Organic Flesh Machine (OFM)

Americium 241 (we are all terrorists now)

2010-12-19T16:33:00.004Z

Referencing the abstract expressionist boxes of Louise Nevelson.

Medium: electronic components including parts from a disused burglar alarm mounted on canvas.

A Plague Upon You (new assemblage sculpture)

2010-12-10T22:43:00.001Z

A test tube containing an unspecified substance is embedded into a 20x20cm canvas and illuminated. With the piece I am challenging notions of superstition in the modern world. In particular the hypocrisy of those who benefit from all the advances of science (eg: medicine and technology) and yet still promote superstition and myth.

Pole Dancing Robots and Disgusting Switches

2010-10-23T21:22:00.002+01:00

Good BBC news piece about Giles Walker and Katrin Baumgarten who subvert technology to make an artistic message. We like that :-)

Night Cavity #2 : New Sculpture

2010-09-21T20:57:00.006+01:00

This is my latest sculpture, its mixed media/assemblage art. Mounted in a 8x8 deep edge canvas. The "organ" part the glows is made of moulded fabric/paper and acrylic paints. The illumination is provided by a high brightness LED. This powered by a 2xAA batteries, connected to a home made circuit, which is a light-dependent resistor and a "Darlington pair" of two transistors. This detects when its dark and switches on the LED. The batteries last weeks and it looks quite different at night to during the day.

Finished sculpture

Whole view of sculptures

The preset resistor (blue on left) allows the circuit to be "calibrated" so you can decide how dark it needs to be before it switches on.

The sculpture and electronics before assembly

Henry Miller on artists and suffering

2010-08-18T00:50:00.002+01:00

I found this wonderful Henry Miller quote on the TV series "Century of the Self" by Adam Curtis. I think its particularly relevant to artists;

"My argument with so much as psychoanalysis is the preconception that suffering is a mistake, or a sign of weakness, or a sign even of illness, when in fact, possibly the greatest truths we know have come out of people’s suffering; that the problem is not to undo suffering or to wipe it off the face of the earth but to make it inform our lives, instead of trying to cure ourselves of it constantly and avoid it, and avoid anything but that lobotomized sense of what they call “happiness.” There’s too much of an attempt, it seems to me, to think in terms of controlling man, rather than freeing him. Of defining him rather than letting him go. It’s part of the whole ideology of this age, which is power-mad."
Henry Miller 1960s

Most of the Adam Curtis documentaries are on youtube and are well worth a look.

The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic

2010-08-08T21:11:00.003+01:00

I'm a real fan of Alan Moore and his work. As a rationalist I am interested in the occult but from from a psychological perspective. Moore was interviewed for the Disinformation podcast a while back and he made references to The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic a collaboration that he is working on with Steve Moore. It sounds like a humorous but thought provoking guide to the occult in a "boys own" style. It even includes a board game and a tarot set! Can't wait, 2013 is just too far off. More detals below.

The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic is an upcoming hardcover work by Alan Moore and Steve Moore (no family relation to each other). Both men have written comics and together co-founded the private magical order known as The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels. The book is due for release from Top Shelf Productions in 2013. [1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moon_and_Serpent_Bumper_Book_of_Magic

PPV (torture) - assemblage sculpture

2010-07-23T12:55:00.005+01:00

Assemblage sculpture using electronic circuit boards, cotton fabric and acrylic paint.
Encapsulated organic form with slot for pay-per-view card

side view

front view (with viewing card)

close up detail

Altar of the Thermionic Valve

2010-07-02T18:48:00.001+01:00

Assemblage sculpture using electronic, paint and thermionic valve from the 60s. Technology and flesh appear to be merged.

Experiment #1

2010-05-28T18:22:00.005+01:00

I've had this one in the studio for months and I finally finished it the other day. Its another mixed media piece, including paper mache like techniques, tubing, wire, acrylic paint

Started making mixed media art again.

2010-05-28T18:21:00.001+01:00

After a longish break producing some landscapes for a big exhibition I am concemtrating on sculpture, sketching and nonlandscpae painting for a while. Pictures coming up

Technological Fashion Victims

2010-02-27T19:57:00.000Z

The Pod Delusion is a weekly podcast about interesting things. It takes a skeptical, secular, lefty view of the world. The latest edition is well worth a listen. Its at http://poddelusion.co.uk/blog/

By complete coincidence I have made a contribution this week called "Technological Fashion Victims" its about why we buy so much technological junk, especially mobile phones and it references the excellent storyofstuff.com web site. I also managed to get some remarks in about the new device thats about to save mankind, yes the Apple iPad ;-)

See http://poddelusion.co.uk/blog/2010/02/26/episode-23-26th-feburary-2010/

Art Application (Rejected by Axis.org!)

2010-01-09T19:06:00.003Z

A couple of months back I applied to axisweb.org. Axisweb seems to be a good way to get exposure for art. Unfortunately Julian Lister the "Directory Coordinator" rejected my application without giving any useful feedback. Ho hum. If anybody out there spots any glaring errors or reasons why you think my application failed, I'd be happy to hear any constructive advice from you!

Anyhow I though it would be a useful insight to publish the application text and images for anyone interested in what I am trying to achieve with my assemblage "sculptures".

Graphic Equaliser

Supporting Statement

At what point are you in your career?
I still regard myself to be early career. I started painting and sculpting in earnest five years ago after a near-fatal car accident. I am now a professional landscape painter and sculptor.

Have you established a national or international profile?
I have developed a national UK profile. My sculptures have been to London “Liberte d'Expression” exhibition and I recently gained international recognition by making the shortlist (65 out 5,000) for the London International Creative Competition.

How do you position your practice in relation to wider developments in contemporary art?
From a formal perspective my sculptures are Assemblage art. I particularly admire the work of Louise Nevelson. There is a strong conceptual element to my sculpture, often dealing with the reality of the human body and symbiotic relationship between mind and body. My approach to art is modernist in that I question the old certainties but use contemporary materials that relate to the modern world. I recognise the influence of the auteur David Cronenberg, as we share a reality grounded in the physical processes of the body.

What is distinctive about your work?
I use non-traditional materials such as plastic tubing and circuit boards, combining them in an unfamiliar way. The materials are modern but the questions arising are age-old, e.g: mind vs. body. Does consciousness disappear when the body stops? Is there a soul?

How has your work progressed over recent years?
I started by embedding electronic components into the surfaces of a canvas. From there my work has become more intricate and planned. I now carefully select materials and develop ideas in tandem, usually around contemporary themes, e.g.: “Home Bio-Analyser” is an imagined device that takes blood samples, iris measurements and ID-card readings. Nowadays I blend technological, biological and political ideas into the work as it develops.

What do you hope to gain from joining Axis?
I would like to develop connections with galleries to display my work at exhibitions. I am also interested in selling for public display or to collectors that have an understanding of my work.

