Stuart Simler & Tete de Alencar - Finale

As you might have guessed this is our last entry to the Cardboard City exhibition.

The Tate Modern, London

The final doors on our Social Advent calendar have been opened. It has been a long road and we fittingly pay tribute to the man behind this intervention and introduce another new face to the fray.

Tete de Alencar's door &
the Golden Hinde
 

First we open Tete de Alencar's submission beside the Golden Hinde, which was the galleon of Sir Francis Drake. Then we reveal our final Social Advent outside London's Cathedral of Modern Art. Housed in the old Bankside Power Station it is a great example of how to change a redundant space into a gallery. Here at CollectConnect we are adept at doing just this, finding and transforming public spaces, often I might add without millionaire backers.   
 

The Penultimate door

Tete de Alencar studied in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before moving over to these fair shores. She studied in Wales (Coleg Menai), Liverpool (John Moore's University) and finally in London (Central St Martins). As a truly international artist she has exhibited worldwide and draws her inspiration from complex social issues embedded in contemporary society.

Tete de Alencar -
'OCD and the Silver Spoon dialogue!'

She is a perfect fit for the Cardboard City Exhibition with her playful ideas that experiment with what is revealed and in turn, what is concealed.

“What you see is never what you are going to get…the real work is usually hidden and sacred in a container - a disguise to protect the real art piece, transforming it into an enigma.  It’s an ancestral magic, an ancient tactic...they will have to be aware that breaking the spell and revealing what is inside, involves a kind of death of the piece and transforms it into ordinary gold…”

Stuart Simler

The final door belongs to Stuart Simler who has devised and organised this exhibition. All the artists we have spoken to over the past month would like pass on their thanks and Christmas wishes to him. He is a man who feels passionately about the themes behind the Cardboard City and the ethos that we at CollectConnect are so proud of. During the final planning stages the Southwark Police Force advised us against this exhibition but Stuart was undeterred and he wrote us,

Stuart Simler - ‘Outside Looking In’

"I do think though that this particular project theme encompasses many of the mission objectives of collect connect and instead of giving into these fears created by government democracy come propaganda we do what we set out to do, which is to highlight these fears and share them with everyone"

We were suitably galvanised.

Thank you for visiting these pages over the past month and being a part of the exhibition even if you have been unable to see the artwork in situ.

Now for a little break from blogging and exhibiting. We'll be open again for business in the New Year where we'll be revisiting our first ever street-art exhibition, the one and only FAB Fridge.

We have been awarded one of the coveted curatorial platforms at the Fringe Arts Bath Festival in May 2014. It will be an open submission with 500 spaces up for grabs so get involved -
FAB FRIDGE Call out

Have a wonderful Christmas from all of us at CollectConnect,
Bryan, Dean, Alban and Stuart.

AL.

Sara Lerota & Marija Petkovic - Artistic Pinnacle

 

The Shard and Sara Lerota's Door

We're getting close to the pinnacle of our journey here at the Cardboard City exhibition and today we welcome two artists from out-of-town. Take a walk from the ruins of Winchester Palace where we found yesterday's doors and you cannot avoid two of London's towering landmarks. Southwark Cathedral and The Shard are separated by just a few metres but the gulf between them is a Millennium's width.



Southwark Cathedral &
Marija Petkovic's door

Marija Petkovic's artwork is exhibited next to two of the city's greatest survivors, The London Plane and in sight of the Cathedral which has been a site of Christian worship for over 1000 years. While Sara Lerota's art lurks in the shadow of Europe's tallest building. The Shard is a recent addition to our skyline (completed in 2012), it divides opinion and has been recently described as Boris Johnson's Judas Cradle as well as being awarded the more tourist friendly 'Iconic' badge.

Marija Petkovic - 'Card Settlement'

Marija Petkovic is a new face on the London and CollectConnect streets. She is a photographer and artist who is flexing her artistic muscle on the vibrant Belgrade scene. Recently receiving an award with our very own Jovana Mitic.

Marija Petkovic - Zemun Settlement, Serbia

Her artwork for the Cardboard City exhibition is an apt one. Here she presents us with an aerial photograph of a Shanty Town in Zemun, which is one of the 17 municipalities of  Belgrade. These makeshift dwellings greet many a visitor as they arrive by train in the Serbia's capital city. There has been some controversy about the eviction of Roma residences and the destruction of their homes in Belgrade, an issue that will rumble on in these tight financial times.

