Some things

Writing about what I've made and what I plan to make

Jack Brown.

 

A computer print out, an exact record of the time it takes that particular computer to print each page.

Drawing from memory the floor plans of all the institutions that have influenced me throughout my life. Scouts, school, university, public houses, hospitals, police stations...

Watercress seeds, scattered over a small canvas and watered.

Tree painting.

Pulling a plugged can of paint up to the highest fork between two branches. Pulling the plug. A single white drip following the tree to the ground. Not paint but something that will hold its shape once set and last longer than the tree.

Drawing proposal- a sparkler and a box of matches.

Sculpture machine...a hired foam machine on a stand.

A small extractor fan, sat into a circular hole cut into a large window, turned by the draft passing through the building. The fan turns a generator which in turn powers a radio tuned to a foreign radio station.

Sand pit sculpture. A large tray of sand packed down tight, on a slight tilt. A steady drip of water from the top end, so the water works it way to the bottom creating channels as it takes sand with it

An overhead projector humming and projecting something.

This is where we are.

Paintings of Polaroid photos held in my hand. Not photographs, but the liquid in a Polaroid pouch pushed out with my thumb, making no particular shape but still pictures all the same.

Rip it up and start again.


Painting should not be about what you can do.

If there is craft to an object it should never be preconceived ornamentation.

It should be something that is designed to be functional but through the way its produced acquires some sort of decorative or aesthetic quality.

A slide projector...each slide in the cassette depicts that slides position in the circular cassette as it revolves. Each image is a view looking down on the projector. The image of the projector when projected is the same size as the actual projector.

Making something is not an artistic act but a day to day necessity.

Art can be about the necessity of making.

To draw something properly is to forget its name.

To forget what you know about it, to break it down and build it back up again.

Names make things too easy.

There is nothing more real/ important than the reality of an object and your relationship to it.

The things that I make to show people should make the people that see them aware of themselves, the object it's self and me.

The things I make to show people should:

∑ Make the viewer aware of themselves

∑ Make the viewer aware of the objects physicality

∑ Make the viewer aware of me

 

A mirror

Pick something up and look at it

Drawing is a heightened way of seeing.

East India dock road, Limehouse, London.1910. A big family sits around a small table, all of them folding up matchboxes.

They've been at it since seven in the morning and won't stop until the children fall asleep at the table. They repeat the same monotonous task, one from the box, put it on the table, fold and tuck, bring the edges round, push, bend, then force the flaps under.  The father of the family sits motionless, wasted on the task, but laid off and out of favour at the docks. A man used to shifting goods from the four corners of the world. Breathing slowly, shoulders hunched forward, he stares unfocused. In his cracked hands, unnoticed, a boat. made out of a the card meant to form a match box, holes pushed through for port holes, a match for the mast, the card sail forced into a arch, still and full.

 

Make a thousand matchbox boats. All different types of vessels. Preserve/ crystallize in sea salt.

 

This is a tape of me thinking whilst playing the harmonica.

I recorded it while I sat in a tree house I built with my Dad. The tree house was built in a field in Slaitwaite near Huddersfield

The Harmonica was my Granddad's. 

The sound of a piano playing on an old VCR tape.

A video of something refracted through a wineglass full of water.

A video of me standing side on to the camera.  Besides me on the floor there's a plastic bag containing a variety of aerosols; spray paint, shaving foam, air freshener, lynx, silly string...

Holding each aerosol and using it up in one go. 

Walking in London along a specific route. Recording the journey. The road and streets I walk form, on a map of London, a continuous line spelling my full name.

 

"Joseph Beuys asserted that everyone is an artist in the creative act of living. Bruce Nauman's work embodies the assertion that only in the creative act is one fully alive".

 

Sat on the ground,

Just outside my tent,

Shoes and socks still wet from a days walking in long grass,

10 o clock,

As I hold a torch flat to my hand it reveals,

in a pink glow, the bones running down the middle of my fingers...

 

 

A video of somebody in a boat.

Out at sea, no wind, the water is still and calm. The boat is just visible in the distance. The person in the boat is waving and shouting trying to get some one's attention.

 

A balloon full of water. Frozen. Then put in a tub of water and frozen. So the balloon is surrounded by ice, inside and out. Then sawing the corner of the block if ice off, cutting through the balloon as well. Then leaving it to melt. This will not be documented.

 

A small tin steamboat in a channel made out of guttering. The guttering follows the perimeter of a chosen space. The boat travels around the channel and around the space.

 

Cut up all the failed 'fabric' paintings. Cut into letters that make works that explain the process and the failings of that process.

