Contemplating visualising smelling salivating touching FOOD

 

To sculpture I counterpoise 'objecthood'; i.e. the quality, either mental, visual or representational of having a 3 dimensional object even in a theoretical conversation dealing with mentally derivated or applied thoughts. I'm interested in the sculptural process within the artistic analysis of an everyday situation. By artistic analysis I mean the phenomena that categorises 'pieces' and 'objects' as conscious art, and the discrepancy between these and the many others produced by industrialisation and mechanically consumed. For me it is important in this phase to start rationalising the quite thin boundary between the mental assimilation of paradoxically similar objects and the extensive intricate distance that separates their two poles of approach. Basically, I'm interested in applied consumerism using sculpture as a process of relevancy transcending inactive awareness. I'm also interested in the social development of art parallel to profit speculation, its aspirations, myths, inherent redundancies and mutual supports. In my work I'm trying to be particularly objective concerning the rather thin boundary that separates the approach to widely admitted dayly [sic] props as such, from the category of interesting exhibits… …I’m interested to work with basic products existing in supermarkets as much as with art concepts found in galleries. I’m proposing to reanalyse not only their condition in-situ but their origin, appearance, particular qualities and consequent finality vis-à-vis the how, why and when of their consumption by the viewer or buyer. The condition of the sculptural piece would assume dimensions appropriate to the media used, the approach to the display place and the desirable impact. Beyond the articulation of the ’objects’ and the ‘spatial objecthood’ in themselves I hope to be using performance in order to emphasize a discrepancy as much as a similarity between the object in itself (inherent reality) and the representation of it (maleable reality).

Jwow Bastow, 1976

Marty St James studied Time Based Media at Cardiff College of Art from 1973-76. In 1976 he appeared on the television quiz show Mr and Mrs (HTV Television) and presented the recording of his appearance for his final degree show. 

He is a performance artist and Professor of Fine Art at the University of Hertfordshire. To date over fourty of his video works have been archived by the British Film Institute, and he recently published 'Being in Time: Performance Art' in 2020. 

Not a Live Show

Not a Live Show was presented at Bonington Gallery, Nottingham Trent University, as part of the 'Vitrines' programme in March 2019. 

 

Exploring the history of New Contemporaries, Not a Live Show reflected on archival research carried out regarding the two New Contemporaries 'Live Show' in 1976 and 1977. The 'Live Show' marked a transition in the premise of the New Contemporaries exhibitions from Painting and Sculpture to Painting, Sculpture and 3rd Area. New Contemporaries only presented a seperate and specific exhibition of 3rd Area work during these two years, with 3rd Area practices subsequently folded into back into the main New Contemporaries exhibition there after. 

 

The initial inclusion of 3rd Area submissions was hard fought for by the organising Student Committee at the time, led by Mike Collier, and included new modes of practice such as installation, performance, film and photography. Hosted at the newly opened Acme Gallery in Covent Garden and the London Film-Makers' Co-Op in Camden, the exhibition was at the epicentre of performative art activity during this period. Even while students work is endemically experimental, these modes in themselves were still experimental at the time and often outside the bounds of what was being taught in fine art courses. Many of the concerns raised within the work and by the students remain central to student discourse today. Equally, the inclusion of the expanded field of artistic practic continue to challenge the current New Contemporaries exhibition format and programming.

 

Celebrating its 70th anniversary during 2019, New Contemporaries is one of the longest running and most well recognised platforms for emerging artists in the UK. Its history tracks the birth of the Arts Council, the explosion of arts education and a turn to youth culture, as well as the major developments in artistic practice. It has helped launch the careers of innumerable artists, including those whose meteoric rise have come to epitomise the British art scene. Participants include renowned figures such as David Hockney, Bruce McLean, Anthony Gormley, Mona Hatoum, Gillian Wearing and Tacita Dean, to name a few. 

[Not] Not a Live Show

"well the tellies on, now where are the paintings?"

