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11.04.17
Some info about the upcoming event at Northern Charter with Gayle Meikle and Simon Raven.
Imagine a land terracotta red. Its mountainous landscape littered with outmoded data search tool devices that once helped NASA collate images of planets within our solar system. These shards of cobalt blue and washed-out yellow hover in the distance. In the foreground lies a hexagonal structure comprised of nineteen individual plates. The structure appears to form a map depicting land and sea. Upon the platform, three figures stand towards one another repeating an incantation whispered in the ancient language of Eros whilst in the deathly shadows Thanatos awaits.
We invite you to the Northern Charter on Friday 26 May for an evening of erotic fabulation comprised by Gayle Meikle, Ross Hamilton Frew and Simon Raven. A one-off performance and exhibition entitled Ambiguous Utopia. This event draws from and intertwines our own independent practice and research into the areas of Sci-fi and utopias, directly referencing Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed.
Gayle Meikle is an artist, curator and PhD researcher at Northumbria University currently exploring Eros and how this might underpin a curatorial positioning. Ross Hamilton Frew is an artist who works with drawing, ceramics, collage and assemblage. Simon Raven is an artist and PhD researcher at Northumbria University who is exploring disability art through performance.
Image credit: A photo of lapetus, a moon of Saturn. Taken by Cassini with COCIRS on April 13, 2006 at 18:36:11. NASA OPUS database.
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03.12.16
I took part in this performance as part of the BxNU Respond programme at BALTIC39.
BxNU Respond: A Bodyssey Odyssey Choir from BALTIC Archive on Vimeo.
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20.08.16
I have some work from my Nigh Hylic exhibition (2012) in 'Drawing Through Process', 3rd floor, Tontine, 20 Trongate, Glasgow. The exhibition is presented as part of the 2016 Graduate Degree Show at Glasgow School of Ar and is curated by Vanessa Larsen.
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24.07.16
Colourless Green Ideas exhibition took place at Lost Arch in Newcastle Upon Tyne this weekend.
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22.06.2016
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21.06.2016
pricing together some collage for 'Colourless Green Ideas'.
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02.06.2016
I pitched an idea at this months Studio Soup at BALTIC39, and I won! £55 towards 'Colourless Green Ideas' materials. Think I'll get some laser cuts done!
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01.06.2016
Testing out my frame work for 'Neoliberalism Started With Pinochet' at Baltic39 with Gayle Meikle.
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22.05.2016
Working on some new collages for 'Colourless Green Ideas' at Lost Arch.
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15.05.2016
Colourless green Ideas
July 23 & 24 2016
Lost Arch, Ouseburn, Newcastle Upon Tyne
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20.10.2015
I've been guest lecturer at Northumbria University this week and I've also been exhibiting some work in their project space.
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31.08.2015
I have some work in the second volume of Queens Park Railway Club’s interactive publication series, Queens Park Music Club. link link link
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11.08.2015
I was at the Highland Print Studio last week after receiving a grant from the Comhairle nan Eileen Siar Visual Art and Craft Award.
I spent my time working with head technician John McNaught and experimenting with textured printing. I managed to try out some aquatinted steel plates, polymer plates and caustic soda etching onto lino. Images courtesy of HPS.
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25.07.2015
Setting up in Edinburgh for PLATFORM:2015 as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival.
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09.05.2015
I had my phone write a haiku on predictive text.
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27.04.2015
I visited Kildonan Museum today and was drawn to these grain sieves. Something about the pattern of the holes or their perceived usefulness in paper making. They had me intrigued.
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09.04.2016
Brightened up my day.
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22.03.2015
Setting up in Intermedia for my upcoming solo show Locus of Points. Opens Friday 27 6.00pm.
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08.01.2015
Below is a blog post I wrote for Atlas Arts' Broadreach Project at Taigh Chearsabhagh. It was written for a residency I undertook at the TC print facility in November 2014 as part of their Focal programme for artist based on the Uists.
You can find the original post here.
I am a drawer, so the idea of a residency in a print studio may seem odd, but the methodical nature of my work and it’s aesthetic lend themselves to the printing process. I would have perhaps spent more of my career in print studios had I had the finances to fully utilise such facilities. Drawing is the simplest of art forms; Cheap, quick and effective, so it is within this discipline that I find myself. Focal, however, enabled a short intensive period of production, allowing me to expand my practice and explore new ideas in the printed form. I have taken part in workshops at TC previous to my residency and learned the basics of the aquatint process. It is this as well as other intaglio processes such as etching and drypoint that I wanted to focus on during my residency. Their meticulous nature sits well with me.
I have in the past created work using cyanotype and xerography printing techniques and the latter of these two became quite important during my week in the studio. The use of a photocopier to create original works using bold geometric shapes seemed like the best way to create compositions for the intaglio process. However while trying to discover the best way to translate these compositions from xerography to aquatint I began experimenting with cutouts, and this technique, originally seen as a means of creating plates for aquatint, became a means of working in itself (see image below). I began experimenting with layering these cutouts and creating more complex compositions rather than the straight forward ones in which I had originally planned. The results of which are still ongoing in my studio practice.
