Deptford Residency Interview (part 2)

Residency Interview 2 – August 2013 by Emily Mahon

The Doldrums opens Friday 30th August 6-9pm and continues until 28th September.

It’s the 6^th week of Andy’s residency at Occupy My Time Gallery on the Enclave block in Deptford; after a fair bit of walking, plenty of reading, lots of sanding, and a few visits to Little Nan’s bar.. a jetty has appeared in the gallery!

Its all very exciting, I’m able to walk the length of the gallery on the indoor jetty to my Interning den, I’m already excited about the fun I’ll have invigilating on a Saturday.

So I ask Andy:

When did this appear?

Andy: It’s taken 11 days to build which involved a lot of sanding and cutting but its been enjoyable to work on and I’m pleased with how its looking. I didn’t start making until the 5^th week of the residency so its felt good to finally get stuck into some physical work. It’s been funny to watch people’s reactions from the window change now there’s a crazed man in the gallery singing and dancing with an electric sander.

I think my relaxed approach and joking about not having enough time at the beginning meant a lot of people may have doubted my intentions.

So did you have this idea from the beginning?

Andy: I knew I wanted to do something different from my usual studio practice and installation was definitely something I liked the idea of.

How were the first few weeks of the residency then for you?

When you come to a new place it always takes a while to settle in and to become adjusted to the space so its hard to start making work straight away. I spent a good month just reading and exploring Deptford as I wanted my research play a large part in informing the work I made. Leaving it until week 5 to start making did create a bit of pressure, but I think I worked well under it – and I’m pretty happy with the outcome.

So on creating the jetty inside the gallery space, how did that work extracting it as a form. Did you make sketches, or paintings to accompany it?

In terms of form its just an approximation to give a nod to such structures without being a pastiche. The dimensions are shrunk down to work within the gallery space as an intervention while acting as a platform from which to take in the rest of the exhibition. I’ve looked at Thames mooring structures (Dolphins) in my paintings so it’s a form I’m familiar with.

Andy with the wood used to construct ‘Jetty’

 

An old Jetty on the Deptford foreshore

So through creating it in the gallery, do you want the audience to just take the essence of the jetty or really interact with it, almost like a play piece that it seems to suggest?

The piece is intended to be used by the viewer, offering a path through the gallery while also elevating them above it. The Jetty could be seen to represent the journeys I’ve made in and around Deptford, taking this idea of movement and direction into the gallery space.

What other work are you planning to show with the jetty?

It’ll be accompanied by at least two other works, one will be photographic, and the other documentation of a walk and gesture I’m planning. I’m still not sure how the latter will be realised in the exhibition as I see the walk itself as the work but I will be charting my movements and capturing images of the act.

Documenting in the gallery

Have you found any particular stage of the residency more or less enjoyable? The making or the research for example?

No it’s all been equally enjoyable, I’ve realised that in the past I’ve not always spent enough time getting into my research, so its helped me revaluate certain things.

Do you think the experience has reinvented your practice?

I came into the residency knowing that I wanted to do something different. I was confident of being able to deliver technically however I was conscious that it wasn’t simple about the residency and exhibition, but rather a chance to shift my practice and possibilities. Its too soon to say what this time will do for me in the future but I’m pleased with how I chosen to use it.

Do you feel having a show that focuses on a specific place like Deptford and being situated next to a host of galleries at Enclave has given you a duty to make work of a certain type or style?

There’s definitely an intensity that comes from creating the work in the same place i’m exploring, I wouldn’t say being around the other galleries has influenced the work I’ve made but it has opened me up to differing uses of the space. The sense of community has added to the experience and I’ve enjoyed having dialogue with the others at Enclave.

What do you hope people will take out of the exhibition? Is there a play element?

I would like the viewer to engage with the exhibition and individual works and if there’s something in particular that captures them, then there is a lot more reading and investigating they can do. People tend to choose where to live based on transport links and affordability, while not necessarily being aware of whats on their doorstep. In the relatively short time I’ve been in Deptford I’ve picked up so much and have become very fond of the area.

The Jetty could be seen as playful, its an interactive piece which people are encourage to ‘use’.

E.M

Deptford Residency Interview (part 1)

Residency Interview – July 2013 by Emily Mahon

The Setting has changed quite a bit in Occupy My Time gallery this month. July and August sees artist Andy Wicks take up residency in the space with an investigation into the atmosphere and visuals surrounding Deptford and the river.

The gallery which now appears transformed into a ‘pad’ featuring a cool white lounger sofa and a super selection of books and maps is an exciting change for the summer, and will be fully exposed to the public from the gallery’s large front window, which Andy has already started to scrawl over: Andy’s investigation is made primarily by foot, embracing a natural and very first handed experience of his artistic material. He is jotting on the glass the areas he is covering by foot each day along with places of interest, tidal times, wind speed and wind direction.

