 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Review
of ‘City, Regeneration, Redevelopment and Waste, ACEO's’
by Jo Derbyshire and Peter Worthington, Part of Loft Space Project,
Curator Jo Derbyshire, Liverpool, England, 2007. The ‘City in Regeneration, Redevelopment and Waste, ACEO’s’ was conceived in collaboration with Jo Derbyshire and Peter Worthington at the ‘Loft Space’ between 4 March 2007 - 10 March 2007. It consisted of a large collection of small ‘ACEO’s’, which are small reproductions of different local, national and international artists work.
In the environment of the ‘Loft Space’, these had been presented around the four low perimeters on white card in groups of about four with the artists names printed next to them. On one main wall, there was an installation of one image, which was shown reproduced several times from large to small on presented on an angular line of gradation. This was a visual representation of the process of taking art from its original source and the reductivism of how art is reproduced and becomes the dimensions of the ACEO’s.
To understand more the objectives to this exhibition, Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney interviewed Jo Derbyshire, who in association with Peter Worthington conceived the idea to present this mass reproduction of the art work. Sweeney: What are ACEOs? Derbyshire:
Art Cards Editions and Originals. They are 2.5 x 3.5 in miniature
cards. I think the original purpose of this art form was to share
pieces of artwork with others, while promoting the artist Derbyshire:
They are popular in the USA, but some claims are laid
to them being used from around 1996 by a Swiss artist Derbyshire:
Eddie Lyons, Alison carling, peter Worthington, John Bridson,
Jo Derbyshire and others from the South Bohemia Art Gallery. Alison
who produced the ACEO's through her printing Business Boho Dolls,
selected the work for the exhibition. My job was to make sure
they kept with them I set 'When the City speaks'. Derbyshire:
The theme surrounds the theme I set in place for everyone
when the city speaks. Images are produced in ACEO format of regeneration,
Liverpool icons like the Beatles and scenes from Sefton Park.
There are miniature photographs alongside miniature painting prints Derbyshire:
Peter did not curate but I asked Alison Carling who works at the
south bohemia gallery to get some ACEO images together they also
asked me for some images of various Liverpool scenes and I know
artist like John and Edie had various images of Liverpool Icons Derbyshire:
The common them was Liverpool and how we see it and what we would
put in a trading card/small piece of art, which essentially what
ACEO's are. I went for photographs of regeneration and change,
Alison went for urban landscapes, Peter included some of his pastels
of the city, Eddie and John used cultural icons as their imagery.
They work together as these various layers of Liverpool and Liverpool’s
culture are presented. Derbyshire:
They are small affordable pieces of art and each one essentially
is a limited edition print 1-50 so they are collectable Derbyshire:
It does not really but no one else seems to be using
them as a collectables in the city at the moment although in the
states and on the internet there are websites set up about them.
I know the MA By Creative Practice Class who will have their exhibition
in South Bohemia on 25th May this year will be utilising ACEOs
as a marketing tool and a limited edition run of 12 will be printed
and on sale on the opening night so I think they will catch on. Derbyshire:
Positives we have a resident poet who is publishing a book of
his poems that come from this, people like the alternative type
of space. Negative is that I feel people in art circles in the
city are either becoming apathetic or elitist and not many people
form the Liverpool art scene have visited the space yet on a positive
note again some Liverpool a students have and I have had visitors
from London, Japan, Edinburgh, Leeds, Italy and the USA. People
have also come along as they are aware of my website and the Transvoyeur
website and we are getting visitors from the local music scene,
writing scene, more so than local artists. People like the space,
because it is different and true to the residential setting, it
is not just a house housing art as a renovation project incorporating
elements of around 1905 when the house was built is going on,
and that was a lot of research on my part. Derbyshire: I would definitely plan it differently but with any project things never go according to plan. We will see though, watch this space. I am proud of the fact it has been a truly independent piece not funded by anyone, not rich benefactor in the background, no people in the know who have championed the whole exhibition and it has run successfully without this to me that epitomises the idea of when the city speaks it is like lifting the layer off a part of everyday life that can be ignored or forgotten but is very much there The idea behind the ACEOs was interesting and how art can be available and distributed in terms of socio-economic structures of a place, making it accessible and affordable to the broader social groups in society. This is a re-invention to the function of the image in terms of mass marketing too. The reduced art comparable to how iconic images, such as Mona Lisa by Da Vinci, Monet’s flowers, etc., are reproduced on an array of consumer items. In terms of curatorial relationship to the nature of the Loft Space, it would have been interesting to see the mass reproduction of the art images correlated more with the theme and parameters of the space, as the presentation imbued more a commercial platform with the regimental lines of small collections around the perimeter. Further information on the upcoming projects at the Loft Space, contact Jo Derbyshire (Curator of Loft Space Project) on aprilskies1204@aol.com or 07946353251. Viewing is by appointment (www.joderbyshire.co.uk). The next series of exhibitions are: 11
March 2007- 17 March 2007
18 March 2007 - 24 March 2007 25
March 2007 - 31 March 2007 22
April 2007 - 28 April 2007 |
