Preview Evening - Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs

Last night saw a very special outing, a Tate Preview Evening of the Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs show, and what an absolutely ore inspiring, spectral, enlightening and fabulous evening and exhibition! It seems as Spring has sprung there is a wealth of incredible shows throughout London and this one, as all the reviews have stated, "Nothing can prepare you for the joyous brilliance – and scale – of Matisse's late, great work, 'proliferating from one gallery to the next like some super-abundant garden'..  from Laura Cummings of The Observer, to the "Tate Modern's super exhibition shows Matisse's cut-outs aren't just visual delights - but the product of painful searching and thought", says Richard Dorment of The Telegraph. The reviews are surely not a lie and this exhibition brings joy to many as you are pulled through the process of Matisse's making and presented with epic scaled pieces, for a young standing artist, as sure triumph, but lets remember Matisse was a growing old man, the persistence of this great artist is ore inspiring. 

There is so much to talk about with regards to this exhibition it is difficult to know where to start. But for me, what is imperative to mention is the curation of this show, it is spectacular. The moment you enter you are drawn into a film that shows the craftsmanship of this gentleman, the poetic, fluid motion of his cutting action, welding his tool, the scissor, in such a confident manner, as if they were just an extension of his fingers. His touch to paper, reminded me of Wolfgang Tillmans, the way in which these extraordinary artists let the light and air move the paper in a cinematic way, their hands providing the gentleness of intervention. From that moment on, you are visually experiencing his thought process through painted paper, cut, pinned and pasted.

There is an abundance of works on show, 120 that detail the periods of work between 1936 to 1954 and as you enter into the new rooms, you are hit with true beauty, striking colours, fluid shapes and the essence of the outside inside. Intermixed with the wealth of the visual there is a wonderful essence of Matisse in the rooms, as he words and traces are expressed through pieces and text. A very poignant quote that will stay with me for a while is, "removes their sensitivity," in reference to the published works of the Jazz publication and its inherent printing process. It surely talks of Walter Benjamin's idea of the Aura of the original work of art, against the notion of the the reproduction. For me this idea of the original is so paramount for visual engagement, its wonderful to hear such things from Matisse.

One of the most enjoyable elements of the exhibition was seeing the artist books that Matisse made, including his genius maquette of Jazz. This was mind-blowing, seeing the quality of the paper, the torn edges, the hand painted text, against the originals framed above, it was quite a sight to behold and for me, I can completely see why the publication was disappointing, a flatness that stamps out those creases, the mistakes, the lines found within the originals. Neither the less, this publication is stunning and along with the other covers he designed for his exhibitions, it only proves the resolve of this artist and how he truly was before his time.

As he said it himself, "By creating these coloured paper cut-outs, it seems to me that I am happily anticipating things to come. I don't think I have ever found such balance as I have in creating these paper cut-outs. But I know that it will only be much later that people realise to what extent the work I am doing today is in step with the future." Matisse.

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/henri-matisse-cut-outs

Time Flies, Works Evolve

I can't quite believe that this time a month ago, I was very much in the depths of alchemy, shoulder height, head to toe in acid and nitrate! It is quite astounding how quickly the time flies and how much work has already been made and continues to develop and evolve. Our collaborative project, Lunar Caustic is a true delight to work on and in so many ways it reminds me of why I love Photography as a medium, as we get back to the traditions and classic, hand printing tests commence!

The last few weeks have seen an abundance of inspiration, not only with this delightful collaboration, but also on others that will again like Lunar Caustic debut later this year. It seems 2014 is the year to work with others, bounce ideas off, evolve projects and concepts in a group dynamic, something I have found to be incredibly inspiring and fulfilling. More of these projects at a later date!

Tuesday saw a wonderful day in the printers, the fantastic Artful Dodgers to be precise, testing and testing for the bespoke, on demand editions. There is nothing quite like, working with a great printer for an afternoon, working through the colour balances, tonal qualities and paper types to get one excited, it's beautiful to watch. So with this in mind, another print for release, number 8 in the series!