I ask him;

E: Will this become part of your final piece? Its actually very interesting data to have plastered so big.

A: I knew I’d be using the gallery primarily as a research space, at least to begin with, so I decided to utilise the large window as a visual journal of my travels. Even if there was nothing specifically being made in the gallery, there was this evolving data stream, a sign of life from within and a hint at my investigation. I’ve yet to decide whether it’ll remain for the exhibition, I imagine I’ll see how it looks once the show is installed.

 E: Do you have a plan for your residency, what mediums can we expect to see you work in?

A: I have a loose plan but have purposely tried not to tie myself down too much, instead letting the experience of being in and around the gallery to direct me. Deptford as an area really fascinates me and contains many of my interests and concerns surrounding history, urban planning, the maritime. So right now I’m doing a lot of walking and reading to absorb as much as I can.

Leading into the residency I’ve been feeling rather restricted by my painting practice which has been my predominant medium since graduating, so I decided that whatever happens, I’d leave my paints behind. I really want the concept to drive the work that I make here, whether it be: Sculpture, photography, video, installation – it could be all of them.

E: Do you feel pressured by a residency when starting to make work, the fact you have a set period of time and a public awareness of your development within the space?

A: Not at all, I think it should be an enjoyable time. The only other residency I’ve done was for 12 months so its definitely different having to settle in a space and deliver an exhibition in less than 2 months, but it’s a good sort of pressure. I see the residency as a chance to get out of my regular routine and delve into a different geographic and mental space.

E: Why a residency in Deptford? Have you had a previous interest in the area?

A: I was invited to do the residency here I suppose because I have always had a fascination with the Thames that comes through in my work. I don’t know Deptford that well yet, but it’s a place that is really rich in History and offers great exposure to the Thames. What is interesting is that I’m from Bromley, in the suburbs of South London and the river Ravensbourne that starts its journey in Caesar’s Well in Keston which is a mile or so from where I was born and grew up as a kid; Actually runs through an area I know very well towards Lewisham, and Deptford right into the Creek. So I feel I’ve got a direct connection to this spot.

E: Is the river’s journey something you’re interested in then?

A: Yes, I suppose I’m here looking for beginnings and ways into the area which could form the basis of my investigation. I definitely find movement and navigation of interest; I walk a lot which started I suppose as a sort of quiet rebellion against the cost of transport and congestion which the Olympics were rumoured to cause where I live in East London. I walk to travel as well as for pleasure and can easily walk 10 miles a day without really questioning it.

E: One of your readings has been ‘Wanderlust: A History of Walking’?

A: It’s really fascinating to see how historically walking has played such a big part in the development of creative ideas. Rebecca Solnit, the author describes how some of our most influential writers and philosophers walked as a way of thinking which has resulted in the creation of some of their brightest thoughts. There is a theory that the speed of thought it about 3 – 4mph equivalent to walking pace, so walking is a good space for thinking, whereas say speeding through a landscape by train with scenery flying past requires taking in too much information and doesn’t help the mind focus.

E: Its very early days in your residency, but what has interested you so far?

A: I went on a low tide walk along Deptford Creek and the amount of stuff that gets chucked in the river is crazy, it was fascinating to walk along the muddy riverbed which 6 hours later would be covered by 6 or 7 metres of water. What was really interesting, was that they did a fish count in the creek before and after cleaning which saw the removal of 300 shopping trolleys that had been dumped there. What they discover was that the number of fish actually halved with the removal of the shopping trolleys. The trolleys were acting as a substitute for reedbeds which guard the small fish from the larger predators which came in with the tide. Its amazing how nature can adapt and actually thrive in urban settings.

*Urban reedbeds, eg. Deptford Shopping trolleys!

 

 Andy’s foreshore finds

OMT Gallery Residency PRESS RELEASE

For the past few weeks I have been in residence at OMT Gallery where I have been researching and working towards a solo show in the space opening 30th August. Attached are some images from my time so far in the area.

 

PRESS RELEASE Andy Wicks – Artist in Residence Occupy My Time Gallery
9th July – 29th August 2013

Exhibition
30th August -­‐ 28th September

Throughout July and August Andy Wicks will be in residence at Occupy My Time Gallery, part of Enclave a new collective of project spaces on Resolution Way, Deptford.

Known for his painting practice which looks to the post industrial riverside of the Thames, Wicks arrives in Deptford with a hunger to submerge himself in its rich and varied past and strong community.

Moving away from a purely studio based practice, Wicks sees this as an opportunity to work in a site responsive manner, uniting an area of interest with his place of making. This union questions certain working habits developed over the years, offering a chance to investigate his new surroundings and how to respond to a self imposed change in circumstance.

Wicks’ investigation is often triggered by the written word, wide readings on subjects are then followed by a desire to experience first hand. In the case of his paintings of mooring structures the linear nature of the Thames set a challenge and physical duration to the project.

