Interfaces of Location and Memory: an Exploration of Place Through Context-Led Arts Practice
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Title Interfaces of location and memory: An exploration of place through context-led arts practice. Type Thesis URL http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/7764/ Date 2011 Citation Lovejoy, Annie (2011) Interfaces of location and memory: An exploration of place through context-led arts practice. PhD thesis, University of the Arts London and Falmouth University. Creators Lovejoy, Annie Usage Guidelines Please refer to usage guidelines at http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/policies.html or alternatively contact [email protected]. License: Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives Unless otherwise stated, copyright owned by the author Interfaces of location and memory An exploration of place through context-led arts practice. Annie Lovejoy Falmouth University A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University of the Arts London for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy __________ August 2011 Interfaces of location and memory An exploration of place through context-led arts practice TEXT Abstract Interfaces of location and memory is a conceptual framework that invites an understanding of context-led arts practice that is responsive to the particularities of place, rather than a model of practice that is applied to a place.! ‘Socially engaged’ and ‘relational’ practice are examples of contemporary arts field designations that suggest a modus operandi – an operative arts strategy. The presence of such concepts form the necessary conditions for investment in public art sector projects, biennales, community outreach and regeneration programmes. The problem here is that the role of the artist/artwork can be seen as promising to be transformational, but in reality this implied promise can compromise artistic integrity and foreclose a work’s potential. This research project proposes that a focus on operative strategies applied to a situation (as a prescribed or desired effect) is counter-productive to the context-led processes of responding to the relational complexities of a particular place. As such, Interfaces of location and memory calls for an integrative conceptual framework to make sense of the immersive, durational and relational processes involved. Practices and theoretical texts concerned with place and process within the fields of arts, geography and anthropology inform the development of the research and the fieldwork project – caravanserai – an arts residency based at a caravan site in Cornwall, UK. Expanding on Lippard’s educative proposal for ‘place ethical‘ arts practice (1997: 286-7) Interfaces of location and memory offers a contribution to existing knowledge in the field of contemporary public arts; as well as being of interest to disciplines beyond the arts, concerned with the understanding and future visioning of the places we inhabit. Acknowledgements Thanks to my supervisors, Dr Daro Montag of Falmouth University and Professor Catherine Leyshon of the University of Exeter. I am particularly grateful to Kate for immersing herself in the caravanserai project, stimulating my thinking and supporting me throughout. I would also like to thank my examiners Professor David Crouch and Dr Richard Povall for their critique and guidance; and Falmouth University for the financial support of a studentship. Lucy Lippard’s inspirational writings on place, art and tourism are central to this research project. I thank her for these and for her encouraging personal responses to my practice and the research outcome ‘discovering whats on our doorstep’ - a guidebook for Treloan. Thanks also to Tim Ingold for sending me a generous package of published papers during the early and uncertain days of my studies that profoundly influenced my thinking and the development of this project. The caravanserai project would not have been possible without the generosity, trust, support and friendship of Pete and Debs Walker of Treloan Coastal Holidays; or the creativity of ‘project van’ residents Cat Holman, Greg Humphries, Alyson Hallett, Harriet Hawkins, Ken Barrett, Robin Harford and visitors Hannah Cox, Simon Holman and Charlotte Stranks. As well as all who have contributed to the guidebook publication or performed at caravanserai events (named in the publications and on the website). For their continued support at Treloan, I thank Steve and Alison Arthur, Andrea and Chris Insoll, Mary Alice (photographer) and Chris Pollard purveyor of local histories, anecdotes and the stuff of myth and legends. Thanks also to Hilary Thompson, Debs Wallis and Simon Gill for their invaluable advice on local history, wildlife, and making sure that ‘the idiosyncrasies of the place are not lost’ Many dear friends have been with me throughout, providing me with emotional and