Wednesday 17 December 2008

New work for exhibition - Unit 9 Artists Collective






New work for the Xmas group show by Unit 9 Artists Collective. Each artist from Unit 9 produced new work which created a domestic interior. I made 'Grandad Bob's Chair' - an armchair dedicated to my Great Grandfather who died on Christmas day a few years ago. I've embroidered all my small memories of him on the chair, realising as I did it how little I actually knew about him. I also made him a pair of embroidered 'China' dogs for the mantle. The exhibition is at Unit 9 from the 6th to the 21st December.
http://www.southsquarecentre.co.uk/index.php?/centre/units/2/

Burnett & Catt - participating in Project DoDai at Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana

Project DoDai

Project conceived and coordinated by BridA/ Sendi Mango, Tom Kerševan, Jurij Pavlica, Cesare Pietroiusti & Alenka Gregorič.


Artists: Elena Bajo, Dafne Boggeri, BridA / Sendi Mango, Tom Keršvan, Jurij Pavlica, Morwenna Catt / Duncan Burnett, Beatrice Crastini, Vuk Ćosić, Emilio Fantin, Dušan Kirbiš, Warren Neidich, Luigi Negro, Sally Noall, Giancarlo Norese, Slobodan Peladić, Cesare Pietroiusti, Therese Sunngren, Miha Štrukelj, Giorgio Valvassori, Marcela Vanzo,

The project is on from December 17, 2008 till January 13, 2009 at Galerija Škuc and you can also contribute to the project at http://www.brida.si.

You are kindly invited to attend the closing of an exhibition on Tuesday, January 13 at 8 pm. 2009 at Galerija Škuc.

Irrespective of the hysteria of the last few months of the financial crisis, which is imbuing all pores of economic, political and social life, of all the guessing about how the situation which has arisen is going to impact upon the different spheres of our lives, the present exhibition provides, when speaking about art and its market orientation in the Slovenian space, the résumé, respectively, the result of the confrontation of the views of the various actors within the domain of modern art and its market orientation - a pressing theme also within the local space during the last few years. We have initiated the creation of the project together with the artists of the BridA group (Sendi Mango, Tom Kerševan, and Jurij Pavlica) about a year ago; however, the initial steps of the project were aiming at completely different goals. Our discussions, in which the artist of Italian origin, Cesare Pietroiusti (with whom Galerija Škuc has already worked), has been taking part upon the ulterior invitation of the artist, were most frequently focused in particular at questions focused on the marketing of the modern art, the advantages and weaknesses generated by the latter, and where Slovenian art has been located in this context.

In particular, the view from outside, where we can expose the point of view of Pietroiusti in the actual communication, who not only is not acquainted with the specificities of the Slovenian (non-)market of modern art, but is so much more acquainted with the specificities of the far more advanced Italian market, and whose practice is founded just on anti-marketing oriented artistic production, has well installed the course and implementation of the exhibit project DoDai - Add. First of all, the discussions generated questions about so-called "art" tourism, the production mechanisms, as well as the positive and negative market outcomes concerning modern art. We have established parallels between great international manifestations of modern art – biennale, triennial, document (“grand tour” - from Venice via Muenster and Kassel to Basel) to the juxta-position with trade fairs, which (at least some of them) strongly parry to the spectacle of the large non-market manifestations of modern art. We have not searched for great answers with which we could draw a conclusion and write down what is right and what is wrong, better or worse, more or less harmful, authentically binding for modern art’s production. Just the opposite, the answers have launched new questions and dilemmas, which have not however been presenting any novelty in the local environment, and even less in the international environment.

Likewise the question of audience, respectively the general public, played an important part in the creation of the exhibition project, that is, the part of the system which should present to every acting subject in the public sphere one of the most important articles of our activity. If the general public does not play an important part, then we should ask ourselves why should we act in public, why should we spend public financial assets, and why should we conduct our activities in public premises? Nevertheless, the most important audience of modern art is the general public, who are being encouraged by artists through their works and using the means of various artistic methods and practices, to reflect, respectively, confront everyday routine. If this factor is not in the forefront of the activities of a modern art public institution, then quite soon we can approach the logics of commercial galleries, whose principal motivational power is capital in the hands of a handful of individuals who provide for the survival of these premises.

For some people the presentation, assuming the image of a public gallery presentation, is rather simple, perhaps even naive and non-spectacular. And this is just about it. We did not wish the seeming spectacle, which should dictate answers to pressing issues, but we were searching for the way in which we could address, respectively, encourage the general public in the best possible manner to take an active part in the project via the internet, by visiting galleries, thus contributing through the means of such general public engagement to the designed final form.

