Friday, October 28, 2005
Friday 28 Oct 05
11 – 2 Met with the Scribblers Writers Group . Had lunch with Roy, Joe and Pippa.
Ordered filing system for studio.
3.00 Got a message from a 2nd year art student at the Limerick College of Art , Aja. Rang her back, she offered the assistance of the class as a possible group and we discussed some possiblities for that.
No choir as its the bank holiday.
Ordered filing system for studio.
3.00 Got a message from a 2nd year art student at the Limerick College of Art , Aja. Rang her back, she offered the assistance of the class as a possible group and we discussed some possiblities for that.
No choir as its the bank holiday.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Thursday 27 Oct 05
Morning: Emailed some groups groups in Limerick to explain about project .
Bought lamp for studio.
Afternoon: Sat in Archiving Limerick studio in Permanent collection. The atmosphere here is completely different to that at the Library. People here seem to be coming in for a period of quiet and reflection. They are sitting quietly with the works im not sure weither it it the work they are contemplating or that they are lost in their own thoughts.
Bought lamp for studio.
Afternoon: Sat in Archiving Limerick studio in Permanent collection. The atmosphere here is completely different to that at the Library. People here seem to be coming in for a period of quiet and reflection. They are sitting quietly with the works im not sure weither it it the work they are contemplating or that they are lost in their own thoughts.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Wednesday 26 Oct 05
11 –1 Worked on project press release with Pippa. Discussed 'habitus', Bourdieu’s concept of the total environment of a person, physical, psychological and the framework of culture in which they work in relation to project.
Set up inside studio. Borrowed table and chairs from gallery.
Got email from Grupo Candeias de Capoeira. Pezao the practitioner that contacted me explained that about the art of Capoeira " first the weapons of slaves,then of criminals and now a game of the masses. Grupo Candeias de Capoeira, have been deicated to teaching the art all over the world since the 1960's and have been in Ireland for the past 3 years(Although Capoeira has been in Ireland with other groups for maybe 6 years). A Master in the Art,known as Mestre Piau. has been teaching students here in Limerick since Summer 2004.The art is known as the dance/fight/game and has all the trappings of a ritual comabt.Brought from Africa to Brazil in 1500,slaves began to create a way of fighting and training,without looking as such.The game is played to the tune of one main instrument, known as the Berimbau,it is the heart and soul of Capoeira.Along with it are the Pandeiro(tambourine) and Atabaque(Tribal Drum).The orchestra plays while the fighers(or more accuratly players) intertwine and attempt to our think one another(although acrobatics is the name of the game these days)The Roda (a Circle in which people stand while the game is played) represents the world."
I've seen Capoeira on some mobile phone ad's i think sounds cool looking forward to it.
Set up inside studio. Borrowed table and chairs from gallery.
Got email from Grupo Candeias de Capoeira. Pezao the practitioner that contacted me explained that about the art of Capoeira " first the weapons of slaves,then of criminals and now a game of the masses. Grupo Candeias de Capoeira, have been deicated to teaching the art all over the world since the 1960's and have been in Ireland for the past 3 years(Although Capoeira has been in Ireland with other groups for maybe 6 years). A Master in the Art,known as Mestre Piau. has been teaching students here in Limerick since Summer 2004.The art is known as the dance/fight/game and has all the trappings of a ritual comabt.Brought from Africa to Brazil in 1500,slaves began to create a way of fighting and training,without looking as such.The game is played to the tune of one main instrument, known as the Berimbau,it is the heart and soul of Capoeira.Along with it are the Pandeiro(tambourine) and Atabaque(Tribal Drum).The orchestra plays while the fighers(or more accuratly players) intertwine and attempt to our think one another(although acrobatics is the name of the game these days)The Roda (a Circle in which people stand while the game is played) represents the world."
I've seen Capoeira on some mobile phone ad's i think sounds cool looking forward to it.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Tuesday 25 Oct 05
Was to go out with a women’s walking group this morning, but the lady meeting me broke her wrist!. Maybe it wasnt the best day for me to hike in the rain anyway as I ending up in bed with infected sinus’ for the rest of the day. Hope to get to meet them in the future.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Monday 24 Oct 05
Constructed hut in the permanent collection of the Limerick City of Art Gallery. Gave it a coat of ‘swans down’ the colour the gallery use to paint their walls.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Saturday 22 October 05
11 –1.00 Met with the Limerick Youth Theatre.
I’m with the year 1 group they are learning theatre history – it’s learning through exercises and “doing” rather than pure paper/lecture learning although we are being given grounding in the history.
