David Yu talk as part of Mapping the Future: Public Art in Scotland Events Series

Please click the link to listen to this artist's talk by David Yu about his project for Nine Trades of Dundee and how his work as a whole has developed through projects in the public realm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYsY8N0K0eY

John Dummett essay in Nine Trades of Dundee

We commissioned the writer and artist John Dummett to write about the Nine Trades of Dundee project for our publication. He has looked to contextualise Nine Trades of Dundee within the wider art spheres the project functions within.

Here is how he opens his essay:

“We will never be able to know what we give”, I begin with a quote, from a letter exchanged between two artists Lygia Clark[i] and Helio Oiticica in 1968. This line caught my attention during my research for this essay, as it voices one of the recurring characteristics of participatory artworks, namely that the artist will never be sure of the extent and effect of their actions upon others.

---

[i] Lygia Clark and Helio Oiticica, were Brazilian artists who founded in the 1960’s, along with Ivan Serpa, the Neo-Concretist group. 

NINE TRADES OF DUNDEE PUBLICATION LAUNCH///

We will be promoting the Nine Trades of Dundee publication in several ways one of the first being at a drinks reception at DCA on Wednesday 20 October at 5pm in Centrespace.
Everyone is welcome at this event and we especially want to invite all those who helped in the project to come and celebrate with us!

Centrespace, Visual Research Centre, Dundee Contemporary Arts, 152 Nethergate, Dundee.

Here are another couple of images from the publication:

Nine Trades of Dundee publication - intro text

Our Nine Trades of Dundee publication is well underway. We asked Jenny Brownrigg, who co-initiated the project, to write an introductory text for the book. She has written an introduction which shows some of the life and reasoning behind the project. She used a quotation from writer Malcolm Gladwell...

‘Curiosity about the interior life of other people’s day-to-day work is one of the most fundamental of human impulses’
‘What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures’, Malcolm Gladwell, Penguin Books, 2010

Jenny speaks about the inspiration behind the idea coming from past work with artists, understanding of professional development for students and getting to know the organisation The Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee.

Here are two pages from the publication:

Video of Chris Dyson's event at Michelin Tyre PLC.

Chris Dyson organised a drive-in movie event at Michelin Tyre PLC. in Dundee, the staff chose Grease as the movie to be screened and we worked with the AV company Lumen to present the event.

The Last Project Begins

Debbie Lawson has now started to undertake her project with DC Thomson at the McManus.  Debbie is recreating the Broons' but an' ben entirely out of DC Thomson newspaper.  She was inspired by memories of Dundee, as well as her own experience of working within the newspaper publishing industry.  A companion piece 'The Bairn's Flowerbed' will be installed at the bottom of the Victorian Grand Stair.  The work will be on show from 4-31 October.   

Some images from The Final Gathering

Here are some images which show what happened on the Final Gathering:

View of Centrespace, with artists' presentations

Ange Taggart and collaborator Alistair Wilson

BitchesTeaBoys with image from their performance

Ange Taggart and collaborators in Tagtool projection

What's happening now...

Although we had our Nine Trades of Dundee Final Gathering there is still much to come from the project. Our ninth artist, Debbie Lawson (sculptor and journalist) will work with DC Thomson and The McManus during September and October to present two projects. One will involve Sunday Post newspapers!

We are also producing a small publication about the project which we are hoping to launch in October.

Several of the artists have follow up visits and projects in Dundee so watch their blogs for progress.

Thanks to all those who attended the Final Gathering and for your support during the project.

Schedule for Final Gathering

Here is a poster image showing the schedule and what you can see when you visit the Final Gathering:

Artists' cards images and text files

  

Artists' cards

We have made a series of artists' cards for accompanying their projects - I will insert them into my next post. Each of the photographs chosen show an element of their project - either documentation or artwork. The text was written collaboratively by the artist and the Nine Trades team.

Family Art Session at The McManus on Saturday

To accompany all the Final Gathering events we have on at the Visual Research Centre at DCA on Saturday 17th July. The creative learning team at The McManus (always great allies!) have arranged a special Family Art Session inspired by Clare Thornton's Nine Trades of Dundee project:

Saturday 17th July 10.30 - 12.30

Creative Learning Studio, The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum

Family Art Session

Fundee and the 9 Trades

- As part of our 'Fundee' summer programme, join artists to create part of a large scale artwork inspired by Clare Thorntons 'Notions and findings' and the Nine Trades of Dundee project.  Family Art Sessions are big, messy and lots of fun. Especially for children and their grown ups, activities are designed to encourage families to play, create and enjoy the museum together.

Free, no need to book, just drop in.

Final Gathering event preparations

It's very exciting to be hearing about what all of our nine artists and their collaborators will be bringing to the Final Gathering. There are Garbologists goody bags, presentations from collaborators in Ben and Ange's projects and from Chris Dyson will be introducing his film 'Working Methods'. Pippa Koszerek is arranging activities outside on the VRC patio and visitors to the event can make objects for the but an' ben interior led by Debbie Lawson.

Th McManus have also arranged a Family Art Session (10.30 - 12.30 at The McManus rather than VRC, DCA where the other activities are based). This is based on Clare Thornton's project and I will post a proper advert for it next.

Some of the scheduled events will have limited numbers, for example Clare Thornton's Stroll, so tell us if you want to attend when you first arrive.

