Wednesday 17 December 2014

Dwell book artists

All the pages in the Dwell book have been filled by inventive artists willing to try their hands at designing a net. A net is a two dimensional plan which is cut out, folded and joined to create a three dimensional form. We are still waiting for a few artists to finish their nets but we'll have them by the end of the year. Then watch this space as we build them under the careful gaze of project leader Dean Reddick. We'll be building two copies of each net, one to place somewhere in the outside world (streets, shops, residential areas) and the other to create a town of dwellings. We will photograph it all and post up here in January 2015.

Look at our artists page to see who's appearing in the book and exhibition.

AL.

Monday 1 December 2014

Reserve a page - Dwell

SUBMISSIONS CLOSED
at 11am on the December 6th.
If you have missed out then don't worry there are plenty of exhibitions in 2015.

If you have reserved a page then you've still plenty of time to send your net into us, but don't forget to send it in before 31st December 2014 (Midnight)


We've had a varied and exciting group of Dwelling sent into to us over the past month. Thank you if you've contributed. We have now filled 12 pages but are still looking for a further 18 to complete the book.

Tamara Jelača - Little house in prairie
The talented Serbian artist Tamara Jelača sent us her Net (above) called 'Little house in prairie'. Your Dwell net could be anything from a car to a space capsule, a tent to a wizard's tower- anywhere that you have dwelt or where you can imagine dwelling! Add your dwelling to the book to be part of the Dwell community.

If you would like to contribute then contact Dean immediately at collectconnect4@gmail.com and he will reserve you page.

This will allow you between 2-4 weeks to finish your dwelling and turn it into a Net. Read all the information on the Submit and Now Showing pages where Dean has written everything you'll need to know. He explains what a net is, and what you will need to email to him, but if there are any questions then get in touch.




Sunday 2 November 2014

 
 
 
 

'Dwell'

Submission deadline extended until end of November 2014

 
Here is a sneak preview of Alban's contribution to the Dwell book

Welcome to Dwell, a new publication and art installation that Dean Reddick is launching  on behalf of CollectConnect. Read all the information on the Submit and Now Showing pages where Dean has written everything you'll need to know. He is looking for 30 Nets based upon the theme of Dwell/Dwelling. He explains what a net is, and what you will need to email to him, but if there are any questions then get in touch at: collectconnect4@gmail.com.

Your Dwell net could be anything from a car to a space capsule, a tent to a wizard's tower- anywhere that you have dwelt or where you can imagine dwelling! Add your dwelling to the book to be part of the Dwell community.

Monday 29 September 2014

DWELL Net Book - Submission open

A4 page of a Net Dwelling



Welcome to Dwell, a new publication and art installation that Dean Reddick is launching today on behalf of CollectConnect. Read all the information on the Submit and Now Showing pages where Dean has written everything you'll need to know. He is looking for 30 Nets based upon the theme of Dwell/Dwelling. He explains what a net is, and what you will need to email to him, but if there are any questions then get in touch at collectconnect4@gmail.com. The deadline for entries is 27th October.
 
 
'Dwell' a book of Nets from CollectConnect
Dwell
1 To live as a permanent resident
2 To live in a specified state
3 To dwell on or upon, to think or write about at length

Dwelling

1 A building or other place to live in. (Source: thefreedictionary.com.net)

CollectConnect are producing 'Dwell', a book of nets based around the idea of Dwellings.

A net is a two dimensional plan which is cut out, folded and joined to create a three dimensional form.

'Dwell' will be a book of thirty nets, each on a separate page which can be photocopied or cut out from the book.
Each contributing artist will get a free copy of 'Dwell'.
There will also be a catalogue of all the nets on the publisher's, Sampson Low Ltd, website which will be free to download for anyone. 

 
Requirements for a Page
Each Net must fit onto a single side of A4.
Each page needs to be in black and white (grey tone) and must contain;
- the net
- a list of materials needed to complete the net

- clear written instructions for the construction of the net
- a black and white photo of the completed form.
 

(See the page for 'TreeHouse' above and the Submit Page for further details.)
 

CollectConnect will build, photograph and publish each net, alongside a commentary from the CollectConnect team on the CollectConnect website starting on the 1st December 2014.

We will also be creating a Dwell Village where all the nets will come together to form a community of dwellings; more details to follow......
 
We very much look forward to receiving your Net Dwelling!
 



Monday 1 September 2014

Dean Reddick preparing to DWELL

It's been a summer off the collect connect trail for all four of us but we're chomping at the bit to start a new round of exhibitions. Over the past two years we've all organised an exhibition or publication and also the group show FAB Fridge to boot.

Latest news though is that Dean Reddick is currently putting the finishing touches to a new exhibition titled DWELL that will be both an exhibition and a book of Nets.

A net is what a 3D shape would look like if it were opened out flat. You'll get the chance to submit your net for publication in an A4 book, and these will be made into their 3D forms for the exhibition.

Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for the call to artists.

AL.

Sunday 25 May 2014

Magnetic Art alive in Bath


Stephanie Wilkinson's magnetic artwork

It was a little damp around the edges but luckily our magnetic art is all waterproof and our art is bright enough to catch the eye of eager Art hunters across Bath. If you're looking for something to do over the next week or so then head down to the stretch of towpath that runs from Pulteney Bridge to Churchill Bridge (red route on our map). Here you'll find more than 320 magnetic artwork dotted on railings and benches if you look hard enough.

Bath Map -
Red Route is where we
 placed the magnets
If you find a magnet then it will include the name of one of our 124 artists and possibly their twitter address too. If you would like more information about your artist then visit our Artists page where you'll find a link to their website.

FAB Fridge crew
Our intrepid band of artists' donned their waterproofs and took the plunge into Bath's cultural melting pot on the 24th May 2014. If you want to find out where they placed them then check out the slideshow below. Along for the ride was Maria Lopez, Jack Gardner, Ginny Reddick with Kim and Kez, Jessamy and Natalie Low, Effra Aye-Maung-Hider, Maria and Bryan Benge, Alban Low and Dean Reddick.

We had a wonderful time in Bath and were made very welcome by everyone at Fringe Arts Bath. It was amazing to see the diversity of Art on display at the various hubs around the city and we hope they will have us back again in the future. If you would like to exhibit with us in the future then drop us a line at collectconnect4@gmail.com and we'll get back to you.

From us all at CollectConnect,
Thank you.

Kim Reddick 2010 magnetic masterpiece
ps. If you think they've all gone then have another look. This year we found a magnet by Kim Reddick that had been in place since 2010!

Friday 23 May 2014

FAB Fridge Exhibition 2014 - Bath here we come!

All the magnets have been cut up and sorted into alphabetical order. Our motely crew of artists are making their way to Bath, some have arrived already for the big party tonight. Dean Reddick, Bryan Benge and I will be travelling over tomorrow morning and meeting at
11.30am at Bath Spa Station, 24th May 2014.
So please come along if you would like to help place the art on the streets.

Dean Reddick
Placing magnets 2010
There will be a healthy crowd of us, and plenty of children so all welcome. If you've never encountered one of our exhibitions before they are unusual in their inclusivity and ingenuity. We have been exhibiting both in and more often out of the gallery environment over the past 4 years. Placing art right under the public's noses and inviting them to pick it up and take it home.

Our exhibitions are free to enter and our artists are free from rejection as at least one of their works will be exhibited. We started exhibiting in this way to provide a platform for people with mental health issues to show their work without the usual stresses and expense of many open submission exhibitions. Since then we have placed over 4000 artworks on the streets from more than 1000 artists. We have crossed international boundaries and hopefully a few cultural ones too.

Sorting the magnets
Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks for Art in unexpected places around Bath.

If you have picked up a magnet and want to find out a bit more about your artist then check out our Artists page where you'll find a link to their website. Please get in touch with your artist, they would love to hear from you, and find out where you picked up their Art.

Alban Low

Wednesday 21 May 2014

RIP Antony Roberts -Artist (1958 - 2014)

Antony Roberts -
Open Fridge Exhibition 2010
The magnet exhibitions have featured the work of over 1000 artists in a short 4 year period and a regular participant with us has been artist Antony Roberts. Amongst the hard work and logistical juggling I have the opportunity get to know many of these artists, not only their work but also if I'm lucky to meet them in person. I was doubly lucky to spend time with Antony Roberts away from the heat of exhibitions and even managed a few nights sketching on the London Jazz circuit.

Antony Roberts - Beware of Fishing
Freezchester 2010
It is therefore with great sadness that I have to tell you that Tony passed away peacefully on the 31st March this year at Princess Alice Hospice in Esher. This past year had been a tough one, with his on-going Cancer treatment sapping his strength. He didn't submit to our exhibitions at this time but below I would like to show you some of his excellent work from previous years.
 
Antony Roberts
LightBite Exhibition 2011
Antony Roberts exhibitions include -
 
Open Fridge 2010 (Gallery 89, Barnet)
FAB Fridge 2010 (Fringe Arts Bath)
Freezchester 2010 (Hazard MMX Festival/Arndale Centre Manchester)
Lightbite 2011 (LightNight Festival Nottingham)
Brighton Open 2011 (Brighton Fringe Festival)
Rarities 2011 (Hastings Pier)
 
Antony Roberts - The Duel
Freedbook 2012
He also published his artwork in the FreedBook in 2012. The 72 page publication was left in the book swapping libraries on London's transport network where they were picked up and have been passed around the world ever since. This was Tony's last project with us and we will be releasing a copy in Bath on 24th May. It seems fitting, as his contribution and the book itself represents the two qualities that I remember most about him, his generosity and humour.
 
He is missed. Never forgotten. Goodbye Tony.
 
