Trading Places/CR.E.A.T.E. Programme

The Residencies

Periodic updates from the journals of the artists involved in this project. Back to residencies

Ballydown PS, Banbridge, Co Down; Ann Henderson

Installation

Written by artist Ann on 10 April 2004

The kids chose a partner and set off with a punch card, chalk and a large sheet of wax paper to find themselves a work space on the hall floor. They studied the punch cards and were then given 30mins to draw an impression, at least as tall as themselves, on the wax paper. The aim was not to attempt to draw the punch cards in particularly geometric fashion, hole for hole, but rather, within the relatively short period of time to decide which of the details or areas were most important and best represented the punch card as a whole.

Next scissors were produced to sighs of relief all round as the kids realized we weren’t about to cut out every circle they’d drawn but again make decisions as to the best way to represent the card as a whole.

While the hall was being used by other classes for dinner we turned our attentions to small scale works, A4 black paper and pastels. We took a long journey to the top of a mountain entering deep within a forest and amongst the trees suddenly came upon our wax drawings suspended in the branches - some very interesting images of our visions were produced.

Back to the hall and each pair was responsible for the demanding task of making two tripods using 6 foot bamboo canes. The “paper punch cards” were glue-gunned to a shorter cane and then suspended between a pair of tripods. Everyone was well impressed as the last of the drawings were positioned within our installation – a forest of punch cards undulating in the currents of warm air.

Shadow Playground

Written by artist Ann on 8 April 2004

No need for the builders’ site light today – brilliant sunshine outside and we headed out immediately to the playground armed with punch cards and white chalk.
We worked in groups of six and experimented until lunch time creating group shadows with the punch cards, building 3D punch card constructions ( until the wind intervened and sent us searching for protective walls ) concentrating as much on the shadows they made as their actual structural forms, and drawing up, both large and small scale, impressions of our 3D work in chalk on the tarmac.
After lunch everyone took a drawing pencil and sheet of A5 card out to the playground and set about devising a game, complete with diagrams and instructions, based on one of the chalk drawings. To my surprise this proved an extremely secretive affair ! This was followed by 15mins to put the games into action and all the top secret planning was revealed!
Rain sent us in to finish off the day inside where we made use of the DAT projector and screen to video our shadow stories – simple narrations using only punch card shadow imagery.

banking it !

Written by artist Ann on 28 February 2004

We positioned our positive and negative linen body cut outs on the hall floor, using the floor markings a part of the imagery.
The kids spent an hour experimenting with the video camera rolling, carrying out various sequences incorporating their own bodies along side their cut outs. E.g. 20 seconds positioned motionless on the floor replicating the cut out pose as accurately as possible, 20 seconds spent in slow motion moving from this horizontal pose to its exact vertical counter part and then 20 seconds frozen in this vertical linen pose.

Then we got down to the really exciting bit. The positive linen bodies were destined for the steep grass bank bordering the school playground. In groups of 12 we went out edging our way up the still part-frozen bank to nail down the plastic cut outs - all stretched out along the bank in a horizontal chain. The nails were used around the outer edges only. We couldn’t position the figures themselves as high on the bank as we’d have liked as grass, mud and frost was proving a slippery combination! Miss White had to go on an emergency shop for extra nails for our last group but in spite of all this by 2:30 that the afternoon 42 linen bodies lay stretched out on the grass bank causing quite a stir as the other kids left for the bus !

Now for the waiting game – so watch this bank!

"Linen Bodies"

Written by artist Ann on 28 February 2004

FEBRUARY 2004 AND THE SECOND RESIDENCY BEGINS

Referring to selected photocopy images of people working within the many different stages of the linen industry, we worked our way through various “posing” games and sequences of drawings on acetate. We concentrated solely on the human figure, looking at both the positive spaces they exist within and the negative shapes surrounding them. With pen and acetate we made “linen body” jigsaws, first line drawings only, then others blocking in the negative shapes.

There was great excitement when the kids realized that we were “uping” the scale to life -size. The kids worked in pairs using builder’s plastic, pastel and scissors. They lay on the plastic, re-enacting their selected linen pose ( having already decided upon the best angle), whilst their partner carefully drew around them in pastel. These body outlines were then cut out and we’d only a little time left to play with these life-size positive and negative linen bodies - so more next week

open day

Written by artist Ann on 11 December 2003

Groups of kids were allocated to each of the pieces of work (some of it still in progress) we had undertaken during the residency. They’d already spent time preparing the information they felt important to relay on to the visitors who came to the open day.

We were innundated ! loads of relations came and the kids were chuffed to bits with what they’d achieved and the chance to show it off and talk for themselves.

The work on show:

“The Magic Tablecloth”

Our linen squares with the punch card drawings transfered on had all been sewn together as one large piece.

“The Grand Dam”

16 x 20 ft wall piece using pastel, paint, water, charcoal on paper. Each kid was responsible for blowing up onto a sheet of A1 sized paper a small rectangle, roughly 4 x3 cm, cut form printouts of photos they’d taken at the dam.

