Ceangal = connection

Khamir and crafts!

2012-02-29T06:10:00.001Z

Khamir, another organisation borne from the earthquake disaster. A craft park built to preserve, develop and promote the vast wealth of traditional crafts and heritage in Kutch, at this time of year a scrubby sub-desert area that I would imagine is very hard to eke a living in, especially in the dry heat of the summer! I think this is why I really liked this area, although it is almost the complete opposite to where I live, there are echoes of the resilience and quiet determination of people, a sense of being and pride of place.

Morning chai

waking up slowly

We stayed in the village guest house for a few nights, a calm, peaceful place a few miles from Bhuj. A highlight was sitting drinking the first cup of morning chai next to the outside fire, watching the squirrels run up and down the trees and waiting for the cauldron of water to heat up for the morning wash.

I tried my hand (rather badly!) at a traditional type of floor decoration, rangoli, where you fill a design with coloured grains of sand or rice. Its not as easy as it looked and after half an hour of sheepishly struggling with it, I left it to those who can do it better!

working on the rangoli

outside the shop

working on the design

The crafts here are stunning and beautiful, and everything is done by hand. Scarves, embroidered items, rugs, handmade copper bells, leather bags, shoes and sandals, wooden kitchen utensils - often painted in bright colours, and cool cotton clothing were just a few of the quality items sold in the Khamir shop for a fair price. The workshops are open and visitors can walk round and see their purchases in production.

finishing off a rug

the entrance to the shop

getting items ready for sending out

We also visited a local village, Ajrahkpur where cloths are dyed, block printed in the tradition of Ajrakh. It was quite strange to see long lengths of cloth strewn across the ground. To me, this goes against the grain, always one eye on the weather, memories of my mother telling me not to leave the house without a jacket, but no need here! In one house, we came across a lady working at tye dying. This process was especially impressive, tiny dots are tied individually till the whole cloth is puckered, then dyed, then the fun part is pulling it open to reveal the design.

freshly dyed clothes drying in the sun

some of the blocks used for printing

block printer at work

tying the fabric for dying

a new Indian dawn....

2012-02-22T19:05:00.000Z

" DISASTERS ARE RECURRENT and devastating, affecting thousands of people particularly the poor. Over ages, people developed ways of building that have responded to the climate, using local materials in ingenous ways that resist natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, cyclones, etc. Hunnarshala is integrating this deep knowledge with modern scientific knowledge about disaster resistance."

In January 2001 a huge earthquake struck the state of Kutch in Gujarat, and more or less devastated the city of Bhuj. Many thousands of people died and the long haul of recovery began, none too light a task in an isolated area, but resilience kicked in!

Two pheonixes rose from the flames. One was Hunnarshala, borne out of the desire to encourage people to regain control of their lives and build disaster resistant buildings, but also embracing and entwining traditional and environmentally friendly building methods which will empower people to take help make their own futures, learn new skills and pass them on to the next generation through education and training.The organisation also supports the government and other agencies to attain similiar success in other parts of India and also in Aceh, Indonesia, which suffered at the hands of the devastating tsunami of 2004.

a carpentry workshop for students

Impromptu wall decorations by Somu

and me - with a curious audience!

I loved the headquarters building. It is a beautiful showcase of some of these methods and has a busy but calm vibrancy. People come and go, continous work is going on, whether it be some thatching or a group of young students learning carpentry. There is a genuine desire to allow and encourage people to take responsibility for themselves, what they own and take pride in what they can achieve by learning new skills. The key to success in such projects is to empower those who live there to build on what they have, look after and develop it and in turn comes a sense of community and working together. This is not just a showcase of building methods, it is an organic working teaching tool.

We were invited to help decorate the mud walls with charcoal drawings. We really enjoyed doing this, quite therapeutic after the hustle of travelling and processing information, and we took great delight in adorning the walls with crows, flying cats and fish!

some traditional fencing, wood coated with mud and moulded into decorative designs

Hunnarshala building, beautiful thatching!

some of the workshop area

upstairs - a very peaceful place

Kiran Vaghela, one of the founding directors

linger a while....

Another was Khamir craft village, where we stayed. This is an organisation founded to promote traditional handicrafts, ensure a fair market for the products and encourage the heritage of the area, the village was built by Hunnarshala - more about this in the next blog!

Sandarbh - part 2..

2012-02-17T16:40:00.002Z

Sandarbh, the residency that Ceangal has taken as it's basic blueprint, and for me, a great opportunity to visit, observe and get a feel for the way things operate and see how the artists and organisers interact.

The Sandarbh building is in the heart of Partapur, so there is plenty chance to mix with the locals and interact with the community - a balcony overlooking the streets allows you soak up the atmosphere and watch the world go by as you settle in. It is not a large building in comparison to the amount of artists and visitors that pass through the doors, but everyone is made welcome. The sleeping areas are basically rooms with mattresses, but living like this, means that everyone has to make the effort to mix - if you want private 5* accomodation then this is not the residency for you!

Street below Sandarbh building, early morning ...coming to life

What I am interested in is how we will transfer this easy going charm to Ceangal, which will have a whole different set of challenges, the main one being the unpredictable scottish climate, but so long as we inform people then these can be overcome. The hospitable atmosphere is comparable though which is half the battle, and Sandarbh has it's own issues, one being the fairly regular power cuts, which leaves some of the artists groaning when this happens half way through downloading some work or in the middle of a skype call home, but everyone takes things in their stride, there is no sense of anger or frustration, only that matters will take their own course.

Setting up an art project like this in a rural area especially is a challenge, people are often reserved when something new comes to town, maybe don't have much idea about art, or are indeed too busy ekeing a living in often difficult circumstances, so it is encouraging to see that Sandarbh, after 10yrs, feels like part of the village furniture and is continuing to evolve. Here in Rajasthan, the weather in January is perfect for creating a relaxed comfortable atmosphere where the pace of life slows down, but art finds it's own space. Volunteers are keen to get involved, and the community also takes a curious interest with artists often encouraging involvement in their projects.

Hitesh, one of the many volunteers & Valerie Maniglier on the terrace - laughter ensues

Artists come from all round the world to take part in residencies here, and I can see why. The people and community who are involved here are helpful and approachable and nothing seems to be too much trouble. Many other volunteers and students come to work with the artists and create for themselves - there is no need to "be invited" as such. A friendly atmosphere pervades, and even though the accomodation is very basic, grab your mattress and sleep, help yourself to some food if you are hungry, no-one bats an eyelid and all are made welcome. One of the concerns I had before coming here was the physical accomodation of people, but after being here, I can see my worries were unfounded, artists are an adaptable bunch and if the craic is good, then the bare essentials are all that are needed. There are no hard and fast rules, our societies condition us to think that we should adhere to a certain set of standards, but who sets these and are artists not the very ones to test these boundaries?

Ofri Lapid, Alexandra Deutsch & Juanan Euigiren enjoying the sun

Volunteers help out with cooking meals and artists are also encouraged to take a turn in the kitchen, Juanan was chef for a night when we were there,very tasty fare, and the personal involvement adds to the feeling of community - I think an integral part of residencies like this. People like to feel a sense of ownership, belonging and independence rather than totally being catered for. A residency is a community in itself, connections are made, ideas are developed, cultures are shared and compared and in this way, we get a better understanding of each other, which in turn increases respect for others.

Fun on the terrace, tomfoolery with the props!

Some artists choose to work on the terrace in the sun, others out on a site they have chosen, some might get locals involved in a project that might end in some kind of conclusion in the village or surrounding area. There is no competition or marketing of the end result, basically, anything goes, a finished work, performance, video... options are open!

I left feeling bouyant about Ceangal, Sandarbh showed me that you really people are more adaptable than we often think, and if you can generate a good atmosphere and positive spirit, then many other things will fall into place!

More information about this residency and others can be found on the Sandarbh blog.

Tug of war....

