(Super, Un)natural history

Further areas of The Herbert's natural history collection was deliberately referenced in my work. I wanted to mimic some of the ways they displayed or catalogued their items. For My Found Knotted Crisp Packet Collection (2014) I used a fairly traditional looking green felt as a backdrop to pin the different packets onto as if they were a collection of butterflies or the like. The shape of the tied packets, their thin wrapper 'wings' and the bright colours evoked these creatures in my mind. 

Trophies (2014) (a found heron's head and a broken battery operated bat, each framed in gold spray-painted polystyrene packaging) recall the taxidermy found within the museum as well as the sorts of displays of creatures / heads that might be assossiated with this practice. There is a play on what was once considered a hunting trophy and my seeking out of found objects on the streets.

Mini Beasts (2014) similarly emulates the the sort of displays of insects and animals that could be found in the Herbert Museum. Real animals have been replaced by man-made versions found on the street. Within this array there are items that resemble life-forms although originally bore no reference to them- for instance a tag from perhaps some sort of garden packaging now looks like a flattened one-armed frog, and plastic remnants from something that was screwed in or drilled out appear more like a pair of octopii.

 

Stickers R Us!

The house is overrun with stickers! These make up the Found Object Sticker Packs produced to coincide with the Shed - Collect - Shed exhibition and will be on sale from the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum shop very soon (or directly through me - just get in touch). There will be 50 Limited Edition packs of the complete 50 designs (£20), and also sold individually (£1 each).  The clear vinyl stickers feature photographs of found objects from my collection, a number of which feature in the Shed - Collect - Shed exhibition.

To pick up or not to pick up?

People often ask why I pick up something and not another thing. I guess that's something I don't exactly know the answer to, but the decision I make in that moment of seeing something on the street and bothering to stoop down is obviously a crucial one. I'm very selective with what I pick up. This may depend on what mood I'm in, whether I am able to stop, how covered in mud that thing is... While I was in Cork recently with Martin Green, I found an interesting strip of rubber. I picked it up and as I was trying to get some of the mud off it (quite yucky) I dropped it. Where did it land? In a dog poo. So that's definitely where I draw the line. 

I am drawn to toys, plastics, colourful things, interesting shapes, objects which bear traces of peoples' lives - marked, worn, used. They may be tragic, comic, peculiar. It fascinates me when items have been changed by their environment - (perhaps flattened by cars or weather worn) and the objects become sculptural beyond their original designs. Another interest for me is to build up a collection of like items. Finding similar things and presenting them in a set or series brings a different meaning and 'weight' to them; they gain greater significance together.

These are disregarded things - lost or thrown away, seen as worthless. To pick these things up and present them within a new context and with a new value is a redemptive act. 

Open Doors

A week of hard toil and installing and Shed - Collect - Shed has now opened!

The Coventry Centre for Contemporary Art (CCCA) looks great it in it's new setting - under the covered court in the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. It may be small but there's plenty to see inside - over 40 new works for your contemplation and enjoyment!

Thanks to everyone involved in the set up, including artists Martin Green and Joanna Rucklidge and the Herbert staff.

The first work has been installed for Shed - Collect - Shed at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. Although not technically in the exhibition, it is part of the show. You can find my work Down at Heel (2014) in the What's in Store room on the ground floor of the Herbert. The room is not easily found which is perhaps fitting for this little precursor / trailer to the main attraction all about found objects and is opening in a just under a week.

You'll find this draw marked Found Coventry Shoe Heels in amongst other Museum drawers housing various interesting collections such as Medieval Leather Scabbards, Fans and Prehistoric Stone Tools.  My aim is to encourage people to visit the room as much as for it to point others in the direction of my show. To me it's one of the most interesting rooms in the Herbert with a real mixture of things to explore - from paintings to clocks,  stuffed animals to ... shoe heels. 

This is one of Joanna Rucklidge's pieces for the Shed-Collect-Shed exhibition - a screen print from found rubber bands. This forms part of a series of work called 'Going Round in Circles' made using everyday objects found on the streets of Coventry. She uses the symbol of the circle that she found recurring throughout her journey around Coventry - both in the objects she found and the details of the city. I love the way she draws inspiration from very mundane things and creates something beautiful. I'm looking forward to seeing these installed next week ready for the exhibition opening on Saturday 16th August.   

  

Mess and progress

The only near-appropriate things currently on my dining room table are some found forks. But you wouldn't want to eat using them, trust me. This table is currently the designated spot for all my objects to be amassed. (And the lounge floor. And the spare room). A flattened pen sits alongside an old outhouse window, a cardboard fish rubs gills with a broken miniature mirrorball. Needless to say it's a little busy here! 

