Eloise Grace Henshaw – Page 2 – The Collection Of…

BREAKING NEWS: A Corpse is Found in a Gallery

Eloise Grace Henshaw / March 3, 2013May 10, 2013 / Nova Inventa, Public Responses, Research, Space

5th feb

This was the week in which we decided to really try and focus on what our objectives were as a group in order to begin to build a foundation for our performance.

Here’s what our initial idea was:

Our aim is to take an interesting space created by architectural structure and explore the way in which we may turn it in to something passers-by will notice. We want to look at the concealed areas around the museum and expose them. Our aim is to make places that would usually be passed by noticed by the public.

Aim: Make the Audience pay Attention to details!

THEMES FOR OUR PERFORMANCE

Consciousness

EXPOSURE

Make the audience KNOW what our aim is

Obscure view of the gallery itself

METHODS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE CLEAR OVERVIEW:

TALK TO STAFF

Everyday staff, ask for their view

FIND MORE SPACES

OUTCOME:

We managed to use our time asking the members of staff around the collection

– Did your perception of the building change as you began to see it on a daily basis?

‘Yes, everyday when you come in you notice something slightly different with the space around you as there are frequent changes in the art found in the gallery. I guess that has a lot to do with some ones perception as each piece of art can be seen as changing the space in which it inhabits.’

– What is the most interesting space in the building

‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed the way in which the cathedral is framed in the entrance hall. It is almost breath taking, although I do worry sometimes it goes to waste as people walk past and don’t seem to look up and notice it. In my opinion, the window itself is a work of art.’

– Which piece of art draws the most attention?

‘Generally, the more contemporary art, for example the stuffed tights and the gnome made out of cigarettes seem to attract the most attention as people see its obscurity and are forced to ask the question, is this art?’

– What is the most drastic reaction someone has had to a work of art?

‘On a day to day basis, there aren’t usually any reactions that are out of the ordinary as it is always interesting to hear people’s views, but recently we have had an installation put in place in the usher gallery which depicts the body of an artist as a dead man, lying face down on the gallery floor. Last week some time, a visitor came across the installation and fainted due to its incredible life-like features.’

^ Not for the faint-hearted!

I found it helpful to talk to the staff as it was useful to have an insight in to the way in which becoming familiar with a space may alter someone’s perception.

See you soon!

Author: Ellie Henshaw

Word Count: 447

Continuum xo

Eloise Grace Henshaw / February 26, 2013May 10, 2013 / Development, Nova Inventa

26th feb

Schedule for practical exploration

W/b 4/2/13

Come up with scenarios for each space, any revelations? What excites us about the space?

W/b 11/2/13

Practical experimentation- people will be watching us! Bring balloons, tin, string, pins, little cards to put messages on and put in balloons.

W/b 18/2/13

Response to feedback. Do the public like it? This is where we can amend and alter our scenarios so far.

W/b 25/2/13

Come in costume. All black. Does it work? We chose black because its a dull colour as we want people to find us hence no bright colours as our theme is subtlety. Rehearse. Check do we need anything technical?

Love,

Authors: Ellie Henshaw

Word Count: 117

W/b 4/2/13 was the day of play

Eloise Grace Henshaw / February 4, 2013May 10, 2013 / Nova Inventa, Space

Our aim for this week was to :

Come up with scenarios for each space, any revelations? What excites us about the space?

This week was an eye opener for us as a group. We explored the possibilities of things to do in each space (some of our ideas can be seen on Daniella’s Blog page).

Whilst looking in to each space, the entire group decided that we were more drawn to the side spaces in the contempary gallery and the symmetrical space found in the museum part of the collection. After much deliberation, we decided that instead of using all five spaces, as originally planned, we would focus on the two spaces that stood out to us the most.

Finally, with our space decided on it was time to incorporate what our period of experimenting had taught us.

From here, we began to use the materials that we had bought to the lesson.

– Marbles

– Army Figures

– Cardboard cups

– Coloured ducks

– Bubbles

From the outset, we were aware that we wanted our performance to have a sensory aspect to it. As the space that we were looking in to was located in the contemporary art section of the Collection, we felt that there had to be something that was aesthetically pleasing to the audience, as the room itself is. The marbles were used to make noise, the cardboard cups were used to simulate touch and finally, the bubbles and the coloured rubber ducks were to incorporate something that we felt would engage the audience and create a spectacle for them.

