The Lacuna Studios

The numbers are in!

Creative Experience - presentation at Escuela de Arte Pancho Lasso  

Over the past few weeks Sarah-Jane has been in touch with the fabulous team at Escuela de Arte Pancho Lasso, the Lanzarote School of Art. The discussions between them led to Sarah-Jane delivering a presentation to many of their students, lecturers and alumni last week.

The presentation topic was about Sarah-Jane’s ‘Creative Experience’ to-date, and her artistic journey so far. It also provided an opportunity to talk about The Lacuna Studios and what we intend to bring to the island.

Sarah-Jane was introduced by Carmen Miranda a lecturer from the college. Sarah-Jane talked about her formal art education from GCSE through to her PGCE. The progression initially led to Sarah-Jane being a secondary school teacher in Leeds. However, after five years, she decided that this wasn’t the career choice that best suited her and she moved to Cyprus to undertake her Masters Degree with the support of artist and educator Stass Paraskos at the Cyprus College of Art. Stass had a huge influence on not only her art but also on her vision of her career and indeed her whole life for the future.

Sarah-Jane returned from Cyprus and set up as an Artist Educator, working creatively in many varied locations. Some examples are The Tetley Art Gallery, Leeds Museums, Cannon Hall Museum Park and Gardens, Arts Council England, The Arts Council Collection, The National Arts Education Archive, The Marks and Spencer Archive and National Portfolio Galleries such as the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Sarah-Jane has developed her own publishing house Next Generation Publications which has been able to publish a number of books created by participating children and relating to projects she has delivered over a number of years (these books are now available from the British Library).

The final section of Sarah-Jane’s talk explained about how her past experiences and teachings from Stass have led to the creation of The Lacuna Studios. She explained that how, along with Simon Turner, they aim to create residential art studios on the island of Lanzarote to provide facilities for both local and international artists and art students to learn and create in relaxed surroundings with no obligations.

Sarah-Jane talked about her experiences with other influential artists and her involvement with The Frozen Academy, an arts collective headed by Josef Danek.  She also spoke of her regular involvement in the Larroque Arts Festival, directed by Professor Kenneth G. Hay from the Gallerie la Vielle Poste in Larroque. This is an international Arts Festival based in the rural village of Larroque in the South of France. The Lacuna Studios is proud to twin with for 2019 and deliver the Lanzarote Arts Festival at the end of July through to the beginning of August.

Sarah-Jane opened up the floor for questions from the audience with some very interested students keen to find out more about The Lacuna Studios, the Lanzarote Arts Festival and also about Sarah-Jane’s history.

The Escuela de Arte Pancho Lasso presented Sarah-Jane with a copy of the book telling the History of Escuela de Arte Pancho Lasso, to mark the occasion. The book is now a part of The Lacuna Studios Library which will be based at and accessible through the studios.

The Faceless (Beach bodies) - by Sarah-Jane Mason

Sarah Jane Mason of The Lacuna Studios talks about her recent series of studies, sketches and paintings.

Simon and his Landart featured in Lanzarote37° talking about The Lacuna Studios 

Our co-founder Simon has been surprising beach goers around Lanzarote with his Landart since we arrived on the island and has been taking every opportunity whenever we travel to deliver a piece of Landart. This hasn't gone un-noticed and a couple of weeks ago Simon was approached by a Lanzarote publication Lanzarote37Grad a popular, local based magazine that has been around for a number of years. Simon was invited to talk about his work and about The Lacuna Studios. The interview went really well and the article was published this week, with a four page spread in the magazine. Simon also had an image of his Landart used on the magazines annual calendar this year, which means his art will be up on walls all around Lanzarote for six months! The article is below, along with images of the article (apologies for any translation errors!):-

Simon Turner in the evening at the Playa de Atrás: he loves to create his transitory works without any audience attention and is nevertheless pleased when they are later taken over by playing children, before the art is then recaptured by the sea.