 

The following paragraph is what the letters spelt;

Two years ago I went to Paul's Fabrics in Shadwell. I asked the fella working there to choose ten colourful pattered fabrics. I stretched the pieces of fabric on the backs of some old pasting tables. I worked on them for a few months, trying to paint freely, doing what ever popped into my head, they were shit. They'd been in a box for a while, so I cut them up into letters and put them where they are at the moment. Do you like them?

 

Plum into the gallery's water system. visible copper piping comes through the wall into the space.

The piping leads to a small tank. The water enters at the top fills the tank then drains through a hole in the centre of the bottom of the tank. As the water drains it create a whirlpool

 

A series of painting. Each time I pick something up to look at it I'll photograph it in my hand and paint from that photograph

Pick 10 name out of the phone book. See how much information I can buy on that person. Display the information in a public place.

 

Something out of nothing engaging it's self with everything.

Painting about nothing with no real reason to do so.

 

An artist's book. everything everyone everywhere

Statement on the back page

I've been thinking about this book for a while. I've been thinking about the stuff I'm surrounded by, how it affects me and how I affect it.

Everything, everyone, everywhere all caught up in a web of relationships.

Some relationships are constant like elephants always being bigger than coke cans, others are fleeting, an ice sculpture of a stag. Not all of them have been recorded and some haven't happened yet.

All the relationships mentioned in this book are true to the best of my knowledge.

Look around you whether you are in your front room or in a field, look at everything, each individual thing. Why are they together? What do they do? Why are they where they are?

Pick things up and look at them, think through an object's components and their origins, take a minute to deconstruct what you're holding.

 

Should I stop painting and start making.

 

When you or I walk into nature we become self aware. We have to watch we don't slip in the mud, think about balance as we climb over a fallen tree and possibly duck awkwardly under a branch.

 If you are on your own looking at plants and animals, thinking about how they interact or the way leaves turn towards the light then you are the only thing there thinking like this.

This knowledge distinguishes us from nature. We win, we are the best! Yet on a day to day basis in the city, we forget our sense of self. We loose ourselves in a sea of  people, forgetting each and every one of them has an  'I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I   I  ' or a ' YOU   YOU   YOU' sensibility beeping away.

The piece of work I am proposing to make continues on this train of thought.

6 units containing flashing L.E.D.s and electronic beepers.

The L.E.D.s on the side of each unit are arranged to spell out a word.

The LEDS and beepers will be synchronized.

 

 

ME    ME    ME    ME    ME    ME    ME     ME    ME    ME    ME    ME    ME   

 

YOU   YOU   YOU   YOU   YOU   YOU   YOU   YOU   YOU   YOU   YOU  

 

WE    WE    WE    WE    WE    WE    WE    WE    WE    WE    WE    WE   

 

I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    I    

 

US     US     US     US     US     US     US     US     US     US     US     US     

 

All the holes in a given space.

I plan to draw an arrow pointing to each and every hole found in the building.  

For example, holes from nails that a painting hung on. A hole left by a pipe that once passed through a wall. Holes in notice boards left by drawing pins, key holes, a hole in a toilet cubicle wall, holes in window frames, holes drilled for aerials or alarm systems even mouse holes if I can find them.

The arrows will be drawn in HB pencil and will all be approximately 2cm long.

The drawing will record aspects of the buildings history and expand the perceived exhibition space beyond the gallery itself. I will make a film to accompany the drawing. It will document my movement around the building as I am drawing arrows. The footage will show me working within the gallery space as well as showing me finding holes and drawing arrows in other parts of the building. If I need to talk to someone about drawing arrows in 'their' space ( office, studio, cupboard )

Shredded statement. Writing something on a piece of paper, shredding it, then putting it back together in the wrong order.

Unrolling a role of cellotape. Laying it flat along a surface. Rolling the role of cellotape back up.

 

Something I've made left outside. Until it's stolen, kicked to bits or falls apart.

A sculpture attached to a lamp post with a bike lock.

 

A video of ants passing on secret messages. With a painting painted with glow in the dark paint.

 

Photocopier drawings.

100 drawings. Limited edition.

Send 100 sheets through a photocopier without an original image to copy. The photocopier prints/ draws pictures of the dust in the machine.

 

A film of circular breathing.

Two screens. One screen showing a friend playing a cornet. Playing a continuous note, using circular breathing to do so.

The other screen showing me singing the same note continuously, using circular editing to do so.

 

You can find it if you look hard enough.

Taping the TV for the day.

Using the footage to 'edit out' or find the sentence " You can find it if you look hard enough".  Have the sentence playing on a loop. If there are enough words found during the days footage there could be more that one sequence of works making the same sentence.

