Who:
Craig Barrowman is a multimedia artist and curator based in Aberdeen. He is a founding member of collaborative art group Stray Dog and recently facilitated the ‘Art + Politics’ strand of Temporary Art School.

WLD/WLVS commissioned tee by Craig Barrowman

Why we like it:
Drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, performance and curating are all part of Barrowman’s creative practice. His website demonstrates his talents in a clear, visual way, enticing you to learn more about them.

Short Trip, 2006 by Craig Barrowman

Hidden treasure:
Short Trip was part of a group exhibition in 2006 where Barrowman took small groups of people out to an undisclosed location (Nigg Bay). He recorded their conversations in the car and played them through the car stereo to the following group of people. Notable praise goes to the brave participants, as well as the artist for this unique project.

Wishing Mountain, 2011

Where to find out more:
Website | Blog | Flickr

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Want to take a look at more suggested blogs by artists? Look here.

WAFA Poloraid by We Went North

We currently have members in Washington, Oregon, California, Minnesota, Maryland, Virginia, and the UK. We collaborate artistically, and our collaborations include zines, postcards, street art installations, music, web based initiatives, and gallery exhibitions. The artists in our collective have a diverse set of skills and interests, making it possible to achieve things together that we would not be able to in isolation. We also operate a web store which is primarily a way to sell our zines. We use the money to fund future projects.

Untitled – Collaboration by Jenkins and Bear Colony.

Our community is important to us, and it is something we have nurtured over the past 5 years. Besides artistic collaborations, we offer support for one another and are active in each other’s lives as artists and individuals. This support system is more important than the work itself.

A page in the WAFA ‘Future’ journal. A book that was started by Jenkins and has traveled to every current working member of the WAFA. It is now finished.

Find Out More:
Website | Flickr | Facebook | Twitter

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See more arts collectives we’ve featured on the site. Think we should feature your collective? Get in touch.

What:
Based in Manchester, Skyliner is an award-winning blog which shares stories about art, architecture and history with a view to encouraging residents to love the city they live in.

Every city is plentiful of interesting sights and stories that are at risk of being forgotten. There is public art which has been made within our lifetime which goes uncredited and will forever do so if no questions are asked about it. Skyliner aims to save these stories and archives.

Eventually, Skyliner aims to be a nationwide database of locations and stories from across the UK.

Why we like it:
Skyliner uncovers hidden architectural stories and helps its readers to engage with their cities and take on fresh, inspiring perspectives. Have a look here, you might be surprised with what you find.

Find out more:
Website | Facebook | Twitter

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For more creative delights we’ve Spotted on the web take a look here.

Big Pony Collection ONE by a film by nic finch (also know as chameleonic), an artist from Cardiff.

Vimeo | Website | Blog | Cargo | Twitter

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Although there are many collaborators and friends of the Center, Cat and Zack have formed the heart of the team in most locations. The Center is currently at work on the “Spice Mix Super Computer” for AND’s Mobile Republic.

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On our adventures traversing the globe, we have not stayed anywhere for more than 4 months in the past 2 years. With such a nomadic existence, ‘where we make’ is always changing.

On a flight: a good place to think, read and sketch, and catch up with stuff offline.

We have developed a variety of strategies for concentration and focus. For example, Zack works best early in the morning at a coffee shop with headphones on listening to drone music, while Cat works best in the peace of the late night when it seems the world has gone to sleep there are no other distractions (except for the occasional snore from Zack).

Just in the last week, we have worked at Bold Street cafe in Liverpool, on a plane, a train, in an airbnb room in Manhattan, and right now at a house with a large kitchen garden in Connecticut, charging our computers along the way and catching wireless connections where we can. These strategies have worked to greater or lesser effect in all of our temporary accommodations over the last year:

CANADA (Vancouver)
INDIA (Bangalore, the Koorgi Region)
IRELAND (Dublin)
NETHERLANDS (Amsterdam, Leiden, Rotterdam)
NORWAY (Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen)
SINGAPORE
SWEDEN (Stockholm, Uppsala)
UK (Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, London, Milton Keynes)
USA (Portland, New York City, Connecticut)

Our amsterdam apartment and office, while working on Pray for beans Project. The closer the deadline, the bigger the mess!