Athiest's Dream

Artist Statement
My bio-electronic sculptures are meditations on medicine, technology, mortality and my strongly held rational atheist ideas. Taking electronic components and boards from disused or deliberately destroyed electronic devices my Assemblage art approach is combined with what I describe as hand crafted pseudo-biological objects made from acrylic paint, fabric and medical tubing. It is through this combination of biology and technology that I explore ideas around my relationship with technology and the processes of living including ageing and decay, using the metaphor of the body as a machine. In a way the construction of these items is catharsis and a tool for my personal acceptance of the natural biological processes beyond my control.

Exhibitions /Competitions

* 2009 - London International Creative Competition – Shortlisted (Top 65 from 5,000 entries)
* 2008 - Derby City Open - Dec 2008
* 2007 - Ovenden Exhibition - Artshed Gallery, Ware, Herts (Aug-Sept)
* 2007 - Out of Control: Solo - Gallery-S, Matlock, Derbyshire (March)
* 2006 - Liberte d'Expression - Barclays Global Headquarters (Canary Wharf) and Candid Arts Trust, London

Citizen protector (Home Bio-Analyser)

Crash by J.G Ballard - Book Cover

2010-01-08T00:15:00.004Z

Remember the "Crash by J.G. Ballard design competition" that the Uk Times newspaper were running in 2008? Well despite assurances (http://www.ballardian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=71) nothing ever happened.

So I thought It would be interesting to publish my entry for the book design competition.

Here's my entry

I have since re-used some of my "meter" imagary artwork for the CD cover artwork on the latest album of the for the excellent Uk based DarkWave band "Pro-jekt". The meter was used on the CD itself. See http://www.pro-jekt.org/Reign%20of%20scars.htm for some examples of the cover-art. For more info on Pro-jekt checkout http://www.pro-jekt.org

Citizen Protector (Home Bio-Analyser)

2009-11-22T17:17:00.005Z

This assemblage art work imagines an object of technology from a future history. The unit itself would take daily DNA, blood, hormone readings from all occupants of every house in the UK. These readings along with iris measurements identify the occupants of a house in a "daily census". The information gathered by the device is used to profile and predict possible future "terrorist" acts. It has a slot at the base to read the users (compulsory) ID Card. The fitting of the device to each house is a legal requirement.

This is a warning, we are drifting towards a culture that treats all citizens as terrorists by default. The creeping influence of CCTV, DNA abuse and misuse of anti-terrorist legislation for democratic protest are precurors to the possible introduction of such devices - for our own "protection". Lets make sure that it doesn't happen.

Citizen Protector (Home Bio-Analyser) - Front View

Citizen Protector (Home Bio-Analyser) - Side View

Graphic Equaliser

2009-10-10T17:01:00.005+01:00

Detail

In situ

Main View - Graphic Equaliser

I have remounted and renamed the sculpture which was known as Organo-photogram. Its now called Graphic Equaliser which is a reference to Vanitas/Momento Mori themes, its a theme that I return regularly.

Updated Biography

2009-09-04T15:17:00.001+01:00

Its always weird writing/updating biographical details, I feel vaguely pretentious writing about myself :-) Still its necessary to spread the word!

Gareth Buxton discovered his creative impulses only recently. Having pursued a career in a technical industry a near fatal car crash in 2004 pushed him headlong into the world of art. As well as establishing himself as a professional landscape painter he pursued a parallel path of creating visceral art from hand crafted pseudo-biological objects and electronic components. The final found-object sculptures are artistic meditations on medicine, science, technology, mortality and his strongly held rational atheist ideas. As well as selling sculptures to collectors Gareth has achieved recognition in several national competitions with his unique view of the world. He strongly acknowledges Francis Bacon as a key influence in his work but equally attributes inspiration from artist/novelist Clive Barker and the film director David Cronenberg.

Shortlisted for the London Internation Creative Competition

2009-09-04T15:06:00.005+01:00

Great! Made it to shortlist of London International Creative Competition. Sculptures. See http://bit.ly/Ogz8E

Reign of Scars - Pro-jekt Artwork

2009-08-12T22:49:00.007+01:00

Click image to view full details

I'm delighted to announce, that my sculptures have formed the basis of the new album cover art, inlay and CD of the Gothic Metal/Darkwave band Pro-jekt. The new album, the band's third, has an international release and has been produced by Ade Fenton, Gary Numan's producer. The band will be promoting and playing the new album songs in their upcoming live dates. For more details about the album click here

Shroud Haemorrhage: New Abstract Painting

2009-08-07T15:25:00.006+01:00

Shroud Haemorrhage is my largest abstract to date. The layers in this picture have been built up over several months. Paint has been applied and then scraped off when dried. There is texture to the final painting in places. The painting is about the non-seperation of body and mind and how the idea of self is a function of the physical body. Despite this being a fundamentally athiest painting, "shroud" like areas of the canvas were revealed as I worked on them and and as I liked these aesthetically I left them in.

Note: This is painted on a slim canvas (depth about 1cm). the sides are painted black and its ready to hang, but you may prefer to get this painting framed, the choice is yours.

Full Painting 24x36 inches

Detail 1

Detail 2

Details 3

"Your Heart is Mine"

2009-07-17T16:50:00.001+01:00

'Your Heart is Mine' by Gareth Buxton 41.0 x 51.0 cm
Available to buy here £410.00

"Hemorrhage" - large painting in progress

2009-07-17T16:22:00.003+01:00

"Hemorrhage" (in progress) 24x36 inch

This is the painitng that I am currently working on. Building up layers of paint and removing painting with scratching and abrasion. This is similarly to early paintings that I will post next for comparison.

Tribute to J.G.Ballard

2009-04-20T12:45:00.000+01:00

I first discovered J.G.Ballard when I bought a battered second-hand copy of Hi-Rise from a bookshop many years ago. The book was unlike anything I had ever read, the understandable immortailty of the characters was a shock to the system, cognitive dissonance from the written page, this was new and exciting! This lead to me reading many other Ballard books over the years, the highlight probably being Crash, which I still don’t understand but enjoy unlocking the puzzle a little bit more everytime I read it. Just reading about the people that he influenced has been an additional bonus to me, this has opened opened new worlds of art, books and music. The Ballard community is a wonderful framework of sanity to ground myself against in an increasingly crazy world, one that he predicted through his books. Everytime I’m affronted by celebrity “news”, survellience and new consumer fetish cults I have a group of people to turn to who are equally bemused and angry. To new readers if you asked me what book to read first, I would say his autobiography, Miracles of Life (2008). From this gripping, warm and honest book you will get a true measure of the man that was J.G.Ballard.

Doll - New Sculpture

2009-04-04T18:28:00.001+01:00

Beautiful in her own way, visceral, creepy, this is no children's toy.

Found object sculpture mounted in stained wooden box, with paper mache, tubes and electronics.