Martin Creed: What's the point of it?

I was so pleased to hear that the Martin Creed exhibition at the Hayward had been extended until the 5th May, so on Friday I took the opportunity to head on over to the Southbank and see "What's the point of it"  was all about! And well there was so many points to it, I found it totally inspiring, a sensory overload and at times, difficult to digest in a matter of speaking! I haven't seen an exhibition that so honestly takes over the entire space, filling each second you are in there with an abundance of joy and at times pure laughter. It is truly extraordinary.

The moment you walk through the slightly different entrance to the usual, you are stuck, almost literally by the artwork. A huge neon spinning sign entitled "Mothers" spins around on its axis, alternating the speeds at will, I sat for quite a long trying to work out the rhythm but to no avail, it didn't matter after all. The sign is huge, it is just the perfect height from the floor and ceiling, that it passes your head with about a foot left to spare. What becomes apparent from the onset is that this exhibition is curated in a way that from the first entry you are thrust into Creed's world where you are forced to deal with the dark edges of comfort intermixed with the bright lights of joy. 

As you wonder through the exhibition, taking over all the floors, three balconies as well as the toilets and the lifts, you are thrown an impressive list of works, films and sound installations. Each room you walk through, a multitude of inspiration for the mind and senses. Being an Emetaophobic, the film in the second room, of which you cleverly have to go through to exit the exhibition, I found very difficult to watch. But I did manage to watch 1 of the vomit participants, whose face seemed strangely familiar.

After a rather, uncomfortable dark place for me, a much brighter one upstairs, the balloon room! Now this is a crazy, joyous, fun thing to do in a gallery space. I decided to take my shoes off, I am much happier without shoes anyway and I really wanted to feel the space. You enter, pre-warned of allergies, the usual health & safety and then on into the white balloon filled room. It is absolutely hysterical, people blindly wading through the balloons, trying to find a edge, the end, something! You are surrounded, every which way you turn with balloons, the static turning your hair more and more on end, it was so much fun, much laughter filled the room. An absolute joy!

You can't really do the exhibition justice with words, I can only say you MUST go and see this exhibition before it closes on May Bank Holiday, it will surely change how you view the world around us, Martin Creed thank you.

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/martin-creed

Updates & Another LC

Today saw a very exciting advancement in the journey that is Lunar Caustic, as we collected our films fresh off the developer! Having safely transported them back to the UK, through multiple customs, the last opportunity of destruction loomed, but we can very happily rest in that fact that all films are developed, fixed and stable - a certain fate within our series of uncontrollability.  Even a little portrait of the collaborative team too!

This is where the fun starts all over again, as we spend many hours working with hand printers testing to enlarge the negatives shot in Beijing for the editions. As process is so fundamental to the success of this collaboration, it is wonderful that we manage to involve others, to help realise this incredible story of salvation and the resurrection of the art of black magic within the archive.

As the weeks fly by, here is another image from the series, and as we conducted our first interview around the series today, there will be many more being released in due course, so keep watching to see more imagery from the project.

Introducing Lunar Caustic

To celebrate Good Friday, what better way than introducing one of the many fruits of our collaboration, a project two years in the making between Melinda Gibson and Thomas Sauvin, here is Lunar Caustic!

"This collaborative intervention speaks of the resurrection and destruction of photography. Negatives salvaged from a predetermined acid induced demise, archived under Silvermine are re-envisioned anew. Images ultimately destined for ruin are now taken to the threshold of disappearance, frozen between stages, part rescued and part destroyed by the very compounds used and created, that of Silver Nitrate. This binding of the two processes creates a new space for interpretation, elevating the simplicity of the process, the final product, but furthermore echoing the spontaneous, uncontrollable nature of the damaged negatives, where gradual matter grows over the imagery. The resulting series shows through taming the organic, you can offer up new ways to see the seen and understand the understood, blurring the boundaries of what the medium can be."