Silvia Ziranek is a performance artist and writer. The year following Siliva's selection by Bruce McLean for the New Contemporaries Live show, she went on to work with him for 'Sorry: a musical in parts'. She was recently interviewed for Studio International online. 

Described by Richard Wentworth as having been 'done with hands in the pockets'

An imaginary journey from 1 - 5 begins at 1, a 15 x 10 room as shown above. By the time 5 is reached some light will be shone on the invisible life between the walls of the same room. 

1. The room, windows, door, walls

2. The space.

3. The memory, eyes closed

4. Full size room map plotting

A. Mental space.

B. Physical space.

An environment and maps will be exhibited investigating each stage of perceptual change from 1 - 5 including a daily 1/2 hour performance. 

John Andrews, 1976

Not an Archive

Wallet stated the work was inspired by Carl Andre, and consisted of 80 slides on a kodak carosel projector, spoken word and writing. 

Archival Research

Reindeer Werk, Thom Puckey & Dirk Larsen, recorded a subsequent performance of this work at ICC Antwerp in 1977, which is listed in the ICC Ensembles Archive. 

Mike Collier took on the position of Student Committee Chair for New Contemporaries in 1976. For the previous two years the exhibition had been held at Camden Art Centre, but that year it was handed on with no venue in place. At the last minute, Collier secured the International Artists Centre (a short lived endeavour with little information available about it). Although a painter himself, at the same time, Collier had become increasingly interested in the new work students were doing with Michael Craig Martin. After pushing for the inclusion of this work in the New Contemporaries, and managed to  arrange for a parallel exhibition of performance, film, installation and photography work at the newly opened Acme Gallery in Covent Garden. 

Excerpts from interviews with Mike Coller, Terry Duffy and Terry Shave. Transcribed and edited by the researcher Emily Gray. 

From silence

 

Of course living is merely the chaos of existence, but more than that its a crazy mixed up business of dismantling existance instant by instant to he point where the original chaos is restored, and taking strength from the uncertainty and the fear that chaos brings to recreate existance instant by instant. from; The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima.

 

to silence

for fern + terry + kris

Dick Beard, 1976

Elaine Shemilt currently works at Duncan of Jordonstone College of Art and Design, and spoke at the New Contemporaries 70th anniversary conference about artistic career. 

Photographs retained by Terry Duffy. The first image is of his own work, and the second by Charlie Process. The remaining four are still to be identified. 

one page appears empty, however the photocopy is just incredibly faint..."I would... eventually... much longer, freer, excerpt... doesn't need a..."

I realised while compiling the data that I had worked with Jenny Okun in 2017. Focus II from 1978  was part of a film selection shown in my Master's degree exhibition the weight of things at Glasgow College of Art. 

Dick Jewell's submission in 1977 titled A Change of Face was a work he fly posted in bus stops from Notting Hill to Coven Garden. 

Jeremy Diggle ... 

Inventory of Material


Courtesy of Acme Archive

1. New Contemporaries Live Show catalogue, 1976.

Folded paper sleeve containing loose-leaf A4 photocopied sheets

- w. typed introduction by Mike Collier, 

“The expansion of the Association’s facilities has been made possible through the financial assistance of … through the determination of the student committee, despite a certain amount of opposition and inertia within the Association itself, and particularly through the assistance … of the ACME Gallery... The establishment of this show has revealed certain weaknesses in the general organisation of the New Contemporaries and, hopefully, the lessons learned this year can be made use of in future years to justify the large amounts of money donated.” 

- Typed timetable of activity, including day-time performative works and installations as well as evening events

- Acknowledgements of supports for the Live Show, including Arts Council of Great Britian, Peter Baird: Acme Gallery staff; individuals Ron Haselden, Bruce McLean, Stuart Brisley, John Hillard; Student Committee, including Mike Collier, Andy Whitten, Rob and Mike Stephen. 

