Postcards from bielefeld

Time to move..

2010-01-21T04:48:00.000-08:00

It's time to pack up and go back home tomorrow, but i will return in May 2010 to take part in the 25th anniversary of Artists Unlimited. I will be making an exhibition of new experimental process drawings with Artists Unlimited member Angelika Höger. For the time being we will be sending 5 drawings back and forth between Salford and Bielefeld until May. We will be making a new contribution to the drawings each time the drawings arrive and we will document each stage of the drawings on a new project blog.

This is my last post until I reach my home ground when i will make one final post about my artists in residence period at Artists Unlimited, Bielefeld.

Postcard archive

2010-01-13T04:34:00.000-08:00

POSTCARDS FROM BIELEFELD

VIEW THE ARCHIVE...

(Dis)Order opening night 8.1.10

2010-01-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Friday night saw the opening my my first solo exhibition in Germany at the Artists Unlimited Gallery.

A great speech was given by Matthias Albecht from the Kunsthalle Bielefeld and by Artists Unlimited member Cem Kozcner.

The opening was well attended and i even made a few sales!

Artists Unlimited members Lars Rosenbohm and Tim Sürken

(Dis)Order exhibition 8-17.1.10

2010-01-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

(Dis)Order

Rachael Elwell

8 - 17.01.2010

Artists Unlimited Gallery Bielefeld, Germany.

Exhibition text:

A particular capacity of line is its capacity to create a surface
(Wassily Kandinsky 1926)

Rachael Elwell’s first solo exhibition in Germany explores the perceptual connections between line, form and space through contemporary drawing processes. Her work focuses on the relationship between chance as an essential dimension of art, and an interest in control and structure in the composition of image making.

Presented here is a series of works that are random, generative and transformative creating a sense of becoming rather than the static or fixed. Elwell puts into place set systems and methods of mark making, constrained by the limitations of working with the pencil, the pen and the stroke. From there on she exploits this by breaking such self-imposed rules; she adds shade, reduces the strokes, erases and resets the paper surface.

Aesthetically, Elwell deals with the graphical connotations of the hand drawn line, albeit by the appearance of closely positioned and intertwining lines into form. She doesn’t claim to do this intentionally, but more to test the tactile qualities of different media. This appears central, but into which final result is an unknown entity until the process is complete. In so far as a contained or chaotic, constructed or inverted process goes, Elwell confidently creates with unexpected results in a (dis)orderly fashion.

Exhibition Images:

This series of photographs were taken by Artists Unlimited member Harriet Esther Muntean

http://www.harrietesthermuntean.com

9m24cm (graphite on paper)

Untitled: Blocks 1&2 (graphite on paper)

Accumulations (1-6), graphite on paper

Accumulations (1-6): Detail

Untitled: Tumult (1-4), graphite and oil pastel on paper

Untitled: Tumult (1-4): detail

Rotund (1&2), graphite on paper

Conglomerations (1-5), graphite on paper

Conglomerations (1-5): Detail

Conglomerations (6-9), graphite on paper

Conglomerations (6-9): Detail

Untitled: Spun (1-7) Ink on paper

Untitled: 17, ink on paper

Gallery shot of Room 3

Gallery shot Room 2

The show runs until 17th January 2010.

Exhibition installation

2010-01-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

This week I have been installing my exhibition at the Artists Unlimited Gallery. Monday was mainly spent selecting the most appropriate work to put in the exhibition. All my work was taken to the gallery and a selection of people helped me to come to a decision about which works to include and leave out of the show. My main criteria is to show a varied but relevant selection of works that show my new drawing process and tests of drawing media.

Once the works had been chosen the installation of all the work could begin..

1 week to go

2010-01-02T02:37:00.000-08:00

Fresh from the lovely festive holiday all my focus is now on installing my exhibiton which opens in 1 week, on the 8th January.

The installation of works in the Artists Unlimited Gallery will start on Monday, so this weekend I am laying out all my work and deciding which works to exhibit.. I didn't realise how much work I have made over this past 3 months, so editing out works is a tough decision.

I have spend the past few days piecing together some new text to accompany the exhibition which will be included in a hand out for visitors and deciding on some text to go on the gallery wall.

I am also pleased to confirm that Matthias Albrecht from the Kunsthalle Bielefeld will be making an introductory speech at my exhibition opening on friday night.

