Today I dropped off a number of my recent artist books at Glasgow Print Studio to be sold in their Christmas shop. Here are a few that can be purchased from GPS.
The Glasgow School of Art Exhibitions Department is currently hosting this week (2-6 Nov) a Research and Development visit by Porto and Lisbon based Isabel Carvahlo and Pedro Nora, who are Braço de Ferro.
They are currently meeting with the GSA staff, students and Scottish practitioners working with artist books, design and experimental writing.
I met with them yesterday and took them on a trip to Edinburgh to visit:
The Fruitmarket Gallery Bookshop which has a range of artist books and lots of other wonderful publications
http://fruitmarket.co.uk/
Analogue - a brilliant art and design bookshop with a gallery too
http://www.analoguebooks.co.uk/
The Scottish Poetry Library with an exhibition of tiny artists books
http://www.spl.org.uk/events/index.html
From their visit they will develop a proposal for a project with the GSA Exhibitions Department.
It was brilliant to visit these places, hear about their projects, and tell them about Glasgow International Artists' Bookfair and my own artists books and artistic practice.
Inspired by my trip to the Badlands when recently in Canada, I have created a multi-layered plaster cast using the same mould that I used for the paper cast sculpture.
I enjoy working on a couple of projects at the same time, in order to add variety to my work. As well as casting, I have been working on numerous artists books.
The time-consuming and delicate nature of making the artists books is balanced with the more free and less intricate process of casting the drainpipe sculptures.
I am hoping to sell a range of my artists' books at Glasgow Print Studio, but please get in touch if you would like to make a purchase - an excellent Christmas present I think!
After a great deal of 'patting' the paper pulp into the mould (it took hours until the water was adequately removed from the pulp), I left the paper to dry in the studio.
Weeks after, the paper was finally dry and it could be taken out of the mould.
Here is the result:
I am pleased with the result, especially given that it was my first attempt at the paper cast process.
Although the paper is white, when pinned to the wall (as intended), the three dimensional nature of the cast is emphasised by the varied tonal qualities produced by the shadows and lighting conditions.
As many of you will know, I am Research Assistant for AHM (Sam Ainsley, David Harding and Sandy Moffat).
Over the past few months I have been helping to organise their first symposium:
STATE OF PLAY: Art and culture in Scotland today.
When coordinating any public event, the weeks leading to the event become increasingly busy, but as I sit here tonight, I feel pretty confident that we are on top of things.
The marketing has been done and flyers circulated The volunteers have been recruited The documentation of the event has been organised and batteries are charging The catering has been ordered and additional supplies bought The venue has been set up Signage has been applied to the venue All the tickets have sold out
Lets just hope that all our efforts pay of tomorrow
I am ultra excited about the event, and feel incredibly honored to work with AHM.
One of the great things about Open Studios is that it is a super opportunity to meet new people.
Over the weekend I had many interesting conversations with a range of people, some whom i already knew, and others who i didn't.
Shelley Krycer is a Melbourne based artist who is currently on her travels with her brother, and just happened to be in Glasgow for the open studios weekend.
We share some similar interests, and there is potential for us to do some kind of project together... watch this space!
You can find out more about Shelley by viewing her website:
I would like to invite you to the annual Wasps Artists' Open Studios Weekend.
I will be spending the weekend in my Studio (122) at the Briggait, and hope you can pop in.
The opening hours are:
Saturday 2nd October 11am - 5pm Sunday 3rd October 12noon - 5pm
The Briggait is a magnificent building by the River Clyde that served as the city’s fish market for over 100 years, but following its recent transformation, now contains 45 studios.
For more information about the Briggait please visit www.thebriggait.org.uk
For more information about WASPs studios please visit http://www.waspsstudios.org.uk/arts-programme/open-studios/
I have recently contributed work to The Pound Gallery.
POUND GALLERY is an enterprise for losing money. The gallery retails second-rate products of emerging artists for next to nothing. The prices cannot cover even the manufacturing costs of the works, let alone the gallery space rent, promotion or transportation expenses. Pound Gallery seeks to increase accessibility of contemporary art by making it affordable to everyone.
THE POUND GALLERY COLLECTION consists of flaws and byproducts of creative processes: proof-prints, sketches, experiments etc. All the works are original, authorized and signed. Pound Gallery celebrates imperfection, looking to reclaim the uniqueness and presence of a product through its defects. At the moment the Pound Gallery catalogue includes over 300 works.
