Sketchbooks or Notebooks or Diaries

 Written 2^nd May 2013

I began keeping notebooks on 10/6/2012 – not really very long ago. I’ve always had a problem about keeping a sketchbook. I tend to resort to destroying  anything which I do not consider (at any given time) to be’ right’. And that given time or state of rightness is never a measured response.  Rather than face what I might perceive as negative criticism, or indeed self-criticism,  I would rather destroy any evidence of the thing,  if I consider it to be anything less than a valid conclusion.

This destructive behaviour is mirrored by periods of intense production. Sadly without sketchbooks I don’t then have any means of recalling any of the ideas and thoughts produced in the productive periods.   So one of the challenges I set myself back in June last year, at Carmen Mills’s suggestion,  was to keep a notebook/diary of ideas during a productive period. That seemed to be more manageable than something with the label “sketchbook” attached. I do realise that this may just be semantics, but I thought I’d give it a go – and if it worked, great, if not, well it was just semantics and why did I think it would be any different anyway!.  A sketchbook seemed too intense, too easy to spoil. A notebook is just that – a place for notes (sometimes sketches too), but something I felt I could use without pressure.

I love the format of the small square book. To me it’s not intimidating, somehow it’s friendly and the spiral in the middle means even if you want to be neat, you can’t be. It actually won’t let you write neatly on the left page. But, I wasn’t at all sure to begin with. I thought it might just be a gimmick (like the relationship I‘ve formed with this blog may be going!)  and what would I write anyway! Well I very quickly filled 4+ books and then found that I had started three new pieces of work!

 My work and energy tend to follow in cycles and the 4 notebooks were made during a high of activity. I call it ebb and flow like the tide, but its not quite so regular or predictable.  When the low began, I sadly destroyed one piece of work  “Quilt or Bed,  Art or Craft” but managed to shove the notebooks and 2 other half finished  pieces out of sight and into a corner.  (I may try to rebuild "Quilt or Bed, Art or Craft.")

 This week I’ve got the notebooks out again. Mainly because I need to work on something for North Yorkshire Open Studios 2013 , but also for a critique I have agreed to later this week, and the fear of opening myself up to the world. Without the notebooks though I would have lost the ideas in the maelstrom of the mania, or the ideas would have been victims of the depression. So I’m really glad to have them now and to have benefitted from something which not only gave me a real sense of achievement and pleasure at the time, but they can now go on to inform the work I had started, and maybe even hopefully finish this time.

I completed Year 1 of an MA in Canterbury  before moving to Scarborough, and one criticism which was made of me at that was that I shouldn’t need to prepare a speech, I should just let the work talk. But when the thing I am talking about is so important to me, I want to get it right. I’m very happy to answer questions, but I really need the structure and security of being able to say my bit first. So why do I need prepare. Why do I need to present. Why can’t I just talk or why can’t the work speak for itself?  Well I think the answer to that is that if I was showing one of the very rare finished  pieces of my work – I believe and hope that it would be able to stand on its own.  I’ve got hardly any  finished pieces in 50 years, and I still don’t know if either of the pieces I’m working on from these noteboooks are ever going to fall into that category.

 I think that when a piece is finished  I somehow take a mental step back from it.  Detach myself emotionally from the rawness and responsibility of its making.  I consider  finished pieces to be like my children. They have a life of their own.  One quote I really like but don’t know where it comes from is that “A mother’s role is to provide a child with roots for stability and wings for flight.” I like to replace the word mother for artist and the word child for idea. So “An artist’s role is to provide an idea with roots for stability and wings for flight.”  I hope I can give my ideas roots using  research and intellectual debate, and wings by using the processes and materials for making visual art. One of the hardest things for me is to control the ideas for long enough to manage them and attach the wings!

That is where these notebooks have been so valuable, and I hope that I may now, on revisiting them, be able to control  the ideas held within them without feeling the need to destroy the outcome.

 Helen Birmingham

The Edward Bawden Map Restoration Appeal

Edward Bawden CBE, RA

Edward Bawden was a prolific painter and graphic artist who studied under Paul Nash at the Royal College of Art. He was a skilful printmaker and perhaps

most famous for his prints, book covers and posters. He was awarded a CBE in 1946, became Royal Designer for Industry in 1949, Trustee of the Tate Gallery 1951-58 and was elected as a Royal Academician in 1956. His commercial work included illustrations and poster designs for London Transport, Twinings, Fortnum & Mason and also Barrows Stores in Birmingham.