 

Collage machine. All the faces found in all the national newspapers printed in one particular day. Cut out each face and stick to large sheet of paper or directly onto the wall.

Biggest face in the middle, getting smaller as they go out.

 

A Painting.

The Canvas is in France.

The paint is in New Zealand.

The idea is in someone's head in England.

But a painting all the same.

 

 

A piece of carpet with words shaved into it instead of a billboard poster.

 

 

The cardboard boxes coffins are delivered in.

 

a video of me spitting paint. using powered coloured paint mixed with honey, making long suspended drops of paint fall from my mouth to the floor.

 

a room built for plate smashing. a long room with a table at one end with a sellection of tennis ball sizes blocks of wood. at the other end a display of plates. the plates are rejects from a plate maling factory. participants can draw on the plates before smashing them.

 

An army drill Sergeant shouting.

 

Title - A sealed envelope containing a joke written on a piece of paper.

The envelope has been sent to my home address.

The envelope remains sealed in a frame for the life of the piece. In the run up to the show and during the show the joke is circulated. The joke will not be written down, just told to people, passed on, repeated, re-used and remembered.

Sending something to yourself in the post is a cheap way of copywriting it. It can be used to take ownership of a particular piece of text or idea. For example, hard up musicians send themselves their lyrics, the sealed envelope with its delivery stamp ( the date and code over the postage stamp ) are proof of the time the lyrics were written. An idea or concept can also be claimed by an artist, once they have 'put it down' in a particular medium or style. It becomes their intellectual property. The piece exists somewhere between concept and object, I has a duality and flickers between two states. A concrete idea, written down, captured, recorded and therefore owned. Or an idea that is free, re-usable, that can be re-arranged, bastardised and copied. The works materials and display make it at first glance indistinguishable from a normal everyday object, the envelopes contents ( once discovered ) brings about interaction with others, a smile, probably a laugh and brings into question where exactly the piece or artwork exists.

 

 

Proposal for show at Elevator Gallery.

Description.

A piece of sculpture.

About the size of a person but a bit wider.
(dimensions could change according to the space it has in relation to the gallery and other works displayed)
Various colours.
Built with an internal frame of wood and shaped polystyrene.
Whilst sculpting the piece I may include hay, sawdust, paper, resin, gel, glue, paste, plastic, rubber or foam in its construction.
It might lie on its side, hang from the ceiling, be propped up against something or come out of the wall.
Various shapes.
It won't look familiar.
It could end up looking amoebic or industrial or organic or a bit retro or a bit of everything.
 It will be particularly difficult to describe.

There should be no photographs, video footage or drawings made/taken of the finished work. I will invite critical writers, press, artists, poets, visitors and friends to write a written account of the piece before it is destroyed. The written account will be bound into a book. This book will become a record of the work, and a new work in its own right. The book will include a note of permission to reproduce the sculpture; A note of the rights of the idea and the physical manifestation of that idea signed by the artist.

 

 

A painting on planks of wood. the painting depicts me cycling to the gallery with the same planks of wood strapped to my bike. the planks are propped up against the wall.

 

A painting with a marble run incorporated into its structure.

 

A series of paintings.  paintings taken from images in lads mags, of people who have fallen asleep and been drawn on, sculpted on, customized.  painted in watercolors.

Aseries of photographic prints. images of football players who upon scoring a goal, have lifted their team shirt and revealed a hand written personal message on their vest.

 

I  WORK HARD    I  WORK  HARD    I  WORK  HARD     I  WORK  HARD

 

 

a drawing machine. a aneseed ball in a small paper lined box.

"first you take the ball out of the box and suck it for a while. Then put the ball back into the box and put the box in your pocket as you walk home. once you are home take the ball out, remove the boxes paper lining and have a look at your drawing".

 

Rub peoples hands with garlic


Drawing someones house then posting it to them


A drawing of my right hand drawn by my left hand and visa versa.


Chemically reproduce the smell of burnt toast.

Only sell work when the fact that the work is for sale is part of the work.

Snooker ball drawings. draw on each ball, replace in pub pool table.


juggle potatoes - stir two cups of tea continuously...

A painting that smokes fags.

An Audio book . words of encouragement and criticism. For artists to use while they are working.

Write/draw/paint things on the top edges of someone's door.

Suits and diggers film. recorded near Canary Wharf. a viewing platform overlooking a large building site. Men walk from their offices to spent time silently watching other men operate diggers and cranes.

The loudest sound you could possibly imagine going on forever

 You don't have to, but if you want to you can

Use familiar objects to give the viewer a way in

Wonapieceofart.gmail.com

Notes in books. Directing the reader to particular words. Eg - page 12, line 2, third word.

