WORKHOUSE (The Exhibition)
Naomi Lethbridge curated the exhibition WORKHOUSE: Work On A Theme of Intensive Labour, which she invited me to take part in. It took place at HIVE, 47-51 Lever Street, Manchester.

The preview was on 14/04/11 and the show continues untill 21/04/11 (10.00-16.00)

Artists Include: Stephen Ashdown, Frances Blythe, Antony Clarkson, Jenny Core, Sian Green, Mary Griffiths, Hannah Leighton-Boyce, Naomi Lethbridge, Sarah Redfern and Hannah Wiles

Detail Match by Jenny Core and Detail Pilgrimage by Antony Clarkson

Composition: Movimentum by Hannah Leighton-Boyce

Detail Composition: Movimentum by Hannah Leighton-Boyce

Constellation by Mary Griffiths

24 New Covent Garden Soup Cartons by Naomi Lethbridge

Untitled by Sarah Redfern

Mary's Table by Antony Clarkson

Untitled by Sian Green

Untitled by Hannah Wiles

WORKHOUSE (Moss)
I was invited by Naomi Lethhbridge to take part in an exhibition that she was curating around the theme of intensive labour. For this, I wanted to make a sited piece around the location of the gallery. After observing and documenting the area I became very drawn to a section of moss that could be seen whilst standing in the gallery. Due to the moisture as a result of poor drainage, this rich green moss had begun to draw itself, creating a beautiful pattern across the red brick of the wall behind.

I wanted to add to and continue this organic drawing by adding my own marks to the wall. A subtle intervention that draws attention to the themes I have been looking at more recently with regard to nature versus the urban environment.

In Certain Places: The Monument and the Changing City Symposium
I attended a symposium at University of Central Lancashire. It was designed to examine the impact, purpose and aesthetic merit of public commemorative and memorial works from across the world, and the role of public memory within the changing city. The speakers included: Paul Gough, Lubaina Himid, Alan Rice, Jonathan Vickery, Charles Quick and Chris Meigh-Andrews.

    Flash at Hebburn by Charles Quick

Having been to a brilliant symposium run by In Certain Places last year, I was keen to attend this one. In previous work I have looked at the importance of derelict buildings and their ability to encapsulate the past in a way that heritage sites can not. I wrote an essay referring to the work of Pierre Nora with regard to lieux de mémoire and how dominant sites of memory, such as memorials, do not evoke the same sense of remembering as grass-root sites.

With this in mind I was hoping there would be more discussion on temporary grass-root intervention that can act as an alternative to monuments. Although this was briefly touched on in a discussion session before lunch, there was not enough time to push these ideas further. 

I felt that Paul Gough was the most relevant speaker for me and I intend to look up his writings at http://www.vortex.uwe.ac.uk/. He also mentioned the artist Toni Morrison who may be of interest to me.

You can watch all the speakers at http://incertainplaces.org/category/talks-and-debates  and they are definitely worth a look.