The first time I encountered Simon Turner's Land-Art on the Internet was pictures of his artwork on his Facebook page. I was fascinated immediately, how beautiful it looked! Who is the artist, I asked myself, and how does he do that and with what? How does he get such huge mandalas, because when he is right next to the piece he has hardly any overview of the entire work. Could he provide us with a photo for our Lanzarote37° annual calendar so that our readers could enjoy his art as much as I did? I really wanted to get to know this artist and so I sent him a message and asked to meet him.

Simon responded promptly and a few days later he and his girlfriend Sarah-Jane Mason, who is also an artist, sat with me in the kitchen and I got chatting quickly with Simon and Sarah, both from the UK. The love of Lanzarote creates a connecting element, and their refreshingly open and unpretentious manner lovingly makes them ignore the fact that my English has suffered a noticeable decline after so many years without sustained listening and speaking practice. Simon was also very happy to be present in our 2019 calendar.

I find out that the two had met each other many years before they became a couple, had re-joined each other in the depths of social networking, and now, after meeting for a coffee in Leeds, they are inseparable. The thought makes both of them smile while their eyes meet intimately. Somehow one immediately notices that the two - at least in my impression - are similar. Neither Simon nor Sarah would bend for commerce or consumption, both live consistently according to their nature and are definitely willing to sacrifice themselves in order to get closer to their goal.

Their goal is to set up an open art house in Lanzarote, where artists from all over the world can live and work as long as they want. Simon and Sarah, with consistent systematics because their planned art house, prefer to approach a climate-friendly area, but at the same time Great Britain should not be too far away. They agreed quite quickly on the Canary Islands, but which of the now official eight would be the right one? Simon and Sarah drove all the Canary Islands by car, methodically and purposefully, Simon glued to the driver's seat and Sarah with a map on her lap.

Sarah directed Simon through every single village from Gran Canaria to Fuerteventura, and finally to Lanzarote; where immediately after they had travelled the road from the airport straight to the north, and through the Malpais at the foot of Monte Corona, there was the mighty island. Here on Lanzarote the Art House was to arise.

On the island, working as "Workawayers" exchanging work for accommodation they have been employed in the most diverse jobs, in airlines or in the holiday home care as well as for art projects of individual communities or even the island government. Always with the vision in mind how to make their Art House similar to a project in Cyprus where Sarah lived and worked for a long time, the campus of today's ‘Cyprus College of Art’ in the coastal city of Lemba, which the Cypriot painter Stass Paraskos founded.

Simon and Sarah's dream, would be a place in Lanzarote where artists and those with an interest in art come together to live and work with each other side by side. What is special about the planned Lanzarotian art school should above all be that really, everyone is welcome that has a lust for the Arts. Education and training will not play a selective role; the desire to create will be what counts, not some previous education or certificate of study.

Carefully mentioned doubts on my part about suitable real estate on our island given the high prices could ever be found, but the young artists do not seem easy to depress. Both have a lot of project experience in the field of art and are keen to be able to access the corresponding EU funds. The first hurdle to cross when the project was set up was a suitable real estate property needed to be found. It seems like a goliath task to me. But I think so too. It would be a project that Lanzarote, the island that has benefited so much from the creations of an artist like César Marique is still profiting well.

Where, on the Canary Islands, if not on our island, could a modern, open-to-all art school be better located?

And who, if not Simon, could be a more ideal co-founding member with its transient artefacts, in view of an ever-increasing awareness of ecology on Lanzarote? Because his art is also synonymous for what Land Art can be; Art occupied with a socio-critical component to the propertied bourgeoisie, who considered the works of the visual arts only as objects of speculation. Land-Art artist Simon does not want a new consumer good throw into the insatiable throat. In addition to art for the sake of art, Simon also wants to create works that can not be exhibited in any gallery, can not be transported, are not for sale, are not harmful to the environment or are permanently…..Beautiful. Transient. Trackless

