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blip blip blip is an exhibitions
programme committed to examining
and fostering relationships between
contemporary art practice and art
education. Art students are involved
in the running of the programme from
installing and invigilating shows to
acting as technicians in order to help
realise works.
Ciara Phillips & Edwin Pickstone
Interviewed by Polly Morris
How did you both go about becoming professional artist’s after
finishing your degrees? Edwin: It was a gradual process which I came to through making,
not with a specific audience in mind, but by making things that
interested me and the designers, artists, authors and musicians
with whom I collaborate.
For this catalogue we have asked seven of the current Fine Art
Foundation students at Leeds College of Art, who help run the
programme, to interview all the artists involved.
This year’s Interim has been selected by Ciara Phillips and Edwin
Pickstone and will be installed on top of, and within, their own
work.
Interim is an annual exhibition open to all current penultimate year
BA Fine Art students at British art schools who have previously
completed their foundation course at Leeds College of Art.
The doubles series asks a mid career artist to invite another
artist, with whom they have some form of educational or artistic
relationship, to make an exhibition with them. In this sixth
instalment of the series Ciara Phillips has invited Edwin Pickstone
to produce a new collaborative work that will line the walls of the
gallery.
Doubles Series + Interim
Ciara: When I finished my degree the idea that I might one day be
able to work as a professional artist felt like an unlikely eventuality.
As a first year student I remember being congratulated for
choosing to study Fine Art (do what you love) but being told in the
next breath that only 3% of us would someday work as artists (be
prepared to do something else).
You have to find your own way into being an artist but if you care
about what you’re doing you will keep at it. I’ve always moved back
and forth between working for a living and working on my art.
When I graduated from University I moved in with my parents and
got a job as a secretary. It wasn’t something I cared about but I
still learned from the experience of doing it and it also meant that
I saved enough money to take the next summer off to return to
my old University to make new work. My ‘other’ jobs (waitressing,
working as a secretary, leading workshops at a psychiatric
hospital, lecturing) have all had some impact on my work as an
artist. It’s true that finding a way to sustain yourself as an artist
is difficult, and I haven’t always found the balancing act that easy,
but I’m nevertheless glad that I’ve picked up other skills along the
way. I think it’s important to remember that if want to do this for
your lifetime, then you can and should allow yourself some time to
get there.
Could you describe your average working day, if there is such a
thing? Edwin: As a lecturer and technician I spend most of my days with
students from all over the art school. This involves dealing with a
lot of both ‘why?’ and ‘how?’.
Ciara: 10am – 8pm is a pretty normal working day. Most common
activities at the moment are: emailing, talking to students about
their degree show, printing with Edwin, packing and shipping
artworks, making stuff with Poster Club, going to openings, booking
travel, invoicing, thinking about and making new artworks.
What is it about printing as a medium that you were both drawn to
in the first place and has sustained your interest? Edwin: Originally I liked the control, that no matter how bad, each
print was the ‘real thing’ and the restrictions to battle against. I
still relish that ability to control all aspects of the production of my
work but have also in found in typography, print and the alphabet a
rich, deep subject area to get involved with.
Ciara: I wasn’t really that drawn to printmaking as a student - it
seemed time-consuming and there was far too much cleaning. But
I’ve grown to like the time that’s embedded in the process. Some
years ago I abandoned the idea of making editions of prints and
that really opened up the possibilities for me. Two things still keep
me interested about printing – its historical legacy (working with
Edwin has shown me that I still have a lot to learn about this!) and
the element of surprise that it can bring to the process of making.
In light of the fact Ciara was nominated for the Turner Prize in
2014, how important do you both feel such prizes are for artists? Edwin: I was very pleased to have made the poster, displayed in the
Turner Prize exhibition, for Duncan Campbell’s film It For Others. I
suppose if I was pleased it’d be a bit odd to say that these prizes
have no significance for me, though they probably play a bigger
part in our understanding than I’d like. I was really pleased that
Ciara was nominated. I suspect you’re asking the wrong person.
