A new edition

I’ve been a bit neglectful of the blog of late, summer even when its raining is eventful enough - millions of degree shows, tennis the odd barbeque… oh! And I did a kids workshop with a couple of really talented guys. They’re an animation and sound duo called Sculpture - these guys collage bits of audiotape, found sounds and footage, bringing the zoetrope into the present by using a record deck and video camera to simulate that 19^th century technology. We had a group of 15 kids ranging from 10 - 14 years old. They really ran with the idea and created some brilliant stuff. 

Phonotropia Animation Workshop from Sculpture on Vimeo.

I like way these aside experiences connect with what’s happening in your own creative little universe. I was drawn to Sculptures oscillating visuals; there was an affinity with the animation I made this year. I wanted to make a phonotropic disk - fortunately an opportunity fell into my lap where I could do it in a fun way. Not sure if there is anything in it as yet, but I have made a little edition of my spot film for numbe82. I’m not really an editions type of artist, but actually I really like them and think there might be scope to make another lightbox type assemble.  On this occasion I made a set of 15, but I have over 150 frames, which might make a lovely little collection. They will be on sale during Deptford x at number82, so if you’re interested pop over to Tanners Hill SE8 between 27 July -12 August and pick one up…

Piece together

A solo show always feels like a full stop, not sure if I’m only ending a sentence of a paragraph here... But obviously its takes time to start composing the next line. The thing needs dissecting work out the next steps. I don’t get the opportunities to do talks very often, so I did one in order to get some feedback about the show. Mainly attended by friends and supporters, it was helpful trying to piece together the story of the work. I say story - and perhaps these days, I feel more inclined to think this way. All art is a fiction of some sort or another. It’s all made up, and sometimes we forget that when reasoning every aspect of its existence. I wrote the press release with this in mind.

Generally I made more of an effort to talk to people about the work during the show. Half of the stuff gets lost in the subconscious anyway, but the odd reference lingers. I particularly remember talking to a painter about the politics of colour development, i.e. dyes and pigments through history, the social as well as economic consequences of those quests. I found this quite pertinent to the symbolism of Maurice himself as a patron saint of dyers and knights. He functions like a mordent stabilising the huge multi ethic community of Christianity; some say his story was fabricated in order to do just that.

For me the show references several interests... On one level the relationship with the spaces I made the work in and for; i.e. the artist’s studio as a controlled and isolated environment similar to a lab. The studio figured in the show through the black board, as a device pointing to the potential of reconfiguration. There was also the temporal idea of process, introduced by a sound sculpture playing noises in the studio (which consisted mainly of scissor clattering, the drone of clippers, music and my mumbling) at various intervals. The sound also had an incongruity with other components of the show. The church (Dilston Grove), where I made the original piece as a sight specific work, imbued with all the meaning of that context. I’m interested in what happens at the point of removal? How the object could continue to relate to its changing conditions – if at all. In my mind the sculpture and relic exist on the same plane, both requiring huge amounts belief and faith to function. Then there was the challenge of building the current exhibition space into the work. New components were developed based on the characteristics of number82.

With a few years under your belt, you welcome earlier characteristics and methods in a less conscious way. Functionality is now an aspect of the work, but not definitive one. In fact I’ve been introduced to Navid Nurr recently, who often talks about the functional relationships between his works. In his earlier work he also highlighted the appropriation of ideas or concepts in contemporary art making, which illustrates all the more how nothing exists in isolation. Certainly with earlier Artnomad work, I’d grown accustomed to reworking, representing and adding components to each piece. Creating a world of relations around one object. In some instances it was difficult to point to one singularity. But I think I don’t believe in that, I prefer the idea of multiplicities - hence the more cosmic attitude towards the exhibition. I find the connection between cosmology, religion and philosophy intriguing. I recently came across a book documenting discussions on quantum physics between the Dalai Lama and physicists. One of the biggest steps, with this show has been the use of recognisable religious symbols. The animation (which I think is still in process) tries to show the similarities between these constructs, but also the differences inhabiting one entity. I spose its a public admittance of my need for spirituality. I’m starting to realise though, that this can be pieced together through combinations of stuff scavenged and borrowed from wherever and whenever…

KnightCycle At number82

KnightCycle At number82

In the beginning was ‘Maurice’ an entity housed in a concrete structure, given metaphysical properties, a projection, an idea, which gave it life. It had a strong connection with its intended place of residence, if only for a month. The ‘thing’ was conflicted, not knowing what to offer to those encountered. It began to disintegrate under too much scrutiny.

Back at the site of it’s making, it becomes ordinary - a thing of labour, something man made waiting to regain its valour. Thrust upon a spike the object makes further sacrifice, a new ideal emerges, more rigid, practical and perhaps more attainable…

Amanda Francis is preoccupied with identity - specifically, how attempts to ‘define’ can be influenced by context - the when and where of encounter. Francis’ is particularly interested in ‘Black’ as a cultural construct, the evolution of a political and social identity within the occident. She employs sculpture, drawing and animation to realise her ideas. Beginning at the enlightenment, she speculates about a drop of dark matter forming and gathering mass in clinical conditions. But even beginnings are contentious - spiritual and empirical impressions vie for ascendancy demanding scrutiny and dissection.

At the heart of this show is the passage of an object, inspired by a saint with an identity crisis. The story goes that Maurice a leader of a Theban legion, refused to take arms against his fellow Christians as ordered by Rome - he and all his men were executed for their disobedience. Maurice (venerated widely across Europe and North Africa) embodies the consequences of being held between two poles, but he also points to the transformative potential of such circumstances.

Amanda Francis has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad, exhibitions include; Product Placement (solo show) Space Station Sixty-Five, London; Print and Design now, The Bear Space London; Concretum, Dilston Grove London; Absorbency Retreat, University of East London; The Black Series, Südbalkon Hamburg; Gyumri International Biennial of contemporary Art, Armenia; The Scope, Purcell Room South Bank London and Campfire at Café Gallery London. Amanda holds a BA from the University of East London and MFA from Slade School of Art. She lives and works in London.

Open Friday and Saturday 12 - 6pm

Continues until 10th March

number82

82 Tanners Hill

Deptford

SE8 4PN

www.number82.org