Sara Lerota's door

In contrast Sara Lerota has been our tenacious correspondent from Mostar for over 3 years. She first fell into our street art laps for Nottingham's Lightbite exhibition in 2011. Since then I have addressed many a letter to Bosnia and Herzegovina with her name on it, with magnets and exhibition catalogues inside. When not working with us on films and PR she is embellishing an impressive CV and portfolio that has seen her exhibit in Sarajevo,, Barcelona, Majdanpek, Zagreb and Berlin amongst others.

Sara Lerota -
A sense of belonging-essence of home

For this exhibition Lerota has taken a surprise approach, normally she relies on her superior drawing technique to raise the tone of the work but here she has taken the conceptual and abstract path. 'A sense of belonging-essence of home' is a town plan of integration, with each faction or district represented in both the inner circle and on the outer fringes.
It also symbolises our very own exhibitions where the catalyst is sparked into life by an individual and the varied styles, nationalities and ethnicities gather around, adding their very own colour to proceedings.

AL.

Gerrard Lindley - Urban Cowboy

Gerrard Lindley's door on The Globe Theatre

With an ever increasing number of our artworks to cram in before Christmas Eve this will be our last solo entry. Tomorrow we will start releasing two a day but before then we are opening door number 18 on the wall of a national treasure. The Globe Theatre has already had two lives but our modern reconstruction was born in 1997 and as you might have guess showcases the work of one William Shakespeare.

Door 18 is opened

We have an all singing, all dancing artist in our midst today. Gerrard Lindley has been exhibiting with us since the Lightbite exhibition in 2011, and has been a regular over the years. Under his moniker the 'Cowboy of Soul' he roams the graphic design plains, plying his trade as a gun for hire. Gerrard is also an accomplished blues harmonica player, with countless gigs under his belt, and presently works with two Devonian rhythm and blues bands. He cites Sonny Terry, Little Walter, Hammie Nixon and Al Wilson as his main musical influences.

Gerrard Lindley

His work for the Cardboard City exhibition is a multi-layered creation. Found images and colourful textures fight with physical representations of Gerrard's beloved music. Between the smears there are a few scrawls and notes, is this an idle mind or the start of a protest? The 3 lines read...

Alf was here.
happiness isn't all its cracked up to be.
BIG SOCIETY MY ARSE.

I do not know the motivations behind Gerrard's work but there is unmistakeably a flavour of discontent. A passion from the artist that has got this artwork from his North Devon studio and out onto the streets of London.
I will leave the final word to a better writer than I..

"Who is a man that is not angry?"
William Shakespeare,
Timon of Athens (3.5.59), Alcibiades to the senators

AL.

The defiant Wayne Sleeth

Cardboard City #14

Whilst shoppers jockey themselves in and out of the retail outlets of London we're creating a little oasis of calm and reflection this morning. We are outside one of the Southbank's artistic nuggets, the Bankside Gallery. Not only do we have one of our artist's exhibiting in front of its doors but another who's made it inside too. Although Peter S Smith is a regular contributor to our street-art interventions he's taking a break from our high jinx to exhibit at the Bankside's Mini Picture Show until 26th January. This however isn't the artist we're focussing on today....

Wayne Sleeth and Brussels Sprouts

Wayne Sleeth is the Grimsby born artist who has travelled to France to pursue a life of raw beauty and abstract painting. Even with La Manche between us it hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for our books and exhibitions at CollectConnect and he remains a loyal and enthusiastic contributor. He explains a little about his practice

" ...the physical act of painting is a way of orientating myself, covering and recovering ‘ground’ until l arrive at a conclusion of senses. I never know exactly where a canvas will lead me (l rarely work from sketches or photographs) but there is a clear moment for me when the work is ’finished’...."

Wayne Sleeth - Recession No.3

For the Cardboard City exhibition Wayne Sleeth has contributed an image from his 'Recession' series. The Barcode is one of the First World's most iconic motifs and here we find Sleeth's punctuation mark slapped right in the middle. The shopping trolley which is cast adrift in canal or river has been both a blot on the landscape and a sign of defiance for as long as I can remember. Although our economy limps along like a trolley with a dodgy wheel it has been far worse on the Continent and I wouldn't blame the European youth for casting their metallic detritus in the rivers of Capitalism.

