My home overlooks the Philharmonic Hall and some big American woman is visiting there tonight and staying in the hotel opposite so the place has been surrounded by police and protesters since yesterday afternoon and the road is closed off. I was really tired after going to 4 art events yesterday but was woken up early by police helicopters overhead.
I'm happy for lots of people from other parts of the world to come and visit our great city and attend a concert at the Phil but why can't they do it quietly!

Maintenance Engineer (Operations)
FACT
FOUNDATION FOR ART AND CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY
£18K (Pro Rata, Per Annum)

Based in Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008, FACT is dedicated to the support, development and presentation of artists’ work in film, video and new media.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced maintenance engineer. You will be an excellent communicator, with pervious experience of working within a similar role and possessing strong maintenance engineering skills.

For more information and an application pack please contact:
Sheindal Cohen or Becs Ward
Email: recruitment@fact.co.uk
Tel: 0151 707 4444
Website: www.fact.co.uk

Deadline for applications: 7 April 2006
Interviews in Liverpool: week commencing 10 April 2006

We welcome applications from any individual regardless of ethnic origin, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation or age. All applications will be considered on merit.

The NOISE blog is looking good. And nice to see a young animation student from Liverpool getting a praiseworthy mention.

"Ben Siwoku is a 20-year-old animation student from Merseyside. He demonstrates a knack for conveying realistic expressions and feelings in his characters, which is essential for successful animation. Check out elf2 in which the character’s steely persona is skilfully portrayed through her stance and expression. "

Yet another group exhibition by 2nd year Fine Art students this time takes me over to Birkenhead. The Wirral Metropolitan College students are showing their work under the title of 'Re:FILL' at the Pacific Road Arts Centre.
It finishes on Saturday April 1st. 2006 (10.00 -13.00).
Its quite a good venue, a large space formerly housing old buses and trams, there's a lot of work from the 18 artists. The whole event has been very well organised and publicised with plenty of information on the artists and the works which always pleases me (feed me - I'm an infoholic).
Some of the sculptures are particularly eye-catching, such as Sylvia Moss's Seed Pods and Jason Bold's coat-covered Tricycle. I also liked Mike Cunningham's gloss paintings of a hammer and pliers and Emma Oliphant's small collages.

"Re:Fill are a group of emerging artists who’ve self-curated, funded, publicised and organised an exhibition of vibrant, original and challenging art works.
The show promises to offer an eclectic mix of painting, sculpture, installation, print, photography and site-specific works that will challenge, entertain and most of all publicise the emerging artists of tomorrow.

Show participants: Carol Allen, Deborah Banks, Jason Bold, Stacy Buckenham, Mike Cunningham, John Dorning, Chris Edwards, Jane Finnerty, Diane Fraser Bell, Peter Frodin, Christopher Hanson, Debra Hamer, Jenny Hulme, Sylvia Moss, Emma Oliphant, Neil Partington, Robyn Woolston and Ian Yell"

This weeks show by 2nd year Fine Art students at 68 Hope St. is called 'A Breath of Fresh Art' and is another good one. There 7 artists again of various disciplines but all seemingly working well together. It finishes on Friday March 31st.
Artists:
Nicole Terry (installation hanging like a mobile from the centre of the room, has many film references); Daniel Garrett ('Who's Invading Who?' large work spread across 3 canvases, comment on war, east v west cultures etc.); Emily Mousdell ('What Place is This and What Kind of People?', large screenprint); Alison Drury ('Holes' video of storyboard drawings and ceramic figures, a work in progress, can't wait to see the finished animation); Helen Wherry ('Much Clown Love', 2 portraits with clown masks, representation of the masks we use to hide our inner selves); Phil Jackson (Life Drawing details using acrylic pastels on card) and Harry Lawson (Black and white installations using mainly black tape stretched across corners)

Engaging Arts are inviting applications to exhibit at Manchester Art Show 2006. The Show now in its fifth year, will take place at the stunning MICC-GMEX in the heart of Manchester from 26th - 29th October.

If you wish to apply to exhibit, please go on-line to www.manchesterartshow.co.uk and click on Exhibiting 2006, where you can either apply on-line or download the application form.

Valerie McNamara
Development Director
Engaging Arts

Manchester Art Show - the North's largest selling contemporary art fair.

www.manchesterartshow.co.uk

NOISE IS OVERWHELMED WITH SUBMISSIONS

(Closing date for Submissions is May 31st 2006)

NOISE, Europe’s first cross media showcase for creative talent 25 years and under has been staggered by interest and positive response to the festival in the first week of launch. This is ahead of a national marketing campaign to promote the opportunities for young people including a ‘Dreamjob’ project to work with top creative companies both UK and abroad, a design project to collaborate with leading international street artists and a whole range of other projects across fine art, documentary making and music.