Postcards from Bielefeld

2009-12-26T13:38:00.000-08:00

Visit the archive...

Rheda Wiedenbruck

2009-12-26T13:25:00.000-08:00

Over the christmas holiday's I took a trip to the quaint little village of Rheda Wiedenbruck, around 25 miles from Bielefeld. It was really nice to spend the afternoon mooching around the Christmas market and buying a few presents to take back home.

Exhibition flyer

2009-12-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

(click on the image for bigger picture)

Time is really rushing by now, and it's only 1 month until my exhibition opens here at the Artist Unlimited Gallery. With the help of the house, my exhibition flyer is now all designed and at the printers. The exhibition opening will be on the 8th January and will run until 17th. Now I'm starting to plan which of my new works will go into the exhibition and how I will display them in the wonderful gallery space.

9m24cm

2009-12-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures to show you my progress on the huge drawing I am making for my exhibition in January. The drawing is made in 3 separate parts and this is the first of the three. I think this piece will be on going right up to the instillation week in January when my show opens. In between making this piece I am continuing to make other experimental drawings, mainly playing with form and composition on a variety of scales.

Just the beginning stages..

making good progress..

Me in the studio...

2009-11-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share a picture of me working away in the studio this evening on the 9m 24cm drawing..

This picture was taken by Artists Unlimited member and photographer

Heinrich Holtgreve

www.holtgreve.org

A state of becoming....

2009-11-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

I've been busy all week composing some new drawings with repetitive lines: continuing with stacking, layering, erasing, ordering.. this is the latest drawing from the series of 'tumbling and stacked boxes'

Untitled: 5 tumbling boxes (graphite on paper, 42 x 59.4 cm)

I have also decided that for my exhibition I will make a drawing using this process that will be installed in one of the gallery spaces at the Artists Unlimited Gallery. The space I will mount the drawing on will be across 3 walls with a total measurement of 9m 24 cm - so i have really got my work cut out for this piece.

Again i am plotting found and randomly generated numbers into a polygon which has been mapped out and masked off to give a straight edge - trying to give some order to the disorder of repetitively drawing and erasing lines -( and everything that occurs in between)

The piece does not have a title so far, but I am noting down how many lines are being drawn during each drawing session, and I suspect that this may have an influence on the drawings title in the end.

Here is the beginnings of what is going to be a very long winded process..

Just the beginning...

I have also been playing around with a process of drawing a series of quick lines, whilst blind folded, to generate some new ideas about creating new forms, playing around with confined spaces and environments on the paper surface. To help me to see the forms more clearly I have decided to give each newly determined form an identity - either a graphite surface or a specific colour. I'm really enjoying creating these new shapes and compositions from a simple few free formed lines, understanding forms and putting things into a new order feels satisfying and intriguing.

I don't really see these as finished works, more like small sketches of investigation into how line creations can lead to complex surfaces and structures. ... like creating a state of becoming something rather than being static..

A few examples - I have made many of these pieces

Made across five separate surfaces and positioned together, the order of the pieces can be changed around

Water colour and pencil

Postcard 5

2009-11-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

Please visit the Postcard archive to see al off the sent and received postcards so far..

http://pfbarchive.blogspot.com/

Drawing Blocks

2009-11-18T05:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some snaps of some further work using pencils, lines, erasers and measurements, which were made over the weekend. The work is now starting to play with spacial concerns of the surface area of the paper, and I'm becoming more and more interested in stacking, piling and toppling lines and blocks.

For a full description of how the work is made please visit this previous post.

Untitled: 4 Tumbling blocks

(Graphite on paper, 30 x 30cm)

Untitled: 3 Stacked Blocks

(Graphite on Paper, 42 x 59.4 cm)

Making the work

Recent studio work

2009-11-12T05:22:00.000-08:00

I've been sat at my desk in the studio for the past week with my head down, drawing thousands upon thousands of pencil lines. Though my neck, arm and hand are a bit sore, I'm happy with the results of my hard labour.

I have been collecting numbers from everywhere; public transport time tables, food packaging, receipts, from websites, basically any time I see numbers I've been jotting them down in my notebook. The source of the numbers isn't really that important, I just need a bank of random numbers to make my drawings. There are also some great 'random number generator' websites if I need a large bulk of numbers at once.