Sweet dreams :-)

Nude Photo Studies - Monoprints

2009-03-29T21:38:00.004+01:00

I have been experimenting today with photo monoprints. I have printed my own semi-abstract photos onto good quality photopaper and then painted on top of these with acrylic paint. The overall effect is interesting. So far I have only used acrylic paint water and brush but the next step will be to use sandpaper and other abrasives to add more scratchy effect. I am also considering scanning the monoprint in again on a flatbed scanner, processing in photoshop, printing and then adding more paint etc in a cycle of "n" times, where "n" is a large number :-)

Hope you like

Nude #4 Monoprint

Nude #3 Monoprint

Nude #2 Monoprint

Nude #1 Monoprint

Doomstone

2009-02-28T13:44:00.000Z

doomstone
Originally uploaded by garbleart

This is a 12th century carved stone slab kept in the crypt at York Minster.

It depicts the day of judgement, with demons supporting a cauldron in which the damnedd are being pushed into and tortured.

Neal Stephenson on Anathem

2009-02-27T17:44:00.002Z

Over at "The Word" magazine they have a good "Backstage" podcast featureing the author Neal Stephenson talking about his acclaimed Baroque Cycle and new book "Anathem". Worth a Listen, my favourite Stephenson book is The Diamond Age, cracking stuff

Hawkwind Tour 2009

2009-02-17T22:56:00.000Z

Hawkwind are touring! Dates at http://www.hawkwindmuseum.co.uk/tour%20dates.htm

Organo-phonogram

2009-02-16T19:50:00.005Z

A new sculpture

In an endless pointless pursuit for perfection
we seek mutilation and union with synthetic technology
For no purpose as nature has a design for all living things

The Times: J.G.Ballard Crash - Cover Design Competition Update

2009-02-01T11:33:00.006Z

Last year I entered a design competition to to create a new book cover for the re-issued version of J.G.Ballard's Crash. The competition deadline last May came and went with no convincing updates from the Times. I emailed the Times of couple of times and put a few comments on the competition page but heard nothing. Snooping around the Harper Perennial website I located the email address of Siobhan Kenny, the Communications Director, next day I received the following response, the end is in sight? They have yet to update the website. Also announced this as at Ballardian

“Dear Mr Buxton

I do apologise for the lack of update on the competition to design a cover for a special edition of JG Ballard’s Crash. Unfortunately, changes to our publishing schedule resulted in our not being able to put the special edition into production in 2008 as planned. Instead therefore we hope to publish the new edition, complete wtih the winner’s artwork, as part of the series of events celebrating the 25th anniversary of 4th Estate in 2009. As soon as the details are finalised, we will of course inform the winner and publicise it more widely togethr with Times Online.

We are sorry for this delay but we hope that the greater prominence the book will receive by being part the 25th anniversary of 4th Estate will give the winner and the book more public profile.

Best wishes
Siobhan Kenny, Communications Director

Four Score Years and Ten

2009-01-17T15:20:00.001Z

Four Score Years and Ten is one of my more personal paintings, taking several weeks to develop with multiple layers - it expresses personal beliefs about mortality, religion and being human. As with other paintings and sculptures in this series its purpose is to remind myself and hopefully others, to cease the moment and make the most of relatively short time that we experience consciousness as a bi-product of our biological function.

Main View

Detail

Philip K Dick

2009-01-05T20:43:00.002Z

Over on Ballardian.com they have a good article on Philip K Dick and a pointer to a downloadable podcast (from Pirate Cat Radio) celebrating his novels.

See http://www.ballardian.com/happy-birthday-philip-k-dick

Worth a listen

Sculpture : "All My Worst Fears #1"

2009-01-05T20:34:00.005Z

Found objects, acrylic paint, condom and wood

Sculptures transferred to TheArtBay Gallery

2008-12-07T21:38:00.009Z

This weeked I visited the gallery that sell my abstract and sculpture work. TheArtBay based in Fenton carry a very distinctive and alternative range of art from a diverse selection of artists.

theartbay gallery
Tel: 01782 844222
Mobile: 07809 505244

Email: sales@theartbay.co.uk

All of the pieces below are available for sale now, contact the gallery for more details

Trinity Tubes (2007)

Wound (2008)

Spine Breed (2008)

Obedience (2007) (after Milgram)

Momento Flesh (2008)

Corpus #1 (2008)

Beast (2008)

Drainage Point(2008)

Flesh - new painting

2008-11-24T21:43:00.002Z

Main View

Detail one

Detail 3

Been working on this one for a few weeks

Blood Bag

2008-11-15T13:48:00.002Z

Just looking through some images that I created a couple of years back and I found this one. I submittted it for a postcard sale at the time and it returned unsold. Can you guess what I made it with :-)

"Your Heart is Mine" - New Painting

2008-11-08T13:04:00.002Z

Main image

Detail

In Situ

This is a personal reflection on the frailty of the human body and the inevitable decline programmed into our DNA. In contrast to this we have so many opportunities of love and pleasure and at times we transcend our physicality. The message of this painting is ultimately positive and on every viewing we are reminded to "seize the day"

"Athiest's Dream" Sculpture Selected for Derby City Open

2008-11-07T14:19:00.004Z

Good News Everybody! My sculpture "Athiest's Dream" has been selected for Derby City Open (Art Exhibition).

Pictures below.

Specimen Incubator - Deposit

2008-04-29T20:02:00.002+01:00

Someone has a left a deposit for this one at the ArtBay. Will it sell?

New Painting: Beast

2008-02-29T16:12:00.005Z

Not quite sure where this came from . Better out than in :-)

Dark Image

2008-02-25T22:15:00.001Z

In every sense of the word this one is dark :-) not finished yet.

Momento Flesh

2008-02-03T15:13:00.000Z

Just finished this new sculpture possibly one of my most visceral so far. For a change I decided to varnish this one and I'm please with the effect. The only problems with varnishing paintings is that they become hellish to try and photograph. After numerous attempts I just about got it right. The varnish has really bought out the detail of the painting and it looks wet.

I have entered this one into a Liverpool John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize, wish me luck.

Cheers
G.

1st Ballardian Festival of Home Movies

2008-02-01T00:34:00.000Z

Ballardian.com and HarperCollins UK, have announced a competition to produce a one minute movie using a mobile phone to celebrate J.G.Ballard's new autobiography "Miracles of Life"

Here's the brief:
+ Shoot a film using your mobile phone’s video function, no more than one minute in duration, and using no post-production or processing — the film must be shot entirely ‘in camera’.

+ The theme: anything at all to do with either one or both of the Collins English Dictionary definitions of ‘Ballardian’:

BALLARDIAN: (adj) 1. of James Graham Ballard (J.G. Ballard; born 1930), the British novelist, or his works. (2) resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in Ballard’s novels & stories, esp. dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes & the psychological effects of technological, social or environmental developments.

