I recall the first installation day of Michael Stumpf’s exhibition; This song belongs to those who sing it. A small section of lemon yellow appeared on one of the walls, rather like a patch of mould in the corner of the gallery. I strolled through as the install team pondered over the best way to fulfil their next task: to cover the entire wall in tin foil. I watched as the initial length was applied in the corner butting up to the yellow growth. An assortment of rags and cloths were used to rub the strip of foil onto the pre-glued wall. Over the next week, the full width of the wall was meticulously embellished with silver foil.

The gallery must have been a hive of activity over the weekend as, on Monday morning I was greeted by two glowing walls of colour – one of lemon yellow, and the other of yellow and pink, creating a coral colour, both layered with coloured washes, highlighting the layers of history in the walls.

Tuesday was a traditionally dull grey morning in Glasgow. I battled against the wind as I approached the, soon to be opened, Reid building, from the East. Looking up, I was surprised to notice the words “NOW SING” peering down at me as they confidently marked their place on the balcony, and emitted a vibrant energy.

Returning to the Mackintosh Museum, the gallery display cabinets usually hidden behind faux walls were being revealed. The copper pillars of the cabinets faced the silver wall, their shiny surfaces reflecting me, you, us, in them.

The next few components seemed to appear in a flurry.

a gold stalactite form hanging from an overhead beam,

a carved sandstone rock with a cast bronze twig sticking out of it on which a glass band hung,

a giant pink rock suspended from the ceiling by a long narrow band of denim, rather like a conker on a string.

The works that hang are grounded by the positioning of a heavy acrylic resin O (one violet and one red) under each. As the movement of people through the space causes a gentle swaying of the cords, the cast rings sit ready and waiting to catch what hovers above.

‘Endless long bowed phrases’ (2014), denim, plywood, steel, tube clamps.

Three other acrylic resin rings are rooted to the floor, their weightiness contrasting with the triangular frame that hangs at the other side of the museum, acting as another prompt to gaze up, and be reminded once again of the Mackintosh gallery in which we are standing, with all its history and peculiarities.

‘Perplexed’, paper, calico, aerosol paint, denim, acrylic resin, steel, tube clamps (2014)

This attention to context brings me back to the display cabinets that have been stripped back to their original state and one lovingly clad with denim. An assortment of small delicate objects are placed inside, like relics from an architectural dig. That famous saying “the context is half the work” plays in my mind. In this case, the context has been used as a material, an important element in the exhibition.

Such consideration has also been given to the audience. Regular tours circulate the prestigious Mackintosh Building, congregating in the gallery and inspecting the architectural features. In a studio next door, a critique is in progress, the work being rigorously examined. In the gallery, the two text works on facing walls, “Looking at you” and “Looking at me” encourage us, the audience, to investigate our own relationship to what we see.

Several days later at its official opening, all eyes are on the Reid Building. In the words of Liz Lochhead, who was commissioned to write a song to mark the momentous occasion, the Reid is

“the bonny new building,
the new kid on the block”.

As I gaze at its glass paneled walls, I notice in the reflection, a familiar vibrant pink ring hanging from the Directors office, drawing my attention back to the Mackintosh Building and inevitably upstairs into the museum.

‘Ring’, cast acrylic resin (2014). Mackintosh building, Director’s Balcony.

So, just as the students at the Art School gradually move through their studies and emerge as graduates, and in a similar way to how in Benjamin Britten’s, The Young Persons Guide to Orchestra, the orchestra is broken down into constituent parts only to be brought together to form a full orchestra, my understanding and appreciation of the exhibition developed with each new encounter.

Perhaps I reached the chorus when I attended the final event programmed alongside the exhibition. A tap dancer conversed with the objects in the gallery, offering a new perspective on the installation. The atmosphere in the gallery was one of anticipation and excitement as the gathering scrutinised each other’s footwear, calculating who would be the one to burst into dance. A young man, dressed in tight jeans and a Michael Stumpf customised jumper climbed the stairs and we all watched in silence as he ‘eyed up’ the gold suspended sculpture, Perplexed.