Here is a new graphic we are using for the project title: 

Billy and Bruce and their Bootscamp

Nine Trades of Dundee artist Ange Taggart has met Billy Howe and Bruce Mills since coming to Dundee and they have been collaborating in on several different projects and encouraging each other along the way. Billy and Bruce were photographed as they carried out their Bootscamp performance in the city centre of Dundee. They have been in Nottingham over the last week editing the video footage but here are a couple of sneak previous shots.

Photos of Fraser MacDonald - cracking skip site work!

Here are a couple of really funny and heart warming images of Nine Trades of Dundee Fraser MacDonald at his project site: the Friarton recycling depot in Perth. Note 'Find of the Fortnight' the tonka truck, Garbologists newspaper and bike shed fashioned on the side of the Harbologists HQ shed.

David Yu has just sent us his image for his artists' card

It shows his audio visual installation showing the Trades House Bar, (including the signature stained glass windows). This photo shows it installed in The Doghouse. Top right image is of a regular at The Bush Bar telling a story to David as he was filming.

busy busy busy

Getting ready for the Final Gathering which takes place next Saturday. Today we are working on some print for each of the artists and sent the invites to be printed earlier in the week - here is a copy, and everyone is invited:

June already

This week has seen big moves forward in several of the Nine Trades projects with

-  David Yu designing the structures which will house his audio visual installations in Dundee pubs and getting to grips with the technical and ordering for this with Malcolm and Roddy in the workshop at DJCAD. The structure looks like its going to be quite tall, house several screens and you will be able to listed to alternative audio tracks on headphones. 

- Clare Thornton and her apprentice Carrie have done a huge amount of work in the printmaking workshops with Mark and Pete to make really exquisite screenprinted silk fabric. The design is inspired by all the conversations Clare has had over her time in Dundee about 'tools of the trade' and includes drawings of fabric knives, a brain and tailors chalk. The fabric is going to be sewn into a trenchcoat over the next couple of weeks and Clare is hatching a plan for wearing it to do a walking tour from Visual Research Centre to McManus Galleries on the day of the Final Gathering event (17th July).

- Ange Taggart has been working with some of the library group individuals to develop a performance around issues of concern to them. The Tagtool will be demonstrated to a group of Dundee City Council arts workers and artists and also to a group from the Dundee Contemporary Arts Education team soon. Ange spoke about some works she had been involved in which were selected to be shown by Alexandra Ross and the Live Art Development Agency for Performer - Activist - Curator a VRC/DCA Forum event last Tuesday. One of the library group members came along to that too.

- Debbie Lawson was up in Dundee for a couple of days working on ideas for her project and had some very successful meetings which we hope will all tie up to finalise dates for her to be working in Dundee later in the summer. It was great to meet Debbie after being in touch remotely over the span of the project so far.

We have also been printing new Final Gathering invite cards and badges - get in touch if you would like us to send you a badge!  ninetrades@dundee.ac.uk

Nine Trades of Dundee Walking tour

We were very happy to host a group of our peers from within cultural organisations in Dundee on a Nine Trades of Dundee walking tour on the 19th May. We visited four of the artists sites and heard about their projects.

Tour visitors at Nori Hair Salon in Reform Street hearing Alan Grieve explain about his 'Comment of the Week' wall.

Tour Visitors at the Dundee Central Library watching a presentation by Ange Taggart and her colleague Alistair Wilson.

Busy Day at the Nine Trades of Dundee office

It's been an interesting day in the Nine trades of Dundee office...

Clare Thornton came in for a conversation about the progress of the fabrics she is working with. One will be waxed and will form the outer layer of a trenchcoat and the other will have a specially designed 'Tools of our Trades' pattern hand-printed onto it as the lining. Things are going well and her apprentice Carrie has been amazing in her practical and creative input. Clare brought us up to speed with her plans for an installation for the Final Gathering event.

David Yu is on to filming in his third bar. He has filmed and edited fantastic footage of The Bush Bar where there are lots of stories about personal and community histories. He has also filmed in Fat Sams with a group of apprentices and staff and caught the revelers and staff in action. He is starting work in The Trades Bar too and I am looking forward to seeing some footage.

Ben Robinson is organising a gallery tour especially for his HBOS colleagues to take place at DCA next week at the end of one of their shifts.

David Yu - Filming at Fat Sams

Nine Trades of Dundee artist David Yu has just finished filming at The Bush Bar.  He will be spending this week capturing the lively party atmosphere at Fat Sams.

Pippa Koszerek project - Out of Office

Out of Office: A free networking day for artists who work in offices  

Artists who feel that their day job intrudes or extends into their artwork and daily life are invited to book a place on this networking event that promises a range of zany solutions for creating art out of the everyday.  Taking blue-sky thinking to a new level, art duo Fitness for Artists (Pippa Koszerek and Anna Pharoah) bring the office outdoors, transforming the formal structure of Mostyn Gardens into a hot-desking environment.  

Drawing inspiration from the processes and rituals of the workplace, the event involves a range of activities to connect with other artists and to find starting points for making new work.  

To reserve a place or make an enquiry please contact info@postartists.com www.postartists.com  

Out of Office promises:
√ Fun
√ Over-loaded information
√ New colleagues for the lone worker
√ Adminovator policies: turning your office work into art work  
√√√√ Participants will gain the opportunity to think about conceptual fitness.    