Exciting, exciting times lie ahead of us, with many more images from our collaboration to be released soon, have a wonderful Easter!

Black Magic In Beijing

 

So, I am back, and I can't quite describe exactly how incredible the last few weeks have been. How those wonderful 10 days in Beijing on my residency, finalising my collaborative project with the excellent Thomas Sauvin have seen so much happen, experience and create! But of course, I am going to do my very best and show you.

The beginning held much excitement, anticipation as I flew out to Beijing on my birthday. A friend once told me, the joys of flying on ones anniversary are much auspicious, so it started in the most perfect way, minus the hour on standby, lost luggage, but all was re-found and as soon as I left Beijing Terminal 3, all was set in perfect motion and work commenced.

I arrived at the studio, was greeted with familiar faces and settled in to my workhouse for the next 10 days, a stunning light room, filled with much positivity, a set of hand C-Types awaiting approval and the chemicals ready for reactions. It was at this point that after one year of Skype calls, thousands of emails, ideas exchanged that the real work started, and we couldn't wait!

Our schedule was tight, every minute of every day was spent working through our ideas, making, creating and editing our developments. Testing saw the first three days pass as we tried to tame the reactions, ultimately never having the control one is so used to these days. But through this uncontrollable nature of our project grows a deep respect, understanding of the medium and how ones modern living is problematic to looking. 

The reactions took hold, blackening not only the prints but my fingers, hands and arms darker by the day. It is if the work was literally tattooing my skin, reminding me of what was taking hold and how you can't control, but only learn to tame. The entire process was very cathartic, a lesson in patience, watching and waiting.

After an incredibly intense 7 days, a break, well earned indeed. A night out on the town, a visit back to my old favourite, The Slow Boat with fellow friends in Beijing, then onto a great Cocktail bar in the Gongti, Parlour not to be missed when in the city! After a few Ales intermixed with Makers Mark cocktails the early hours arrived and it was back to work for the last few days.

In between the sad day of leaving and having to return to London, a very special trip out to a flea market, the Panjiayuan Market where I was very honoured to be wondering around with both my collaborator and friend, both of which are fellow Photography collectors and artists in the know! There assistance was invaluable as I brought some beautiful hand prints and Chinese carte de visites to add to my own collection, a very happy day indeed.   

10 days went by so quickly and I returned with a suitcase full of new work to be released in the next few days, so keep watching, there are only hours left to wait...

More information to follow soon!!!

24 Hours And Beijing Is Calling

So, only 24 hours until I leave and Beijing is certainly calling! All is packed, 100 Archival sleeves, 25 rolls of film, 3 packs of Polaroid, 2 Photographic trays and relating tongs, 2 pairs of safety googles, 1 Acid Resistant Apron, a pair of Acid Resistant gloves and lets not forget the Hunter wellies, and a small selection of clothes! 

As the time approaches, I currently sit in my studio easing my thoughts, preparing for what will be one of the best, most exciting and inspiring trips this year, listening to the extended classical sounds of Einaudi, Grieg, Scriabin and many others including my favourites, Adagio for String and the Moonlight Sonnet by Beethoven. I always find that before a trip, there is something very special about classical music that calms my spirit, my mind and prepares me for the travels ahead.

Much awaits my arrival and much will be made, created and decided, and on my return much will be shown and displayed, so, so long and see you on the other side.

This Time In A Week...

This time in a week, I will be well on my way, in mid european airspace en route to Beijing! The time is nearly here and with every day, an excitement and growing nervousness as those ten days in Beijing will see much happen, from making new photographic works, to films and documentaries to, of course not forgetting, a book dummy! 

Knowing that while these days are flying by, our wonderful hand printer is busy producing enlargements of my edit, I just can't wait to see the changes that will have happened from the files I have been used to looking at over the past year and a half. At every stage this projects develops into a mysterious, organically living object as the control is so often removed and those wonderful mistakes, accidental happenings prove the driving force of our collaboration. 

