Model for Ideology VI, Nicola Dale, 2015

In 2013 I was awarded a month-long residency in Shanghai, China, courtesy of Metal Liverpool and Shanghai College of Fine Arts. I undertook a research and development trip that would inspire new artworks around the theme of knowledge and how our relationship to it is changing. As the ancient birthplace of paper, ink and books, and as the supreme manufacturer of electronic devices, China seemed the perfect place to go for someone wishing to learn more about the shift from the former to the latter.

Untitled, Nicola Dale, 2013

My overriding and lasting impression is that China is a double-edged place, simultaneously full of constraint and potential. There is a ferocious drive to tear down, start again, build and expand. The state channels the energy of millions of Chinese citizens into a devastatingly effective work ethic, but this comes at a cost: the unbelievably heavy burden of top-down work crushes creativity. Over there, perspiration is not inspiration. “Ideas” are not encouraged. “Imagination” is not in evidence. What a different world to ours – we Westerners wouldn’t know hard work if it booted us in the jaw, but we’re up to our necks in blue-sky thinking…

Photograph taken in Shanghai, Nicola Dale, 2013

My experience of China encouraged me to reflect on the path that my work takes. When I think about my process, I see that it can be broken down into three parts: the first is the most exciting – the ping of an unexpected connection, the thrill of the idea; the second is the most draining – making the work, dealing with its physicality; and the third is the most mysterious – the moment of understanding that comes once you see your work reflected in the eyes of others. With luck, the first and second parts of this process do a little dance together: they wiggle back and forth happily between idea and practical decision-making. However, this dance is easily destabilised: wallowing in ideas without realising them is an insult to your practical skills; becoming slave to a technique is offensive to your imagination and both are forms of cowardice. Being in China helped me to understand that my practice feeds off a BALANCE between constraint and potential, between letting my mind wander and hard work, between imagination and technique and that this balance is, above all else, what I should aim for with my process.

Kexy, Nicola Dale, 2014

Nicola Dale will be showing new work inspired by her residency in Shanghai as part of her forthcoming touring solo exhibition, Not so firm as faded ink. Commissioned and curated by Mark Devereux Projects, the exhibition will visit Centrespace Gallery (Bristol) from 11 – 22 April before moving on to Arcadecardiff (Cardiff) 15 – 23 May.

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Derek Horton is an artist, writer and curator who recently worked with Mark Devereux Projects to select the artists in Looking at the Reflection of Reality, the second annual associates exhibition. He tells us more about the selection process.

Along with Kitty Anderson, Mark Devereux and Stuart Tulloch I was delighted to have the opportunity to select the artists in Looking at the Reflection of Reality. The things that interest me the most (in the world in general and art in particular) have always been things that evade categories, that resist easy classification, that undermine expectations. Really good artworks almost always do all of those things. The measure of quality, for me, is always to do with an artist’s capacity to work inventively across, through and beyond the conventions of a discipline or the limitations of a medium.

Good art also generates ideas, provokes reflection or speculation, and invites dialogue. It is no coincidence that the work we eventually selected for Looking at the Reflection of Reality, from a large number of submissions, is the work that prompted the most discussion amongst the panel of selectors. The outcome is a diverse exhibition of works united by their capacity for inventiveness and freedom from formal limitation.

Mary Wintour – The eagerness of objects

Mary Wintour fuses painting with collaged photographs in works that create ambiguous shifts within interior spaces that have an artifice reminiscent of a film or stage set. Using very different methods, Laura Napier also works with architectural spaces, using photography, installation and performance to create imagined realities and fictional histories.

Laura Napier – Heintzman Solicitors (Interior-Window)

Aylwin Greenwood-Lambert interrogates the relationship of material objects and graphic symbols, overlaying the randomness of internet searches with the specificity of language and testing the space between the printed image and the video screen. Evi Grigoropoulou’s exploration of the tradition of trompe-l’oeil also exploits the intersecting possibilities of replication and representation.