Fabien Charuau's work, back from the printer, liked this project very much

Satyendra Kumar sketching in my diary

payday for workers on the next terrace

Sandarbh - part one!

2012-02-15T07:45:00.000Z

India, a vast country of many different cultures, climates and an ebullient people, in many ways there are no comparisons with Scotland, but there are definite connections!

My main reason for travelling there was to get a taste of the art and culture there, experience for myself how some artists operate and to see how the Sandarbh residency operates as that is the blueprint we are using for Ceangal later this year.

On the 11th January, we travelled from Pardi, 225 km to the large peaceful campus of Baroda MSU. This had an energetic vibe to it with much work in progress. Some of the students and lecturers were taking part in crits while we were there, but we had a good look round the studios and talked to a few folk. After a hearty lunch in the outside seating area, surrounded by chipmunks (squirrels) and birds, it was time to push on to Partapur, a drive of another 250 km - driving takes longer here!

We eventually arrived in the dark, about 11.30pm, after driving up through hills in Rajahstan by moonlight, the roads a mixture of quite reasonable to downright rough - not kind to vehicles at all. Night driving in India, or anytime for that matter, you have to be totally alert and be ready to avoid the totally unexpected! Dipped headlights are not a necessity. Stray dogs, people walking, and cyclists and auto-rickshaws that don't always actually have their headlights on are common hazards.

Sandarbh - the eating area through to the office

There were a couple of artists still awake, surfing the net and skyping families and friends while the net was working. A little food had been left for us which was much appreciated and after introducing ourselves to those there, sleep was very welcome! I was lucky enough this time to have a room of my own, but generally it is grab a mattress and sleep, dormitory style!

Partapur

The morning dawned with more of the artists wandering in to eat some breakfast and prepare for their day ahead - a variety of works were being created in the month long residencies (more information on the Sandarbh site.)

some of the local traffic!

We opted, only being there for a couple of nights, to get a feel for the area, and began with a walk round some of the streets. Any new faces, even tho they come to Sandarbh often, are greeted with smiles and curiosity, and if you are holding a camera, expectant waiting for that click! A real mixture of vehicles and transport can be found including jeeps, motorbikes and camels with carts, all travelling along at their own particular pace - this is a rural area, so time slows down.

fencing Rajasthani style!

Following this, we drove to the Arthuna Temples - stunning scenery along the way, lush green paddy fields, with workers in colourful garb working, the stereotypical view of rural India! Lines of cacti mark field boundaries instead of fences or stone dykes. The visit to the temples began with a drink of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, quite tasty and not as sweet as you might think. A walk round to enjoy the carvings, a view over a lake where birds flock, and buffalo are brought to drink. In the peaceful quiet air, the sound of stone chiselling as workers continue to build, renovate and decorate yet more temples and the lowing of buffalo as they come to refresh themselves at the water's edge.

A place to relax and contemplate....

Sugar cane juice extraction

some of the temple area

Somu resting in the shade...

Juanan busy with his camera

a view across some of the sites

Stone carvers working

Forging links...

2011-12-09T15:20:00.001Z

There have been links between Scotland and India for many years, and now, Ceangal sees the fruition of a new connection, in the form of art residencies in the NW Highlands of Scotland and the next step is for me to visit India for an trip to find out more....

Beinn Eighe schools particpatory project - 2011

In under one month's time I will be there, with Somu playing host this time. The internet has made the world a much smaller place in many ways, and personally, it has been an amazing link - connecting me with other like minded folks to talk, share ideas, and meet face to face with quite a few to date, and on this particular trip, quite a few more, as well as leading onto bigger ideas and projects which a few years ago, I would never have envisaged.

Lynn & Somu - Scotland - 2011

The trip is a basically a fact finding one, but an enjoyable one! I will be visiting Sandarbh in Partapur, Rajasthan, where there will be a international artist residency taking place. Originally set up by Chintan Upahdyay, with Somu Desai being involved for many years in the organisation and leading workshops. Sandarbh is the blueprint that Ceangal has taken as an example and many western countries have adopted this format to create a network of residencies in countries such as Germany, Romania and Mexico. I am very much looking forwards to meeting the artists taking part and hearing about their experiences.

I will also be meeting many artists along the way, from all walks of life, and from around the world, so this will be an important step in building up more valuable links, and hopefully making some new friends!

One of the things I am most excited about is seeing the culture of art in India, how it is integrated in to everyday society and how people generally perceive it.

After visiting the galleries in London recently, I will be interested to see the galleries in Mumbai & Delhi, and also how the India Art Fair, held in January in Delhi, compares with Frieze.

Heading south, I will also be visiting Chennai, and Cholamandal artist's village, a highly respected and very important centre for art with an international reputation.

Coming from an quiet rural area with less than 3000 inhabitants, I am sure India will be a sensory whirlwind of noise, colour, smells, experiences and people, and I expect to come back with my senses reeling, but will also be interested to see how it affects my work!

Ceangal works

2011-11-14T13:44:00.001Z

Displaced memory I - oil on canvas -34 x 90cm

Displaced memory II - oil on canvas - 60 x 44cm

Untitled - ammonia process work on paper - 54.5 x 74cm

Untitled - ammonia process on paper - 54.5 x 74cm

These works are being sold to help raise funds for Ceangal - if you would like more information contact Lynn on ceangalconnect@gmail.com or on 01445 712389

Behind the scenes....

2011-11-10T13:38:00.000Z

Been a while since the blog has been updated, but be assured, we have not gone to sleep, there are many things going on behind the scenes!

Plans are afoot for some art classes in the area to get the local community involved directly in a variety of artistic pursuits. Details of these will follow.

Also in the pipeline is a venture to hold "film days" where we will screen films connected to the art world. This may be documentaries, films and people will be encouraged to share any films they have enjoyed with others. We hope this will be days that will involve those that enjoy finding out more about art, but may not necessarily feel the need to create themselves.

Research is being carried out into various routes of funding and organisation. A lot of the groundwork has been done and now it is the turn of the paperwork!

If you have experiences of residencies, nature art and site specific work, or even how your community has benefited from art and you would like to share this with us, please email ceangalconnect@gmail to get involved or share on the blog site.

Volunteers and progress....

2011-10-05T14:39:00.000+01:00

After a busy few weeks of organisation, meetings, plans, meeting with volunteers, time to gather ideas, thoughts and plans and begin getting ready for the next stage - keeping people informed and getting the community more involved. There are plans afoot for some art classes, and a film club showing documentaries and films about artists and creatives - watch this space for more information!

There is some paperwork to be dealt with, most of it an ongoing process of record keeping. If plans are written down, it is easier to keep track!.

We hope the artists will enjoy a Scottish experience of a colourful and glowing autumn colours! But, photos really don't do the colour or atmosphere any justice...you need to come here this time of year to really appreciate it and be inspired, so put September 2012 in your diary and keep an eye on the blog for more news and regular updates..................

Meanwhile some photos from Inverewe Gardens woodland trail - well worth a visit any time, but just now even more beautiful!

just sitting there waiting to be photographed!

waiting!

presentations

2011-09-27T18:57:00.000+01:00

Last week saw us make final preparations ahead of two presentations, one in Gairloch, another in Inchmore Gallery where we also held demonstrations of foiling skulls by Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie, and ammonia works by Somu Desai. Both were well received, with some people trying out the ammonia process for themselves. We also had the pleasure of the company of Jonathan Curzon from Art:ifact who spoke about his experiences regarding international artists residencies in various countries. We would like to thank Inchmore Gallery in particular for organising the space and time to take Ceangal to the public.

As part of Somu's & my contribution to Ceangal, we are selling two artworks each to help raise funds for the project - these are on display in the gallery until the 1st October.

While Lata Upadhyaya was staying here, she worked on a sculpture using scrap materials found around the area, this can now been seen here on the croft at 29 Strath, Gairloch.

The last few days of Somu's trip to Scotland will be spent going over some of the plans, assessing what we have done, planning my trip to India, meeting some of the volunteers involved, and basically making sure many of the basics are in place before he leaves.