More details at;
http://www.ballardian.com/1st-ballardian-festival-of-home-movies

New Gallery: TheArtBay

2008-01-28T20:02:00.000Z

Today is the first open day for a brand new gallery in the cultural quarter of Stoke called TheArtBay. Late last year I was contacted by the owner Alan and asked to join his portfolio of artists. He is particularly interested in my abstract, figurative paintings and sculptures including, "Gluteus maximus (you're lovely but)", illustrated below

Lou and myself visited the other week with a collection of paintings and I am pleased to say that my work has been put in the more risqué "side room" :-) Alan and Cheryl made us feel very welcome and we are currently talking about producing a range of limited addition prints of some of my Corpus Veneer paintings which I very pleased about. TheArtBay have a range of very accomplished artists on their books, including Jim Fitzpatrick and Chris Moore (who designed the cover of the paperback edition of the William Gibson novel, Burning Chrome).

I'll keep you informed of events and exhibitions that might be coming up.

Work in Progress: Spine Hole

2008-01-20T17:03:00.000Z

As you can see from the photo I am having great fun experimenting adding texture to my Corpus Veneer Series of paintings. The 3D element certainly brings the subject to life. This ones not quite finished, I think I need to add some tubes, not sure where yet though.

Gallery approach for Sculptures and Abstracts

2008-01-20T16:54:00.000Z

Good news, I am currently in discussion with a regional gallery that specialise in more off-beat art work , just right for the Corpus Veneer and Organic Flesh Machine series. More news once everything is finalised.

Encyclopedia Anatomica

2008-01-13T23:35:00.001Z

Found a cheap and slightly damaged copy of Encyclopedia Anatomica today. I love Taschen books and this is one of the best I've seen. 500+ pages of super-realistic wax models of the humans body. I say super-realistic but then again I don't spend any time looking at my entrails :-)

Full details of the book at the Taschen Site. Its about £17, there is a cut-down version for £6 at Amazon.co.uk

Definitely inspiring

Design a cover for J.G.Ballards's Crash Novel

2008-01-11T19:33:00.001Z

The Times (UK) have recently announced a competition to design a cover for the famous J.G.Ballard novel "Crash". This is a dream come true for artist fans of Ballards work. I am really looking forward to the challenge of producing some work to a quite specific brief i.e:

All designs must be 197mm x 129mm in size, and include the book title, the author's name, the Harper Perennial logo and this quote, ‘A work of very powerful originality. Ballard is amongst our finest writers of fiction’ Anthony Burgess

Crash deals with many subjects including our unhealthy relationship with and the fetishisation of technology and so I'm thinking of using some of the OFM sculptures in my cover design.

Link

Quote of the day

2008-01-11T18:43:00.001Z

An artist cannot speak about his art any more than a plant can discuss horticulture.

Jean Cocteau

Sculpture: Drainage Point

2008-01-06T16:38:00.000Z

A new sculpture entitled "Drainage Point", created with board, acrylic paint and a found plastic object.
A blood like fluid oozes from a single hole in a smooth white surface.

"Drainage Point"

Closeup

"Surgical Assistant" painting, finds a home

2007-12-12T23:18:00.001Z

Earlier in the year (June) I produced a series figurative paintings and this week I sold one to a collector in Bolton. He emailed me today to say that he's very pleased with the painting.

Paintings still available from the same series at http://www.garethbuxton.ovendenart.com/garethbuxton/gallery.html

Adbusters.org

2007-12-02T02:14:00.000Z

Checkout http://www.adbusters.org

This is what they say about themselves;

"We are a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age. Our aim is to topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we will live in the 21st century."

Amongst other things they produced a very powerful, amusing and artistic spoof corporate adverts.

Well worth a look.

CCTV: Sculpture

2007-11-23T14:39:00.000Z

I have now uploaded a video of the CCTV sculpture to YouTube see below;

I'm always looking for opportunities to exhibit my sculptures so if you are interested drop me a line( add a comment to the blog)

This is what the piece is about.

"Technological developments bring wonderful opportunities to share knowledge, fight injustice, bring pleasure and uphold democratic ideals. The same tools can be used against us. Society needs protection but it is the duty of citizens to challenge every new security measure and ask whether security is being used to deny democratic debate or reduce personal freedom.

Security must always be proportionate, citizens have the right to privacy and must not automatically be assumed to criminal suspects by the state. Truly democratic governments will use technology to open up their processes to public scrutiny.

We are assured that security is required to protect us from "evil doers" but we must continue to imagine what our society would be like if the control of this technology fell into the worse possible hands. For some people, in some countries,this has already happened."

Adam Curtis: The TV elite has lost the plot

2007-11-22T00:28:00.000Z

There is a good interview over at "The Register" with a journalist who's work I admire, he wrote and produced "The Century of the Self", "The Trap" and "The Power of Nightmares"

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/20/adam_curtis_interview/

Specimen Incubator: New Sculpture

2007-11-19T20:46:00.000Z

This series of sculptures is created from disused electronics, wire, plastic and pseudo-organic elements. The devices serve no functional purpose and exist as purely as art.

Are you a gallery brave enough to display these innovative sculptures?

Full View of the sculpture

Specimen closeup (view 1)

Specimen closeup (view 2)

Specimen closeup (view 3)

Sculpture Evolved: CCTV

2007-11-02T22:21:00.000Z

Earlier in the year I blogged about a sculpture based around a CCTV see http://ovendenart.blogspot.com/2007/06/pleasure-freedom-and-information-new.html

Its been sitting around the studio not been properly finished and so the other week I applied some important modifications which bring its aesthetic in-line with my other sculptural work. I am pleased to say that its finished :-) and I have given it a simpler title of "CCTV". I have entered into the Derby Open Competition which is accepting sculptures for the first time this year. I just hope the judges see "found objects" as valid material with which to sculpt!

Saatchi Showdown

2007-10-26T23:39:00.000+01:00

I've entered another painting in the Saatchi showdown competition, where artists compete against each other for public votes. If you have a moment please vote for me by clicking on the link below.

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/showdown/index.php?showpic=82525

Many thanks
Gareth

Spine Breed -Sculpture

2007-10-14T23:12:00.000+01:00

Just posted this to the Saatchi site
(see http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/yourgallery/artist_profile/Gareth+Buxton/1251.html)

Its a 20x16 inch sculpture on canvas, made with found objects and acrylic paint.
Enjoy :-)

Pleasure Machine in Boston!

2007-09-25T23:30:00.000+01:00

My sculpture Pleasure Machine and some others are currently in an exhibition at Blackfriars Art Centre, Boston. See http://ovendenart.blogspot.com/2007/09/altered-images-installation-complete.html for more details

Pleasure Machine:

2007-08-20T23:31:00.000+01:00

Pleasure Machine: A smallish sculpture mounted in a black frame. Will be on display with other sculptures of mine at a Group Exhibition called 'Altered Images', featuring me , Monomarc, Mike Bell and Rob Brading. Dates 25th September to 26th November. Blackfriars Art Centre (Boston).

See here for more details

Bill Hicks quote

2007-07-23T00:03:00.001+01:00

"I appreciate you quaint traditions and superstitions, I on the other hand I am evolved being who deals solely with the source of light that exists in all of our hearts"

Comedian, Bill Hicks on Religon

Favourite Art Quote

2007-07-12T22:44:00.001+01:00

"The time of getting fame for your name on its own is over. Artwork that is only about wanting to be famous will never make you famous. Any fame is a by-product of making something that means something. You don't go to a restaurant and order a meal because you want to have a sh*t."