Part of the exhibition Away Day, supported by Arts Council England and Merton Arts Development. www.postartists.com  Led by artists Pippa Koszerek & Anna Pharoah, who work together as Fitness for Artists.

Pippa Koszerek creates organisations as artworks/curatorial projects such as the Independent Art School (1999-) and The Unasked-for Public Art Agency (2006-). She is interested in blurring the boundaries between art and non-art environments and borrows materials or ways of working from other vocations. She is currently undertaking a commission with the Exhibitions Department at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design that explores artist's non-art trades in which she is developing a series of public interventions based on collaborations with secretaries and office workers.

Anna Pharoah’s practice centres on creating performances and interventions that draw upon an audience, or members of the public. She is interested in engaging people in a process of exchange, and through chance encounters. She experiments with scenario and interaction, working within the boundaries of the phenomena that exist within a location or situation already, and extending these to the verge of what is believable.

Some quotes from Saturday Drive in Event

The artist, Chris Dyson, who had devised this event as part of his ongoing Nine Trades of Dundee project with Michelin Type PLC.  said ‘ I am really pleased, the event exceeded all expectations. I found it really inspiring that people saw the value in getting involved, the audience and organisers all played a part in making it a success. This event comes quite early in my project with Michelin where I have been filming and speaking to staff for a few weeks now. I am going to produce a film from my experiences here which will be finished in the summer.’

Rhona Crofts, one of the Michelin employees who had suggested the film Grease, said ‘ I chose Grease because it’s a good film that everyone can enjoy and it’s a classic Drive In Movie. This really was a fun thing to do on a Saturday night and I thought that the event was really well organised.’

Laura Simpson, who is part of the team running the Nine Trades of Dundee Project with nine artists in workplaces across the city said ‘We planned the event to be a fun and exciting way to engage with culture and it certainly delivered on those elements. It was a very positive experience to see everyone work together to deliver the event in good spirits. Our aim with the project to bring creativity to the heart of the workplace was born out not just through the film selection process but by the inventiveness of the Michelin staff and stewards in the creation of 1950’s Americana themed goody bags with gum, cola and popcorn. Some of the team (including Debbie Richardson one of the main Michelin contacts and Clare Thornton another of the Nine Trades of Dundee artists) dressed up in swirling 1950’s swing skirts and I even saw some girls in Pink Ladies jackets watching the film.

There is a lot going on with the Nine Trades of Dundee project at the moment. We have artists working in fabric factories, offices, hairdressers, recycling depots and bars, you can see more about those projects on the website www.ninetrades.com’

A short documentary about the Michelin Drive In event and representations from the other eight projects will be on show at a free public event called The Final Gathering at Centrespace, downstairs at Dundee Contemporary Arts on Saturday 17^th July.

Press Release for Michelin Drive In Cinema

DUNDEE FACTORY IS THE UNLIKELY SETTING FOR A DRIVE-IN SATURDAY

A taste of 1950s Americana will come to Dundee this weekend when the large Michelin factory plays host to a special, one-off, drive-in cinema event as part of a project to take art directly to the workplace

A special high powered projector will be used to show the film Grease in the grounds of the Baldovie Road factory for Michelin staff and their families. They will be able to view the film from the comfort of their cars on Saturday, April 10th. Grease, which is set in the US during the 1950s, also features scenes at a drive-in theatre.

The Nine Trades of Dundee project was initiated by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, part of the University of Dundee, to challenge preconceptions about who is an artist.  The nine individual projects are run by artists who have second, non-art, jobs.

Chris Dyson, the artist responsible for organising the event, said the response from staff has been excellent, and that he expected up to 50 cars to descend on the factory’s grounds for the ticketed 8.30pm showing. 

“Everyone I have spoken to has been really upbeat and positive about the drive-in cinema,” he said.  “I’ve spent the last few weeks working with staff at Michelin and asking them to suggest films that we can show.  All the people here have engaged with the idea and I think they like how unusual it is.”

Workers at the factory who have been voting for their favourite movie over the past few weeks and Chris added that it was fitting that Grease was the film chosen to be shown.

Chris (27) is a film-maker and sculptor who also works as a metal fabricator at a workshop in Glasgow.  He now attends Michelin one day a week to film events at the plant and interview workers as he seeks to document life at a modern industrial factory. 

He will also cover the drive-in event and the resultant film will be shown at the conclusion of the Nine Trades project at a public ‘Final Gathering event on the 17^th July at the Visual Research Centre downstairs at Dundee Contemporary Arts.

Originally from Leeds, Chris received a BA (Hons) in Environmental Art from Glasgow School of Art in 2005.  Since then his work has been shown across the UK and internationally.  He says that his experiences of working as a metal fabricator have informed his films and sculptures and this is what interested him in Nine Trades of Dundee.

“I approached Michelin because I was intrigued by the large grounds at the factory and how this opened up the possibility of hosting a drive-in cinema,” he said.  “The company have been very helpful and it has been very interesting to hear the views of the people that work there.

“Whereas only another six people work with me in the workshop, there are 800 at Michelin, and many of them have been there for 30 years or so.  The fact there is such a long-standing workforce means they have a lot of stories to tell that are both funny and reveal a lot about life in a factory.

