Peoples Republic of South Devon

Between Land and Sea (art review)

posted by Kroak
- Peninsula Arts, Levinsky Building, 19th Jan – 14th March

Between Land and Sea is the second show in the new Peninsula Arts Programme, and is an exhibition which uses the sea as a point of departure or in fact a reference point that connects the artist to the sea. The range of responses allows the viewer to explore and discover. As a viewer you embark on a journey of your own, as you navigate the space from one piece to another.

Chris Wainwright’s Red Sea holds your attention, as the intermittent lights and split screen video projection try to tell, warn or inform the viewer. The longer you spend watching this piece the more you realise that even the most sea worthy need to take heed. The flashing red and amber lights are a life line to those out on the waves. In comparison, Wainwright’s stills, offer a kind of peaceful reflection – yet the viewer is placed firmly on land.

Catherine Elwes, telling tales aboard depicts a journey, a voyage, to locations exotic and perhaps unknown. However the personal tales told to camera brings the viewer on board the Blue Fin. The stories from the real life characters are spoken with the fondness of friendship, of comradeship, of time spent in a small space. Words of wisdom form one’s life experience told to another, the viewer is invited to part of this gang, to learn from them. Meanwhile views and sounds of the boat and the sea are present.

Connections of Visibility, by Susan Trangmer, captures the mist brought in by the sea, a blanket of cloud that is recognisable by anyone who lives close to open water. The viewer enters a small black box to watch the videos, and somehow the mist escapes the screens and envelopes the whole room. The work makes you feel cold, makes you feel present, as the sun fights to break through the cloud and start the day. There is tranquillity in the cloud and the stillness of the landscape. Unlike the Elwes piece, whose journey is told though story, this journey is told through the slow movements of nature, and what the sea brings to the land.

William Raban’s Continental Drift looks at the busy highway for commerce that separates the UK from France – the Dover Strait. The social and political undertones present are identifiable in the busy natural harbour here in Plymouth. This last piece raises the question not posed by the other works in the exhibition. Raban points out the territory of water, the depiction of it as another surface to cross or a boundary to separate.

Overall, this exhibition is understated, subtle, yet completely obvious. It serves as a reminder to viewer of our own location and proximity to the sea, and perhaps Plymouth with all its history and maritime emblems should in fact look to the sea for a new sense of identity and inspiration.

February 15th, 2008

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East of Kingsbridge, or a vision in a bus service

posted by Cptn

In South Devon
did the council
a stately bus service decree!
err…
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

Or, as the county council press release puts it: “The Coleridge community bus service is to benefit from funding provided by Devon County Council’s South Hams County Committee.”

It seems Kingsbridge & Stokenham County Councillor Julian Brazil had a vision. “We have no public transport in many of our local villages” he told the PRSD. “This service is run by volunteers and is invaluable to many residents. I will take every opportunity to support services that help to keep our rural communities alive.”

And support them he did, through a proposal to the South Hams County Committee which ended up with a grant of £2,000 towards the cost of the service - the only transport link for many villages east of Kingsbridge.

February 14th, 2008

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Young Turks

posted by Cptn

At last it’s time to take out your Spoon Dance shoes again for a night of Turkish music, and if the protagonists are anything to go by this should be a rip-roaring time. There will be no resting on your Ottoman, so make a date for Thursday, February 28.

February 13th, 2008

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Folly and Violence (art review)

– Viewpoint Gallery, Plymouth College of Art and Design, 5th Feb – 23rd Feb

posted by Kroak

Craig Fisher is ‘interested in playing with boundaries, mixing techniques of art and craft’ and this is certainly achieved in the Folly and Violence exhibition at PCAD’s up and coming contemporary gallery in Plymouth.

There are many boundaries that are investigated through this exhibition, masculinity and femininity, violence in society, the need for more play, and contemporary craft in an art gallery, to name just a few.

The viewer is greeted by two stitched CCTV cameras, playful cameras, none functional cameras. There is no pretence here; the safety implied by overzealous security cameras does not exist. The viewer is free to do, to act, as the camera isn’t on, but then it’s not ‘on’ so are you safe to be free?

A table is laid out with an array of acme style weapons, knives and knuckle dusters, which looks like the images we are all familiar with from Police Amnesties. Except the beauty of the object, the skill and craftsmanship by Fisher, creates an unbearable desire to touch, to play, to be violent. You will want to punch someone in the face with these knuckle dusters, you will want to fight.

The blood splattered walls, the extreme tools and weaponry, raises the concerns of contemporary society and of the mindless acts of violence, the absurdity of behaviour of individuals and gangs. Fisher brilliantly makes a mockery of the fear that is bread from the media. There is violence everywhere, the streets are not safe, more CCTV cameras please.

On a side note, it’s great to see the Viewpoint showcasing new exciting work, and bringing to Plymouth a new mix of artists. If you haven’t been to Viewpoint at Plymouth College of Art and Design, you should make the effort; they are seriously competing now with established centres and add to the cultural mix of Plymouth. I salute Viewpoint.

February 12th, 2008

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Budget for love

posted by Cptn

Who says romance is dead? With the power of the internet you and your beau, belle or other can share an intimate film on St Valentine’s Day. Snuggle up and watch the Devon County Council budget meeting live on their webcast. Get the rose-strewn keyboard ready for 10.30am on Thursday February 14, and take the phone off the hook.

