Transformation of the studio bunker ...

The bunker at the back of the Queen of Hungary Studios, now behind the Nissen Hut, has undergone a transformation. The ivy has received a haircut and an impromptu playground has appeared. Here is a before and after comparison. What a surprise when I went to empty the cafetiere. Perhaps this is an inventive type of camouflage?

Nine Perspectives

During a recent Satellite meeting, Nicola Naismith referred to The Becher's Typologies of varying industrial structures photographed from similar perspectives and formatted into a grid for comparison.  German artists Bernd and Hilla Becher had begun working together in 1959.  http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/95

I immediately realised that this was one of the implicit motives for me photographing from within the WW2 defence fortifications, so I've played around with a grid format, almost like a list or catalogue of the views.  Of course, by no means completist, even within my modest boundaries of collecting. I have other versions of these, but decided to try this one as a double-sided short-run A3 print. This is ideal for someone who cannot resist collecting sets of items and I could just aswell apply this to my images of cranes....

In Process Residency - Day Four

 Polly Cruse from Satellite Artists came in  today to arrange the work and transform the space, the third curator and the fourth time it has been arranged/ moved. She seemed interested in layers of viewing and using the shadows and patterning within some of the pieces. I have time in the space tomorrow to reflect more. Not so many concrete blocks to shift today.

Just a lot of mobile phone images today as I have just got back from the pub.

In Process Day Two

First thing this morning I placed the black  Bunker-camouflaged-as-a-House on the plinth and messed around with the yellow acrylic rods. Some months/ years in the making.
Nicola Naismith from Satellite Artists spent the morning in the Project Space with me editing, sifting and sorting out which pieces she felt worked well together and could sit happily in this space. There seemed to be a mass of work that could become two or three different shows, or one show with different rooms. However, in the allotted area we had to play with, one pared down, rather bunker-oriented show emerged resplendent in greys and blacks with small splashes of yellow. 
Tomorrow I am picking up the projector, so my guest for Thursday will have some video to play around with too. I wonder if my old super 8 projector works?

Satellite Portfolio

As Satellite Nicola & I are putting together a portfolio of 4 or 5 editioned prints from several Satellite members, but chosen by Aid & Abet.  The logistics of putting together such a seemingly simple task are proving problematic, particularly finding the suitable continer for the prints given our teeny budget and the size of the print. We've gone through several options and rejected as many, and time is ticking away. The turn around time for the printing is only a few days.  Luckily, Nicola is giving a logical and organised perspective to the proceedings, so we will get the task done and it will look great.
These are two photographic prints I am considering, both East Anglian bunker-types.  The top is one of several interior shots that I plan to experiment with at a later date as light boxes.

Trouble with lace.

Went back to the studio and re-did all the lace pattern on the glass bunker for the sandblasting that I had done last time - it was just too small in scale and looked too much like a lace curtain as opposed to representing a lace curtain that did not look quite right. Tricky!

Graffiti where?

For the House-Bunker -  internal house within it - this is the original image from a Guernsey bunker that inspired much of the idea some years ago. However, I need further images of the writing and cannot remember where in Guernsey this particular fortification was.

The beginning of the sculpture after some eight years.

Framework for half of the glass camouflage-bunker sculpture in lovely powder-coated metal, nestled in the grass infont of the studio bunker, itself camouflaged by creping greenery. The title still evades me - 'Safe as Houses' seems too obtuse.

Braye Beach Monolith

A might-have-been view of the beach I stayed by in Alderney with a monolithic observation post or direction finding tower looking like a beached ship. Both postcards bought in St.Annes but separated by about 48 years, postage on one tuppence ha'penny. In fact, there seem to be so many fortifications from different eras on the island that this view is not beyond the realms of possibility. Interestingly, the tower is keeping watch inland, over events in the island rather than out to sea for potential attacks.
I'm wondering about calling this "Run Aground".

The bunker next door.

There must be some artistic use I can put this bunker to, right next door to my studio and with a green hat of ivy growing out of the middle. From the far side it is convincingly camouflaged and quite hidden from the air I should think.

In the Vale

Jumped out of the car half way between where (Great great) Auntie Min is buried and the power station that stands where her house used to be. The drone of the Spitfire engines that used to be sited at the power station still throbbing through my chest and deafening my ears. This house-bunker-house, camouflaged and now perhaps a lived-in-for-real home.

Part of the glass bunker design

Discussion with the metal work place sorting out the design that I couldn't do last year for various reasons. Luckily they'd kept the design, so just re-acquainting and a few adjustments. Should be done by the end of the month, when I can order the glass. First steps, at last, on the small version of the glass bunker after, what, at least 8 years. Working title is 'Safe As House', hopefully that will change. Also here, an image from a museum re-creating the domesticity of the internal world of a concrete defence structure.

talking of the Art of Faith.....

The Shell shrine bunker in Guernsey....

Bunker on the shingle bank

Perched on a small bluff surrounded by a bed of shingle

This is the other, unseen side of "Shot - reverse shot".

Defending the View

A short-notice show at Norwich Arts Centre has meant 2 weeks of hectic organising of editing, printing, mounting, framing photographs and video. Some troublesomeness over the title of the show.

Barbican Bunker / tunnel by Robert Kusmirowski

I read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" whilst on Alderney - not much concrete in the book, but The Guernsey Press said it had increased American tourist numbers to Guernsey.

I also dipped into "Festung Alderney" by Trevor Davenport and compared the diagrams to the actual sites I visited when at times the visibility was down to shrouded-under-a-white-cloth distance - not like the sky in this postcard. The book is pretty comprehensive, if rather niche.

I finally tracked this observation tower down to a field in Guernsey on my research trip. I've been drawing it from a small, old photo for a couple of years, what a difference to see it in a straw-coloured field sprouting satellite dishes and (radio?) masts. It seems to be masquerading as some utility resource for the Guernsey States.

Shell Shrine camouflaged as a WWII bunker, Guernsey & the Shell Garden, courtesy of Branchage, Jersey International Film Festival