Bury My Heart - Art Vend Oriel Wrecsam - Pit firing Ceramics

I have been selected to take part in this years Artvend organised by Oriel Wrecsam. The project was to create an artwork in a multiple of 50 that could fit into a capsule of 80mm. The capsules are to be distributed in vending machines up and down the country and the artworks are £1 each. I loved the idea instantly and was very happy to be selected.

The work I created was called Bury My Heart and contained 50 slip cast civil war bullets of six different designs. The bullets were my response to the 1890 massacre of Wounded Knee where American Troops killed 350 unarmed civilians 50 of which ere women and children.


The bullets were made in a production line and each imprinted with my initials - as was the tradition when creating bullets in this period. The bullets were then hand finished and fired in a pit using various materials including straw, salt, seaweed and a number of different metal oxides and carbonates. The fire burnt overnight and I excitedly looked at the results the following morning.

Once the bullets had cooled down and been cleaned up I began to see ho each one had reacted differently to the fire in relation to its placement and with regard the combustibles that surrounded it.

 The bullets were all photographed and catalogued individually and I have created a limited edition print about the project that is available to buy on my website click here to view

More details to follow on the exact venues of the machines - I will update the info on my website please click here to view 

More Info an Art Vend including location of Machines here 

I Hear America Singing 2015

"I Hear America Singing "
Multiples 2015 version 0.01 Illustrated above
Slip Cast Pit fired Colt Single Action Army Revolver, Nike Shoe Box
 

I am exhibiting new work at the Pool Arts exhibition "Dreaming of New York" at Horsefall space Gt Ancoats Street until 19th July. The piece "I Hear America Singing " comprises of a slip cast pit fired Peacekeeper Revolver and a Nike show box. The version in the exhibition is embedded with screws inspired by African Nginki fetish dolls.

"I Hear America Singing "
Multiples 2015 version 0.02 Illustrated above
Slip Cast Pit fired Colt Single Action Army Revolver, Screws, Nails, Rivets

Walt Whitman, 1819 - 1892

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,

The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,

The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

more information about the exhibition here 

Horsfall Space at 42nd Street Based on Great Ancoats Street, 
Horsfall is under renovation in this innovative historic quarter
42nd Streetthe SPACE, 87-91 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester, M4 5AG

Upcoming Exhibitions July 4th 2015 - Dreaming of New York - MANIFEST

I will be exhibiting new work at the "Dreaming of New York" exhibition at Horsefall space on the 4th July 2015. The exhibition runs for three weeks and is open Thursdays to Sundays 2 - 5pm.

My Dreaming of New York examines the American love affair with firearms technology contrasted with the most ancient and universal techniques of making pots.

It is also part of MANIFEST manchesters alternative Arts Festival.

Pool Arts featuring Penny Arcade

The CIA and Abstract Expressionism? A Situationist-style Derive of Ancoats? surreal Elvis? Queer Culture?

Visit Horsfall Space at 42nd street during Manchester International Festival and see Pool Arts art exhibition on the links between Art / Manchester and New York City.

Join us for special events, meet the fabulous Penny Arcade and enjoy an Independence Day Barbecue and  our famous bagels!

Where

Horsfall Space at 42nd Street Based on Great Ancoats Street, Horsfall is under renovation in this innovative historic quarter,

87-91 Great Ancoats Street
Manchester
M4 5AG

A creative hub for 42nd Street, a charity supporting young people under stress. Opening in April 2016 and housing our creative programme.
Manchester | UK

more info here Pool Arts

MANIFEST

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS June 19th 2015 - Notting Hill Art Club

 

I will be exhibiting a text piece as part of Broken Grey Wires in London this June at Notting Hill Art Club , the piece was first shown in Federation House and has since then had a number of different appearances and mutations.

Broken Grey Wires 'Make Windows Where There Are Walls'

Broken Grey Wires
'Make Windows Where There Are Walls' : a Live Wires Opening Event. 

A five week arts exhibition exhibiting artists;

Lizz Brady 
Kier Cooke Sandvik 
Paul Digby
Lizzie Dunn 
James Bloomfield
Simon Mawdsley
The opening night for the show is Friday 19th June from 6pm onwards beginning with the exhibition private view and following on with music featuring performances from Petrol Girls and Kitten Pyramid and a DJ set by Madame X and Lazy Susan.