“Hearing them speak, you understand how big a role that the company has played in Dundee over the years.  The workers have a great deal of affection for the place, and this commitment comes across in their interviews.”

Nine Trades of Dundee is a project initiated by Exhibitions at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.  It was inspired by the ‘The Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee’, an organisation that has been operating since the 1400’s.  Originally concerned with commerce and standards of the city it now functions as a charity and is involved in the preservation of heritage.

‘Nine Trades of Dundee’ aims to increase arts access and encourage more participation for non-arts audiences by bringing art activity and creativity to the heart of the workplace.

Ian Peart, Site Personnel Manager, said that Michelin was delighted with the opportunity to work with the Nine Trades of Dundee project as it presented the workforce with a unique chance to share their experiences of life in the plant with Chris. 

“This should provide a fascinating record of the life of the factory through the eyes of the people who work there.  At the same time, it has also given some of our employees, friends and families the chance to see the factory turned into a little corner of the USA by attending the Drive-in Movie set up on site.”

Notes to editors:

Nine Trades of Dundee is a project devised by Exhibitions at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, with major funding from The National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council’s Inspire Fund.

Nine Trades of Dundee has also been supported by University of Dundee Graduates Council, The Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee and Tay Charitable Trust.

The outputs of the ‘Nine Trades of Dundee’ will include nine core collaborative commissions; a ‘Nine Trades Final Gathering’ event bringing together the artists, participants and wider audience; two ‘open door’ tours to see the work in situ; nine ‘Nine Trades Apprenticeships’ for Duncan of Jordanstone students; one ‘Nine Trades’ workshop for a Dundee school; and a linked Creative Learning Resource to accompany the ‘Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee’ display at McManus Galleries.  

The project will commission nine artists with second non-art trades to lead collaborative art projects with workers from that particular trade, and commissions will be developed to fit the individual artists practice and the working environment and the artist will receive curatorial and peer support as part of the larger ‘Nine Trades of Dundee’ project.

More information is available by visiting www.ninetrades.com.

Cell Projects Space - Art & Labour Summit

Art & Labour Summit: Cultural Workers, Artists, Students, and Interns Meet to Organise, Name Names, and Coordinate Demands  

Thursday April 22nd, 6pm-9pm 

Cell Projects Space 258 Cambridge Heath Road,  London E2 9DA 

Free entry and all welcome  

We'd like you to join us for a special event and organisational party open to all who are interested in the better understanding and active transformation of the way art, free labour, and education work. Crises are moments of great opportunity, as we all know, and those defunding and devaluing our labour have been busy applying this knowledge.  

We invite your active participation in an evening of events:  

1. 'Show and Tell' - bring evidence of your current research, campaigns or projects dealing with art and labour to share with the group.  

2. 'Name and Shame' - collectively create a map of power structures on the wall where we name our exploiters, quantify their exploits, draw the hidden or overt links between them and chart the ideas that legitimise their subsistence.  

3. 'Coordinate Demands' - engage in small group discussions to identify your demands.  

4. 'Publish and Get Organised' - we will end the evening by having a look at what we have created to decide where and how we want to publish a map of our most urgent demands and discuss the experimental, pragmatic and sustainable organisational techniques we can use to co-ordinate the next steps.   

This event has been developed as a response and dialogue with the newspaper and website "Art Work: A National Conversation about Art, Labor, and Economics" recently published by Temporary Services. Pedro from 16 Beaver has brought forty free copies of the paper from the US to distribute to participants at the event in London, but you can also download the newspaper as pdf or read the articles online here: http://www.artandwork.us  

This summit is co-organised by Carrot Workers Collective, Micropolitics Group, Lottie Child, Ecosophy Group, Temporary Services, Free School, Short Term Solutions, Independent Art School, ARTSCHOOL/UK, Sophie Hope and Pedro Lasch (16 Beaver)...  

If you cannot attend the event, but would like to participate in the making of the map long-distance, just send us an email at the addresses below.  For any messages, comments, or questions related to this event, contact Sophie Hope - sophiehope[at]mac.com, or Pedro Lasch - plasch[at]duke.edu   

 

Michelin Drive In - Chris Dyson's event

The Nine Trades of Dundee project team enjoyed being part of our amazing Drive In Movie which took place for Michelin staff at the Michelin Tyre plant in Dundee last Saturday night. Here are some photos starting with artist Chris Dyson in hi-vis:

The movie Grease had been selected by the Michelin employees. 

The Work Office (TWO) is now hiring!, NYC

The Work Office (TWO) is now hiring!, NYC

The Work Office (TWO) - A multidisciplinary art project
Deadline: April 30, 2010

Visit www.theworkoffice.com to apply. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis through April 30th.

The Work Office (TWO) is a multidisciplinary art project disguised as an employment agency. Informed
by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the Great Depression in the 1930s, TWO is a gesture
to “make work” for visual and performing artists, writers, and others by giving them simple, idea-based assignments that explore, document, and improve daily life in New York City. From a temporary,
publicly accessible storefront office, TWO's administrators will hire employees, exhibit work, and
distribute Depression-era wages during weekly Payday Parties.