Rob Davies uses painting to subvert genre, mapping out a territory in which the Romantic landscape, Western movie clichés and gestural expressionism collide. Working with pop culture sources in a very different way, Marco Giordano collects amateur drawings, ‘fan art’, that, veiled, dissolved, obscured, are transformed into delicate and subtly (re)aestheticized surfaces.

Joe Hancock has worked with a scripted text to create an audio installation in the context of a sculptural intervention in the architectural space of the exhibition, emphasizing its physical location and dimensions but in so doing also potentially narrowing the gap between the viewer and the work, both his and that of the other six artists in the show.

Looking at the Reflection of Reality runs in Manchester’s Federation House until 13 December. Read more about it on Central Station in this featured event.

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Mark Devereux Projects supports visual artists through mentoring, critical dialogue and curatorial production.

The second annual Associate Members Exhibition will run until 13 December in Manchester. Featuring seven associate member artists, the exhibition will display work from multiple disciplines under the umbrella theme ‘Looking at the Reflection of Reality.’ The selected artists include Rob Davies, Marco Giordano, Aylwin Greenwood-Lambert, Evi Grigoropoulou, Joe Hancock, Laura Napier and Mary Wintour who were chosen by curators Kitty Anderson (Curator, The Common Guild, Glasgow), Stuart Tulloch (Curator, Ikon, Birmingham), Derek Horton (Director and curator, &Model, Leeds) and Mark Devereux (Director, Mark Devereux Projects).

Looking at the Reflection of Reality runs in Manchester’s Federation House until 13 December. Find more information about the show on the Mark Devereux Projects website here.

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Working with a camera it can be all to easy to subsume yourself in process, the logistics, the mechanics, the chemistry, the alchemy even. By virtue of its documentary function it can provide itself with an excuse for its own making, after all, in a world where things are there to be photographed, the camera mimics our voracious appetite for consuming, recording and ultimately classifying things. Photography seems to epitomise process, a linear progression of selection, capture, processing and presenting. Self contained, hermetic and composed. A photograph is self-explanatory, it’s reason for being most obvious. The object is to record, the object is recorded.

The photograph can bear witness to the fact that everything is interesting, or can be made to look interesting, the camera is perhaps the ultimate tool for looking at the world, a surrogate observer, it can fool us into thinking we know or understand the world better through the consumption of photographs. As an image, the photograph echoes a painting in that it portents to show something through the eyes of the photographer / artist, a world seen from a certain perspective. There is an accompanying illusion of truth, a reassurance; the camera never lies, even if its operator does.

Untitled, 2013 – Stephen Iles

However, to see the camera only as a tool is to place it in subservience, to bend it entirely to the artists will. There is a danger in seeing the camera not as a thing in its’ own right – we can mistakenly see it as an extension of ourselves, we can anthropomorphise it. The camera’s ability to find everything interesting is both democratic and problematic. Its abilities and capacities seem almost unbounded, its’ productivity astounding.

I see the camera as more than a tool, it is a machine. Though it may not have free will, it has a will. You may think it is doing what you tell it but it is doing it’s own thing as well.

The documentary aspect of photography can be both a support and a distraction. Whilst it may be enough to accept that an image documents a place and time and that be reason enough for its making, I have to ask the question ‘Is it more important what the picture is of or that it is a picture?’ Is the impulse to make work an impulse to capture or describe something I see, or simply an impulse or desire to make an image, a picture or an artwork?

If we just accept the documentary aspect as a fact, rather than a factor in the making of the work then we become trapped in a rhetorical loop. The image was made because there was an impulse to make an image, we can allow this impulse to take precedence over the particulars of subject and circumstance.

The images I’ve made in art galleries / spaces during periods of downtime or re-development are an attempt to engage with what art is in a rhetorical sense, To look for the way in which spaces for art do more than merely support art by being the venues for showing art, their existence / presence can itself be seen as evidence of art. I try to work with the camera as a mirror rather than a window, not trying to bring something from outside into the gallery, rather seeing the gallery itself as potential, as a catalyst.