HELSINKI-BASED Pound Gallery is yet to have a permanent location. Before opening in late 2010 or early 2011 Pound Gallery is looking to further enhance its collections.
For more information please visit http://www.l-galleria.fi/galleriasivut/poundgallery.html
Click the link below to watch a great stop motion animation that reminds me of the good days of playing pacman and how the most basic of games remain the best!
AHM (Sam Ainsley, David Harding and Sandy Moffat) present State of Play: Art and Culture in Scotland Today
The first of three one day symposia to be delivered over two years in different locations across Scotland.
Organised as part of their Research Residency at Glasgow Sculpture Studios.
Keynote speakers are Christine Borland, Dr. Neil Mulholland, Prof. Philip Schlesinger and AHM
Chaired by David Harding
The symposium will begin with a dynamic 30 minute performance of spoken one minute personal manifestos by a wide range of artists that include Ruth Barker, Justin Carter, Dalziel & Scullion, Ellie Harrison, Nicola Atkinson, Peter McCaughey and Shauna McMullan.
For more information on this event please visit http://theahmblog.blogspot.com/
To book a place please contact Glasgow Sculpture Studios on 0141 204 1740 or via info@glasgowsculpturestudios.org
Today I visited my old flat to ask the new tenants a question / favour (long story not worth detailing). I had intended for it to be a brief visit, but I got talking to the lovely new occupants and we shared landlord stories. As they were showing me around the 'renovated' flat, I saw something familiar on the floor of my old bedroom. Immediately I recognised the large sheet of cartridge paper as belonging to the portfolio of artwork I created on my foundation course and sent to GSA with my application for the Environmental Art Degree.
Dave had found the collection of sheets under a cupboard (I really thought I have looked everywhere and taken everything from that room when moving), and along with his other flatmates, had sorted through them picking out some pieces to keep and put up in the flat. The other sheets had been folded and were waiting outside in a pile of rubbish to be collected by the bin men tomorrow.
I quickly rescued the other sheets, and was amazed at my luck of being in the right place at the right time.
Dave told me of how he and his flatmates had enjoyed going through all my work and selecting pieces for their flat. I feel delighted that I just so happened to be there when the work was still outside rather than in the landfill.
Ive been experimenting with creating complex structures from simple forms. These drawings have prompted me to extend the work into a three dimensional realm.
I am an artist making work that incorporates installation, video, sound, sculpture, performance, & writing to explore the human condition. I investigate ways to immerse the audience in multi-layered psychological & physical situations.
I trained at Leeds College of Art & Design (Foundation), Glasgow School of Art (BA (Hons) Fine Art: Sculpture & Environmental Art) and Newcastle University (Masters of Fine Art).
My lived experience of eating distress & obsessive compulsive disorder informs the work I create & the way I work. Some of the consequences of living with these conditions are that rigour, routine & attention to detail are fundamental to my way of life, all of which are integral to my creative practice; using the constraints of systems, I allow chance & playful elements to create unexpected results.
My work is regularly exhibited in solo & group exhibitions across the UK, USA, Canada & South Korea & is contained in various public collections. I have a number of public artworks, been commissioned to produce site-specific work & have taken part in national & international residencies, consistently since 2005.
2020-21
Awarded Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice funding for a printmaking residency with Charrington Editions
Byre-Group exhibition in which I created a site-specific installation alongside some creative writing
Everything Will Be Alright-an audio installation at Cheeseburn Sculpture, commission by curator Matthew Jarratt
Filling Time-a watercolour calendar-based work, currently exhibited at BALTIC centre for contemporary art
Lockdown Diary-a daily online process since March 2020, that has been acquired by the Wellcome Collection
Home Time-a creative tool for public, inspired by Lockdown Diary, commissioned by New Writing North
Inclusion in a new Alec Finlay publication.
I work in my studio at NewBridge Projects in Newcastle & as well as my solo work I collaborate with David Foggo as marginendeavour; I am often invited to speak to students, artists & facilitate workshops.
Website: www.helenshaddock.co.uk
Blog: https://helenshaddock.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: @hshaddock
Instagram: /helenshaddock
Facebook: /helen.shaddock
Vimeo: /hshaddock
YouTube: /helenshaddock
LinkedIn: /helen-shaddock
Education
Master of Fine Art, Newcastle University, 2016
BA (Hons) Fine Art: Sculpture and Environmental Art , Glasgow School of Art, 2008
Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and Design), Leeds College of Art & Design, 2005
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