I have been drawing lines with graphite and drawing lines with an eraser; constantly drawing, erasing, redrawing. It all contributes to a system that hopefully creates a drawing that is transformative, generative, one that can never be predetermined, but the process of making the drawing is very defined from the outset.

This type of process is very much about trail and error, looking for the imperfections and taking those ideas to generate new systems . It feels a bit like a machine, turning one system into the next, which leads into the next series of drawings... it never ends!

As with my earlier experiments, I have been plotting lines on an x, y axis, taking 3 numbers at a time: 2 numbers define the section of the surface to draw lines in quick succession with a pencil and a ruler, and the 3rd number which determines at which point I will erase, by freehand and with my eyes closed (just to 'spice' it up a bit, haha), at that point.

In this piece: Untitled: 30'659' the process is repeated hundreds and hundreds of times and is divided into 4 areas. Each area is worked on separately and contains over 200 plotted numbers.

The Drawing in progress

Untitled: 30'659 (detail)

Finished piece:

Untitled: 30'659 (graphite on paper)

24x32 cm

By the way, 30'659 is the total sum of the area in which the lines have been made, in millimeters.

The next series of drawings are made in a similar way.

My starting point is to draw a line that is made by placing a pencil in my left hand, closing my eyes and drawing a single line across the surface.

Using found numbers once again, the lines are plotted along the free hand line created at the start of the drawing, again in groups of 3; 2 numbers to determine a block in which to place very quickly drawing lines, 1 number the determine where an erased line will appear.

First few experiments (Untitled series 3)

Untitled: 3.1

Untitled: 3.2

Untitled: 3.2 (Detail)

Untitled: 3.3

Untitled: 3.3 (Detail)

And, I have started to really enjoy plotting lines along the curved line, so i made a quick experiment using the sphere at a space to plot random numbers along a curved line - which has sparked a few more ideas for me to carry on with over the next few days.

Untitled: Spheres

Postcard Archive

2009-11-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

I have now started to archive the postcards that I am making for project at Touchstones Rochdale Art Gallery.

I am pleased to report, that despite to postal strikes back in the UK, that the postcards have been arriving safely at the gallery. The postcards are being displayed in a book, for visitors to view throughout my residency here in Bielefeld. The postcards reflect my current work, research and experiences from the residency, whilst also providing viewers a picturesque and traditional tourist view of Bielefeld from current and past times on the reverse side of the postcards.

View the archive here

Weekend in Bremen

2009-11-05T02:08:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I made visit to the not so far away city of Bremen.

Bremen has the most wonderful Museum for Modern Art called The Weserburg. The Weserburg is a huge 4 story art museum cram packed with touring exhibitions and a permanent collection.

The highlight for me was a exhibition called We Fix Toasters by american artist Norman White, an exhibition of digital and kinetic art.

During my time in Bremen i got to explore the city and also visit the nearby town of Bremerhaven

Wallanlagen Park - Bremen

Bremen town hall and the surrounding beautiful architecture

Die Sögestrasse

I couldn't visit Bremen without touching the feet of the Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten - The Town Musicians

The winter season market and fair

Bremerhaven is the seaport of Bremen. It is a relatively new town founded in 1827 by Johann Smidt...

Bremerhaven fishing boats

Bremerhaven Kunsthalle

Bremerhaven is home to many of these wonderful modern sculptures that are dotted around the town

Now I'm back in Bielefeld continuing to make new work and making postcards to send back to Rochdale Art Gallery. I will have some new pictures of my most recent drawing experiments over the weekend.

More new experiments..

2009-10-30T04:22:00.000-07:00

All images © R Elwell 2009

Sketch work...playing with new ideas.

2009-10-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some snaps of my recent studio work, which is mainly taking place in the sketchbook at the moment. I haven't worked in a sketchbook for a long time , its nice to have a place to collect ideas and thoughts , though I do find i still have bits of paper with notes and drawings all over the place, I'm enjoying reconnecting with the sketchbook as a testing ground.

I have been working with a continuing idea of using instructions and systems to generate drawings. The instructions are becoming more coded, and the results of new experiments are more generative in form than previous works.

The instruction sets, or codes, provide a platform for other form growing concepts to be realised, one idea always has an important connection to the next and I see this as an integral part of my practice.

