#arrowsofdesireexhibition

This final day of the art challenge from @orourke_art is the completion of a circle starting with the Covid Martyr image. Saint Sebastian is a really important archetype for me, despite the fact that I am Buddhist, not a Christian. His statue is on my Buddhist shrine. The catholic saint, much loved for his courage and horribly killed for his identity as a Christian makes a challenging image for those of us oppressed for any other party of our identity. LGBT people rejected, humiliated, brutalised and condemned by the Church have often found parallel in him as a metaphors for our suffering. Artists have homo-eroticised this suffering saint for centuries (and I love the power of reclaiming an image). I follow that lineage. Here first, is my ceramic image of him, Patton Saint of protection from disease. He was often depicted as young, long haired and slim to feminise Him as visual code by gay artists. Historically He would have been a strong, middle aged, crop-haired soldier, probably thickset and masculine by modern constructs- if I am to homoeroticise the image those would be my choices. I made the image because the more LGBT identified with Him, the less statues of him were readily available (as though our association with him was an embarrassment to the Church), so I thought,”Fuck you, I’ll make my own”. One almost never finds him represented in church shops now. The second is digital collage of Him with another gender defiant Saint Joan of Arc. Next another digital drawing, then a finished piece for #arrowsofdesireexhibition last year. Next a wood cut reliquary, an intaglio reliquary of binding rope and arrowhead, after that three textured intaglio close ups and some of the postcards for the show. #saintsebastian #saint #martyr #lgbtq🌈 #queerartist #queerart #reclaimed #sculpture #printmaking #intaglioprint #digitalcollage #arrows #faithoverfear #courage #patronsaint (at The Horse Hospital) https://www.instagram.com/p/CANiqrngw5g/?igshid=gpavis1yurro

Closing up this little set of documenta based in the #arrowsofdesireexhibition these pages of the Book of Lamentations start to bridge the gap between 2019 and 2020 with a development of one of the pieces. The first is a close up of the execution scene from my short film where a full sized plaster saint image of Sebastian was filled with cartons of red wine as holy blood and then shot with arrows. I played the part of a catholic priest who betrays him with a kiss then condemns him to death, a police man who strips him then carries out the execution and then a queer pilgrim who returns to make prostrations and offer pink incense while a litany of praises and requests to the saint is read out. It was a brilliant experience to get to show it in London and it was really warmly received with a few folks saying afterward that it made them tearful. The second page is the merch postcards based on Caravaggio which I made for the stall and which I was delighted to give a set to the remarkable Ian McKellen. Next a page of loose SMART targets because you can take the boy out of Foundation Art and Design but... well you know. The next is the note from the emergency food parcel that the down stairs neighbour was getting at the start of lockdown. With a developed digital collage of Sebastian in his role as Patron Saint of protection from plague being carelessly murdered by Trump and Johnson. Johnson says today he is very sorry that 100 thousand British people have now died. This image seems to suggest I don’t believe the fucking murderer. The angel wearing the Act Up! Shirt hold a banner translating as “we have been here before” #sketchbook #queerart #sketchbookdrawing #saintsebastian #performanceart #execution #martyrdom #holyblood #herdimmunity #takeitonthechin #incompetent #liar #worldbeating #carnage #moneygrabber #murderers (at The Horse Hospital) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb-MFriMHyY/?utm_medium=tumblr

The Book of Lamentations continues with the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian theme. I was lucky enough to meet the mighty @manko.sebastian online and found that were a cult of fellow queer devotees preparing a show in Londinium in his honour called #arrowsofdesireexhibition Obviously I was very excited to be invited to join in but much of the exhibition recording came later I assembled photo evidence in retrospect, while the original print work was recorded earlier. It is likely that in the future I will develop these pages more with written notes but the first of these currently shows the four models who allowed me to make digital collage (based heavily on renaissance images of the saint, my Kev as Sebastian in glory with a Rainbow Halo and some of the artists on the opening night including Manko, @jasonatomic and @ronathey (who, alongside @andrewlogangallery , in a fan boy type of way, I’d been teaching Foundation students about for many years but never imagined being in the same show as them- so that was a huge privilege.) It was beautiful that night to also meet the remarkable Mary Beard and Saint Ian McKellen. Looking back from years of pandemic, never have we needed the blessings of the Patron Saint of protection from plague more. A week later the second page shows Saint @billychainsawhoulston hosting the film night where I actually got to show my filmed ritual of reenacting the martyrdom on the same bill as my hero Saint #derekjarman genius 1976 film Sebastiane. On the next page is the flyer, one of the small intaglio reliquary shrines I exhibited and the work ready to hang (even after a gormless courier service smashed one of the pieces). Finally for today, two of the intaglio standing figures with a male and female Sebastian and both reliquaries. It seems like a life time ago but I was in London in summer wearing my tweed suit and showing work in room full of saints. It was an absolute highlight of the last few years (and seeing Sue and Alan and Mo and Matty there too was amazing). I am so grateful to have been involved. Sancte Sebastiane Ora Pro Nobis! #sketchbook #exhibition #londinium #saintsebastian #queerartist #queerart #protector #martyr #saint (at Liverpool) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb0UoOqspOM/?utm_medium=tumblr