There are under three weeks to go until the opening of the Shed - Collect - Shed exhibition. Thankfully progress is being made! There's a lot to do and a lot to come together before then but that's half the fun of it (I think!).


Martin Green and Joanna Rucklidge have nearly completed their commissioned works and I'm excited to be able to offer a sneak peek at one of Martin's twelve City Box sculptures.

#1. Rail and Coach Stations
• Box made from the cover of Play Better Soccer and 2 worn heels.
• 20 found suitcase wheel rims.
• Found spectacle frame.

I can't wait to see the full set of 12 installed.

Cork Walks

Back from adventures in Cork...
Martin Green and I had 2 and a half days in Ireland's second city to walk the streets and pick up as many interesting things as we could. The first day was a little concerning - there wasn't a lot to be found. The streets were very clear apart from a fair amount of dog poo, beer cans and cigarette butts - none of which we were particularly interested in taking home. The second day we explored outside of the city centre a bit more - along the river which provided a few more bits. We were feeling better about things. The final day was a walk into the more industrial area of the city. Again it was fruitful. I literally wore my shoes out doing so much walking. We'd been made to toil for our finds, but we brought back some goodies.

Now we just need to actually make the work... 

Paradise Lost and Found

Martin Green and I journeyed to find the area called Paradise in Coventry and as we did so collected found objects along the street. This was the first part of a two legged journey, the second being in Cork, Ireland (taking place this weekend). We will compare the objects we find in both cities and make a piece of work from them for the Shed - Collect - Shed exhibition. The work relates to the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum's remit to collect things that relate to Coventry, its people and twinned cities it's linked to (such as Cork). 

There's always a bit of pressure when you need to find objects so I'm hoping the good people of Cork have been doing their bit over recent days. Coventry certainly did theirs as we came away from our walk with some decent items including this, the (litter) pick of the day - a miniature metal skull.

Shed - Collect - Shed: Coventry's Lost and Found

In six weeks on 16th August 2014 my latest exhibition will be opening to the public at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum Coventry. I will be working with Martin Green and Joanna Rucklidge, showing our collections of found objects and new works, relating them to the Herbert's own Coventry-centric collections of artefacts.  

I am pleased to announce that the official Charity Shop Tour Shop postcard books are now in stock and available to buy! Only £5 per pack + p&p (20 postcards in a pack). Great mementos of the exhibition and perfect for Christmas, birthdays, bar mitzvahs and the like. These are a limited run of 200 so buy them now before they're gone.

The last hurrah! A great send off for the CSTS with a record number of visitors today (for one of my exhibitions at least!). Thanks to everyone who has been involved - particularly Dave Gray, Jamie Randall and Ben Rowe. Here's Kiss Blower (from Scope, Ormskirk) to offer a fond farewell. It's been fun!

Below are the commissioned works made for the Charity Shop Tour Shop exhibition. It was a pleasure to work with these artists and I couldn't be happier with the resulting pieces.
 
Dave Gray's 'The Iron Gundam' (2013) (an acrylic painting onto a found charity shop painting by J. Hughes and re-signed).

 “When the light's green, the trap is clean” and High Voltage Laser Ecto Protective Containment Unit (2013) - Ben Rowe's duo of superbly crafted MDF works inspired by Ghostbusters traps bought on the Tour.

Jamie Randall's beautifully playful jigsaw pieces (Untitled, 2013) made to fit the Charity Shop Tour bought Boat Puzzle with Missing Piece - bringing completeness and five new narratives to the original item.

 Jamie Randall's radiant stained glass light piece Red Eyed Lion (2013).

 

Some impromptu art works were made yesterday at the CSTS - which was great. There were no workshops running but that didn't stop my creative visitors! 
This drawing was by Mary Courtney:

This felt work by Karen Johnson:

And this drawing by Jacob Langlands:

Some impromptu art works made today by some of today's visitors and thought I would share them:

by Mary Courtney

by

By Jacob Langlands

A new view of some of the charity shop tour items on display...

The dancing Jar Jar Binks (next to Mickey Mouse) has been a surprise hit of the exhibition wowing children and adults alike!

Last of the CSTS workshops today. Here's what was made:

Today's art workshop offering. Thanks to everyone who took part.

 

A week and a half left of the CSTS and that means only 5 more days of being open.

I added a new piece of work just finished to mark the half way point of the show - it's a light box housing 8 hand-etched mirrors featuring some of the 'characters' bought on the Charity Shop Tour. There will be at least one more new work to mark the close of the exhibition too (it's on it's way!). 

Yesterday was the first art workshop at the Charity Shop Tour Shop. Some great work was made and will be put on display. Hama beads were a popular hit but also some scraper foils and a felt picture were made. Thanks to everyone who took part.