Wednesday 27 July 2011

Ocean Minerals

Sifting through all the stuff in the lead up to the exhibition I realised there were some seriously fishy smells coming from a few of the recent bags of things I'd found. A rotting kind of smell. I doused it all in Ocean Mineral scented Dettol and found a load of minute dead sea creatures floating in the bucket the next day. Everything's clean and freshly scented now though. In fact I noticed that I've been washing in Imperial Leather Ocean Mineral shower gel so I'm really living the part.

(Some beach items spread out in my living room - the non smelly stuff!)

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Life's a beach and then you find

I am pleased to announce my first contribution for the show has arrived - this marvellous photo of a rusted bike frame discovered on a beach by Phil Lyon.

Please remember to bring in objects, photos or send me images via email (which I'll print off) and then I can include them in the exhibition. thanks.

Monday 25 July 2011

Life's a beach and then you dive

2 semi rusted cans from the exhibition standing on a found bit of plastic turned shelf...

Saturday 23 July 2011

Sea for yourself!

It's been a hectic time moving and building the CCCA, and then the small matter of actually installing an exhibition... all done in five days! Yes, Beauty and the Beach officially opened to the non-paying public yesterday evening. It was great to see everyone at the opening party. Only one found shoe was pulled off the wall, and nothing fell off so I'd count that as a good night. Oh and a car’s hand-break broke and could have killed everyone but instead crashed into a Jaguar. (This stole the limelight for a few minutes but I think regaling tales like that of finding the mannequin head won the people back).

Friday 15 July 2011

Pro-Found Objects

I made one final trek down to the beach last weekend before the exhibition. It was worth it as I think I got there before all the scout groups arrived for their annual summer clean up. I managed to pick up a couple of bag-fulls of objects - much more than usual. There's a strange mix of emotions because I enjoy finding stuff on the beach but at the same time when there's so much debris and detritus you realise just how bad we are at keeping the place tidy.


I love the colours of objects I find, particularly against the natural colours of the pebbles or sand. I like the way objects get worn down and 'tumbled' by the waves over days, months, maybe years. Often you can see where barnacles or other organisms have started to grow on their surface as nature tries to envelop them. I wonder where they've come from and how they got there. Fragments of things that have become something wholly other from what they once were now emerge as shapes and forms in their own right, like sculptural forms or ready-made art works.

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Beauty & the Beach: Landlocked in the Heart of England

It's been a long time coming, but the Coventry Centre for Contemporary Art (CCCA) is getting another outing. It's been in hibernation in my friends' garage for the past year and is soon to be installed in Meriden, near Coventry.

Beauty & the Beach is an exhibition of found objects (and photos of found objects) from trips I've made to the sea-side over the past few years. Meriden is traditionally considered the centre and heart of England, and so a long way from the nearest beach. It seemed a somehow fitting place to set up this exhibition.

As with my last few shows I am hoping there will be an element of interaction and evolution with this. If you are on holiday and visit the beach in the next six weeks, please take some snaps or pick up the interesting and wonderful objects you spot and then bring them in to the CCCA where they can become part of the installation.


Sand Pistol, photo of a found object, 2008

The exhibition will begin with an Opening Party on Friday 22nd June 6:30-9.30pm and run from Saturday 23rd July - Saturday 20th August 2011.

Opening Times: (Closed Mondays), Tuesday - Friday 6:00 - 8:30pm, Saturday - Sunday: 2:00 - 7:30pm, (or by appointment).

Location: Coventry Centre for Contemporary Art, The Bull's Head (car park), Main Road, Meriden, CV7 7NN.

I hope to see you there!