shepherds bush market is as diverse as anywhere in the planets, Multi coloured Brits, Sudanese, Egyptian, Afghan, Jaoanese, Punjabi and Aghani Sikhs, Nicco the fishmner is a greek orthodox Albanian. And these are the stall holders I know. Chatting with an Egyptian suitcase seller about Gaza , he siad how useful it was that the gulf arabs bankrolled gaza, otherwise he sad sadly, ..”they will all come over here, then God hlep us..”
I have a plan to print some T shirts, scourced in the market, exhbited and then returned to sell in the market. Tony, a wise and amibale Seikh who runs Bobby’s with his sister told me that no regular custoe of his would have enough money to pay for a value added souvenir T shirt”… No one has any money , we keep going for the tow months in the summer selling to Middle Eastern tourists, and they are the worst, bargining me down to the lowest margin…”
my plan to print some t shirts, scourced in the market at a local screen printer met some opposition form the market authorites. Shepherds Bush Market Lives implies that it is dying they said. OK Shepherds Bush Market stays. Lets see if I mange to get any printed.
as an elderly white male with a RP English accent Shepherds Bush market is not the easiest place to be accepted. After several weeks of daily sketching and countlerss cups of tea and long conversations I got to know some of the market and its stall holders. I teneded to work in the Northern ( Uxbridge Rd) stretch of the market
from reams of drawings and sketches I was able to produce a series of works illustrtaing aspects of market life
I printed two long panaromas of market life, using a bit of licence with geography the prints showed a variety of stalls with their stall holders and customers
I also etched en plein aire
i also worked hard to capture the essence of the market variety and decided on a simple format
I continue to draw and exmaine the market as my market protfolio grows and grows,
Nithing is better than help from my peers. We had a very consturtive day listening to eachother’s proposals for the Final Major Project(FMP), deadlines approac;, with a solid presentation by Monday 3rd June and a show to install by the 8th July. A month, effectivly 7 day,s in studio to build sets, frame and mask pictures. Finish off videos and drawings.
We wrote anyomous critiques of eachother’s work. I learnt from the critiques that for the first time I was on the right road, with a coherent argument. By 3rd June I hope to have a good slide show/powerpoint to illustrtate my arguemnts, my fidnings, my assesments and my plans for the FMP.
I have to dig deeper into the meaning of the market, the issues of trade, poverty migration, identity in my arguments
REVIEW. In Unit 1 & 2 we explored creative expression in the classical form of fine art.
From a a career as a photojournalistI found new ways of exploring my curiosities and
passions. From dry-point prints of funerals to plaster sculptures of mourning gods, I have
found new ways of expressing myself.
I was successful in my Unit 2 sculpture to find in art the capacity to express my frustration
and despair of the media images from the horror of October7th and the invasion of Gaza.
We were shown the possibilities of expression in photography and digital imaging and
manipulation. This is exciting and opens many new forms of expression for me.
A brief sculpture course crafting a terracotta head gave me an insight into form, shape,
scale and led me into exploring the three dimensions in my sculpture ‘Atlas in Gaza’
In addition, I explored colour and composition with acrylic paints and pastels,
understanding and discovering how to capture light and colour. It led me into producing a
successful triptych of panoramas with pastels on wood. This success has led me into
exploring pastels and drawing
PRoject concept
Shepherds Bush Market is a declining market in West London. It is in the early stage of a radical redevelopment, the market will be rebuilt, the stalls replaced, the project has the support of many of the stall holders, but remains controversial in the community, security guards patrol rigorously I live locally and know the market.The diverse community of stall holders and their customers interest me. I propose to spend time every week drawing and recording the market, the stall holders, their stalls, the contents, and, I hope, stories. This will be difficult; the stall holders are a diverse group, a few white British, the majority are Sikh, with people from the Middle East, Africa, Eastern and Southern Europe. It may be difficult to get their trust, and their agreement, to record their working lives. I have the permission from the Market owners and managers
The market encapsulates many of the issues of the 21st century, poverty, inequality, trade, the commercial dominance of China, migration. Shepherds Bush was a white working-class suburb, it is now a maelstrom of diverse cultures, all to be found in the market It is shabby, chaotic, but still full of life. Its shapes, angles, colour, life fascinate me, I hope to record it before it disappears.