The high level of interest in the festival suggests that for many young creatives there is a lack of a platform for their work and that they are now looking to NOISE to bridge the gap between their creative output and the exposure of their talent to the wider public.

NOISE has a host of industry figureheads to select the best of the work submitted to the website including Wayne Hemingway, Peter Saville and Mark Eley of Eley Kishimoto. Not only is this a rare opportunity for young people to have their work seen by a top professional but NOISE, in partnership with some of the biggest media channels in the country will showcase the best work across television, radio, online and print come October 2006.

www.noisefestival.com

Artworks Capital of Culture Collection and Print Club launch

Artworks is commissioning talented artists to produce a series of images to symbolise the cities spectacular cultural renaissance and transformation. The Artworks Print Club is a new initiative that will enable its members the opportunity to preview and purchase exclusive limited edition art.

Limited edition giclee prints featured in the Artworks Capital of Culture Collection will be available to purchase exclusively through the Artworks Print Club. Founder of Artworks Alex Corina says:

"The aim of the print club is to give members access to high quality limited editions at affordable and realistic prices. The Artworks Capital of Culture Collection is the first series of prints available through the club with more prints and collectables due for release in the run up to 2008 "

Launch Event

The official launch event of the Print Club and The Artworks Capital of Culture Collection takes place at Parr St Studios, 33-45 Parr Street on Wednesday, 29th March, 5-9pm. If you would like to attend please email artworks@activeprofile.co.uk.

Those attending the event will be given the opportunity to experience a first look at the exceptional images on display and will be invited to join the club.

Attendees will also entered into a free prize draw to win a special limited edition print of the iconic "Three Graces" by Alex Corina

For more Artworks information please contact Jo at Active Profile on 0151 601 8688 or email artworks@activeprofile.co.uk.

folly is offering a £3,000 artist comission to develop a piece of online work as part of the 10th Futuresonic festival of electronic music and media arts.

The submission will be used as part of Futuresonic 2006 in Manchester, plus it will be part of folly's touch screen development programme, for distribution across Cumbria and Lancashire in 2006.

Commission work will begin Monday May 1st after artist selection in late April, with work completion required for a Friday July 14th installation.

To download a complete brief and submission guideline document Click Here

Deadline for receipt of submissions by folly is 10am April 18th, 2006.

See http://www.folly.co.uk/fdotlab and http://10.futuresonic.com/ for further background.

All enquiries to Kathryn Hughes, Creative Director at T: 01524 388550 and E: kathryn.hughes@folly.co.uk

'Relentless Forms' curated by Sue Lucine is at the Urban Coffee Lounge in Smithdown Road until May 1st 2006.

This cafe is a bit of a relentless form itself, everytime I visit things have moved around, walls knocked down or put up. Now there's a very nice small Fair Trade shop in the back.
Mostly figurative works by local artists this is a good show. Karen Henley's small paintings of everyday life in bright colours welcome you as you enter.

Then Sarah Richards' 3 larger oil paintings Self 1-3 on the far wall really grab your attention. How can portraits look so energetic? They are in stark contrast to Joe Bramall's 3 Portraits which are simple and amusing black and white illustrations.

At the rear of the cafe are some etchings and prints by Pamela Holstein, I like the blue lino cut 'It could happen here' and landscapes or shorescapes by Alina Vila who likes to experiment with colour and texture.

Then there's that Fair Trade shop with its delicious coffees, gifts and soaps.

Always plenty of Art courses at the lovely Burton Manor on the Wirral.

"Art courses at Burton Manor cover a wide range of topics, including art history and art appreciation as well as practical art classes. The art history and appreciation courses often cover abstract art and Italian art (e.g. Rome) and art nouveau, new this programme is a course on 'Twentieth Century Arhitecture', and another on the art & architecture of 'China, India & Mexico' . Styles and media covered in the practical classes include: water colour, water mixable oils, line and wash, water soluble pencils, gouache, coloured pencils and pastels and china painting; seascapes, landscapes, portraits, botanical painting and wildlife painting."

See the website

From Moira Kenny...

Dear Colleagues

Bad news I am afraid. Purple Apple have had a serious offer on 24 Hardman street. So it's the end of the road for the Legacy for the City in that builidng I am afraid.

Will keep in touch with plan B
Moira

Nicola Fitzsimmons work is interdisciplinary but "sculpture" is probably the closest description. She says
"I use common materials such as adhesive tape, assorted paper/card and attempt to create pieces that are aesthetically stimulating yet conceptually challenging. I am very much interested in repetition and find that the use of repeated forms is a natural occurrence in my work and something I wish to explore further."

