During the show in 16mm Sarah Poffa visited, we made up different names for Jess comic strips - Jess Black and the Crepe Affair, Jess Black and The Impossible - we quite liked the sound of them... and following "I" piece I'd spoken with some Impossible people (it is a band - improvisational and open to collaborations) about maybe doing something with them. So we then spoke a bit about Jess Black and The Impossible as a potential project / event   more »

The installation at 16mm is complete and still in situ until Sunday 29th June.

It's been really enjoyable, drawing on the walls, chatting, eating things upstairs, moving things about in the space. Really nice atmosphere and people hence the extended extensions... We will be photographing it all on Sunday morning and then taking down the paper drawings, removing books etc. and leaving the wall drawings in place until somebody else wants to use the walls.


Some of my notes / thoughts from the end of this show are below:

Summery from sketch book in 16mm

Tues 9pm

'I quite like the way this show came about - very naturally.

With a different project    more »

23, 24, 25 (today), 27, 29 May and 2, 3, 5, 7, 17, 18, 21 June.

So, 9 days left. They can pretty much all be full days from 9 am to 9pm and I might get a few extra mornings in too…    more »

Host:
16mm

Start Time:
Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 7:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, June 21, 2008 at 7:00pm

Location:
16mm (downstairs)
19 D'Arblay Street,
London, W1F 8ED
United Kingdom

View map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=19+D%26%23039%3BArblay+Street%2C+London%2C+United+Kingdom

Contact Info Phone:
02072878892

Email:
leeasimmons@gmail.com

Description
An installation of Lee's comic art in progress, downstairs in 16mm beneath deli / cafe, adjacent to the screening room where Larissa Alves will be showing her 2 short films from 7 tomorrow (Saturday) .

I'll (Lee) be adding to / altering my installation for a month, leaving a graphic novel type drawing on the walls and developing a book. Feel free to come along and throw in your own 2 pence worth.. :-) email me first as I wont be there all the time.
   more »

The "I" film is now ready, if you want one let me know and I can post you a copy. You can also see it at www.vimeo.com/1004325


A general summery / evaluation in PDF format can also be downloaded here - click on the paper clip to do so.

Invite attached for 13th May 6-8 pm at Fabrica

Beginning at Fabrica, there were 7 participants at the gallery, with 2 people visiting the exhibition donning some of my spare black clothes and joining the "I"   more »

“I” project

18/04/08 Fabrica Gallery, Brighton, 4-7.30 pm
40 Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG www.fabrica.org.uk

19/04/08 Margate Beach, Kent, 2-3pm
By the cafe and closest point to clock tower.
Meet at Turner Contemporary Project Space, 53-57 Hight Street, Margate, CT9 1DX www.turnercontemporary.org
In case of very bad weather go to the Project Space throughout

20/04/08 Sanford Cooperative, New Cross Gate, London, 3-4pm


5-9 pm the New Cross Inn, 323 New Cross Road London SE14 6AS

Friday 18th April, Sussex:

A group of people will stand together as a living sculpture in Fabrica gallery, an artist led space that used to be a church, wearing only black and attempting to communicate verbally by saying only the word “I”.

This might become quite frantic, or gentle, or include variations of tone according to what people are trying to say and how the group respond to each other. It could become quite primal, may become like chanting, shouting or be interpretable as music.

This will be according to the people involved and the further evolution of the idea.

There will be an opportunity to experience an element of the site and people responsive performance between 4 and 5 pm at Fabrica, when the gallery will be open to the public, following which we will close the space and try different “I” formations and tones according to what we have discovered within the original piece.

Saturday, 19th April, Kent:

The following day at Margate Beach, families will say only “I”, whilst painting shells with colours and patterns. They will be dressed in their usual clothing.

This will be a drop in event so there will not be a lead in or selection process for people taking part, the painting activity will provide an accessible route into the piece, and the “I” speaking activity will be durational – when a group of people comfortable with the painting activity are gathered.