From the 1st - 17th October, Somu will be in Grays visiting galleries, going to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and working with Lata Upahdyaya in her studio.

This weekend, an interview with Helen Needham from BBC Scotland's "Out of Doors" radio programme, talking to Lynn, Somu & Kenny Nelson at Beinn Eighe about the school participatory project, will be broadcast - see the link for details of times.

presentation at Gairloch High School - 21st September

demonstration of ammonia process at Inchmore Gallery - 23rd September

Lynn & Somu's fundraising works for sale at Inchmore Gallery

Moine in residence at Inchmore Gallery till 1st October

Lynn & Somu giving their presentations - 23rd September

Jonathan Curzon talking about his experiences of art residencies

Ready, set, jump...

Lata & Jonathan at Rubha Reidh

Somu & Lata digging!

Ready for lift off...

Heave ho! in transition

nearly there....

finally installed!

time for a break...

Catching up!

2011-09-20T10:43:00.000+01:00

Nine very pleasant days in London in the company of Lata Uphadyaya & Jonathan Curzon, not much time to blog, so apologies for the gap in information!

The week was spent looking round some galleries, sightseeing, visiting the British Contemporary art fair, mounting Somu's solo show, attending the opening of this, met some artists, art promoters and collectors who attended this, a couple who have been to Gairloch! Also some preparation for the presentations we will be doing later this week. The final day was spent wandering round the local RSPB sanctuary at Rainham. The weather was kind to us, much warmer and drier than the north!

A smooth journey north on Monday with a quick walk at Reelig, before heading to Beinn Eighe to meet Helen Needham and Kenny Nelson from SNH for an interview for BBC radio Scotland's "Out of Doors" program, then a colourful drive home in the blustery autumn light for a meal and catch up with the west coast news.

King of Grays

Somu outside Thameside complex

Somu being interview by Michael Casey of Your Thurrock

Somu with Jonathan Curzon of Art:ifact

Meet the artist event

Somu with Radha Binod Sharma

A walk round Rainham RSPB reserve

photostop at the reserve

Somu at the reserve

Back north at Reelig

photostop at Glen Docherty

Interview with Helen Needham for BBC radio Scotland Out of Doors programme

Sightseeing at Tower of London

Harrods window display

Lynn & Lata - Hyde Park

Coffee at the Serpentine Gallery

A walk at Grays Thameside

Hitting the airwaves!

2011-09-18T08:34:00.000+01:00

Two Lochs Radio, the smallest commercial radio station in the UK, and based in Gairloch.

The objective of Two Lochs Radio is to offer residents of the Gairloch, Loch Ewe and Loch Maree areas the choice of a community-based radio station comprising a mixture of music and speech, with a distinctive local character, providing local information, news and features. The music played is a mix of contemporary popular, specialist (e.g. Scottish, Celtic, folk, reggae, country) and popular gold generally spanning the last half century.
As a volunteer station manned by local people, catering for people living within the area is a priority. Local What's On, weather and news feature strongly in our main morning and evening programmes, serving the needs of residents and visitors in this beautiful, remote part of Wester Ross.
The station is operated by a non-profit company, Wester Ross Radio Ltd, which has membership open to all individuals and businesses with an interest in promoting a local radio service for public benefit in this area.

This station has progressed over the years to become an essential part of local life, giving updates of local news, what's on, and broadcasting messages, requests and sometimes urgent information when the situation arises.

Interviews are conducted with anyone who has an interesting story to tell, or would like to inform the public of an event coming up, or projects of interest to the local community.

Because of the variety of volunteer DJ's, the music selection is eclectic and often surprising, you never know what will be played next!

It became possible recently to listen online, so in many parts of the world, you can now access a taste of NW Scotland!

Somu getting ready for his first radio interview

plaque inside the station

to the studio!

Alex Gray, station manager at the desk

about to begin

Somu Desai - Here & Now

2011-09-12T11:35:00.000+01:00

For those of you who may be wondering about Somu's work, now is a good time to put some information up. We are down in London as Somu has a one man show at the Thameside Complex Gallery, in conjunction with Art:ifact, which runs from 12th September to 24th September.

This show consists of some of his new innovative ammonia process works, and Rucha Mehta has very kindly contributed an article about him and his work here.

Society exists in a digital age, where everything in our lives is spread out across as much media as possible and this media is shaped by everyone. The ‘online world’ is limitless, boundless and full of surprises. Interaction takes place within seconds and encounters on social networking sites can turn into memorable experiences.

A long chat with Somu almost a year ago on FB’s chat and an invitation from him to visit Sandarbh’s workshop and residency took me to Luhari after a 31/2 hour journey from Mumbai by road. As I reached the government resort, I was a little nervous as I had travelled with my two daughters aged 9 and 3years. The idea was unsettling but nonetheless, I did not want to give it a miss.

As I stepped out of my car, the resort seemed quiet and calm. All the artists, most of them friends, were away on their respective sites. I was quite excited but still nervous while my daughters immediately started to scrutinise the vicinity and within minutes took fancy to a toy horse and were completely amused by Sukesan, a participating artist. I saw Somu walking towards me. For someone who has met him for the first time his attitude and authority may not immediately place him as an artist in conventional terms. I got busy chatting with this man who had a stance of a politician more than of an artist.

After sharing the initial pleasantries we got down to a discussion about work and ideas. I found it quite interesting to know about the journey of this man, who came from a place where there was minimum, infact no exposure to contemporary art and where art graduates trained for jobs in the thriving textile industries around south Gujarat.

Born in 1969, Somu Desai is an artist with a different mettle. Having completed his fine arts from a small town art school of south Gujarat in Amalsad, against the wishes of his family of landowners and farmers, he has come a long way. The drive and the ambition that has brought him this far is commendable in terms of his sheer grit and focus.

While his visits to Bombay gave him an insight into the contemporary art world and its practice, Somu’s perseverance to learn more, rose out of the frustration of not being able to share ideas on art and its ancillary activities with likeminded individuals in his small town. After graduating from the art school, most of his peers took up jobs in the flourishing textile industries in Gujarat. Having the choice to join the family business or follow his peers was never quite an option for this individual. Somu had other plans.

His destination next - Mumbai. The functioning and politics of art, its practice and business in a metropolitan can be quite complex and overwhelming. Somu, new to the art scene and still a fresher tried to connect and find his foothold, but with his small town degree and difficulty to find patronage, survival for an artist was daunting in the late 80s. Undeterred by the situation, Somu took it up as a challenge and trained himself in interior, product and fashion designing for his survival while remaining connected with the Mumbai art scene and its people. His foray in designing gave him success in terms of his earnings, but it never gave him the contentment he needed as an artist. He started drawing and painting fervently. But each time he finished, he was discontented and set most of his works aflame. Similar to the ritual of a Buddhist monk destroying the ‘mandala’ after painstakingly labouring its richness and beauty and releasing the sand in the river, in a meditative process, depicting the impermanence and transitory nature of material life and for achieving a greater spiritual trance. Somu was trying to find his footing as an artist, quite desperately in this city and the art world which he had looked up to. He did all that he could. He did a lot more that he should not have.

Art world sometimes may not be as egalitarian and compassionate and life in large cities transforms itself in innumerable ways. Growth and stagnation, order and chaos, success and failure, dreams and disappointments co-exist in strange paradoxes of survival. Somu saw it all. After getting involved and experiencing both the best and the worst of Mumbai, Somu was frustrated on his rendezvous with this ‘city of dreams’ and its quizzical allegories.

He decided to take a sabbatical and went on to nurture his spiritual side and cleanse himself of the wanted and unwanted experiences that the city had presented him with.

He went to the Osho commune, Pune. He started drawing fanatically, to purge his rage and regain peace with himself that he had lost. His time in the commune relieved him of the baggage he had carried from Mumbai and presented him an insight into what he really wanted to pursue and followed his heart once again. He decided to move on. And when he finally did, all his oeuvres were left behind.