Ciara: What can I say? It would feel disingenuous to criticize art
prizes based on the fact that they pit artists against one another
and set up false markers of ‘success’, yet to have accepted a
nomination for the Turner Prize. I think there’s truth in both of
these common criticisms of art prizes, but on a personal level I
was happy to have been nominated for Workshop (2010 - ongoing)
at The Showroom – it felt like recognition of all the work that went
into making that show. And it wasn’t just about me, I think it also
meant a lot to my collaborators and all those who helped to make
the project happen. It’s good for people to be given recognition
for the work they’re doing but I don’t think that art prizes need to
be framed in such an adversarial way – that works best for the
institution and for the media, not for the artists themselves.
It was mentioned by some when you, Ciara, were nominated for the
Turner Prize that due to your use of printing, your work could be
perceived as the most typically ‘traditional’ among the nominees,
have either of you come up against any preconceived judgements
within the art world as to how printing is regarded?
Ciara: Yes, I think printmaking still occupies a supporting role but
I actually think that its peripheral status makes it interesting – it
gives it a different voice and links it to other social and political
histories.
Edwin: People often, understandably, confuse the discipline I
work with (letterpress typography and print) which exists in the
remains of a, now redundant, commercial/industrial process, with
Printmaking whose roots are closer tied to fine art. I suspect that a
more interesting discussion would be about the way in which postindusrial cities such as Glasgow have become seen as centres for
the production of Contemporary Art and the ‘Creative Industries’
and our respect for the industries and skilled workers who went
before.
Ciara, one of your collaborations was titled “Who Decides?”, which
involved sending a different rule to each participating artist who
could respond to it in any way they wished, another exhibition was
called “The only rule is work”... is this something you firmly believe
or are there any other rules either of you stick to within your art
practice? What part do you think rules play within the art world?
Ciara: “The only rule is work” is a quote from a list of 10 Rules for
the Immaculate Heart College Art Department devised by Corita
Kent in the 1960s. It’s Rule 7, “The only rule is work. If you work it
will lead to something. It’s the people who do all of the work all the
time who eventually catch onto things.” I’ve used this quote as a
title for an artwork and as a title for a show. I think there’s a lot to
be said for work [i.e. your work as an artist] leading to something,
but I also question the very notion of ‘work’ and how much we
adhere to it as a principle for living. And I’m critical of how much
creative people work for little to no pay. So the title, ‘The only rule
is work’, was intended to open up some of these questions while
also pointing towards an artist whose work I admire. I don’t adhere
to any firm rules within my own practice – except maybe one, I only
use my own photographs, no appropriation of images. But hey,
rules are made to be broken.
[As for the ‘rules’ of the art world, that’s a whole other interview!]
Edwin: I work with a machinery which is now rare and very
difficult to replace. As such the foremost rule is to understand the
equipment and not break anything. The second rule is to find out
how far you can go without breaking the first.
You both use type in your work in different ways, would you say
words or images have a more profound impact on people?
Edwin: I work collaboratively with lots of artist’s but rarely as dual
author of the work. It’s been such an affirming process working
with someone who’s so generous and confident in their practice.
She also understands that lunch is an important meal, this I
respect. I’m looking forward to working together again.
Edwin: Ha! Sorry Polly, I just don’t know. I suspect they perform
different functions.
Ciara: Both can wield a lot of power.
Edwin, Your work focuses a lot on the history of typography,
including a recent exhibition in Glasgow titled “A potted history of
the alphabet and its designs.” Do you find typography has universal
associations or does it differ from culture to culture? How did you approach the selection process for this exhibition?
Were there any specific things you were looking for? Ciara: We took a good look and chose the works that made us think
or feel something.
Edwin: Typefaces have associations which seem to vary a great
deal from place to place. This is probably the same for the
value placed upon knowledge of traditional skills, equipment
and practices but interestingly it’s really rare for visitors to The
Caseroom (letterpress workshop) at GSA to not be excited by being
surrounded by 16 tonnes of metal type, wood type and printing
presses despite the fact that the same workshop was very close
to being scrapped by the institution only 15 years ago. I can
only assume that our shared digital experience and screen time
encourages a shared interest in typography and an instinctive
draw towards alternative technologies. Ciara, you have made it clear through previous works and
interviews that Corita Kent has been hugely inspirational to
your work, are there any contemporary artists either of you have
recently discovered which have also inspired you? Ciara: Phyllida Barlow, Andrea Büttner and Francis Upritchard.
Edwin: My inspirations tend to come from writers, some designers,
the materials that I work with and people I know, however over the
last few years I’ve made a couple of things for Scott King and more
recently had some discussions with the writer and artist Alasdair
Gray. It probably doesn’t help a great deal but I find their work and
attitudes hard to ignore when I’m unsure of how to proceed.