Visit the BROKEN GREY WIRES blog for more info or Notting Hill Art Club here

Art Monthly May 2015 issue no 386 - small write up

 

Its nice to appear in this months Art Monthly with a small write up on the New Art Spaces: OPEN HOUSE at Federation House by Eleanor Clayton.

OPEN HOUSE - Federation House 2015 March 26th

"How Mindfuckingly difficult it is to be an artist and how you should say thankyou to the next artist you meet for sacrificing his/her sanity in pursuit of an artistic dream ideology in a corrupt and impenetrable system"
Mixed media 2015
Budgerigar case, adidas samba trainers, sunflower seeds

Adidas Support ISIS customisation but not their NAZI heritage

I am currently working on an arts piece using a pair of Adidas trainers as a symbol of branding and consumerism and was looking into their recent exploitation of custom products such as the massive interest in Adidas ardwick that are currently selling on ebay for £750.00 a pair due to their limited nature of only 200 pairs being produced.

I read a blog that said you could customise your own trainers with personalisation of your choice I visited the adidas website and was amazed to find I could customise my ownpair of trainers. I typed in "Artist"  which was allowed and is what I needed adding for my project but was then interested in other words..... I wasn't surprised to find the obvious expletives banned or forbidden I wasn't even surprised to find "Nazi" forbidden even though most brands want to exploit their cultural legacy - With the rise of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, both Dassler brothers joined the Nazi Party, with Rudolf (PUMA founder) reputed as being the more ardent National Socialist.^[1] Rudolf was drafted, and later captured, while Adi  (ADIDAS founder) stayed behind to produce boots for the Wehrmacht the united arm forces of germany. 

Then mischevious me typed in "Jew" also banned and"Christian" (not enough words to ban and "Muslim" banned "GOD" banned "ALLAH" banned - but not ISIS - you will be pleased to know that aspirational members of ISIS can still have their very own trainers and clothing personalised in the name of their cause.

 

 So well done Adidas for missing that one and also for protecting your rich and cultural heritage. 

Swinton South Affordable Art Fair - August 31st 2013 - 11am till 4 pm

 

Swinton South Affordable Art Fair

Sunday 31st August 11am - 4pm

92-94 Ringlow Pk Rd, Swinton, Manchester M27 0HD

Artist James Bloomfield hosts the first Swinton South Affordable art fair with paintings and artwork to purchase from the past 14 years  of his career all at extremely reasonable prices. Come along and meet the artist and grab a bargain.

Urban Landscapes / Graffiti Art / Reproductions /Abstract / Collage / Life Drawings

All Welcome more info here www.jamesbloomfield.co.uk

All proceeds go towards match funding for Arts Council Research and Development

A site-responsive exhibition exploring abstraction and minimalism : Society of Island Universes

Produced by Lisa Denyer and Michael Thorp


Venue: Unit 4C Piccadilly Place, Manchester
Preview: Thursday 17 July, 6–9pm
Exhibition continues: Thursday 17 July – Sunday 20 July, 1–6pm
Contact: societyofislanduniverses@gmail.com


Through the incorporation of photographic elements, installation, sculptural assemblages, projection and painting, Society of Island Universes explores the ideology behind abstraction. The exhibition brings together practices which demonstrate a strong interest in materiality, each piece of work provoking the viewer to examine and consider their immediate environment.


The title of the exhibition is taken from Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception, making the link between ways of seeing, intuition, and the discovery of new possibilities. We each have specific areas of interest in our interpretation of the world - but can we ever successfully communicate their importance?


Abstraction utilizes processes that can involve highlighting or obscuring. This visual language is ambiguous and open to interpretation, meaning that the resultant work becomes imbued with a multitude of ideas and points of recognition.


Within this exhibition, compositional elements which are not normally given much thought, such as the stretcher of a canvas, or a mark on the surface of a wall, are taken into account. Work is manipulated to expand into the architecture of the space, evidencing elements of the making process. Through responding to site and testing curatorial ideas, dialogues are initiated around flux and fundamental form.