A room created with a bouncy castle fan. Inside the inflated room there is a recording on me mimicking the sound of the fan; humming or singing.

 

An audio piece. Descriptions of objects.

" a lump of Semtex……………a white cat……………..a plastic bag with tiger strips printed on it…………a roman soldiers left shoe…………………a fist wrapped in tin foil……… a flamingo……….”

Each object described is a track on a CD, the CD is played at random.

The CD for 'descriptions of objects' are made with handles attached to them by means of a fixture that hold the handle in place through the hole in the CD.

 

Unforced errors

A bag of salad. A book of drawings – each page of the book = a drawing of one leaf of salad.

The smell of play-dough on your hands

Massive amounts of salt dough – needing and reworking.

Text printed on pencils

'Only sell work if the work is about selling work'. White text printed on black card, with white circles for rubbing of coins. The rubbing record the amount paid for the work.

Two films. One of a bird singing, one of a whiteboard pen moving to produce a squeak the mimics the birds song.

A number of MDF squares. Each one sanded and rubbed with pigment. Hardly paintings at all.

Scrap metal. Photograph people bringing metal items to a scrappers. Use the items to build/draw imaginary artwork/sculpture

 

Artwork for a studio complex. A large canvas shaped wall mounted glass tank with sealed opening. Over a few months, collect 'off' milk from studio fridges, deposit in tank.

Artwork for a theatre or cinema. A film of people falling asleep during a film/performance

 

My route through Stockport/ all the houses I'm going to draw. Once I've finished the drawings, I'll photograph them and post the original drawings to the houses occupants.
17, 39 Dairyground Rd.  137 near crossroads same rd as woodsmoor station. 3 store st, greatmoor. 6 Kathering rd, near old station. 4 beech holme rd, offerton. 7 forbes rd, stockport. Heaton Towers, Wilkinson rd ( multiple copies ). 10 southdown close. 130 across junction from moorside road. junction with green lanes. 3 hillcrest av. near jonathans.  59 moorside rd. 26, 16 brairsmount. 14, 14a leegate rd, near heaton moor golf course. 14 sevenoaks av.  49 brownsville rd. 71 harrowgate rd. 40 browning rd. "Nains" house. need full address. Mottram towers Bamford road.  31 beach street. 13 buckingham street.

 

Dead line. drawn in charcoal.

 

 C C Seasiders         C C Seasiders

 

Black Bus. an empty bus with blacked out windows. Works a route, stops at stops but never lets anyone on.

 

 Give a song to local taxi drivers to pla

 

Project a film out of a parked car window ( at night )

 

A project for Brighton pier.

get a pound bag of two pence pieces, use a permanent marker to write the date each coin was minted large on each face of the coin. Place the coins back into a number of 2p nudge game machines

  

 A Film called ‘still, then moving’. Very slow fade in – at the station from inside the train. Three minutes then moving off. Very slow fade out.

‘If you look hard enough you will find it’. Instructions left at the front of a book. Or the instruction included the purchase of a book.

 

 Art for an art fair 1. Draw the name of the buyer buy tracing the streets on a local map.The buyer is instructed to walk the route that spells his name ( with me? ) and take photos along the way. The point at which the photo was taken is noted on the map. The photos and map with name are framed. All is sold to the buyer.

 

 A film of feet. An scene/group of people at a particular social event or at work, or just hanging around. The video footage if cropped so you can just see their feet. The audio is taken out. A folly artist adds the sound of their feet/shoes back in.

 Use ginger bread to make text pieces

 An Art work – map drawn from Deptford Project to APT gallery – free coffee stamp.

 

 Art for an art fair 2. Make a brass rubbing and let people take their own copies.

 

films on loops in city pubs at the weekend.... using non public spaces within public spaces – maps and directions to the pub – the pub is closed but a film is being played on the big football screens.

 

The islands in park lakes.

 

Making big work just so I can work in big spaces.

 

Self portrait looking zoned out, thinking about nothing. Allow

 

Write words in the sand by the Thames on the southbank.

 

Permanent public objects - agreed with private land owners

 

Remember you are asking questions as well as making statements.

It maybe worth re-stating the questions being asked.

I like the thought of things that I have started and are still going without me – a ‘drinking bird’ in a dark room, a live website showing a live image of something, an artwork in a system, on circulation – a drawing on a five pound note, a letter addressed to an address that no longer exists, paintings that glow in the dark.

A sound intervention – studio complexes – music and disco lights on a timer – play at 3.00am for ten minutes every night.

 

 

 

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