The Art Of Yes
1 Map Of Kilbirnie
I'm not
a nationalist and neither do I affiliate myself with any political
party, but growing up in the
working
class town of Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire and brought up in a working
class family
household,
there was never much in the way of political conversation or
persuasion, just happy,
humble
and well mannered up bringing, which I am grateful for. Having a life
long Labour-voting
Father
and a usually Liberal Democrat-voting Mother seemed to be my only
awareness of politics at
a young
age.
As a
curious young boy there were always questions I'd ask myself like
'why do charities exist?',
'Why is
there a 3rd world?', 'why does famine exist?' 'If someone
needs something why can't they
just
take it without having to have money raised or earned to acquire it
to survive?' various other
questions
along this line would also crop up, basically why is the world the
way it is? to ask a much
broader
question. Answers to these questions became increasingly more obvious
as I got older.
Living
in a nation, I always though it was a given that you had to be proud
of the country you live
in,
watching Scotland play football as a young boy for example, you do
get sucked in to all the
national
pride malarkey. Of course, Scotland does have amazing and beautiful
features and
attributes
about it, rich in history as anyone who knows will tell you. The
fight for independence
itself
is one of the most famous aspects of its history, but the same could
be said of the history of so
many
countries around the world.
2 Glengarnock Steel Curl
Sculpture
The
steel sculpture sits on the main roundabout just off Kilbirnie's Main
Street, a memory of the
once
thriving iron and steel industry in the town that began in the 19th
century succeeding the flax
and
weaving industry that preceded it.
My dad
earned a trade as an engineer and worked in the Glengarnock
steelworks from leaving
school
in around 1965 up until 1985 when the plant closed its doors for the
very last time due to
Thatcher's
government as was evidently the reason for a lot of industries in
communities at that
time.
The steelworks provided employment for most men and women in the town
and at the time
was
part of a rather thriving community, a community which is only
starting to reoccur ever so
slightly
in the last year or two. This is one reason why I'll be voting YES,
as I hope with this
opportunity,
it can bring back the community aspect Kilbirnie once had.
3 Courbet's Artist In The
Studio
Growing
up and never really having taken an interest in politics directly,
but at the same time
certainly
aware of it, I suppose art was my outlet (or my way in if you like)
to understanding the
broader
scheme of life, not just in a political way, but historically and
emotionally too. Artists such
as the
archetypal tortured artist, Van Gogh, the rebellious, Caravaggio,
Courbet, Mary Cassatt,
Dame
Laura Knight and the rather bizarre surrealist and, as I found out in
later years, the fascist
sympathizer,
Salvador Dali to name a few of the obvious artists gave me different
angles to
approach
life. Closer to home and in a non nationalist way, I became aware and
for a time interested
in the
work of the Glasgow Boys and an artist who tends to sit on the
periphery of such groups,
John
Byrne. Strong national poets such as Edwin Morgan, Norman McCaig and
Hugh McDairmid
(C.M.
Grieve) were present and taught me indirectly about the country I was
living in.
The
already mentioned Courbet was the first 'political' artist I came
across and arguably the first
modern
painter, painting vivid social realist paintings such as 'Stone
Breakers', depicting real life
people
hard at work. This made me think about art from a different angle.
4 A Tear In Reality
With
these influences coming in from all angles, I have continuously led a
productive life, trying to
make
sense of my own creativity. Heavily indebted to the surrealists in
particular, I have more or
less
always favoured the obscure when making art. My work isn't
particularly political, the only
vague
relation I could make with my art to politics would be in my work of
the last 2 years, an
example
of which is before you. The image depicts a utopia of an alternative
reality, obscured with
interesting
symbols and references from history, science, religion and astronomy.
'Utopia' is the
vague
relation to politics. Utopia is usually related to a perfect world or
as the dictionary definition
says
'no such place' but the utopias I draw are bombarded with emblems and
motifs. I like to label
my work
apolitical as this comes across less threatening and more welcoming.
The work I make is a
crossroad
for interpretation and engagement.
Psychogeography
5 Map Of Paris
Through
learning about various movements, interventions, and actions in art
history throughout my
life, I
became aware revolts were happening for a reason, and art wasn't this
sweet colourful utopia
you
thought of as a kid. These revolts were mostly for political reasons,
mainly coming from early
20th
century avant garde groups such as the Dadaists, the Futurists and
the Surrealists. It was
primarily
the left wing thinking of Dadaism that made the most impact breaking
down the barrier
between
art and life..With these movements I realised the art (or anti-art
with respect to the
Dadaists)
had more to it than meets the eye. That's not to knock any artists
whose work isn't
political
with a capital P, my work itself I like to think of as apolitical
because my interest in
creativity
lies elsewhere.
This
breaking down of conventional life spread to Psychogeography, a term
that, despite becoming
familiar
through increasing interest since it's beginning with the Paris-based
Lettrist Group with
Guy
Debord (who is more commonly associated with the Situationist
International) but can also be
traced
back to the likes of Charles Baudelaire and Thomas de Quincey, has
had shifting definitions
throughout
the years. Despite the academic, political and literary attachment,
what
Psychogeography
is, in a nutshell, is walking.
6 Stewart Home
The
Clydeside Flaneurs, which involves myself, Keira, Rebecca, Rich,
Aure, Michael, Nicky and
Gillian
take some influence, but not all, from the diverse array of groups
and individuals who have
been
connected with the term 'psychogeography' as far back as the already
mentioned Thomas de
Quincey
with his writings of 'strolling' through town and as recent as
enfant terrible London writer
Stewart
Home and fellow London writer Iain Sinclair. We are an outfit of
artists taking on the role
of
unearthing the lesser known histories of Glasgow as well as the
ability of obscuring and twisting
the
currently accepted mythologies of Glasgow. Urban art terrorists, if
you like, bringing back the
past of
Glasgow's rich and diverse culture. As previous Psychogeographical
groups and individuals
have
more or less demonstrated, we want to make aware of the cities
geographical and historical
treasures
that are overshadowed by the dictatorship of the high street stores
and one way streets.
7 ROCKPAPERVIDEO
As well
as the recently created Clydeside Flaneurs, I am part of the artists
collective
ROCKPAPERVIDEO
which was set up by myself and fellow artist Margaret Gilbertson for
like
minded
creatives from various backgrounds and from a broad spectrum of
expertise (i.e. art school
trained,
self-taught.) as an outlet and an alternative route to have the
opportunity to display their
artwork
in various spaces, some renovated, some not, throughout the city of
Glasgow, but not
excluding
further afield. The collective isn't intended to be strictly
political at all, it is a framework
for
opportunity for anyone willing to engage, help and take part in an
already evolving alternative
artistic
circuit. With regards to the referendum, I suppose the only thing we
as a collective hope for
is more
availability for opportunities within a creative sector in an
independent country.
My only
reason, which may come across as rather vague to some, to voting yes
is not voting for the
Scottish
National Party (which is the case for many) but a tactical vote for a
stepping stone to a
more
fruitful future. That future may take years, and in my eyes could be,
even only as a dreamlike
comment
and maybe not in my lifetime, a socialist country, but not in the way
history has
misinterpreted
socialism. If (and I hope so) Scotland wins the referendum, I'd like
it to be for the
communities
to thrive again, that are few and far between.
Thus
explaining me and my reason (as best I can) for voting YES.