I see each image as a proposition as much as a record of something, I’m trying to work with the camera to make some kind of rhetorical experiment where perimeters are set in order to try and see if art can begin to make itself. I’d like to explore the way in which we engage with art and what we expect from it, to ask the question ‘when we come to a gallery, do we come to see art or do we come to see ourselves?

For more on Stephen, see our featured event here. Between Space shows at The Tetley until 17 August.

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As part of The Tetley’s opening programme, A New Reality: Part 3, documentary photographer Stephen Iles will show a series of new works which chronicle The Tetley’s conversion. The exhibition, entitled Between Space, will be on display until 17 August. From office block to contemporary art space, Iles’ work explores the spaces where art is shown or made, examining the interim time between exhibitions and shifting moments that occur during re-development. Objects that initially appear unconnected are paired with the places they inhabit:

“Concentrating upon their transitional states of flux, Iles uses photography as a mirror to point back at the art-world like an endless reflection. Using each site as his laboratory or studio, Iles builds a surface tension questioning how we see and understand art and its’ spaces. Steeped in conversations surrounding the history of art and most notably the Arte Povera movement, Iles’ allows the specific location to become irrelevant, instead seeking to reactivate the space by searching for the moments in-between.”

See Between Space at The Tetley until 17 August. For details of the exhibition, see the Tetley’s website.

For more from Stephen Iles, be sure to check out his My Process feature here. Want to know more about The Tetley conversion? Check our our featured venue piece here.

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Launching this November, Projects: Manchester is a new pop-up space dedicated to nurturing and developing the work of early-career artists. Responding to the current ecology, and Mark Devereux Projects’ ongoing ambition to help nurture the best up and coming talent, the organisation is excited to offer creatives a new test space. Emphasising Manchester’s reputation for its support to early-career artists, the space will be available to trial new ideas.

Taking residence in one of the eight floors of a former office space at the Co-Operative’s major Federation House building in central Manchester and as part of Castlefield Gallery’s New Art Spaces initiative, the venue will offer artists the opportunity to showcase, develop and experiment.

Projects: Manchester will be an environment for artists to spend time testing, developing and experimenting in a vast, open space. Within a central location in Manchester, the space offers artists the opportunity to invite curators, producers and industry professionals to respond critically during the important developmental stages of making. Through giving practitioners the freedom and time to develop works and by trying to remove as many restrictions as we can, we are excited to see the ways in which artists may use the space.

On a day-to-day basis we are hearing of new ways in which artists are turning to the DIY approach in response to rising tuition fees, lack of opportunities and changes in the cultural ecology. Mark Devereux Projects has been established in response to this evolving climate and operates within an integral point between artist and institution.

Supporting three inaugural artists (Nicola Dale, David Ogle and Nicola Ellis), alongside an Associate Member programme open to any early-career artist, we provide a bespoke, critically engaged and nurturing support mechanism on a one-to-one basis in each of the artist’s studios or via Skype. Through this individual approach, we are able to find out more about each of the artist’s ambitions and requirements and provide directed knowledge and experience to enable the growth of their careers. Each practitioner requires something different, sometimes it may be a critically engaged dialogue with their practice, some may need advice on how to work self-employed or operate a business-like structure and some artists may just need a pat on the back and someone to listen.

Projects: Manchester will be available to artists within Mark Devereux Projects Associate Membership programme. Alongside the free use of the space, Associate artists will also benefit from bespoke one-to-one mentoring sessions, exhibition opportunities, group critiques & guidance sessions and online advisory materials. The Associate Membership programme is open to any artist based within the UK.

Projects: Manchester launches with ‘Beyond Merely Assembling’; Mark Devereux Projects’ first group exhibition of Associate Members works on 8 November. The exhibition continues until 20 November. A special free event to any early-career artist will take place on 17 November based around critical dialogue, discussion and advice.