AL.

Siobhan Tarr - Perfect Imperfection

Door #12 - Top Left

As we inch our way along the south bank of The Thames, Stuart and I have been aware of the changing architecture, there seems to be a never ending carousel of buildings sites where voids are miraculously filled by taller and taller creations. Amongst them are those landmarks that have been here for centuries, yet are unashamedly taken for granted. Blackfriars Bridge for instance was built in 1869 and was opened by none other than Queen Victoria. Today this is where we find artist Siobhan Tarr's entry behind door number 12 and it has been opened by someone who is just a little less famous than her majesty.

Siobhan Tarr, door #12 is open

Siobhan Tarr is a well travelled bundle of creativity. Born in England, she lived many years in Australia before settling in Germany. It is from her base in Bad Oldesloe that she commands her mosaic empire, sending her reconstructed creations out into the world. She has been exhibiting with us since Lightbite, the magnetic street art exhibition in Nottingham (2011). I have been a great admirer of her work ever since but it is her desire to break the rules as well as the tiles that keeps me captivated.

Siobhan Tarr - Cocoon

Once again Siobhan Tarr stretches the boundaries with her submission, "Cocoon". A mosaic that is released from its normal flat confines but still speaks to us of containment. The form is unmistakably sarcophagus, its digit shape representing death itself. There is a serenity  in the face that peeks out, she is at peace even though she is wrapped in her broken dreams, or perhaps a shattered life.

I feel a kinship with Siobhan Tarr's image, although I do not publicise my insecurities and shortcomings I do not hide them either. They are part of an exoskeleton that is broken and pitted but hopefully has a fascination too.

AL.

Rose Davies - Palace Corner Advent

Opening the door on Social Advent no.11

Winding our way along the Southbank ever closer to Blackfriars Bridge and the renowned Tate M we find ourselves on the jetty outside the more modest OXO Gallery.

On the 11th day of Christmas we are saying hello to artist Rose Davies and on this chilly morning she shares with us her piece; 'Palace Corner Advent' - a fitting title for a Cardboard City themed brief.
Rose is a seasoned blogger herself, going by the name of Rosie Scribblah she responds with on site drawings and then writes up her experiences on her blog: http://scribblah.wordpress.com

Here's an excerpt from a recent blog moment:
I had an early start today and walked across the city to do some shopping to make cakes for the

Rose Davies - Palace Corner Advent

exhibition opening tomorrow and on my way back I spotted these two men asleep on the pavement down a side street. It was about 9.15 am and I was quite shocked. There’s one regular street person who tucks himself down every evening; he’s been doing it for decades and refuses offers of housing, preferring to live on the streets. But I’ve never seen anyone else out in the open like this. There are all sorts of reasons why people might be in this situation, but really, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it isn’t right. Why haven’t we cracked this problem yet?


Graduating from Art College at the end of the 70’s, Rose refers
 to this period of her life as; 'surviving punk, post-modernism and the rise of Thatcherism with a belief in traditional art values,

Social Advent - on the jetty near the
OXO Tower

particularly drawing, intact'. Like many other struggling young artists at that time she developed a secondary career, working with the homeless and drug dependent people. Her work with the excluded influenced her and reflects her admiration for the beauty and resilience of the human body, which seems able to withstand the harsh conditions of the modern city. 

With todays artist bringing such a strong connection to our themes of Social Advent & Cardboard City what will tomorrows artist bring to the table?

SJS

The Mysterious Malc Dow

It isn't quite peasouper density but the London fog has now cleared and reveals Social Advent Door No.10.

Cardboard City #10

The hazy and atmospheric conditions are certainly in keeping with today's artist, Malc Dow who remains one of the mystery men in our band of Creatives.

Once again we find ourselves at the foot of the Oxo Tower, as tourists start to unhitch their vast telephoto snatchers and the London commuters suck in their collective breaths for another day at the office.