Senior Audience Development Manager

TEAM - the marketing and audience development agency for Merseyside's cultural sector - seeks a senior Audience Development Manager

This is a rewarding post for an experienced marketing professional who really wants to make a difference to the cultural life of Merseyside at a particularly exciting time, with Liverpool designated European Capital
of Culture 2008. It is a key role in TEAM: it involves understanding and communicating market intelligence; managing research; liaising with members; designing, creating, 'selling' and undertaking marketing/Audience Development projects.

The appointed person ...

* will lead a team of three Audience Development Managers and act as deputy to the CEO in his absence
* will share tasks with the other two and develop his/her own portfolio of projects
* will act as 'account manager' for one third of the members.
* will have a particular responsibility for data-driven services.

For the first year or so the SADM will be responsible for driving TEAM's side of the major Data Culture NW project (in collaboration with Arts About Manchester and ACE, NW) whilst having the opportunity to grow the role.

The post offers up to £27,500 depending on qualifications and experience, plus five weeks' holiday.

For full details write to Bernard Martin (Chief Executive), TEAM,
4th Floor Gostin Building, 32-36 Hanover St, Liverpool, L1 4LN or
Bernard.martin@team-uk.org

Closing date for applications 09.00 Mon 03 April, interviews Wed 12 April

NO tel calls, CVs or employment agency enquiries, please!

According to the liverpool08 website today there are currently 645 days to go until the Capital of Culture Year.
But if you look at the stavanger2008 website there's only 621 days to go.
Stavanger is the non-EU Culture Captial for 2008. I know there's a time difference but 24 days seems a bit excessive.
I'm too lazy to work out who (if either) is correct.

Click here for a full update on the upcoming major event at St Georges Hall during the 08 UK Squash Competition there, May 3rd - 7th 2006.
Contact Peter Worthington of South Bohemia Gallery for further information.

The Capital of Culture crown, which Liverpool has won for 2008, has created a huge renaissance in art and the culture of the city. Different themes have been used to highlight the many aspects of art and culture; this year the city is celebrating the themes of art and sport through performance. The Culture Company is promoting the sport of squash as a performance of culture in the prestigious St Georges Hall, one of the most beautiful buildings in Britain. To complement the performance of sport, the South Bohemia Art Gallery and it’s associate, Boho Dolls, are curating an art exhibition with performing arts to facilitate integration in the themes in one grand event.

The exhibition will in many ways express the performance of the sporting people of Merseyside and the musical and theatrical skills of the city, with the diverse talents of the exhibitors.

WANTED: LIVERPOOL LIVES
National Museums Liverpool project

Help is needed from Liverpudlians in an exciting National Museums Liverpool project recording the personal experiences of 800 living people, as the city prepares to celebrate Charter Year 2007 and European Capital of Culture 2008.

A unique concept, 800 Lives is inspired by the 800 years since King John granted Liverpool its first charter. National Museums Liverpool wants young and old people from all backgrounds and walks of life to offer their stories for this milestone venture.

The project aims to reflect a cross-section of the people of Liverpool - from its citizens and local characters to its celebrities and wealthy business figures. Some will be newcomers, others with deep roots in this amazing city - all helping to make up its rich history.

The aim is to compile 800 stories which reflect Liverpool's world-famous make-up as a living, vibrant city consisting of not just beautiful buildings but also a vast range of personalities with many diverse qualities and talents.

Everyone has a chance to be included in 800 Lives. The project records people's experiences and some are asked to donate an object to National Museums Liverpool's social history collection. It could be anything from a simple everyday object to historic family keepsakes, including photographs. But they must have significance to the people involved.

800 Lives will be a virtual exhibition on the National Museums Liverpool web site and in future Liverpool history exhibitions. You can see some of the lives collected so far, read more about the project or even nominate yourself to take part, on the website www.eighthundredlives.org.uk

The information gathered will be an educational and learning resource for future generations, a series of snapshots of Liverpool in 2007-8.

Jen McCarthy, project manager and head of social history at the Museum of Liverpool Life, says: "This is a great opportunity for people to come forward with their personal stories. We want to uncover little-known, moving and fascinating narratives that people can tell from their own memories.

"This is a remarkable and stimulating project which will give a deep insight into Liverpool's diverse communities. We are certain that many people will want to tell us their stories. 800 Lives will reveal the true heart of this renowned city - its exceptional people."

www.eighthundredlives.org.uk

Full details on the Biennial website www.biennial.com/?q=news

Visitor Programme Co-ordinator
£12k pro rata, 37.5 hours per week. 8 month contract to start as soon as possible

Internship to support International 06 programme team
From May 2006 for up to 6 months

Voluntary position; expenses up to £90 per week

Internship to support Marketing and Development team
37.5 hours per week. 6 month contract from May/June to November 2006.