This week’s class was on Commedia dell’arte ( a type of comedy developed in 16th and 17th century Italy).The class began with a warm up exercise – was great as it definitely warmed me up to hanging out with a bunch of teenagers! We had to get into a conga line (I was on the end) and we then told the first person in the line was to break of and become ‘the fox’ the second was to be ‘the mother hen’ and the rest were her chicks – of course the juiciness chick was to be the last in line and they had to all protect me! It was hilarious and an ice breaker. From there we learnt about the various character types in commedia - the lover, the trickster, the hero, the fool and the mother, and the characters that come from them. Again it was learning through doing so we all had to take on the characters and learnt how physical movements and ways of holding ourselves could create a character. There was really no place for inhibitions – you just had to throw yourself into it. Although we were learning about a period in theatre history it was also a lesson in acting – not just for screen or stage but in life. I really felt a greater awareness of my physicality afterwards and also a greater willingness to run around, play games and let go. Honest to god who’s looking at ya?
I’m with the year 1 group they are learning theatre history – it’s learning through exercises and “doing” rather than pure paper/lecture learning although we are being given grounding in the history.
This week’s class was on Commedia dell’arte ( a type of comedy developed in 16th and 17th century Italy).The class began with a warm up exercise – was great as it definitely warmed me up to hanging out with a bunch of teenagers! We had to get into a conga line (I was on the end) and we then told the first person in the line was to break of and become ‘the fox’ the second was to be ‘the mother hen’ and the rest were her chicks – of course the juiciness chick was to be the last in line and they had to all protect me! It was hilarious and an ice breaker. From there we learnt about the various character types in commedia - the lover, the trickster, the hero, the fool and the mother, and the characters that come from them. Again it was learning through doing so we all had to take on the characters and learnt how physical movements and ways of holding ourselves could create a character. There was really no place for inhibitions – you just had to throw yourself into it. Although we were learning about a period in theatre history it was also a lesson in acting – not just for screen or stage but in life. I really felt a greater awareness of my physicality afterwards and also a greater willingness to run around, play games and let go. Honest to god who’s looking at ya?
Friday, October 21, 2005
Friday 21 Oct 05
11.00 Pier One (bar /coffee shop/restaurant) to meet the Scribblers Writer's Group . How would I recognize them? Asked a waitress if she knew them or where they normally sit (as then meet here every Friday). She directed me to a corner where they weren’t but a lady sitting on her own looked very hopefully at me so I say next to her. She thought maybe I was the scribblers so there was two of us waiting to be picked up and indeed we were an gentleman named Joe Hennessy came over and seated us in a corner with a cup of tea for myself. Roy and later Poppa, Jack Hogan and another member, soon joined him. They explained about the group – they don’t bring their writing to read out although they all write and most are published authors (in multiple), They say they are a social support group rather than a ‘mutual appreciation society’. Siting criticism as only one persons opinion. I really really like this idea they explain they aren’t there top pat each other on the back but to encourage each other to send to publishers “you have to send it out if not its not going to be published and nobody is going to see it. They give advice on where to send it (be careful0.
Joe himself has recently published “From Shannon to Subitus” the sequel to his 1970’s written novel. Got a chance to read the first couple of lines – its Irish based sci-fi and sound hilarious.
I thin the idea of a regular group that who ever can turns up to fort tea and chats and support in their career is fantastic. Looking forward to next week
One of their members is also a member of the Attic artist must look them up.
1.30 Library to take down studio with 2 of us it only took 1 1/2 hours – including packing, tidying up after ourselves.
3.00 Got a phone call from a lady called Karen who offered me the choice of 2 clubs to join a ladies indoor hockey club or a ladies 5 mille dog walking club – she called them the ‘demented ladies club’ I wonder is that their official tile. Chose the later anyway. Karen is picking me up at 9 next Tuesday after dropping her kids to school. Need rain mac.
5.00 Met St Mary’s Choir and their choirmaster Trevor. They meet to practice for Sundays and special days and are currently practicing for their advent choir. They sing hymns, anthems, canticles and psalms.
Practice starts at 5 for the younger members and 5.30 for the adults and carries on till 8 they also practice Sunday morning before church.
8.00 went for pint with Trevor and the church caretaker.
Think maybe part of being ion a groups is being part if internal politics, there is always something to be said.
Thursday 20th Oct
8.30 Limerick College of Art
10.00 Library
Guy stopped to chat, has moved to Limerick from London isn’t involved in any groups but is interesting in joining some told him too come back and check out the archive when I have more information on groups.
12.00 Attended a poetry workshop in the Limerick City Library And 4 other participants - all professional or budding poets! Haven’t written any since I was an angsty teenager. Jane chatted about the methodology of poetry writing using some great quotes – my favourite being “there is no such thing as writers block you only need to lower your standards” (William Stafford) Much of what I learnt could be transferred completely over to visual art. Other good ‘tips’ were:
One days truly embarrassing experiment opens the door to the next days good work.
