On Beuys...

"The more elliptical the writing, the harder the act of reconstruction. It’s like walking into a classroom after a lecture has taken place and trying to imagine the contents of the lecture through the notes remaining on the chalkboard. Or like forensic expert arriving at the scene of a crime. Or like a maid cleaning up a hotel room in the morning. As she clears the smudged wine glasses and the two trays with room-service meals (one eaten, the other barely touched) and strips the rumpled sheets (which have not however been kicked off the bed), does she stop to think how the couple spent the night before? Did they quarrel? Did they make love, and if so, was it perfunctory or passionate?  Was it their first time? I can’t imagine she isn’t at least a little curious. How often do we peer into a bedroom of someone we haven’t slept with?"

Birds and the Fox

I finally got to meet Brian from NOBs on Monday 20th December at St. Erth train station, he delivered, four pheasants and three woodcock as a result of the weather he had found it difficult to get hold of rabbits and also the wood pigeons but has said he will deliver these soon, hopefully in January. As long as the weather stays normal it should be fine.

It's interesting to suddenly have a few dead birds in your possession and to have to work as quick as you can before they turn. I had to go about my everyday life of working as a sales assistant also and felt a little like superman with a double identity. By day I was working on the tills and by night I was stood upon a table amongst my birds performing. Christmas eve I performed also and Christmas day I took the birds to the woods and placed them in the field beside the lake and documented it. I then left them and returned to find just bones and a few feathers left, a fox I assume. I wish I had had the means to stay overnight and within the next two months hope to make that happen, so that I may document the entire event. The idea was simply to take the still life further, more so than Sam Taylor Woods version and to also push the idea of 'live art' to the limit.

Here are some pictures:

Bucket, snow and birds

I managed to get to Hester Berry on Tuesday which is fantastic and had a good chat with her, and my bucket for my sound pieces finally arrived even though it was delayed by a week as a result of the weather. Now I am waiting for Brian from NOBs to reply to my suggestions of days we could meet up and hope and pray that it will be soon, I fear it's cutting it a bit fine!

However, I think what I need to do is test the piece out with meat even though its not the aesthetic I am going for I think that I would rather not loose time and worry that the birds won't  be available in time and if that happens I don't want to have done nothing.

It's difficult to round off a project in preparation for my presentation when although I definitely feel like I have completed 3 months worth of work at the same time I feel that a lot of that hard work is only just beginning to pay off and my understanding of how to get a space etc has only just triggered with me, and most importantly, the realisation of the kind of artist I am as well as the kind of artist I wish to be has finally been realised. I look forward to continuing with this project after the hand in date as I feel it can grow and develop in a very exciting way.

One of the things I have found the most difficult is having to rely on other people and working around them. I feel like if I had interviewed myself, owned a gallery and had gone out to shoot the birds myself a lot more would have been done, but of course arguably that in itself would dramatically change the work and also have problems of its own!

Website

I am in the process of setting up my first website which isn't as simple as I thought, my living room is suddenly a mini library, looking at all of my works and trying to attempt to select them for the site. Which interestingly is working hand in hand with my CEP even though there is of course a section ready to place my CEP work into, the fact that my project is evidently about archive and biography the action of making the site is actually on the verge of becoming a work in itself.

Check it out: www.martinavermorel.com

Other news of the week, unfortunately I was unable to meet with Uta but hope to meet her in January in Gloucestershire when I meet Ray Hedger also. It's a shame but not terrible as feel at this stage I have plenty to be getting on with.

Brian from NOBs is meeting with me next week with the delivery of some birds, 20 wood pigeons and 3 pheasants hopefully; I will be travelling to St. Erth to see him.

Also, am meeting Hester Berry a painter in North Devon on Tuesday, I'm really looking forward to meeting her she's an amazing painter and very interested in what I'm doing.

Later in the week and the week following I will be going to St. Ives to make some works. I'm waiting for a bucket to be delivered, it's amazing how the simplest of objects are the most difficult to obtain. I need it for my performance works outside.

I'm so excited!

Am a little dubious about this presentation, not because it's assessed but because of the email asking me what kind of room I need and what equipment, it's all very dramatic! I'm worried I'll turn up and there won't be a projector and I hope I'm not given a microphone or anything. God, it's all of a sudden a little corporate, which may be why I've found my work going down a more organic route.

New Drawings/Paintings...

