themes

Here is a visual summary of the integral project themes.

made in garston

Themes of ‘making’ and creativity have been important in my project since the start, with reference to my ‘declaration of interdependence’. Analysing the plans for the “Artistic Republic of Garston” and the “Garston Embassy” building has been a useful starting point, with reference to developing a project brief.

The brief anticipates a future development of the Pavilion Project. It is a cultural hub for the community, centred around a workshop [making things], with associated artists’ studios, an art gallery, cafe/ public house, and some streetside retail space.

the peoples’ assembly

Here’s a slideshow of the SuperWindowTable being ‘taken to the people‘ - assembled in the Wellington Pub in the heart of Garston Village.

[Two smartly dressed studenty-types start assembling the table, and they're joined by a local regular in his lesisurewear as he's on his way back from the lavs. He helps out by holding a piece. The three then assemble the pieces, working out together which way they're meant to go. The local guy then sits at the table with his pint, and calls the other two over to sit with him. This attracts another pub regular, in his workers' boots, who sits at the table and introduces himself to the group. Soon after, a larger crowd gathers round the table, provoking interaction between locals and non-locals, regulars and strangers.]

zygmunt bauman

To follow on from the last post here’s a few words from the Bauman…

“The lesson which planners could learn from the long chronicle of lofty dreams and abominable disasters which combine to form the history of modern architecture, is that the prime secret of a ‘good city’ is the chance it offers people to take responsibility for their acts ‘in a historical unpredictable society’, rather than ‘in a dream world of predetermined order.’

Whoever feels like dabbling in inventing city space while guided solely by aesthetic harmony and reason, would be well advised to pause first and ponder that ‘men can never become good simply by following the good orders or good plan of someone else‘.”

-Zygmunt Bauman ‘Globalization - the Human Consequences’ (Polity 1998, p46)

cultural bypass

This print by Phil Disley describes an important theme in Garston. The construction of the A561 “Garston bypass” effectively took the life out of the heart of the village, and contributed to the town’s demise. The route is Liverpool’s main gateway to the south. Traffic that once went through the village high street now bypasses the town altogether - the high street is empty, and the town is forgotten.

I first saw this in a bar in town a while ago, but I didn’t know much about Phil Disley. Turns out he’s a Garston artist who does illustrations for newspapers. If you read the Guardian you’ve probably seen his stuff. He’s also part of Alex Corina’s ‘Print Club’.

going superlambbananas

Here are some Superlambbananas I did for the “go superlambbananas” public art event. Including “SuperLambPyjama”, “Supertimbernana”, “SuperRedBanana”, “Superlambbanana in Pyjamas” and a few Zebras and Tigers and things thrown in.

making and faking

Meanwhile in Liverpool’s Kensington… (location of one of the other ‘Peoples Pavilions’) there are more abandoned houses. However these abandoned houses happen to be on the main gateway route into Liverpool from the M62. So since thousands of tourists will be driving past them to visit the European Capital of Culture in 2008, they had to be boarded up with ‘arty’ boards, with images of ‘culture’, not just your average OSB. These would make some great SuperWindowTables…

The situation is comparable to the Potemkin villages of 18th century Russia; fake settlements erected to fool Empress Catherine II during her visit to Crimea in 1787. Apparently Russian minister Potemkin had hollow facades of villages constructed in order to impress the monarch with the value of her new conquests, enhancing his standing in the empress’s eyes. But will it fool the tourists?

making and breaking

Some footage from when the SuperWindowTable was ‘taken to the streets’. This is just a tester/teaser/provisional edit. [Proper edit in the pipeline.]

Luckily my good mates from undergrad Mike and Mark were able to help out, as Mark was up from London for the weekend. Mark used to be a bit of a regular on the b-boy [breakdancing or 'breaking'] scene, and while we were filming he randomly broke out a few moves [even though he was very limited by his heavy boots]. It reminded us of a project we’ve talked of doing for years, called “making and breaking” - a fusion of breakdancing and architecture, documented on film. So considering it’s ‘making’ themes, the table was pretty appropriate.

take it to the pubs

Last night the SuperWindowTable made it’s debut in the Wellington Pub in Garston. The ‘provisional construction’ brought together some important themes in my project [art, tables, pubs, community engagement, beermats]. It was the feature at an “Anything – Special Edition” night organised by Mike Carney. Mike had done some posters and publicity for the event, and the pub was a lot busier than last Friday.