Dieter Noss 

Arte de Obra and Bettina Bork

A few weeks ago The Lacuna Studios were really excited when they had the opportunity to meet up with someone with similar beliefs and ethics to both Sarah-Jane and Simon; living, working and promoting European cultural exchange in the heart of the island of Lanzarote. Bettina Bork is an architect and designer who studied and apprenticed with César Manrique between 1986-1992. Then, in 1993 she renovated a small, traditional house in Haria with the cooperation of the local mayor. Following this, Bettina continued to renovate traditional properties, this time choosing a larger house which first became a small hotel and eventually in 2003 was set up as a Cultural Centre ‘Arte de Obra’. A beautiful collection of fabulous apartments finished to perfection. The inspiration for Arte de Obra came from Manrique’s similar project ‘El Almacen’ in Arrecife; an ancient study house renovated for cultural and artist exchanges, collaborations, studies, residencies and exhibitions that has been operational since 1986. Bettina says of the influence of El Almacen, “From my own positive experience there I developed the idea to continue something similar. I had the idea to create or continue an instrument for students of different nations to connect and make contact.” Bettina also talked to us about some of César's projects and how his designs often took shape through him drawing designs in the sand. Similar to techniques implemented through Simon's land art interventions around the island. The Lacuna Studios were really lucky to meet with Bettina Bork in Haria and at Arte De Obra, where she happily spent a couple of hours showing us around the centre and explaining some of the work that she has been involved with recently. One of the most exciting projects is a film, full of members of the local communities in and around Haria that has been in development for over six years. It has recently received recognition at the ethical tourism fair, ITB, (the worlds’ leading travel trade fair) in Berlin and will be premiered in its final edit at a celebration of Manrique’s centenary. The centre itself is gorgeous with bright, white walls, large communal spaces and lovely green outdoor spots for collaboration and exchange. Bettina was keen to emphasise that this is the most important part of the centre – to provide an ethical sort of tourism for the island and to provide a base for European and perhaps even cross-continental exchange. Bettina was also very keen to learn about the work that both Sarah-Jane and Simon create. We really hope that we can arrange to work together in the future; perhaps on a project to celebrate Manrique’s centenary?

A trip back home

Larroque Art Festival - France 2018

Over the last few weeks Sarah-Jane has been working on some new paintings ready to exhibit at the Larroque Art Festival 2018 (LAF18) in the South of France, North of Tolouse. LAF18 is an International Contemporary Art Festival in an idyllic rural setting. It is directed by Professor Emeritus Kenneth G Hay of the University of Leeds from the base of a renovated traditional village house, now the Galerie La Vielle Poste. The festival is held annually to coincide with the week long village fete and Sardinard at the end of July. This year marks the tenth anniversary of LAF which is a ‘Not for Profit’ event that receives no public funding; The Art Festival is entirely run by and for artists. Each year a theme is announced with an open call for artists to submit up to three pieces of work. Pieces are selected by the panel from all submissions with the only criteria being which pieces best communicate the theme. The festival attracts exhibiting artists from all around the world often with more than fifty countries represented. Generally participants are contemporary practising artists occasionally however, pieces from modern masters can be seen. The festival boasts exhibits in previous years from the likes of Eduardo Paolozzi currently exhibiting at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and street sensation TIMO from the Czech Republic. Sarah is proud to have been an active participant at LAF for the last six years. Her pieces for this years festival responding to the theme ‘Harmony’ are shown above. They are titled ‘El Jardin de los Canarios’ which depicts a number of indigenous plants often used to represent the seven Canary Islands. ‘Planta El Cielo y Yo’ which captures a moment of harmony and tranquility from recent personal experience whilst based on Lanzarote. This years Larroque Art Festival runs from 27th July through until the 3rd August with the Vernissage on 27th July 6-8pm

En las últimas semanas, Sarah-Jane ha estado trabajando en algunas pinturas nuevas listas para exhibir en el Larroque Art Festival 2018 (LAF18) en el sur de Francia, al norte de Tolouse.