Information Assistants to invigilate the International 06 exhibition
From September to end November 06.

Voluntary position; expenses up to £90 per week.

Production / installation technical support
Voluntary project based work (May to November); expenses up to £90 per week.

Exhibitions and events at World Museum Liverpool April- June 2006

Exhibition and events at the Walker Art Gallery and the Lady Lever Art Gallery for April- June 2006

The Walker Art Gallery

The Lady Lever Art Gallery

Paul Meeks is a young painter, illustrator who has recently relocated to Liverpool. He says
"As a painter I usually work back and forth between abstract and representational work with the abstract tending to be done in either oils or pastels, which I discovered for the first time a couple of years ago and have loved using ever since. My representational work is done in either oils acrylics or watercolours. I paint everything from Landscapes/Cityscapes to Still Life and animals. More recently I have begun to work more and more with portraits."
He has his own website at: www.insight-images.co.uk

It seemed like such a good marketing idea. The two No. 8 players in the Merseyside derby (Liverpool v Everton football match at Anfield today) were wearing special '08' shirts to help advertise the Capital of Culture.
Really, the only thing that could go wrong was for Steve Gerrard to be sent off in disgrace for an awful foul. And, guess what, that's exactly what happened after only 18 minutes.
Maybe that was part of the plan too, even more publicity, no such thing as bad publicity etc.

If you have any broken down old musical instruments and are wondering what to do with them you can always give them to Alex Corina. He's been into recycling unwanted items into artworks for a while now and his latest project involves flattening things like trumpets and trombones and putting them into rather splendid odd-shaped frames to be reborn as unusual works of art.
You can see some examples at Alex's gallery 'Slaughterhouse73' at 73 St Mary's Road, Garston.
Also on the recycling theme there are several pieces of glassware from bowls and vases to jewellery made by Energywise which is a Liverpool company specialising in recycling old bottles and window glass into some very nice products.
But the most striking works on show here are a series of paintings by Chris Vine which form part of the new Artworks 'Capital of Culture Collection'. They all have some (maybe several) references to Liverpool. There's the Liverpool Carousel which features the Liver bird, the Yellow Submarine, Stephenson's Rocket and many more. There's a painting of a large Liver Bird made from Meccano which, of course, used to be manufactured in Liverpool and a 'Trojan Lamb Banana' referencing the Trojan Horse story.
This Artworks Print Club collection also includes Alex's 'Three Graces' and more pictures will be released over the coming months.
The gallery is well worth a visit. You can also see the Capital of Culture collection at 3345 Parr St where there will be a special launch on Wednesday March 29th from 17.00 to 21.00.

'Made in Liverpool' at Slaughterhouse73 until March 31st 2006.

Alex Corina
Artworks Print Club
Energywise Recycled Glass

Via Daily Post...

VISITORS numbers to Liverpool museums have gone up by a staggering 129% since admission fees were scrapped.

The city topped a national poll showing how much venues had benefited from the free admittance policy.

It showed more than 1,589,500 people toured local exhibitions last year compared to 694,197 in the final 12 months of charging on the door.

David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool, said: "We strongly believe museums should be free to everyone, whatever their background, and should provide visitors with a great experience.....

Online Journalist, Marketing & Research, NOISE, Manchester

Position: Online Journalist, Marketing & Research
Reports to: Chief Executive
Date: March 2006 - March 2007

Summary:
NOISE is a cross-media festival for young people that will showcase the best in creative talent across television, radio, online and print. NOISE has recently launched a national call for submissions, encouraging young artists to submit their creative work to the website in advance of October's showcase month.

The advertised role is for an ONLINE JOURNALIST, MARKETING & RESEARCH CO-ORDINATOR. Responsibilities will include planning and implementing a comprehensive online marketing campaign to drive relevant traffic to the NOISE website, to use existing contacts and knowledge to build NOISE's profile within key online communities and networks as well as working closely with the website producers to move the current website from a 'call for submissions' stage to a finished 'showcase' website.

Other responsibilities will include writing, researching and maintaining the NOISE 'uber blog' that will act as a central reference for visitors to the NOISE website and syndicating content and creating RSS feeds to all media partners. Working closely with the NOISE team and partner organisations the role will require an editorial skill in cherry-picking interesting and relevant content for the NOISE blog as well as undertaking marketing activity that will raise the number of applicants to NOISE across a diverse and broad range of young talent and artistic skills sets.