Indian art scene in the early 90’s saw a major change. The post-liberalisation had seen the Indian art scene burgeoning. Being enthused once again with a conviction of working for himself and not for money or fame he decided to move to Baroda, Gujarat, another city that is home to the M.S. University of Arts and innumerable artists and thinkers, to find the space for his raison d’être.

He bought a studio space in Baroda and started connecting with many young as well as senior artists. Baroda is a space with a different art identity and Somu had his pockets full. This invited a lot of wanted and unwanted camaraderie. Nonetheless, his studio was rendered into a meeting place for all. These meeting sessions gave him an insight onto the more academic side of his passion. He had started working on projects by now, for his hometown, and was commissioned many public sculptures. Work came pouring in. ‘You can’t cross the sea, simply by staring at it’- Tagore’s famous words are resonated in this man’s actions who advocates in creating your own opportunity instead of waiting for it take place. Somu started working on one project after another and associated with the best in the art circuit. Intellectually and spiritually.

After all this and more Somu has come a long way. He has a number of projects to his credit. He continues to work around his belief and conviction. While Somu’s canvases in acrylic, pencil drawings and performances create a palpable microcosm which is governed with the immediate vitalities of his surroundings and experiences, his more recent Ammonia works are an occurrence in the present moment through a dialogical relationship between him and the objects. An attempt without involving any pre-meditated planning, influences and past experiences, towards becoming more aware with the material and the technique being used which creates new registers of multiple references and relationships. These works are an exercise to investigate the finer nuances of what is being done, thought and felt at the present moment rather than what was, might be, could be and has been.

Some of his earlier works include the Vibrant Gujarat mural, Still in Gujarat thrill in Gujarat, FALCAT series of workshops, Sticker project, co-ordinated and participated in a number of residencies and collaborative projects with Sandarbh. He was commissioned and invited to research on an architect initiative in Bhuj, involving the different methods of art and crafts, and is an environmental initiative towards sustainability through arts. He has a number of shows to his credit and has recently exhibited in New Delhi in May.

He has now returned to his small town and his presence is conspicuous after having established his studio there. His ideas have taken a firm root and he invites students from his alma mater to work with him as ‘interns’ while most of the artists have ‘assistants’- a term he finds objectionable. Here is an artist with a cause, an artist who is not afraid of his weaknesses and more so does not wrongfully assert his strengths. My best wishes to him for a long fruitful artistic journey ahead.

Rucha Mehta

performance work at Sandarbh - 2010

Pen & ink drawing - untitled - 2011

vibrant Gujarat mural project - 2009

Vibrant Gujarat mural project - 2009

may be ..... 2007

may be.... 2007

a busy, busy week!

2011-09-08T16:27:00.000+01:00

This week has been a hectic one to say the least!

On Sunday evening we drove down to Achnasheen station to collect Tanu Banaik. She had expressed an interest in knowing more about Ceangal, and so decided to come up for a few days to see the area and help out with the Beinn Eighe schools participatory project.

Getting ready to enjoy Tanu's cooking!

the cooks hard at work - getting to used to this!

We began this in Kinlochewe primary school on Monday morning. Vicky Stonebridge also travelled up to help out for the day. Everyone joined in to cover a variety of stones with thin foil, which will then be arranged into the shape of a dragonfly, one of the common sights on the reserve. The children, and teachers, got right into the swing of things, and we finished with a table covered in many more stones than we expected - a really satisfying mornings work!

Somu setting up in Kinlochewe

A tableful of stones foiled and ready to go!

We then set off back to Gairloch to work in the high school with some of the pupils who are taking standard grade art and some of the younger children from the primary school who worked together to cover some found natural objects such as driftwood, antlers, skulls and pebbles in foil. As with the morning, everyone got into the spirit and a contented atmosphere filled the room.

ready to unload at Gairloch High School

a cup of coffee before getting started in Pat's art room

some of works half done at the end of day one

at the end of day two - finished products, looking good!

That evening, a few things to be done before finally foiling the pole that will go in front of the car park at 10pm!

Tuesday morning we collected the stones from Kinlochewe and headed to the reserve to install them. Somu also had a hole to dig for the "totem" pole in front of the car parking area. The day wasn't so kind to us and we got drenched!! Somu & Tanu's first taste of real scottish weather! Off home for a quick change and hot lunch before heading back to the high school to finish off Mondays works.

installing Kinlochewe primary's stones

the totem pole

foiling up the totem pole

finishing touches!

Wednesday was slightly more clement, showers instead of persistent rain! So we collect the works from the school and hit the road again.

unloading the Gairloch works...in the rain!

discussing installation with Pat Gulliver

some of the works in situ

chatting with Eoghain Maclean, reserve manager outside the visitor centre

The totem pole finally on view from the main road

We were met at Beinn Eighe by the Gairloch pupils and after a short instruction about giving some thought as to the location of their pieces, off they set. The works were thoughtfully installed around the lower walk on the visitor trails and they are certainly eyecatching, standing out from the heather and deer grass, reflecting the autumn colours beautifully when the sun shines.

We thanked the students with an opening ceremony of juice, crisps & sweets, much appreciated on a showery day. They then set off to get back to school while we tidied up and finished installing the "totem pole".

Eoghain Maclean & Kenny Nelson from SNH came along to have look at the new creations and take some photographs.

It was then back on the road for us to get back, have some lunch and get tidied up before getting ready for a couple of meetings later in the day. One of these was with Gairloch Heritage museum trustees (see earlier blog)

After a delicious meal cooked by Tanu, it was time for the Ceangal meeting.

We had 13 people in the studio for this, the most to date! Four others sent their apologies, and Lata Uphadyaya & Jonathan Curzon will be updated when we head south, so all in all a fantastic show of support from Tanu Banaik, Libby Maclean, Ingela Davies, Richmond Clements (Hi-Ex), Vicky Stonebridge (Balnacra arts), Kenny Nelson (SNH), Robert Livingstone (Hi-Arts), Esther & Paul Ward (Heronscroft), Pat Gulliver, & Rob Scott (Gairloch heritage museum). Our heartfelt thanks go to all of them for showing an interest and offering help to set the ball rolling properly!

the Ceangal meeting in progress

at the end of a very productive day!

This meeting was a really positive constructive affair, with a few ideas and issues coming up that we had not considered, so all in all a great start to the project! We rounded off the inaugural meeting with some Chai, pakora, tablet and clootie dumpling, washed down with a wee dram for those who wanted one!

Driving Tanu down to the station this morning, we realised that it is exactly one year, 365 days,( but then again, it is a leap year, so we have an extra day- Cheers!) until we plan to hold Ceangal. There is a lot of work to be done, but many hands make light work, and if we can keep the momentum going, then we are sure that Ceangal will be a memorable occasion and hope that it will bring a huge benefit to this area in the areas of art, culture, tourism and the economy and most of all will make people realise that art is for ALL, not just the creatives!

to see more pictures, please click on the following to take you to the sites -
Kinlochewe Primary
Gairloch Primary
Gairloch High School
Balnacara arts

Out & about

2011-09-04T21:27:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday my parents paid a visit and enjoyed a indian meal cooked by Somu rounded off with some Indian sweets.

Somu cooking while Mum enjoys a drink ;)

photoshoot on the decking

Chef at work!

The last few days have seen us out and about quite a bit. For our project with some local schoolchildren for SNH at Beinn Eighe coming up next week, we needed to collect some driftwood as well as some other objects, so we hired a rowing boat on a local loch and made our way, slowly, (as I was rowing) across the loch to find some interesting pieces. The day graced us with little wind, some sun and clouds, and a temperature in the low 20's, so we spent a very pleasant couple of hours on the far side of the loch with nothing but the sound of the water lapping on the shore, occasionally disturbed by the sound of jets practising their low-flying skills overhead.

Row, row, row the boat - thankfully quite calm!

in search of driftwood

ready to load on the boat

Sandy & Somu carrying the largest piece

We came home to find that the BBC website had picked up on our press release, more to come as well!