I have already passed on many of your condolences to Tony's family, so thank you to all.
 
Alban Low (May 2014)
 
 
 
 
Antony Roberts - Open Fridge 2010

Antony Roberts - Open Fridge 2010
Antony Roberts - Lightbite 2011

Antony Roberts - Lightbite 2011
Antony Roberts - Rarities 2011

Antony Roberts - Rarities 2011
Antony Roberts - Brighton Open 2011

Antony Roberts - Brighton Open 2011
 


Thursday 1 May 2014

Susie Mendelsson - Specimens of humanity

Susie Mendelsson - Specimens of humanity
With the FAB Fridge exhibition less than a month away we are taking the opportunity to get to know some of our artists. Our exhibitions are run by artists themselves, who share both the pleasure and pain of their fellow practitioners when it comes to displaying their work. So who could be better to write something about the FAB fridge art but one of the other (120+) artists in this exhibition.
Here Theo Wood writes about ............

Susie Mendelsson
Specimens of humanity

Susie Mendelsson -
In the frame 1
The twisted diminutive ‘specimens of humanity’ are cramped within the containing spaces of their cells/houses/boxes..the light casting brightness on parts of their bodies and throwing deep shadows.  There’s an atmosphere of confinement even though the front of the ‘containers’ is open. And the creatures (who seem to be female) are shrunken in the space with their strange hands in front of them. One of the containers has what looks like a chimney above it asking the viewers to decide..is there a fire in there? Does it keep the creature warm or is there a more sinister purpose?


Susie Mendelsson -
In the frame 5
Susie Mendelsson is a figurative artist influenced by the German Expressionists as well as medieval art. Much of her work is motivated by psychological states of trauma and anxiety. Her work explores the universal theme of being a wife, mother and woman. Her current project is Purdah.

T.W.


We'll be displaying Susie's and Theo's artwork in magnet form on the streets of Bath as part of the Fringe Arts Bath Festival. Come and join us on the 24th May from 11.30am (Bath Spa Rail Station) onwards when we'll be placing the magnets on metallic surfaces throughout the city. The magnets are free to pick up and take home so it's the perfect opportunity to start a collection on your fridge.
If you can't be there in person then follow us on twitter at @collectconnect4 and #fab14.



Sunday 27 April 2014

Getting Ready for FAB Fridge

Dean Reddick and magnets
Submissions are now closed for FAB Fridge 2014.
We're just downloading and logging in the last few entries and I think we'll top 300 mark.
This will be the second largest Contemporary Magnetic Art Exhibition ever, so very excited about the event itself.
It's not all about quantity and this year has seen a swathe of exciting new artists join our rank with some truly inspiring artwork. Of course it goes without saying that we couldn't do this without some of our old hands too, whose devotion to the cause is uplifting.

Over the next week we'll be updating our artist lists with names and links. Then getting the images ready for the printers in 32 image sheets. These are turned into magnets and shipped back to us in May, all ready to cut up and prepared for the streets of Bath.

Over the next month we will be writing about some of our CollectConnect artists, so please keep dipping in and out.

On the 24th May we will be meeting at Bath Rail Station at 11.30am. We will then be walking around Bath placing magnets on metallic surfaces.

Francesca Albini - Chips

Follow us on Twitter - @collectconnect and @albanart
or hashtag #fab14 where we'll be posting some photos of the magnets.

Hopefully we'll be stopping for a spot of lunch and doing just what one of our new artists Francesca Albini has drawn.

Alban, Dean, Stuart and Bryan.

Sunday 5 January 2014

Exhibit at the Fringe Arts Bath Festival

Fab Fridge 2010
Dean Reddick (middle)
Holly Hinchcliffe (bottom)
Thank you to Stuart Simler for leading the Cardboard City exhibition throughout December. It was a poignant and exciting installation that brought together 25 artists along the banks of the Thames in London. We are still deciding whether to run Dean Reddick's 'Book of Nets' before our big CollectConnect Open. When the core of CC decided to work together, not only did we agree upon our ideals but also that we would have a big open exhibition that was not themed, and give an opportunity to all of you out there.

This year we have been fortunate enough to have been awarded one of the coveted curatorial slots at the Fringe Arts Bath festival 2014. We hope you will get involved by sending us your artwork and as always it is FREE to enter.

Visit the Submit Art page to find more instructions.

On the 24th May 2014 we will exhibit your magnetic image on the streets of Bath. The public are free to pick up your work and take it home. Who knows on which fridge your art will ultimately be exhibited.


Tracy Ferris - Sun
If you have never exhibited in this way before it is easy. Send us an email at collectconnect4@gmail.com with an image and your name and title of artwork. We operate a first come first served policy and may close early if we fill up before the 25th April deadline. We have space for up to 500 magnetic images.

Submit up to 3 images.
Your work and name will appear on the designated FAB Fridge site.

Any questions please get in touch....Bryan, Dean, Stuart and Alban

AL.