We began this process in the Gallery area one:

‘When looking in the main gallery we found inspiration in the Roman centurions reconstruction. What interested us about these figures was that they were small individual objects and collectively they formed an army. From stacking of the cups, we then had the idea of merging the two together and creating a war/ battle field scene.’ – Daniella

From this, we decided to add to the display that we found in the museum, as seen below.

We then used this idea in the space, incorporating the cardboard cups and the army figures in order to make a spectacle for the audience. It was important to us to show the link between what was being acted out and the space in which the audience found themselves.

During this process, an installation of a television screen repeating words over a video was playing. As a group, we decided that we thought it was quite effective to have words being spoken over us as we were building. It almost helped us to be engrossed in what we were doing. Because of this, I decided to write a poem.

When the experimental poem was written, we decided to build the war-like scene again with Tequila reading the words over us. When this was done, we discussed how it had made us feel:

Alicia: How did it make you feel?
Daniela: I felt like i had to achieve something, my mind was totally set on building it up.
Tequila: Did me speaking over your actions make a difference?
Ellie: Yes i felt it created a tense atmosphere.
Alicia: Was it therapeutic for you?
D&E: Yes, we were completely involved in the construction, totally unaware of our surroundings.
Tequila: Did you envisage a story?
Daniela: Yes i felt protective over my men! i wanted to win!
Alicia: How did it feel responding to each other?
D&E: We only really paid attention at the end when through body language when we knocked down our towers.

This was an exciting week for us as a group as or ideas and concepts are beginning to come together.

Word Count: 590

The man who married a mountain…

Eloise Grace Henshaw / February 4, 2013May 10, 2013 / Nova Inventa, Research, Space

4th February, the collective

This week, we decided to explore further and begin to come up with some genuine ideas for our performance as a piece.

Living and being in the space – we liked the idea of turning back time (inspired by the extensive watch collection found in the usher gallery) and exploring what the building was like when it was the residence of James Usher as opposed to be open to the public.

Ways in which we can find out more about the Usher Gallery as a place of residence:

Local lib

Records

Drawing

Photographs

When we came across the piece outside the usher gallery, we inquired as to what it was symbolic of. A member of staff told us that the artist, was inspired by a story about a man who was so in love with a mountain, he wanted to marry it. The artist then took this a step further and planted the engagement ring on a tree located outside the usher gallery in order to portray the concept of the bond between love and nature. We were intrigued as at this point, as we were the only group that had noticed the ring in the tree. It was from this, that we finally felt we were really looking at the space and paying attention to detail as we began to see things around us in a different light. From the ring in the tree (pictured above) we began to look in to the idea of seasons as the ring could only be seen fully when the tree was not in full bloom, i.e in the winter. In comparison, during the summer, when the ring is hidden by all of the leaves on the tree. We felt this could be a potential basis for our work as a group. Here’s what we came up with:

In the summer, when the leaves cover the ring, it is even more hidden and people walk past without knowing that the installation is there.

This is where we arrived at our concept of revelations and the revealing of spaces.

See you soon!

Authors: Ellie Henshaw

Word Count: 355

Origins Cont.

Eloise Grace Henshaw / January 30, 2013May 10, 2013 / Nova Inventa, Research

Date: Tuesday 29th January

‘There doesn’t need to be a distinction between life and art! Life can BE art’ -Alan Caproe.

This is a quote that we have decided to follow as a group. As drama students, a lot of what we do depends on script work and devising a piece. When looking in to other practitioners that used site as their stimulus, a general characteristic of their work is that it doesn’t necessarily make sense, and is often open to interpretation. We really want to focus on life as art, mainly hammering in on obscurity.

Forgotten. Sights.

Every time we walk past some thing of beauty, out appreciation of said subject deteriorates. Walking past a thing of beauty frequently can cause unappreciative attitudes. All we have to do is stop and look. Take time out of our busy days and just look. Take in the surroundings, rather than letting them pass you by.

What we learned from this was that space does not necessarily have to be interesting or obscure for people to appreciate it.

It was from this that we began to question what is needed to make some one stop and notice what is going on around them and really take in their surroundings.

This lead further in to the idea of obscurity and the way in which peoples’ perception of places change.

An underlying idea for this week was the idea of making some thing happen in a space which would usually be passed by in the collection by the general public and those that work there, and make something happen in order to draw attention to, and expose the space.

After exploring the collection, we came across a piece that contains a video of everyday things happening, but sped up. This is something that Caproe was trying to portray – ordinariness exemplified as an art form.

Until next time! xx

Ellie Henshaw

Word Count: 319