Sally Madge - How Can I Tell What I Think Till I See What I Say - Customs House, South Shields

It was a week ago that I was stood in the Main Gallery at Customs House listening to Nick Kennedy talk about his latest work. 

It is hard to imagine that the current exhibition, How Can I Tell What I Think Till I See What I Say by Sally Madge was assembled in less than a week. Included in the exhibition was a process-driven wall drawing in which the artist covered the entire wall in charcoal, turning the wall from white to black. This was then washed with cleaning fluid so as to turn the wall an inconsistent light grey. During the installation of the other artworks in the gallery, Sally realised that the wall drawing was too dominant, and therefore decided to use white emulsion paint to cover part of wall. 

The press release reads:

"Not so much an exhibition of drawings, more an installation about drawing. Sally takes her inspiration from a child's picture of a house and asks questions concerning the nature and significance of drawing as activity and event. The installation might be interpreted partly as a personal archive but also a 'design for living', and aims for a playful yet serious approach to the subject.

The title for this exhibition is taken from Aspects of the Novel (1927), a treatise on writing by the English novelist EM Forster – Sally came across it when reading Marion Milner's 1950s classic study of the nature of creativity and the forces which prevent its expression, On Not Being Able To Paint. The quotation has been used as part of a discussion of Milner's ideas about the interplay of inner and outer reality in art and everyday life. 

Taking her inspiration from a child's drawing of a house, her aim is to weave a series of visual narratives through the space of the gallery, and so this is less an exhibition of her drawings or an exercise in drawing virtuosity than an installation about drawing. The intention is to explore the nature and potential of the medium, the way being able to do it or not being able to do it is indicative of received cultural norms and practices (as in "I can't draw a straight line", and the notion of 'genius'), as well as how the defining principles of drawing might be reformulated to fit a range of creative needs and aims.

So, the main gallery becomes the site for an experiment in 'interior design', and the walls are marked, papered and hung with a selection of artist-produced, found and collected drawings. A large, sculptural piece which takes centre stage engages with the child's drawing and references various art historical precedents. 'How To Draw' manuals spanning several decades are laid out for reference, and the small anteroom off the gallery operates as a more intimate and unformulated 'studio' space. The installation might thus be interpreted as part museum, part personal archive and part 'design for living'."

This exhibition is part of:

drawing?

Exploring the Creative process in Art, Culture and the Everyday

Launched from the end June 2015 to January 2016, drawing? an extensive region-wide programme of exhibitions, events and activities which aims to celebrate, explore and consider the role of drawing in art and design, science, technology and the everyday.

drawing? is curated by Esen Kaya (The Customs House) and Mike Collier (University of Sunderland) in partnership with mima (Teesside University), Newcastle University and Northumbria University. The project is a unique collaboration between some of the North East’s universities, galleries (both public and private), museums, archives, artist-led groups, artists and makers.

http://www.customshouse.co.uk/whats-on/Gallery/2071/how-can-i-tell-what-i-think-till-i-see-what-i-say#

Drafting - Day 1

What an amazing day.

This weekend I am participating in Drafting, a 2-day drawing and performance event. There are a range of artists and curators involved, coming from all over the UK and at different stages of their artistic career. Over the past couple of weeks I have been helping with the organisation of the event, and have been in email contact with all the artists involved in Drafting. This morning was the first time that I had met many of the group, and having breakfast together was an ideal way to introduce ourselves.

Discussions about the schedule

Alastair MacLennan sets up his space

We were fortunate to be able to use the project space at BALTIC 39, and close attention was paid to how we could best utilise the space given what we each wanted to do. Much effort was taken to ensure that there was movement of the audience over the evening. For instance, we programmed the evening so that after one performance, the audience had to move to a different part of the gallery.

Gillian Dyson prepares the gallery for her performance

Porcelain props in place for Denys Blacker's performance

We were also very mindful of the duration and nature of each performance, and tried to vary the pace. 