The History of the Map

The map was originally commissioned in 1931 by local hotelier Tom Laughton for The Pavilion Hotel in Scarborough. Tom Laughton went on to present the map to Scarborough Public Library in 1961 when the hotel was sold. The map is a fabulous, original, hand-painted and collaged work by the Royal Academician, Edward Bawden and is based on an earlier ordnance survey map of Scarborough. Once displayed prominently in the entrance to the children’s section of the Library, many of today’s parents and grandparents have fond childhood memories of its detail and intricacy, but sadly, when the entrance to the children’s library fell into disuse, the map became a hidden treasure, nestling on a wall behind stacks of boxes.  The map is now deteriorating badly, and needs restoration and professional reframing to ensure its survival. The Friends of Scarborough Library have launched an appeal for funding to restore the map, and to ensure that it’s future safety and care is secured.   We are trying to raise sufficient funds to restore the map, reframe it and relocate it on the first floor crush suite. The total cost will be in the region of £1,800.

The importance of keeping the map on public display in Scarborough

Tom Laughton, who also owned and ran the Royal Hotel in Scarborough, sold the Pavilion Hotel in 1961 after the death of his mother and the ill-health of one of his brothers, Frank. He gifted the Bawden map to the Library at this time. He had a keen interest in art and amassed a collection of paintings over more than 50 years. His art collection, which he later donated to the town, is still on view, and enriches a visit to Scarborough Art Gallery and Museum. This part of Tom Laughton’s legacy is safe and well looked after.  When Tom Laughton sold The Pavilion Hotel it had been in his family ownership for more than 50 years, and by selling it he hoped that it would continue to be run in the Laughton tradition. In his autobiography Laughton remembers that in early 1960 he refused a bid of £30,000 – more than he actually sold it for – because the bidders were intending to knock down the hotel to redevelop the site. Eventually he sold the property to a company who gave an undertaking that the Pavilion would be run as a hotel for at least 10 years and that all the staff would be retained. With hindsight, his desires when he made his deal with John Guthries’ Broadland Properies were highly optimistic. The hotel was closed in 1971 and demolished in 1973. On a recent television programme where people were invited to name and shame Britain's worst buildings, nominees described Pavilion House, which took the place of The Pavilion Hotel, as "resembling a concrete fortress" and "a symbol of Scarborough's decline". Another said the demolition of the old Pavilion Hotel "destroyed the Victorian vista of central Scarborough".

In 2008 a bottle of wine with a soiled, scuffed and slightly torn label, which had been stored in the cellars of the Laughton family hotel, the Pavilion in Scarborough, until its demolition in 1973 turned up at auction. The bottle, being sold with its accompanying Pavilion Hotel label, was estimated at £15,000 – more than £2,500 a glass! Less than the price of one glass of wine will ensure that a priceless treasure by an internationally renowned artist is not allowed to fall into oblivion along with the hotel it was originally commissioned for.

On behalf of the Friends of Scarborough Library, I hope that you may look favourably on this request for a donation to help restore and reframe The Scarborough Map. If you require additional or more detailed information regarding the conservation and framing costs or about our planned series of events centred around the map, please contact Colin Langford at The Friends of Scarborough Library.  An article about the map will be published in the Winter edition of our Newsletter - Reflections Magazine – together with an update on our fund-raising efforts. Any cheques should be made payable to “Friends of Scarborough Library” and can be handed in or posted to either:

Attn:  Colin Langford                                                       Attn: Friends of Scarborough Library

Friends of Scarborough Library                                      c/o The Studio Gallery

Vernon Road                                                                    5 Belle Vue Parade

Scarborough                                                                    Scarborough

YO11 2NN                                                                        YO11 1SU

An evolutionist and a creationist in artistic collaboration?

My description of myself is artist, creator and research scientist. I have had reason this weekend to ponder the possibility of collaborating on an art project with an artist who describes themselves as a creationist.  There are undoubtedly areas of our artistic endeavours which overlap, but my art and my artistic intention is based on the concept of evolution. Charles Darwin’s sketch of the Tree of Life is central to my thinking.

Creationism is the exact antithesis of my belief.  Opposites can be a very powerful tool (i.e. yin & yang) if they can complement each other in some way, however, I see creationism and evolution as being two completely incompatible belief systems. I don’t want my artistic energy to be expended in creating work about disharmony but neither do I think that the chasm between the thinking of a creationist and an evolutionist can be overlooked.  I am concerned about the disruption it would cause me on a personal level to have the evolution/creationist discussion whilst working on a specific project, but even more concerned that this decision should not be seen as cowardice or bigotry.  

