Manifold crosses the river to Siobhan Davies

by Suzanne Harb

‘Under the Influence’ by Manifold

04.07-11.08.2013

Siobhan Davies Studios

The Siobhan Davies Studios and 60|40 have teamed up for the fifth year running to allow the chance for artists to respond to this unique space while re-examining their own crafts. This final installment in the crafts collective’s Starting Point series sees Manifold, a group of 9 artists and designers, utilise this unique space over a 3-month residency. 

Manifold is a diverse group who set up their studio in 2010 after graduation from The Royal College of Arts. Their individual activities include sculpture, drawing, digital art, textiles and hand modeling to name a few. Although diverse in their approach they are united in their need to portray processes, to their surroundings and progressive approaches to age-old ways of making.

As I approached the façade of the Siobhan Davies Studios I walked faster in anticipation of discovering the full charm of this converted school building from the late 1800’s. I had read about it but I was eager to see for myself the finished product of the work of Davies and architect Sarah Wigglesworth and the structure that would provide inspiration for the 9 artists in question. I was met with a clean, modern interior. The stairs placed outside the building, suspended from steel cords leading you up to the main studio on the top floor. A vast magnificent space tucked into London’s skyline with its warm wooden walls and sprung floors unique ceiling. However it is not this abundant space that these objects of in inspiration inhabit, but the meandering staircase and the short corridors filled with natural light. It is an intimate way of displaying the intimate objects that that make up the first part of this residency, moving in and out of the main body of the building as we view inside the artist’s mind. It is during this primary stage that the artists have taken to approaching this residency in a unique way and have decided to display the things that have influenced them and their artistic careers. 

The displays are diverse and unique to each artist.  The displays encompass personal photo albums and patchwork quilts to works from notable artists such as Gary Hume and illustrations by Quentin Blake. They wanted to utilise the residency to facilitate a truer response and to share something very personal.

When talking to Bethan Lloyd Worthington, she stated that as a group they decided quite early on that they wanted their time here to display a process. She said ‘we simply wanted to start at the beginning’, this meant the beginnings of their careers, even though they may not have known it at the time. A look into those people or objects that have gone on to inform their work and the work that they will produce here at The Siobhan Davies Studios. 

Worthington's personal offerings

Among Lloyd Worthington’s offerings is Maisie Broadhead’s ‘Made in Britton’ (2011) is as Lloyd Worthington states ‘I think it encapsulates much of what we want to say with the show as a whole.’ A photograph of a member of Broadhead’s family, holding an earthenware jug from Bernard Leach’s course collection and surrounded by some of her own works. It is this layered meaning and influenced from a number of sources that is indicative of what Manifold is striving to convey.  Another of Bethan’s contributions is a personal photograph of her Grandfather, a lay preacher, historian and teacher. It was taken at home once owned by the family highlighting her interest in sense of place and location.

Kim's taster of what is to come

Sue Ae Kim, a member of Manifold who has worked with ceramics has, on this occasion decided to explore the use of porcelain as a mode to respond to the context of the gallery. Her display at Under the Influence comprises of postcards depicting decorative porcelain figurines by Joseph Willems from the V&A.  Ae Kim said that she had been looking a lot at the work of Willems as the detailed figurines and the use of porcelain itself would be an appropriate way to relate to the strong background of dance that the gallery is famous for. She also displays books relating to Willems influence, Meissen porcelain. Ae Kim also mentioned that she was also taking dance classes at the studios, taking this time to draw and dance, I can’t wait to see what the culmination of this processes will be later on in the year. It is this overt reference to influence, context and process (that in this case is cross cultural and cross generational) that really sums up what the group’s ethos and what they are trying to do here.