Beyond Merely Assembling install. Image credit: Liz West

Beyond Merely Assembling install. Image credit: Liz West

Beyond Merely Assembling install. Image credit: Mark Devereux

Pavilion After Giotto install Phoebe Eustance. Image credit: Liz West

Pavilion After Giotto install Phoebe Eustance. Image credit: Liz West

Pavilion After Giotto install Phoebe Eustance. Image credit: Liz West

Divided We Stand install Mark Houghton. Image credit: Mark Devereux

Urban Bodger install Tom Beesley. Image credit: Mark Devereux

Urban Bodger, Tom Beesley. Image credit: Liz West

Waiting for the Gift Bettina Amtag. Image credit: Liz West

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There are substantial numbers of creatives with the talent, ambition and drive to succeed within the market but lack support and direction to get there. Mark Devereux Projects provides a generous and thoughtful approach to working with artists. This July, CUBE hosts the official launch and exhibition for new Manchester-based organisation, Mark Devereux Projects. Means of Feedback features new and recent works from the organisation’s three inaugural artists: Nicola Dale, David Ogle and Nicola Ellis.

Nicola Dale, Sequel, 2012

As part of Means of Feedback, Manchester-based Nicola Dale is creating The Weight Between Words – a new work consisting of thousands of paper rectangles, each hand-cut with a bookbinding awl to the same size, shape and accumulative weight of a printer’s lead type. In conversation with Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Curator, Helen Pheby [to be included in the accompanying publication], Nicola Dale reflects on how this work first started: “The first piece I picked up wasn’t a letter, but a space – being made of lead, this small rectangle was heavy despite its size and it made me think how once upon a time even a gap, a pause, a breath had some actual weight in the production of knowledge… but now even words themselves are weightless when they pass into digital form.”

David Ogle, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, 4, 2013

After his recent solo exhibition for this year’s Sculpture Shock and Catlin Art Prize awards in London, David Ogle is developing a new site-specific work especially for Mark Devereux Projects exhibition, Means of Feedback. Exploring materials and notions of how objects are perceived in space, Ogle’s work uses light to create innately ephemeral experiences. Beginning as a strict mathematical procedure, the rules and formulas are then ‘played-out’ within an environment, allowing the physical space to shape and manipulate the work. Ogle states; “Through negating material properties my work seeks a kind of fragility; resting on the edge between a sculptural form and an environmental effect of light that manifests itself within a space, a context from which the work is inseparable.”

Nicola Ellis, Paregro, 2013

Nicola Ellis will be exhibiting new works responding to her recent piece, Paregro part of the FOUR exhibition at Cornerhouse, Manchester. Exploring her fascination with natural and synthetic materials, Ellis has collected thousands of pieces of reclaimed glass from building and demolition sites to create a new sculptural work. In a recent conversation about the process behind the making of her works, Ellis comments: “It’s about finding something out about the material and process, which then explodes into the final work. The origins of the piece are in that discovery process. The spectrum starts broad and is then narrowed down with specific focus on the creation of the work, but once the final piece has been made this process then opens up again.”

Coinciding with Means of Feedback and formed in collaboration with Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, Mark Devereux Projects will be working with Nicola Dale, David Ogle and Nicola Ellis to create new, site-specific and performative responses to the exhibitions in Whitworth Art Gallery for a special After Hours event on Saturday 13 July from 7:30-10:30pm. Further information about this event will be announced on the Mark Devereux Projects website shortly.

Accompanying the launch of Mark Devereux Projects and Means of Feedback, a new publication will be available showcasing the work of Nicola Dale, David Ogle and Nicola Ellis, along with texts from Project Space Leeds’ Director Kerry Harker, Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Curator Helen Pheby, Whitworth Art Gallery’s Curator Mary Griffiths and Mark Devereux.

Initially trained as an artist, Mark Devereux founded and Directed Blank Media Collective in 2006 and was later pivotal in the launch of Manchester’s BLANKSPACE Gallery, before stepping-down from his role as Director & Head of Exhibitions last July. Now concentrating on a focused and dedicated support structure for early-career artists, Devereux comments: “I have spoken to hundreds of artists over the years and one of the key areas that continued to arise was the need for more one-to-one guidance and support. Already, since making my idea public in January, artists from not just the North-West but from around the UK have contacted me and we’ve met to talk about their work.”