A large part of both your work involves working collaboratively,
including the Poster Club for you, Ciara. What has it been like
working collaboratively with each other?
And finally, If you could give your 18 year old self a piece of advice,
what would it be?
Ciara: The premise of this show, i.e. that I should ask someone
that I have an educational relationship with to exhibit with me,
seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask Edwin. I hugely admire
the work that he does in the GSA’s Case Room and I’ve been trying
to find a way to work with him for years. Thursday has been our day
for listening to 90s tunes and making collaborative prints – I’ve
learned a lot from Edwin and it has been an absolute pleasure!
Ciara: Trust your instinct.
Briggait, Glasgow (2011).
(2013); O! AND OTHER LETTERS, The
(2013); SANTORINI BIENNALE, Santorini
(in association with GOMA), Glasgow
THIS FLAG IS A HULL, The poetry club
Mackintosh Gallery, Glasgow (2014);
CONVOCATION: COLM CILLE’S SPIRAL,
STAGE, Jerwood Space, London (2015),
THE GRANTCHESTER POTTERY PAINTS THE
ROOM, Southblock, Glasgow (2015);
SHOW, Grafill, Oslo (2015); THE MAKING
include FELLESVERKSTEDET STUDIO
and works in Glasgow. Exhibitions
School of Art (2005). He lives
Communication from The Glasgow
UK) has a BA (Hons) Visual
Ciara Phillips (b.1976 Ottawa, Canada)
currently lives in Glasgow. She
has a BA in Fine Art from Queen’s
University, Kingston, Canada and an
MFA from The Glasgow School of Art
(2004). In 2014 she was nominated for
the Turner Prize. Solo exhibitions
have been staged at Bergen Kunsthall
(2014); Neues Museum Nürnberg
(2013); The Showroom, London (2013);
Inverleith House, Edinburgh (2013);
OUTPOST, Norwich (2012); Galerie
Gregor Staiger, Zürich (2012); Atelier
am Eck, Düsseldorf (2010); and
Washington Garcia Gallery, Glasgow
(2009). Group exhibitions include
Turner Prize 2014,Tate Britain,London;
I Was a Double,Tang Museum,Saratoga
Springs (2014); Generation, Scottish
National Gallery of Modern Art,
Edinburgh (2014); There Will Be New
Rules Next Week, Dundee Contemporary
Arts (2013); Pull Everything Out (with
Corita Kent), Spike Island, Bristol
(2012); Who Decides?, Stadtgalerie
Mannheim (2012); Zwischenraum: Space
Between, Kunstverein Hamburg (2010).
Phillips is the founder of the artist
collective Poster Club and is a
lecturer in painting and printmaking
at The Glasgow School of Art.
Edwin Pickstone (b.1982 Manchester,
Edwin: Be confident to explore further...
Ruth Bingham-Hamilton (b.1994 York,
Eleanor Elks Herrmannsen
Interviewed by Zoe Pillar
What is your motivation in choosing to
explore everyday objects in your work?
I really enjoy working with objects
that we have some kind of repetitive
relationship with in everyday life.
Also, I am interested in the concept of
‘object recognition’: of how we become
accustomed with these objects, their
supposed function and how we should
interact with them. I enjoy translating
these simple objects into sculptural
forms, and by doing this manipulating
the viewers sense of familiarity and the
connotations that certain materials
and objects can hold. It is important
to me that the forms in my work can
be traced back to reality whilst also
being in some kind of limbo between
abstraction and recognition. I am
also very interested in Wittgenstein’s
theories on perception and language,
and this has formed the basis for a lot
of my thinking when making my work.
Are the everyday occurrences explored
within your work sought out or
happened upon?
They are happened upon accidentally,
which is a really important experience
for me. For Scaffolding I tried to
respond to more than an aesthetic
appreciation (the fabrics undulating
movement, its richly saturated
colouration), but also to my experience
of it. I am not concerned with serving
to particularly delight the viewer,
but interested in the sharing of an
experience and its psychological
evocations- momentary wonder and
briefly losing your self in that.
However I am now constantly in a
mode of noticing, where I find myself
searching for similar occurrences.
Collective, Glasgow.