Land Art - ‘Working with nature’ or ‘Geologic litter’?

For many years Simon from The Lacuna Studios has created land interventions around the world. Whilst not inviting the tag of eco-warrior, Simon has worked to protect the environment and to raise awareness to the importance of how we use the planet, with his art interventions and also his upcycling which ranges from wooden pallets through to beer kegs and innertubes (check out Simon’s upcycled jewellery at PNEÜ Simon has for many years worked with the environment to deliver transient art pieces which are temporary and are reclaimed by nature to return it to its natural state. Moving to Lanzarote has given much more opportunity to create and to showcase his works often with the pieces being created in hidden corners of the island with the sea reclaiming the art within hours. Simon also works to incorporate man made waste in his sculptures, highlighting the damage done to beaches and to the oceans, not only in the Canaries but worldwide. Simon is a keen believer in the #leaveitasyoufoundit campaign which encourages Land Artists to do just that and leave the land as they found it.Something which has recently been echoed by the Cabildo de Lanzarote in their campaign ‘Lanzarote is perfect the way it is, without moving a stone‘, highlighting the damage that can be done by the many stone towers and stone messages left around the island every year by tourists. Whislt these are often left as a memory, the towers can cause lasting damage to the environment especially within the UNSECO Biosphere which is often never thought about by the constructor of the towers. In some places there are now hundreds of stone towers and love hearts littering the landscape, these are also referred to as geologic litter. Simon always dismantles any towers created and allows all other transient pieces to be reclaimed by the sea.

If you have views on land art or the damage that can be caused by stone towers, please get in touch with Simon or The Lacuna Studios via our website thelacunastudios.com or via facebook

We've been pretty busy over at The Lacuna Studios HQ, the last few weeks we've still been cracking on with our wonderful workaway at the beautiful Casitas Tabayesco, we've been vehicle hunting so that we aren't pouring money out on hire cars (hopefully we have secured the TLS MACHINE!), we've created some land art and a little something extra too.We're also super proud of the fabulous Emilee J Turner (Simon's daughter) who has just completed her final year at Sheffield Hallam University.

So that little bit of news ........ Sarah-Jane has had her application for the 'Fast Painting Contest!' in Deiland in Lanzarote accepted and has been selected from a large number of applicants to compete in a timed paint competition on Saturday, May 19 starting at 10:00. Sarah-Jane has to deliver a painting based on the theme of "The Canary Islands", the competition will take place on Saturday in the center of the Deiland complex, so come down and give your support!

Hemos estado muy ocupados en el cuartel general de The Lacuna Studios, en las últimas semanas hemos estado trabajando con nuestro maravilloso trabajo en la hermosa Casitas Tabayesco, hemos estado buscando vehículos para no gastar dinero en ¡Alquile automóviles (esperamos haber asegurado la MÁQUINA TLS!), hemos creado un poco de arte de la tierra y un poco de algo extra también. También estamos muy orgullosos de la fabulosa Emilee J Turner (hija de Simon) que acaba de completar su último año. en la Universidad Sheffield Hallam.

Así que ese poco más de noticias ........ Sarah-Jane ha tenido su solicitud para el 'Concurso pintura rápido!'en Deiland en Lanzarote aceptó y ha sido seleccionada entre un gran número de solicitantes para competir en una competencia de pintura cronometrada el sábado 19 de mayo a partir de las 10:00.Sarah-Jane tiene que entregar una pintura basada en el tema de "Las Islas Canarias", la competencia tendrá lugar durante el sábado en el centro del complejo de Deiland, así que relájate y ¡dale tu apoyo!

COLOREAMOS EXPERIENCIAS

We’ve had another busy week over here at The Lacuna Studios, we have been hunting high and low to find the new TLS cruise machine, we have been taking care of the fabulous Casitas Tabayesco during our workaway experience with Caroline and Rich. The Casa and Casitas have all been brimming with life, with people from all over the world.

