Cathryn Kemp - Pure Artist in Residence Saint Ronans School, Hawkhurst

# 11 www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking  [28 November 2011]

To-Do List

Finish Book (v urgent - only 8000 more words to go)

Call publisher - extend deadline to Dec 6 as been ill

Take off writing head and put back art head

Printmaking - remember to swap Saint Ronans day to Thursday this week to teach some of the extra art pupils monoprinting

Finish Telling Stories: Margate catalogue by end of week - held up due to nasty chest infection

Send off details of exhibition in January to gallery

Write & design info for gallery

Meet with new committee members for Telling Stories: Hastings - fundraising ie me and Xav off to meet the friendly chaps at The Foreshore Trust

Prepare for FT meeting - go to Xav's by end of week with budget/figures/ACE documents to be absolutely clear what we still need to raise

Alex weekend - think up xmas things to make with stepson this weekend

Buy tree

Cathryn Kemp - Pure Artist in Residence Saint Ronans School, Hawkhurst

# 10 www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking [11 November 2011]

Working collaboratively - journeys through current projects..

It has been a busy time - reflected in how little I have been able to blog recently. Several substantial projects appeared, started and developed within a few short weeks of each other and it has been a challenge to keep grounded within my own work while meeting each project as whole-heartedly as I wanted. I have been trying very hard to keep a clear sense of identity as an artist, and as a collaborator as well.

First up there was SALT which was a collaborative residency with five other artists in Hastings at the end of the summer. I've written a little about our process of creating a single work from six very different artists, and it was one of those projects that flows smoothly from start to finish. Everyone gave of themselves, everyone committed completely to the project and we created something stupendous as a result, in the form of a working, hand built, industrial zone including a six-metre-long conveyor belt, a tea station, protective clothing and a tonne of de-icing salt. Then as that was finishing, I started a year-long residency at Saint Ronans School in Kent in September; a private school in which I am the first artist-in-residence. I feelall eyes are on me as I carefully negotiate the complex rituals, energies and behaviours of a school such as this one. It is the first time I have ever seen inside a private school and, in all honesty, I wished I'd gone there as a child the minute I stepped through the doors. It seemed to me to be a gentle bastion of old-fashioned good sense and decency. The pupils hold doors open for teachers while the teachers themselves are engaged, clearly pleased to be there.

I'm an outsider though, and not so much on the grounds that I was Grammar school educated. I am a member of staff but I'm not. I slip in and out of the walls and grounds like I'm on the hunt for something. I know all eyes are on me as I'm the first artist-in-residence at the school and that makes me feel, in turn, nervous and proud to be there and be the first. I am aware that each day I spend in the classrooms I am making tentative inroads into the collective emotional and psychological make-up of the school and its pupils and that is a privilege and a pressure too. I have moved a few things into my space but I'm still finding my way, learning who to run things past, feeling through my way as part of the intricate hierarchies of such an historic place.

And just as I started the residency, I literally had to drop the artist hat and put on my new project manager and curator hats to install the first of my Telling Stories exhibitions, in Margate. This was the hardest part of the journey for several reasons, not least because there was just so much work to do organising an exhibition of seven artists and their work.

I've dug out one of my to-do lists - dated Monday, October 3 - four days before the opening night - I had 27 things on my urgent list for that day with an extra 'mother-list' which ran for three full pages! But the biggest challenge was not the immense nature of the workload - it was shifting between being artist and one of the group showing work and going through process and into dialogue together, to then being project-manager and responsible for organising it and evaluating effectively for ACE.My relationship with the other artists changed minute-by-minute at some points which was at times difficult. The opening night was amazing though. As a group we attracted the warmth and good will of Margate with its many interesting practitioners and locals. Performance artist Yumino Seki brought her powerful and strange chemistry to the space, creating a series of movements as a dance piece which drew tears from some of the onlookers (for the right reasons). Margate has ended now, but it is time to start the long and intense process of drawing together the next group of artists, 14 in total to develop the concept into Telling Stories: Hastings for 2012. I haven't a clue how it will come together right now - I just know what work moves me and makes me want to dig deeper and learn more. All the time learning more, embedding down into a process to draw from it its treasure.

Amanda Hughes - K College article.

Monday, 24 October 2011

Fine Art Graduate makes her mark at Port Lympne

Congratulations to Amanda Hughes, a recent graduate from the College’s BA Fine Art who has won a prestigious residency at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park. Amanda has created a stunning sculpture of one of the parks residents, Rukwa, a beautiful Black Rhino. The sculpture has been created utilising manipulated steel and natural material such as hazel, scavenged wood and flora sourced from the park itself.

Amanda created the piece on site at the park, welding the piece in the Rhino shed itself over a two month period. The piece is designed to highlight the plight of the Black Rhino and the work of the park. Rukwa, Amanda’s subject, is a female Rhino who has been part of the parks breeding programme and whose offspring have been reintroduced into the wild. Amanda spent time studying the Rhino’s and even met one of them whilst developing the sculpture.

Amanda has used unusual materials to creative some of the Rhino’s most notable features. The horn has been sculpted from an oak tree, blown down in the 1987 hurricane; the animals ears have been sculpted from rolled steel and the tail is made from chain which mimics the movement of the Rukwa’s tail. The frame is covered in hazel, an essential part of the Rhino’s diet in the park as it helps to prevent liver failure.

Amanda is represented by Pure Arts, an organisation that supports the work of promising artists. Amanda first became involved with the organisation through a visit they made to the College. Following a very successful end of year exhibition, where Amanda shows other work inspired by the animal kingdom Amanda was named as one of the organisations selected artists. Pure Arts are supporting Amanda’s professional development and are currently exploring a range of further exciting opportunities to promote her work. 