Again it was a varied clientele of young scallies in tracksuits and hoodies, alongside older locals, a few of Mike’s studenty mates, and a few of my mates. The table pretty much served it’s purpose of provoking conversation and banter between different people. It was a constant focus of interest and raised a lot of questions. The scallies were especially curious and questioning, although they were very reluctant to get involved or appear on camera. Others were less camera-shy, and the table was disassembled and assembled by some non-locals and locals working together, which in itself generated interest amongst others [watch this space for the film].

The response to the table was equally varied. Different people had different interpretations of the table. Some read it as a design prototype, and asked how many I was making, and how much they cost. Some read it as a tactile domestic table, and made suggestions about the materials; how the rough surface should be made smooth at the edges. Some read it as a garden table, and suggested the timber should be sealed and waterproofed.

Interestingly many read the table as a piece of “art” even though it wasn’t actively presented as art. This was probably due to the association with the “Artistic Republic of Garston” project, and the fact that famous Garston artist Alex Corina was sitting with us. Or maybe it was because it was unusual.

As a result, many of the locals were naturally sceptical of the table as “art”, and raised some interesting questions about the role of art, and public perception. “So what makes this table art?” asked one local man, as I sat at the table with Alex and two of my mates. He proceeded to tear up a beermat into a random shape and ask “Isn’t that art?”

No doubt if I was in his position, I’d be equally questioning of a strange table in my local pub. In trying to explain the ideas behind the table, I emphasised the main themes of optimism, and collaboration; “It’s four bits, the four bits are useless on their own, but useful when they work together”.

Some understood it better than others. As Alex said, we were now in a normal setting, with everyday people, far removed from an academic environment. And as such, any explanation or discussion of the table had to be phrased differently than it would in an art school. That’s not to say it should be dumbed down, but like many things, just presented appropriately to suit it’s audience.

For all the academic meanings and layers and symbolism in a piece like SuperWindowTable, they’re arguably irrelevant when initially read by the man on the street. Like the Winter Lights project, what reaches the man on the street is arguably no more than a quick novelty factor – some flashing lights. Perhaps the great thing about art is it’s ability to be interpreted differently by different people. Is the table art? Is it just a table? Does it even matter? Perhaps the very fact that it was provoking these discussions, is what’s really important.

dignitaries tour the embassy

This afternoon Alex showed a group of us around the old school building that’s going to be used as the ‘Garston Embassy’ as part of the Biennial’s Peoples’ Pavilions Project. We were joined by local MP Maria Eagle, as well as potential investors from South Liverpool housing association, and other locals who are involved.

The building is currently property of the council, and the discussion was about how to use the temporary ‘art installation’ as a springboard for future development, with a plan to secure the building as a permanent community venue, for the Garston Cultural Village. The finances were discussed, and a proper business plan is in the pipeline. There was a feeling that at last things are ‘starting to happen’. The discussions were particularly useful in informing my own brief development.

Alex explained his thoughts for the programme of the building, with spaces for start-up businesses, studios for artists, a gallery space, and even a potential performance space in an old science lecture theatre.

It was also good to see Michael Trainor’s model of his proposed ‘Garston Embassy’ Pavilion installation for the Biennial. Complete with palm trees, oil derricks, oil fountain, weapons of mass attraction, lawned gardens, visiting dignitaries in limousines, balcony statues of notable Garstonians [a pirate, a bear, and Les Dennis, among others], and lots of flags. More about it here.

Today there has also been a rumour on the streets of Liverpool that the SuperLambBanana might be moved to Manchester. It’s not actually owned by Liverpool, and the lease has expired. Alex told me he’d had the press phoning him all day for quotes. He dismissed the possibility, and couldn’t understand why anyone else would want another city’s icon.

On that note, here’s what happened to my replica souvenir figure in the studio yesterday… Who was responsible for this???????

Proof of the genius of Studio Six, surely.

beuys and beermats

For the past two days we’ve been doing a Studio Six / Studio Two joint workshop, with Berlin architect/academic Mathias Heyden. It was about “A collaborative investigation on social and economical, political and cultural implications within designing the built environment”.