intellectual support, critique and advice; as well as reading, discussing and proofing the publications and text, thanks here to Jon Dovey and Carol Stevens, Martin Lister, Ben, Magda and Daria Tzlisk-Carver, Veronica Tickner, Joy Sleeman, Belle Benfield, Sophie Howard, Leigh Hughes and Victoria Field. Finally, I thank my family for being there and most of all, give thanks to Mac Dunlop, my friend, partner, artist and co-founder of the caravanserai project, for his love, laughter, support, inspiration and common sense – thank you. The caravanserai project and publications were funded by: The European Social Fund, FEAST (Arts Council / Cornwall Council), RANE – Research into Arts Nature and the Environment (Falmouth University), Treloan Coastal Holidays, Arts and Humanities Research Council; Cultural Historical Geography Research Group; School of Geography, University of Exeter; Social- Cultural Geography Research Group RGS- IBG For my dad, Bruce Irving Crouch (1922-2013) who slipped away before it was done I will find you in clocks and chimes, in beautiful crafted works of art and in black and white photographs. I will find you at sea, on the beach and in boats. I will find you in a 6 o’clock whiskey. I will find you in heartfelt memories, in chitchat and laughter, and in the gestures and smiles of strangers. I will find you in family and friends, in a hand held in mine I will find you in the solitude of a windy coastal walk and in the pottering of my garden. I imagine you taking stock, job done, life lived, wiping the soil off your hands and saying… ‘there we are then – lovely’ Contents Introduction 1 1: Gathering the seed 8 1.1. Minding the Gap: reflections on the research / practice divide 10 1.2. Interfaces of location and memory; as a philosophy of practice 19 1.3. Thinking inside the box: Barton Hill Public Art Programme 22 Summary 25 2. Clearing the ground 27 2.1. A story of discovery: fixed conditions that limit our understandings 27 2.2. Out of place: the disconnection of art from context 31 2.3. Engaging with relational complexities 35 2.4. The stakeholder, the consultant/curator, the artist and the other 38 Summary 44 3. Extending the field 45 3.1. Reclaiming the Relational: 45 3.1.1 Network and meshwork 49 3.2. The Loss of Mystery: a work by John Newling 57 3.3. Of flowers and temporality: Rite van de Lente by Jyll Bradley 60 3.4. Place, art and tourism: where r u? 63 Summary 70 4. Preparing the ground – a practice-led methodology. 73 4.1. Rationale for a responsive approach: 73 4.1.1 Why Lippard? 80 4.2. Backwards into the future: developing a conceptual framework 83 4.2.1 The enabling conditions 88 4.2.2 Fieldwork 89 4.2.3 A layered methodology 90 4.2.4 A multi-method approach 93 4.2.5 Methods 95 Summary 100 5. Fieldwork: caravanserai 103 5.1. Outcomes of the fieldwork 104 5.2. Instigating the fieldwork 108 5.3. Being there 114 Summary 142 6. Harvesting 144 6.1. Gathering 145 6.1.1 Discovering what’s on our doorstep 147 6.1.2 Insites: a notebook 156 6.1.3 www.caravanserai.info 161 6.2. Caravanserai reviewed 163 6.2.1 Expanding on Lippard’s place-ethical criteria 176 Summary 188 7. Seeds for the future – discussion and analysis 190 7.1. interfaces of location and memory 190 7.1.1 A severe and insistent light 191 7.1.2 A quick fix 193 7.1.3 Integrity – risking marginality (but is it art?) 198 7.2. Interfaces of location and memory – revisited 200 7.2.1 A place-ethical project – caravanserai 200 7.2.2 Commonplacing – a significant breakthrough 202 7.2.3 The value of arts practice as a form of knowledge production 206 7.2.4 Whose story? 208 Summary 210 8. Conclusions 212 The research contribution 217 Appendix A: Thinking inside the box: Barton Hill Public Art Programme 223 Appendix B: Backwards into the future: Reviewing previous works 242 Appendix C: Funding application and evaluation report (FEAST) 2009 266 Appendix D: caravanserai residencies and placements 288 Bibliography 327 Figures Title page: Annie Lovejoy / Mac Dunlop. The moving finger writes... panel detail, Library foyer glazing. Bedminster, Bristol. 2005 1. Annie Lovejoy and Harriet Hawkins. Insites: a notebook. 2009 16 2. Annie Lovejoy. Interfaces of location and memory. Website interface. 2004 21 3. Heath Bunting. Advertising Art. Bristol 1990 (photo: Annie Lovejoy) 37 4. [online image] http://www.fridericianum-kassel.de/ausst/conf-e.html 39 [accessed 11.6.2004] 5. Andy Hewitt and Mel Jordan. The Economic Function. Sheffield 2004 39 6. Pouring oil and feathers outside Tate Britain to protest against British Petroleum 42 sponsorship of the arts (photo: Dominic Lipinski/AP). [online image] 7. Lucy Orta. Nexus Architecture x 50. Intervention, Köln 2001 47 8. Lucy and Jorge Orta, 70 x 7 The Meal. A proposal for the City of London 2006 48 9. Lucy and Jorge Orta. Plate Design: 70 x 7 The Meal, act XIII, Colchester 2001 50 10. [online image] http://www.orgnet.com/inflow3.html [accessed 23.4.2008] 50 11.