Wasteland and more

I have been invited by Rebecca Week's to participate in the event shown below which is fantastic, with little information I am uncertain what it is they would like. So do not know whether to prepare something to be live or for CD. One of the things I have done is to contact Uta who will be coming down to Penzance for the event and have asked to record an interview with her, which she has said yes to. So the Thursday before the event I will be interviewing another artist. Also my advert in AXIS has worked, with arrangements taking place to interview the artist Hester Berry, www.hesterberry.co.uk

Also my discussions with Brian from NOBs have come along also and he is currently working towards delivering 20 wood pigeon, 10 rabbits and 3 pheasants, he is probably in the fields as I write.

 

Advert for AXIS is shown below:

 

Reference ID

44929

Opportunity title

SEEKING ARTISTS

Subtitle

Interviews/Conversation

Type

Project

Location

South West

Deadline

30/11/2010

Abstract

SEEKING ARTISTS: Looking for artists who are willing to participate in a contextual research project. I am looking to interview local artists about their work and how this fits into their daily lives.

Description

Looking for those willing to spare some time to participate in a research project looking at artists and their day to day lives.

Please contact if you wish to participate, ideally a meeting will take place and a recording of the conversation made for future use.

If you are interested but are unable to meet in person please feel free to contact as alternatives can be made such as making your own recording or submitting a written piece about yourself.

The information will be used as part of a dissertation as well as being used to form a series of sound pieces.

Please contact martina.vermorel@yahoo.co.uk for further details.

Email

martina.vermorel@yahoo.co.uk

'Wasteland' Uta Baldauf and Christy O'Donnell CAZ project space, Basement, The Exchange, Penzance
Private View & Wasteland performative installation Friday 10th December 7pm till 9pm Wasteland reflective installation Saturday 11th December 11am till 4pm - a performative installation - a wasteland - a radioshow - a reflection Uta and Christy present an evening of sonic, visual and performative art works that invites audience interaction/participation. The Wasteland project exists and will be presented in two main forms: a performative installation and radio show that will broadcasted via Source FM Falmouth and Soundart Radio, Dartington and the Totnes area of South Devon at a later date. It is a transient project that can respond and be influenced by site and social contexts. The Wasteland brings together a shared love and interest for contemporary art and experimental radio and the fusion between them both. Within the wasteland radio programme the boundaries are set by the duration of the show but the philosophy of the show is to be as free, changeable and as spontaneous as possible. By a lack of structure a situation is created in a space, which can liberate beyond stereotypical expectations. Please come along to the Exchange Foyer where you will be guided to the CAZ project space in the Exchange basement (access to the basement is by steep stairs). Admission is free. Project organised by CAZ & Stroud Valley Artspace Supported by alias & The Exchange Penzance For more information please contact Ian Whitford: info@cazart.org.uk Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange http://www.newlynartgallery.co.uk/ 01736 363715

Spaces

I have been thinking that actually being able to have a better budget for materials would be better than spending money on one space, however I will be visiting the other spaces in Redruth and Newlyn in case they are willing to offer a shorter rental period. I have been considering other options and particularly liked the idea of a shed but the trouble with this is the weight and as I don't drive I would need to be able to move this around so am considering these tents which can be folded down into a carrier. I could set this up around Cornwall working in various and appropriate areas without the worry of a gallery or studio being available in time for the project.

I am considering the use a pig sty as a site, it's lighter than a shed, however it still poses the problem of travel but I am thinking about purchasing one of the marquees as well as a pig sty and maybe even a hen pen to perform in.



 

Spaces and Progress

The last week has been quite a busy one, I went to the symposium at UCF and recorded the event on a Dictaphone which will be added to my collection of recordings. I have been playing around with the transcript of the interview with Rebecca Weeks and am planning to put some sound pieces on here but haven't yet worked out how. However I can show stage one of a text piece along with some images of the art studio's in Truro I visited yesterday as I have decided not to put too many hopes on a gallery showing my work at least not before January and so am considering renting a studio space whereby I can invite visitors, make works for the camera and exhibit as well as test various works...

I am hoping to print this out on a large scale and cover it in tainted wax along with some other transcripts as a performative action.

Paintings and Drawings

Thought it might be a good idea to put the paintings and drawings I've been making for the past few weeks in my class at the Learning Centre...