The role would also include co-ordinating the logging and uploading of NOISE submissions that will be active through the submission period. Between 'gather' and 'presentation' stages there would a requirement for designing, programming, editing and moderating the NOISE website in html as well as ensuring the website at all times remains the main communication tool for NOISE festival.

The role is offered on a 12 month contract.

Skills and experience

* Thorough understanding of online media and marketing
* Experience of writing for online arts publications
* Passionate interest in contemporary arts, music and culture
* Competent computer skills especially HTML, Microsoft Office, Project 2000,
Visio, Photoshop, Premiere (or similar), Flash, FrontPage
* Excellent verbal and written communications skills and great people skills
* Creative and innovative, together with a strong attention to detail and a
hands-on approach
* Strong project management skills, combined with analytical skills
* Able to handle multiple tasks and demanding situations
* Motivated, flexible, enjoys working autonomously and as part of a creative team
* Extensive contacts built up within the online media industry and arts web
publications

Needed to start as soon as possible, full-time, Manchester-based, 12-month contract, fee £30,000+ depending on abilities. Applicants should send a covering letter and CV to info@noisefestival.com

http://www.noisefestival.com

Although I like some of Banksy's work and also like some graffiti as an artform you can't really defend the defacing of public buildings, transport and street furniture.
Banksy attempts to in todays Guardian.

"Melbourne is the proud capital of street painting with stencils. Its large, colonial-era walls and labyrinth of back alleys drip with graffiti that is more diverse and original than any other city in the world. Well, that was until a few weeks ago, when preparations for the Commonwealth games brought a tidal wave of grey paint, obliterating years of unique and vibrant culture overnight."

LINK

from liverpool08...

Liverpool 2008 Chief Executive appointed
The Executive Group of the Liverpool Culture Company Board today (Friday 24 March) announced the appointment of Jason Harborow as its Chief Executive.

36-year-old Mr Harborow has been the Culture Company's Chief Operating Officer for more than a year and will take up his new post from 1 April 2006.

Mr Harborow will be responsible for managing the delivery of a host of events and programmes between now and European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Welcoming Mr Harborow's appointment, Professor Drummond Bone, Chairman of the Liverpool Culture Company, said: "I'm very pleased that Jason has agreed to accept the unique challenges that go with this high-profile post. His strategic vision for the company alongside his proven ability to manage it on a day-to-day basis and his knowledge of the city will be a great advantage."

Cllr Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: "Jason has been instrumental in ensuring the Liverpool Culture Company is in the best possible position to maximise the opportunities 2008 represents. His ability to work with both the private and public sectors at all levels and his desire to succeed will be of immense benefit to the city for many years beyond 2008."

Jason Harborow said: "I'm delighted and honoured to accept this role. I'm particularly proud that we have such a good team in place for achieving the city's ambition of staging the best-ever European Capital of Culture. We're all firmly focused on delivering for Liverpool, the region and the UK."

Here's Pete Price and Ken Dodd signing up Liz McLarnon to be a Liverpool08 Ambassador.
I've signed up too of course!
Sign up online at the liverpool08 website or the 08Place or One-stop shops....

"The 08 Ambassador Programme has been created to engage all those people who love Liverpool and want to support our efforts to make the most of its position as European Capital of Culture 2008.

We would like your assistance in joining us to help tell the world about the great strides the city is making and why Liverpool will be the best-ever European Capital of Culture."

re-blogged from boingboing
I think FACT would be the perfect place for these.

"Recessed into a urinal is a pressure-sensitive display screen. When the guest uses it, he triggers an interactive game, producing images and sound. The reduced size of the “target” improves restroom hygiene and saves on cleanings costs (like the “fly in the urinal” at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport). It also makes a trip to the urinal “fun and games” – more than just a necessary nuisance. By projecting the game experience into the public space, viewers are treated to a new way of visualizing the abstract, and the entertainment value is boosted. The projection of the project into a museum space was conceived of as a critical-ironic measure, questioning the concept of art, but extending it at the same time. “On target” is an interactive installation with the functional purpose of improving hygiene."
Yankodesign.com Link

Digital Arts Manager Vacancy (Manchester)

Community Arts North West is seeking a DIGITAL ARTS MANAGER to take a lead role in the on-going development of a sustainable digital arts programme as part of CAN's participatory work with excluded communities. This currently includes the Exodus Refugee Arts and Urban Youth Music Theatre programmes. You will develop and
manage work across a range of collaborative art forms from V'jing to video diaries.

Salary 22,000 pro rata, based on 3 - 4 days per week.
Based in Manchester's city centre.