All materials and their implications are considered through complex juxtaposition and comparison. Taking structure and solidity as a starting point, found objects, visuals, textures, colours and varied processes are brought together as mechanisms to represent the nature of transience. Construction and deconstruction take place until a balance is finally struck between what is painstakingly nurtured and what is left to chance.

Fire and Forget - 13.03.2014 The Killing Jar Project - Federation House Manchester

 

I will be exhibiting new work at the Launch of Federation House on the 13th March BTW 6 and 9pm. The work is about the USA's programme of Drone strikes in Pakistan that is responsible for the deaths of at least 168 children.

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oin us for the official launch of Castlefield Gallery’s New Art Spaces Federation House from 6-9pm on Thursday 13 March..
New Art Spaces is CG’s ‘pop-up’ project spaces initiative offering opportunities for artists, artist groups and artist development agencies. Federation House has been made possible through the generous support of NOMA.
Speeches at 6:30pm on the 6th floor by:
Maria Balshaw  (Director, Whitworth and Manchester Art Galleries, and Manchester City Council’s Strategic Lead for Culture)
Alison Clark-Jenkins  (Director Combined Arts and North for Arts Council England)
Martyn Hulme  (Managing Director Co-operative Estates Co-operative Group)
Exhibitions and open studios on all 8 floors:  Lower Ground floor MARS / 
Upper Ground floor Curated Place, CSV, DIY Art School, and Lauren Sagar & Sharon Campbell / 1st floor Mark Devereux Projects / 2nd floor Greg May, Molly Smyth, Saoirse Higgins, Julie Del’Hopital, Holly Rowan Hesson & Lisa Denyer, and TEA / 3rd floor Filmonik / 4th floor Roger Bygott, and Charma Force & Rafael Perez (guest exhibition) / 5th floor Sam Meech, Kathryn Miller, Darren Nixon, Huw Wahl, James Bloomfield, and Pool Arts / 6th floor TOAST
- See more at: http://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/event/new-art-spaces-federation-house-official-launch/#sthash.lmtcH9GT.dpuf

oin us for the official launch of Castlefield Gallery’s New Art Spaces Federation House from 6-9pm on Thursday 13 March..
New Art Spaces is CG’s ‘pop-up’ project spaces initiative offering opportunities for artists, artist groups and artist development agencies. Federation House has been made possible through the generous support of NOMA.
Speeches at 6:30pm on the 6th floor by:
Maria Balshaw  (Director, Whitworth and Manchester Art Galleries, and Manchester City Council’s Strategic Lead for Culture)
Alison Clark-Jenkins  (Director Combined Arts and North for Arts Council England)
Martyn Hulme  (Managing Director Co-operative Estates Co-operative Group)
Exhibitions and open studios on all 8 floors:  Lower Ground floor MARS / 
Upper Ground floor Curated Place, CSV, DIY Art School, and Lauren Sagar & Sharon Campbell / 1st floor Mark Devereux Projects / 2nd floor Greg May, Molly Smyth, Saoirse Higgins, Julie Del’Hopital, Holly Rowan Hesson & Lisa Denyer, and TEA / 3rd floor Filmonik / 4th floor Roger Bygott, and Charma Force & Rafael Perez (guest exhibition) / 5th floor Sam Meech, Kathryn Miller, Darren Nixon, Huw Wahl, James Bloomfield, and Pool Arts / 6th floor TOAST
Address: Federation House, Manchester. Corner of Federation St and Balloon St (map)

Federation House has been made possible through the generous support of NOMA.
- See more at: http://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/event/new-art-spaces-federation-house-official-launch/#sthash.lmtcH9GT.dpuf

