New Studio Space: January 2012

The new year 2012 from January – April I shared a space in the studio as the main building was infected with a hideous black mould. It wasn’t until April that the problem sorted and the rebuild of studio happened. I then took over the space I currently in. This has been the first time in my life I have had a dedicated room for painting in 🙂 I was also asked to create a show for NCN in march so I drew a whole new set of Moogee cartoons on two themes – The Modern Art School and Modern Art World.

Moogee at Goldfactory July 2008

Well post ‘Connect’ I let rip for a week in the Goldfactory space ( the empty space I left when I decamped briefly to the City Arts project then swapped into Mik Godley’s old space). We used the empty spaces to stage some very successful ‘art research’ shows  and I created the Goldfactory website and managed the project along with Paul Matosic.

For my research space month I worked directly on to the large end wall creating highly controversial cartoons attacking everything I could think of especially ACE and academia ironically as it responded by giving me a permanent post that Autumn.

Suit of Nettles: Collection July 2008

I was struggling to focus on the Lincoln/Derby CONNECT course financed by the Arts Council as I was fast learning how to survive in academia.

I finally pulled together (literally) a show based around a collection of recorded songs in the manner of Daniel Johnston’s shows and performances.

I painted 12 canvasses in a weekend each an ‘illustration’ of a song on the CD. To bulk out a fairly weak bunch of paintings I dressed in character for the private view and played a ‘fake’ vinyl copy of the record in the foyer. The really cutting Moogee cartoons were put on hold as ‘not suitable for a public space’ and I did not want to offend the staff at The Collection who were much nicer and more knowledgeable than the course academics to be honest. I played a part and walked away not having upset anybody.

The record ‘Suit of Nettles’ and can be heard and seen here :
http://www.trailerstar.co.uk
http://www.trailerstar.bandcamp.com

I did play one gig as ‘Trailer Star’ as part of an ACE funded event at the Oldknows building later that summer.

 

First paintings Nottingham 2003

 

 

I moved to Nottingham in May 2002 following a very rough time in London living in a room 8 feet by six just big enough for a bed in a mad house in Harlesden (then the drive by shooting locale of note). I rented a flat in Lady Bay, West Bridgford and managed to do some painting in the summer of 2003 just after I had met my wife to be Emma in London in July 2003. I took the paintings to the Egerton Studio which I joined in 2004 and subsequently painted over them.