Banksy http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Collaborative Art with Kaine

2007-07-06T00:09:00.000+01:00

A few months back I painted a "background" on to a canvas and passed onto to an artist friend Kaine Kulczak as a collaboration and look what he's produced

I think its great and I'm really proud of our first collaboration. What do you think?

"Pleasure, Freedom and Information": New Sculpture

2007-06-11T00:20:00.000+01:00

Installation art by British sculptor Gareth Buxton. Press the button and listen to "Tony's" words on security and information.

A sculpture examining the use and misuse of technology.

"Technology brings wonderful opportunities but the same tools can be used against us. Society needs protection but it is the duty of citizens to challenge every new security measure and question, its purpose. Is security being used to reduce democratic debate, personal freedom or legitimate pleasure?

We are assured that security is required to protect us from "evil doers" but we must continue to imagine what our society would be like if the control of this technology fell into the worse possible hands.

For some people, in some countries,this has already happened."

Gareth Buxton 2007

New Sculpture: "Pleasure Freedom Information"

2007-05-27T01:45:00.000+01:00

Today I have put the finishing touches on my latest sculpture. A 20x36 inch board mounted piece, which includes a CCTV and has an interactive sound sample. Its a piece about how technology is being misused to convince us of imaginary dangers. Where do we draw the line at state security? If you ultimately follow the arguments about the security situation you would be convinced that its a good idea to install a camera in every room of everyone's house.

More info, pictures and a video clip here soon.

Gareth

Organovidigram

2007-05-10T00:11:00.000+01:00

Organovidigram

Exploring the fusion between technology and the human nervous system. A hybrid of various technologies combined with pseudo organic elements. Is this a device of medical support, life enhancement or torture?

Have been working on this one for a few months, gradually constructing from found objects and paint.

Gareth

CP You

2007-04-24T00:01:00.001+01:00

We are extended by our technology. Our nervous system blends into silicon. Here the machine interchanges with biology. Union is realised.

Figurative Painting: Two Shrouded Figures

2007-04-22T23:39:00.000+01:00

This weekend I have been mainly finishing off other paintings, I have a Charity painting to submit by early May and I have also been updating my Minigallery and OC portfolios. This afternoon I had the urge to try a figurative painting. This is an area I have not done much of before as I mainly work in abstract, sculpture and landscapes.

In a very spontaneous and quick session I produced this painting. I put the paint on the board with brush and palette knife almost without thinking and certainly without planning. On completion I felt quite emotionally drained.

This evening I have been staring at it and the more I stare at the the more I see, there are more than two figures lurking in this painting!

What do you think?
What's your reaction to the painting?

This weekend I have been mainly finishing off other paintings and doing promo stuff. This afternoon I had the urge to attempt a figurative painting. This is an area I have not done much before, I stick to mainly, abstract, sculpture and of course landscapes.

In a very spontaneous and quick session I produced this painting. I put the paint on the board with brush and palette knife almost without thinking and certainly without planning. This one scared me a little, after painting it I felt an overwhelming emotional release.

This evening I have been staring at it and the more I stare at the the more I see, there are more than two figures lurking in this painting!

What do you think?
What's your reaction to the painting?

EMI and Apple drop DRM - Big Deal

2007-04-09T13:45:00.000+01:00

Recently EMI and Apple announced that they are going to drop DRM (Digital Rights Management) restrictions on music files sold through the iTunes store. Digital Rights Management limits how you can use a music track e.g.: how many “MP3″ players that you can upload it to. Jobs hinted at this move in his essay Thoughts on Music a while back. Removing DRM from music files will in theory encourage people to buy more music, as the options for playing it are more flexible.

There’s no doubting the success of the iTunes music store but the sales of tracks are still tiny compared to other ways of aquring music files, that is, people buying CDs and ripping them, people sharing/borrowing CDs and ripping them and people using file-sharing networks.

I think its good news that EMI have made the first move and if all goes well other labels will follow suit and remove DRM as well.

Several questions remain.

Will Steve Jobs also start lobbying for the removal of DRM from movies as well? Jobs is a major player in Disney, so would he remove DRM from Disney movies sold through the iTunes store.? Surely movies are no different to music, won’t more people buy more movies if they can use them flexibly?

Why do DRM’d files cost more? They have increased the quality (bit rate) of the music but they cost 99p instead of 79p. Does it cost Apple more money to rip a file at a higher bit rate? Why does cost money to remove DRM?

Generally, why the high prices for digital music? If you want me to buy any online music, the prices have got to be lower. Prices are 79p or 99p per track. A ripped real-world CD can have very high quality tracks (much higher than a downloaded MP3/AAC file), no DRM , and it leaves you with a REAL CD. If you buy the CD’s second hand off an Amazon reseller you can get an even better bargain.

I’m interested to see how the market develops and whether other labels follow the lead taken by EMI. For me until the price of downloaded music drops to say 30 or 40p a track (192K quality, no DRM) I won’t even consider it. I’ll stick to CD’s thanks.

Jeff Minter is the god of computer games!

2007-04-09T00:09:00.000+01:00

Below is a link to a Jeff "Yak" Minter's Google Tech Talk from March 6, 2007. Jeff Minter is one of my heroes, he single-handedly wrote some of the best computer games ever. In the 80's and 90's he produced games such as Gridrunner, Llamatron, Revenge of the Mutant Camels and many other kclassics. These were imaginatively written, surreal and very playable games far superior to the dross produced by the big software houses of the time. Jeff still writes games today through his Llamasoft software house and writes a reguar column for Edge magazine. He also co-wrote the sound to light synthesiser, called Neon, which is built into the Xbox 360. If you fondly remember proper playable computer games from the 80's then checkout this video, which is Jeff giving a potted history of Llamasoft and demonstrating his fab new Space Giraffe game.

BTW I had a Commodore Vic-20 which had a 22 by 22 character screen, tape deck and 8K of RAM! I spent hours playing GridRunner which in my view is the best game written for this computer. Later on I played Llamatron, the most addictive game ever, on PC and I think on the Amiga/Atari ST.

Obedience (2007)

2007-03-29T20:23:00.000+01:00

(Found objects on canvas)

This sculpture references the obedience and authority experiment of the American psychologist Stanley Milgram. In the experiment the subjects were told that they would be participating in an experiment to test the effects of punishment on learning and that they would be working with a “learner” in another room that they could hear but not see. The learner was given a list of word pairs to memorise and if they recalled the word incorrectly the subject would give the learner an electric shock, with the voltage increasing with each wrong answer. If correct, the subject would read the next word pair. The subjects believed that the learner was receiving actual shocks; in fact it was just a tape recorder. At a certain point a hired actor banged on the wall, and playing the part of the victim, complained about their heart condition. At this point, many people wanted stop the experiment and check on the learner.