oin us for the official launch of Castlefield Gallery’s New Art Spaces Federation House from 6-9pm on Thursday 13 March..
New Art Spaces is CG’s ‘pop-up’ project spaces initiative offering opportunities for artists, artist groups and artist development agencies. Federation House has been made possible through the generous support of NOMA.
Speeches at 6:30pm on the 6th floor by:
Maria Balshaw  (Director, Whitworth and Manchester Art Galleries, and Manchester City Council’s Strategic Lead for Culture)
Alison Clark-Jenkins  (Director Combined Arts and North for Arts Council England)
Martyn Hulme  (Managing Director Co-operative Estates Co-operative Group)
Exhibitions and open studios on all 8 floors:  Lower Ground floor MARS / 
Upper Ground floor Curated Place, CSV, DIY Art School, and Lauren Sagar & Sharon Campbell / 1st floor Mark Devereux Projects / 2nd floor Greg May, Molly Smyth, Saoirse Higgins, Julie Del’Hopital, Holly Rowan Hesson & Lisa Denyer, and TEA / 3rd floor Filmonik / 4th floor Roger Bygott, and Charma Force & Rafael Perez (guest exhibition) / 5th floor Sam Meech, Kathryn Miller, Darren Nixon, Huw Wahl, James Bloomfield, and Pool Arts / 6th floor TOAST
Address: Federation House, Manchester. Corner of Federation St and Balloon St (map)

Federation House has been made possible through the generous support of NOMA.
- See more at: http://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/event/new-art-spaces-federation-house-official-launch/#sthash.lmtcH9GT.dpuf

Join us for the official launch of Castlefield Gallery’s New Art Spaces Federation House from 6-9pm on Thursday 13 March..
New Art Spaces is CG’s ‘pop-up’ project spaces initiative offering opportunities for artists, artist groups and artist development agencies. Federation House has been made possible through the generous support of NOMA.
Speeches at 6:30pm on the 6th floor by:
Maria Balshaw  (Director, Whitworth and Manchester Art Galleries, and Manchester City Council’s Strategic Lead for Culture)
Alison Clark-Jenkins  (Director Combined Arts and North for Arts Council England)
Martyn Hulme  (Managing Director Co-operative Estates Co-operative Group)
Exhibitions and open studios on all 8 floors:  Lower Ground floor MARS / 
Upper Ground floor Curated Place, CSV, DIY Art School, and Lauren Sagar & Sharon Campbell / 1st floor Mark Devereux Projects / 2nd floor Greg May, Molly Smyth, Saoirse Higgins, Julie Del’Hopital, Holly Rowan Hesson & Lisa Denyer, and TEA / 3rd floor Filmonik / 4th floor Roger Bygott, and Charma Force & Rafael Perez (guest exhibition) / 5th floor Sam Meech, Kathryn Miller, Darren Nixon, Huw Wahl, James Bloomfield, and Pool Arts / 6th floor TOAST
Address: Federation House, Manchester. Corner of Federation St and Balloon St (map)
- See more at: http://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/event/new-art-spaces-federation-house-official-launch/#sthash.lmtcH9GT.dpuf

Join us for the official launch of Castlefield Gallery’s New Art Spaces Federation House from 6-9pm on Thursday 13 March..
New Art Spaces is CG’s ‘pop-up’ project spaces initiative offering opportunities for artists, artist groups and artist development agencies. Federation House has been made possible through the generous support of NOMA.
Speeches at 6:30pm on the 6th floor by:
Maria Balshaw  (Director, Whitworth and Manchester Art Galleries, and Manchester City Council’s Strategic Lead for Culture)
Alison Clark-Jenkins  (Director Combined Arts and North for Arts Council England)
Martyn Hulme  (Managing Director Co-operative Estates Co-operative Group)
Exhibitions and open studios on all 8 floors:  Lower Ground floor MARS / 
Upper Ground floor Curated Place, CSV, DIY Art School, and Lauren Sagar & Sharon Campbell / 1st floor Mark Devereux Projects / 2nd floor Greg May, Molly Smyth, Saoirse Higgins, Julie Del’Hopital, Holly Rowan Hesson & Lisa Denyer, and TEA / 3rd floor Filmonik / 4th floor Roger Bygott, and Charma Force & Rafael Perez (guest exhibition) / 5th floor Sam Meech, Kathryn Miller, Darren Nixon, Huw Wahl, James Bloomfield, and Pool Arts / 6th floor TOAST
Address: Federation House, Manchester. Corner of Federation St and Balloon St (map)
- See more at: http://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/event/new-art-spaces-federation-house-official-launch/#sthash.lmtcH9GT.dpuf