You are invited to submit an application online, choosing from one of the following assignments:

Build a bridge
Document a need for repairs
Make a regional travel guide for your block or neighborhood
Record an oral history
Reinterpret a newspaper photograph
Design a poster to promote something
Catalog existing WPA structures in New York
Make a mixed CD related to…
Give a concert for your houseplant
Start an American tradition that you’d like to be preserved
Assign yourself

A TWO administrator will contact and interview applications of interest.

Once hired, you will have a week to complete your assignment, for which you will be paid $23.50, the
weekly wage for an artist in the Federal One Project (the arts division of the WPA).

TWO will hold a Payday Party at the office at the end of each work week: April 23, May 7, and May 21.
Employees will collect their wages and the public will be invited to view the week’s works and learn
about the project.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis through April 30, 2010. Please visit our website
www.theworkoffice.com for details and an application.

Questions? Write us at: apply@theworkoffice.com

The Work Office (TWO) is made possible by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Swing Space
program; project space at 156 William Street is donated by Capstone Equities. Additional funds are
provided by a grant from the Black Rock Arts Foundation and donations from generous individuals.

 

Catch up with 4 Nine Trades artists

It was great to hear about updates on four of the Nine Trades of Dundee artists' projects last night and to make a few introductions across the group.

Pippa Koszerek - had a productive week in Dundee and one of the things she has been focussing on with the secretaries she's working with is shorthand. It truely looks like a beautiful, elegant code and Pippa has been instructed how to write her name. She is also working with the graph and data presentation imagery that the secretaries use every day and following up on how to make this 3D and present within some of the office locations.

David Yu - has arrived in Dundee after another residency in Nigeria (yes I think that there is severe aclimatisation to occur yet). He is working with 6-8 bars and clubs around town and got a warm welcome back from some of the publicans he has been in touch with since his scoping visit in January.

Chris Dyson - this has been a busy time for Chris as he prepares for our biggest event yet, a secret staff-only Drive In Movie event. It will be 1950's themed to fit with the film Grease which was selected by the workers at the factory where Chris is based.

Fraser MacDonald - Fraser has been continuing his work at Friarton Recycling Depot and has several visits in the pipeline. We are hoping that these will include visits from an educational group from Scottish Natural Heritage and a special visit from one of Ange Taggart's workers groups from Dundee Central Library. I thoroughly reccommend a visit to the site, so I know that they will enjoy it.

see more about their projects and the other Nine Trades of Dundee artists on the blogs listed to the right of this page.

Fraser MacDonald exhibits at Generator Members' Show

Last Friday night the annual Generator Members' Show opened with 103 exhibits including one from Nine Trades of Dundee artist Fraser MacDonald. His work was a drawing board full of sketches (by hand and in Google-sketch-up) which illustrated an exhibition proposal. This proposal was for a street scene, complete with Bin Lorry trapped in a one way street and the exhibition is to be viewed by climbing up some steps and putting your head through a man hole!

Alan Grieve magazine

Nine Trades of Dundee artist Alan Grieve and Laura Simpson had a really interesting meeting with designer extraordinaire Tara Wainwright of University of Dundee's Design Print Marketing unit earlier in the year. Alan wants it to have a balance of fashion magazine design, trade skills and humour and had brought along lots of examples of great looking page layouts. Alan has been working on the storyboard for the magazine and will get to grips with InDesign this week. The magazines will be distributed to Hair Salons around Dundee (please get in touch if you want your salon to be included on the list), and will also be available at the Final Gathering event at Centrespace on the 17th July.

See more about Alan's project : http://ninetradesalan.blogspot.com/

Clare Thornton waxes lyrical about waxed cotton

Clare Thornton's project is progressing well and we have been lucky enough to have seen some samples of the waxed cotton that Halley Stevensons produce. Clare also did a presentation to DJCAD Textile Design students in advance of their Craft Festival Scotland project called Craft Interventions. The students art interventions, were specially made for different sites around the college and were unveiled on the same night as the Craft Research Exposition which opened last week: http://craftresearch.blogspot.com/2010/03/future-craft-invite.html

Clare has already met with DJCAD staff and visiting lecturers Frances Stevenson (see her work in the Research Expo mentioned above) and Fiona Jardine (artist based in Glasgow).

More about Clare's visits (including a great post with images from gent's outfitters on Reform Street which was once called Saville Row of the North) at Clare's blog: http://ninetradesclare.blogspot.com/

Ange reaching out from the Library

Its been great speaking to a couple of people that Nine Trades of Dundee artist Ange Taggart has been connecting to through her project. Theresa Lynn from Dundee City Council has been working to engage the folks of Dundee with the arts for years. I have met her a couple of times at art exhibition openings - most recently at the Cooper Gallery show - Moving Images from The Attic Archive. ( http://www.exhibitions.dundee.ac.uk/programmes_current.html ). So its great to hear a bit more about what she does and know that Ange and Theresa's paths will cross over the next few months.
Also I had a very positive conversation with Amina Shah from the exceptional Central Library. The work that they do there is amazing, the librarians look after the people as well as the books, running innovative cultural activity workshops with groups from different parts of the community. Ange has already been introducing her TagTool work to the clients and staff and has an amigo called Alistair who has particularly interested in that side of things. Alistair and Ange will be heading off to Austria to get skilled up with the originators of the TagTool and do some networking with other TagTool users.