From my drawings and photographs I am working on a series of prints and pastel drawings to reflect my impressions of the diversity of the market, not the ethnic mix but the heady cocktail of open air fishmongers, food stalls, night dress and stocking stalls, pots pans and plastic bowls. The commerce of the market depends on negotiation, it is not a priced regulated supermarket, but a free flowing social acuity with a bit of shopping on the side. I am reflecting this in a series of drypoint prints and coloured pastel drawings. The final presentation will include a multi dimensional representation of elements from a market stall
EVALUATION
Half way though my project I am feeling confident that I will be able to capture some of the essence of the market. Working in the printing and drawing studio over the last three weeks I have been encouraged by the positive criticism of my peers and tutors. I have shown some of my work in the market to general approval and agreement that it reflects some of the complexities of market life.
trying to naviaget and produce an assinment in teams ina poorly formated sereis of cell sfor updat on my FINAL GRAND PROJCET
I have submitted late as the template was blocked and then took a whole five hours trying to download and upload a simple docyument. Next time I wish I went on a course where we were given a bit of tuition on new software Grrrr
Following our successful lessons in drypoint and monotype printing,we were introduced to a new form of monotype. Inking a plate and selectively wiping the plate with a variety of hard and soft tools to create a tonal picture
Drypoint, engraved with an electric scibe and inked
We explored the art of monotype.Made famous by Degas , either removing or adding ink to a plate and then printing, for a one off journey into tone . I looked forward to working with this technique but found it much more challenging than I expected,the etching ink very thick and a vast problem for me in staying clean. I also found the issue of being able to see what I was doing a hindrance. I will use a light box next time I tried this. It is very exciting and wish I had more time in the printing studio to experiment.
a drypoint market sceen, drawn with a new electric scriber
from the look of this print I am having a successful time in Shepherds Bush market, I am drawing twice a week in the market and getting to know the stall holders ( Market traders)
i have slowly gained the trust of the very closed market people. I have especailly been attracted to the array of goods, clothes, fabrics, watches, pots, pans, vegtables
I have been drawing on site and working on a series in the studio
and yet I struggle to see how to capture my feelings and thoughts of the market, about the market workers and their lives, the produce they sell and its story of world trade, and the aetctics of the customners and stall holders.
I am planning a series of prints, and some panamric pastels, similar to the tryptic I produced at the end of Unit2
I have also been contemplating how to capture some of the assorted chaos of the stalls and the rigid reptation of others
It is a vivid but drab, ordered chaotic, confusing place and it is probably not a surprise to myself that I am often bewidlered as to where this project is going. I have a limited amount of time, and still wonder if I should abadon monochrome for a burst of colour, should I try a collection of photgraphs, or rely on my drawings as a document. I feel very pressured in my self directed work, and a little lost. I guess this is not an unusual creative issue, we look at the complete finished work without understanding the volumes of sketch books, and destroyed fauilures that preceded them.
the Topolski archives are kept in Felix Topolski’s former studio a railway arch by Waterloo station.
Felix Toploski RA 1907-1989 was an expressionist artist, and more famously an illustrator and draftsman o, Born in Poland and working in London from his early 30’s Topolski’s easy line, dynamic curiosity and energy led him into a important chronicllor of the 20th Century.