I believe that everything evolves; including ideas, beliefs and knowledge and I am really fascinated to try to understand the beliefs of another artist and how they interpret these beliefs in the artwork they are undertaking.  

The conclusion to my current train of thought is that: the outcome of any discussions would need to be sufficiently established and documented to warrant publication and I don’t think that this would be possible in the timescale available to us through the proposed project. I am however keen to continue the discussion outside the remit of the project.  

I am aware that simply by having the discussion we will inevitably influence each other in terms of thinking. I am looking forward to an artistic outcome without prejudice.

Nature's ready-made images

Olga Rozanova, Green Stripe, 1917

"The art of painting is the decomposition of natures’ ready-made images into the distinctive properties of the common material found within them and the creation of different images by means of the interrelation of these properties; this interrelation is established by the creator’s individual attitude. . . . Nature is a subject as much as any subject set for painting in abstracto and is the point of departure, the seed, from which a work of art develops."

Olga Rosanova – The Bases of the New Creation 1913

Olga Rozanova wrote this almost 100 years ago. Nothing is new - it's what I've been trying to say - Olga has said it already and much better than I could have said it. Thank you Olga Rozanova!

Clique

I do believe my nature to be proactive, but I would not wish to be labelled an activist. 

I do not believe my tendency to be towards a clique or elitism.

I have a desire to intervene in difficult situations, but I am not a vigorous advocate of any particular cause.

My thoughts on cliques:

Definition: noun - a small, exclusive group of people; coterie; set

§   Different people need different things - one approach does not fit all.

§  Everyone is an individual.

§  Gregarious individuals seek out groups. 

§  A group can be self-limiting or wide-ranging.  

§  A group, by definition, can be a clique, but is in no way defined by the term.

§  It is possible, through lack of understanding and communication, that any ‘group’ may interpreted by others as being a clique.  

§  Good lines of communication are the key.

§  A well-intentioned approach to any situation should not be rejected out of hand.

§  A defensive stance should be avoided at all costs.

§  Remember:  misinterpretation can invite the label ‘clique’ to anyone’s door.

Scarborough Based Artists - Intentions and Objectives

I am writing this open letter to try to explain what my intentions are in setting up Scarborough Based Artists. I apologise for not having set out adequate definitions from the start, and therefore potentially allowing my objectives to be misinterpreted.

Scarborough Based Artists was the result of my enthusiasm to host a group where artists/craftspeople/makers could meet and chat with other likeminded individuals. I believe that by offering each other support and friendship we will create situations which will enhance our professional opportunities. Sharing and discussing the possibilities of publicising ourselves, either as individuals or as a group can only be a positive thing for the artistic community as a whole.

I feel uneasy when conversations, particularly online, are of a contentious, confrontational or political nature, and I was frustrated to have been left feeling vulnerable and out-of-my-depth after some of last weeks’ discussions.  Rightly or wrongly I felt that the atmosphere within the group was becoming very intense and somewhat defensive. I do take my professional development seriously, but I want it to be enjoyable at the same time. I felt that, albeit unintentionally, the core of the group was being fractured, and that I was in danger of losing the trust and respect of the very artists who I feel most akin to in ethos and direction.

Of course Scarborough needs a vibrant and active artist’s community. Of course it should have events where artists, galleries, cafes, music venues and museums should come together to make our town come alive, and of course artists have a vital role to play, but there are already groups and structures in place to move this forward and make it happen. We shouldn’t be attempting to re-invent the wheel.  

What I believe is that we should be setting ourselves up as a group of professional artists who can provide representation at these established forums.  This is what I hope Scarborough Based Artists will lead to.  If we can do this and make friends and offer each other support along the way, so much the better.

Helen Birmingham

17^th September 2012

My first 2 years in Scarborough

I moved to Scarborough from Faversham in Kent in September 2009, with the intention of settling here and turning a dilapidated and damp 5 floor B&B into a working artists’ studio, gallery and letting room. The project is progressing slowly, but I’m getting there. However, I am enormously proud to be able to say that I have managed to come through the building site stage with my sanity intact, and have even produced some new artwork! The Studio Gallery is up and running, and I have my first guests staying in The Studio Flat this weekend.  Two more to ticks on the list of things to do before I'm 50! So what's happened to Helen Birmingham, Mixed Media Artist in the last two years?

My fascination is with the concept of evolution and heredity. 2009 was the 150th anniversary of the publication of “The Origin of Species” and an exhibition of my Darwin-inspired artwork was held at Broughton House Gallery in Cambridge as part of the University’s Darwin Festival.