We have also taken part in our third mural since we arrived on the island, this time it was ‘Coloreamos Experiencias’ delivered through the Junt@s Somos Biosfera volunteer program with the Cabildo Lanzarote. A social intervention in Tinajo in the San Roque senior peoples residence. The mural was designed by the fabulous Jacobo Cacaeres along with the residents and was painted by the volunteers. The finished mural was in two sections a silhouetted sunset of the traditional Lanzarote landscape with a farming windmill on one side and a vibrant colourful landscape with children playing and a guitar depicting the traditional local music. The Lacuna Studios volunteered and helped deliver the murals as well as painting the courtyards and outdoor spaces of the residence. We had a wonderful time especially with the residents taking part and helping to paint the mural too, making much more personal. We can’t wait to work with Jacobo and the Junt@s Somos Biosfera program again.

Do you know of any art projects taking place or would you like a similar project delivering on the Canary Islands? Get in touch and let us know, we would love to take part 

Hemos tenido otra semana ocupada aquí en The Lacuna Studios, hemos estado cazando alto y bajo para encontrar la nueva máquina de crucero TLS, nos hemos ocupado de la fabulosa Casitas Tabayesco durante nuestra experiencia workaway con Caroline y Rich. La Casa y Casitas han estado llenas de vida, con personas de todo el mundo. También hemos participado en nuestro tercer mural desde que llegamos a la isla, esta vez fue 'Coloreamos Experiencias' entregado a través del programa de voluntariado Junt @ s Somos Biosfera con el Cabildo Lanzarote. Una intervención social en Tinajo en la residencia de personas mayores de San Roque. El mural fue diseñado por el fabuloso Jacobo Cacaeres junto con los residentes y fue pintado por los voluntarios. El mural terminado tenía dos secciones, una puesta de sol silueteada del paisaje tradicional de Lanzarote, con un molino de viento agrícola en un lado y un paisaje vibrante y colorido con juegos de niños y una guitarra que representa la música tradicional local. Lacuna Studios se ofreció como voluntario y ayudó a entregar los murales, así como a pintar los patios y los espacios al aire libre de la residencia. Tuvimos un tiempo maravilloso, especialmente con los residentes que participaron y ayudaron a pintar el mural también, haciéndolo mucho más personal.

No podemos esperar para volver a trabajar con Jacobo y el programa Junt @ s Somos Biosfera.

STEP FORWARD AND CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 

After a little email communication we were invited to volunteer alongside the wonderful team at VoluntHaría in painting their eco-mural in the park at Haría. A great project that involved lots of the children of the area and highlighted the importance of the world around us, with the mural incorporating saved plastics into the main body of the work.

DA UN PASO AL FRENTE Y CUIDA DEL MEDIO AMBIENTE

Territorio Imaginario

A walk inside a volcano

Our second week has been extremely interesting. We have found an awesome little AirBnB apartment in the village of Tahiche, which met our requirements perfectly. Affordable, private and central on the island; Our host Monica, made us feel very welcome.

We have traveled the island meeting potential Workaway hosts that have included; a luxurious secret retreat, a gorgeous little guesthouse and apartments, rebuilding an old Canarian home and a donkey sanctuary with a miniature farm! Hopefully we have secured ourselves some work in exchange for accommodation in some of these to see us through the next few months whilst we find our feet and seek out a place to live. We have already met some fabulous people and hopefully we can get to know them more in the coming weeks. As well as investigating work potential, we have made the most of having our hire car for the week, exploring tiny little corners of Lanzarote that are most definitely off the beaten track. I'd go as far as to say that some of them are off the non-beaten track! I'm not sure how our little hire car didn't give up the ghost halfway through the week with some of the dirt tracks we have taken her down. The adventures have revealed some absolute gems though. We found a tiny remote fishing village with beautiful whitewashed houses contrasting perfectly against the black lava rocks with paragliders passing overhead; We passed through a town of 1 million padlocks; Took a stroll right into the centre of a volcano; Toured a fabulous mansion that was bought and then immediately lost over a game of cards (yes that actually happened); We even found a secret forest and stood on cliff tops more than 2202ft above the people below us, looking out across almost the whole island and giving absolutely breathtaking views of Lanzarote's awe inspiring nature. How the hell does mother nature create crazy stuff like this? By spewing fire from her insides of course - this is the volcano island after all! She definitely has some amazing hidden gems among the well documented attractions.

