The Library Museum: BT1632+ BT1252+ BT667
Fore Street Library: London Borough of Enfield new commission
Here’s some images from a new commission I’m working on for London Borough of Enfield, working with the Borough’s archives in Palmers Green on a new piece of work in the window of Fore Street Library with accompanying video work.
More soon.
Artist led walks in pictures
A truly great couple of days walking four historical routes through Melksham, exploring a new development to the east of the town. I’ve got plenty to think about to help me with my filmwork after meeting a stirling group of local residents and walkers aged one to ninety.
From historical inter town fighting with wooden swords next to the mill on the old town bridge to a past career as a submarine naval officer. An impromptu tea break outside some new residents house with cake handed out. The delightful Graham and his family who live in the Spa providing us with a starting base for the second day. These stories and the experience will now feed into a structured framework I’m developing to work up a narrated script in collaboration with Phil Smith, who had carried out a first wave of research into the area a year ago.
For now here’s some images of the two days
PS
I met a lady called Maggie who makes model railways and keeps horses. We met in the stationers whilst I was folding my flyers offering advice on craft knifes explaining this project and asking to use her horse in the filmwork. I have since had my phone stolen with all of her contact details so if anyone reading this knows of her could you please get in touch. All I know is that she is based somewhere near Pear Tree?
Artist led walks routes 3 + 4 details / March 17th:
All of the information is below and can also be found on a googlemap, with the routes at this link:
Verity-Jane Keefe is commissioned to make a moving image work that looks at the new development site and it’s relationship to Melksham. Your home or business falls on one of five existing walking routes. You are invited to walk and talk, exploring the landscape (both built and natural), and the physical fabric of the site and Melksham. You will be involved in a vital research stage of the projects’ development.
Here are the last two of the four routes with times.
It is suggested that if you are attending walk one, you may like to stay for walk 2 as they create a loop.
If you have any mobility queries please contact Verity on 07817 302637. Where possible, I will endeavour to arrange to meet you for a section of the walk on route.
The new development does not show on the map, it is still depicted as fields to the east.
Walk one will begin from the Spa at 11.30. I will be setting off from The Art Cafe in town at 11 should you want to join me and walk down to the Spa.
Graham Ellis who joined me last week for the first two walks has kindly offered that we may meet at his driveway, 404 The Spa and set off from there.
Information taken from googlemap:
We will meet at the Art House Cafe in the Town at 11 to walk to the Spa. People have the option to join us at 441 Spa Road where we will set off north, through fields to the new development, across Snarlton Lane to the northern tip of the development.
We will stop for a cake break at this point at 12.15pm for a 12.30 set off along walk 4.
This is situated along the new link road which connects Sandridge Road to Snowberry Lane. We will be near South Snarlton Farm.
Walk Three: South to North through the Spa
Total distance: 2.05 miles
We will meet at the Art House Cafe in the Town at 11 to walk to the Spa. People have the option to join us at 404 The Spa where we will set off north, through fields to the new development, across Snarlton Lane to the northern tip of the development.
We will stop for a cake break at this point.
Walk Four: Snarlton Lane through to the Cooper Avon Factory
Total distance 2.2 miles
Meeting 12.15pm or carrying on from Walk Three.
A 2.2 mile walk from the perimeter of the new development to the east. Meeting on the new link road extending from Snowberry Lane, just North of Snarlton Lane. We will walk along Snarlton Lane, through the town via Church Lane, crossing the River and carrying on around the Cooper Avon Factory into town.
There is the option to cut back into town along the river should you wish.
We will meet at the Art House Cafe in the Town at 11 to walk to the Spa. People have the option to join us at 404 The Spa where we will set off north, through fields to the new development, across Snarlton Lane to the northern tip of the development.
We will stop for a cake break at this point.
Walk Four: Snarlton Lane through to the Cooper Avon Factory
Total distance 2.2 miles
Meeting 12.15pm or carrying on from Walk Three.
A 2.2 mile walk from the perimeter of the new development to the east. Meeting on the new link road extending from Snowberry Lane, just North of Snarlton Lane. We will walk along Snarlton Lane, through the town via Church Lane, crossing the River and carrying on around the Cooper Avon Factory into town.
There is the option to cut back into town along the river should you wish.
Artist led walks routes 1 + 2 details / March 9th:
Here is a googlemap that I’ve made with the routes on. This will be updated in the coming days to include walk three and four which will be happening on the 17th March.
Click this link (the content is copied below as well)
Verity-Jane Keefe is commissioned to make a moving image work that looks at the new development site and it’s relationship to Melksham. Members of the local community are invited to walk and talk, exploring the landscape (both built and natural), and the physical fabric of the site and Melksham. They will be involved in a vital research stage of the projects’ development.
Participants are invited to bring dogs, family, bikes, cameras, notebooks etc, anything that they would normally use to explore the town.
Here are two of the four routes with times.
It is suggested that if you are attending walk one, you may like to stay for walk 2 as they create a loop from town out and then back into town.
If you have any mobility queries please contact Verity on 07817 302637. Where possible, I will endeavor to arrange to meet you for a section of the walk on route.