Tap dancer Greg Robertson performing in Mackintosh Museum, Photo: Michael Stumpf

It was as he stood, hands folded across his chest, gaze moving up and down the work, that I considered the scale of the hanging form, its relation to the human body and I was reminded of the image of the rock in jeans that featured on the exhibition invitation. His foot began to tap on the wooden floor, producing a rhythm that shifted in pace; from steady contemplation to excited energy, albeit without any ‘jazz hands’. He travelled effortlessly around the space, activating and animating the work as he moved up close to it, naturally returning to the gold sculpture before finishing.

The enthusiastic applause that filled the gallery as he disappeared down the stairs was, for me, a fitting response to this joyous exhibition that celebrates materiality, embraces colour and generously considers the context and audience.

Michael Stumpf talks about his GI 2014 exhibition at GSA

Michael Stumpf: This Song Belongs to Those who Sing It runs until 4 May at the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Museum . For more information see the GSA website.

For more about Glasgow based artist Helen Shaddock, see her My Process article on Central Station here.

All images unless otherwise stated by Janet Wilson. 

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For 5 weeks during February and March 2013, Shaddock was artist in residence in Gallery 3 of Market Gallery, Duke Street, Glasgow. Helen used her blog as an online diary during the residency, tracking the development of her ideas and revealing the processes used to make the work. Here, Shaddock tells us about her residency and the resulting exhibition.

Several times a year, Market Gallery invites artists to apply to participate in its ‘Studio Projects’. This programme includes a four-week residency in one of Market’s gallery spaces and a resulting four week exhibition.

My proposal for the Studio Project was to conduct intensive research into colour and test the possibilities of combining controlled processes with chance elements when making work. I wanted to respond to the industrial nature of the gallery and make the most of the space, enabling me to work on a larger scale and experiment with the installation of work.

I specifically wanted to extend my work using plaster, polymer and pigments. I had previously used drainpipes as moulds to create column-like sculptures, but was keen to make my own moulds. The casting process is labour intensive and time consuming, but I was lucky enough to benefit from having a team of Market Gallery volunteers who kindly assisted me in the production of the work. This was a huge help, as someone could hold the mould while the other person poured the plaster. It also allowed me to work on a scale that I have never been able to achieve on my own. Some of the sculptures became so large that it took a team of four people to remove the cast from the mould!

I began by making funnel moulds from lino and dripping layers of different coloured plaster inside. I then poured more layers of different coloured plaster into the mould and rotated the funnel until the plaster covered the inside of the mould and set as a hollow sculpture. I repeated this numerous times until it was strong enough to remove from the mould.

I also made casts whereby I applied layers of different coloured plaster and then fully filled the lino moulds, leaving them to rest at an angle so as to create a less predictable shape.

I embraced the unexpected and allowed for chance elements within the process. Removing moulds from casts is exciting and can be quite nerve-wracking, particularly when I have invested a lot of time and resources into creating something that I do not know will work. When I took one of the sculptures out of its mould, I noticed that the pattern left on the lino was very interesting. In fact, I felt that this was more curious than the sculpture.

I am interested in the relationship between two-dimensions and three-dimensions and wanted to create a sheet of plaster that would be able to stand or be propped against a wall. I covered sheets of cardboard in parcel tape and then used a variety of techniques to coat the surface with layers of coloured plaster.

Conscious of the amount of floor based work that I was producing, I developed some wall-based works so as to make for a more interesting viewing experience. Referring back to the gallery space, I made a number of ‘object paintings’ the shape and size of the breezeblock walls.

I continued to use cardboard and parcel tape to make angular moulds, creating some unusual forms.

I had prepared some solid birch triangular shapes with plywood edges that could fit together and support each other. I played with the surface of the wood, leaving some faces bare so as to acknowledge the beauty of the wooden grain. I also poured different coloured plaster onto the surface that had a plywood boundary, and adopted an experimental screenprinting method using stencils on the reverse side. I assembled the pieces so that there would be surprise elements for the viewer when they walked around the form.

Over the duration of the residency I had produced a vast amount of work, and selecting what to include in the exhibition was a challenge. I wanted the installation of the exhibition to reveal signs of the production of the work, and did not want to present each piece as an autonomous object.