February 12th, 2008

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Jurassic art

posted by Cptn

The Jurassic coast, which goes east from Exmouth to Swanage in Dorset, will come alive with £150,000 from the Arts Council to support a coast-long series of artistic and cultural events to highlight the ‘globally significant coastline’.

The 95-mile length of the World Heritage coastline will have a mammoth series of events over the next three years. And apparently there’s a Jurassic Coast Arts Strategy, so we can expect this to be fleshed out.

Jurassic Coast team leader Dr Sam Rose told the PRSD: “This fantastic news represents the culmination of three years hard work developing what we think is the very first arts programme for any of the Earth’s 166 natural World Heritage Sites. We hope that communities along the Jurassic Coast will see the benefits of this investment from Arts Council England as we start work on project delivery over the next three years.”

Listen to Ian Gillan (of Deep Purple fame for all you youngsters) say good things about the Jurassic coast on this podcast.

February 11th, 2008

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Up the arts

posted by Cptn

It will forever be known as the Battle of Northcott, but the rush-of-blood to the collective Arts Council head over its dealing with the Exeter theatre detracts from the 10 per cent rise in the organisation’s funding for Devon.

The money refers to the regular funding for arts organisations, and over the next three years the 13 groups in the Devon County Council area which have received this money will see a 10 per cent increase to the pot.

Devon County Council invests in nine of the 13 organisations, along with five more which don’t receive the regular Arts council dosh.

(image: Beaford Arts by Sadie Green)

Here’s a break down:
ORGANISATIONS BASED IN DEVON CC AREA 2007/8

2008-10 change 2010/11 +2.7% each year, unless otherwise stated:

Beaford Arts: 95,016; 102,922
DAISI: 29,561; 32,021
Dartington 633,454; 686,162
Devon Guild Of Craftsmen: 84,255 2009/10: +5.21% 2010/11: + 2.56% 120,000
Equata: 121,702; 2009-11: standstill 124,988
Exeter Northcott: 547,236 2008/09: standstill 2009-11: standstill 547,236
Exeter Phoenix: 44,619 2009/10: +100.77% 2010/11: +3.26% 95,000
Forkbeard Fantasy: 232,266; 251,592
North Devon Theatres Trust: 52,788; 57,180
Spacex: 104,309; 2009/10: +15.81% 127,411
Theatre Alibi: 166,935; 180,825
Villages In Action: 27,054; 29,305
Wren Music: 48,869; 52,935

TOTAL 2,188,064 + 10.03% 2,407,577

If anyone can pour any more light on the figures, then don’t hesitate to get in touch.

February 11th, 2008

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Straw house

posted by Cptn

Those three little pigs should take note and get the inside gen on how to build a house of timber and straw bales from Totnes man Jim Carfrae on Tuesday at 8pm, February 12, upstairs in St Johns Church, Bridgetown.

Jim will address the annual general meeting of South Hams Friends of the Earth and show the illustrations of his progress. He told the PRSD: “This is the story of a how I designed and built a sustainable timber and straw-bale house for myself and family in Totnes: the methods and materials I used, the problems I encountered, the solutions and compromises I made. The house has now been lived in for two years, and has proved very comfortable, economical and a national award winner to boot.”

Spokesman for the Friends of the Earth group, Steve Melia, told the PRSD: “It has been a busy year for South Hams Friends of the Earth. We are involved with many issues, national and local, which will directly affect the quality of life for future generations, particularly related to climate change. Jim Carfrae will show what’s possible with new housing. Will the housing in Sherford, and in Totnes be part of the problem, or part of the solution?

“These are the sort of issues we are working on, and we always need more people to get involved. If you’ve ever thought you’d like to do something practical about climate change, then why not come along?”

Why not indeed.

February 10th, 2008

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Book people

posted by Cptn

Hold on to your index cards, there’s a new wind blowing around libraries at the moment. Kingsbridge Library is looking for people to join its friends group, which will be dedicated to the promotion and support of the library to raise its profile and awareness of all the services it offers.

“The library has recently been extended and we would like the group to help us stage more events and activities by helping with the planning and organisation. These could include author visits, reminiscence sessions and local or family history events.  Members will be able to put forward ideas about what events to hold and raise funds to make them happen by selling withdrawn library books, running coffee mornings etc,” librarian in charge Wendy Bloomer told the PRSD.

Friends are also sought in Ivybridge, with a cross-section of the town’s community probably declaring ‘April is the coolest month’ because that’s when the brand spanking new library - part of the new multi-functional arts centre, the Watermark - will open.

‘The new centre will be built at Erme Court in the town centre, and will provide a brand new library equipped with an IT Centre, cafe, one stop information shop, conference and meeting spaces among other facilities. It will also house 16 business incubation units, training and other business support services, bringing in vital revenue that will help to make the centre sustainable,’ so says the press release of the building which had £4.1 invested in it from a variety of sources, including £1.9m from Devon County Council, £760,000 from Ivybridge Town Council, £470,000 from South Hams District Council, £400,000 from Devon Renaissance (which is funded by the South West RDA), £200,000 of European Regional Development Funding from the South West Objective 2 Programme and £260,000 from other sources.

February 10th, 2008

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Lemanis get Reel

Lemanis, the Plymouth-based band who are springing into a year of gigs in kinda unusual places, are all set for their performance at the Reel Cinema, Derry’s Cross on February 22. They talk to us about their sound, their orchestra and their forthcoming second album.

 

 Lemanis talks to PRSD: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (85)

February 9th, 2008

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