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Platform #2: “The artist is not responsible to anyone”

See below for a slideshow of the sketchnotes I made from last night’s Platform discussion – this time the guest speaker was artist and curator Shaun Featherstone.

Shaun showed us his work around creating an anti-Jubilee newspaper and prompted the debate with examples by other artists such as the Artist Taxi Driver. The discussion revolved strongly around the scale of an active artist; is it enough just to be an artist in order to make a stand? Also the influence of money, selling work and getting public funding, was talked about in the context of controversial projects such as André Stitt’s “White Trash Curry Kick” and Simon Pope’s “Gallery Space Recall“. This with other examples shed light on various views on an artist’s responsibility and morality and where the limit for appropriate art is drawn. The discussion seemed to conclude that the context of art and the viewers’ individual interpretations make it difficult to provide a yes or no answer to the title.

The Platform still has two more discussions to go and they are free but you need to book. For more info and to take part in the online conversation, visit the Platform web page on the Diffusion website.

Recent sketchnotes: Archaeology QT and Creative Wales Awards

Just a quick update on some recent sketchnotes I’ve done… I went along to the Creative Wales Awards afternoon of talks in Swansea and made some brief, simple notes there:

Cardiff University commissioned me to record their Archaeology Science Question Time event at the National Museum in Cardiff last night and I really enjoyed it – one of my many dreams when I was younger was to be an archaeologist.

You can see all the notes from the QT event on Flickr.

Rapid Cycling: In conversation with artist Sara Rees

Sara Rees discussion visual

A few weeks ago I started my role as a resident graphic recorder of Rapid Cycling, a programme of artists residencies at the new ATTIC gallery in Roath, Cardiff. The gallery, founded by artists Sara Annwyl and Julia Thomas, is committed to an exploration of how emotional distress, cognitive ‘dysfunction’ and ’madness’ are understood, treated and experienced scientifically, personally and culturally.

The first event was a hosted day of dialogue, with artist Sara Rees and with contributions from the other Rapid Cycling artists, MARGIN, their resident writers group, and their group of responders. Other guests included Gareth Williams, Professor of Sociology from Cardiff University, Rose Thompson, Digital Storyteller and Dr Jamie Lewis a social scientist who works with the Medical Research Council and acts as ATTIC’s academic consultant.

The event started with people looking around Sara’s work and then being divided into two discussion groups thinking about responses to the work and questions to ask from the artist. The thoughts and questions were then shared with the whole group resulting in interesting conversation.

Sara Rees backgrounds

Sara Rees stories

Sara Rees - Lacuna

Sara Rees – ATTIC

For more photos of the graphic recording please visit the Flickr set. There will be more updates with other discussion sessions and at the end of the project I get to create a wall mural of the whole thing inside the gallery. For ATTIC info and updates, keep an eye on the ATTIC blog, ATTIC Facebook page and Twitter!

Collaboration with an artist and mental health service users

Next week I will be taking part in a workshop providing a space for mental health service users to discuss their thoughts on stigma. The event is organised by artist Julia Thomas whose exhibition ‘Aletheia: In Unconcealment‘ is on at the Arcade Cardiff empty shop gallery space in Queens Arcade, Cardiff.

My role will be to illustrate a graphic recording of the discussion as it unfolds and provide the participants a visual reference point. I’m looking forward to it as I have wanted to see how people from so called vulnerable groups perceive visual facilitation and tools – I will post more about the process afterwards.

Tickets please…

I’ve just finished doing some work for the brilliant artist, Matt Cook, on his Open Top Sound art event coming up in Colchester this Saturday. The work included both printed and email flyers and a bus ticket (as seen above); when boarding the bus the ticket will be rubber stamped with Matt’s logo. Read more…