Thursday night & Friday morning was spent typing out the ideas and notes we have made and summarising them ahead of our first meeting with those interested in helping out next Wednesday night.

In the afternoon we headed East with a short stop in Dingwall to pick up some foil, glue and other materials needed, and then onwards to Helsmdale.

The B&B, Ruard, we stayed in was very welcoming, and I found that the couple who run it, Peter & Maggie Smith, were at the same wedding in Gairloch as me & my husband a few years ago. Peter spent many years collecting prawns from the local boats here, so quite a few mutual acquaintances were found! A small world indeed!

A short walk down the hill took us to Timespan, a museum & arts centre in the village that has evolved from being a heritage museum into a thriving museum and arts centre that has developed a national reputation in it's endeavours to introduce contemporary art to the area. This weekend has seen it hosting an arts weekend in the run up to its silver jubilee, celebrating 25 years of opening. We were warmly welcomed and enjoyed seeing video works, a discussion about archiving and research, and the film "The summer walkers" a really lovely piece of work by Timothy Neat & Hamish Henderson, made in 1977, that documents the lifestyle of the travelling folk, a lifestyle that has now largely died out in it's original form.

Lynn & Somu outside Timespan

overlooking the river and Timespan

a shot for Chintan Upadhyay

installation or old sign?

Somu in the Timespan garden

We then had some lunch before heading on the road. Would have stayed longer but with a few busy days lined up, time is of the essence.

A quick stop at Dunrobin castle on the way home, couldn't let Somu come to Scotland without seeing one, then home for a good night's sleep!

King of the castle!

all that's missing is the sports car!

To the south!

2011-09-01T09:34:00.000+01:00

This week so far has seen us meeting some of the school teachers at the local schools to plan out our project at Beinn Eighe next week. We are working with two primary schools, Gairloch & Kinlochewe, and Gairloch High school to produce a body of works that will be simple and effective. Some other artists will be joining us too, Tanu Banaik, Vicky Stonebridge, and possible a couple of others. The works will be made in the schools on the 5th & 6th, and installed on the 7th with a small celebration.

We also drove down round the Applecross peninsula. A rather cool day for August, and plenty scots mist, but at least some moody views across to Skye and down the Bealach na ba.

We stopped in at a lonely wooden shop at Cuaig. The couple there spin, dye and weave their own Gotland sheep's fleeces as well as other wools they buy in. Somu discovered that the husband had lived in Tamil Nadu for 20 yrs....you just never know who you will meet!

The day ended with a trip out on the boat to check the lobster pots. We got an extra treat with the resident dolphins coming to play round the boat!

decomposing wood in Flowerdale

a break on the arboretum walk in Flowerdale

Somu with Caley & Fraoch

Chilling out!

overlooking Sheildaig bay near Torridon

on the road south

in Croft wool & weavers shop - Cuaig

at work in the shop

view from the croft

a taste of scots mist near the top of the Bealach na ba

view down the Bealach

largest lobster we have caught!

Dolphins playing round the boat

out on the water

The lobster next to size 6 boots!

trying out ideas in the studio

wet stop in Kinlochewe

looking down the Bealach - bit cold to get out!

Heading north!

2011-08-28T17:16:00.000+01:00

The last two days have found us meeting some of the people who are keen to support our project and get involved.

On Friday we visited Ingella & Ian Davies for a chat. Ingella at the moment has been creating beautiful mosaics, which she sells, very successfully, from her website and at various outlets around the area. We also discovered another string to her bow, a portfolio of really interesting prints, so look forwards to seeing what she might do with these!

The afternoon was spent doing paperwork & planning for the Beinn Eighe project amongst other things.

Somu cooked us some vegetarian Indian food for our dinner which was delicious. In the evening we took a walk up Flowerdale to see some of the woodland area.

Gairloch "High Street"

Somu meeting some of the residents in Flowerdale

Somu & Sandy - Flowerdale

Somu & Lynn - Flowerdale

Lynn & Sandy on the walks - Flowerdale

Somu - Flowerdale

Flowerdale view

Saturday morning saw my in-laws come to the house for morning coffee & a taste of Indian sweets!

Morning coffee with Hannah & Johnny (Sandy's parents)

Then Somu & I headed to Inverasdale to Heronscroft, the home of Paul & Esther Ward. Here they have two brightly painted wooden caravans where they sell some local & fairtrade food & gifts, some of which Somu recognised as being from Bastar in India! They welcomed us in with coffee & cake and were very excited to hear our plans. Paul & Esther are our first contributors in terms of financial support - every year they donate a portion of their earnings to a cause or charity, and next year, they have very kindly offered to do this for Ceangal. As well as that, they have been very generous with support in other forms and we are very grateful. It is inspiring to us to feel such enthusiasm!

Somu & Paul in one of the Shepherd's Huts - Inverasdale

Photoshoot with Esther & Paul outside the huts

Travelling north, we headed for An Talla Solais. This is a community run gallery and studio space in Ullapool, and they were hosting an open day, so it was a perfect chance for Somu to see the space and also meet some of the artists for that area.

Pit firing demonstration at An Talla Solais, Ullapool

The evening....snoozing in front of the TV ....all this planning is tiring work!

Sunday, a lazier day, gathering our thoughts and taking it a bit easier after a hectic few days. Vicky Stonebridge & Richmond Clements also paid a visit to be brought up to date with our plans and add a few suggestions to the pot.

An informal gathering - Somu, Lynn, Vicky, Richmond & Sandy

Indian Chai for the visitors

relaxing chat at Croit Mo Sheanair

Overlooking part of Gairloch Village and Skye

Lunch stop overlooking Gruinard Bay

Project afoot

2011-08-26T13:16:00.000+01:00

Somu & I have spent the last couple of days talking over the plans we originally made, elaborating on them, trying to cover all the possibilities and generally getting to know each other after all the virtual chats, exchanges and plans made over the last few months. For me this is a new experience, collaborating on such a large project, but in this case I feel for sure, two minds are definitely stronger than one and the ideas are certainly flowing!

Lynn with Kenny Nelson at Beinn Eighe

We have also been out and about round the village, getting a feel for distances, looking at possible sites, materials, and what is achievable.

Somu sitting on one of the features on the visitor trails

We took a trip down to Beinn Eighe, a local nature reserve managed by Scottish Natural Heritage. There, around the visitor centre, we plan to carry out a project in conjunction with some of the local schools to create and install some works at the beginning of September this year. We hope this will give the community a small taste of the type of works that might be created next year when the body of artists are here.

Somu in the visitor centre

The biggest challenge for Ceangal will be the unpredictable Scottish weather. Since Somu arrived here, the weather has been unusually calm, settled and bright - if we could book this for next year........

Somu & Rowan testing out ideas

a bridge on the trail

Somu & Kenny

Chilling out in the sun!

Somu on the visitor trails

At the noticeboard for the mountain trail

Lynn & Somu brainstorming

Lynn with Kenny Nelson on the visitor trails

Somu at one of the features on the trails

Sculpture work near the visitor centre

Writing down ideas

Arrival!

2011-08-24T05:19:00.000+01:00

The first of the Ceangal "diary" blogs .....

Tuesday 23rd August

Up early to make a couple of stops before making my way to Inverness airport to collect Somu, and lucky I was sharp off the mark, as the flight landed half an hour ahead of schedule!

A quick stop at Inchmore gallery to have a look at the space and works in there just now, and then a walk up the beautiful Reelig glen with a picnic stop on the way. For those that haven't been, this walk is well worth a look. Plenty of inspiration on the riverside, which is lined with tall, straight decidious & evergreen trees, wild garlic, ferns and shrubbery, some literally dripping with mosses & lichen. The colours are just starting to think about turning, and, despite the watery sun, there is a definite hint of autumn in the still calm air.