If at any time the subject wanted to halt the experiment, they were given a succession of verbal prods by the experimenter in this order;

Please continue.
The experiment requires that you continue.
It is absolutely essential that you continue.
You have no other choice, you must go on.

If the subject still wished to stop after four of the verbal prods in succession, the experiment was stopped. Otherwise the experiment would be stopped after the maximum 450-volt shock had been given three times in succession.

In Milgram's first set of experiments, 65 percent (26 out of 40) of experimental participants administered the experiment's final 450-volt shock, though many were quite uncomfortable in doing so; everyone paused at some point and questioned the experiment, some even saying they would return the cheque for the money they were paid for taking part in the experiment. No participant steadfastly refused to give further shocks before the 300-volt level.*

*Milgram, Stanley (1963). "Behavioral Study of Obedience". Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 67: 371–378. (via Wikipedia)

Poena: New Sculpture

2007-03-28T01:28:00.001+01:00

From Wikipedia:
In Roman mythology, Poena (also Poine) is the goddess of punishment and the attendant of punishment to Nemesis. The Latin word poena, "pain, punishment, penalty", gave rise to English words such as subpoena.

Its as much to do with esteem and mental anguish than the outward pain that it first suggests.

Gareth

Why Technology Is Boring

2007-03-18T19:31:00.000Z

It all started in a charity shop I overheard an elderly woman explaining to a friend about how they can register with the mail order preferences scheme over the Internet. Nothing wrong with that quite harmless, technology empowering all sections of society, great. But to me it was like a kick in the guts. I'd grown up with technology and it was second nature to me. Once I was an "early adoptor" someone who buys technology when it is crap, untested and expensive.

I liked that the fact in the old days, that when I spoke about my latest gadgets nobody knew what the hell I was talking about. I revelled in the fact that I had an email address, nobody knew what email was and I knew about three people to email. At one point I had a mobile phone but no one to text! To me this was technology in all of its glory, incomprehensible, inaccessible, and relying on arcane knowledge. Technology was all about unashamed geekiness, like being a part of secret society with a select membership.

The situation has changed so much in the past 5 years, I blame this on the popularity and falling prices of PCs (especially Apple Macs, well marketed and easy to use!) and in particular mobile phones. Now everybody is "jacked in" to the techno nervous system, the masses drool over mobile phone specifications and salivating over laptop adverts. The popularity of sites like Engadget, Gizmondo and TV programmes like The Gadget Show illustrate this. Its a bit like being a Mason or Rotarian, and finding that the old application process, which involved sucking up to the local beardy alpha-male had been replaced by a new system, which involved filling in an application form available at all good Post Offices. A once special technocrat club where experts lorded over obscure knowledge, and where high priests of circuitry and software ruled, has become a mass club for all and sundry.

Its not special any more, technology is now officially boring.

Solo Exhibition Success

2007-03-08T00:04:00.000Z

Welcome!

This week I had my first solo exhibition at Gallery-S near Matlock in Derbyshire. Despite the quite appalling rainy weather I had a good turn-out of friends and family. The day started at 11.30, final touches to be ready for the opening at 12.00. Coffee, wine and nibbles flowed freely until 5 pm! In all there are 34 paintings/sculptures in the exhibitions plus two commemorative prints that the gallery prepared. Su and Steve the gallery owners have been very supportive and helpful throughout. Steve produced a great look show guide and some marvellous plaques for the sculptures based on my text. I will post these up here another day. In addition they trusted me to "curate" the exhibition in that I selected the paintings, decided the layout and hung the exhibition. This gave me the opportunity to go for a maximum impact arrangement, note the mixing of the large black Chromocryptogram sculpture amongst the landscape paintings. Some people even though that the sculpture was an electrical switch panel that I was having to work around!

Publicity wise Su and Steve got good coverage in the local glossy magazines . I got it listed on-line in various places, got listing in the local papers and the Independent and Guardian weekend entertainment guides.

Despite the poor weather I am really pleased to see so many people attending. It was such a great feeling to see all my creative effort in space. The various landscapes were like a spectrum of various mind-states going from almost black canvases to very light and optimistic pieces. I am please to say that I sold two paintings and a print on the day. One 16x20 painting of a local misty lake and one larger more expressionist painting (20x30), the former selling to a couple from London.

Thanks to all that made my first show a success, especially Lou who helped all the way through and took some fab photos.

Anybody still interested in seeing the show, its on for 4 weeks.

Gareth

Main Wall

Friends Browsing

Moon and dark sescapes

Sculptural and abstract work

My brother provides classical guitar music whilst people browse (thanks Ian!)

Friends browsing

Hotline to the Hereafter; New Sculpture

2007-02-17T19:12:00.000Z

Thought you might be interested in my new sculpture "Hotline to the Hereafter"

"A modified intercom from early 20th century. Visually reinvented with "modern" technological touches to give a hint that this might be an object from an alternative history. The red light winks rapidly when the device is in standby. On lifting the hand-piece from the cradle the connecting lead base glows orange and the listener is presented with purely random white-noise."

Will be on show at Gallery-s (UK)(http://www.gallery-s.co.uk/) 4th March for 4 weeks.

Steampunk Watch

2007-02-17T19:09:00.000Z

Checkout my new watch! Its so steam punk

Broken Wrist

2007-01-22T12:49:00.001Z

Recovering from broken wrist. Can type a bit, not for long. Lots of projects and painting on hold. More soon.

Gareth

Specimen Dispenser - Period Advertising

2006-12-07T00:30:00.000Z

As promised, period advertising to accompany the Specimen Dispenser. I would aim to display these alongside the sculpture when I exhibit it. The design and layout of the advert was inspired by TV and radio adverts of the 1950's and I like the idea of an advanced bio-elctro-medical product being invented in an alternative "history".

Visually I'm greatly inspired by Cyperpunk the Steampunk creative genres and I think the ad fits nicely somewhere between the two. its more "ValvePunk!" To give the advert added realism I printed off a good copy on to Lumijet Velvet paper and the rescanned the picture but with an overhead acetate layer in front, this gave some nice dust defects to the image and gave it a more weathered look.

Hope you like it. My next project is going to be an "adapted" 1920's phone, it will be called "Hotline to the Hereafter", watch this space!

Specimen Dispenser - New Sculpture

2006-12-04T21:00:00.000Z

My latest sculpture is now pretty much completed, see pics below. A mysterious device with my trademark specimens contained in a dispensing tube. The 33 cm sculpture contains seven specimens each of different design and meaning.

The small slot in the case is for for unknown credits and a keypad is shielded behind two layers of "glass", thus there is no means of contolling the device or using effectively. In addition there is no obvious means for the specimens to be dispensed. On each side commercial panelling reveals the manufacturer as Mancipo Corp. As it gets dark the specimens are covered in a red glow of light. The device sits in the corner of the room being comforting and disturbing at the same time. Already I am strangely attached to it.

I am now working on the "advertising" which will accompany the piece.

Buffet or Specimen?

