My recent efforts in the studio have been around using rubbish. Traces, footprint and re evaluation as a resource . I look on it as a kind of technical studio exercise to push what I have to its maximum … not always through the press but often the pressure of the press squeezes the material into something else. and it is this transformation that I’m interested in. So far i’ve
Notes on the negative. I Have been working in the studio preparing for the Parcours d’art Avignon this week, and making connections between things, the drawings the prints and the newer sprayed works. All deal with negatives and touch and it was not until I put up the work side by side that I could see that so clearly. The photos that I have been using over the winter of
Jim Howard Music / Victoria Arney print / Film John spaull Improvisation made in 2021 in response to Dawn Chorus scroll Nightingale silence and singing 2022 An ongoing collaboration with Jim Howard using coloured sonogram images. These are from a stock of recordings made over several years here. some of the coloured sonograms
AURORA SCROLLS Both recordings were made April 7th 2021 in La Creuse France the first at 5.45 am. I superimposed the sounds in lines across the plate – like writing. The scrolls read left to right the top line being the first recording / the bottom line being the second. Both these recordings were in a small woodland copse at the first moment of sound before and after sunrise. I
This was made on my phone close to where I live in a small area of woodland overgrown with tall poplar trees , small oaks and a lot of grass and undergrowth. These small pockets of wilderness between fields sustain the populations of migratory birds. This recording was made at 5.45 am on May 3 2020. This is the recording I used to make the woodblock script for several works
This mornings recording at 8 am Nightingales and Golden Oriels this has been the first time I’ve been able to record for a few days and its rained heavily here and it been too windy to record sound. Hoopoes are here now as well they can be spotted with their low looping flight and white tipped wings. I have seen the Grand duc several times but still havent been able
April waxing moon night walk Went out in search of Nightjars and the Grand duc owl that I had heard had come back to be a summer resident here in Junas. As the moon is almost full and there was very little wind It seemed like a good time to break the curfew and see if i could record something. Accompanied by Archie ( my son) and Martha with Ferg
Just outside of Junas on the road to the garrigue. I’ve heard this one before in the same place for a couple of years but his song was very strong this year and loud. Felt like a young bird but I could see it ( of course) ! With a new recording device I have clearer sonograms. Juste à l’extérieur de Junas sur la route de la garrigue. J’ai déjà
recherche pour mon prochain travail aube et au crépuscule j’ai visité le même bois dans la Creuse pour faire une nouvelle gravure en 2 parties. I have been able to re visit a wood that I recorded in 2019 at the same time of year for a work – Red songs. These recordings I have printed out and am using to make a large 2 plate etching of dawn and
bird list to date : Scops Owl arrived last night ( march 28th) The Eurasian Scops Owl is migratory. The most part of the European population migrates in autumn and reaches inland Africa in a single flight, maybe close to the Sahara. It likes the vicinity of humans. Redstarts / blackheads redstarts arrived mid march – one pair bread in our garden last summer and I think the parents are still here
A spring sound to look forward to in 2021.
Recorded on May 3 2020. this is an area that has a small stream and fields either side and vineyards. the trees are tall and ancient mainly poplars , old evergreen oaks and shrubby bushes and long grass. there is a small path that leads through these fields and onto the old railway that is now a cycle path. Recorded at around 5.45 am.