Dogs exercised, then back to the car, another hour or so drive to home, with an essential photo stop at the top of Glen Docherty - definitely has to be one of the most beautiful views in the west, looking right down the length of Loch Maree, and is the beginning of the Ceangal "stamping ground"!

Introductions made to the family, a relaxed meal finished off with some mithtal (very tasty traditional indian sweets), time to gather thoughts, sit on the decking, enjoy an evening with surprisingly few midges, and tomorrow, time to have a look round the village, get to grips with the work to be done.......

Concrete plans!

2011-08-14T06:30:00.000+01:00

Finally the excitement is building, plans are beginning to bear fruit and the real physical work begins!

Next week Somu travels to the UK for the first time. He will spend a few days in London preparing for his show at art:ifact , a gallery run by Lata Upadhayay & Jonathan Curzon, in September before travelling north to Gairloch on the 23rd August. Over the following weeks, as well as Somu getting a feel for the area, we have a busy timetable lined up with meetings, works, and a trip to London for the show opening on 12th September.

Beinn Eighe information panel

We plan to do some on-site work in conjunction with Scottish Natural Heritage at Beinn Eighe nature reserve, work with some of the school children as well as meeting with community members and holding presentations in Gairloch (dates will follow) & at Inchmore Gallery, Inchmore, near Inverness, on 23rd September.

Red deer

Also on the cards is a trip to Timespan for their Arts weekend in early September - a great example of what can be achieved in a rural area!

Loch Maree

As well as this we plan to set the dates for next years residencies and move forwards some of the organisation needed to realise our vision.

Pine Marten

If you are interested in getting involved in any capacity, please get in touch - as I said before, the more people doing a little to help, the bigger the effect and impact. In these unsettled times, we feel it is especially important to show a sense of community and help create, a bit like an artwork, something special out of nothing!

Contact: ceangalconnect@gmail.com or Lynn on 01445 712389

The photos I have used here were taken by Eoghain Maclean, Reserve Manager, SNH Kinlochewe - many thanks to him for allowing me to use these images - you can find out more and see some of his photography here - http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/beinn-eighe/ and also here -http://www.eoghainmacleanphotography.co.uk/

Culture - opening new doors...

2011-07-27T13:48:00.000+01:00

Gairloch is a relatively small village with a parish of about 2000 people sprinkled throughout a stunningly beautiful but sometimes harsh environment. It has developed over the years from being a small fishing village, to now catering for a plethora of interests which attract many to visit the area. In the summer, tourism brings more visitors to experience a different pace of life.

The crofthouse

One of the many highlights for anyone visiting here is the award winning Gairloch Heritage Museum, established in 1977. This provides a fascinating insight to local life, culture and history. It also has regular exhibitions by artists, of local interest projects, and provides hands on experiences with volunteers demonstrating spinning and butter making amongst other things. The fact that the museum is at present situated in an old stone steading makes it even more authentic.

clock from the crofthouse

However, circumstances change, and with the lease of the building expiring in 2015 the trustees are now forced to consider alternative sites for the museum. For the museum to move forward it not only needs more space to display and store artefacts, but also venue space to hold events, workshops, and engage more directly with the local community. As such, over the past few months various plans have been considered, and a public consultation is now being undertaken to learn what the museum does that the community values, and what they want to see happening in their museum. By working to raise awareness of the severity of the situation, they hope to find a way forwards

Butter pats & stamps

You may be wondering what all this has to do with Ceangal. The fact is that this development could have great implications for the arts in this area. Timespan in Helsmdale is an example of a forward-thinking Highland museum which strives to combine both heritage and the arts. They have a museum space,but also gallery area, resident artists and digital areas for access to information and archives. Earlier this year, Timespan was able to secure a touring exhibition of works by Ed Ruscha from the Tate and National Galleries of Scotland, and at the moment,one of their artists in residence, Corin Sworn, is also exhibiting at Tate Britain . A good example of what a small museum/gallery in a supposedly “out of the way” area can achieve when they put their minds to it.

Hands on butter making demonstration

I attended the public consultation regarding Gairloch Museum last week, where the trustees informed us of one of the possible sites for the new museum, one of which is the present roads depot. The proposed plans could transform what is currently an eyesore in the centre of the village into a vibrant hub for heritage and culture in our area. With such a central location and substantially more space there would be significant opportunity for development. However at the moment nothing is concrete, everything is still in the very early stages with much work to be done re. costing, funding applications, securing premises etc, but the determination is there to push things forwards which is essential.

Mosaic by Ingela Davies - Exhibition 2011

Facilities such as this proposed project will attract people from all walks of life to this area, for tourism, work, and research, and more connections will be made in time, so it is important to support and use the facilities when they are available. At the moment, raising awareness of what is at stake is crucial - the museum must ensure the project is feasible as well as securing support and premises to move forwards, or the unthinkable may happen and that would be a huge loss to the whole area - so, why not get in touch and get involved in preserving the history of the area and participate in creating new culture with Ceangal!

Picking up the pace....

2011-07-20T15:57:00.000+01:00

Been pretty quiet on the blog front, mainly due to me being away for a couple of weeks, and Somu waiting for visas to be processed. But now, his UK visa is finally in hand and flights will be booked within the next few days. This will allow me to go ahead and set dates for the presentations, meetings and think about the works we might work on when he is here. Lots and lots to be done, but after being in limbo for a few weeks it will be great to get back on track properly and see some concrete progress.

The white horse - Sutton Bank, Yorkshire

The upside to having a break too, is that when you come back, ideas and plans can be re-assessed to see which are workable and which might not fit or work as well as expected, so we are now preparing ourselves for the months ahead with excited trepidation.

David Nash - Seventy one steps

The exciting thing for me whilst on a break was visiting Yorkshire sculpture park, the largest in Europe. I also wrote a personal blog about this, but in relation to Ceangal, it is a fantastic example of incorporating art throughout a large natural and formal arena. Although many of the works there are a "collection" which is rotated, they also have large shows by other well known artists, such as David Nash, and when we were there, Jaume Plensa. There are also a few site specific works by Andy Goldsworthy, James Turrell and David Nash.

In the midst of dreams - Jaume Plensa

It makes apparent the enjoyment that many can have when the works are able to be largely enjoyed in a natural enviroment. I watched families with kids, including my own, finding "hidden works", one even had sound!

Promenade - Anthony Caro

It is also a popular destination for schools, an amazing resource with groups of small fascinated children writing, drawing, touching and running round the works. This is what art should be about, enthusing others, making them think, laugh, cry, and just have some reaction to what they are presented with.

in the formal garden with added wildlife

A bit about the area!

2011-06-30T07:34:00.000+01:00

The NW Highlands is one of the most beautiful places on earth. With light that can change the atmosphere in minutes, and a different panorama round every corner, it is a hidden gem. It can take a little time to get here, but once seen, never forgotten, and many people are bewitched by it. But it is not always an easy place to live, with distances, the cost of rural living, the very unpredictable weather and of course, the bane of Scotland, the summer midges, which can drive a man to insanity! Putting those little drawbacks aside, when the weather is clement, it is paradise. People are drawn here to walk, look, think, enjoy the quiet spaces. Art should be an inherent part of life here as it inspires so many.

The distance between here and access to galleries and the art world can be a drawback but Ceangal hopes to remedy that to some point. When you get the chance to see shows in town, you go into sensory overload, trying to absorb as much as possible, so the chance to bring some art here, where it can be enjoyed at leisure, will please many, as well as the opportunity to experience art in a stunning setting. It can be studied, interacted with, thought about, without the disturbance of the noise and crowds which is often the case in an urban setting.

There is a proliferation of spots where art can be placed - in woodlands, on the beach, on a hillside, amongst some gorse bushes, in gardens, on crofts. The art need not be intrusive, it can be subtle, to be discovered, draw attention to the habitat it may occupy and in this sense will help increase awareness of the surrounding areas.

The works need not be site specific, the artist may take ideas from places, then go away and create art in the studio space.

Progress!