Overall the residency was an amazing experience and allowed me to produce work to a scale that I could not achieve in my studio. The public seemed to enjoy watching the development of the work as they passed the gallery each day, and I had some great chats with passersby who were intrigued by what I was doing. I am delighted with the work, and feel that there is real potential for further development.

I would like to thank the wonderful team of Market Gallery volunteers who assisted in the production of the work, the other artists exhibiting at Market Gallery, and the Market Gallery committee for their support and for helping make the residency such a positive experience.

The exhibition runs until 12 April and the gallery is open 11am – 5pm Thursday – Sunday.

This project is supported by Creative Scotland who awarded Helen Shaddock with Talent and Professional Development funding.

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Strength in Numbers was a solo exhibition of sculpture by artist Helen Shaddock. The work was shown at The Briggait, Glasgow, in October 2011.

Helen’s work stems from a fascination and visual attraction to organised information, lines, stripes, colour and repeated patterns. Order and Chaos repeatedly challenge each other and unexpected results emerge from highly controlled, obsessive and rigourous actions.

See more images from the exhibition here, and for more of Helen’s work see here.

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Here’s a snap shot of a day in the life of this very busy building.

Wasps Artists’ Studios’ Staff

Jeweller Marianne Anderson
“I’m a jeweller and have been based in the Briggait for just over six months. My work is inspired by architectural heirlooms and being based in an historical building is a huge inspiration.”

Batik artist Selma Rebus
“The Briggait has offered me the opportunity to work in a bright environment with natural light. The organisation of the studios in the Atrium area allows privacy and integration with other artist; it is visually very pleasing.”

Chris Wallace
“I’ve been working in The Briggait since January 2010. I’m make sculptural objects in wire, do pencil drawings, build in wood and take moulds from works I make in clay and make casts in various materials.”

Dance House
“Dance House re-located its office to The Briggait in December 2010 and we thoroughly enjoy our new ‘home’.  It is a welcoming and inspiring building to work in and we have a real sense of being part of an artistic community which expands collaborative potential. We aim to inspire and celebrate the potential for dance in everyone by supporting the professional dance sector; offering an exciting and diverse programme of classes for all ages and abilities; and developing an extensive education and outreach programme. We offer a programme of over 50 adult dance classes per week aimed at both the professional dancer and those who just love to dance! In addition we offer activities for pre-5s and the over 60s.”

YDance
“We love being based at The Briggait, which is not only a fantastic place to work, but being surrounded by other creative organisations has let us build informal connections and partnerships which could lead to future collaborative work.”

Contemporary artist Stephanie Spindler
Stephanie Spindler moved to Glasgow, Scotland in 2005 and since has exhibited in Scotland, England, Turkey, Canada and Norway; her practice is inspired by themes of identity; the relationship between the mind and body and exploration of internal landscapes of thought and emotion. She has been at the Briggait since January 2010. “The Briggait is an exciting place to work, I am a part of the artist initiative, ‘the Briggait Exhibition Panel’ working on making things happen and developing an artistic program that is inclusive of all the diverse art forms that are homed here.”

Drawing Group
Over the past year a few artists from the Briggait have formed a figure drawing group. They meet weekly and have  plans to open another session up to other artists that want to maintain a continuity in their drawing skills. There’s a brilliant project space that has natural light that is available for this endeavour within the Briggait building.

Helen Shaddock
Artist Helen Shaddock has been creating sculptural forms by using casting, and is enjoying the unpredictable results that occur despite the systematic process involved.

Jane McInally
Visual artist Jane McInally works mainly with video, animation and the moving- image. The studio is also home to Fast Forward Play, an organization specialising in the production of creative documentary and arts documentation video, and educational outreach projects.

Rowena Comrie
Rowena Comrie’s Remnent Queen is a temporary situation in the atrium – the nadfly newstand has been transformed into a throne.

The Briggait’s atrium space will play host to Vault Art Glasgow, a major new contemporary art event offering artists a chance to sell their work, from 9-11 September. Vault is a collaboration between UZ Arts and Patricia Fleming Projects, both of whom are based in the Briggait.

echo (installation view) by Helen Shaddock. Laser-cut acrylic sheets installed with lighting so as the engraved surface creates shadows.