We fell in love with Lanzarote the moment we stepped off the plane for the first time, there was just something about the island that pulled us in. But these last two weeks have revealed a whole new level of beauty, and we haven't even got into meeting local people and finding out their favorite places.

Island adventures

We are lucky to have such supportive friends and family. To the extent that Sarah-Jane's parents flew over with us for our first week to help us transition smoothly....this meant much more to us than extra weight allowance and left over toiletries!

We have toured the island and shown them our top locations enabling us to have a second opinion that we trust, value and need but also providing us with the opportunity to look at places again in a more reflective way.

Orzola and Famara are firm favourites with everyone. El Golfo ticks some boxes as does Arrieta for others. Consumerism, tourism, seclusion, isolation, access, logistics, and ecological sustainability have all come into discussions.

The long journey begins

Over the last few months we've sold our worldly possessions, moved out of our Saltaire home, traveled to India & trained as Yoga instructors with Rishikul Yogshala, lived in a camper van for a couple of months and slept on floors, sofas & mattresses. Throughout it all, we have told our friends and family "we are moving to the Canary Islands, but don't worry because it's cheap to get to and it doesn't take long to get there".

Today we ate our words and then some!

The day had arrived to jet off to sunnier climes; but we awoke to snow, six inches had fallen over night but we still had to get up the M1 motorway to the airport. Two hours later we arrived at Leeds/Bradford; only to find that our plane hadn't been able to land overnight & we had to be transported to Manchester Airport by coach to reach our plane. The snow continued to fall while we waited in a chilly, blustery, busy departure lounge as more and more people arrived to delayed or cancelled flights and arduous coach journeys back up or down the motorways they had just struggled to travel on.

Four hours later our coaches departed. Arriving at Manchester airport we were hurried along as our plane had squeezed into a 1pm slot, less than an hour away.

Who were we kidding? One of the coaches had a puncture on the motorway, which meant a third of our fellow passengers weren't here! The clock continued to tick past our slot and onwards, more waiting around and we finally hit the runway at 3pm only 11 hours after we got up. Finally we got up in the air and headed off to the warmer climes of Lanzarote with a complimentary cup of in-flight tea to soothe the aching limbs along the way.

The start of a life changing adventure 

We are Sarah-Jane and Simon, two creatives from the UK with a dream to offer residential, artist led studios on the island of Lanzarote. Residential accommodation for creatives of all genres with studio space to create work away from the day-to-day routine.

Sarah-Jane is an experienced freelance Artist & Educator, currently working with arts establishments including Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), Leeds Museums & Galleries, Barnsley Museums & Galleries, East Street Arts and The Tetley and charities including Skippko, Equal Arts and Space 2. Sarah-Jane has also exhibited around the world including an exhibition as part of Paphos 2017 European capital of Culture

Simon is an eco-friendly jewellery designer and creator, making PNEÜ a range of jewellery from waste rubber products including bicycle tyres and inner-tubes. Developing a unique range of up-cycled jewellery. Looking at ways in which we can re-purpose waste materials, including ocean plastics into beautiful pieces of jewellery. He also has a history in Hospitality Management and IT Support.

We have planned the next six months with a joint trip to Kerala to complete our Yoga Teacher Training Scholarship YTT at Rishikul Yogashala in South East India, starting in November 2017 through until January 2018 with a short return to the UK during February and March before emigrating to Lanzarote at the beginning of March.