2011-06-14T20:24:00.000+01:00

For those of you keeping a watch on Ceangal, it may look quite quiet, but behind the scenes Somu & I have been quietly working away and discussing how we want things to progress. Collaboration is a good thing, then you can utilise strengths and experience on more than one level to create a more rounded residency.

On Saturday I visited a local building which it looks like we will be able to use as an indoor working space, so that is a major plus as the weather can be a bit unpredictable!

We have had our first pledge from Esther & Paul at Heronscroft. They have decided to donate a percentage of their profits to help Ceangal, so we are very grateful for that. More information about them will come in later blogs!

If you would like to help out, please get in touch. We are not looking for funds as such, but for help in kind. We aim to present this residency on as little a budget as possible and know with community spirit and some philanthropy this can be achieved.

I spent a day in Inverness yesterday with the lovely folks at HISEZ, very informative, so will now need to filter out what is useful to us.

Lata Uphadyaya - Lazarea, Romania, 2010

Another postive point, Somu's visa came through at the end of last week, so that means we will soon be able to set dates in September for meetings, presentations, some on-site works and of course introducing him to the beautiful area we have here. Another artist who I hope to welcome here in September is Lata Uphadyaya, along with Jonathan Curzon. Lata is an artist originally from India and is now based in London. She also has much experience of residencies and she & Jonathan run Art:ifact in London. There will be more about them soon!

Flower work in progress - Lazarea, Romania, 2010

You can find out more about Lata on her blogspot here - http://lataupadhyaya.blogspot.com/

Chintan Uphadyay - the Ceangal connection

2011-06-06T19:15:00.000+01:00

Chintan Uphadyay is a professional visual artist based in India. Born in Partapur in 1972, he graduated with a MFA in 1997 from the faculty of fine arts in Baroda and since then has exhibited widely in many countries, creating paintings, sculptures, installation and performance works. It was he who had initial idea and founded the Sandarbh project based in his home town of Partapur, Rajahstan.

Sandarbh varies from most residencies in that it is not highly funded and the freedom to take the workshops to other areas and even other countries is encouraged. This flexibility allows artists to react to a variety of environments, not just in Partapur where it was born.

Chintan's work has a very wide range and you can see some examples on here - to find out more, go to his blog here - http://chintanupadhyayunlimited.blogspot.com/

I put some questions to Chintan which he very kindly took the time to answer:

Lynn - Tell us a little about yourself, your inspiration/influences and your work

Chintan - my father was a teacher and artists and he still practices his art. I was born in a small village called Partapur and now this is a main center for Sandarbh. I had a strong connection with rural life and nature. My whole work is some how connected with nature and our immediate environment. though it is a studio practice or site specific. my influences are coming from people and their expressions. As a child I have been moving from one place to another and till now I'm moving. I have a base in partapur and I still have childhood friends there more than anywhere else and they also help me to do the projects.

Lynn - When did you first have the idea for Sandarbh – was it a solo or group idea?

Chintan - first time it came to me as a shock and a responsibility. Is a funny story when first time I moved to Mumbai (Mumbai is a place where all migrants from my region go and make a small tea shop for labour class) First time after moving to Mumbai I visited Partapur, when I told people I am living in Mumbai they asked me where I make chai (Tea). I said iImake art not chai but they insisted to know. Some one said that is fine but where do you work as tea maker? At that moment I realise it is very important for me to make my own people understand about what I do then the others, so that time I made a plan to start working toward a project which would involve them directly. And I thought a site specific artist workshop would be important so as to let them not only interact with me but with other artists too.

So this is the way the idea of sandarbh started. it was solo idea but had many people pushed in different time so it is now peoples and artist project. Artist run and people support it, so I am hardly involve in it. It is an organic process which grew because of interest and curiosity.

Lynn - There are many art camps in India, what makes Sandarbh different?

Chintan - It is very easy to identify that Sandarbh is an art movement then just a camp. It has very specific functioning

Lynn - At first, was the idea well received in the area?

Chintan - No , not at all. In fact there was lot of suspicion and mistrust. Many thought we are outsiders and going to disturb the harmony. Some thought we are doing some magic to the city. and for many it was the first time they saw foreigners so they were totally suspicious.

Lynn - how is it received now?

Chintan - you can see it is obvious that we dont have any specific place . We work in 150 villages. 400 artists have visited and people give us place when artists visit.

Lynn - Do you think it has benefited the local community for the better, if so in what way?

Chintan - oh this is a question I can not answer better to ask people there, because I will never say bad about it.

Lynn - Do you know how many nationalities have attended Sandarbh?

Chintan - more then 40 in different sandarbh. in india and abroad

Lynn - Has Sandarbh progressed in the way you expected, If not, were the changes for the better?

Chintan - Sandarbh had an organic way of growing. We did not have funds so never expected but it was different every time because of that

Lynn - do you have a favourite workshop/residency, if so, why?

Chintan - all were different and never saw as which is the best

Lynn - What are your hopes for the future of Sandarbh?

Chintan - Let it breath the way it can. no boundaries for it survive. if it dies then should accept.

Lynn - As an artist, did you attend many workshops/residencies, and if so, did this help inspire the idea for Sandarbh?

Chintan - Any interaction is motivating and inspiring. So that helps a lot.

Many thanks to Chintan for taking the time to answer my questions, it provides an interesting insight into the birth of a project which is still growing and evolving and obviously influencing other projects such as Ceangal and helps illustrate how something that has small beginnings can influence and affect many.

An Indian perspective of Artist's residencies by Johny Mulluvilakom Lakshmanan

2011-05-31T05:45:00.000+01:00

As part of the ongoing blog, I will be asking various people to contribute their views and experiences, as well as my own. I hope this will give the project a more rounded feel, and also encourage discussion and participation.

To help provide an overview of what Ceangal is about, I asked Johny Mullavilakom Lakshmanan, if he would write a short article about residencies. Johny ML is a well respected Delhi based art critic and curator with twenty years of experience.

Born in 1969, in Vakkom, Kerala, Johny ML has three post-graduate degrees – in Creative Curating (University of London), Art History and Criticism (M. S. University, Baroda) and English Language and Literature (University of Kerala). He has curated thirty-five shows that include Video Wednesdays @ Gallery Espace, If I Were a Saint, Expressions at Tihar, Freedom to March, to name a few. Johny ML is the founder editor of two online magazines on Indian contemporary art (www.mattersofart.net and www.artconcerns.com). Johny ML has done extensive research on art education in small town art colleges in India and the findings are available on www.artroutes.in . He is the author of 'Timeless Bronze' (Uttarayan Foundation, Baroda), 'By All Means Necessary' (Kerala Lalit Kala Akademy) among several other books. He has also written articles and essays for catalogues, journals and newspapers. He also invests his creative energies in directing documentaries on art, translating international literature into Malayalam and writing a blog, johnyml.blogspot.com. Currently, he lives and works in Faridabad, Haryana.

Johny's blog is really worth reading, he has a great way of illustrating words that allows the reader to visualise for themselves, and I would like to thank him for taking the time to write this piece and allowing me to use it on the Ceangal blog.

Ceangal= Connection’- An Artists Residency with a Possible Future

‘Ceangal= Connection’ is an initiative by Lynn Bennett Mackenzie, a woman artist based in Scotland. Like the new ‘connections’ that we everyday create over social networking sites like Facebook, such artists’ initiatives develop new linkages and relationships amongst people all over the world irrespective of their affiliations (needless to say socio-political, cultural, religious, so on and so forth).

Curious as usual I was, when Lynn requested me to go through her artistic initiative, which is expected to create residencies for artists from all over the world who could visit Scotland first, do site specific as well as studio specific works, then later facilitate similar residencies in their own respective places by the visiting artists, thereby developing a series of workshops and residencies, guided by a common philosophy but executed variedly as per the demands and the complexion of the locations, almost in the same line of the Doctors without frontiers.

