as a vehicle to project alter egos, which portray female domesticated stereotypes.
Cat Preston
Awaiting Transition - Consciousness Continued
Cat Preston uses process art as an exploration into the evolving of arrangements and metamorphoses, transformations and changes of state. In this piece the work is given away to the audience, disrupting the concrete understanding and becoming a personal perception, leaving only a trace of the process behind.
Sandrea Simons
Sandrea Gets a Date
The rules of the dating game are all apparent to Simons who is constantly updating her views on as an artist and a single woman. ‘Sandrea Gets a Date’ is created in favour of the artist; she wins a date every time and presents the player with the same conclusion.
Joe Wong
Untitled
The lenticular photographs continuously change as the viewers move around creating a sense of playful illusion. Wong wants the viewer to determine their own experience based on where they chose to stand or move.
Lucy Stevens
Spy hole
Lucy Stevens is an ‘experiential’ artist, as the title suggests she wants the viewer to experience rather than observe the artwork. Spy hole uses CCTV cameras and monitors as a vehicle to explore the fear and pleasure in watching and being watched.
Leif Arwen Gifford
Transition into Outer Space
Her practise incorporates the exploration of dualism, dichotomies, contradictions, dreamy romanticism, positive nihilism and sci-fi. A short animation with an original soundtrack, a transition between a sci fi future and an imagined reality.
March 2007
With the proposals acceptance it was strange to realise that we were actually going to put on a show of the 9 MA visuals art students work. Floor plans and ideas were thrown about how the show should look and what experience we wanted the audience to gain from viewing the exhibition. With so much technology being involved in the gallery, limitations were put on the equipment we could hire out from the university due to the end of year degree shows taken place. a meeting were arranged to meet with the gallery and discuss aspects of curation and what facilities and appliances the gallery has to support the show. it was decided that we would wirte a press release for the show to gain as much publicity as possible, with guidance from Susan Sherrit, Harley Gallery Manager and Press Officer, a press release were written to coincide with the information and advice she had supplied for forming the press release, she was also very nice and allowed us examples of past releases she had written for the exhibitions at the Harley Gallery.
Press Release
Transition
Surface Gallery, Nottingham
1 May - 5 May 2007
PREVIEW 1st May 6pm – 8pm
Transition is the third of five exhibitions at the Surface Gallery as part of Rules of the Game. The exhibition showcases the work of 9 MA visual Art Students from Nottingham Trent University.
The exhibition examines the notion of play as a form of subversion and social critique through role, transition and creative appropriation. Through sonic washing machines to ‘Sandrea gets a date’ this presents a series of games, some sinister and some fun.
Transition features animations, visual projections, lenticular photography, slide shows, video installations and interactive game playing. Each artist has individually responded to the theme of transition in diverse and alterative ways.
The private view night will reveal a whole host of audience interactive games giving the viewer an involvement of play, by creating music on the ‘sonic washing machine’, becoming the subject of an artist work or playing a dating board game with five other gallery visitors.
For further details on Transition please contact the curators:
Lucy Stevens on 0794 756 1218
Cat Preston on 0795 7981572
Artists represented in Transition
Owen Baxter, Cat Preston, Lucy Stevens, Leif Arwen Gifford, Soo Kwon, Joon Kwon, Sandrea Simons, Tetsuya, Joe Wong.
February 2007
The call for submissions for the rules of the Game exhibition came alight through Danica Maier during a tutorial, it was suggested that the work Consciousness Continued should be proposed for the exhibition. On viewing the application it was also calling for curators of 1 week exhibitions to take place during the 5 week run of rules of the game. with a peer group discussion myself and Lucy nominated ourselves to submit a curatorial submission for MA visuals arts. An individual proposal were also made to the gallery. 50 word submissions on the theme of play with a title of the upshot where required from all people wanting to participant.
The first curatorial submission consisted of the brief of play and its relation to art. an idea about interactive played a key element when taking into consideration the proposals. the idea of play was the initial inspiration for the curatorial of the show and the intention to have work that played with the audiences perception. Individual submissions that fitted the brief were placed within groupings to see how and what fitted where and why, a decision were made to suggest to Tetsuya that his paintings become slides, as this then altered the work from a reality into a dream like vision. through analyse of the work submitted the title of the show were altered to Transition, feeling that it fitted the overall ccontext of the show being proposed.
Artist Statement
The work is a result of intense preoccupation with the thought of the afterlife and the possibilities of consciousness existing outside of the physical body. Working in multidisciplinary art forms connotations of the exploration heighten the intrigue I have for audience interaction, transforming the artwork from a concrete state to becoming a personal belonging.
The intention is to provide a focus, a point of personal questioning of thought and contemplation. The work should be viewed over time as it is gradually removed form the site, creating a complete disappearance with a possibility of it only existing to the people who have taken them. The evolving of arrangements, transformations and changes are all necessary factors to the work I am producing.
Curatorial Submission
Call for submissions on the theme of Play adopting the idea of Emma Cocker’s Rules of the Game curatorial statement.
MA Visual Art students Lucy Stevens and Cat Preston are proposing to curate a one-week group exhibition as part of the Rules of the Game exhibition taking place at The Surface Gallery between the end of April and the beginning of May (exact dates to be confirmed).
We are asking ALL MA students for NEW artwork that addresses Emma Cocker’s statement
‘Like art, play functions as an elusive concept that is both difficult to define and impossible to contain’.
Please submit a written proposal of 50 words with images if appropriate by
26 February to Bonington 132 located in MA Visual Arts.
The theme of the exhibition is intended to be deliberately open, enabling diverse proposals from all MA courses.
For further information or to submit your proposal please contact:
Lucy on Mobile: 07947 561 218 Email: AF213330@ntu.ac.uk
Cat on Mobile: 07957 981 572 Email: N0044625@ntu.ac.uk
Key Deadlines:
Proposal hand in date is Monday 26 February 2007
Selection will take place Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February 2007Successful proposals will be informed on Wednesday 7 March 2007Transformation or Transition
Curatorial Proposal
MA Visual Art students Lucy Stevens and Cat Preston are proposing to curate a one-week group exhibition as part of the Rules of the Game exhibition-taking place at The Surface Gallery between April and May.
We are asking ALL art and design MA and PHD students for new and existing artwork that addresses the notion of transformation.
Fundamentally, change denotes the transition that occurs when something goes from being the same to be different. Art for Change encourages the advancement of progressive social change by using art as a catalyst for disseminating information to people.
Within art, change is cyclical, and one expects circumstances to recur, this formation can bring about notions of timelessness and repetitiveness.
In society changes take place due to gradual modifications in mindsets and beliefs or suddenly through revolutions. Societies, which do not follow this path, have changes thrust upon them by forces beyond their control.
The following people will be grouped together under sub headings that relate to the title of the show: transformation. We feel that this grouping of artwork will formulate a more coherent exhibition if those that are working under the same context are close to to each other during the exhibition.
Artwork that investigates the conversion of cultural and political stereotypes.