“Down to the bottom of the Dam”

We took over the staff room for the afternoon as it became home to our sound piece representing the journey of the flax as it sank through the depths to the bottom of the dam and back.The kids explained how we made pitch changes to some of the original recordings to represent the underwater parts of the journey and asked visitors to listen out for specific sounds.

“Sounds to See”

Using fishing tackle we managed to string together and suspend our laminated drawings so they hung as one large piece, free from the wall. This allowed for movement and great shadows on the wall behind.
To begin with the kids had made drawings, pencil on paper, visuallising the way the different linen dam sounds might actually look if they had shape and form. These were then scanned, inverted in photoshop, cut out as small individuals units and laminated.

“Casting Shadows”

We’d had great fun painting with shadows using just a torch, punch cards, video camera and a card screen. for the open day. I put together a little video loop of the “water effect” shadow work where the kids undulated the card screen

“Patchwork Diary”

Our first group piece - patchworking together the many mini pastel drawings made through the view finders out at the linen dam way back on day 1.

“Drawing Punches”

We exhibited every single drawing made directly from the punch cards. The kids had gone to great lenghts to find ever more ingenious ways of mark making using the punch cards, soft drawing pencils, white pastel and chalk.

We’d also kids taking visitors on tour around the web site as well as at the mini museum, complete with artifacts and explainations of flax to fabric processes.

We’d one wall area dedicated to remarks and little drawings made by the kids about the parts of the project they liked best -as for me I think it has to be our play with shadow, as well as the magical on mass sound making sessions where 42 kids filled the room to the brim with bubbling simply by plucking their bottom lip - Victoria’s idea.

Abracadabra

Written by artist Ann on 26 November 2003

We began with our linen squares from last week upon which our images were not at all visible. ( using image maker to transfer photocopy images of our drawings onto the fabric)

In three stages we damped and carefully rubbed off the layers of paper from the back - each time revealing the imagery more clearly.

All really excited as the images evolved out of the linen.

Whilst all the heaters in the school were commandeered for drying purposes we made plans for our open day -assigning groups of kids to each piece of work and voting for the titles of our work proved a passionate affair !

Now U don't C it !

Written by artist Ann on 26 November 2003

Made black and white photocopy images of last weeks punchcard drawings, making full use of the zoom and contrast buttons.

Kids cut and “mosaiced” the copies using image transfer onto their linen - each pair having a square cut from a lenght of handkerchief fabric.

Now the waiting game as images dry face down on the white fabric - a busy day and nothing to be seen !

Shadow Play

More experimentation drawing with shadows.

This time we cut out some of the variables - the view through the video camera on the tripod was pre-set to a designated “frame” on the wall.

We shot a range of video clips - holding the torch stationary, using choreographed punchcard movements and then visa versa. Finally we couldn’t resist wobbling our card screen around too - desribed as the “water effect”

Punches Up !

Written by artist Ann on 12 November 2003

Thanks to the Irish Linen Museum - we have 150 punch cards, some laced, for experimentation.

Within the linen industry each card, via an extremely precise and rigid process, is converted into its exact counterpart in terms of design and cloth - we however want to get down to serious play with the cards and see what other outcomes we can come up with - possibly sculptural/installation works, experimental drawing, projections and sound works.

Drawing Direct.

Kids given punch card, drawing pencil, white chalk and pastel and asked to make drawings using the cards themselves.

Kids were ingenious producing : rubbings over, layering, marking through,embossing, finger smudging, “pastel castings”.

Each drawing, contained within its own small square, was cut out and “mosaiced” onto white paper - great range of both sensitive and dynamic drawings.

We’ve great plans for another step using these drawings - come back next week!

Shadow Drawings

Kids ( groups of 10) given 1 torch, video camera, still camera, 6 punch cards and 15 minutes to experiment with punch card shadow drawing.

Great fun and miles of potential and lots more work to be done to develop these drawings.

down to the bottom of the dam

Written by artist Ann on 24 October 2003

Kids asked to imagine themselves as the flax being retted in the dam. They worked towards one sound piece developing their recordings from last week to represent the sound journey from the world above the dam down down through 20ft of water, their nine days below and resurfacing. The composition was decided using both selected original recordings as well as some with pitch changes.

Line drawings of the shapes and patterns of the sounds from the dam - scanned, printed and inverted in photoshop, cut up and laminated - hanging piece.

Play with projected imagery of the dams. Kids intervening between projector and screen using movement and shadow.

Painting with sound

Written by artist Ann on 17 October 2003

Revisiting the dams- Kids creating associated sounds using voice and available classroom materials. Children made a series of abstract sound drawings while other smaller groups orchestrated their recording sessions.

blowing up the dam!

Written by artist Ann on 10 October 2003

kids selected favourite images from the photos they took of the flax dams. A4 printouts were cut up and everyone took a small rectangle.After play mixing media ( charcoal, water, paint and pastels ) they set about blowing up their small rectangle to A2 size.

Ann

The Dam Visit

Written by artist Ann on 3 October 2003

Linen Detectives out on a mission interviewing Bertie McRoberts at flax dams outside Banbridge. Looking for evidence of the linen industry with in the landscape using stills cameras, video camera, pastels and mini disc.

Ann and Judith.

Written by artist Ann on 3 October 2003