Glasgow; ‘Dangerous Nose’ Go Bang!
Glasgow; ‘null’ The Old Hairdressers,
‘Yeah, You Like That?’ Fleming House,
Night’ Ida Nowhere Gallery, Berlin;
exhibitions include ‘Artist Short Film
I would say that it is romanticised by
not looking at the romantic. Simply
by documenting even the most
mundane parts of the everyday I am
romanticising it, mediating a more
stylised impression of it and elevating
it to something I believe worthy
of attention. Liberating its charm
perhaps? The romanticism is integral
to my practice because it speaks of my
personal fascination with the everyday,
and importantly not everyone else’s.
Eleanor Elks Herrmannsen (b.1993
Would you describe your relationship
with the everyday as romanticised or
honest?
London, UK) is currently studying
What determines your choice of
materials in relation to the objects you
interpret?
at Glasgow School of Art. Recent
UK) is currently studying at Edinburgh
College of Art. Recent exhibitions
It quietly demands attention with
regards to the viewer’s bending or
repositioning. The installation of the
film isn’t accessible from normal
standing height; rather it necessitates
a crouch, to lean over awkwardly or
to sit on the ground. This in itself is
interesting for me because it requires a
level of decision making, deciding if you
are going to give a bit of yourself to the
film and dedicate a few minutes.
Crouching operates in a strange liminal
space between standing and sitting
and often mirrors the awkward position
I find myself in when filming, which
perhaps brings the viewers experience
of the film slightly closer to my first
one.
include ‘Shift & Spin’ Stanley Mills,
The positioning of your work requires
the viewer to bend or reposition
themselves - what was your aim in
creating an awkward relationship
between the work and viewer?
Perthshire; ‘Low Risk Occupiers’ St
Fleeting everyday moments continually
entrance me, but it is through a lens
that I try to bring attention to what
goes unnoticed. The process of
directing a lens to what I see translates
the experience in a manipulated or
staged way. The initial momentary
entrancement is lost, but a new
perspective is gained. For example, the
up-close abstraction of Scaffolding
and subsequent removal of familiar
association allows for a ‘gap’ to open
where the viewer is able to work out
what’s going on. Or more simply is
pointed to the beautiful subtleties that
occur in the periphery of our vision in a
heightened way.
Margaret’s House, Edinburgh; ‘Touchy
Are you continually entranced by
the everyday, or is it only through the
lens of a camera that you are able to
become so?
Feely’ Edinburgh College of Art,
Interviewed by Daisy Smith
Edinburgh.
Ruth Bingham-Hamilton
The materials that I choose to work
with are a very considered aspect of my
work, chosen for a specific intention of
manipulating the viewers preconceived
distinction between reality and fiction
/ representation and truth. Often the
material that I choose to work with
stands in opposition to the function
of the object they represent, creating
a dichotomy within the objects
represented.
I’ve noticed that your work often
communicates a subtle sense of
playfulness. How important is humour
in your work?
I would say that my work is not
intended to be overtly humorous, but
is instead more playful. I use formal
traditions and materials to question
the function of sculpture in relation
to the everyday, which could be seen
as humorous as the deliberate mix of
formal techniques with the banal sits
awkwardly.
Can you give an example of how
you think your work has altered the
environment in which it has been
installed?
I think that although the works can
exist in their own right with their own
titles, I like the works that I make to
have a relationship and a dialogue
with one another within the gallery
space. Often the space in-between
objects and works plays a vital role in
the way it is intended to be viewed. It
is significant to me that the work is
re-made and installed each time in
the gallery space, thereby creating
a different relationship within the
installation as well as the environment
it inhabits.
Tim Offredi
Jake Krushell
Interviewed by Rory Edmonds
Interviewed by Eleanor Mottram
When does your work develop from
photograph into a sculptural form?
Your work often deals with space and
how we react to our environments, how
do you begin to engage with and seek
out an inspirational environment?
The photographs initially are purely for
documentation and a visual diary. The
sculptural forms take place when a
situation occurs within in the frame.
It varies from work to work. Sometimes
they are places that I have known of
for a long time and therefore have a
pre-existing relationship with them.
With others it is more of an instinctive
response to an environment, guided
by its specific context or the history of
the place.
How conscious are you of that
situation?
Very conscious of the situation.
What do you mean by ‘situation’ and
are you conscious of it when taking the
photograph?
