Dead Space
Dead Space was a pilot project created and produced by EC-Arts funded in partnership with the Royal Society for Arts Fellowship West Midlands; supported in kind by Birmingham Central Library and Birmingham Institute of Art & Design (BCU).
Artists. Lucy McLauchlan, Pete Ashton and Matt Watkins
The experimental project seeks to explore the concept of creating a ‘project space’ for artists to utilise by exploring their work within Central and satellite libraries. Three artists were challenged to create work within this all but forgotten large window situated on the lower ground floor beneath Birmingham’s controversial Central Library.
Throughout the process, the project aimed to expose the uniquely broad and diverse demographic of library users to the interpretations of the artists work. Libraries are perfectly placed to play a vital role within the arts by supporting artists, providing public platforms for work and engaging new audiences that may not otherwise participate within the arts.
The exhibitions will coincide with programmed talks facilitated by The Royal Society for Arts in collaboration with the artists. The RSA passionately takes up the challenge of creating accessible public art in imaginative sites. Working with the artists, the partners are looking to promote the concept that public art need not be prohibitively expensive and that by using every day venues it can stimulate both reflection and aspiration.
‘Regeneration X’ 30th June – 4th August 2011
Birmingham Central Library, Congreve Passage
Experienced animator and graphic artist Matt Watkins (Beat13, Gorillaz), draws inspiration from the continually evolving state of Birmingham, it’s legacy of industrial heritage and the struggle to re-invent itself. Combining found imagery with his own photography and paintings, Matt will create large collages of characters caught in-between states; the old reconciling with the new, the real responding to the virtual, man merging with machine.
“Looking though Birmingham” 12th May – 17th June 2011
Pete Ashton has created a series of slow animations consisting of sequential photographs shot through the artists own customised lens. The lens is made from a vintage camera which forms a process called “Through The Viewfinder”. The slow animations will be displayed on salvaged CRT monitors that have been converted into peep-show machines.
A frequent subject of Pete’s work is “unnoticed Birmingham”, the patterns and shapes that emerge as the city succumbs to and builds on the entropy of progress. For this show he invites you to view Birmingham’s pedestrian flow filtered through a nostalgic, intimate perspective of inner Birmingham. A second event will take place in June to view ‘outer’ Birmingham.
Medium: animated photography, CRT monitors, old PC’s, Mac’s, cardboard, gaffer tape, doors
With special thanks to Pure Planet Recycling Ltd www.pureplanetrecycling.co.uk for sponsoring this exhibition; we look forward to working together on future projects.
Untitled 29th March - 7th May 2011
Artist Lucy McLauchlan’s work is site specific. Lucy is originally from Birmingham and works all over the world exhibiting her work in galleries and within the public realm. Lucy has recently been published in ‘Beyond the Street – the 100 leading figures in Urban Art”.
Artist statement
On concrete and glass, plants and birds appear reclaiming what will soon disappear
Look around the city, buildings stand now disused and forgotten
Nature reappears in their cracks. Weeds, shrubs, trees and birds make their homes.
Is there such a thing as dead space?
Lucy’s artwork highlights this question as a contradiction.
On a quiet corner of the condemned Central Library we learn Todo es posible, anything is possible.