For this reason the artists of the BridA group and Cesare Pietroiusti invited about twenty artists from different countries who they have made friends with, respectively, whose artistic work they are acquainted with and respect, and consequently wish to present to the general public. For this reason the exhibited works have no conceptual framework through which we could expose questions or theses; there is only one moment uniting these works – the works in the gallery as those contained in the website are waiting for the audience to respond with comments, interpretation, critique, or any other personal effusion. There is no financial reward for writing, yet there is a possibility that the artist either from enthusiasm, or from any other personal impulse, will gift his work to the writer of text, who according to his opinion will touch the core of his work. The social capital of an individual is the only component by means of which the project operates, since it is going to be a guideline for the possibility of possessing the artistic work presented in the gallery. The writer of the best texts following the judgment of the artists, the majority of whom will participate in the closing event, will be gifted with the works of artists without ceremonies and speeches on the last day of the exhibition.

The decision, however, is the exclusive right of the artist and therefore the works might not pass to another owner and will return to the artist's ateliers, cabinets, shelves, hard discs, etc.

Alenka Gregorič

Project is supported by Ministry of Culture of Republic of Slovenia and City Council Ljubljana-Cultural department.

For further information contact Alenka Gregorič on + 386 1 251 65 40 or galerija.skuc@guest.arnes.si.

Saturday 6 December 2008

Cartwright Hall Table commission / Early Years workshops




Images of artwork produced in workshops with early years children at Cartwright Hall Gallery and Museum a few weeks ago. Work was based on the museums glass collection. I was commissioned to make a table which could be used for activities by children visiting the space (pictured above). It has glass mosaic inserts, traceable sections for drawing & wipe clean perspex inserts that the children can draw onto and wipe off.

Monday 13 October 2008

Saatchi online critics choice

MORWENNA CATT: SAATCHI ONLINE CRITIC'S CHOICE BY ANA FINEL HONIGMAN

As my mother would say: Morwenna Catt is "not a happy bunny." Nor are the embroidered cloth rabbit sculptures she makes in order to 'take recognizable artefacts and tales from childhood and subvert them into something malformed, battered and bruised; to evoke that darker side of childhood experience.'Like the anthropomorphised playthings children clutch, Catt's rabbit heads are more human than animal. They have long floppy ears but human sculls and basic, pretty, feminine features. They also are covered in ragged embroidery, resembling elaborate tattoos or bruises.
All beloved toys earn scars from children's careless love. But these bunnies' debased appearance belies more malevolent and purposeful abuse than the normal wear and tear. Catt's stuffed toys provoke adultempathy. And she explains the bunnies' sad sagas in her 'Poison' series of acrylic and hand stitching canvases. In these Tim Burton-like paintings, Catt establishes the bloody, tragic back-story for her stuffed toys' trauma.
More common is the mildly distressingly, yet still disillusioning, childhood experience Catt evokes in her series of X-ray photograph-on-light-box works. In these, she exposes the corrupted innards of stuffed animals, as they might appear when passing through an airport X-ray. Children traveling are often upset when separated from a cherished stuffed toy, whose trip into the X-ray underscores its existence as an inanimate object different from its empathetic owner. Airport security searches toys for drugs, weapons and other counter band but Catt's toys contain messages aimed at the adults who tamper with children and childhood symbols. One such horsey hides a key and padlock, along with the words "betrayal," in its belly. Here, as in her other work, Catt's creatures' pain is palpable but as inarticulate and heartbreaking as all childhood hurts.

Ana Finel Honigman

ANA FINEL HONIGMAN is a critic, PhD candidate in art history at Oxford University and Senior London Correspondent for the Saatchi Gallery's online magazine. She is Style.com's Arts correspondent, Arts Editor of Alef, a Berlin correspondent for asmallworld.net and contributes regularly to such publications as Artforum.com, Art in America,TANK, Dazed & Confused, Sleek and British Vogue.


Tuesday 30 September 2008

carnivore












New Painting (120cm x 120cm) - not the finished version but in the top photo it's nearly in its present state. Bit different from my usual - a combination of 70's polaroid, wallpaper and fangs. Now its finished it reminds me, maybe too much, of those snooker playing dog prints.



Thursday 31 July 2008

New Painting - Weeping Woman


I haven't painted for ages and it probably shows. This is a new stitched painting - currently in the Unit 9 Gallery group show till the 26th August.

Burnett & Catt - Bradford Lord Mayors Parade

Bradford Lord Mayors carnival parade

music costume

music float
Tea & cakes float
Madame Flotsam recycled costume
Tea Djinn & float

The Love, Dance, Art, Friendship Float


Some of our costumes.
The Tea Djinn

Jackie from Q20 Theatre in the paintbrush gown


We've (Burnett & Catt) made floats and costumes for the Bradford Lord Mayors Parade for the last 3 years. This years parade was in June - photos by fantastic Bradford based photographer Tim Smith, please see his website at the link below - there's some really stunning work there.