This interesting and fresh take on a residency and the portrayal of process in a highly personal manner is what makes Under the Influence so special. I loved this introduction to the group and the way in which it can lead the viewer to assess their own influences, sentimentality and achievements. The group didn’t want to simply create a site specific art work they have instead created a respective insight into the their crafts. I look forward to what Unfold (6 – 22 September) will have to offer.

interview with zachary eastwood-bloom

from the artist's flickr page 
 
© Zachary Eastwood-Bloom

1. Can you talk a bit about how your art work begin? For instance, where do you start on pursuing this idea of 'space poetics'?
 
I have always been fascinated by the environment around me, how objects interact with each other, specifically buildings and the spaces they create. I was very lucky to study in three very different types of area, starting in industrial Yorkshire, going on to the classically inspired surroundings of Edinburgh and finally ending up in London’s metropolis. Each place has a very different feel and has inspired different bodies of work but the core enquiry remains the same, the resonance of object and space.

 

 

 

Works in progress in studio - from the artist's flickr page © Zachary Eastwood-Bloom

2. Are there any particular influences throughout your artistic career, e.g. other artists, certain types of music, certain social phenomenon etc.?

The ceramicist Martin Smith was a huge influence from the age of 18 and 10 years later he became one of my tutors at the RCA, he has absolute control over what can be a material with will of its own.  Artists such as Richard Serra, Richard Deacon, Anish Kapoor and Peter Randall-Page have a monumental and yet investigative quality in their pieces which works beautifully. The scale of my work is something I would like to develop in the next few years.

I
 have never really considered music a direct influence upon my work until recently when I did a video piece with my brother who composes music, but music so often conveys some of the atmosphere I am trying to convey in my work, I’m think of artists such as Johann Johannsson and Steve Reich.
Black Folds at the RCA show 2010

3. Your works are partly materialised by employing digital technology, and they reflect this on their outlooks. How do you think about the relationship between technology and art? Do you think it helps you to bring out the message you want to say or do you sometimes struggle to find a way to interpret your feelings through technology?
Information Ate My Table at the RCA show 2010
"Making Of" video from the artist's flickr page © Zachary Eastwood-Bloom

The use of digital processes came about because I was looking into ideas of the real and the virtual and this hybridised space that is created somewhere between each idea, a space that we increasingly exist in. The digital processes I have used are used by designers on a daily basis but rarely by sculptors so this is a fairly fresh area of investigation, in some ways it feels as if there is a slight fear or mistrust of the digital in a sculptural context, there are artists such as Antony Gormley and Annie Cattrell who do explore digital process, but it is a minority. The relationship between art and technology is interesting because with each new technology a new context for works becomes available, how long will it be before artists sell works through the iPhone app store? For me employing digital technology works perfectly, I can be exacting and experimental at the same time.

4. Many established artists nowadays do not 'make' works by themselves any more and instead hire assistants to do that for them. Would you consider working with other people to create 'your' art? And do you think it is a new approach of art which is viable in future?
I have to work with others to make my work, I don’t yet have the luxury of owning my own rapid 您的瀏覽器可能無法支援顯示此圖片。 prototyping machine or CNC milling machine. I have done a lot of work at Object studios 
in north London working on milling aesthetics and making models, Information Ate My Table was made there as well as the models for the Folding Space series. For 21st Century Landscape Triptych it took four people to make each component because the material cured extremely quickly, so I envision working with assistants in the future. I think there can be a stage where your ambition 您的瀏覽器可能無法支援顯示此圖片。 outweighs you abilities but I wouldn’t like to get to the point like Jeff Koons or Damien Hirst where you almost become a manager of your studio and not get your hands dirty. The managerial approach to art production works for artist who are in high demand but not necessarily for every artist.

Echo Shift (Bronze) at the RCA Show 2010

5. Do you have any future plans? What's next?
At the moment I am moving studio so as soon as I have the space I will be continuing this body of work. Information Ate My Table will be exhibited during design week in September and I am currently discussing future exhibitions with a couple of galleries for later this year and next year. I would love to get some public art and architectural commissions and make some larger monumental pieces.
*****
Thanks Zac for spending the time for the interview and sharing his production images with us.