Central to Heyden’s discussion were the theories of Joseph Beuys, an artist who was famous for championing the healing potential of art and the power of a “universal human creativity”. Beuys was confident in the potential for art to bring about ‘revolutionary change’ and was famous for his statement “Everyone is an artist”. So in that sense he’s relevant to my project and whether an ‘artistic revolution’ in Garston can ‘heal’ the town. Beuys’ concept of “Social Sculpture” – in which society as a whole is regarded as a great work of art – is notable when considering Garston as a potential ‘Artistic Republic’.

Some of the questions we were considering were:

What kind of powers you see involved in and conditioning your design? How to determine what you - as an architect - are able to handle, and why, what for and when should others be involved; or even why, what for and when should certain aspects left to others alone?

An obvious and probably one of the most important aspects seems to be inter-human dialogue, even if this aspect is incorporated within neoliberalism and global capitalism today.

As part of the workshop, we were each asked to make a model to explore some unanswered questions. My model uses beermats from Krakow, Sheffield, and Garston, to refer to some of the project themes, with regard to the “powers” of investment and economy.

Beermats particularly refer to the historic importance of pubs in Garston as facilitators of community cohesion. Beermats are like tiny pieces of art. They’re indicators of global trade and advertising and commerce, while they’re also very personal and user-specific, each serving a prescribed function in a given scenario.

They’re all about tables. Like the SuperWindowTable, the beermat model is made from interlocking components, working together to make something. It starts to suggest spatial form, with planar elements arranged in a beermat tribute to Schroder House [arguably the most significant example of 'architecure as art'; typifying the 'De Stijl' movement, along with Piet Mondrian, et al].

The model can be read both at a 1/1 human scale [as beermat], and as an indication of a built form; something larger. But more than that, the study suggests a means of expressing a relation between art and advertising. It suggests the introduction of sponsors or private investment – which the project may need, to get off the ground.

Could the architect make a building as large-scale showcase for images and messages? Or at the opposite end of the scale, could the building and it’s message be disseminated, as a tiny piece of art on a beermat? Reaching new audiences in pubs across the city? Would it need a building at all?

and don’t dis’ it!

Looks like Mike has got things covered in Garston while I’m back in Sheffield. He’s kindly put together a poster for friday’s “Anything - Special Edition” night at the Welly, which he’s going to put up around the pub. That’s ‘interdependence’.

fog

On Sunday a thick fog descended on Garston village. So I went and took some photos of it. More here.

gathering

Yesterday afternoon, Garston’s bastion of the avant-garde Alex Corina phoned me and kindly invited me to an evening sioree at View Two art gallery on Liverpool’s famous Matthew Street. The ‘independent’ gallery is owned by architect Ken Martin, who’s also the architect working on the Artistic Republic of Garston’s Embassy building. It was a good opportunity for Alex to introduce me to Ken, and also to Libby Mackay, who’s running one of the other “Peoples’ Pavillions” in equally deprived Kirkdale (designed by Gross Max). Libby and Alex were interviewed about the Pavilions project in the AJ article [AJ 20.12.07 p25].

So last night I went along with my mate Tim (also from Garston) to see what was going on. I’d never really noticed View Two gallery before, even though I’d walked past it hundreds of times. It’s opposite the famous Cavern Club, tucked away above the city centre nightclubs, up a staircase, aptly in an old banana warehouse [a relic to one of Liverpool's biggest imports, standing opposite the spiritual home of it's biggest export]. It reminded me of the art gallery in Krakow, which was also above a nightclub. There were two floors of gallery space, with a cafe/bar on the top floor. The route up the stairs doubled as an informal gallery space and took us past paintings and sculptures for sale by local artists, some of which I’d seen on Alex’s Artworks website. The ongoing Studio Six interest in tables was well represented by this intriguing sculpture.

The café/bar area soon became full. People had gathered to hear Swedish alternative jazz duo Små Blå and acoustic musician/singer Louise Schultz perform some of their own contemporary works. It was all pretty relaxed and there was a laid-back international/arty vibe. More comparisons with Studio Six’s notorious Krakow jazz club encounter came to mind, complete with candles-on-tables [and all that jazz]…Except this time it was a bit more welcoming (and the candle didn’t get passed round).

Again, thoughts of the table perspective drawing were prompted by my own similarly table-oriented first-person perspective view across the room. People gathering together; a setting full of tables and chairs, complete with Alex’s wine glass and Tim’s beer bottle, even the lamps and the guitar were in the picture.

After the show I asked Alex if he reckoned there could ever be anything like it in Garston. “Oh definitely; every Friday, Saturday, and Wednesday“… and he wasn’t messing.

