Wysing Arts Centre

It has been a busy time.

Since the open discussion in Ipswich Town Hall Gallery we have installed some work for a show at Wysing Arts Centre in the Wysing Arts Contemporary series entitled Partnering. Here, our project has a very different flavour to the work at Ipswich since we have tried to focus on the nature of the four protagonists working together rather than majoring on the work produced as a result.

A large (2.5 x 3 mts) photograph forms a backdrop to a stage set on which sits the desk and chairs that we use for meetings. On top of the table are copies of our work in a box file, a sound recording of our open discussion and a script for an imaginary play. It is multi layered, and needs time to uncover everything.

We plan to hold our next meeting in the gallery space on the stage.

The open discussion event on 1st October was well attended - about 65 people in total, many of then students from Suffolk New College. Phyllida, George, Helen and Caroline spoke for around 40 minutes, outlining the project history, its development and their individual reasons for taking part. The conversation ranged from "what is art?" to the student and art institution's roles today. There were several questions from the floor bringing the event to a close after almost two hours.

The project will be represented at the next exhibition at Wysing Arts Centre near Cambridge. Called Wysing Arts Contemporary:Partnering, the show looks at different ways in which artists are working with other people, be they artists, those from other professions or communities. The show opens on 16th October and continues until the end of November.

Excellent news - a poem by George that was written right at the beginning of the project has been selected as the poem for the National Poetry Day card.

The show is nearly up!

Everything is now finished bar a few minor adjustments. The evaluation cards are printed and in place and the work is hung and the gallery staff are setting up the drinks in the foyer. All that remains is to enjoy the private view.

Installation going well albeit a little slower than we would have liked.

Images are of Helen putting up work and Stephanie, a fantastic work experience student who has done sterling work painting walls.

Hope to see you all on Friday at the private view from 6pm to 8pm

Tomorrow installation begins in the gallery in Ipswich. It will be a good opportunity to get the work out in one space and to be able to react to and explore all the pieces together. Whilst we bring work to our meetings, this is an additional process not a cumulative one, since it is impractical to transport every single piece of work on every occasion. Our opening is on Friday 10th September when we are looking forward to public reaction to respond/reply.

We are delighted to be invited to take part in a show that is being held at Wysing Arts Centre. Rather alarmingly in terms of time, it opens on 16th October so there is much to do in preparation. The show is called Wysing Arts Contemporary: Partners and offers us the chance to present work that addresses the relationship between the four of us as well as the drawing and writing work we are producing.

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It seems only a short while since respond/reply started in early 2010 but already the four artists have met on three occasions and a fourth meeting is planned for October.

Much material has been produced by all of us, and in some cases multiple responses have built up from a small starting point. We are not being prescriptive or orderly in our responses, each of us can choose to respond at any time to any other piece of work. Already this has led to George writing about Phyllida's recent show at the Serpentine.

We are busy preparing for a show in the Town Hall Galleries that opens in September. This will take the form of a project space, with the work to date exhibited to show the changing and developing nature of the project. Helen and I plan to spend some time in the gallery, making work and also responding to visitors comments. On 1^st October we are holding a public discussion event where we will hold our normal meeting in the gallery and invite the public to join us. We are hopeful that several students from University Campus Suffolk will also join us as we will be working with them in the weeks prior to the event.

Helen will be running a Big Draw workshop in October half term and we plan to visit the local library to work with the public on drawing and writing related activities.