Every place we visit is an opportunity to connect unexpected dots. Moving around so much means we can exchange ideas, artifacts and recipes between seemingly unconnected places and people. I am sure we wouldn’t be making a Spice Mix Super-Computer in the UK if we hadn’t spent time in Bangalore being drawn into spice-rich karnatakan cuisine. Our Smog Tasting project in Bangalore was prompted by a quote in Harold McGee’s “On Food & Cooking” which seems like a particularly American approach to food. And so on.

Smog Tasting took us to the rooftops of Bangalore for a week of in-situ cooking.

The AND festival’s Mobile Republic is a microcosm of our last year. So far we have visited Manchester, Liverpool and London to work on the project, and we will be taking the caravan on the road to 4 locations in northern England. Taking on a project like this in an unfamiliar place is always a challenge because the simple tasks, such as sourcing various materials, become research efforts in their own right. The upside is that we generally see the places we visit from an unusual perspective. There can’t be many visitors to Liverpool who have strolled along Edge Lane to visit the B&Q.

The sign with no sign on edge lane by b&q, Liverpool, source: google maps

We do not have a permanent home or studio. We have attempted to consolidate our travel kit to the absolute essentials, but it is hard to bring an entire kitchen with us!

Here is an example of our other work space in the Netherlands: the kitchen of a restaurant that we took over for one evening. (Photo Credit: Lucas Evers)

Following food stories around the globe has been amazing, but we are looking forward to finding a landing spot and opening up the Center for Genomic Gastronomy as a non-nomadic entity. Maybe 2013?

All images are courtesy and © The Center of Genomic Gastronomy

Find out more:
Website | Blog | Twitter

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Want to take a look at more suggested blogs by artists? Look here.

What:
Salford Zine Library is a self-publishing archive which aims to share creative zines. There is no curatorship so the library is totally inclusive with over 1400 publications so far.

Why we like it:
The archive is open for all to contribute to. Find out on their website how to contribute your own zines. Their blog is also full of fancy zines for you to peruse here. Perhaps one will inspire you?

Find out more:
Website | Twitter

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For more creative delights we’ve Spotted on the web take a look here.

Brothers of the Stripe are a collective of image-makers working across the UK who work on a mixture of art, graphic design, and illustration projects. The group were shepherded together by the foresight of Joel Millerchip, illustrator and unofficially, the illustrious leader.

Rainbow Kelly by Mr Millerchip

Joel went from city to city, getting full UK coverage by selecting some of his favourite illustrators to represent their area of the country, to bring what they do to the ‘Stripe’, and to play host once their time comes.

Expo by Mr Millerchip

Sampler by Mr the Beef

Some say our name comes from Joel’s obsession with the Newcastle United Football strip design, and that he has it tattooed on his underarm… annually.  Other rumours involve Stephen Chan once hypnotizing himself by staring at a barbershop pole too long, and the collectives shared loved of a striped Jamaican beer. Whatever it is, these boys are brothers in arms and industry.

Kyoto 1 by Stephen Chan

Kyoto 2 by Stephen Chan

So far, shows have included a spot at Get a Grip Studios at the Custard Factory, Birmingham and a day long take over of Design Museum, London. Next up, the collective find themselves in residence at the Soup Kitchen in Manchester sometime in October.

The Hunt (detail) by Will Scobie

Before long, Brothers of the Stripe will have reached the four corners of the UK, with representation in Scotland, Wales and England. Expect shows in Glasgow, Nottingham Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle and London in due course.

Clouds by Cloud Commission

One by Kristian Jones

More: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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