The Power of Words in Art by Mark Titchner

Each year, Mary Anne Hobbs’ hosts the BBC Radio 6 Music annual art weekender, Art Is Everywhere. While listening to the radio programmes, listeners are encouraged to take inspiration from the words or the music and create an original piece of art which they then share online.

This year Art is Everywhere will be happening on Saturday 2 December and Sunday 3 December. The Saturday show will be broadcast live from Ferens Gallery in Hull, tying in directly with the 2017 Turner Prize.

In the run up to the launch of Art Is Everywhere, artist Mark Titchner talked to Mary Anne Hobbs about the power of words in art, particularly in public spaces.

Titchner's work utilises song lyrics, and words from creeds, treatises and political manifestos to explore different belief systems, and the way in which we 'receive thought and ideas'.

The artist reflects on how he first became interested in art using text, and recognises that the numerous notebooks that he filled with words were probably the starting point for him making work with words.

He is interested in the voice - how we share information, who gets to speak, who we listen to, where they are placed in the world. The majority of his work exists outside of the gallery, in the public sphere.

He began using text that he found, for example song lyrics or lines from books. His main concern was that the material had the potential to engage anyone.



One of his artworks, 'What I want more than anything else' involved Titchner talking to young people, aged 13-25, from across Hull, Burnley and Wigan. They were asked "What would you like more than anything else." Their handwritten responses were enlarged and made into banners, flags, murals, hidden bookmarks and on video screens that were displayed in the public. Each artwork was titled with the name of the individual who responded to the question.




http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05ng4x4