For a job description, and application pack contact Becky Dibben on 0161 234 2981,
or admin@can.uk.com

Closing date for completed application form (no CVs) 5pm, Thursday 20th April. Interviews Thursday 27th April.

We positively welcome applications from disabled people and all sectors of the community. CAN is an equal opportunities employer.

GOING NATIVE FINAL EVENT: CLOSING PARTY | Friday 24 March | 20.30pm-late | FREE
At Arena Gallery, 82-84 Duke Street, Liverpool (double doors down from The Monroe pub)

---
HEADLOC – knob-twiddling Wrexham electronica
THE WOMBATS – melodic pop with a twist
STUFFED LOVE – broody, driving, psychedelic rock
KINETIC FALLACY – Ninja Tunes-esque classical take on hip hop
Plus poetry and DJ’s
---
Over the last three weeks, the Arena Gallery has played host to our latest exhibition, )Bracket THIS( - Going Native.
Specially-commissioned pieces by international-but-Liverpool-based artists have jostled for elbow room with brand new quality poetics, North African drums, German comedians, Chilean guitars, Wigan electronica and freakin belly dancers.
Now it is game over, but not before one last blowout tomorrow night (Friday 24). If you’ve been already, then take the opportunity to say goodbye to it all, and if you haven’t made it yet, then this is your last chance...
---
FREE to get in, all the drinks are a quid, and we have heating now!
Check dis:
<http://www.myspace.com/headloc>
<http://www.thewombats.co.uk>
<http://www.myspace.com/kineticfallacy>
<http://www.artinliverpool.com/bracketthis>

The work of Neal Dawson considers the relentless transience and ebb of the everyday environment.

The extremities and subtleties of light are central to the images created.

The reaction light has on objects or the landscape and it can transform and dramatise are of particuler interest to the Artist.

“If Liverpool 2006 was a woman, what woman would she be like?”

This is the question that Mandy Romero, Liverpool’s own self-appointed Queen of Culture, needs you to answer.

Please circulate this email far and wide and mail your answers to: mandylaromero@hotmail.com

(Mandy is performing at various times in the Out of the Bluecoat in Paradise Street.)

Review of Ernesto Sarezale, ‘One rite and the concrete Poem’, Live Performance
Museum Man, Liverpool, Curator Adam Nankervis.
Saturday 11 March 2006
Written by Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney
Photograph by Tony Knox

I adore the opportunity to go and view other artist’s work and it is refreshing to take time out as an artist from my own. The chance to peruse different art forms, from the genres and canons heralded in the museums and art galleries where I escape for reflection in my own art. All the way through to the more contemporary art practices, which touch on the conventional and expand to more current technological artistic explorations. One of my passions being performance art and significantly thought provoking and insightful.

On Saturday 11 March 2006, I went to Museum Man, an gallery on the top floor of a Georgian house in Rodney Street, Liverpool. Advertised was the work of a performance artist/poet, Ernesto Sarezale, titled ‘One rite and the concrete Poem’. I had read earlier on the website for the gallery (www.museumman.org) that:

‘Ernesto Sarezale is the pen name of a Basque cognitive scientist, writer and performance poet based in London. His creative work includes: concrete poetry, body and performance art, multimedia (video, sound, word,...), and hypertext/web-based art and literature.’

The fundamentals of his work further outlined as:

‘Ernesto's work usually deals with the "queer body". In an attempt to fathom the paradoxes and complexities of sexual intimacy, his poetry, video and performance survey the pleasures, the pains, the metamorphoses inflicted on the flesh by sexual desire. He often chooses to incorporate his own body, exposed and vulnerable, as an integral part of his live acts.’

I remember having a discussion with an artist some days prior and who adamant stated performance artists are all self indulgent and only make art literally of and for the self. This had stuck in my mind and although as a performance artist myself I strongly disagreed with this commentary and assertion. Yet reading through the text above I wondered maybe indeed there is an element of this and such could be construed in my own work.

The night came and I was in the gallery with a group of others. We got ushered into the main communal area where the performance was staged and took our seats arranged along one side of the room. He, Ernesto Sarezale, commenced.

He was lying in the bed on the far corner of the room, covered with the duvet. He started to orate his poetry. His voice with a slight, but distinct Spanish accent. It was soft and captivating and as he spoke his verse, he gestured tenderly and intermittently with his hands. He then stood from the bed, exposed, bare flesh of a man, yet the tender timbre in his voice and profound verse hypnotised the audience the nakedness society would normally shun becomes one innate. The words explications of his own experiences, yet within a certain satire a reality of emotions we can all relate to. He walked across the room, still quoting his rhyme and then at the finale invited all the audience members to write their own prose or text on his body.

