It's been a while...

Sorry for the long lapse in time without an update there! Been MASSIVELY busy with everything all picking up at the one time.

Firstly, you might like to know that my team IRONBBRATZ came out of the VERSUS project @ The Market Gallery victorious! Hooray! We also had so much fun and all learned so much about our own practices and the nature of collaborative practice. It was a fantastic experience. Please see our Versus blog if you'd like to see our photos and such. www.ironbbratzversus.wordpress.com

Secondly, and even more excitingly, IRONBRRATZ is about to get the keys for our brand spanking new artists studios in Glasgow City Centre this Thursday, the 15th July. We are currently run off our feets getting everything sorted before our artists move in but it'll be a huge success I'm sure and we will be having a launch night sometime in late July. More details on that to come.

As well as all this, my own practice is really coming on, I've had so many breakthroughs in painting since the Versus project. It's crazy! Here's a photo of one of my later paintings:



The text on the blue panel reads: 'If you think I want you, you're wrong.'
And the text beneath the image on the orage panels reads: 'You're so right, you're so right, you're so right...'

Also, been doing some reading in research for my dissertation - in particular Art & Laughter by Sheri Klein. A fantastic guide to the highlights in humourous art work and very accessible which is great.

On top of all of this, I've been moving out of my flat last month to go back and live with my parents (skint and need to focus on my final year at art school this year). It's been really sad to lose my independence and space but it's nice to have company again.

Well, I think that's all for now. Will update after we've received the keys!

Woop de woop

VERSUS with The Mutual and IRONBBRATZ
Tuesday 1 June - Saturday 26 June 2010

Market Gallery is pleased to present VERSUS, an experimental group residency project which investigates collectivism, collaboration and competition. The VERSUS project will feature THE MUTUAL and IRONBRATZ, two artist-run initiatives consisting of over 30 emerging artists
between the two of them. The two groups will occupy Market Gallery's two spaces over a four week period of production, research, events, performance, and exhibitions, all of which will be driven by the GAMEMASTER: Market Gallery.

The project is intended to playfully address and investigate issues of competition in gallery and artistic practice, issues of group identities, and issues relating to merit and value judgements common to the art world. Market will be publicly posting these briefs/assignments and 'scoring' each of the groups progress over the course of the residency. We invite you to come by the spaces throughout the residency to witness this process and to keep abreast of all the happenings as they occur by refering to our website and/or facebook.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Check this out! This is the residency I'm going to be involved in, first meeting tomorrow night! Can't wait!!

Pictures of work as promised - Part 2

Ink and Letraset - 'You can get ________ from me anytime'


Screenprint - 'I'm sorry (for what I done to you last night)'


Screenprint - Purple Drunk


Screenprint - 'Can't believe she walked in...'

All images copyright of Leeanne McKenna 2010.

Pictures of work as promised - Part 1

The Latest Painting - 'Did you hear the one about the fat lassie with the hair fetish?'


Last Painting - 'Her chances are slim to none'


Colour Study with Coloured Pencil


Composition study with paint


Colour study with Ink


Composition study with Biro


Drunken Memory Drawing - 'Holding Hands'


Drunken Memory Drawing - 'I f****** love you and your hair'


Drunken Memory Drawing - 'Being so close to you'

All images copyright Leeanne McKenna 2010.

Degree Show Build Madness!!

So last week there marked the start of the build-a-thon that is degree show at the art school. I've never seen so many panicy 4th years throwing hammers at helpers, people being attacked by giant splinters and huge panels of chipboard plummetting from the sky arbitrarily. hehe, no that's an exaggeration but it can feel like that when you're in the middle of it all.

My fourth year was John Doak, video and installation artist from Greenock. He needed his own room built, which meant a lot of extra work on all of our parts. However, now that it's finished it looks magnificent and was well worth the effort. It is amazing to see how the school transforms from messy studio spaces occupied by 1st - 4th years, into a pristine looking and unified exhibition space housing only the work of 4th year students. It's crazy! The amount of work they have all produced is flabberghasting! Research, documentation, supporting works, degree show works, artist statements, supporting drawings etc. Madness!