Closing up this little set of documenta based in the #arrowsofdesireexhibition these pages of the Book of Lamentations start to bridge the gap between 2019 and 2020 with a development of one of the pieces. The first is a close up of the execution scene from my short film where a full sized plaster saint image of Sebastian was filled with cartons of red wine as holy blood and then shot with arrows. I played the part of a catholic priest who betrays him with a kiss then condemns him to death, a police man who strips him then carries out the execution and then a queer pilgrim who returns to make prostrations and offer pink incense while a litany of praises and requests to the saint is read out. It was a brilliant experience to get to show it in London and it was really warmly received with a few folks saying afterward that it made them tearful. The second page is the merch postcards based on Caravaggio which I made for the stall and which I was delighted to give a set to the remarkable Ian McKellen. Next a page of loose SMART targets because you can take the boy out of Foundation Art and Design but... well you know. The next is the note from the emergency food parcel that the down stairs neighbour was getting st the start of lockdown. With a developed digital collage of Sebastian in his role as Patron Saint of protection from plague being carelessly murdered by Trump and Johnson. Johnson says today he is very sorry that 100 thousand British people have no died. This image seems to suggest I don’t believe the fucking murderer. The angel wearing the Act Up! Shirt hold a banner translating as “we have been here before” #sketchbook #queerart #sketchbookdrawing #saintsebastian #performanceart #execution #martyrdom #holyblood #herdimmunity #takeitonthechin #incompetent #liar #worldbeating #carnage #moneygrabber #murderers (at The Horse Hospital) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKjtrPzBZNY/?igshid=143ta4qtemqbp

The Book of Lamentations continues with the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian theme. I was lucky enough to meet the mighty @manko.sebastian online and found that were a cult of fellow queer devotees preparing a show in Londinium in his honour called #arrowsofdesireexhibition Obviously I was very excited to be invited to join in but much of the exhibition recording came later I assembled photo evidence in retrospect, while the original print work was recorded earlier. It is likely that in the future I will develop these pages more with written notes but the first of these currently shows the four models who allowed me to make digital collage (based heavily on renaissance images of the saint, my Kev as Sebastian in glory with a Rainbow Halo and some of the artists on the opening night including Manko, @jasonatomic and @ronathey (who, alongside @andrewlogangallery , in a fan boy type of way, I’d been teaching Foundation students about for many years but never imagined being in the same show as them- so that was a huge privilege.) It was beautiful that night to also meet the remarkable Mary Beard and Saint Ian McKellen. Looking back from a year of lockdown never have we needed the blessings of the Patron Saint of protection from plague more. A week later the second page shows Saint @billychainsawhoulston hosting the film night where I actually got to show my filmed ritual of reenacting the martyrdom on the same bill as my hero Saint #derekjarman genius 1976 film Sebastiane. On the next page is the flyer, one of the small intaglio reliquary shrines I exhibited and the work ready to hang (even after a gormless courier service smashed one of the pieces). Finally for today, two of the intaglio standing figures with a male and female Sebastian and both reliquaries. It seems like a life time ago but I was in London in summer wearing my tweed suit and showing work in room full of saints. It was an absolute highlight of the last few years (and seeing Sue and Alan and Mo and Matty there too was amazing). I am so grateful to have been involved. Sancte Sebastiane Ora Pro Nobis! #sketchbook #exhibition #londinium #saintsebastian #queerartist #queerart #protector #martyr #saint (at The Horse Hospital) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKe-UQghO7u/?igshid=uhdvus6t4t3h