The routes for walks three and four which will be happening on 17th March will be published on Sunday 11th March.
Here are two of the four routes with times.
It is suggested that if you are attending walk one, you may like to stay for walk 2 as they create a loop from town out and then back into town.
If you have any mobility queries please contact Verity on 07817 302637. Where possible, I will endeavor to arrange to meet you for a section of the walk on route.
The routes for walks three and four which will be happening on 17th March will be published on Sunday 11th March.
We will meet in the Art cafe on the High Street at 11am for an 11.30 start.
The first walk will finish and we will break for some cake and a drink (which I will bring). People should then join us at 1pm for a 1.15pm start for walk two.
The new link road does not feature on googlemaps yet but is an extension of Snowberry Lane if you follow the road, past the first new mini roundabout. the road will take you around the southern edge of the new development. We will be just beyond the Bloor Homes signage, to the right of the road where it joins the fields just before Clackers Brook.
Walk one: Through the town and on Prioress’s Ride
A gentle 1.18 mile walk from the town centre (meet at the Art cafe on the High Street).
The walk will take in many different architectural styles of housing through different pockets of development out to the East and around the edge of the new development site. it is depicted on this map as fields but is at different stages of construction, some houses being occupied.
A busy route popular with dog walkers, cyclists and those walking to and from town.
Walk two: Clackers Brook
A 1.4 mile walk from the eastern edge of the new development, weaving through the site and over a footbridge and along Clackers Brook back towards the town, going around King George V Park joining the river for the final section to Bath Road.
A gentle 1.18 mile walk from the town centre (meet at the Art cafe on the High Street).
The walk will take in many different architectural styles of housing through different pockets of development out to the East and around the edge of the new development site. it is depicted on this map as fields but is at different stages of construction, some houses being occupied.
A busy route popular with dog walkers, cyclists and those walking to and from town.
Walk two: Clackers Brook
A 1.4 mile walk from the eastern edge of the new development, weaving through the site and over a footbridge and along Clackers Brook back towards the town, going around King George V Park joining the river for the final section to Bath Road.
Verity-Jane Keefe is a visual artist, working predominantly within the public realm. Her practise is an amalgamation of moving image, site based research, print and object used to explore the complex relationships between people and place, and the idea of the landscape as museum. She is interested in the role of the artist within urban regeneration and how experiential practice can touch upon and raise ambitions of existing and invisible communities.
The Artists’ Eye at Hackney Museum: 25 January - 28 April 2012
I’m delighted to be part of Hackney Museum’s temporary exhibition “The Artists’ Eye. My video work Print(ed) Matters is screening throughout the duration of the exhibition so pop down and have a look. I can’t guarantee the sound will be turned up as it was muted today, so if you do go, ask the staff on the desk to turn it up for you to enjoy it in it’s entirety.
“A Mapping the Change exhibition of artists’ work in response to the changes in East London as a result of the 2012 Olympics. These range from artistic impressions of the Olympic site, to photos through peep holes on Hackney building sites, to an abstract piece about workers on the River Lea to a children’s animation film of Matchbox toys returning to their old factory.
Visitors will also find out about Hackney’s art in open spaces and be among the first to see images of the art specially commissioned for the Olympic Park.”
Rooms With a View on DVD
You can now purchase a copy of my film “Rooms With a View” which was made in 2008 from here:
www.roomswithaview.bigcartel.com
The film explores the secret life of a 45 year old council estate, using it’s demolition as a backdrop to expose the wider context of regeneration.
The Lintons was built in 1962 by the borough architect and was home to around 700 people in 256 flats. The premiere occurs almost a year to the day after the demolition was completed in early 2008. Post-demolition, I worked with previous residents of the estate’s history to carefully construct a narrative soundtrack of the estate and Barking in general.
The film (18 minutes) has been shot on high definition, including a three month timelapse, punctuated with various stages of the demolition process on the ground and within the derelict interior, following the materials down to the riverside where it will be separated and used in new developments.
The artwork reveals the seductive shadows of occupation and the voyeuristic brutality of demolition. The demolition process is used to frame the real social narratives of the site and Barking as a wider area on the cusp of change: a new generation of regeneration, the estate itself being born from post-war redevelopment.
The cinematic portrait of place was premiered a year after the demolition, within the empty site to an invited and incidental audience.
The project was co-funded by The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, 777 demolition and the Arts Council England.
Silence from me, but this is getting me through.
I’ll be back after some deadlines
The Transit Cinema: Screening images
During the last weekend of July I converted a transit van into a mobile cinema. Challenging, brilliant fun and a lot of hard work, here are some photographs.
I screened Print(ed) Matters and Rooms with a View by myself, Blight by John Smith and Nocturne by Emily Richardson. Many thanks to both for letting the films be shown on board.
Print(ed) Matters: Outdoor screening photographs
Finally, here are some images of the premiere screening of Print(ed) Matters, outside in the yard of Central Books, Hackney Wick. Thanks everyone for coming.
these images taken by the brilliant Lucy Dawkins
these images taken by Inge Clemente