Find out more about Mark Devereux Projects on Central Station here. Information about how any early-career artist can join Mark Devereux Projects Associate Membership can be found on the MDP website.

Means of Feedback is at CUBE, 113-115 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 6DW from 12 – 17 July 2013 (Preview: 11 July, 6-9pm).

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Read more about Mark Devereux on Central Station here.

During his six-years as Founder, Director & Head of Exhibitions for Blank Media Collective (Manchester), Devereux worked with and talked to hundreds of artists. One of the common and most significant issues was the lack of dedicated, one-to-one support available to give the artists the bespoke and channeled information needed to help further their practice.

Research shows that many positive and informative schemes varying from open workshops to discussion groups exist; however, there are few organisations that are able to offer a focused one-to-one service for early-career artists.

Through the experience and contacts Devereux has acquired, MDP is able to start looking at ways in which the organisation can fill-in some of these gaps. Working alongside other industry professionals, MDP is launching in the North-West of England with two entry-points for early-career artists, audiences and collaborators.

“His [Devereux’s] idea of starting our working relationship with 100 questions around every aspect of my practice was inspired. Since that, I’ve had an interview and studio visit with a fantastic curator from Yorkshire Sculpture Park. A visit from another arts professional and a further session with Mark are already penciled in. I feel really lucky that’s he’s taking such a nurturing approach.” [Nicola Dale]

Sequel, Nicola Dale, 2012

MDP will be working with Nicola Dale, David Ogle and Nicola Ellis as a long-term ‘collaboration’ to support the growth of their practices. With support ranging from critique of new works and ideas to support with promotion and business skills, varying aims and targets have been set to help each artist increase their profile and achieve their personal ambitions.

The work between MDP and the inaugural artists will be an ongoing process and conversation, rather than short-term fixes of information or exposure. Reflection, consideration and time for thinking are all integral factors into making the process and activities comfortable and successful for the artists.

“As opportunities for artists often seem to follow on from one another (new commissions arising from previous shows) it can feel as though any kind of career development lacks a level of direction or concerted focus on specific goals. Working with MDP has allowed me to consider in detail the types of opportunities that I am most interested in undertaking and how this can contribute to long-term aspirations” [David Ogle]

08005, David Ogle, 2011

The second strand of the organisation is the new MDP Associate Membership Scheme and one-to-one mentoring sessions. Early-career artists from the North-West of England can join the scheme to benefit from bespoke one-to-one mentoring and guidance sessions. They will gain exposure through annual group exhibitions selected by Mark Devereux together with two other curators, producers or industry professionals. They will also have access to group information sessions and events as well as access to a range of online advisory materials.

The Associate Membership is a great opportunity for early-career artists to not only increase their exposure and awareness but also get invaluable advice, guidance and support helping them get to where they want to be in the future. It also gives each of the Associate Members the opportunity to be considered by MDP to compliment the existing artists mentioned above.

To compliment the Associate Membership or for early-career artists from outside of the North-West of England, additional bespoke one-to-one mentoring and guidance sessions can be booked with MDP to discuss support, advice and information needed to help further individuals careers.

Lassus, Nicola Ellis, 2011

“There will be a lot of new experiences for me while working with MDP. I look forward to engaging with the public in different ways and focusing on specific areas of my practice that will help develop and compliment the work I produce.” [Nicola Ellis]

MDP is currently working towards the first exhibition; Means of Feedback, which will take place in Manchester from 11-17 July, showcasing the work of Nicola Dale, David Ogle and Nicola Ellis. Complimenting the exhibition will be specially commissioned videos about each of the artists and the work of MDP. A publication including the writing of Kerry Harker (Co-Founder & Director Project Space Leeds) and Helen Pheby (Curator Yorkshire Sculpture Park) will be launched to accompany the exhibition.

For further information about Mark Devereux Projects please visit the brand-new website, Twitter or Facebook. To join MDP Associate Membership scheme or find out more about one-to-one mentoring sessions for any early-career artist visit the Membership & Mentoring page or email info@markdevereuxprojects.com.

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Read more about Mark Devereux on Central Station here.