This performance was exceptional and enlightening. Provocative, yet consensual, to all whom observed and experienced the shared encounters and memories of Sarezale inscribed and orated in his poetry. If you have the opportunity to see the work of Sarezale I strongly recommend it! A beautiful, yet strong and germane performance. The captivation of Sarezale, although within the context of his own experiences, imbues a universality by the interaction and cognition he captures in his work.

www.museumman.org
www.sarezale.com

Another very good show of 2nd yr art students' work at JMU this week, finishes on Thursday (Mar 23rd).
The artists: Rebecca Doherty-Bone (2 abstract canvases); Ellen Gardner (Mixed media waves and contour shapes, 'New Wave' is particularly good I thought); Julie Keane (Interesting sculptures, 'Empty Inside' and 'I Trusted You With My Life' on the subject of child abuse); Michael Isted (H2S04 - the droplets are plastic hung from iron chains - 2 significant contributors to the creation of acid rain (H2S04)); Helen Taylor ('For Him?' 3 paintings of women in sexy poses. A statement (but not a negative criticism) about the portrayal of women in the media etc.); Jessica Quirk (A performance piece, 'When I Grow Up I want To Be A Waitress', highlighting the monotony and repetitiveness of the job); Arlene Weever ('Bed/Chair/Grass' a flat-bed trolley and chair seemingly sculpted out of grass 'subverting the norm')
 

My mother doesn't have an email address so I can't send her one of these e-cards from the National Museums Liverpool website.
LINK

Looks like Spring is here at last and thoughts turn to Easter and flowers and bunnies and best of all, chocolate.

BUNNY RUN FUN!
Easter holiday events at National Museums Liverpool

National Museums Liverpool calls all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed children to join Bunny Run, a fun Easter trail from Saturday 1 April to Sunday 30 April 2006.

Hop on board at Walker Art Gallery, World Museum Liverpool, Merseyside Maritime Museum, HM Customs & Excise National Museum or Lady Lever Art Gallery. Collect a Bunny question card and follow the trail around all five venues to hunt for the answers!

A golden egg sticker and a prize will be handed out at each venue for correct answers. Bunnies who collect all five golden eggs can then enter the Bunny Run Family Prize Draw and have the chance to win some fabulous prizes.

These include family day passes to Knowsley Safari Park, a family season ticket to the National Wild Flower Centre, including free lunch and a guided tour for the first visit, and a Divine chocolate goody basket. (that's for me!)

More details

Captivated at the Potting Shed …

Written by Jean-Paul Debuffet and Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney, Edited by Lucia Sweeney.
Photographs by associate artist.
Friday 17 March 2006

Walk the Plank, a theatre production company on a boat, has staged three events each known as the Potting Shed with separate themes. On the final night of these events (Friday 17 March 2006) , there was an array of performances by different artists, singers and performers. Two in particular Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney and George Lund bemused and enticed the audience with their individual, unique and thought provoking conceptual performances.

Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney presented ‘The Enlightenment – Les Cushion Belles (Part III)’. A performance derived from poem, ‘Les Cushion Belle' by the artist, writer and philosopher Kofi Fosu based in New York. The poem was attributed to the women he has creative and intellectual dialogue with on the subjects of gender, ethnic and sexual politics in post modern society. The performance artist, Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney, created a live intervention relative to the philosophical discourse between the two artists. The concept of the performance was adapted in context for Walk the Plank and variations previously explored at the Walker Art Gallery (Liverpool), 340 Old Street Gallery (London), the Liverpool Biennial and New York.

From the onset of the performance, Sweeney captivated her audience and even in the event of all the technical equipment failing, including digital projection and sound, which accompanies the live performance; she persisted and continued with the actions that imbue the concepts of the shared philosophies of her and Fosu. The audience was fixated as she moved between each integral stage of the performance. Dressed in men’s attire she removed the tie, rolled it up and put it into her pocket. She gradually unbuttoned the shirt to reveal her torso. Unzipping her trousers she pulled out a red lipstick and repeatedly went over her lips until exaggerated. From her lips she traced the lipstick down her chin, neck and wrote on her body ‘Woman created by Man born of Woman’. She removed the shirt and covered her head, securing it around her neck. With the lipstick she redrew her lips, the crimson imperfection vaguely denoting the features of her own lips underneath. She stood motionless, arms outstretched, as if to greet, a crucifixion or defiance. Through this entire performance the silence pervaded the air, not a mutter, but the audience intensely engrossed in each action and movement made by the artist. She departed the stage to a rapture of applaud, but many in the audience, accustomed to theatrical productions and not the more conceptualisation embodiment of performance art.