Amanda was joined at the unveiling of the sculpture by friends and family, including a number of students who studied on the BA Fine Art with her. We wish Amanda and her fellow graduates all the best in their future endeavours and are positive that this talented group of graduates will have many inspiring achievements ahead of them.

The Sculpture is now on semi- permanent display in the front of the Restaurant at Basecamp and the working drawings can be seen at Carnivore Territory until 31st October and online at www.puregallery.org.

For more information about Pure Arts Group visit: www.pureartsgroup.co.uk

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 14. The Handover.

21/10/11

The finished sculpture has now been moved down to Base camp, which will be its home for the next year,  and I have secured it into place with horseshoe type pins over the feet plates.

I have decided to use the Latin name of the Black Rhino; "Diceros bicornis michaeli",  as this uniquely identifies the Black Rhino as the sub species that has the prehensile lip. Together with the name of the Rhino I based the piece on; "Rukwa".... talking of which...Rukwa was actually checking out the piece as I was pinning it down!

After setting up the working drawings and the 'Gifted' picture at Carnivore Territory, I was ready for the 'Official Handover', where I would meet Bob O'Connor, the Director of the Zoo Park, for photographs and to hand the Rhino over to Port Lympne for a year.

I must say, it was manic! I have never been so photographed or interviewed in my life! Bob and I were pose-able dummies for half an hour, which was quite fun and he was in good spirits with the whole scenario. I was lucky enough to have my family and University peers present, as well as the PR staff from the zoo. The handover was a very successful event, the weather was kind and the sun was shining, I could not have wished for a better day!

I would like to thank Pure Arts group for the support I received and the PR staff at the foundation and Bob O'Connor for his time. I would also like to thank the Rhino keepers for their help with foraging and access to areas and staff whom supplied me with hot coffee when it was cold as well as the friendly grounds staff who watched the build with great interest. It was a real privilege to be based at one of the most beautiful parks in Kent to produce a sculpture of such a remarkable and tender animal. I hope it justifies this endangered species and gives the park and general public visual pleasure.

Now, what next???....Watch this space!

Amanda x

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 13

07/09/11

Throughout the week I have been weaving the Rhino frame in preparation of finishing on Friday, as the Rhino shed is going to be renovated prior to the Rhino's return for the Winter.

With some help from my relatives, we collected a mass of Hazel, so I could crack on with the weaving process. I found the thicker pieces hard to manipulate, so there was a lot of cutting, bending and brute force to apply the heavier pieces to the frame.

I used a sharp pair of secateurs, a pair of loppers, a hammer and a pair of gloves to work with the hazel.

This part of the project is exciting as the piece suddenly becomes more solid and comes to life, creating it's own character due to the organic formal elements of the Hazel that create the shapes.

I tend to look at the individual pieces of wood and try to utilise the natural forms to mirror the curves of the particular subject, which I view as abstracted parts of the Rhinos anatomy.

Whilst I am weaving the frame, I reflect on the piece and take photographs so that areas do not get over worked and keeping aware of where the weight falls and the skin folds undulate.

Now the piece is essentially finished, I will move it out of the shed to take photographs, which can be processed into postcards, for the park to sell, with the help of Pure Arts Group.

The piece will then be moved down into the arranged site at base-camp on Tuesday 11th with a trailer, where I will attach it to the floor using horseshoe type pins and then add a little more weaving to the legs to finish it off and hide the pins.

.....I hope Rukwa will like her new friend next to her paddock...

Amanda x

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 12

04/09/11

Once the welding was finished I tidied up the frame with an angle grinder, which I scuff the metal with to aid rusting. I aim to have the frame rust coloured and will wait for the metal to oxidise, then I will treat it with an oil application to hold the colour and rust in place, plus this aids the longevity of the sculpture and produces a natural color which works well with the wood.

I am now ready to proceeded with weaving the framework with the Hazel collected, using the heavier pieces to pack out the ribs, to give weight and form, without over working it, as I aim to keep the weave loose to create an illusion of fragility, relating back to the fragility of the species as a whole.

I feel the piece will need another week for weaving and collection of Hazel, which I will forage from the plantation on site.

This type of fauna is fed to the Rhino's to prevent ailments of the liver, so this material links directly to the piece in question.

Amanda x

Editors note: The Weather is now turning autumnal and Rukwa will need his shed back, therefore, Amanda is reaching the closing phase of this sculpture and her residency at Port Lympne.

The Completed sculpture will go on show to the public at Port Lympne in front of Basecamp in time for October Half Term.





To see working drawings and images that evolve from this residency, please go to the Amanda Hughes Gallery at www.puregallery.org

Amanda Hughes - Port Lympne Artist-in-Residence blog entry 11

30/09/11

Returning to Rhino ears...

To get the right shape of the ear I studied the images of the Rhino's at different angles closely. I then created a simplistic sketch which I then replicated with card. This could then be held to the head of the sculpture, allowing me to tweak any measurements and shapes prior to using the mild steel sheet.
When I felt happy with the size and character of the ears, I drew the shape onto the steel and cut them out using a plasma cutter (thanks to Ian in the mechanic's shed at Port Lympne). I curved these round by hand, mimicking the cardboard prototype ears and welded them onto the frame.

I then proceeded to weld any areas that needed extra form and structure, completing the welding process prior to weaving Hazel whips into the frame to give a heavier anatomy.

As I began creating the eye area, I felt it needed a pupil shape, as the Rhino's have amazing eyes that look right at you. For this I decided to use pennies for the shape and as a metaphor of how the animals have been viewed as money when they are killed for their horns.



More to follow....

Amanda x