2006-11-26T02:45:00.000Z

It may look like chicken nuggets but its really the content for my latest Organic Flesh Machine sculpture. At this stage its not dry and I have put a number of them in the boiler room. Eventually when its dried with the addition of actylic paint it will resemble internal organs or "specimens". The specimens represent our organic nature.

More pics when they have dried and have been painted, eventually they will be part of this .

"Specimen Dispenser" preliminary sketches

2006-11-16T00:19:00.000Z

I recently had a "Specimen" sculpture selected for a competition in London (displayed at Canary Warf, Barclays Global Headquarters). This was encouraging and so I have decided to push on with the next phase of this project.

I've also started "moving off" the canvas. The previous sculptures were all canvas-based (with the exception of the Bio Clock) and whilst I will continue to produce these I want to try something different as well. Manipulating the canvas, cutting its flesh and embedding components into the surface is very surgical and gives me a nice perverse feeling as the skin of the painting is something that artists treat with great care. Howvere the time has come to have more depth available and space in which to sculpt. This new sculpture will be housed in a wooden box with an acrylic cover (I drank the contents :-)

The themes of the earlier pieces are still there but I am introducing some new ideas , in particular I am now putting any controls, such as switches or buttons behind one or more acrylic layers. The inability to have any access to the controls is a metaphor for my own lack of control, over the natural world, in particular my biology and all its inherent flaws and advantages.

I will post pictures here of the finished sculpture.

Gareth

The OC Artists Blog: Libert�d’Expression - "Specimen I" is through!

2006-11-03T19:58:00.000Z

The OC Artists Blog: Liberte d’Expression - "Specimen I" is through!

Hawkwind - Live!

2006-11-01T19:10:00.000Z

Hawkwind - Live @ Derby Assembly Rooms

I first discovered Hawkind in the early 80's when I bought a copy of Quarks Strangeness and Charm on vinyl. What appealed to me was the subject matter of their songs, cloning, space travel and drugs. Oh and loved the cover of the album with the scientists in the big power station. Earlier this year I caught with Hawkwind by buying their 3 CD set Epoch Eclipse and was pleasantly surprised by their back catalogue which now spans about 30 years.

So I was very excited when my sister inlaw said she was going to see Hawkwind live in Derby and invited me along. I was also a bit shocked to be honest that they were still alive and playing music.

The venue was half full by the time they made their appearance at 9 pm, they did a 90 minutes and it was brilliant. They could so easily have turned up, done a few hits and gone home but they put on a proper show. The stage set was made up of two giant paintings of semi naked robo-women in silver: either side of these, were to grey panels that transformed into massive ultraviolet space scapes and when the lights when down. The light show was very well put together, spotlights, lights ligting the top of the stage, lights on the stage and even some really funky green lasers during some of the tracks. Not content with this they has two dancers, man and woman dressed in some rather bizarre dayglow UV outfits, sometimes wearing giant green wings and other times battling it out with LED swords.

Not content with all this they also delivered a top notch video display through the whole performance, a mixture of swirling psychedilc footage, with film clips, with not a repeat during the entire 90 minutes set

Musically they can certainly still deliver the goods. I was thrilled that they did "Hassan I Shaba", a classic middle eastern style track about hashish, with a thunderous repetitive bass line. Along the way we got a somewhat fast but still rockin version of "Spirit of The Age". I was also delighted to hear "Orgone Accumulator" very heavy, quite long with lots of grooovy sound affects. The sound effects were smattered throughout the set, elevators noise, beeps and squeels, at one point they turn the bass up so that they audience could just feel the low frequncy noise, I haven't felt bass like that since a Leftfield gig a few years back at Rock City in Nottingham.

And the best bit about the whole gig was they ended on "Motorhead", a very Lemmy like track, from the days when Lemmy was in Hawkwind, and not a Silver Machine in sight.

Superb.

For more tour info checkout the official site

Brazil - Steampunk movie?

2006-10-31T00:21:00.000Z

The Steampunk computer (see previous post) reminded me of the computers in Terry Gilliams 1985 film "Brazi"l. I saw the film it when it came out but that was a long time ago :-) Out of curiosity and nostalgia I rented it on DVD

The marvellous thing about Brazil is that even though it was made over 20 years ago much of the film doesn't seem dated, sure there is the odd dodgy haircut but generally the look of the film has faired well. Gilliam paid a lot of attention to set design and costumes and thankfully didn't set it in the 1980's, as the clothes and hairstyles veer towards 1920;s. The technology is a curious mixture of styles, the computers all use mechanical old fashioned typewriters keys and the display is made of small cathode ray tubes (like a tv but with no casing). These TV monitors are then magnified with what looks like a freshnal lens. The computers look like they might have been invented in the early 20th century, its as though in Gilliams world technoilogical advanced had happened earlier and someone had developed valve computers to the point where they would work as desktops. There is a literary genre devoted to technology-before-its-time and this is classed as Steampunk ( see here) .

The film its self is a rich multilayered satire in the moulded on 1984 but commenting on bureaucracy, plastic surgery, sex and with spooky prescience, terrorism. In Gilliams world people are taken from there homes by raiding parties of masked commandos for no apparent reason and then tortured by the state, with the cruel twist that victims are charged money for there own torture. Michael Palin brilliantly plays one of the interrogation squad, moving from torturer with blood stained apron to doting father in a few seconds. Every building in the film is littered with enormous concertina like ducting and this obviously takes some visual clues from Terry Gilliam's animation work from Monty Python.

Steampunk PC

2006-10-22T19:52:00.000+01:00

Engadget and others have been reporting this rather nifty Steampunk PC. Which
may or may not be working, who cares when it looks this good! For the origninal website checkout here .

Seeing this reminded me og Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" see next blog posting for more on this.

Specimen in Competition "reserve"

2006-10-22T19:37:00.000+01:00

Specimen(see below) has been put on the reserves list for Liberte D'Expression a high profile Art Exhibition and Competition in London 9th to 12th November. I won't know whether it will be displayed as part of the exhibition until they put the main paintings up. Only then will they know whether there is space for the reserve ones. Fingers crossed. I am chuffed that a OFM sculpture has got this far.

NEW painting/ sculpture "Specimen II"

2006-09-01T18:19:00.000+01:00

"Specimen II" is part of a series exploring ideas of body, medicine, biology, mechanics and our relationship with technology. An wire bound ambiguous specimen is encased behind a sealed bloody and scarred screen
.

The failure of the human body is something that I explore through painting and sculpture. My visceral series “Organic Flesh Machine” combines pseudo biological items with electronic and electrical ‘found objects' embedded into the canvas. In the final sculptures the surgical combination of machine and flesh are realised, challenging the viewer to question whether these are images of surgical enhancement, medical necessity or sadistic torture.

Trinity Tubes" NEW Sculpture

2006-08-23T20:04:00.000+01:00

Trinity Tubes.
Encased in the box something is trapped, tubes wrap it and feed fluid from the trinity of supplies. At night the box glows red getting brighter as it darkens.