NOB

I am having a dilemma, going back to the fascination I have at the moment with feathers I have decided I would very much like to make a piece using either quails or pheasants. Previously I had wanted to use either rabbits or hares but society wouldn't let me. However today when opening my emails I am shocked to find an invite to Julia Bardsley & Andrew Poppy's performance and look!

 

HARES! So, I've found a website which displays groups working around the country who enjoy shooting birds, ethically speaking I'm finding the whole thing difficult, I already found using meat in my work difficult but at the same time will always always always follow my own rule that if it fits the piece then one must do it. However the fact that I am unable to obtain these meats from a butchers or the supermarkets unless already skinned I am finding myself stepping into a world where I feel very uncomfortable. I feel like a schizophrenic performance artist trapped between myself who is a practising Buddhist and vegetarian and this other woman who is focused on making the best work she possibly can. So, I have been introduced to www.nobs.org.uk who celebrate groups around the country targeting birds, which is great, all I have to do now is email them, I'm strangely worried about their reply (if I get one). They have training and target advice, what if they want me to go shoot them myself? How do I decide if it's the right thing to do? It would help if someone was actually reading this.

Images of Seaweed

...

Às vezes, a vida é como cozinhar em casa, sozinho, para si. Você tem um número reduzido de ingredientes, umas panelas velhas e suas duas mãos... E dali você vai ter que tirar tudo o que pode, todo o sabor; e tirar todo o insosso e tornar o caldo em um saboroso tempero...

Mysterious Performance Relics

I found this piece of work in a tree over looking Pendennis beach and castle; it looked like a performance had taken place due to the way it had been constructed. I like the way the weather and time passing had affected the piece and it also made me consider those who can come across such things when the performer/ artist is unaware.

The Library

I'm finding it very difficult to get hold of the spoken word by some poet's in particular Sylvia Plath. I've even phoned the head office of the British Library to ask how I am able to listen to these reading's. I wanted to listen to them as I am attempting to make my own reading, I find it terrible how inaccessible things are and am not happy with the UCF library who keep asking me to use a machine. I've ordered some material from amazon but feel I need more, I've been using UBU web a lot which is useful but it doesn't make me any less upset with the library. One of the reasons for me being unable to obtain the material is because its not in Cornwall and the other is that they are tapes and the library 'only likes to use Cd's and DVDs now'. If I wish to listen to it I will have to go to central London and book it, that is if I get a reading pass and the material is available at the time. I stupidly thought that one of the most influential poets of all time would be fairly accessible. Apologies but I have spent all day chasing this.

The Exchange

On Friday I travelled to Penzance to meet Rebecca Weeks at the Exchange Gallery, when I got there she introduced me to Andy Whall who I had previously emailed asking if I could meet him. Later I interviewed Rebecca alone in the education room which I've recorded in the hope that I will be able to use the recordings for a sound piece eventually. I decided not to interview her like a journalist and instead carried the conversation through prompting and the odd statement/suggestion, rather than direct questions which I thought would sound unfriendly and potentially make her feel uncomfortable especially as I was after personal information. It was interesting hearing her talk about her work and her relationship with her partner and collaborator, Ian Whitford, who I am hoping to be speaking to soon as well as Andy Whall which I am really looking forward to. Rebecca gave me quite a few good leads which is really useful; I will be following these up this week.

Interviews

Tomorrow I'm heading to Penzance to speak to Rebecca Weeks, the first of my interviews with artists. It's interesting, I decided I wanted to try and work with artists working now in the hope that I will develop a performance based on their current lives as I have done in the past, (looking at Ana Mendieta and Lee Krasner) but I hadn’t realised until recently how strange this is. It seems almost illegal, even though I have told them what I am up to; I'm not sure how this will work but am very excited by the fact that I have voluntarily placed myself in the position of the voyeur and stalker without realising it. As a result I have begun to look at Sophie Calle and the relationship her work has with Oulipo - loosely translated means Workshop of Potential Literature. It is the use of constrained writing or writing under rules. I'm so excited about this project; my main worry is that I won't manage to get a space to perform...

Feathers

After looking at some new found artists works I have found myself becoming fascinated by feathers... On my walk the other day I found the skull of a bird on the side of the path and a little further along the feathers, in two piles. The larger feathers were piled together and the smaller younger looking feathers covered a section of the path. The blood on some of the feathers caused me to consider the death of this little bird, being plucked alive by its predator. The smaller feathers held such vulnerability and the realisation of how helpless the little bird must have been.