Hear more about it on Ange's blog:   http://ninetradesange.blogspot.com/

Final Gathering announcement

Nine Trades of Dundee project team are pleased to announce that our celebratory event - to mark the end of the Nine Trades of Dundee project will be called the Final Gathering and will take place in Centrespace downstairs in Dundee Contemporary Arts. The event will take place on Saturday 17th July 2010 and is open to the participants and artists, their friends and family and also to the general public and others who have helped the project along the way. In short - You are Invited!!!
There will be information and representations from each of the nine projects so you can learn about whats happened in each of the locations.
More details to follow - please put the date in your diary.

David's coming to town

This week will see the return of Nine Trades of Dundee artist David Yu to Dundee. last time he was here he paced the streets and propped up the bars of Dundee, speaking to publicans across the city. Loads of bars were up for working with him and he has selected a good variety of locations. He will be talking to staff and working with them to produce video and audio footage. Editing this footage and including these within physical installations within the pubs is the aim. The footage from each will be swapped with the other pubs.

Nine Trades of Dundee is an inspiring and engaging art project

Hello All who have recently started looking at this blog - here is an introduction to our project Nine Trades of Dundee (main website can bee seen at http://www.ninetrades.com/ ).

'Nine Trades of Dundee' brings trade and art together, commissioning nine UK/EIRE artists with second non-art trades to lead collaborative art projects with workers from that particular trade in workplaces across Dundee from July 2009 – July 2010. The project is supported by The National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council's Inspire Fund.


Most of the projects are underway in some form or other and you can see info about each individual project on the artists' blogs which are listed to the right of the page - please have a look!

‘Nine Trades of Dundee’ aims to increase arts access and participation for non-arts audiences in Dundee by bringing art activity and creativity to the heart of the workplace. A shared trade with its language, skills base, and working experience is the common factor that brings artist and group together overcoming that initial barrier of what art is and preconceptions of who can be an ‘artist’. Each project then develops through engagement and artistic experimentation to create a significant, inspiring and ambitious exchange and collaboration for both parties. The output may be a jointly produced artwork; a shared strategy for the workplace; an artwork multiple distributed through wider trade; or a permanent intervention in the work environment.

Our curatorial strategies are inspired by ‘The Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee’. This organisation, operating since the 1400s, represents nine trade groups: Baker, Cordiner (Shoemaker), Glover, Tailor, Bonnetmaker, Flesher (butcher), Hammerman, Dyer and Weaver.

Nine Trades of Dundee team

Carey Young - a series of works with call centres

http://www.careyyoung.com/past/speechacts.html


Speech Acts, a solo show of works on a telephonic theme, was installed at at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis from May 8 to Aug 2 2009. The main element of the show was a series of ‘call centre art works’ that were accessed by phones installed in the museum. The works feature many of the familiar elements of a call centre - such as live agents, scripted or pre-recorded info, call waiting and menu options. These are modified by including absurd, poetic and critical content, giving them a twisted utility. The caller’s experience may range from the uncanny to the playful and, in places, the unexpectedly cinematic.

Call for submissions, The Juice Magazine, 'Part time job - full time artist'

Call for submissions, The Juice Magazine

Yorkshire Closes Wednesday 17 March 2010  Contact: Lois Whitehead the.juice@live.co.uk
    

Description

The Juice Magazine
Submission Brief
The Juice Magazine is a new publication being brought together by a group of young graduates and students, with a background in the arts.  The focus of the magazine is to represent and support the growing community of emerging artists in Leeds and the wider area of West Yorkshire.
With our first issue we have taken inspiration from our own position in life and chosen a theme to reflect this, ‘Part time job, Full time artist’.
Thinking of Van Gogh vs Hirst, how do we manage life as an Artist and support the creative path we choose? Do we compromise on our ideals to sustain an art practice? Can we effectively manage our earning time with our creative energies?  Are there specific qualities that can separate one art graduate and elevate them to success whilst their contemporaries struggle to make ends meet?
This open brief is what we are hoping you will respond to. We are looking for submissions from artists, writers, photographers, illustrators, designers and anyone creative, who can respond to this brief. The one stipulation on this brief is that you must be living, studying or working in West Yorkshire. Also please be aware that we are only printing in black and white, so any images need to be appropriate for this medium.
All submissions should be sent to the.juice@live.co.uk and as we are aiming to be printing in April we need all submissions in by mid-march.
If you don’t feel you have anything to contribute but you would like to know more about us then please feel free to get in touch as well.

another classic favourite work painting

I really like this image (which is part of a few of floor scrapers at work) by Gustave Caillebotte

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caillebotteraboteurs.jpg

Work and Struggle. The Painter as Witness

I found this image in a book about realist painters at the turn of the century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shearing_the_Rams

http://www.marywardbooks.com/books/Work-And-Struggle.-The-Painter-As-A-Witness.-by-Edward-Lucie-Smith-&-Celestine/0448226162.htm

A reminder that art and work have always come close together and reflected on each other - not always in the same way or with the same motivation....

Peeping Tom exhibition - Pippa Koszerek

Peeping Tom exhibition including Nine Trades of Dundee artist Pippa Koszerek:

http://www.vegasgallery.co.uk/upcoming/?exhibition_id=2697

Thanks to Graduates' Council

The University of Dundee Graduates' Council has very generously supported our Nine Trades of Dundee apprenticeship scheme and our Final Gathering event.