Ask questions of your work, “what would happen if”.
What matters is not what you’ve just done but the next one.
She gave us an exercise to do where we had to make lists or colors, animals, sounds, landmarks etc and then (I didn’t know what we were doing) write a poem including from each list – the poem was to be about or include a loss.
Here is my poem I wrote in on walking up on a bus to find the ring my brother had given me for a birthday was missing.
Jolted upright
I stare at my naked digits.
The discolored corn fed ochre stained by a smudged and forgotten reminder.
I slither down between the seats,
Coke bottles, gum
An urban grass snake I scan my environment
Tasting distant disco, marmite recently on toast
Was in even here?
Maybe I woke remembering
Remembering the cool comfort on my finger
A cheap mental connection to another.
Well its not great, not even good. But it is a poem. I wrote a poem.
2.00. Dropped in on shedman. He had relocated his shed to outside Limerick Castle. He had bunches of kids drawing with chalk on the pavement. We discussed our 'techniques' of communication. He feels he goes for a salesman approach - grabbing people off the street. He recorded me (video camera) talking about Archiving Limerick and asked me to recide my new poem. MAybe i dont like recording people because i find it so uncomfortable!
3.00 Went around electrical shops looking for mini disc recorders and mics. Rang Steve again for his advice. Ummm documentation. Need to think more about it.
Dropped into the Catacombs resource center, they are linked to Doras Lumin and house art classes and exhibitions.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Wednesday 19th October 2005
10am Library.
Man stopped to discuss studio structure “That’s a small office you have, I must get some tips for building my conservatory…”
Children’s poetry workshop going on behind me (with poet Eva Salzman).
Lady stops to discuss project and the groups she is in – The Limerick City Library reading group, St Mary’s Art group, The Garden Plant Group and a bridge club. The Garden Plant Group meet at Quaker house and have speakers on various aspects of gardening from alpine planting to cultivation. The Lady says that most of the groups she is involved in meet only once a month or less regularly so its not too many groups to be in. It’s a nice selection (I’m in book club an am going to start an art ‘support’ group with some collegues in London). I love playing cards but don’t know many games and am awful for remembering them, the lady said bridge is a difficult game to be good at . Gardening group – I don’t have a garden any more but do have house plants and lots of herbs and chillies growing in my kitchen window. Must get plant for studio.
John Davis aka The Sheadman pops in for a chat, he is having the opening of his shed down stairs at 12. John is also in a group called The South based in Brighton.
12.00 Attend Sheadman’s opening, he has a poem about sheds huddling together, cant help but refer to the studio as my hut or shed sometimes studio but as John says a lot happens in sheds.
Spoke to Martin from www.thelcu.com
2.00 ladies Bertha McCullagh and Kate Hennessy who are involved with Doras Lumin an organisation for asylum seekers, they gave me lots of numbers for people involved with refugee music groups even an African music choir.
2.15 Chatting to shed man again and Jason Ryan Redden; a champion rap battler from Limerick, says the rap scene is fairly vibrant in Limerick, he has been in several ‘battles’ discussed rap as poetry as contemporary communication
3.15 Up to contact studios to meet Carl Doran and get the key. Chat with a few of the incumbents, nice friendly atmosphere.
4.20 Back to the gallery for an interview with Pippa.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Tuesday 18th October 2005
8.15am Limerick College of Art (they have sponsored me the use of the computers in their MA office). Emailed Steve Shannon re recording equipment. Tried to use printer – out of ink!
10 –12.30pm Library
Pippa dropped in Looking At Library environment.
Sheila Deegan from Cuisle (Limerick City International Poetry Festival) popped her head into studio.
Children’s puppet show going on (Dandelion Puppets present Noah’s Ark).
Lots of looks from passers by. Gentleman dropped in to ask “Is there something going on here I don’t know about?” had conversation on what project is about.
2nd conversation with lady on project given the “best of luck” with it.
People tending to stand at entrance – think threshold marks level of conversation, need to break past just information giving.
12.30pm Bough Irish Sim for mobile. Ordered The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson Mccullers (the Limercik City Library's Reading groups's current read).
3-5pm Wrote press release for newspapers with Pippa also did interview – focused on structure of studio and type of interactions happening.
6-7pm Attended opening of “In the stillest place” a collaborative exhibition by Thomas Delahourney (Artist) Mark Whelan Poet) at LCGA.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Monday 17th October 2005
8.30am Collected temporary studio from Limerick City Gallery of Art.
9am- 1pm Constructed studio in Limerick City Library. Alterations to structure – placed entrance on other side, resulted in pre drilled holes on sides not lining up (as were opposite) and side panels (on top only) being reversed (white on inside, unpainted on outside). Left door off so those passing could see in and for safety reasons.