Then later on in the evening, George Lund entered with his antics and eccentricities as the Funkadelic Chicken. He danced and juggled, exposed his back side (one stitched to his chicken costume). This flamboyant and energetic character, his alter ego, a manifestation from his paintings and philosophical text of ‘Animal Utopia’. The performance and the persona one embryonic, a parody in dance and egg juggling, etc., enveloped in the satire and idiosyncrasy. Yet, we are greeted not by a jester, indeed no fool, but realise the revelry of the Funkadelic Chicken, as he struts through each move, arms flaying, legs kicking, intermittent squawks and scratching of feet; each action one to attainr the euphoria and the utopia we each so avoid in our daily conventional lives. The fundamentals of Lund’s artistic interventions overall, whether his writings, paintings or performances. He closed his performance on a crescendo of applause and laughing, not at him, but with him, as he touches on the aspiration for the ideal in each of us!

Two very distinctly different performances by Sweeney and Lund and each as provocative and bewildering to the audience! An exceptional evening!

www.gaynorevelynsweeney.co.uk
www.lundart.co.uk
www.walktheplank.co.uk

From the hub...

The dates for the hub training session have changed. The Liverpool one is now on June 22nd.
A one-day training course designed for those who would benefit from a comprehensive overview of the sources of funding available in the arts.

These new dates follow a series of successful hub training programmes in 2005.

See liverpool08 webpage for full story.

Liverpool Biennial 2006: International 06
Urban myths and the bittersweet success of regeneration are strong focal points in the International 06 exhibition for Liverpool Biennial 2006.

Inspired - in overview and in detail - by Liverpool's people, history and built environment, the exhibition promises 35 new commissions, half of which will be sited in the public realm, by some of the most exciting artists from across the world - a uniquely crafted 'total experience' of new art in a specific cultural context.

The personality of the exhibition will be as lively, diverse and quick-witted as Liverpool itself. It will be an extraordinary opportunity to see art engaging with global issues through the specifics of its cultural context.

Priscilla Monge's football pitch designed as an obstacle course carries a powerful emotional impact with lighthearted irony, whilst Rigo places cages around monumental imperial lions and Teresa Margolles engages with criminal violence by making pavements of shattered glass.

International 06 responds to the personal readings of Liverpool made by consultant curators Gerardo Mosquera and Manray Hsu. Both see art channelling energy into and within the city. Manray Hsu makes use of metaphors drawn from the Internet and from traditional Chinese medicine, while Gerardo Mosquera's 'reverse colonialism' returns the flow of energy along the city's historic geographic vectors to explore Liverpool here and now.

....

In addition to those mentioned above, artists currently in conversation towards a commission include: Matthew Buckingham, Paul Chan, Chen Chieh-jen, Esra Ersan, Carlos Garaicoa, Shilpa Gupta, Kingpins, Hans Peter Kuhn, Lee Ming-Wei, Kelly Mark, Gianni Motti, Mario Navarro, Lisa Oppenheim, Philippe Parreno, Amalia Pica, Jean-Francois Prost, Shimabuku, Hans Schabus, Julianne Swartz, Sissel Tolaas, Tsui Kuang-yu, Adriana Varejao, Humberto Velez, Matej Andraz Vogrincic, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jun Yang.

'Elemental ' by Collidoscope group, finishes Friday March 24th 2006.
COLLIDOSCOPE was formed in 2005 by eleven North West Artists and this is their second show at LAA.
Based on the theme of the elements - earth, water, fire and air. Artists: Janet Cobbold, Dorothy Culshaw, Sylvia Garrette, Mair Griffiths, Ann Harrison, Gail Hayes, Marie McGowan, Simon MacBryde, Anita Varey, Sue Yoosawai
at Liverpool Academy of Arts - March 14th - 24th 2006

Two events tonight, first a reminder about the JMU 3rd year students (Limelight Arts) exhibition opening at 52 Roscoe Street starting at 19.00 with live music until late.

Also, late notice from 5aThegallery, St Helens...

The Society of Glass Technology and The Contemporary Glass Society present

100 Days and other stories at 5athegallery - St Helens first independent contemporary art and craft gallery

Dominic Fonde is a glassblower and story teller. Using a mix of blown glass vessels, engraving and original short stories he explores objects such as vases and bowls from the perspective of containers for thoughts and emotions. If you have not heard Dominic read his stories before this may be your last chance as Dominic is soon to leave the UK to take up a new job in Singapore!

Venue. 5athegallery 5a Bickerstaff St. Tues 21st March 7.00pm
admission £1

www.cgs.org.uk