You often chose to explore the
things in society that are unnoticed
or redundant why do you think your
interested in this, is it not just the
ordinary?
This could be an accident within
the “urban” environment or an act
of vandalism for example. Yes I am
conscious of this act as this is what
feeds Into the works.
monthly film club and gallery space.
Offredi is co-curator at 7DC, a
Nose’ Go Bang! Collective, Glasgow.
Nowhere Gallery, Berlin; ‘Dangerous
be studying at Glasgow School of Art
Jake Krushell (b.1994 Leeds, UK) is
currently studying on BA (Hons) Fine
Art, Goldsmiths, London. Recent and
forthcoming exhibitions include an
Instagram takeover at Paper journal;
‘Dangerous Nose’ Go Bang! Collective,
Glasgow; ‘A Didactic Death’ DIG,
London. Krushell is co-curator at 7DC,
a monthly film club and gallery space,
and founder of ‘Slide To Unlock’, a
self published publication and online
gallery featuring iPhone footage. www.
It’s humorous but kind of serious at
the same time. I think the work deals
with elements of vandalism and is
made with intent to vandalise in some
cases. I wouldn’t say it a representation
but more the physical labour of this
act. The remains of human frustration
within the space allows me to extract
these gestures and keep producing.
jakekrushell.com
What is your attitude to the “urban”
environment? Is your work vandalism?
Or is it a representation of it, and what
does it mean to you?
Tim Offredi (b.1993 London, UK) will
A failure in what sense?
include ‘Artist Short Film Night’ Ida
Is the accident, or act, a failure?
next academic year. Recent exhibitions
I’m attracted to things or objects within
the urban environment that are often
so banal and trivial that they blend into
the background of our consciousness.
Thus by highlighting and removing
them from their broader contexts it
accentuates the absurdity and humour
of them.
Do you feel the temporary nature of
your work could be seen as a comment
on the current art market and how we
value art as a economic commodity?
It could… but personally I don’t really
see it like that. For me it’s more about
the tension between presence and
absence. My work with sound stems
from a wider interest in the concept
of ‘The Void’ and things that exist in
the peripheries of our consciousness,
occupying a kind of ‘in-between’ space.
I like working with sound in a sculptural
sense as something intangible to
explore physical spaces.
You mention your interest in the notion
of how value “changes in relationship
to the labour invested in it’”, this could
be seen as a reference to Marx’s labour
theory of value – has your work been
informed by influences beyond art
such as politics?
I am primarily interested in the concept
of value itself, how value is ascribed
and ascertained, and the variying
factors which affect this. There is a
tension and contradiction between
these two aspects of value which I
try and explore within some of my
work. Rather than referencing specific
political theories, the work stands
alone as commentary on the subject.
Apolitical in itself, it is left open to the
viewers interpretation.
Gina Price
Interviewed by Megan Pogson
via text message
so we have quite similar works in the
sense of our interest in the blank white
spaces of the studio, you work with
heightening the details that usually
would be dismissed,transferring the
texture from that situation and space.
I try and focus the attention on an area
and the surrounding area just outside
my drawing with an addition to drawing
through sieves that create small
detailed works.
Sounds like were working in a really
similar place, do you have any images
of your work?
Yeah, iv got a couple, wait a sec
So id plan around the drawing and prep
the wall or surface before starting
Have you got any photographs of work
you’ll be exhibiting? Its hard to see the
detail in what iv been shown
Yeah I see why we were matched, I
always work with what was left behind.
Like it a lot though.
Il be installing mine next week, I’m
inserting 24 carat gold leaf into all
old marks in the flooring so iv only
got images of when iv done it on walls
before
What’s the reason for the 24 carat
gold? Is it there to make the marks
more prominent, so the viewers apply
their attention to just those marks?
And yeye go for it id like to see them
I like it, its so subtle
Iv been looking at ideas of value in
materials so filling in chips, cracks
and other nuisances with gold to draw
attention to them rather than have
them overlooked
Yeah, I kind of hoping they’ll barely be
noticed
I like making things that takes ages to
make but can be so easily missed
I think they will but when noticed it
will be like woah how did I miss it kind
thing?
Did this start on your foundation year?
Or progress from something else after?
