Circus Autumn Internship

On Tuesday the 24th of October, I had my first meeting as an Autumn Intern with Circus Artspace in Inverness.

Circus Artspace is an artist-run collective which strives to bring Contemporary Art to Inverness; whether it’s organizing exhibitions and supporting local Contemporary and Fine artists, collaborating with other Arts organizations in the Highlands and Islands, or creating initiatives such as the Internship Programme to further the education of artists who have recently graduated college or university such as myself.

I will be working with Circus Artspace over a span of three months and it certainly will be an eye-opening and constructive experience for me; learning new skills and abilities whilst bringing my own ideas and experiences to the table.

I will also be producing new work with Circus Artspace including a political/protest project that will involve the statues and monuments that are dotted around Inverness’s city landscape.

Overhaul.

It has been a year since my last entry, and many, many things have happened during that time. I have completed my BA (Hons) degree at Inverness College UHI, gaining an Upper Second Class. I have completed an art residency with my fellow college friends Lar MacGregor and Toria Caine, as well as a subsequent exhibition at Toria’s studio space in Cawdor: Caladar Arts.

I am involved in the growing yet mostly ‘underground’ art scene in Inverness, where I’m a frequent goer to art events; both as an observer and a participant. I am also constantly applying for opportunities which can further my art practice.

And I’m also on the dole; applying for jobs that would hopefully help fund what I do and keep me alive.

I am also figuring out what I’m going to do with this blog. As I have stated before, I’m not a natural blog person. Maybe because I have never kept a diary. But the blog has potential to be utilized in other ways, such as archiving my work, the stories behind what made them come into being and what their status is in the world. I will also try and convert it into more of a website in terms of layout.

It may take me a while, but the blog needs an overdue overhaul into a system that I may actually use and maintain this time.

Getting back into the saddle…

An academic year has passed, and I have ignored my blog during that time. Mostly because I have been very busy, and that I’m not really a bloggy person. But I felt that this would be a good time to tell what I have been doing since the last post.

I have been completing my Hons bit of my BA Hons Contemporary and Contextualised Practice course at Inverness UHI. 60% or so has been figuring out what my work is about and refining it, whilst 40 or so percent has been writing. Mostly research for a dissertation/symposium special or researching for my work in my sketchbooks.

My work has developed significantly from the ‘War CDs.’ I’m still creating work that illustrates news articles that are reported by the media, but instead of trying to create a story like I did with the ‘War CDs;’ where storage files and/or objects are physically corrupted by the footage that they hold, my work now just tells it how it is.

My subjects range from the rise of knife, gun and acid attacks in the UK as well as other countries such as America, to more harrowing topics such as the Grenfell Tower blaze.

(‘Re-coil:’ a found-object sculpture depicting the rise of knife attacks in the UK.)

The research for my dissertation/symposium was heavily based on my work as well as my (sometimes skewed) belief that Political Art is mostly non-existent or hidden for some reason. This can be to the Art produced not being visually striking or that there are other forces at work which doesn’t want bold Political Art to be seen.

This research was produced for an alternative to a traditional dissertation. I decided to do a symposium or oral presentation instead, and I am happy to note, that I would probably be the ONLY person to do the symposium. At my college. Ever.

It was a faff. It can be improved; more relaxed and less academic. And a bigger word count. But if it was a bigger word count, why should someone do the symposium and not the dissertation as there would be no difference. So I’ve been telling the years below to just do the dissertation. It’s less faff and you’ll be keeping the universities happy if you choose to continue your studies somewhere else. Because of what I have picked, it’ll be harder for me to study somewhere else without defending why I did a symposium that a dissertation.

But hey ho.

So that is why I have been quiet for nearly a year. But now I’ve got a bit more time on my hands and less stress, I can document what I have been doing, and maybe what I am doing right now.

Creative X Part 2: Second Coming!

As you can recall in the last post, I created new designs for the collaboration with Creative Skate Store and future art exhibition with said collaborators because I felt the first designs (the James and Chris screenprints) weren’t up to scratch.

So I created the ‘MAD DOG’ ‘board graphic, illustrating General James Mattis’ nickname with a three-colour military theme.

Now I’m focusing on the “twin” for the ‘MAD DOG’ ‘board, featuring this guy…

 

Have an idea who this is supposed to represent?

Yep, it’s a mandrill baboon mixed with Donald Trump.

In contrast to the ‘MAD DOG,’ this graphic was to be brightly coloured, very busy, dramatic and basically overkill. So I had to design and put in a lot of elements to achieve the dramatic look, and to match its dramatic title: ‘FAKE NEWS.’

I was thinking ‘Stars and Stripes’ and a big zeppelin with speakers and soundwaves. And placement of the title would be shared with the ‘MAD DOG’ twin; between the bolts for the nose truck.