Sale time! So this is a change from my normal pattern of archiving sketchbook. I’ll continue that too but I’m also going to do a couple of these. One issue with printmaking is that you make a lot of work and the new stuff I’ve been selling on Etsy (thanks to all those folks who have supported that) had filled my plan chest -which called for a bit of a clear out. When I started emptying it I realised I had loads more older work than I had realised. This stuff is varied. Some are artist’s proofs or test prints, some were designed as one-offs, some were parts of sequences of work for exhibition, some I was just put aside to have time to stand back and reconsider them. When I cleared the draw a lot got thrown out but these remaining selections to be posted over the next week are now up for grabs. I’ll be selling them a little cheaper than the new work in some cases because the paper stock and placement can be a bit more freeform on test prints. A few of them will also be posted on Etsy but the point of posting them here is that anyone who likes a particular one can DM me and we can arrange postage. The first two plates here are collections of three small Lino blocks dedicated to anti establishment groups and proto-socialists or anarchists. They represent the Luddites, the Diggers (who reclaimed common ground for crops- this shows Gerrard Winstanley’s clog and spade breaking the soil) and the Saboteurs (who wrecked machines by throwing their sabots or wooden clogs into the mechanism. The two pages show the two different test sizes I printed these on and there are 3 of each size available for £20. The next These are etchings of my favourite saint from the #arrowsofdesireexhibition prep last year in London. These are £20- each too. The last two of these prints are the chine colle version and the drypoint/ collagraph version of Barmouth harbour. These are the only 2 copies of these and are also £20 each. Watch this space for loads more prints #printmakersofinstagram #artistsproof #etsy #sale #linocut #revolutionary #socialist #linocutprint #luddite #diggers #saboteur #saint #drypoint #queerart #arrowsofdesire #saintsebastian #barmouth #barmouthharbour #fairbourne https://www.instagram.com/p/CIOa4xTnyIl/?igshid=1tb9jms48tq3q

So this is a change from my normal pattern of archiving sketchbook. I’ll continue that too but I’m also going to do a couple of these. One issue with printmaking is that you make a lot of work and the new stuff I’ve been selling on Etsy (thanks to all those folks who have supported that had filled my plan chest which called for a bit of a clear out. When I started emptying it I realised I had loads more older work than I had realised. This stuff is varied. Some are artist’s proofs or test prints, some were designed as one offs, some were parts of sequences of work for exhibition, some I was just put aside to have time to stand back and reconsider them. When I cleared the draw a lot got thrown out but these remaining selections to be posted over the next week are now up for grabs. I’ll be selling them a little cheaper than the new work in some cases because the paper stock and placement can be a bit more freeform on test prints. A few of them will also be posted on Etsy but the point of posting them here is that anyone who likes a particular one can just DM me and we can arrange postage etc. Shown here are three remaining versions of the Green Man Collagraph which were made last year using oak and elder leaves (which have ancient and sacred significance). The image size of these are 27x 35 cm. Next up is a dry-point etch of Saint Derek Jarman (which is 50x 27) and was my first dry point print. The last two are from the #arrowsofdesireexhibition prep last year in London. The first is the “Reliquary for the Rope from His Wrist and the Arrow from His Rib” and the second is the “Reliquary for the Holy Bone”. These are both 20 x 24 cm image size - each of these prints is £25 each. Watch this space got loads more prints #printmakersofinstagram #artistsproof #etsy #sale #collagraph #collagraphprint #greenman #oak #elder #naturespirit #druid #pagansofinstagram #derekjarman #dungeness #saint #drypoint #queerart #arrowsofdesire #saintsebastian #reliquary (at Liverpool) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIJXckHHeZD/?igshid=1svwkcs62875b

Some of the experimental play in Learning volume 2 were leading toward work I was producing for #arrowsofdesireexhibition in London. I was looking at combinations of drypoint and light textured collagraph both for full length figures and for small images of reliquaries such as this first plate of “the rope from his wrist and the arrow from his ribs” which used drypoint drawing in the rope, masking tape collage on the arrowhead and gorilla glue with a nit comb for the stone niche. The third was a lachrimonial for “the years of his mother” with pink staining from port as reference to red wine being a metaphor for holy blood. after this are more soft ground experiments and some small results from our first workshop with sharpie resist etching. The last page is an accidental red flag made from BIG that was too lovely to throw away. Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer we’ll keep the samples going here #sketchbook #sketchbookpage #drawing #archive #liverpoolartist #intaglio #intaglioprint #printmakersofinstagram #collagraphprint #saintsebastian #arrowsofdesire #drypoint #softgroundetching #liverpoolindependentartschool (at Rose Lane Liverpool) https://www.instagram.com/p/CErK4iwM9ed/?igshid=1wr7fo3k436t0