I find that I learn a lot about drawing from using codes, the more I exploit a particular code, repeating it over and over again, new discoveries are made throughout the whole process. My work is completely transformative, from what you start out with to how its end up as a 'finished' piece. I tend to draw in series, using the same code throughout, and each drawing will be different in form. Using algorithms creates new ideas and informs my technical ability to make a drawing - in composition and spacial forms, and in manipulating the media.

I quite often explore the graphical qualities of the hand drawn line, both in free hand and by using a measuring device. I like to combine this with patterns and repetitive marks, and how i interfere and react to the process is sometimes exploited to the point of chaos. There is a strong element of play and of trial and error in my work and I enjoy discovering imperfections and become inspired by unexpected occurrences that happen as a result of following and exploiting such a rigid format.

Playing with traditional ideas of balance and symmetry is something i'm currently interested in, pushing and subverting classical forms into new directions. I often create a simple field for the drawings to take place - a masked off area on a paper surface, or an X, Y axis to plot randomly generated or found numbers.

Hand drawn pen lines, generated by a plotting area to place the marks, and using found numbers to rotate the page using a protractor.

Hand drawn pencil lines, erased and re drawn, using an x,y axis. Numbers are generated by an online number generator for the purpose of trying the idea out.

And now some of the ideas are being tried and tested on a larger scale, on a separate paper surface.

Rochdale Park - Bielefeld

2009-10-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to visiting Ravensberger / Rochdale Park, where i learned to ride a bike!!

Balkan Art festival Bielefeld

2009-10-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.balkan-art.de

The Balkan Art Festival kicked off here in Bielefeld at Artists Unlimited this evening with a photography exhibition by Armin Smailović and A len Hebilovic.
The show runs until 23rd October 09 and there are various events through out the city for The Balkan Arts Festival throughout October 09.

Back in the studio,,

2009-10-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

I'm very settled in the studio now and I've been getting down to some serious drawing business.

Actually, it's not all that serious! - I've been having great fun!

Lately my ideas about using some form of systematic approach to composing a drawing have felt like some what of a burden. This is mainly the reason why I decided to bring an empty portfolio with me.
My drawings have recently started to get quite complex, mainly working with collected and self generated drawing instructions.

One of the things that I decided before I came on this residency is that I would of course carry on with using rules and systems, as these are the things that underpin my whole practice, but instead of using hundreds of instructions (which have been collated in books for the past few years) I would strip things right back and start pulling out the instructions which most interest me.

1) blind drawing

2) plotting polygons from randomly generated and found numbers *

3) repetitive hand drawn lines

I've come to learn that with these combined instructions alone lies enough scope for lots more interesting and versatile outcomes.

First and foremost though... my work is playful and whimsical and to put it into a few words, my drawings are about investigating the process of drawing.

Some would say they aren't about anything at all - and i may just agree on this.

Plotted polygons and hand drawn stacked lines (graphite) (15.10.09)

Studio wall with drawings and new instruction sets (15.10.09)

Small drawings involving blind drawing processes, plotting randomly generated numbers and repetitive hand drawn lines (15.10.09)

Close up (15.10.09)

3 completed small drawings (15.10.09)

* a closed plane figure bounded by straight sides

Postcards...

2009-10-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

The very, very nice thing about this residency is that I am given a very generous monthly grant to be able to not only fund my social and daily living activities, but there is also plenty spare to be able to buy in new art materials, and to really invest in some decent quality drawing materials in my case.

First on my list - a high quality drawing compass, clicker pencil and specialist rulers. Simple though it may seem, i'm really happy to now have these drawing instruments to add to my stock of materials out here to make my new drawing projects.

I also made a quick visit to the Tourist Information Centre today to buy a few postcards to make a start on the project for Touchstones Rochdale Art Gallery. Here i found a really nice selection of postcards from the 60's and 70's as well as contemporary and traditional postcard imagery of Bielefeld.

Selection of postcards (12.10.09)

And today I started making my first postcard to send to Touchstones Rochdale. I wont give too much away, as you should go and see the postcards on display at the gallery if your back in the North West UK, but here is a glimps of the first one being made...

Postcard No.1 - Rochdale Park. (13.10.09)

I will archive the postcards and put them on this blog eventually once the gallery have recieved each postcard.