Elements of green and orange in place for Debbie Guinnane's performance

Over the course of the weekend, Sally Madge is collecting dust from people, objects and spaces, and displaying these in vitrines in the gallery. Sally notes where the sample has come from and numbers each one before placing it in a grid along with the others.

Sally gathers traces from artist Rene Mcbrearty

Samples of dust collected by Sally Madge and her lint roller

The atmosphere throughout the day has been one of encouragement, respect and support, and this continued in the evening. The audience were fantastic; attentive, quiet and engaged. Many stayed for the full 3 hours.

Debbie Guinnane and Alastair MacLennan in action

I'll be uploading photos of the performances soon.

Soaking in the atmosphere of the Lit and Phil

I will be taking part in a 3-person exhibition at the Literature and Philosophical Society (Lit and Phil) in March, and I am eager to get a sense of the place, how it is used and who uses it. I spent the afternoon soaking up the atmosphere and talking to people in the Lit and Phil.

On arrival I headed straight to the oval table towards the back of the main library room. The table is positioned in close proximity to a coffee machine, biscuit tin and 'the hatch', one of the features that distinguishes this building from other libraries. The hatch is run by volunteers who take it in turns to serve tea and coffee and biscuits. When the hatch is not manned, there is a tea and coffee machine and a biscuit tin that people can help themselves to.

As I sat at the table eating my packed lunch (yes, eating in the library is permitted!), I soon realised that there was no way that I could concentrate on reading the book that I had picked up as there were interesting conversations taking place around me.

Over the next few hours, a steady stream of people, ranging from a 3-year old to a 93-year old came and sat at the table. When asked what his favourite thing about the Lit and Phil is, Peter, the 3 year old boy, answered 'biscuits!' The importance of biscuits became clear as every person who came to sit at the table brought with them a packet of biscuits of some shape or form, and shared these. I was fortunate enough to meet Paul, the current Chair of the board of governors, who gave me a potted history of the Lit and Phil, from its conception in 1793 through the centuries to today.

Throughout our conversation other members sat at the table would interject and give their own anecdotes and offer other information to add to my understanding of what is obviously an important society to many people. There are not many places of this kind where one is given such a genuine and personal welcome, be offered food, partake in interesting conversation and be given a tour of the building by one of the members. This place is unique.

Over the past 15 years the society has experienced severe financial difficulties and at one point its existence was on tenterhooks. It is apparent that its survival relies on the passion and determination of the members and this drive ensures that the society retains its core functions - as a 'conversation club' and library.

The two functions exist simultaneously, although not always without tensions. In the most recent comments books, an abundance of glowingly positive remarks are punctuated by expressions of frustrations at the lack of silence in the library. Mike, (a current member) spoke about he regards the society as a social space, somewhere to talk about issues and ideas. In the 25 years that he has been a member, he has only borrowed 3 books. For him, the library aspect is not what attracts him, but the homely and comfortable atmosphere.

The society organises an impressive events programme, including musical events, lectures and art events. For example, in 2013 Dawn Felicia Knox, along with Irene Brown, Sally Madge, Iris Priest, Isabel Lima, Stephen Livingstone, Katy Cole and Benjamin Lawson were involved in Returning to the Philosophers’ Table, an integrated arts project that featured art exhibitions at the Lit & Phil and the Gallery of Wonder: Great North Museum along with cross-disciplinary collaborations and events.

For more information about Returning to the Philosophers’ Table, visit http://philosopherstable.org

I asked some of the members for their thoughts on some of the previous art exhibitions and installations that have taken place in the Lit and Phil. Positive comments were made in relation to Returning to the Philosophers’ Table. I get the impression the members I met were pretty open and are keen to attract new people. Tony mentioned that he would like to see a tandoori kitchen installed downstairs!

As much as I am excited about the space, I am also a little daunted by the challenge ahead. I feel, rightly or wrongly, a sense of responsibility to the members who regard the place as home. The context is already so loaded and full, and the atmosphere is very unique, and I want to use this to its full potential. How I will do this is unknown...

Watch this space!