This is a reaction I would like
I feel similar, for people to really look to
see the process and what it is
For sure started on foundation, I was
really focused on the idea of white
space and how white is used as a none
colour like your not supposed to notice
it
And its just developed from there so
I work from spaces to ‘show’ what’s
there if that makes sense?
I cant believe how similar our shit is,
Sean picked the right person haha
Yeah that makes sense, your pointing
out the imperfections?
Where abouts did you work when you
were on foundation?
Yeah that’s it
I drew onto one of the plaster board
walls all the texture with a pencil for
my final piece
Spent about two weeks up a ladder,
took so long and I only got about a ¼ of
the wall done
I also cast a bit of wall, cut it out and
put the plaster cast into the wall and
filled the edges so you couldn’t really
tell it was there
Have you put up your final show yet?
Oh I feel your pain completely, up a
ladder for days drawing squares over
and over
That sounds so detailed I’m guessing
you put a hell of a lot of time into it
And currently doing that, my main
piece is in situ on the surface of the
studio anyway so not much installing
work into the space
Gave myself serious shoulder problems
all In the name of art
Dead arms
Foot cramps
Haha
yeah I have a time/ value correlation
with my work so the more time iv spent
on a work the better I tend to think it is
Yeah I still like to work like that too,
when’s the show?
Yeah that’s quite similar for most
people I think and preview on the 21st
then public view till the 28th
What’s the purpose in the screen prints
btw? Is the intention for the public/
viewers to take away a piece of your
work from the exhibition?
I think that’s how Id feel
so they can leave with your work
around at Wimbledon?
Have they had any other insights on a
concept?
A few of us had a show last weekend
and I got two people asking if I was
Japanese
Haha no way!!
This was the work I had in
Apparently looks very Japanese
influenced
Yeah I guess its the minimal aesthetic
a lot of my work has
Its something I don’t consciously try
and do that I do really like Donald Judd
and other kings of minimalism
Hmm, maybe a little bit, Japanese
artists are very minimal, how do you
feel about the works that are in the
show with you?
Haha yeah that piece reminds me of
Piero Manzonies work
That sort of has ideas of value as well
like the prints are barely visible but
because you offer it as an ‘edition’
people want it
So people would take them even if they
weren’t sure what they were and they
might even end up in the bin cause he
print can be missed really easily
Again I guess I like work that can be
missed
It was a bit juxtaposition with the other
works in the show, the one next to it is
a big fluoro cow print sack, I like that
though the mix because the contrast
works well
The shit in the can..
Nah I’m joking yeah I can see that
yeah seems to be a major factor in the
intention of your work
I agree I’d pick everything up at an
exhibition/ gallery etc and I don’t really
know why
Cow print?! That’s a little different to
yours haha
And yeah contrast can be good, yours
might be a little bit better
lol
Doubt I’l still be in leeds for the pv but
I’l probably come into college when I’m
up for the show
Yeah me too like its no a critique more
of an observation of playing around
with it
Yeah I see what you mean its like
tempting people with something they
don’t even know
What readings have other people had
on your work? Like people you work
Hahaha I like your thinking
Sorry I’m a little slow at replying I’m
just eating my tea
No worries I’m watching mad men
Not been a fan of mad men haha
Anyways do you think in the ling term
you’l be doing similar work to now? Or
could it all change?
For now I think I’ve been playing with
rubber and latex recently and planning
some work with concrete but its always
a similar subject
Give it a year and who knows I might
finally bore of staring at walls
Maybe your works could become ‘gina
price stared at this wall for 62 hours’
and sell for millions
So is this moving away from small
detailed areas and onto bigger works?
Are they the main materials your
working with atm?
Philip Speakman
exhibiting with yet?
No Iv seen Tims and Elles
One of Tims videos is so so good
and Elles is the concrete pillar and
paper that I love, very minimal
Sweet well will be nice to meet you
soon, thanks for doing this hope it was
what you needed!
Interviewed by Charlotte Hurst
It sounds very interesting cant wait to
see all the work
Thanks for answering everything
Il see you soon!
