Tate Pre-Raphaelites exhib - yes!

Totally at the opposite end of the spectrum from what I spend my time doing in my practice, but this is an incredibly inspiring show. These are the guys who were sick of the mechanical aesthetic that had appeared from the boom in inventions in the 18th century that I've been talking about, instead wanting to bring back beauty and romanticism in art. I'm sure they'd hate me if I was around in those times, BUT they remain outsiders of the then conventional current art practice, fighting against something, which i'm always a fan of in art. It might be a bit soppy, but you can't deny the skill in picking up the real emotions of people.

"The Huguenot, on St Bartholomew's Day refusing to shield himself from danger by wearing the Roman Catholic badge" (1851-1852)
John Everett Millais
Oil on canvas
92.7 x 62.2cm


Go and see this whilst you can, it's on until Jan 13th at the Tate Britain - go go!

Open Studios tomorrow!!

Habanera

"Habanera" from the opera "Carmen"
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden; Conductor: Antonio Pappano:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w9yJdkeryI

Screenshot from "Carmen", an archetypal verismo opera - the kind of music that sprung from the realist movement that originated in the 19th century - THE century for big inventions so naturally i'm a big fan.

Realism denotes a movement that focused on the realities of everyday life where artists took inspiration from their surroundings, granted, largely to do with society, but the concept as a whole is something I'd like to make a link with in my approach to the everyday object/roles we give to objects. Getting to the crux of the everyday, and showing it for what it is and what it can be.

So a somewhat unorthodox opera is on it's way...think iron...

15 Minutes of Infamy

15 Minutes of Infamy

Bin, bells, linen thread, wood

36cm x 50cm x 84cm

Our perceptions and associations of objects are very hard to change - to my mind, a bin will always be largely a visual object - but for the short time where this piece is considered, its audible capabilities are highlighted. This is however inevitably to be short lived, as the next bin I see, I know I will be seeing it once again as having a chiefly visual existence. How open are we really to all of our senses working in harmony? And so the 15 minutes of infamy are over.

Monkey Business

"Give an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of typewriters, the theory goes, and they will eventually produce prose the likes of Shakespeare."


So many possibilities!

Infinity

"Infinitum Cathedra"

Ink pen drawing on paper

84cm x 32cm

Adding some features to the local area...

Each design should in theory work mechanically to produce sound with the aid of human interaction.

Failing the local council making these en masse, I might have a bash at making one myself,

Is there a viable argument for increased awareness of sound being beneficial? 

"Light Gong"

A4 inkjet print, pen drawing

"Pylon Chime"

A4 inkjet print, pen drawing

Ode to

The image of the tin can with a gramophone winding handle seemed to sum up Fluxus ideals, an interest in function of object and sound fairly succinctly, so I decided to experiment with some other everyday objects. Not sure if a book is the right form of display - I prefer works to stay temporary. This, alongside "Audible Inventions", another publication are the only works i've made that are still in existence.

Highlighting and injecting the everyday object with more value as an art object, I equally desire to remove that status as soon as possible afterwards - anything beyond feels self indulgent. If longevity is not a part of the concept of the piece, why keep it? 

Inside....

Exhibition Pieces for Degree Show

"Can"

"Grind"

Fine Art Kingston University Degree Show

Kingston University Degree Show

16th June Private View

1-7pm

17th-22nd June Public View - open 1-7pm

Knights Park Campus (Kingston University)

Overture

Various Artists

Some guys from the chippie next to my house were kind enough to donate a large oil can for a new experiment of mine - using a whopping 50 vinyls or so! (They were Dido and Dizzee Rascal for all the vinyl record lovers out there don't worry :P) The initial intention was to create a larger version of RePlay, however as it turned out this would have been ridiculously hard to pull off - a happy coincidence then as this new version came out of it - making it much more obvious what material it is made of the focus can possibly stay more on the sound qualities of the tin can. A speaker here for an absence of sound?

                                                   Various Artists
                                                   36cm x 28cm (diameter)

RePlay

Experimentation with vinyl and of course a tin can - still obsessed. Creates an odd aesthetic as there is so much potential for sound in the material it is made of, yet it looks very dense and therefore has a silence about it. Still enjoying the mundane quality of the tin can as an object.

                                                RePlay
                                                10.5cm x 7.5cm (diameter)

Material love

Getting a bit frustrated with the intricacies of inventions and kinetic logic I've had a bit of  a material love revival - the notion of such complicated sound being produced by a simple material got me thinking about what other materials could be used. Below is a series of records made from various materials...

                                                        Acrylic paint

                                                        Jelly
                                                         

                                                        Resin

Website launch!

I finally have a website up and running properly!

The address is:

www.liz-osborne-artist.com

Here you can find a comprehensive gallery of my work, CV and my artist statement.
Please have a look and spread it about...

Showcase Cities at Richmix, Shoreditch (18th Jan 2012)

Many thanks to Rohan Samuel for pointing me in the direction of this! And also to Marc Farrington for allowing me to exhibit in this exhibition. I met loads of interesting people, hopefully interested in future collaborations. It was good to get a gauge of how audiences would approach it, particularly given that the intention was that they'd be able to pick up all aspects of the work, indeed they are necessary to complete the tin can telephone piece as it contains a recording of a tin can being opened. Once people felt they could pick it up there was a range of responses from confusion to a slight addiction to the escapism is gave them. Lots to ponder for future works...Might have to think up ways to make the spectator know they can touch the objects.

Video coming soon of this piece, I'm filming it on Monday 30th January.

"Audible Inventions"

"Audible Inventions" - a comprehensive document of all inventions thought up to combine sound and sight in an attempt to break down traditional roles of objects and spectator. Whether indeed they exist or not or could possibly exist I leave to you to decide.

Computer record player

This is the finished product of all my efforts to create a record player from a computer. More interesting visually perhaps than aurally as the sound created is mostly the motor noise, however it did bring up problems in displaying work of this kind. In the end an extension of the piece became the most viable, as the computer became almost a plinth that had minimal function, therefore an extension of it couldn't hinder it. But then with this in mind, why have the computer at all? A simplification may be in order, but it was fun to break a computer, show its innards, which is far more interesting to view than plastic casing in my opinion!