a special edition tablecloth
we have an unexpected bonus tablecloth. the use of it will be experimental as the cloth is made of plastic. there are opportunities to explore and investigate what will mark and what will not. indeed a lovely bonus for this holiday season.
into the outdoors
as spring approaches we’ve been out collaborating on the great willow labarinth, in derbyshire somewhere, i can’t remember what the name of the place is. it was a lovely day and we all had a lovely time in the sunshine. thanks to mike and jane.
table cloth project
with spring approaching the table cloth doodles wind down, with thoughts of the great outdoors.
table cloth two…
we celebrate individual thinking.
tablecloth two has been widely accepted as the succesor to tablecloth one. the installation of the cloth went smoothly with only minor confusion over where the old cloth had gone. like the trial table cloth, high lights have been kept. tablecloth two has stood to encourage further experimentation with colour and form.
documentation
the first round of the table cloth drawing came to a close when it was decided we needed more area to do more doodles. i managed to document the many highlights. these are my highlights of the highlights:
the table cloth
doodling on the table cloth. oh joy, finish the meal, sit and chat, drink tea and doodle on the table cloth.
it’s interesting to watch how the doodles evolve, get coloured in, extend, grow.
Mailout Editorial
I’m feeling quite excited, I’ve just written an editorial for Mailout magazine, a national participatory arts mag. I’ve not written one before so I’m feeling very pleased with myself. It should be in the September Issue, so keep I’ll be keeping an eye out for it!
Basic Principles
I’ve been considering the basic principles involved with working with the community this week in relation to cultural development. The ones I like best and would aspire to work to are in Arlene Goldbards book, New Creative Community – The Art of Cultural Development. She identifies seven points as being necessary for cultural democracy;
’1. Active participation in cultural life is an essential goal of community cultural development.
2. Diversity is a social asset, part of the cultural commonwealth, requiring protection and nourishment.
3. All cultures are essentially equal and society should not promote any one as superior to the others.
4. Culture is an effective crucible for social transformation, one that can be less polarizing and create deeper connections than other social-change arenas.
5. Cultural expression is a means of emancipation, not the primary end in itself; the process is as important as the product.
6. Culture is dynamic, protean whole and there is no value in creating artificial boundaries within it.
7. Artists have roles as agents of transformation that are more socially valuable than mainstream art world roles – and certainly equal in legitimacy.’
I certainly aspire to follow these principles, but only rigorous self reflection can ensure this. And that is the hard bit!
new home page live
yay ! after the technical problems have been overcome, i’m pleased to announce the homepage is now live, wow the whole site is now live !
hello world !