Arriving in Deptford with just a sofa, selection of books and a want to absorb all he could on the area. Wicks spent time getting to know his new neighbourhood on foot, tracing his movements and recording his discoveries as he moved through it. He describes himself as an urban walker, learning about a place by walking and repetition, absorbing the sites, smells and characters that inhabit it.

He has taken on the role of the collector; a collector of knowledge, detritus, images and data. By combining these discoveries and a heavily researched study of Deptford’s history we gain an insight into Wicks’ investigation and a hint to the work which will result from his time in residence. 

www.andywicks.co.uk/biogdeptfordresidency.html

Leanne Bell Gonczarow and Ian Gonczarow – Moscow There and Back

Leanne Bell Gonczarow and Ian Gonczarow have spent the last 5 week in residence at OMT Gallery, part of Enclave in Deptford. Having just returned from living and working for the past 3 years in Moscow they have been using their time in the gallery to reflect on their experiences within a tough political and economic environment. The resulting work is now installed in the gallery until Friday 31st August.

Tuesday – Thursday 10 – 6pm and until 8.30pm Friday as part of South London Art Map’s Last Fridays.

Enclave UNIT 9
Resolution Way
Deptford
London
SE8 4NT

I have agreed to follow on from Ian and Leanne as 2013 Artist in Residence next summer. I plan on taking advantage of Enclave’s proximity to Deptford Creek and the Greenwich Peninsula to further investigate this raw and ever changing part of the Thames bankside. I’m looking forward to having a base from which to explore this area in more depth by foot and sail/rowing craft (TBC) to produce a body of work which will result in a solo show at the end of my time in the gallery.

OMT Gallery Work in Progress (July 2012)

 

Leanne Bell Gonczarow – Time Trickles Here, 2011

Ian Gonczarow, Victory Day – 2012

Past and Present, Enclave, 15th June – 15th July

I have a painting in Occupy My Times’ Past and Present which opens tonight in Deptford. The gallery is part of the new Enclave in Deptford, an exciting arts hub with 9 project spaces, galleries, art offices and a coffee shop.

Artist Urban Action The launch of an experimental new arts venue in London

Opening 15th June 2012, 6 – 9.30pm + afterparty
Exhibition continues 15th June – 15th July, Fri – Sun 12 – 6pm
Late opening Friday 29th June, 12 – 8.30pm
Enclave, Resolution Way, London SE8 4NT
www.EnclaveProjects.com
Enclave commissions: Quarantania with Eva Kotátková / Neha Choksi / Taus Makhacheva curated by David Thorp (main gallery) / Adam Christensen (residency & invitational cinematic events) / Toby Huddlestone (performative lecture installation) / Conal McStravick (residency, selected by LUX) / Oliver Basciano (Writer in Residence) / Jean-Christophe Nicolas (Virtual Artist in Residence) / Lucy A. Sames (publication) /
Enclave resident project spaces: news of the world, a new space by Centre of Attention / Anarch / Divus & Ume˘lec Magazine / ALISN / Occupy My Time & Kitchinsynch.

Including artists: Jonathan Airborne / ATOI (Amy Thomas & Oliver Irvine) / Leanne Bell / Mark Bell / Sara Bevan / Owen Bowden / Sue Cohen / Thomas Cohen (S.C.U.M) / Alessandro Columbano / Shona Davis and Dave Monaghan / Barbara Dean / Bea Denton / Bella Easton / Raimi Gbadamosi / Ian Gonczarow / Jason Hicklin / Karin Kihlberg and Rueben Henry / Juliette Losq / Iavor Lubomirov / David Martin / Maslen and Mehra / Jem Noble / Paul O’Neill / Jessica Piddock / Pavel Reisenauer / Greg Rook / (SAC) (inc. Simone Hutchinson & Alexander Kennedy) / Alexander Small / Patrick StPaul / Michael Stubbs / Barry Sykes / Dolly Thompsett / Annabel Tilley / Angel Vergara / Marianne Walker / Grant Watson / Andy Wicks

Thames Riverside Walks

My current working practice comes from collecting images from the man made landscape, these forms have been set along the bank of the Thames and while I’m fascinated by their shapes and construction I also have a close affinity with the river itself. As a form of research I have been going on long walks along stretches of the river to take photos but also to learn more about the lay of the city and its flux. The architecture, history and potential for redevelopment is clear to see wherever your standing. Much to the west of Vauxhall has already been turned into new river side apartments, Butler’s Wharf and the central stretch of the southbank has kept its old facade but seen Starbucks and the chains take over at street level. While areas on the approach to Deptford Creek are showing signs of decay but the developers are not far away. Whatever is happening around the river bank, the one constant is the river itself, it continues to have an air of tranquility and open space, the perfect place to explore and clear your head.

I’ve started to document my walks on Googlemaps –