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.