I was also fortunate enough to be asked to be one of the contributors from TC to Hot Bed Press’ 20:20 print exchange where print studios throughout the country select artist to submit twenty-five prints, which are twenty centimetres squared. In return the artists receive a box of twenty-five original prints and have their work toured around the UK. This gave me the task of not only using my time in the workshop experimenting with new techniques but also creating a finished edition of prints. At this point I had been looking at the compositions of Josef Albers and Lygia Clark which I think is apparent from the final print (below) which utilised both the cutout and xerography techniques I have perviously mentioned.
My intention had always been to work with the intaglio process during this week. I spent a number of hours working with the wonderful Margaret MacLellan learning etching and improving my aquatint techniques, however these skills are tough and I commend anyone who is able to master them. The opportunity to improve on these skills is invaluable in the greater context of my practice and is definitely something I will return to. Not only that but this period of production was particularly beneficial as it fed into a research project I am currently undertaking at Northumbria University.
Without the support of Broad Reach and access to these facilities this progression in my practice would not have been possible.
Ross Hamilton Frew, Print Workshop, Micro Residency, October 2014
Ross Hamilton Frew is an artist based between the Isle of North Uist and Glasgow working predominantly with drawing. His practice utilises a series of frameworks which allow for the exploration of the basic concepts of line, shape, form, pattern and symmetry. He used this residency to develop skills in intaglio printing process and develop work for Hot Bed Press’ 20:20 Print Exchange. Print workshop micro - residency is part of Focal, opportunities for Uist based artists. We offer exhibitions, events and micro - residences to artists living and working in the Uists and Barra and members of the UAA.
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10.06.14
Back in PSN this week to carry on my paper production. Cotton grass and lichen are abundant on Uist at the moment so I'll be beginning to experiment with those. I'll be looking for a more structured way of imbedding a grid in the paper as well. Some of my experiments thus far seem forced. I'll also be making some wheat starch glue to use as an alternative to gelatine for sizing.
The paper making process requires patience, so while I wait for things to dry/set I've been working on some small drawings (images below). These are going to be stocked in Welcome Home at CCA , Glasgow. Go and have a look if you're close by.
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15.05.14
I've been in Taigh Chearsabhagh this week undertaking a masterclass in etching and aquatint printing. The workshop is part of the Artist Rooms exhibition I helped instal recently. The show displays the work of Vija Celmins and in particular her printed work based on the night sky.
The images below are of the negative created through producing the etching plate, the plate itself and a possible combination for a final composition.
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22.04.14
The Art Lending Library is back up and running in Darlington next month, and I have a xerograph available for loan. Here is the work being collected for delivery
Collecting more art for the library. Thanks @N_B_Project for looking after work & @FrankieStrings for help lifting! pic.twitter.com/xIn8NrreKG
— Art Lending Library (@Artyoucanborrow) April 21, 2014............................................................................................................................................................................................
02.04.2014
Back to PSN for more paper making this week. This is the first proper week of paper making. I've been working with technician Chun-Chao Chiu to begin the development of a paper stock as well as further familiarising myself with the paper making process. I've began by lacing cotton and lokta pulp with magnetic tape (taken from a Forest Gump vhs). This is the first step in my development and a test bed for things to come. I'll be sizing and finishing the pieces over the course of the week hoping that the results provide the starting point to something bigger and better. The results so far are varied but I'm beginning to understand the limitations of the process.
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13.03.2014
I moved into my North Uist Studio this week. An old mansion house that was almost razed to the ground by fire, some twenty five years ago. The scorch marks are still visible on some door ways and walls. Norman Johnson, my landlord (aged 82) has been single handedly restoring the building for the last ten years and has thus far completed (amongst others) two rooms on the first floor for artists. I will be working there when I'm not in Glasgow or Newcastle with Norman and the resident studio cat for company. This will no doubt make for a good working environment.
My first task is to complete a series of drawings for Gwenan International at this years Gi.....
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26.02.2014
Today I am back in Newcastle preparing for my first few days proper in PSN. I start tomorrow with a presentation on my practice followed by a day of paper making. I plan to lace the hand made paper with various materials in order to decipher my plan. This is nothing more than a test bed at the moment but will hopefully put my thought process in motion. After this I'll have to begin gathering my own tools for production, with the most important piece being the deckle and mould. After careful consideration I've decided to build one myself.
I'll keep you updated on my progress.
Here is a example of a mould from the PSN studio:
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12.02.2014
From now on I'll be using this blog to keep tabs on all my ongoing projects. I start with a twelve month residency with Paper Studio Northumbria (PSN) where I'll be developing skill in papermaking over the course of 2014. I recently received an artist bursary from Creative Scotland which allowed me to get this project off the ground. check the link below to see who else got some money,.
http://www.creativescotland.com/funding/awards/artists-bursaries
"Awarded £5,000 to research skills in papermaking and to develop a series of experimental drawings that allow the hand-made paper to dictate the resulting work."