Embassy, Printers, Tests

Friday saw a great day, many exciting conversations had and much more planned. My initial outing, a trip to the Chinese Embassy to put in my Visa application and I will be successfully collecting my passport next week with yet another Visa to added to my others. I can not wait to head to Beijing, the time just can't go quick enough, but then again with so much to do beforehand, lets not wish away the minutes just yet! 

Then onto a the wonderful Artful Dodgers printers in Hatton Gardens to see my first set of tests and what a lovely feeling to be back in a hand printers basement, seeing the spotting inks, the contact sheets and beautifully printed images pinned to the walls. It's been a while since I shot film and it was a true pleasure to get back my 120 negatives and that feeling, that anticipation is something that never fails to excite me, which is a good thing as I will be returning from Beijing with many films to develop.

Prepping continues and with my flight in less than 2 weeks time, much to organise and pack for, even a little surprise weather update with temperatures in the mid twenties, so lets hope for sunny skies and little smog! More to come soon...

Ruin Lust

Sunday saw a great trip to the Tate Britain to meet a fellow exhibition friend from New York and take in the wonders of the new show, "Ruin Lust" as well as some well earned Gin and Tonics, just perfect to compliment the sunny, spring weather that shone in through the doomed ceilings bar. 

If you haven't yet seen or heard much about this exhibition, it is surely a shame, as this exhibit is very wondrous indeed. The sheer list of artists exhibiting is enough to turn anyones Sunday into an extravaganza of delight as the likes of over 100 works are shown. From J.M.W Turner, John Constable, John Martin, John Stezaker, Jane and Louise Wilson, Tacita Dean, Keith Arnatt and many others show their passion to this theme.

It was truly a fabulous show to see, that both thrilled, educated and inspired as every room you entered a new investigation into the terminology. From Pleasure, to Bunker to Ruins In Reverse, a real insight into how artists of past and current centuries find such inspiration in such destruction. 

One of the highlights for me, was the dedicated Tacita Dean room, beautifully showing her Photogravures of the series. "The Russian Endings" and the film "Kodak" that was filmed in the one of the Kodak factories in France, documenting the demise of a medium through its own manufacture. I can never quite have enough of Dean's work, there is such an honesty, a passion and delicacy to her vision, her manner of working, I find it so inspiring and powerful. I am always left wanting more, but always feel privileged and honoured to have been given sight to see what is in front of her eyes.  

A must see exhibition, here are more details here: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/ruin-lust

Continuations...

As the days go by, the work continues and so many exciting stages are coming into play. As the edit is set, the printing commences in Beijing and many a test strip is being created, marking the process and commencing the finalisation of this wonderful collaboration. 

With 5,058.67 miles between us, my trip to Beijing can not come soon enough, the enlargements await my arrival and I with baited breath, and of course with the solutions that make this project what it is. This collaboration continues to exceed all expectations and ideas, offering us new gifts at every stage, I can not wait to the debut later this year, more to come soon...

500,000 Down To 75 Tests

So the time is marching on and I can't quite believe that it is March already and with so much more to come from these next few weeks, I can hardly await to see what is around each corner! And what better way to start this spring month than with the finalisation of the editing process, all 500,000 images looked through, edited down to a very small and concise edit of 75 photographs. 

From this wonderful edit, the creation starts, develops, with each image worked on and the resulting effects taking hold of the image in there wondrous, mystic and black magic ways. I continue to test the effects, looking for patterns and making observations on just how this solution controls the prints, the colours and the textures, but with every leap forward, a little tap on the shoulder remaining you of how organic processes control you! For me, this is what makes this project just so incredibly giving, it's a lesson in patience, in pausing and watching just how far the changes can go, before my nature takes control and I freeze the process.

Every step of the way, there are lessons learnt, taught and viewed with amazing, splendid results produced. It really does speak so much of Photography and in such a Post Photographic age, where we all watch, but do we really see and how much is lost.