Recent Antics - Craftivism

I want to update you on another project I've been working on.

DIY Shades of Bristol is being presented as part of Craftivism - which opened last week at Arnolfini, Bristol.

DIY Shades of Bristol (commissioned by Relational) is an ongoing city-wide colour mapping project produced through a collaborative process:

I've been asking local residents the following questions:

"What's your shade of Bristol?
What colour do you see when you think of home?"

Collecting participants hand drawn responses on my trips across the city, I gathered these responses to produce a limited edition DIY Shades of Bristol swatch book (designed with Dane Watkins). Over the course of two or three months I carried my 'What's Your Shade of Bristol?' cards with me in my rucksack along with packs of pencils, crayons, felts, pastels that people could use to create their shade (its'a large backpack!). I worked with each person to invent the name for the shade and took a note of their postcode - the start of the colour mapping process.


The resulting swatch book is currently on show at the Arnolfini, with a small selection of paint match pots inspired by these unique personal shades. Gallery visitors can also now cast their Vote for the Shade of Bristol!
I've been supported in the paint mixing process by a superb small company based in Cornwall called Naturepaint. They promote traditional paint (milk based recipes and natural pigments) without any of the toxic nasties and I've been mixing up bespoke shades using a range of pigments in my kitchen over the past month. Its kitchen alchemy - really great fun. In early January I'm hosting an eco-paint mixing day at Arnolfini. Anyone can drop by and mix up their own shade of Bristol and take a wee DIY Shades of Bristol matchpot away with them.

The conversations with participants during the gathering process often turned to Do-It-Yourself, hobbyism and the sharing of skills so I decided to collect peoples' personal DIY Tops Tips and share them via the swatch book (a selection appear at the back of the book).

The meetings took place in cafes, kitchens and community spaces across Bristol and its wider environs including the Community Cafe at Wicklea Youth & Community Centre and Bradley Stoke Library & Leisure Centre. I also set up a stall one day in The Mall, Broadmead Shopping Centre, Bristol.


The opening event at Arnolfini last week went really well. There was a great turn out of participants, friends/family and craftists - folks were interacting with the works that included all kinds of craftivist skill sharing around food, knots, knitting, clothing...Not everyday you can swing in a hammock made by the West Country branch of the International Guild of Knot Tyers and read about Macramé and the like. That's a project initiated by Glasgow based artist Mandy McIntosh by the way - it was great to meet her through Craftivism.

I want to send out my special thanks again to the 60 residents who shared their Shade of Bristol:

Football Blue - Peter Brown/Light Storm - Masaya Powers-Duff/Bristol Blue Glass - Tiffany Denny/Just Before It Gets Dark - Ellen/Cool Midnight - Toni Hawkes/Not Cold Blue - Emma Base/Sky Blue - Barry Watts/ New Wall - Andrew Docker/Patchway Blue - Janice Brice/Calming Blue - Jackie Keen/ Brislington Sky Blue - Fiona Ford/Blue Bristol Morning - Jenni D. Bradshaw/ Totterdown Blue - Stephanie Gilbert/ Easton Green - Ben Pollock/Oppressive Green - Marko/Forest Green - Peter Stuart/Field Green - Sheila Brown/Leaf Green - Pat Venn/Green Park - Lynn Ellis/Teacup Green - Clare Thornton/Babygrow Aqua - Jennifer Davis/Putting Green - Den Marshman/Life - Maxine/Sea Green - Amie/Melamine - Angela Piccini/A Good Day - Kenny Monger/Three - Oliver Betts/ Sunshine Yellow - Chris & Neil/Joy - Theresa Day/Warm Seamills - Stephen/Sandstone - John Collis/Harbour Day - Michael Parsons/Pale Cream Magnolia - Anne Booker/Hint Of... - Richard Venn/Wall Colour - Rick/ Beige (No It Isn’t Yes It Is) - David Baker/Hot Air Balloon Fire - Angela Smith/Rising Star - Sulekh Chand/ Sunset Over Sandy Park - Emma Weyman/Warm Glow - D.Watkins/ Sunset Glow - Regina Siu/Warm Neutrals - Angeline Hawkins/Red Silt Terracotta - Ruth Holdsworth/Dining Fire - Steve Pearce/Acacia and Toast Rust - Claire Abrahams/ Autumnal - Jacky Sutton/Autumnal Orange Tint - Christine Clothier/ Deep Ruby Red - Pam Wreyford/ Scarlet - Michael Booker/ Home Strip - William Marsh/Royal Red - Stan Claridge/ Rich Red - Patricia Warren/City Red - Kevin White/Asma Rose - Fatehia/Baby Pink - Kerry Hillier/Friendly Chaos Pink - Kate Monger/Schmauve - Nick/Dark Rich Purple - Stella Lee/Chocolate - Emma Hogg/Smell of Coffee - Geoff Cox

Introduction

Welcome to my new blog.
I'll be using it as a space to share ideas, images, links and updates relating to my Nine Trades of Dundee project.

To provide a bit of background detail:
I'm an artist and seamstress by trade. For me they are portable skills and I have traveled (fairly) far and wide with my artist kit bag to earn, learn, produce work, pick up skills and trade a few in return. Currently living in Bristol, I'm really looking forward to my monthly trips to Dundee (on the Caledonian Sleeper).

For the Nine Trades project I'm keen to learn about the textile trade and meet a variety of trades people working in Dundee. During my initial research trip in October '09 I visited several great tailors, costume and textile shops and outfitters. In the new year I'm hoping to set up creative links with a number of these shops, studios and businesses.

I've been working as an artist for about 10 years and use a wide range of media including performance, sculpture, video, photography, print and conversation. I've been making clothes on and off for about 20 years and textile elements often work their way into my projects one way or another. I've developed projects for a variety of spaces - from galleries to community centres, museums to market squares and I like to create social events where people can take part in the creative process. For me the involvement of others is a vital part of the work.

So what is the work? As a collector of stories, objects and curiosities I create installations, limited edition objects, bookworks and live events. Collecting and curiosity are key words for me. I'm interested in social collaborations and social histories and am fascinated by public and private collections/archives. My work investigates the process of capturing personal and collective narratives and testing how these materials can be distilled into art works for public presentation.
For some recent projects examples visit:
www.clare-thornton.blogspot.com

So Dundee awaits! I'm really excited to respond to the people and places I meet. Taking on the role as a roving artist and tailor traveling through the City collecting stories, style tips and trades secrets upon my way....