Liberation of rome, June 1944 private collection
As an offical war artist toploski travelled on eastern western fronts, and was a witness to the liberation of Belsen concentration camp.after drawing the Queens coronation for the Polsih Government, Topolski began a a fortnightly print that became an annual ” Topolski’s Chronicles” from 1954 till his death
in Volume 1 Topolski set out his agenda
I HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME THAT I MUST START THESE BROADSHEETS SOME DAY. MY REASONS, THOUGH PERHAPS COMERCIALLY UNSOUND, ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME: I HAVE AN URGE TO DRAW LIFE AND TO COMMUNICATE MY PICTORIAL CHRONICLE TO MY CONTEMPORARIES; AND, HAVING BEEN PERSUADED THAT I AM GOOD AT TRAPPING THE SPIRIT AND SHAPE OF OUR TIME, I ASSUME THAT SUCH A CONTINUOUS PANORAMA, WHEN COLLECTED AND PRESERVED, AS I HOPE, OVER MANY YEARS, WILL BECOME A UNIQUE DOCUMENT. THE CONTENT WILL NOT BE SUBDUED BY ANY RULES ………
queens coronation from Vol 1, topolskis chronicles
Topolski’s fast line and easy to recognise style made him a popular illustrator in the 60’s and 70’s
topolski’s wife and daniel, and illustrations of dublin shows that his rapid pen ibelongs to more than a cartoonist
Topolski’s work has fallen out of favour as the life he captured and the brillaint portraits he made are ignored, as the life of Britain in the 60s and 70s are forgotten.
I visited hte Topolski archives as I love his line and his rapid style of drawing, how in seemingly chaotic lines he forms a coherent form. I am also interest in how he used his art to report, and as a former reporter I hope to be able to capture life with my pencil and pen
In Unit 1 & 2 we explored creative expression in the classical form of fine art.
From a a career as a photojournalist I found new ways of exploring my curiosities and
passions. From dry-point prints of funerals to plaster sculptures of mourning gods, I have
found new ways of expressing myself.
I was successful in my Unit 2 sculpture to find in art the capacity to express my frustration
and despair of the media images from the horror of October7th and the invasion of Gaza.
We were shown the possibilities of expression in photography and digital imaging and
manipulation. This is exciting and opens many new forms of expression for me.
A brief sculpture course crafting a terracotta head gave me an insight into form, shape,
scale and led me into exploring the three dimensions in my sculpture ‘Atlas in Gaza’
In addition, I explored colour and composition with acrylic paints and pastels,
understanding and discovering how to capture light and colour. It led me into producing a
successful triptych of panoramas with pastels on wood. This success has led me into
exploring pastels and drawing
Section 2: Project Concept (approx 250 words)
Shepherds Bush Market is a declining market in West London. It is in the early stage of a
radical redevelopment, the market will be rebuilt, the stalls replaced, the project has the
support of many of the stall holders, but remains controversial in the community, security
guards patrol rigorously I live locally and know the market.
The diverse community of stall holders and their customers interest me. I propose to spend time every week drawing and recording the market, the stall holders, their stalls, the contents, and, I hope, stories. This will be difficult; the stall holders are a diverse group, a few white British, the majority are Sikh, with people from the Middle East, Africa, Eastern and Southern Europe. It may be difficult to get their trust, and their agreement, to record their working lives.
I have the permission from the Market owners and managers
The market encapsulates many of the issues of the 21st century, poverty, inequality, trade, the commercial dominance of China, migration. Shepherds Bush was a white working-class suburb, it is now a maelstrom of diverse cultures, all to be found in the market It is shabby, chaotic, but still full of life. Its shapes, angles, colour, life fascinate me, I hope to record it before it disappears.
From my drawings and photographs I hope to produce a coherent art piece. I am unsure if it will be a traditional set of drawings and prints, or a multi-dimensional work. I may produce nothing more than a documentary on paper with a series of sketchbooks. What I hope is that I will work in a wide variety of media. Reflecting the different faces and facets I see I am nervous of my ability to capture what I see and feel, I enjoy drawing but have little confidence. Beyond anything, I hope this exercise will help me to learn to capture and reflect life with my art and give me confidence in my abilities.
Section 3: Evaluation (approx 100 words)
I will be exploring a variety of ways of illustrating and examining the market and I will be
keeping detailed sketch books as well as using my blog to reflect on my progress.
In class I will be seeking peer review as I work out my ideas and work closely with my
tutors where their suggestions and feedback will be very important.
Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)
Project Action Plan and Timetable
Week Date Week Beginning Activity / What you are intending to do – including independent study Resources / What you will need to do it – including access to workshops
Nicholas Turner Morley Art Foundation 