Comments and interest from passing public on what structure is for and on building of it.
1pm Bumped into Carl Doran of Contact Studios, they have kindly given me a studio to work in for the next 6 weeks, have to drop in to collect keys this week.
1-2pm Lunch with Pippa, discussed what group’s I am meeting and when.
2pm LCGA interview with Pippa on morning’s activities
2.15-30 Bought tub white emulsion.
2.30 –3.30pm Fixed up inside of studio and painted reversed outside panels and frame of entrance. Screwed Archiving Limerick sign on.
3.30pm Discussed Limerick City Library Reading Group with Fiona (library staff). They are a group of 13 (numbers limited and full) who currently meet once a month next meeting November (3rd) to discuss The Hearty is a Lonely hunter by Carson McCullers. Last year when reading Ulysses they met every 2 weeks after reading a couple of chapters. Numbers are capped at 13 (it was meant to be 10) so as to give ever member a chance to speak.
Their reading list is:
6th Oct The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier
3rd Nov The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carsob McCullers
1st Dec The Bone People by Keri Hulme
12th Jan To the Lighthouse by Virgina Woolf
2nd Feb The Country Girls Trilogy by Edna O'Brien<
2nd March The Woman who walked into doors by Roddy Doyle
Have decided to read along side them. Will start with their current book.
4.00-30pm Bought notebook for diary/pen/cashbook
4.30pm Dropped back into gallery
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Press release
17 October-25 November at Limerick City Gallery of Art
Admission Free
Can you imagine the fantastic range of group activities that people in one city could participate in? Have you ever wanted to try them all out? Archiving Limerick is an art project with a difference. Artist Neva Elliott is seeking Limerick groups to teach her their skills. Neva is looking for the opportunity to learn any new activity from football to writing, ceramics to speech making, animal welfare to singing.
Neva is on residency for six weeks in Limerick city to devote her time exclusively to recording the activities of local groups and to form a personal snap shot of Limerick society. Neva will document these groups, through photography, video and text and she will learn from them their skills: crafts, sports, charitable work and other interests.
Neva will be based in a mobile, temporary studio space in Limerick City Gallery of Art that she has specially designed to allow her to work in different environments. During her six-week residency in October and November Neva will record Limerick groups, their activities, interests and goals by compiling an archive from all the information that she gathers. This archive will be exhibited at Limerick City Gallery of Art throughout her residency and again during a major exhibition during June-July 2006 that will celebrate the Permanent Collection.
What can you do to get involved?
If you are part of a group, society, or club, of any type or any size, drop in and see Neva at the Archiving Limerick studio in Limerick City Gallery of Art. Or contact the curator of Archiving Limerick, Pippa Little.
For further information or to contribute to Archiving Limerick please contact:
Pippa Little plittle@limerickcity.ie (061) 310633 or Neva Elliott info@nevaelliott.com
Archiving Limerick has been made possible through the Arts Council’s Artist in the Community Scheme managed by CREATE. Archiving Limerick is supported by Limerick City Gallery of Art and Limerick City Council.
Admission Free
Can you imagine the fantastic range of group activities that people in one city could participate in? Have you ever wanted to try them all out? Archiving Limerick is an art project with a difference. Artist Neva Elliott is seeking Limerick groups to teach her their skills. Neva is looking for the opportunity to learn any new activity from football to writing, ceramics to speech making, animal welfare to singing.
Neva is on residency for six weeks in Limerick city to devote her time exclusively to recording the activities of local groups and to form a personal snap shot of Limerick society. Neva will document these groups, through photography, video and text and she will learn from them their skills: crafts, sports, charitable work and other interests.
Neva will be based in a mobile, temporary studio space in Limerick City Gallery of Art that she has specially designed to allow her to work in different environments. During her six-week residency in October and November Neva will record Limerick groups, their activities, interests and goals by compiling an archive from all the information that she gathers. This archive will be exhibited at Limerick City Gallery of Art throughout her residency and again during a major exhibition during June-July 2006 that will celebrate the Permanent Collection.
What can you do to get involved?
If you are part of a group, society, or club, of any type or any size, drop in and see Neva at the Archiving Limerick studio in Limerick City Gallery of Art. Or contact the curator of Archiving Limerick, Pippa Little.
For further information or to contribute to Archiving Limerick please contact:
Pippa Little plittle@limerickcity.ie (061) 310633 or Neva Elliott info@nevaelliott.com
Archiving Limerick has been made possible through the Arts Council’s Artist in the Community Scheme managed by CREATE. Archiving Limerick is supported by Limerick City Gallery of Art and Limerick City Council.