Malc Dow's open door

Malc Dow has been exhibiting with us since the Brighton Open in 2011 when we placed his 'Naked Ape' magnets along the seafront of the popular arty town. Since then he has been a regular contributor to both exhibitions and our publications, including FreedBook and Patternotion. Despite regular contact he still remains an enigma, his art graces the cover of a Fernando Poo record and he leaves snippets of his life in my inbox which lay tiny thought-bombs in my mind. Dow is an artists who is passionate about communications, non coercive learning, freedom of speech. So our philosophies here at Collectconnect have comfortably rubbed shoulders with his.

Malc Dow's submission to the Cardboard City exhibition, Minimal Living, is just as mysterious as the man himself. The image represents anything but minimal living, here is a luxurious wood panelled room with canopied bed and an exotic vista through the window. I assume it is a dig at our modern consciences, where we salivate over glossy magazines, feather our own nests and covet they neighbour's Scandinavian ceramics. We give our post chintz movement the clean and classy title of Minimal but what truly represents that word is to have nothing. A sparseness that could be the result of unfortunate circumstance rather than design and choice.

AL.

Jill Smith - Together in Peace.

Door #8 on London's Soutbank

Taking the title of today's artwork as an inspiration I had a little lie-in, so sorry for the slow start this morning. Well it is Sunday, the perfect time to open door number #8, which is Jill Smith's 'Together in Peace'. Just a short walk from Bryan Benge's #7 and closer still to St Paul's we find the next Cardboard City door at an angle, with her globe ready to roll out onto London's Southbank.

Jill Smith has been a steady contributor to our shows ever since exhibiting with us on the gates of St Leonards and Hasting's Pier in 2011 for the Rarities Magnet Exhibition. She is like many of our artists, who can find themselves isolated from local creative initiatives (if they exist) but they still want to reach out onto the National and International stage. She wrote this note to me 2 years ago and we have been corresponding ever since,



Opening the World

 "I am living in Lincolnshire, am I too far away to exhibit in Hastings? I hope not as in my town I am not joined to anything art. I hate to say it but even though there is a gallery five minutes away I don't visit as they turn their noses up at Abstract Art. I also need a wheelchair for getting out and they don't make it easy for me to visit. So I am just showing my art on the internet".

Jill Smith - Together in Peace

Although Jill still exhibits much of her work on the Net, she isn't confined or defined by this anymore. Since that first exhibition she continues to produce fresh and colourful work that has been exhibited world wide. Her submission to the Cardboard City is iconic in form, a pink globe in which the world is upside down. Sometimes it seems we need to turn our current thinking on its head. Our attention is centred on South Africa in the painting and at the moment that is true in current affairs too.

It reminds me of a pearl, a treasure that naturally occurs in Nature and yet we covet it even though it is free to pick up and find. Peace too is a precious commodity and we shouldn't let that slip through our fingers either.

AL.

Jovana Mitic - Drawing crowds in London

On a bright and crisp morning in London the latest artwork in the Cardboard City exhibition is causing quite a stir. We're not the only ones who are opening Social Advent door No.6. This one was placed along the south bank of the Thames opposite Temple Underground and beside the London TV Studios.

Jovana Mitic - Social Advent #6

Keen art hunters opening the door



Our artist today is Jovana Mitic, who is not only catching the public's attention here in London but back in her homeland of Serbia and on the international stage too. 2013 has been her year, she exhibited in several group exhibition in her country as well as International Art projects in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland.



Jovana Mitic
'New Belgrade Ghetto'

In the past 12 months her accolades include: 1st prize in graphic category, XI International Exhibition "Women painters“, Serbia: 2nd prize at “October Salon” - Cultural Centre in Leskovac, Serbia: Winner of “The Big Draw” - drawing competition, The Beatles Story, Liverpool, United Kingdom: 1st prize at Fifth International exhibition for miniatures, Trag gallery.




Recently she told me "What do I do as an artist? – I destroy form, deal in abstract art. Yet isolation from the outer world is not complete but there is always an association and connection with the outer world. This is less obvious in some paintings but in some connection with reality is obvious. Although I create a new world, it is, still, in a way, inspired by the existing one. Today we cannot renounce the world we leave in...”.

3 recent exhibits

Jovana is a recent discovery for me when she swept in to reach the shortlist for the Art Jazzed Up exhibition at the Shaw Gallery last month. I imagine that this wont be the last time that this tenacious artist will catch the attention of the public in the years to come.

