Caves

Back to the caves

Thanks to Arts Alive Wales' Creative Network mini-fund I've been able to buy a portable projector to experiment with film in Eglwys Faen cave using the tunnels and layers of graffiti as canvas, and making new film and recordings. 

These are stills from some first trials: projecting and re-filming clips of roads and waterways linked to past and present industry in the area.

refilming onto collected cats eyes flipped to the side of the road

This blog has charted work over the last few years, observing, drawing, photographing some of the strange remains of the interplay between human and natural activity in and around the caves - see systems and following posts.

 This new work continues exploration of the translocation and transformation of found objects as a way of thinking about how we navigate systems - relational, cultural, geographic, historical - 

and what happens when connection's lost, broken or hidden. 

Beyond Orpheus

Combining poetry, improvised music, movement, voice and film, Beyond Orpheus formed the closing event of the Tales We Tell extravaganza at 
Un Deg Un, hosted and co-ordinated by Steve Kenyon-Owen

Beyond Orpheus was the latest manifestation of 

The Orpheus Project, which over the course of a few years has brought poets, musicians, artists and performers together in a series of collaborative ventures

Our collaborations began in 2010 in an exploration of the Orpheus / Eurydice myth transposed to Craig y Cilau Nature Reserve, Wales - with particular 
focus on Egwys Faen cave.

My films and soundtrack took the sounds and sights from that location to 
Un Deg Un's cavernous upstairs retail-cave in the heart of Wrexham.

For the previous month of Tales We Tell, the space held a film triptych 
and some 7' drawings.

For the final event, thanks to Steve's expertise we were able to open up the space in a new way with 4 films - creating an environment for the poets/performers who were joining us.

image Anthony Mellors

me and audience
image by Anthony Mellors

with Scott Thurston

 Steve Boyland 

  Rhys Trimble  

Lyndon Davies

Anthony Mellors
image by Jo Delyse Packwood

Thanks once more to those other poets and musicians who feature on the film soundtrack, but who were not able to be at the Tales We Tell event:

Musicians and composer Gillian Stevens on Crwth, 
Sound Performers - Team Sports, (Matthew Lovett, Jimmy Ottley, Ian Watson)

Poets: Graham Hartill, Christopher Twigg,
 John Goodby, Claudia Azzola.

For more information about previous Orpheus /Eurydice events, go to
projects on my website and scroll through the pages.

Boxing the Chimera

I was surprised to find the chimera alive and well in Fort Collins, Colorado -  appearing in various guises in the work of Mary-Ann Kokoska and students.

On returning from the trip, it was time to finish a series of 7’ drawings, for the next phase of my own chimerical project.

The drawings will be on display in November and December at Swansea Museum Collections Centre (open every Wednesday). You can also meet me on site between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm on Friday 14th November.
Please ring for appointment to view at othe times: 01792 467282

Originally part of the Morfa Copper Works site, the Swansea Collection Centre is now a marvelously eclectic treasure trove of material relating to a huge variety of subject matters, both land-based and maritime, natural and man-made.

It was exciting to work with Katy Williams, Collections Technical Officer and Huw Davey, Collections Technician, in placing my drawings - making the most of all their knowledge and experience of what works best in the Collection Centre.

photo courtesy SMCC

It involved the moving of some of the collection, either to make space, or to bring objects relating to the drawings into new prominence.

In the Collection Centre, objects of vastly different form and function rub up against one another as if haphazardly, and I wanted to capture something of the way the strangeness of these juxtapositions seems at once to intensify the visual presence of the objects and to suggest shadowy new possibilities of meaning, use and derivation. 

Kate turned the lights out so that I could take these new possibilities further, by projecting films made about the collection onto objects.

The exhibition forms part of the Arts Council Wales funded Boxing the Chimera project, for the purposes of which I made drawings and a film from objects discovered in three museums: Newport Museum, Merthyr’s Cyfarthfa Castle and the Swansea Museum Collection Centre itself. By combining elements, the drawings attempt to create dynamic new configurations, suggestive of alternative orders of reality, whilst celebrating the individuality of the things themselves.
More info. at www.pennyhallas.co.uk and at www.axisweb.org

From Here and There

Just returned from Colorado as part of the Elysium Gallery / Clara Hatton Gallery cultural exchange From Here and There.

Flying over Iceland

I journeyed with artists Dalit Leon, Richard Monahan and Jason and Becky, and after flying across Iceland, Greenland, Canada and the States, we arrived 

 in Fort Collins. Next day we met up with Philip Cheater, Lucy Donald, Ann Jordan, Jonathan Powell and Sarah Williams who had all tavelled earlier, via New York. 

Mary-Ann Kokoska, Melissa Furness and Marius Lehene gave us an amazing welcome, and laid on a series of events and tours to give us a flavour of life and the arts in Fort Collins, Denver and the Rockies. After a quick trip down to old town Fort Collins...

...we went to the University campus for an afternoon and evening of artist talks and student critiques. 

We were amazed by the investment in and facilities for the fine arts, which included a range of gallery and exhibition spaces on campus. We learned that students can gain teaching experience whilst on their Batchelor of Fine Arts Courses, which equips them with a start in lecturing. They then seem to be encouraged to move on to apply for posts elsewhere, allowing freshness and diversity in the institutions.

Next day Marius drove us to Denver, where he and Melissa took us to a range of arts spaces: Plus Gallery, Denver Art Museum, Museum Contemporary Art, Robischon Gallery, David B. Smith Gallery

  Marius and Ann featuring in works by Matt Barton at MCA

I specially loved the artist residency spaces at Redline Gallery 

Homare Ikeda studio space, Redline  

Before taking us out for a slap up meal, Melissa introduced us to her students at University of Colorado, Denver, for a group critique with all of us visiting artists: both hugely enjoyable expriences.

Next day there was time to explore Fort Collins and a trail to the Rocky foothills by bike before the private view of the drawing exchange.

Mary-Ann, centre, at PV  

still from A Short Film About Drawing.

The last day before going our separate ways was spent in the Rocky Mountains, thanks to our hosts giving up their Saturday to guide us. Becky and Jason and I were driven by Tracy Stuckey, who battled his way through the crowds of National Parks Day, to show us some wonders...

...before a final fantastic meal in Fort Collins, courtesy of our hosts.

Sunday brought a shift in focus for me, as I was staying on for a few days, thanks to friend Caroline Goodwin, poet laureate of San Mateo County, California. I had already heard something of the connections between art and poetry at Fort Collins through Marius who introduced us to poetry students, and gave me a copy of his recent collaboration with writer Matthew Cooperman (Imago for the fallen world). Working with poets has been a central part of my recent practice: now, Caroline and I could review past collaborations and plan new ones, as well as have loads of fun. 

Caroline's photo of us both

Camille T. Dungy has recently taken up a professorial role at Colorado State University Fort Collins, and kindly invited Caroline (and me) to breakfast on Monday. Their converstions gave me an insight into the challenges of teaching and academic life in San Francisco and Colorado, and chance to compare their experiences with those of professors here in UK, but also to learn more of their pre-occupations and perspectives as poets.

Caroline and I went on to have some amazing experiences - including a dramatic shift in the weather, with hail and snow before more sun - hearing elk bugling in the Rockies, and musicians Mag and Paul playing fine country music. Special thanks to Mag for the wonderful welcome she and Andy extended to me in their home.