Everything was built in Photoshop, and you can see the rough edges. (I’ve just spotted the irregularity of the stripes at the bottom there. I thought trying to get both sides symmetrical was bad enough, and I still didn’t get that right.)

But I’m still very proud of what I had built, and that I had achieved what was in my head.

What I did find weird is the change of the colour blue when I transferred the ‘Baboon’ from one file to another. I thought it was the file’s fault, which also has the ‘MAD DOG’ image, so I created the ‘Baboon’s’ own file, but the colours stayed the same. And the ‘MAD DOG’ hasn’t picked up this “faded” look.

? Hmmmm….

I don’t want to change it though. I’ve grown used to it, and actually prefer it. I brings out the light-to-dark gradient which I wanted, and forced me to think more about the design, so not having a fine ‘stroke’ line around the ‘Baboon’s’ body and having him blend into his surroundings.

Again, I’m holding off from unveiling the full graphic until it’s been made physical with it’s “twin,” but I’m pretty stoked with the way they have turned out. They’ll look good as posters or even stickers, so that’s another couple of mediums which they could appear as. But I would love it if the funding was available and the skateboard exhibition went ahead. And I talked with a fellow skateboarder recently who may have given an idea on how the exhibition ‘boards could be displayed.

 

Creative X Part 1: Second Coming!

 

This is a blog post talking about my skateboard designs for the Skateboard Exhibition held by Creative Skate Store sometime in September or later on.

“Whoa! Hold on a minute! Didn’t you already do some skateboard deck designs for the same exhibition back in May?”

Yes I did. If you can recall, these ones.

Which, at the time, I was quite pleased about.

But, during and after the ‘DiscoBeast’ exhibition, I came to the realisation that they are actually quite boring and a bit shit. And that the only people who could use them, are the guys on them; James and Chris. Which is what happened.

James bought his from me for £30 and skated it until it could “pop” no more. Chris got his as a wedding present. (He and his wife Pam got married last Sunday. (27th of August.))

Meanwhile I started on designing better graphics, ones which suited my style of art more. And they would still be a pair and match each other whilst being dramatically different.

The first ‘board was to be a continuation or reworking of ‘The General Feasts Upon The Cabinet.”

 

Initally, I wanted this ‘board to have a look that was not too far away from the album covers of ‘Slayer,’ designed by Larry Carroll. Lots of reds, browns and blacks, multi-layering, demonic and messy.

Instead, I simplified the design; using a 3 – colour pallette; black, white and army/olive drab green, and designing an imposing but uncomplicated graphic.

I created this guy by splicing together a snarling Alsatian/German Shepherd dog and a photo of General James Mattis, also known as ‘Mad Dog Mattis.’ (Can you see the connection?)

In order to hide the choppy bit at the bottom of the portrait, I freehanded a wiped-blood effect, (With a mouse. I do have a tablet and pen, but I still haven’t used it yet.) and inserted blood splatters over the top to build it up.

To add a twist, I placed the title (now “MAD DOG” in ‘STENCIL’ font) in-between the bolt holes for the trucks. My logic is that as the ‘board is being used and the graphic is worn away, you can still identify the ‘board because the title has been “saved” by being underneath the truck.

I know, a lot of faff, but I thought it was a stroke of genius.

Above the portrait was to be a halo of stars in the original work, and I retained it for the graphic.

 

It was looking great, but there was something missing. At the top of the deck, (the nose) there was an empty space, so I wanted to fill it. Not with something big, but with something that would fit with the theme of the graphic.

Like a plane. Or a bomber.

I had two in mind; a B-52, and an A-10 Thunderbolt.

In the end, the Thunderbolt won, but the B-52 looked great at the nose too.

I’m holding off at unveiling the full graphic here until I get the physical skateboard printed and paid for. Which I am looking forward to, simply because of how and if the printer would be able to replicate the colours first time, or like ‘TwoFngrs’ ‘board, there would be some “teething troubles.”

In the meantime though, I will follow up this post with another on the “twin” to the ‘MAD DOG.’

 

Lonely Arts Exhibition

 

It has been a while since I have submitted a blog post, and it is really because of my laziness, as well as the fact that I am not a natural blogger.

But mostly because I am lazy.

I am also now on Instagram, (theblackeningdog) so most of my time has been spent on uploading snippets of work on that.

Anyway, this post has been long overdue.

From the 7th – 10th of June 2017, myself and a few of my BA art crew were involved in an exhibition of work by local artists in the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, set up by LAC founder Rebecca Brown and Museum Exhibition Officer Kirsten Body.

The work ranged from paintings to illustration, sculpture to projected images/digital work. I believe over 200 pieces were submitted for the exhibition.