AL.

Ann Kopka - Social Advent 5

Social Advent no.5 - above the
National Theatre

So here we are, at day number 5 and after yesterday's fantastic launch of Angela Malone's cardboard city contribution; Augustine no.9 it's now time to introduce a new artist to the project.

Ann Kopka shares with us her poignantly themed piece; 'Gimme Shelter' which has found refuge on the stairwell of the roof area above the National Theatre.

As you can tell, we have been winding our way along the Southbank in an Easterly direction this time - this could be setting a trend for the following releases……

More about our artist of the day:

Anne Kopka - Gimme Shelter

Ann Kopka’s current painting practice is inspired by encounters with the architecture of man made and natural urban landscapes. Based on curiosity, research and experimentation with her own digitally manipulated images,

Ann’s paintings are underpinned by a strong visual emphasis on structure, colour and light. Her paintings are built up in multiple layers of saturated colour, giving the finished results vibrant surfaces with distinctive three dimensional qualities. 
Ann is also engaged in researching the properties of discarded ephemera with little or no intrinsic value, drawing attention to the throwaway nature of consumer society and questioning our perception of its value systems. Discarded paper items, packaging, teabags and charity shop finds are subjected to investigative processes and may be transformed into tactile reliefs and wall hangings or used in installations.

Gimme Shelter by Ann Kopka

Ann has exhibited her artwork extensively in London, the UK and also the USA. She has been selected for solo exhibitions at The Barbican Centre Library in the City of London, Harrow’s white cube space The Gallery@HAC and Brent Civic Centre London. Her work has been exhibited in many group shows including exhibitions at the Menier Gallery London, Bankside Gallery London, Espacio Gallery London, RED Gallery London and Coningsby Gallery London. 

With such diverse and engaging artworks being released every day what will Social Advent no.6 offer us tomorrow. Tune in to find out as my co-curator and Collect Connect artist, Alban Low launches the big reveal somewhere along the Southbank. 

SJS

Angela Malone - Social Advent 4

Cardboard City no.4

Another day sees us opening another Social Advent and after Monday's big reveal of 'Ang McDonald we move a little further along the river (west) to the well populated Westminster bridge area to release our 4th artist.

4th Release - along The Queens Walk

Angela was born in Brooklyn, New York, 1957. Having taught and exhibited for a number of years, returning to education when she moved into Sculpture in 2007. Her work is based firmly in the genre of portraiture but looks closely at the Curatorial aspects of displays, referencing her own drawings, particularly the ones from life. Sketchbook and graphic works are central to her practice leading the way to finished works, which usually evolve from sketches into stone carvings plaster works or ceramics, often integrating elements of text within or alongside the piece.

Augustine No.9 by Angela Malone

Angela's career already has many strands to it - ranging from acclaimed accolades such as receiving the Niagara Falls Award in 2009, Thomas Fattorini Award in 2010 and having permanent collections in Germany, the USA and Austria.

That's 4 advents already launched and we've still got many more artworks to come from our global net of selected artists.

I'm back again tomorrow thanks to fellow Collect Connect artist, curator and Fridge Magnet guru; Alban Low, stepping in to help me out with the 3rd Social Advent the other day! Where will we end up this time and who'll be behind advent no.5….?


SJS

Dean Reddick - Flatpack Art Therapy

The good thing about being in a collective is that interesting exhibitions like this one seem to spring up from nowhere but have obviously been gestating for a long period. It is also convenient when there is a change in plan. So while Stuart has been called away on urgent business I've been thrown into the breach and that is where we find our 3rd Social Advent door today.

Queen Elizabeth Hall
Southbank

Nestled in the side of Waterloo Bridge and just behind the Queen Elizabeth Hall we find Dean Reddick's first submission to the Cardboard City exhibition, 'House Advent No.1".

Dean Reddick - House Advent No.1

Dean Reddick has been an integral member of our community since the first magnet exhibition, 'Open Fridge' at Gallery 89 in Barnet, 2010 and he's been a loyal organiser and participant ever since. He has an eclectic portfolio of work for his day job which revolves around his practice as an Art Therapist and tutor at Goldsmiths College. As a curator his Hidebird exhibition is often the talk of Walthamstow when the E17 Art Trail is in full swing. His art practice is usually inspired by nature and he can be found regularly at the foot of the huge trees in Epping Forest.