I think one of the nice aspects of this postcard correspondence project is to be able to share some information about Rochdale's twin town, not just through a pretty postcard image, but also to be able to find out some other local history facts and to share it in a personal way. Though the postcards don;t completely reflect the way i make my drawing work, they do offer an insight into what interests and inspires me and how I go about researching and reflecting on my experiences. I also like the fact that it is another way of making a blog.

Sparrenburg Castle, Bielefeld

2009-10-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

A very short car ride away from the Artists Unlimited house is the beautiful Sparrenburg castle.

(image taken from www.panoramio.com/photo/7032815)

Constructed in the mid 13th century by the Counts of Ravensberg, the castle was administrative centre and residence of the county sovereign, and protected the town and trade routes through the Bielefeld pass. It was rebuilt many times. Sparrenburg Castle gained its present outline in the middle of the 16th century. A vast 300m system of underground passages can be explored from April to October, and visitors can enjoy panoramic views over the town Panorama and surrounding countryside.

View from the castle grounds over the city of Bielefeld (11.10.09)

My most favorite picture of the day, another view point from one of the outcrops of the castle - the beautiful autumnal colours and architecture are stunning. (11.10.09)

I wasnt expecting to be able to see the Dr Oetker factory from the castle!! (more to come on DR Oetker very soon) It's worth mentioning that the Dr. Oekter sign you see here spins round - I was very impressed! (11.10.09)

View across the city of Bielefeld (11.10.09)

This afternoon I was very much looking forward to another walk to check out Rochdale Park, but the heavens opened, again!, and it hasn't stopped raining since. So the afternoon was spent reading and researching contemporary drawing works and arists whos work especially rely on algorithms* to create new forms. I'll be post more about this during the week along with the first few drawings i have been working on over the past few days.

*Algorithm: a formal set of instructions that can be followed to perform a specific task

Home sweet home (for the next few months)

2009-10-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be interesting to share a few pictures of the flat and studio I have kindly been given to live and work in for the duration of my residency. It illustrates just how privileged I am to have been selected to come here as the working and living conditions are first class.

The Studio is extremely spacious , with wi-fi and lots of workstations... (9.10.09)

My drawing table (9.10.09)

Drawing table and computer desk (9.10.09)

A cosy area to make knit and crochet work (9.10.09)

The lovely apartment - my home for the next few months.

Tomorrow I'm taking some time to visit Sparrenburg Castle - a 13th century landmark built by the Ravensburg Counts, and then a walk to Rochdale Park.

Over the next few weeks I also plan to visit Ravensburg Spinning Mill, Bielefeld University Art and Design dept. and the City Art Gallery.

From Salford to Bielefeld, via Rotterdam.

2009-10-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

So the journey begins. Setting of to Hull from Salford, Lancashire the first leg of the journey is relatively easy - a 90 mile drive to the Port of Hull to board the Pride of Rotterdam Ferry.

The Port of Hull (6.10.09)

On the deck of the Pride of Rotterdam (6.10.09)

Once on board I had 14 hours to relax and enjoy the scenery!

A ship in the distance (6.10.09)

And for those who know me all too well I did manage to get in a little crochet action to pass the time..(6.10.09)

Then an overnight sail across the North Sea into the Port of Rotterdam gets me safely onto the continent.

Good morning Rotterdam! (7.10.09)

Sunrise over Rotterdam as we sail into the Port (7.10.09)

A little weary and tired I set of driving again - 219 miles through The Netherlands and over into Germany straight to Bielefeld, my new home for the next three months.

On the final stretch of the Autobahn as I approach the city of Bielefeld (7.10.09)

As each week passes by I will continue to share with you my experiences of living and making new art works at Artists Unlimited.

Artists Unlimited - An Introduction

2009-09-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Artists Unlimited as it was, 1935

Inside the paper factory, 1964

Artists Unlimited is an artists association and art house that combines living and working under one roof since 1985. The project runs a gallery and a guest studio and has until now ﬁnanced three-month-grants for 70 guest artists from all over the world. They live in the Artists Unlimited house – a former paper factory building - and exhibit their creations in the projects gallery. Such art funding by artists for artists is rare and has here produced a continuous cultural dialog between regional and international artists. Artists Unlimited is ﬁnanced by its members and all common activities are done voluntarily. ... www.artistsunlimited.de

Artists Unlimited as it is today: The Artists Benefizparty 2009