About Me
Producer and media engagement encourager. Ilkley, West Yorkshire
A passion for for photography and digital communication with a background at the BBC and ITV.
Currently director at the School Media Club making cinema films for schools and working for Oblong Leeds a community development organisation. Also a member of All Saints Church in Ilkley and involved with communications in the parish.
This blog features posts about photography including some of my photos, while the media posts will include thoughts about filmmaking and online media - particularly to do with PR activities.
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Tag Archives: art
The Tate Channel
I have been enjoying the Tate Channel - an online collection of videos with artists of various shades. This is a rare and inspiring resource. I say rare because these videos have been prepared with the context in mind, on the whole they are not mini documentaries, news reports or commercials, but are made for the web audience. The videos are very simple interviews (usually minus the interviewer) which allow the artists to talk in a very natural and open way. Here is the deadpan world of John Wood and Paul Harrison, a pair of unusual video artists.
Leftbank Advent
The Advent exhibition at Leftbank last Friday was was one of those thrilling 'glad we came' evenings. Everything about it was glorious – the magnificent building, the friendly ambiance, the red sofas, live music and of course the art works. I won't go into the details here, much better to visit the blog or the website , but it was great to see such a wide variety of artists celebrating the advent theme in different ways. The photos of the inn signs and the incense jar. I also liked the inclusion of the lovely work by the primary school children. Here are some grabbed stills and video, doesn't do it justice but will give you an idea.
game over by john green
An interactive installation by John Green at the Keighley Arts Factory from Friday 11th September to Wednesday 30th September 2009. The artist gives us a tour of the piece and explains his motivation.
I liked John and after we shot this he told me how he had come to art late in life and a year out studying had been transforming for him – the best year of his life, he said. He’s clearly a man with a passion for what he does.
This was shot on my Canon 5D. You’ll notice John is holding a mini disc recorder – in fact this is recording his voice. Getting the tracks in sync was easy. In order to make sure he was in focus I did some calculations on my iphone hyperfocal distance calculator which came out at 1.2m.
In order to get a wide enough depth of field I had to set the camera to F8 but required a very high ISO setting. The picture noise was evident. Shutter speed was set to 50th (on a 60th I got a terrible flicker from the lights).
david hockney – the bigger picture
I love David Hockney's pictures. I warm to him perhaps because, like me, he was born in Bradford and I often pop in to Salts Mill to see his work.
I met his friend the late Jonathan Silver once and there are people like them who have a wonderful independence and way of looking at the world; they're able to look at something ordinary and make something of it.
Imagine on BBC ONE last week featured a film about Hockney made by Bruno Wollheim over a three year period. David Hockney would not have a film crew follow him but did allow Wollheim to shoot the documentarty on his own.
The way the film was made is in itself interesting. At one point in the film Wolheim could be seen in a mirror both conversing with Hockney and shooting the film simultaneously. Here was a film being made by someone on the inside of the story being given special but qualified privilege.
David Hockney declared photography as incapable of capturing things as they really are, "this needs looking at" he says with a twinkle. He explains that it was all looking through holes; all Western perspective was – you're not connected with it, you want to be in it. I don't look thought the camera anymore,he said. So, having once embraced photographic techniques to aid his art he has now abandoned the camera, or so he says. Wollheim catches Hockney sneaking some photography into his work and challenges him on this.
I liked the tone of the film and David Hockney comes over as thoughtful, witty and even spiritual. He thinks that three things are required to paint great pictures – hand, eye and heart.
Posted in Art
Also tagged bbc, bbc one, bigger picture, Bruno Wollheim, david hockney, imagine, jonathan silver, salts mill
1 Comment
Yorkshire art places
Venues in Yorkshire
Jump to:
Sheffield
Wakefield
York
Hull
Leeds
Bradford
Halifax
Keighley
Otley
Persistence Works, Sheffield
What they say about themselves:
The UK’s first purpose-built fine art and crafts studio complex provides a range of facilities with public access for up to 89 fine artists and craftspeople on a highly prominent site in Sheffield’s cultural quarter.
Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
Arundal Gate, Sheffield. S1 2PP
What they say about themselves:
The Millennium Gallery is an outstanding venue for the visual arts, craft and design, right in the heart of Sheffield. Both elegant and innovative, the gallery breaks with the traditional institutional image of an art gallery and is a welcoming and vibrant place to be for pleasure, education and business.
Website
Graves Gallery, Sheffield
Surrey Street, Sheffield. S1 1XZ
What they say about themselves:
If you haven’t popped up to the Graves Gallery recently, you might be pleasantly surprised at the gallery’s recent makeover. Over the last six months the home of Sheffield’s visual art collection has been refurbished and repainted, giving works by legendary artists such as Turner and Cézanne the home they deserve.
S1 Artspace, Sheffield
Units 4a-6b, Trafalgar Court, Milton Street, Sheffield. S1 4JU
What they say about themselves:
S1 Artspace is an artist-led organisation providing studio space for over twenty Sheffield based artists and a project space, which presents an annual programme of contemporary exhibitions, screenings and events.
The Site Gallery
1 Brown Street, Sheffield. S1 2BS
What they say about themselves:
Site Gallery is Sheffield’s flagship international contemporary art centre. The gallery offers a changing exhibitions programme backed up with regular publications and a comprehensive calendar of conferences, artists talks and events. The gallery focuses on an international programme of newly commissioned work supported by the iLab, (a production facility for still and moving image-making), providing a base for international residencies and supporting artists at the beginning of their career.
Website
Bloc, Sheffield
71 Eyre Lane, Sheffield S1 4RB
What they say about themselves:
Bloc is a contemporary art gallery and studio complex located in the city centre of Sheffield.
Bloc Projects Ltd is a not-for-profit artists-led organisation that co-ordinates a programme of exhibitions, events and related activity at Bloc.
Siad Gallery, Sheffield
What they say about themselves:
The Sheffield Institute of Art and Design (SIAD) gallery is part of Sheffield Hallam University’s city centre new-build, showcasing art, design and creative media by staff and students, as well as touring exhibitions from the UK and abroad. A host of film and video will also be shown on its state of the art window projection system
Website
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
Bretton Hall, West Bretton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire. WF4 4LG
What they say about themselves:
Yorkshire Sculpture Park is one of Europe’s leading open air galleries planned for the enjoyment and study of art and the landscape. Displays of sculpture in over 100 acres of 18th century parkland are combined with two indoor galleries to provide a changing programme of exhibitions and residencies with workshops and tours for schools and the public. Henry Moore in Bretton Country Park is adjacent to the Sculpture Park
York Art Gallery
Exhibition Square, York. YO1 7EW
What they say about themselves:
York Art Gallery combines a distinguished history of displaying fine paintings and ceramics with a modern-day welcome to all through a busy calendar of exhibitions, events and outreach work.
Ferens Art Gallery
Queen Victoria Square, Hull. HU1 3RA
What they say about themselves:
Ferens Art Gallery combines internationally renowned permanent collection displays with thriving programmes of exhibitions and Live Art
Artlink, Hull
87 Princes Avenue, Hull. HU5 3QP
What they say about themselves:
A registered charity, established in 1982, working within the former county of Humberside. Defined as an Arts Access Agency, Artlink is unique as we offer access to all artforms across all sectors of the community.
Artlink has four areas of provision: outreach projects, community galleries, training and an information service. We provide community based arts activities and services to people in Hull and the Humber.
Leeds City Art Gallery
The Headrow, Leeds. LS1 3AA
What they say about themselves:
There is something for everyone at the newly re-opened Leeds City Art Gallery. You will find traditional prints, watercolours, paintings and sculptures as well as contemporary works made with plastic grapes and twintubs! See exciting new temporary exhibition in this stunning building. Take a walk through the newly uncovered ‘Victorian Tiled Hall’, a new walkway between the art gallery and library building which houses and shop and cafe amid glorius settings
Leeds Metropolitan University Gallery & Studio Theatre
Leeds Met Gallery, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS1 3HE
What they say about themselves:
The Gallery remains dedicated to the development and presentation of contemporary visual art reflecting new practice, new ideas and excellence in execution.