As stated before in a past blog post, I submitted my sculpture piece; ‘Manchester: 1996,’ although I did try to include its “sister,” ‘Manchester: 2017,” but I was too late as the set-up team were already hanging up the pieces on the 6th of June, ready for the opening night on the 7th. (‘Manchester: 2017’ was exhibited at the DiscoBeast Exhibition on the 3rd of June.)

The opening night was a success; artists/designers and members of the public turned up to have a drink and discuss the work. The following pictures were taken at the opening night, and feature my shadow a lot, so no prizes for stunning photography there!

 

One of my classmate’s work, Lar MacGregor’s ‘Flow.’ Produced during her placement with Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Made with reclaimed copper sheets, and representing timelines of projects which the Museum was involved with.

 

Another two classmates work; Lisa Brandon on the left and Chris McDiarmid on the right. Chris had two pieces on display in the exhibition.

 

 

 

On the left; two of Arron Cooper’s works. Arron is a friend of mine. He was a year or so above me (HNC/HND) when I was doing my NC in the old Midmills building of the UHI. Around the time of the exhibition he was completing/had completed his BA in Fine Art at Moray.

 

One of my good friends Amy Anderson’s watercolour pieces on the wall. Amy is primarily a digital illustrator, but she wanted to push herself and produce a couple of watercolours for the exhibition. Amy is in the second picture.

Maja Tokar’s crow skull, made of resin and flowers. Maja is going to Edinburgh College of Art to focus on jewellery.

 

“The Brick,” which (annoyingly) was hung ‘landscape and not ‘portrait!’ Ultimately it didn’t affect the ‘aura’ of the piece.

 

 

 

Manchester: 1996

Whilst I was researching the terror attack at the Ariana Grande concert on the 22nd of May 2017, a number of articles mentioned that a terrorist attack had occurred 20 years previously. I was intrigued, and so began to research that event as well.

15th of June, 1996. Football fans were beginning to descend on the city for the Euro 96 match between Scotland and England. TV crews were arriving ahead of the football match at Old Trafford the next day; Russia vs Germany.

Shoppers were busy deciding on Father’s Day gifts.

Then at 9:20 am, two heavily disguised men left a red and white Ford Cargo van on the corner of Cannon Street and Corporation Street. The pair quickly left in a burgundy Ford Granada, which was found abandoned in Preston.

9:38 am; a man with an Irish accent called the authorities that a bomb in an abandoned Ford Cargo van was about to go off in Manchester, and relayed a code word used by the ‘Provisional Irish Republican Army’ or IRA. The police quickly commenced an operation to evacuate 80,000 people from Manchester City Centre.

The’ Army Bomb Disposal Squad’ were preparing to disable the bomb using a disposal robot. I theory, there would be two small explosions; one would blow a hole in the side of the van, the other would disable the bomb inside.

At 11:17am, the bomb went off.

3,300 pounds of homemade explosive pulverised shops, shattered windows, travelled around 90 degree corners, pushed people to the ground and sounded an explosion which could be heard over 15 miles away. It left a 15 metre crater.

Glass, masonry bricks and mortar rained from the sky, injuring evacuated shoppers.

212 people were injured, but nobody was killed.

Learning about this attack, I decided to create a “sister” piece to the ‘Manchester: 2017’ work.

Titled ‘Manchester: 1996,’ the work would depict a brick suspended in a space without any aids. Bloody and dirty crepe bandages would be wrapped around the brick, whilst blood would drip and pool in the chambers.

Deciding which brick would be “the star of the show.” I procured these from a demolished wall not far from where I live.

I used the bandage clips to keep the warps secured, and they added another “layer” to the work. The “blood” (ink and Plakka paint) was applied with a pipette and the ends of brushes.

The brick was to be suspended with no aids in the middle of a box frame, to focus maximum attention to the details. I had to modify two box frames with balsa wood inserts in order to get the depth I wanted. The brick was mounted onto black card fixed onto one of the backs with silver wire and Gorilla Glue. The frames were also fixed together with Gorilla Glue.

The finished piece. I originally wanted glass in the frame but there wasn’t enough depth to allow that.

The Gorilla Glue did its job and fixed the piece and the frame together with a strength like nothing else. Apart from securing the brick to the mount, the wire is mostly cosmetic, adding another dimension to the piece.

As well as the DiscoBeast exhibition, I was involved in another exhibition with the ‘Lonely Arts Club’ in Inverness. The exhibition would be shown at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery from the 7th to the 10th of June, around the time of ‘XpoNorth;’ a music, arts and gaming festival which is also held in Inverness.

I submitted ‘Manchester: 1996’ into the ‘Lonely Arts Club’ exhibition, and I will writing a follow-up blog post about what happened and how many were involved, along with plenty of images.