Here is a link to the Apprentices page where the info from each of the students will build up as they input to the project. The profile pages are designed as an easy way for the students to build a web presence for themselves. Fiona Blair is leading the way...

The Final Gathering will be a celebration and showcasing event at the end of the project and will happen in Dundee in July. This will be an opportunity for all the participants, artists, friends and family and a broader public audience to come together.
We want the Final Gathering to be inspired by the projects so have not finalised plans yet - you will hear about it first here though for sure.

Secretaries LP cover - they don't make em like this anymore....

 

All admin staff welcome to the 2nd of Nine Trades of Dundee artist Pippa Koszerek's Lunch Clubs - see info here

THE POWER CLASS by Michael Parker

Great project by Michael Parker about his experiences training as a Lineman -  Ange brought my attention to it....

This spring I enrolled in the electrical lineman class at the community college a few blocks away from the art program I am also enrolled in. In the class, while recording pictures, video, and oral histories with students, I began what has become a 6-month investigation into the potential of art in the micro society of the spring 2009 lineman class.
The class taught fifty, 18-46 year old students, how to become power-pole technicians; a highly skilled and well-paid trade. In the class, I met a food scientist in need of change, laid off construction workers, a Zen monk, ex-cons, warehouse box movers, recovering addicts, veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan, the children of border crossers, descendents of American slaves, slackers, jokers, and serious men who love to work hard.
When the lineman trade began (during the Tesla – Edison wars for alternating versus direct current AC-DC) one in three linemen were electrocuted or fell to their deaths. The trade still attracts risk takers, but now abides by detailed safety regulations that make death on the job much less common. The class at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College focuses on wooden pole climbing. Longtime lineman teacher, Ken Bushman, who is also a trained hypnotherapist, regularly instructs students on how to focus at the tops of power poles. Breathing exercises keep them directly in the moment and able to work as high as 120 feet off the ground. Linemen work in teams, and as students, they seek out others to critique their climbing. The class adopted the saying, “I am my brother’s keeper”. They formed a bond relaying this phrase daily like a secret mantra. With real work to be done and hopes to gain better employment, differences among people’s backgrounds seemed to be of no importance. Korean, Black, Filipino, White, Mexican, Guatemalan; people genuinely worked and socialized like friends and family. Though each individual would say that they were there to step up for themselves, each student constantly gave support (through criticism or encouragement) to their class (classmates). Through the fluid evolution of fifty men working together 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, as diverse a class of people was formed as I have ever experienced, heard, or read about.

On May 1, the class mounted a public exhibition of the work we made together -May Day: Follow the Energy – Control the Power at a University of Southern California art gallery. The exhibition included two class portraits each showing 46 linemen-to-be on three poles smiling into the future and a 2-channel video. In the video, linemen-students passed a double-camera-baton between the grid of power poles simultaneously creating both portraits and self-portraits. A second public presentation was planned on June 2; this time, a live event at the “poleyard”. On the Sunday before this show of climbing, DJ-ing, feasting and the release of Lineman (our 60-page newspaper/yearbook (1)
), I received a phone call from Will Gillespie relaying a situation quickly unfolding. Local Union IBEW 18, the lineman union for Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power (DWP), was opening their books, hiring certified climbers for 25 jobs on Wednesday morning.
Jay Yang rode his bike by the Union Hall off Normandy a few hours earlier and found five guys with beach chairs, sleeping bags, and coolers with three days of food and supplies – they were camping out for this job. Jay began a phone chain through the class; 15 of our guys were already on the street with more on the way. It looked like our art presentation was job line delayed. The current economic crises led our class to jobs, to follow the energy towards the fluid charge of energy at its source.
Over the next three days as the final students passed their climbing competency exams and joined the job line the thrill of togetherness, self-confidence and agency was overwhelming. Much of our class, eager for work, was at the front of a line that eventually grew to 315 people. There was lots of coffee, waiting and reflection. It felt like a class camping trip that happened to take place on a side street in Koreatown opposite an elementary school.
It rained the second night. Lementry Simmons’ wife was going to give birth any moment as he slept sitting up. Tuesday morning at the poleyard, eight students finished their climbing competencies. Cody Patterson finished his at 9am and was then in line trying to get a job within 15 minutes. All 230 pounds of Dwayne Hogue did a jumping bear hug onto Marc Cardenas who days later quit his grocery store job for his training with DWP.
In July and August, Damon Hughes collected photographs from the class, edited and set them to Akon’s R&B hit, Over the Edge, and posted a four-minute video onto YouTube. He also sent an email note: Looks like most of the class will be DWP. As you know we had many go to the 1st training class and the second training class starts Sept 28th, which I'll be a part of. But the guys are having a blast out on the streets of L.A. working. A lot of 'em are working 6 days a week- not bad, not bad at all- if you like to work. And then there’s going to be another class after ours- date unknown to me right now. But things are looking good for our class. Well, you take care and have fun out there...
When Damon Hughes created and sent us that YouTube video, he contributed to culture without any special concept or art degree. I’m unsure of my willingness to accept the limitations of “classes”. There are no more borders to cross. We’ve come to the final frontier between people and it’s within our minds. The 20th century myth of the loner artist frontiersman genius is over. Our fifty person collaborations proved to our class that each of us are as capable of making art as any of the “artists” in my graduate “art” program. The 21st century is about these collaborations –it is the billions of connections between points, as opposed to the points themselves. “Classes” are an outdated concept.
I initially had the false impression that lineman students are conservative. Their hunger and value placed on art-making was so utterly unexpected. To hear artist/lineman Josh Mullen’s complex vision of Los Angeles’ infrastructural grid of transmission lines, aqueducts, freeways, mountains and palm trees, from the105 - 110 carpool transition and South LA high point, while bussing to class was a perfect empathetic aesthetic moment. Hearing of lineman/artist Chris Sotelo’s high school walkout, two years ago on May Day, that was better than any performance I’ve done. My friend Christian Cummings says it best “Follow the Energy”— art is where you make it…