At the moment the Garston Cultural Embassy / Pavilion project is more of a temporary installation; a ‘provisional construction’, as are most Biennial arts projects. What’s needed is a wider framework; a long-term plan for relative permanence; a sequence that can lead to a sustainable focus for the community, after the Capital of Culture party is over. One of Alex’s main criticisms about the 2008 events is the lack of emphasis on bedding-down longer-lasting cultural projects, as quoted in his AJ article. He mentioned to me his ideas to let out studios for around £10 per week in the Embassy building, as part of a broader plan, and to gain a longer lease from the council. He believes that the first steps will be hardest, but if successful, the rest should follow.

With reference to taking these ideas and developing my own project brief further, we talked about ideas for what could be “made in Garston” as part of a holistic strategy. We discussed houses, boats, and tables, and other things. He told me of similar ideas happening with creative communities in the port of Gdansk, Poland, with whom they’ve bridged relations as part of the Cultural Village campaign. We discussed community engagement, involving exchanges between the Embassy and local schools, in terms of art/design education and skills, with Libby’s informed position as an adult education director. We also chatted about cake, bananas, alcohol, and other useful things.

Meeting the faces and personalities behind the story gives a valuable insight into the projects and ambitions. I’m exploring [if and] how art can make a difference, and as Libby admitted, so are they. Alex seemed glad to “welcome me on board” and I hope both our projects can feed off each other in some way, and I can provide input through some kind of creative dialogue between the two projects. The discussion will continue next Friday, as Alex has agreed to come and join me and Mike Carney, assembling the SuperWindowTable in the Wellington Pub, in Garston.

Walking outside afterwards, there seemed to be hints of a fresh atmosphere on the familiar city streets; I could hear a variety of accents as I walked among the Saturday night revellers on the way home. I’d rarely heard that before. Evidently, the immediate outcomes of Liverpool’s “European Capital of Culture” status are becoming apparent in the city centre’s new found buzz. The cultural vision is becoming reality. But will the benefits ever reach the people on the street in ghettoes like Garston? The Pavilions project is the provisional vehicle that carries these hopes. With some careful organisation, the support of the community, and a sustainable long-term plan, maybe it might just work.

anything

Last night I met up with Mike Carney in the Wellington Pub (’The Welly’) in Garston. Mike’s a Garston-based designer who’s involved with the Artistic Republic of Garston project, working on the Embassy building. Since November he’s been trying to start something positive in Garston, by running a night called “Anything” at the Welly. Described as…

“a funky little ’sit off’, on Friday nights, in Garston

With ale, nuts, pool, darts, tables and chairs.

It’s something interesting with a friendly, mellow, and down to earth yet otherworldly vibe.”

It’s round the corner from my mate Dan’s house, so I took three of my mates from Garston along, to check it out. It was a strange mix of local scallies in tracksuits in one corner, dolled-up teenage girls in another corner, and the older locals propping up the bar. Mike was behind the ‘wheels of steel’, spinning some groovy trip-hop tracks, at a polite volume level. He left the turntables and plugged his ipod into the amp, while he joined me and my mates for a pint.

We chatted about the plans for the Artistic Republic, the Cultural Village, about the present state of Garston in general, and ideas about how to make things better. Mike was optimistic, and it was great to see someone trying to make a difference, “supporting the cause for alternative activity in Garston“, trying to generate positivity, and create an upbeat artistic yet unpretentious scene. He grew up in the “posh” neighbouring district of Cressington, and I wondered if this was the reason for his optimism. Mike admitted that the “Anything” night was going slower than he’d hoped, and it wasn’t attracting the clientele he had in mind. It was appropriate that I was joined by my mates, two of whom are themselves on the dole. They mentioned how some people might be put off a pub like the Welly, as the gang of scallies hanging round outside can appear intimidating.