The summary of that exhibition concluded that future pieces of work would inevitably draw reference from their predecessors, and have a common ancestry, but that the nature of evolution meant I could not fully anticipate where my work would take me. In fact, my move to North Yorkshire has served to heighten my interest in the geological and fossil evidence for a belief in evolution over creation, and my first piece of work to be ‘made in Yorkshire’ was called “Ebb and Flow”. It was exhibited at the East Coast Open in 2010 and was inspired by the geological strata and the regularity and inevitability of the tides. At the time of making “Ebb and Flow” I was beginning to soak up the character and history of my new surroundings, and found myself particularly drawn to a footprint made in the concrete near the Lido on South Bay. The simple imprint of a builder’s boot. Whilst in the pursuit of maintaining a structure and protecting it from nature’s power, a fragment of history had been captured. It occurred to me that here was evidence of today’s footprints becoming tomorrow’s fossils - a reflection of the past and a glimpse into the future. “Time & Tide: an exhibition for Scarborough” was conceived.

“Time & Tide” was exhibited at the Stephen Joseph Theatre gallery as part of Coastival in February 2011 and remained on display there throughout March. The work is now on display at The Studio Gallery at 5 Belle Vue Parade and can be viewed there until April 2012. “Time & Tide” incorporates images and poems relating to Scarborough’s unique character. I hope the work will be seen as an affectionate portrayal of the town through the eyes of a newcomer. It comprises ten major pieces, each one a compilation of 25 postcard sized mixed media artworks looking at key areas of the town’s history and local attractions. My intention was to create a body of work which depicts Scarborough’s past together with a sense of the present. All ten pieces have the same basic format but different inspirations - there is something very satisfying to me in the structures formed by repetition, but I have to force myself to remain aware of the thread of intent which runs through the work.

Whilst making this body of work I found it hard to forge a pathway through the piles of ephemera which often cluttered my working surface. My work is created by repeating, copying and combining images, using a variety of materials and techniques. Much of the work contains precious yet seemingly insignificant scraps which have been carefully set aside and cherished from previous pieces, in order to maintain a physical and hereditary link between individual pieces. Ideas evolve as images are perpetuated, mutated or extinguished in a self-indulgent process of artistic ‘natural selection’. Creating ten linked, but totally individual pieces was challenging. I found that the only way forward was to immerse myself in the research and creation of each key area in isolation. I was conscious of the danger that over time some of the excitement of new ideas could be dimmed, and yet I was constantly surprised by the vigour and vitality which remained at the core. One of the most personally challenging aspects of this project was mastering enough carpentry skills to make the ‘Victorian’ cases in which the work is displayed. The overall presentation of the work forms an integral part of the intention behind the exhibition, therefore many long but necessary hours were spent with mitre cutter, panel pins and a hammer.

As an artist I believe I have two distinct roles: the hand which creates the image, acting as a force of nature, and the eye which combines awareness with artistic vision in identifying beneficial changes, and encouraging their evolution. Within my own restless planet I am artist, creator and research scientist. The experience of creating “Time & Tide” was at times frustrating and yet enormously satisfying. Inevitably my ideas, images and methods of working are continuing to evolve, and I have been setting aside many more precious scraps to return to, and thankfully my enthusiasm to do so is still burgeoning. 

Charles Darwin surmised that “Changes begin by pure chance, and then, if they prove to be beneficial they are perpetuated.” The notion of slow-moving forces acting over a long period of time was the underpinning of the theory of evolution. Natura non facit saltum (nature makes no leap). This idea leads me, as an artist, to think not only about what action I play on the surface of my work, but also how can I best record the history of those actions.

My background in printmaking leads me towards the practice of making multiple images, but I am excited by the notion that no two images are truly identical. Chance or mutation comes into play. For example, if I use a printing lock to create two images which to all intents and purposes are the same, slight alterations in the process of their making will inevitably create slightly different images. I may press slightly harder, the thickness of the ink may differ slightly or there may be slight imperfections in the paper for example. I can pick out the changes or mutations which are beneficial to that piece of work, and enhance them by stitching, burning or embellishing the surface. One of the eureka moments in my artwork was the realisation that if forces are proportionate in macrocosm and microcosm, I have terrifying power at my command. I am the force of nature acting on the surface of my artwork. I can choose to replicate sedimentation, erosion or seismic activity.

Nearing 50 I realise, at last, that I am in control of my life. I've made a good start, but where to now . . . . ?