Dean Reddick

Despite Dean's interest in Nature or quite possibly because of it, he possesses an addiction to mathematics. As a student I remember his work at Coventry School of Art & Design being heavily influenced by mathematical nets and it seems this passion has not left him. When I view the work for Cardboard City, I see the flatpack world of desirability and IKEA. Here is something we all seem to obsess about, quite rightly so when we consider the emotive qualities of a home, but should we be bartering, gambling and gazumping with such zeal. A week doesn't go by at the moment without the News reporting that our society's financial wellbeing is improving because house prices continue to climb.

Maybe the image is something much simpler, a child's view of a house, which we could make with a roll of Sellotape and scissors. I do know that this may be the advent of a new exhibition for Dean Reddick and hopefully one that he will run with CollectConnect in 2014.

Keep 'em peel'd for a double header from Stuart Simler over the next two days, numbers 4 and 5 on the way.

AL.

Andrew 'Ang' McDonald - Social Advent 2

Cardboard City #2 - beside Big Ben

Yesterday we kicked off the Cardboard City exhibition with the work of Bryan Benge beside The London Eye. Today we're taking a walk round the corner to install our second door in the shadow of another national landmark.



'King Lear' by Ang McDonald

Time to open the door!

This is Andrew 'Ang' Mcdonald 's response to the theme of 'Social Advent'.
McDonald has been exhibiting with us since our first ever Street Art exhibition in 2010 and has been a steady contributor ever since. He is best known for his mural work from the early Noughties, which saw the enterprising painter travel the world leaving his modern frescoed calling card on a variety of continents. It seems he hasn't shaken off the travel bug either and now resides in Belgium where amongst other interests he runs language courses for Brussel's NATO glitterati.

Social Advent #2

Literature, History and Storytelling are the cornerstones of Andrew 'Ang' Mcdonald's work, and here he transposes the tragedy of William Shakespeare's 'King Lear' into the modern realm. The themes of Mcdonald's 'Lear' also run parallel to those of the original Cardboard City for this is a play that is famous for its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship.

Tomorrow, curator Stuart Simler opens the third door!
Keep 'em peel'd

AL.

Cardboard City Advent - First Artwork Released!!

The first day of the month sees the official release of our first Christmas Advent Artwork!

The first release - somewhere near the Millennium Eye. (details below)

Congratulations and thank you to all of the artists who have contributed your creative interpretations of the Cardboard City brief to this all inclusive open air exhibition!

We have successfully begun to release the artworks into our society - but this wasn't quite as straight forward as we first thought it would be…

…Having informed Southwark Police of our all embracing community intentions we received a very curt and stern warning of the potential repercussions of our proposed actions. These included; possible arrest for littering, for causing a bomb scare and subsequent evacuations of local schools/businesses, which we would be held accountable with payment for costs incurred….The list goes on!

With this warning in mind and with the even stronger purpose for our inclusive message to be shared with the wider community we set upon re-designing our 'cardboard city' boxes to fulfil our mission statements whilst maintaining the peace, if only until the last minute Christmas shoppers run between the Southbank and shopping heaven on the other side of the river.

Alban and I set about releasing our artists Social Advent messages into the community: 

'On the 1st day of Christmas our cardboard city artist gave us:  'Boxed In' 

Bryan Benge - shares his piece with us:



Boxed In - Bryan Benge

Bryan's current working practice is informed by an investigation into the use of LTM (Long Term Memory), particularly episodic memory/schemata that refer to specific events in time (autobiographical).

My reading is at an early stage but already has introduced me to the concept of MTT ( Mental Time Travel), the ability to mentally project oneself in time to relive past experiences, (or future ones). In somewhat of a paradox It is past experiences/memory that preoccupy me at the present time. MTT is a concept being investigated by Canadian Psychologist Endel Turvig.
 

I think Bryans piece adds an interesting dimension to the original themes, considering how our mind and memory can create its own sense of space or containment. 

 

Keep 'em peel'd for another release tomorrow (Monday 2nd)….

SJS