But I think that’s kind of what it’s all about; what if the artists and the scallies could understand each other and all get along? If Garston is to reach it’s full potential, it will take more than physical regeneration. It’s all about bringing people together, to make something, and make something better. That’s what the SuperWindowTable is all about, and it struck me that a setting like the Welly was pretty much what I had in mind when I did the room perspective with table. So Mike and I organised it with landlady Helen that we’d bring the SuperWindowTable to the Welly next friday, set it up in it’s natural habitat, and hopefully provoke some banter with the local scallies. Watch this space to find out what happens…

architects’ journal picks up the story

Two weeks after I started looking at public art in Garston as part of the Interdependence studio, the Architects’ Journal conveniently ran the story as their main feature. The article gives a good overview of the ongoing art projects in the three deprived Liverpool suburbs of Kirkdale, Kensington, and Garston, including the aforementioned “Artistic Republic / Garston Embassy” project. It also has interviews with Libby Mackay and Alex Corina, directors of the respective Kirkdale and Garston pavillions.

arctic monkeys wrecked our street

This is the story of a unique inter-relation between Sheffield and Garston, with reference to another kind of art:

The trendy Sheffield band “Arctic Monkeys” used one of the abandoned houses in Garston for their latest album cover art (pictured), and a music video.

The interior of the house was painted with psychedelic murals, before the front and back elevations of the house were ripped off, to reveal the paintings. There’s a good video documentary of it here. Below is the pic of the same street with the house bricked up. Typically, the local Garston kids saw it as a great opportunity to cause some trouble…

CHART-topping band Arctic Monkeys are being blamed for a spate of vandalism on a Liverpool estate where they filmed their latest music video.

The Sheffield band filmed in Leeming Close, Garston, but residents say it was weeks until the mess left behind was cleaned up.

The video’s makers took down walls and removed windows and fences. But afterwards, locals say they were left a mountain of litter and a diesel spill.

The area, which is partly tinned up, is due for demolition in 12 months, and was apparently chosen because of the availability of empty houses.

Some of the few residents who remain today told the ECHO they were left feeling “used and humiliated” once the film crew and the band had left.

Because the tin covers on the windows were not replaced, residents say vandals got into the properties and started fires.

No one from the Arctic Monkeys was available to comment.

One resident said: “They came about three weeks ago and removed the front and back of one of the houses as well as the metal window covers.

“We were quite excited at first and the local kids were made up.

“But after they had gone the whole place was left a complete mess.

“We are already terrorised by vandals round here. We get no peace and after the video crew left the street was just left wide open.”

Another local added: “We have to put up with enough trouble without having film crews making the place ten times worse for the sake of their pop music.

“We have been abandoned here, this is not a film set, it’s our home. I feel like these people came up from London and treated us like dirt because of the way the estate looks.”

Full story here

take it to the streets

This Sunday the “Super Window Table” was taken to the streets. It went to meet the “Super Lamb Banana” in the city centre, as well as gracing the mean streets of Garston Village. It was a kind of guerilla “public art” installation. I was hoping the “street furniture” might provoke a bit of banter with the residents, but unfortunately they were completely oblivious to this “provisional construction” on their streets. Maybe they’re so used to public art, they’re unphased by it now. Or maybe they just don’t care. It was also a freezing cold day, so hardly anyone was about. Watch this space for the film footage.

go superlambbananas

Tonight I visited Static Gallery for the launch party of “Go Superlambbananas“; Hailed as a “mass participation” event (obviously “participation” is really trendy these days), the project will see 100 scaled-down Super Lamb Bananas painted by local artists and taken to the streets. Anyone can enter a design. I’ve already got a few ideas I might send in. But haven’t “Cow Parade” been doing this for years? Here’s what the website said…

Liverpool is set to stage a world-class art participation event using its most popular and iconic sculpture – the SuperLambBanana.

For ten weeks during this Summer, Liverpool will be full of surprises as 100 Superlambananas are transformed into unique and exciting artworks displayed throughout the streets, parks, neighbourhoods and open spaces – creating a magical atmosphere which is sure to capture the imagination of residents and visitors alike.

Originally created by Taro Chiezo for Arts Transpennine in 1998, a 180cm tall Superlambanana has been specially designed to enable local and regional artists, celebrities, residents and businesses to showcase their creativity and celebrate the fun and diverse spirit which is at the very heart of Liverpool.

The event was attended by lots of reporters and journalists, and a crowd of middle-class arty types, wearing trendy glasses. Someone important made a rousing speech. Then local celeb Phil Redmond was wheeled in for the cameras. Finally a french woman poured some paint over two mini Lamb Bananas. The crowd was thrilled.

Garston-based artist Alex Corina was also there to unveil his “Rocking SuperLambBanana”

spaces for deliberation

Here the “Super Window Table” is shown in context on the streets of Garston, to indicate possible sites for architectural intervention.