I think you’ve just found my next work
Gina Price (b.1993 London, UK) is
Philip Speakman (b.1993 Norwich, UK)
is currently studying at Central
St Martins, London. Recent and
forthcoming exhibitions include ‘K
A P A D I A’ 11 Elthorn Rd, London;
‘Altered States’ Camden Arts, London;
‘The Road to Brainchild: A Walking
Tour’ Brainchild Festival, Bentley
Country Park; ‘BATTERY’ (pop-up),
Ooh right okay, I think that on its own is
powerful enough
Yeah when its installed around the
other works and how it will work with
those
Yeah I am yeah
It will be nice to see it in the flesh
Have you seen everyone’s work your
London.
hahaha its fine been nice to chat
There’s only the gold leaf one in
and I think the concept is but I don’t
think I’l know if I’m actually happy with
it until its installed
You coming to the pv?
currently studying at Wimbledon
yeah I think your right, investing time
into new materials with new ideas
keeps you going
What about the piece in your upcoming
show? Will it be succesful?
Don’t worry this can be the last
question
College of Art. Recent exhibitions
Spend the rest of my degree staring
at it
Yeah I think so I’m getting a bit more
ambitious with size and I enjoy getting
to know a new material
But I enjoy drawing the most but I think
it keeps work a bit more exciting to do
other things as well
include ‘Tred Good Baby’ MMX Gallery,
London.
Hahaha
Yes!!
So first and foremostly, what
is your work all about?
The two pieces in the show are an
extension of the work I began in Leeds.
This was searching for The Horizon,
which was a tragicomic pursuit of
the sublime, the unobtainable and a
find of Rousseauian state of nature. I
began working on these two works last
winter when I realised how seasonal
my practice had become - filming and
walking in summer, and working from
the studio in winter. I’d got to a point
where I was working almost exclusively
with documentation. My thinking
began to turn towards whether or not
the work had to be grounded in a real
world action, which in the mind of the
viewer could exist in the same way as
something fabricated.
Why do you find this line
between fiction and non-fiction
interesting?
It’s the cross over point where the two
can bleed together, and reality can
start to resemble fiction in whatever,
weird, whimsical, romantic or ludicrous
way. Werner Herzog’s ‘Fitzcarraldo’ is
an important example – as to make
this epic film, they actually did get
a real tribe to pull a real boat over a
mountain. So in the process of enacting
this film, the fiction became reality which I love. Joshua Oppenheimer’s
‘The Act Of Killing’ does a similar thing
but in almost the opposite way.
I’m interested and engaged most with
narratives.
As something I find quite closely bound
up with narratives, what made you first
start walking?
It was - and still is - a way of facilitating
the opportunity for adventure. But
the fact it’s walking brings a lot of
really interesting ideas. As well as the
possibility for it to function as a protest
march, a pilgrimage, or even a ‘running
away’, it’s the Rousseauian state of
nature idea again… it’s a bit of Hobbit
envy too.
With so many literary figures linked to
the act of walking, why Whittington?
The Dick Whittington walk
changed a lot. It was initially conceived
as a way of exploring ‘the streets are
made of gold’, and what this metaphor
meant for creative opportunities
against a backdrop of rising house
prices and gentrification. But I
realised I was kidding myself, and this
geopolitical angle didn’t interest me.
Really I just wanted to dress up as a cat
and do a big walk - more Monty Python
than Patrick Keiller. That realisation
helped a lot though as it repositioned
the focus of the work to consider the
nature of folk tales as aural traditions.
If you could go back to the start of your
foundation, what advice would you give
yourself?
Be honest and admit your interest in
ridiculous notions like adventure. Also
- start building an ark, you’re going to
need it.
Is film a medium you find useful then?
Is that your next project then?
I’m more interested with it as a method
of documentation than as a material.
But in general I’m definitely more
influenced by literature and film than
art works. It’s only recently I’ve realised
Yeah, but also as a message sent
through time I reckon is pretty suitably
esoteric and apocalyptic… the sort of
thing you expect of a message from the
future.
+
Ciara Phillips & Edwin Pickstone
Doubles Series:
various dimensions
gold leaf
Gina Price, 2015
Gold Chip
Leeds LS9 7EH
Patrick Studios St. Mary’s Lane
at East Street Arts
blip blip blip
mail@blipblipblip.co.uk
+44 [0] 113 248 0040
blipblipblip.co.uk
Interim
Ruth Bingham-Hamilton, Eleanor Elks
Herrmannsen, Jake Krushell, Tim
Selected by Ciara Phillips & Edwin
Offredi, Gina Price, Philip Speakman
Pickstone
14/05/15 - 29/05/15