'10 Poles' Photography Exhibition

Very happy to be taking part in another exhibition in Carol Parker's Shed! 

Here is the link to 
'10 Poles' Allotment Photography Exhibition in the Shed

here is the link to the Exhibition Opening

Come and See!

I'm displaying some of my felt vessels on Level 2, The Cube. George Street, Corby so if you are in the building please do come and have a look. They will be on display for 3 months from today. If you can't get to the venue you can see more detailed shots of each vessel in this Flickr Set. Someone who saw me putting the work on display said "It's surprising, the longer you look, the more you see. Enjoy!

The Meal - Documenting a Global Snack

Every week the Art House Co-op release a new participatory project and on the 24th of February I took part in The Meal - a Global Snack.

"Nothing makes us feel connected quite like sharing a meal together. On February 24th at 12pm Eastern Standard Time, thousands of strangers from around the world will sit down for a bite in unison and capture a shared experience at the exact same time. Take a photograph of yourself with your meal and mail it back to us. These simultaneous snapshots – self-portraits of people and their foods – will be exhibited in our storefront project space and made available online. Our aim is to inspire a feeling of community across geographic and cultural boundaries. So wherever you may be on February 24th at 12pm, keep your camera handy and something delicious nearby – and remember that thousands of strangers, both near and far, are sharing that meal with you." Art House Co-op

For me food is a battle not a pleasure, but I loved the idea of connecting with lots of other people sharing a meal. As the day approached I reread the instructions only to discover that I had to be in the picture too. Oh dear, I love being behind the camera and am appalling in front of it, what's more I only ever see the flaws and never the whole picture. This was going to be a challenge and one I would need help in executing. 

I set up the meal - toast, boiled egg, pomegranate with added props - wooden hand, long stemmed rose, card from a friend to give me courage.  I press-ganged Andrew Rushton into helping me take the shot - he's a fab photographer but he's not very patient or encouraging, he gets understandably frustrated, just as I make a good shape, my face moves, my hands move, I start biting my lip and gurning strangely. I find it difficult to show myself. It can take a long time to get one image I'm happy with.

Below are some of the less terrible trial shots.

Serious eating face

Misbehaving

Smelling the roses

Channeling Frida

Sadly out of focus

Old & tired. Are we done yet?

The final choice taken just at the right time - Now you see me, now you don't!

My photo arrived safely and you can see the exhibition here

You can see Andrew's more serious photographs on his Flickr stream

Sweet Treats

There has been lots of activity and public engagement in and around the Cube in Corby just recently. On the 24th of July I was one of a host of volunteers handing out postcards, badges and jelly beans in exchange for memories or stories connected with the town. The postcards were images taken from the Our Corby photographic archive and are part of a larger Our Corby project and Corby's Cultural Olympiad. We were out in glorious sunshine and people seemed more than happy to share their stories, they also didn't seem to mind being approached by a strangely dishevelled woman wearing a a bright yellow T shirt with the Our Corby logo as a skirt.

The space outside the Cube is rather lovely, although one gentleman recalled that the land had originally belonged to a farmer who was bemused by the plans to build the first new town centre on the land as it was the windiest spot in Corby! That afternoon the breeze was welcome, but it's tendency to blow our postcards out of our hands wasn't! There was a real air of celebration plus a brass band, drama in the form of a specially commissioned play Heritage, poetry from Writer in Residence Joel Stickley and Kevin Fegan and the second screening of the film 24 Hour Corby

This week there is a rather gorgeous vintage Airstream caravan parked outside the Cube, which has been converted into The Knowledge Emporium where sweets are traded for knowledge recorded in the Big Book of Everything We Know. As I was working in my studio today I couldn't resist taking a peep inside this beautiful machine, it's well worth a visit. On Saturday there will be readings from the book.

The interior has a magical quality, there's a circular table with curved seating and brightly coloured cushions at the rear of the van and from there you can see a tantalising array of classic penny sweets.

Once seated you are invited to write in the Big Book of Everything We Know, have a chat with the lovely hosts and then you can choose your bag of goodies.

As schools are closed for the summer and the Cube is so close to the swimming pool, the canny children are making the van a regular stopping point, but this isn't just for children, adults will be warmly welcomed too.