And for 3rd years like myself this marks the beginning of a weird period in our lives. Where we are amazed and happy to help the fourth years, with the knowledge that after June, we will be the fourth years. That's a terrifying thought! How could art school have flown by so quickly? Why did I not work myself just that little bit harder!

But enough of that - it's making me anxious. One massive thing I have got to look forward to this summer is a residency at the Market Gallery, Glasgow for the month of June! Hooray! It's a fantastic opportunity and gives me the chance to work with some old favourites and people I've never met before so I'm certain it'll be fantastic. Pictures of the shenanigans will be posted when available! Wish me luck with it!

Cheerio for now.

Wow, that was surprising

Sorry for the long absence, 3rd year has been surprisingly manic. So I've just had my assesment for 3rd term which will determine whether or not I'll achieve an ordinary degree. Here's hoping so. I thought I could talk a wee bit about what I've been doing in my work just now and hopefully get up some photographs as soon as I get access to an SD card reader.

Essay
----------

So part of our degree this year was to write what is called a CRS (Critical Review of Sources). This is where we identify sources that we will use in our extended essay/dissertation in our 4th years. So for my topic I chose to analyse sources relevant to the issue of Humour in Fine Art. This was a good choice as the essay is totally related to my studio work and compliments it nicely. I looked at three sources, 2 exhibition catalogues and a book called 'The Artists Joke' by Jennifer Higgie which is an archive of documents relevant to the topic. I think I've done ok with the essay, dont get my marks back until 25th May so got a wee while to wait.

Studio
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As I mentioned previous, the role of humour has become very important in my studio work. In term 2, I kept a drink diary, where I logged every alcoholic drink I consumed for the month of March. The results were not pretty to say the least, but this research led to some of my best work to date being produced. After the diary, I started to make drunken memory drawings (i.e. getting drunk, going home, remembering what had happened that night, and making drawings from the events) The sensitivity of the line and considered compositions really surprised me for someone who was intoxicated! This led the way for me finding the crux of my practice right now: longing. The lowest common denominator in most of my drunken memory drawings was longing for someone.

From there I made lots of studies, experimenting with colours and composition before finally taking my work into print. I chose to use screenprint. I used deliberately loud, almost sickening colour combinations with the hope of making the images seem weirdly repulsive but attractive (much like being drunk). The images were layered memory drawings and looked really quite chaotic but strangely calm. Then I applied text using Letraset (the stuff rocks!). This is where the humour element came in but also where I began to toy with the idea of truth/fantasy, action & reaction as well as longing and rejetction. I'll get up the images as soon as I possibly can.

So what else have I been up to you ask? Well, Glasgow recently hosted the Glasgow International Festival which showcased some of the most up and coming work from the UK and beyond. It was a 2 week festival with so many exhibitions, no one person could see them all. On the first day of the festival I was looking at art for no less than 9 hours - you can understand why my brain has since turned to mush. As well as the work there was of course the parties. So many parties, at least one everynight of the festival. Went to some belters!

I think my favourite show was one in the Duchy gallery, Duke Street, Glasgow. (Google their website) But other favourites included Jim Lambies new works and a film piece by Fiona Robertson titled Paraphenalia. Probably my highlight of the entire festival however was a little cafe/bar that was created called Le Drapeu Noir that hosted events everynight for the 2 weeks, from poetry readings by Alisdair Gray to musical performances and kinestic sculpture shows. The atmosphere there was fantastic - one of my tutors aptly said that if it was the 1920's, we would be the dadaists. So true, that was exactely the atmosphere.

Well enough for now I think, photos to come soon.

Some stress lifted

So it's Sunday night before my assessment tomorrow. I put a lot of work into my last term and am hoping it pays of. But I'm feeling positive about my new direction of work. Now all that's left to get through is my essay for H&C which is due on the 8th December, so I better get that started this week. Anyway, just a quick update to remind myself that the horror of getting everything done for assessment has been done! YAY!

And wishing you all a very tartan, haggis, whiskey and enthusiastic dancing filled St. Andrew's Day tomorrow!

G'night.