1.
Lineman includes collaboratively written text/bios from each member of the class, hundreds of color photographs, and a bit about our other art projects together. It was printed in an edition of 2,000 so everyone had a stack to give out. To get one please email mp(at)routesandmethods.org.



Article source: Journal of Aesthetics and Protest Issue 7
http://college.lattc.edu/blog/2009/05/12/electrical-lineman-projects/

Artists Day Jobs article

This article talks about practitioners from visual and performing arts and what they do to get by financially and the contrasts that brings up. I found the case studies towards the end really interesting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/jan/24/artists-day-jobs

Michael Landy and his big bin

Check out the art bin - they don't know what real bin art is - see Fraser's project!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8480833.stm

AU TRAVAIL / AT WORK

Nine Trades of Dundee artist Ange Taggart has brought this project by Dominic Gagnon to my attention. I looks really interesting http://www.atwork.enter1646.com/
AU TRAVAIL / AT WORK is a project based on a call for collaboration which is open to all. This experimental project urges artists and workers to consider their workplace as a site of artistic residence. In all cases, the place of reflection, production or intervention becomes the space of the employer.The members of the collective appropriate the culture of their work environment within the very framework of their daily lives. Utilizing or subverting the cultural or technological means that are available to participants in their workplace.


Here is a funny one which seems to say that telesales workers might be taking out their frustrations on their disposable cups! http://www.atwork.enter1646.com/ccd.pdf

Chris Dyson award

We would like to congratulate Nine Trades of Dundee artist Chris Dyson on his award from the Scottish Arts Council for the development of new works. Well done Chris and we look forward to seeing the work! Chris has been researching the industrial past of Dundee and we are working on finding a host organisation for his project.

Deacon Brodies for welcome lunch

As a big get together and welcoming for new Nine Trades of Dundee artists David and Ange we had lunch together with Ben and Alan who have been working on their Nine Trades project for a while. Deacon Brodies was the location - and we were served by Kate who had given David the low down on they life of the bar earlier in the day....its a potential partner venue for his project.

Here is a picture of the outside of the bar - its on Ward Road. I was wondering what the name comes from and found this text online explaining whay the respectable tradesman Deacon Brodie may have been the inspiration for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde! A larger than life, 18th century Edinburgh "character", William Brodie was a pillar of the community by day. But he led a dissolute life of drinking and gambling by night which was leading to his bankruptcy. So he turned to burglary and by taking wax impressions of the keys to houses in which he was working legitimately as a wood-worker, he was able to perpetrate some spectacular thefts. He was eventually uncovered and sentenced to hang. But afterwards, there were rumours that he had cheated (or bribed) the hangman and was said to have been seen later living in Paris.
The double life of Deacon Brodie as the respectable tradesman and daring thief is said to have been the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's story of "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde".

Nori Salon visit

It was very good to visit Nori Salon yesterday and see the works in the staff room and chat to Alan's colleagues. Nori himself commented that it was great to have Alan around and that it was sparking off lots of conversations. We saw the staff portraits that Nori and DJCAD graduate Steven Crichton had taken in the photoshoot they had set up.

Alan's been thinking about the work involved in the trade of hairdressing and has posted a special Comment of the Week this week - a text about the skills and dedication needed. There is more info on his blog:
http://ninetradesalan.blogspot.com/

Advertures in Clubland

We went to Fat Sams with Nine Trades of Dundee artist David Yu last night. First time in years. There were about 500 people having fun.
This is kind of what it looked like (taken from Fat Sams website). David has walked miles through the streets of Dundee, checking out pubs and bars and speaking to the owners and patrons. He has come up with a list of a few who are up for doing the project so its all coming together.
David took some photos so hopefully those will be on his blog soon!

Ange and David settling in!

We welcomed Nine Trades of Dundee artists Ange Taggart and David Yu to Dundee yesterday. Both are working on finding host organisations and have meetings with different businesses this week. We had a good tour around a few of the town's pubs and bars to check out locations for David's project http://www.ninetrades.com/projects/DavidYu.htm and we heard some stories and saw some sights (and some unusual decor!). We are hoping something comes together for him soon so we can announce asap. There are some great bars in Dundee - here is a couple of pictures of The Speedwell / Mennies (Laura from the Nine Trades team used to work here!) Images courtesy Speedwell-bar.co.uk

Jordan Baseman's film Born to Run

Brilliant film by Jordan Baseman, featuring interviews with two people at work in their roadside food stall

http://www.jordanbaseman.co.uk/index.php?id=8