- List of artists in the show (becomes apparent that this is not comprehensive and spelling is variable)

- Individual artist submissions, generally one side of A4

2. Articles of Association for New Contemporaries, 1976.

Typed, three pages with minimal notations however indicates the review of the core function or mission of New Contemporaries as an 'annual open exhibition in London of painting and sculpture' as this line is underscored with a question mark drawn in the margin.

3. Invitation for New Contemporaries Live Show, 14 - 26 February 1977. 

Landscape printed card with logo/design by Alan Sherlock.

4. New Contemporaries catalogue, 1977.

Printed by Fosbury Printers Ltd. with card cover and design by Alan Sherlock. Preface by Royal Academy President Sir Hugh Casson for the Painting and Sculpture exhibition. Listings are first initial only, surname, educational institution, title of work and price. Divided into Painting, Sculpture and Live Work (Live Work subdivided into Performance, Wall Pieces and Films). 

5. Film and Performance programme dates and locations.

Black card signage. Film: 15 - 22 February at London Film Co-op. Performance: 14 - 26 February at Acme Gallery. 

6. New Contemporaries application information sheet, 1977. 

Typed submission detials. Indicates split of exhibition into multiple venues according to media: a) painting and sculpture and mixed media (b) performance, film, video and conceptual work. Documentation requested for items under (a), written proposals and/or documentation for items under (b). A floor layout is provided for Acme Gallery to enable comprehensive proposals for installation, performance and conceptual work. Cost of submission price 50p. 

7. Composite of signage for New Contemporaries Live Show, 1977. 

Design from front cover of catalogue inset with tape onto front of page. On-reverse film listings for 15 February, with name of artist, institution, title and film type. 

8. Film Programme, 1977.

Film times with name of artist, institution, title and film type. 

9. Performance Programme, 1977. 

Listing of Lower Gallery and Upper Gallery performance times, including artist name, title and time. Two sheets; week one and week two. 

10. Performance Listing, 1977

Artists, institutions and title of work. On reverse, updates to published listings, indicating cancellations and time alterations. 

11. Live Work Performance and Screenings, 1977. 

Replicated listing information, stapled into three-page A4 booklet. 

 

Supplementary Material

 1. Selection of photographs from the personal collection of Terry Duffy

- Four documentary photographs of works from New Contemporaries Live Show, dates/artists/titles unknown. 

- Three documentary photographs of work by Terry Duffy. Duffy worked in the yard behind Acme Gallery, using materials readily available and exploring their ephemerality. The chalk lines and placement of certain objects are the result of his interventions in the yard. 

2. A Change of Face by Dick Jewell, 1977. 

Printed facsimile. According to Jewell the original work was fly-posted on bus stops between Notting Hill and Covent Garden. 

3. Studio International compendium, Vol.167 No.849 (1964) - Vol.201 No. 1020 (1988).

4. 'Performance: New Contemporaries 'Live Work' Show' by Peter Dunn, in Studio International, 1976. 

Printed facsimile.

5. Constraint by Elaine Shemilt, 1976. 

Facsimile of performance image. 

6. Found image of Jonathan Harvey and David Panton, founders of Acme Studios. 

Shown standing outside the first Acme property on Devons Road, 1974. 

7. 'The Acme 1976 - 81' by Jonathan Harvey, in Performance Magazine, Issue 14, Nov/Dec 1981. 

Printed facsimile. 

8. Found image depicting Reindeer Werk performance, 1976. 

Image showing Thom Puckey and Dick Larsen performing in Acme Gallery for New Contemporaries Live Show in 1976. 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1976 Trent Polytechnic submitted as a collective to the film programme, likewise in 1977 a further round of Trent students participated. As I talked with Terry Shave, participant in 1977, he speculated that he may still have the canister for his film 'Postcards' in his house. Thinking throught the liveness of the original exhibitions and the enlivening of the archive within a contemporary art school, I wanted to see if I could possibly reach across the time gap. From a call out to current students, a film programme was selected from the submissions made. These current submissions were then screened alongside the works shown by Helen Chadwick and Terry Shave in 1977 for [Not] Not a Live Show on Friday 22 March, 2019.