Great idea it sounds though it is not the first one to envision, present and aspire to promote such initiatives. My curiosity took me to search for the meaning of Ceangal and from the beloved world wide web I found out that the word in Irish meant ‘connection, linkages, bond etc.’.

However, what I noticed was one of the meanings that had not been implied in the creation of this artists’ residency program- ‘Commitment.’ Perhaps, this word is what makes most of the residencies and artists groupings successful despite their volatile and experimental nature.

While wishing all the best to this initiative, I would like to briefly touch upon the history the creation of such artists’ residencies and groupings in India.

(Rabindranath Tagore)

If you ask me who is the father of Indian art residency programs I would say, it is Rabindranath Tagore. By devising a plan to have a creative and cultural platform, which could take the form of a pedagogic establishment, in Santiniketan in early 20th century (1913), Rabindranath Tagore sowed the seeds of a grand artists’ residency. It was truly international in nature as the galaxy of stalwarts there included scholars and artists like Anand Koomaraswamy, Okakura Kakuzo, Stella Krasmrisch and Nandlal Bose.

Tagore world vision was later reduced into a nationalistic view by the artists of India during the independence struggle and later on. Most of the artists’ groupings happened during those decades of struggle and turbulence were mostly meant of, by and for the Indian artists who were looking for avenues to create, show and survive. Interestingly, the urban-centric art practices and such groupings were often promoted and supported by the expatriate European or British Nationals then living in India.

Whether it be the case of the Bombay Progressives, Delhi Shilpi Chakra, Calcutta Progressives or Group 1890, things were the same. They were not strictly artists’ residencies. They were groups with political adherence to certain ideologies.

(KCS Panicker)

Artists’ Residencies in the sense that we know today originated in 1960s (exactly 1966) under the leadership of K.C.S.Panicker in Cholamandalam. It was developed as an artists’ co-operative with a pragmatic vision of helping artists to come together, live together and work together to produce both craft and creative works. The pragmatic view of Panicker helped the artists to build their own houses or cottages in the same premise, sell their crafts (as there were very few patrons for their creative works) and satisfy their creative urge through painting and sculpting.

In every decade since 1960s we have seen the birth and death of artists’ grouping in all the parts of India though most of them were short lived. Indian Print Makers Guild was the first modern experiment in terms of Artists’ Residencies, though it did not have its own physical set up. This facilitated the production and exhibition of the print makers in India in a big way.

(Pooja Sood of Khoj)

Taking cue from the Indian Print Makers Guild (and its ensuing inside problems), the first International Artists’ Residency was formed in 1997 in Delhi. Later, with an able leadership of Pooja Sood, Khoj could expand its scope as a creditable and accountable artists’ platform to engage alternative art practices not only in India but also in the whole of South East Asian region with sufficient collaborations and contributions from other agencies all over the world.

Later on Khoj proliferated its activities by helping other artists’ residencies through collaboration and co-optation. It now operates from Delhi and from different metros and other centers in India through successful collaborations.

(Chintan Upadhyay of Sandarbh)

Sandarbh is another commendable rural residency program started in 2005 by Chintan Upadhyaya, an artist based in Mumbai. He successfully incorporated the international artistic experience with the regional, provincial and the national ones through the annual residency programs at Partapur in Rajasthan.

(Suresh Jayaram of 1Shanti Road)

Bangalore is another city in India where I always say, ‘there is a BAR in every residency program and a residency program in every BAR.’. Led by Suresh Jayaram, an artist and historian living in the city runs a successful residency called ‘1 Shanti Road’. Samooha was another residency project, which came to an end last year thanks to financial constrains. BAR 1 is one another initiative working actively in Bangalore. Similar efforts are done by Jaaga and Somberikatte as discursive platforms.

(Samooha Suresh)

In Mumbai ‘Open Circle’ used to operate as a residency platform. Shilpa Padhyam in Kerala is one such residencies for sculpture in Kerala by noted artist, Valsan Koorma Kolleri. Currently, India Foundation for Arts and other agencies like Asia Art Archives, Pro Helvetia have started funding independent residencies and projects from their coffers. It is a welcoming change.

All these residency programs have been successful in creating linkages and connections internationally. Through these platforms and residencies artists are able to further their careers primarily and creative ideas.

I am a staunch supporter of small acts. Though many residencies have become too huge and taken the shape of corporate institutions, I am convinced of the fact that all of them started in very moderate ways with larger ambitions and clear visions. Small acts, like small acts of love and passion, would yield ever lasting results.

I wish ‘Ceangal= Connection’ would be a platform/residency to proliferate small acts all over the world.

Influences!

2011-05-12T07:54:00.000+01:00

I thought I should write a little more about how this project began to emerge.

A couple of years ago, when I had just started to make contact with other artists using the internet, I got chatting online to an artist who said he often attended symposiums in other countries. At that time I had no idea what these were, but once he explained I thought it sounded like great events to participate in, and hoped that maybe I would manage to take part in one in a few years time.

It all happened sooner than expected, the following year the invitation to attend the international art symposium, The Breath of Epos, in Elabuga, Russia dropped into my inbox. An amazing opportunity to see a part of the world I knew nothing about, so I jumped at the chance.

It was an inspirational experience. One of the best things was being in a studio environment with others. Working as a lone artist you often doubt your ability, and, self belief in what you are doing can sometimes be hard to maintain, so that environment working with other professionals affected me deeply, and especially meeting and talking to artists from other countries, finding out about their art, influences and cultures. I hadn't realised how much I missed the interaction and feedback, and on returning home, hoped that the chance to attend more symposiums or travel might come about in the following years.

Over a winter spent painting, indian artist Somu Desai & myself had some discussions about art and workshops. Somu told me about the Sandarbh workshops which he has had much involvement in. This was the brainchild of another indian artist, Chintan Upahdhyay and was founded in Rajahstan,India in 2003. Many artists come from all over the world to participate, many returning again and again.

A mutual fascination of work, very different cultures and ideas ensued, and we realised that a collaboration to create a unique residency was an exciting vision for us both - a virtual leap of faith via the internet!

The seed was planted, why not here in the NW Highlands.

And so, the work has begun ....

Feedback

2011-05-02T10:59:00.001+01:00

After the initial successful meeting, it would be great to get some feedback.
One thing that would add extra interest would be if you could possibly write a short piece about your thoughts of the presentation and idea.

you can either comment here, or email on ceangalconnect@gmail.com

First steps!

2011-04-28T11:55:00.000+01:00

Held the initial presentation last night and got good turnout and a great response. The support and enthusiasm is definitely there and we have support from a few organisations, so now to channel it in a memorable way!

If you have not already done so, have a look at the show and GET INVOLVED to bring some memorable experiences to the Highlands!

A short introduction

2011-04-07T11:17:00.000+01:00

This project is the brainchild of Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie, an artist living and working in the NW Highlands of Scotland.

An idea inspired by talking online to artists who had attended symposiums in other countries, the seed grew after her own experience on an international symposium she attended in Elabuga, Russia.

After this, she made many connections thro social networking media and this led to a conversation with Somu Desai, an artist working in Gujarat, India. He has been involved with the Sandarbh project in Rajahastan, so the decision was made to collaborate, pull ideas together and create a project that would fit the environment in north west Scotland.

Instead of rural based artists having to travel to see art, why not bring an art experience to the area.

Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie will be giving short presentation and meeting at Gairloch High School multi-purpose hall on Wed 27th April, at 7pm.
She intends to set up a series of short annual artists residencies for this area and aims to invite national & international artists to attend, create works. Lynn hopes to gain strong community involvement as this project will be beneficial to the community, arts & tourism in this area for many reasons. I hope that you will come along and to find out more and show your support.

If you cannot attend but would like to be involved and know more, or if you know someone who might be interested in this project, please contact her for further information.

Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie
Croit mo Sheanair
29 Strath
Gairloch
Ross-Shire
IV21 2DA

Tel: 01445712389
Mobile: 07917875648
Email: ceangalconnect@gmail.com
Web: http://www.lbm-art.moonfruit.com