Sunday 1 June 2008

Ship of Fools - new work for exhibition



This is my piece for the 'ship of fools, ship of hope' exhibition at Yarra Sculpture galley in Australia. Artists were sent a simple plastic boat in kit form and asked to respond to the theme (see previous post for details of the exhibition). Mine is a military camoflage textile boat, the sail is stitched from sections of military safety slide film found on a skip.

Ship of Fools - exhibition




ship of fools
ship of hope
one world
curated by Julie Collins
Trish Semple - Northern Ireland
Roxanne Brousseau-Felio - Canada
Michael Markham - Canada
Marsha Pels, - USA
Yvonne Kendall - Germany (ex Australia)
Cliff Burtt - Washington, USA
(ex Austraila)
John Kelly, Ireland (ex Australia)
Julie Collins - Australia
Derek John - Australia
Lea Tomson - Estonia
Frederic Boulleaux - France
Martine Kaczynski - USA
Jack Fisher - USA
Shana Kohnstamm - USA
Morwenna Catt - England
Kelly Strachura - USA
Ralph Essex - England
Jessica Levy - Ireland
[OD]: Rui Aço, Fernando Vidal,
Freitas Cruz– Portugal
Pennie Steel - Australia
Anette Kristiansen, - Norway
Lucas Richard Stephens - Norway
_8_0_8_
Sandra Minchin - Ireland
MonTana - Netherlands
Patricia Sea - Germany
Helen Masacz - England
Srdjan Markovic - Serbia
Takaki Hashimoto - Japan
Louise Gains - Wales
Elizabeth Presa - Australia
Lee Boyd - Ireland
Otto Holler Druckgrafik - Germany
OPENING WEDNESDAY 18 JUNE 2008 6-8PM
EXHIBITION 18 JUNE - 6 JULY 2008
YARRA SCULPTURE GALLERY
117 VERE STREET ABBOTSFORD 3067
MELWAYS REF:10K
OPENING HOURS WED-SUN 12 - 5.30
TELEPHONE 9419 6177
INFO@YARRASCULPTURESPACE.COM.AU
YARRASCULPTURESPACE.COM.AU

YARRA SCULPTURE GALLERY
Presents

SHIP OF FOOLS
SHIP OF HOPE
ONE WORLD
Gallery 1,2 & 3
35 Artists from 13 countries respond
to global warming.
Many international artists are courtesy of spreadart.net
To partake in the interactive forum during opening
email rsvp-virtual-state@8-o-8.org
Curated by Julie Collins

Monday 5 May 2008

Burnett & Catt - Recycled Costume Commission




Burnett & Catt: Finished Recycled Costume commission. 'Powdered Wig' made of recycled knits. The dress, cuffs and fans are recycled polythene bags, sweet wrappers, soft toys and other assorted rubbish, embroidered and stitched.

Mr Tumnus Head dress For Narnia


Finished Mr Tumnus head-dress commissioned for Narnia Production.

Saturday 5 April 2008

Burnett & Catt - Head-dress for Ice Queen


A last minute commission from a Theatre Company to deliver by Sunday. Head-dresses for Narnia Ice Queen and Mr Tumnus. Tumnus isnt complete yet and Ice Queen may become a little more bejewelled tommorrow. We're sleeping on it.

Phrenology (grandma) old enough to know better


The third phrenology head from the Red Riding Hood trio - terrible photographs unfortunately, taken in bad light before I took it to New York. The three have been to Scope Art Fair now and are now on exhibit at Jack the Pelican in Brooklyn.

Saturday 22 March 2008

Fibreart review of 'Pricked'


American Textile Art magazine 'Fiberart' review of Pricked:Extreme Embroidery. Click on the image to enlarge text.

Phrenology - (Red Riding Hood) Small Enough to be Eaten




The second head in the new Phrenology series of 3 for Scope Art Fair in New York.I'm taking the heads to New York myself on Monday so now I'll have a chance to see the rest of the exhibits. Will post photos when I get back.

Thursday 20 March 2008

Phrenology - (Wolf) Big Enough to Eat You


This is the first in a new series of Phrenology pieces. This one is based on a wolf, the other two in this new set are rabbits. I'm adding final details to the others but will post them soon. I'm working against the clock - but hopefully these will be showing at the Scope Art Fair in New York with Gallery 'Jack the Pelican Presents'. The first Phrenology series will also be transferring to 'Jack the Pelican' when the 'Pricked: Extreme Embroidery' exhibition closes on the 28th of April