A temporal intervention will remain after the event, with the coloured shells being integrated to the sandy landscape.

‘Nature Is A Workshop’ at Turner Contemporary Project Space will be the initial meeting point where introductions to the subject will take place from 1 to 1.45 pm. This will also be an opportunity to explore the exhibition.
From 2 to 3pm the painting and “I” activity will take place on Margate beach and from 3 to 4 pm a temporal intervention to the landscape will be designed and made.

The process of making the work will be viewable, in public space, whilst understated to facilitate a relaxed atmosphere.

Sunday, 20th April, London:

The third and final site will be at an eco housing cooperative in South East London.

A group of residents will gather outside the homes, between fishponds and the East London railway line communicating with the “I” word. They will be wearing their usual clothes.

This element is likely to be quite experimental, with the tone and movements of participants who already know each other directing much of where the work will go.

The process of making this work will be viewable from the nearby homes and possibly from the road, it will be open to further participation, though will not be a formal performance.

The three events will be documented with video, photography and sound.

There will be an after party at the New Cross Inn, New Cross Road, London SE14 from 5-9 pm (with Sanford Coop's Blues Jam night)

If you are interested in taking part please contact Lee Simmons at leeasimmons@gmail.com, comment here or just turn up at the first two elements.

Participants will be offered a copy of the resulting footage and all events are free of charge.









This is a Lee Simmons, Me, Myself and I project, in partnership with Fabrica Gallery, BHASVIC, Turner Contemporary, Thanet Coastal Project and Sanford Cooperative.

The below is an outline of the "I" piece project that is now in development.

18/04/08 Fabrica Gallery, Brighton, 4-7.30 pm

19/04/08 Margate Beach, Kent, 2-3pm

20/04/08 Sanford Cooperative, New Cross Gate, London, 3-4pm

Beginning with invitations to make a piece of work from Fabrica Gallery, Brighton, to    more »

This sound piece was made during research of City Spaces project in 2005.
It is here for potential participants and partners in 'I' piece, April 2008, to reference.

Click on the paper clip if you want to download the books.

There are printed copies that exist and are hand bound. Lockwood, SIAD and myself (Lee) have copies of Oxted Quarry Project. The Oxted Quarry Project team have hand made scrolls of their work and I have a hand bound Q:2 book.

The Q:2 e-book is open to alterations pending feedback, though at this point I would like to leave that project at rest...

Public Art Online have written an independent case study of the Q:2 project that can be accessed through the link below:

http://www.publicartonline.org.uk/case/quarry2/index.php 
This seems to wrap the project up pretty well, there will now be a London exhibition of photographs and book contents.

The use for the remaining paint was left open to suggestions. A number of artists and involved parties discussed the body of work, and gradually ideas and opinions were choreographed back to the urban origin of the idea. I think the team whom actualized this have added a very relevant and interesting dimension to the project that I am interested to include in the overall display of the work.

See 'Jess Black Photos' for documentation of the temporary urban interchange.
A narration is attached, that explores and communicates a nature of the site, layering and altering stories, memories and sounds collected on the route from the train to the courtyard where the pink tunnel was situated. At the point this was made the materials used for research and interchanges were mainly text, photography and sound.

Quarry Project exhibition, of Oxted Quarry Project and Q:2

Lockwood Day Centre with Lockwood Artists Group (see www.lockwoodartists.org.uk):  03/06/06 - 21/06/06

Betchworth Quarry office with Q:2 event: 23/06/06 - 01/08/06

Dorking library, Dorking, Surrey: 19/09/06 - 14/10/06

South Hill Park, Berkshire (as part of 'Unravel') including 12 coloured lambs grazing on the Art Centre grounds: 21/10/06

AO3 Guildford Council Offices: 17/11/06 - 01/12/06

gallery:space Mckenzie Pavillion, Finsbury Park, London, June 29 6-9pm opening party, then open to 8th July 2007 Tuesday - Sunday. Project presentation (inc. paint bombing the park) on 29th See www.galleryspace.org.uk for more info.