Artco
What they say about themselves:
Artco is a privately run gallery in Leeds, exhibiting and selling quality original contemporary art.
Our aim is to bring exciting, innovative artwork to a wide audience in a friendly and relaxed gallery space. Whether you are looking for a contemporary painting by an emerging artist or piece of work by an internationally renowned master, our gallery staff will help and advise you to make the right purchase
East Street Arts (ESA)
What they say about themselves:
Is a contemporary arts organisation in Leeds. Our mission is to focus on the development of artists through our events programme, professional development and studio/facility provision
Project Space Leeds
2 Riverside Way, Whitehall Waterfront, Leeds LS1 4EH
Pavilion
7 Saw Mill Yard, Round Foundry, Leeds LS11 5WH
Website
The Henry Moore Institute
74 Headrow, Leeds. LS1 3AH
Website
Leeds Art Gallery
The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AA
Website
TheArtMarket
The Merrion Market, The Merrion Centre, Leeds LS2 8DB
The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery
Parkinson Building, Leeds University LS2 9JT
The Bowery
54 Otley Rd, Leeds. LS6, UK
What they say about themselves:
The inspiration for this exciting new venture came from the Bowery district of new York. We now hope that here in Headingley the bowery is where you’ll be inspired by the products and services we offer.
The dream was to open up a creative space that would provide a truly unique experience, where both the customer and artist alike can develop in an exciting and stimulating environment
Website
Arts and Trinity
Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane, Leeds
What they say about themselves:
Housed in the magnificent 18th century building arts@trinity is dedicated to providing a wide range of arts events for all the community in a genuinely alternative space
Gallery II
University of Bradford, Chesham Building, Bradford. BD7 1DP
What they say about themselves:
Gallery II is situated at the heart of the University campus, within the Chesham Building
Cartwright Hall
Lister Park, Bradford. BD9 4NS
What they say about themselves:
Bradford’s stunning art gallery was opened in 1904 with an important collection of Victorian and Edwardian works following its donation to the city by Samuel Cunliffe Lister. Cartwright Hall has the best collection of South Asian art outside London. The gallery is in the middle of a magnificent park with Mughal Garden, boating lake with a café, and a stunning children’s playground
Bradford 1 Gallery
Bradford 1 Gallery, Centenary Square, Bradford. BD1 1SD
What they say about themselves:
Bradford 1 Gallery is the new city centre space for exhibitions of contemporary and historic art and craft. It will host shows from national and regional touring venues as well as drawing upon the major collections of the museums and galleries service. It is a partnership with Impressions Gallery. This innovative contemporary photography gallery has re-located from York to Bradford and will also have its own new gallery. Both institutions will share public areas and an education space.
The Arts at Dean Clough
What they say about themselves:
Dean Clough is nationally renowned for its commitment to the arts. It has supported a gallery programme since the mid 1980′s that it makes freely available to the public, despite having no direct funding from the local council, the Arts Council of England, or from the EEC.
Website
Impressions Gallery, Bradford
What they say about themselves:
Impressions Gallery is for everybody and we’re free. We’re one of the UK’s independent leading venues for photography and we show the best of today’s photographers. We’ve moved from York and have reopened in a purpose-built new building in the heart of Bradford’s city centre. Our exhibitions change regularly so there’s always something different to see. Be inspired and join in!
Website
The Keighley Arts Factory
What they say about themselves:
The Keighley Arts Factory (KAF) opened in September 1999 as an art gallery and performance space for the community. Since then it has hosted 40 exhibitions, 12 plays and performances, two employment fairs, plus numerous workshops. Visual artists, actors, musicians and dancers have benefited from the wonderful facilities, giving the organisation many contacts and a growing reputation within the arts
Otley Courthouse
What they say about themselves:
Otley Courthouse is a unique arts and resource centre, created and run by local people, in Otley, West Yorkshire. The old magistrates court has been transformed into a fully accessible centre for people of all ages. There’s a lively evening events programme with great films, theatre, music, dance and cabaret. You can drop into the community cafe; visit the old cell; join a workshop (lots for all ages) use our free computer room and internet access or enjoy our popular monthly craft fair and visual arts exhibitions.