"Serum Meter" NEW Sculpture

2006-08-23T19:40:00.000+01:00

Serum Meter. A mystery meter encased in a strange component enclosure is connected to bloody tubes measuring fluid.

The failure of the human body is something that I explore through painting and sculpture. My visceral series “Organic Flesh Machine” combines pseudo biological items with electronic and electrical ‘found objects' embedded into the canvas. In the final sculptures the surgical combination of machine and flesh are realised, challenging the viewer to question whether these are images of surgical enhancement, medical necessity or sadistic torture.

Interview with the Artist

2006-08-12T02:03:00.000+01:00

Interview by Ovenden Contemporary of Gareth Buxton
http://www.ovendenart.com/gallery/gallery/page109/page109.html

With talk of car accidents, biological clock conversions and the only terms under which I would consider a pet portrait

NEW "Specimen"

2006-08-06T01:15:00.000+01:00

"Specimen" the latest sculpture in the "Organic Flesh Machine" series

With this piece I was looking for something more visceral than the earlier ones in the series. This is the centre piece of the sculpture, which the eye is led to from the anchor point at the top of the painting.

More closeup detail. The specimen is you!
It would make a lovely centre-piece for the dining room of a discerning buyer :-)

A more dramatic view.

The OC Artists Blog: Bio-Clock

2006-07-30T01:21:00.000+01:00

New post on my other blog about Bio-Clock
The OC Artists Blog: Bio-Clock

Bio-Clock

2006-07-27T22:57:00.000+01:00

A surgically "enhanced" carriage clock, transformed through sculptural surgery to become an object of fascination, and controversy.

This piece is part of the Organic Flesh Machine Series and deals with themes of genetics, surgery, mind and body.

Organic Flesh Machine in Public!

2006-07-19T20:28:00.000+01:00

The four paintings in the Organic Flesh Machine series will be appearing for the first time in public this week. They will be appearing at Anglian Art Fair as part of the portfolio of work being presented by Ovenden Contemporary Art.

The process of creating these works is in itself surgical. In order to embed the components and other objects into the canvas I use a scalpel blade. The act of cutting the "flesh" of the canvas induces a strange mixture of feelings, liberation, perversity, guilt and power. In cutting the canvas and implanting the objects into the surface I am taking it to another level giving it a third dimension and a new life. Subsequent work on the canvas involves mending the torn "flesh" of the canvas. At times this reconstruction is akin to a process of healing.

In the final sculpture the surgical combination of machine and flesh are realised. Is this a visage of surgical enhancement, medical necessity or sadistic torture?

Early Artistic Influences

2006-07-08T22:35:00.000+01:00

As a child I was utterly fascinated by the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, in particular The Garden of Earthly Delights. My parents went to a great effort to educate the family and since this was before the invention of the Internet we had to use books :-). They couldn't afford expense tomes like Britannia so they bought "Purnell's Encyclopedia" which was one of those part-work magazines, which were very popular in the 70's and 80's. It must have taken them several years to collect and cost them 1000's of pounds, they even bought the proper binders. We spent many unhappy long hours copying text from these volumes to "help" with homework, who said that plagiarism was a modern invention?

Anyhow there was a great section on Bosch and I was utterly fascinated by the strangeness and perversity of all the "goings-on" :-) There really is some odd details in the painting, Satan, the one with the birds head always horrified me as a child, how could something have the head of a bird and the body of a frog? The theme of the painting is bibical and there is plenty of symbolism relating to the 7 deadly sins.

If you take a closer look you can see the following (source: wikipedia)

The bird sitting in the chair eating the man is supposed to be Satan himself.
The face staring out from under the dish holding the pink bagpipes is said to be a portrait of Bosch himself.
The woman near the bottom, under the bird's chair, in the clutches of a monster, staring into a mirror (which is also the rear end of some creature), is guilty of the deadly sin of pride (vanity).
The person under the bird's chair is guilty of the deadly sin of avarice.
The man nearby, is guilty of the deadly sin of gluttony.

So there's one of my early influences, probably explains a lot really :-) What are your early influences?

NEW Sculpture - "Night Cavity"

2006-07-05T22:33:00.000+01:00

(top) full length view
(above) close up of the sculpture at night

Latest "sculpture" entitled Night Cavity part of the Organic Flesh Machine series. As the night falls the the intensity of the light increases. My studio is unusual in that my soldering iron sits next to my paintbrushes :-)

Ovenden Contemporary Art, which I recently became a member of, are taking this and the three other pieces in this series to Anglian Art Fair

"Conditioned Response" - Finished

2006-07-05T22:32:00.000+01:00

I wasn't entirely happy with "Conditioned Response" that I thought I had finished last night. I looked at today and thought that something was missing. Having decided that it was too neat I slapped on some more of my blood coloured painting mix, including smearing the meter with stuff. Much better result I feel. More pics below. Hope you like it :-)

"Conditioned Response" - Finished

"Conditioned Response" new painting-sculpture

2006-06-28T22:31:00.000+01:00

Latest in the "Organic Flesh Machine Series" entitled "Conditioned Response"

With cunningly modified meter.

Organic Flesh Machine – Series Commentary

2006-06-12T22:31:00.000+01:00

Organic Flesh Machine – Series Commentary

This series explores parallels between body and machine.In this world veins equals wires, electrical current equals blood and rust equals age.

Like my earlier Corpus Veneer paintings these sculptures engage with ideas about body, mortality and the passage of time.

On another level this series explores ideas about human and technological convergence. The devices that surround us are now part our nervous systems and as a result are extending and distorting our capabilities and perception.Our relationship with technology is symbiotic, but is this inter-dependence a parasitic one, and if so which is side the parasite? Removal or loss of certain devices or technological facilities can in some individuals induce states panic confusion and anxiety, is this loss akin to the surgically removal of nervous system capability?

These sculptural paintings are strongly influenced by the “Body Horror” of artists such as Clive Barker and the ideas David Cronenburg. My work also takes inspiration from cyberpunk authors such as William Gibson and directors such as Masamune Shirow for their depictions of technological bodily enhancement

The process of creating these works is in itself surgical. In order to embed the components and other objects into the canvas I use a scalpel blade. The act of cutting the "flesh" of the canvas induces a strange mixture of feelings, liberation, perversity, guilt and power. In cutting the canvas and implanting the objects into the surface I am taking it to another level giving it a third dimension and a new life. Subsequent work on the canvas involves mending the torn "flesh" of the canvas. At times this reconstruction is akin to a process of healing.

In the final sculpture the surgical combination of machine and flesh are realised. Is this a visage of surgical enhancement, medical necessity or sadistic torture?

NEW - "Blood Rush" Abstract

2006-06-11T22:30:00.000+01:00

Pure emotion in the "Blood Rush". 24x24 inch on box canvas. Painted sides and top, the canvas is 1.5 inches deep. Ready to hang. Available now at minigallery

Abstract - work in progress

2006-06-10T22:29:00.000+01:00