View Article  Jess Black installation off the wall...
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 »
View Article  Extension and end of exhibition at 16mm
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 »
1 Attachments
View Article  Dates of work at 16mm
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 »
View Article  Installation
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 »
View Article  "I" film and evaluation
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.
1 Attachments
View Article  Presentation and discussion
Invite attached for 13th May 6-8 pm at Fabrica
1 Attachments
View Article  "I" Project happenings
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 »
View Article  "I" project outline and invitation
“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.
View Article  "I" Piece current outline
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 »
View Article  Breathe, preceding I
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.
1 Attachments
View Article  Q:2 Book
1 Attachments
View Article  Oxted Quarry Project (preceding Q:2) ebook
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...
1 Attachments
View Article  Conclusion: The felt tip is mightier than the sword. Now may the fat lady sing!
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.
3 Attachments
View Article  Use of remaining paint
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.
1 Attachments
View Article  Quarry Exhibition

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.

View Article  Workshops
Workshops have run throughout the Quarry Project and Q:2 in South East England that draw from the projects as well as feed back into them.   more »
View Article  Links and Thanks
links to involved parties and sites for reference   more »
View Article  Ownership and Copyright
Ownership of land, work, ideas is addressed throughout this project due to the blurred lines over who owns what, did ...   more »
View Article  Ornithological Survey
Introduction.

On 15 May 2006, Lee Simmons invited the author to undertake on her behalf an ornithological survey at Betchworth ...   more »
View Article  Q:2 Text
The following text is a contribution to the body of work, for inclusion in a book of the project by Ola Stahl, the text might have moved slightly when uploaded here, if so it will be sorted soon.







Preamble

My contribution to this volume, is a set of three poems and a manifesto – of sorts – written in response to Lee Simmons’s intervention/event Quarry: 2 that took place at Betchwood Quarry, Surrey, in June 2006. T   more »
View Article  Statement of Fact
Quarry 2

The project was intended to raise awareness of environmental issues, and explore our relationship with the landscape in ...   more »
View Article  Final week
Flyer for next sheep location (October 2006) as well as info. on previous sites and documentation availability.   more »
1 Attachments
View Article  2 weeks after event
Sheep can be seen clearly from the National Trust lookout point at Box Hill: see photos.

The cliff has turned from fuschia to ash pink highlighting contours within the rock, with quite poetical movement and change over time: in time with changes within the responses, as well as the movement and blending of the sheep and their colours.
Next week sheep will be visible from A25 Reigate >< Dorking

This weeks Dorking advertiser is publishing letters of response.

There will be an independent party writing toward an evaluation of the work due to the mixed responses.
The documentation is being prepared and looking very exciting: strong imagery and communications have been captured within the photographs and video work.
Ola > writer for Q:2 is preparing our manifesto...

The work will be appearing in Green Places Landscape Review August edition and probably Surrey Life this month, it is also in Horticulture Week this month and Nalgao will be introducing people to the work and blog in the ezine this weekend. I will also present the work at an art event in London this month: will post more details when I have them.

The exhibition spaces are still to be decided / confirmed, any material contribution is welcome: as in reports of the Q:2 event, photos, info. and images of the quarry in the past, present and future. These are returnable at whatever date is requested by the contributer.
View Article  Whose idea was this?
The methodology in developing this work embraced and utilised conceptual and practical contributions from many parties. To clarify the idea ...   more »
View Article  Concerned parties please read
NEWS RELEASE
Issued by the Countryside Agency's Landscape, Access and Recreation division

Draft 21 June
Friday 23 June 2006

Surrey ...   more »
View Article  Responses to Q:2
There have been responses by phone and email, mainly positive. Some emails to me are below. Complaints have been made ...   more »
View Article  Quarry:2 event
Quarry:2 event took place this weekend, there is a striking mark on the cliff face as a result of the activity that is highly visible from the A25, Reigate>Dorking train and planes in and out of Gatwick, as well as the surrounding area. The coloured sheep will remain at the site this week and will graze beneath Box Hill next week.

A few pictures are pasted below of core moments in the process of the colouring event, though some of the most significant moments are with the interaction between participants. The people involved particularly The Farmer, the Surrey Fire and Rescue Search and Rescue Team, and all the other volunteers were amazing to work with and formed a better team than it is possible to plan. 

We had around 200 visitors to the site and many viewing progress from the road and the medieval fair nearby, people were continueing to visit and comment when I left yesterday early evening. Most people were very enthusiastic with only a few showing concern, I directed them to the info. room at the entrance to the quarry to find out more about the background to the work and methodology used and am awaiting a response.

Conversation took place in a very organic manner, with people talking to each other throughout the event and several group chats that were unplanned. There has been interest among participants to meet and have a more structured discussion about the site and the work in the future, perhaps at an exhibition of the project documentation.





First we coloured blue sheep, then red, then yellow. They looked like other worldly ethereal creatures standing on top of the hill in the sunset literally glowing pure colour! The next day they were slightly mottled with go faster stripes having been rained on and in contact with other coloured sheep.

The process of colouring them was with spray paint used for wool marking, I tagged a few of them Lee's as a play on markage, control and ownership: this project has utilised ideas as well as physical contributions from between 10 and 20 people.




The firemen used the project as a training exercise, it was difficult for them in blazing hot sunshine, with hot air rising up the hill lifting the powder up rather than allowing it to drop down on the chalk, and the cliff face was loose making it a real stafety hazard as chalk fell on thier heads and from under their feet. We didn't manage to colour the whole cliff but we gave it a good shot and noone got hurt.



The exhausted firemen dropped some paint over the edge. We ended the work on the cliff face when they were no longer able to lift each other back over the top.

I hope that people will use this space to add their own comment, image, memory about the event and inform of any developments. Groups will be visiting this week and the work is already changing... sheep colours are merging and the colour on the chalk will move and change with the elements.

View Article  Quarry:2
The following is a reaction to needing to communicate information about a current project quickly and without a distance: see ...   more »
2 Attachments