The Other Room Anthology 3

Series title: “Leftovers”

This is the cover of The Other Room Anthology 3.

The Other Room Anthology 2010/11 features work from Neil Addison, Richard Barrett, derek beaulieu, Adrian Clarke, Emily Critchley, Ian Davidson, Stephen Emmerson, Allen Fisher, Susana Gardner, Ben Gwilliam, Jeff Hilson, Peter Manson, Craig Marchington, Nicole Mauro, Chris McCabe, Maggie O’Sullivan, Posie Rider, Jeffrey C. Robinson, Jerome Rothenberg, Zoe Skoulding, Linus Slug, Nathan Thompson, Joseph Walton and Justin Katko, and Louise Woodcock. Click HERE to buy a copy for £6 including postage within the UK or HEREto buy a copy for £7 including postage anywhere else.

Copies of The Other Room Anthology 2 are still available. Click HERE to buy a copy for £6 including postage within the UK or HERE to buy a copy for £7 including postage anywhere else. The Other Room Anthology 1 is currently out of print.

Collage part 2

I decided to try using red ink as a background possibly or to draw on the text pieces. This turned out to be too cheesy. A bad idea. The simplicity of the pieces and the text was enough and my text written in ink was too literal. These were some of the words I had eaten in the performance. The quietness and subtlety of eating harsh words in the performance works far better than them spelled out in red ink. Too literal and vulgar. Not that I mind vulgar in general but not for this. There is subtlety, haphazardness and complexity that I’m very pleased with. I am always afraid of text in art as I never know whether it actually works. My fear of text is I suppose apt for me to work with as my work deals with fear, my own fears in general. This is quite a scary project for me. I’m happy with the work being made in a haphazard way as I get very nervous about choosing words. I’m terrified of poetry, not reading it but writing it. I think I would drive myself insane if I went at it too much. I prefer the breathing space I’m allowed with visual work as every day it’s something new. It’s not so concrete as the symbol of the word. I’m very free in what I say verbally, but I’m too anxious about writing things down, although I am writing this. I’m not so scared of prose, I have been writing some biographical stuff recently that I have very much enjoyed and been more frank than I ever have before. There are definitely uses for writing for me. I’ve realised I can talk about the wider things, the surface things but the deeper, finer and less graspable/tangible emotional things I need visual work to express. Some people can attain this through words, like poets. My visual work is my poetry I suppose. I would like it to be. I realised reading Heart of Darkness recently how deeply moving and visceral words can be. I forget sometimes, although that probably sounds ridiculous to a lot of people. It’s just like a long poem. Some of it has deeply anti racist sentiment for the time, but due to the time, the descriptive stuff is racist.

Gouache Watercolours

I’m currently making self-portraits using gouache. I’m finally getting the hang of the materials. Images will follow shortly. I drew a heart using a technique similar to Louise Bourgeois’ late red washes where much of the inspiration comes from.

I feel as though I’ve had a creative breakthrough in making these pictures, it feels like I’ve been able to really let myself go and delve into difficult emotional territory. It’s been cathartic. It’s allowed me to experience negative feelings and then take a step back afterwards. It’s like some sort of exorcism.

Louise Bourgeois

Mill 24 – 24 Hour exhibition at Islington Mill, Salford

I’m making a live work over the course of a 24 hour exhibition taking place at Islington Mill in Greater Manchester on Saturday 29th May. I will be crocheting myself into a sculpture. Click the link for more info.