Current Artist
LEO
Resident: 2011-2012
Duration: 12 months
Artists Work
LEO at a Table Top Sale in Tarset Village Hall, autumn 2011
photo: Jan Ashdown
Before the residency, LEO, was both living in Berlin and London, two cities he moved between for the last 9 3/4 years. LEO's art practice, as described by the artist, "is installation based and employs a diverse range of media, including; video, photography, text, sculpture, textiles, light and projection; it is often the ideas, situations, locations I am working with that suggest the materials and approaches I take to these, rather than working with a particular media or style. The initial brief I’ve set myself for VARC is one concerned with public and environmental art, to both research and develop works in relation to this and the particular location of Tarset."
Coming from Berlin where grafitti is everywhere, LEO is interested in inserting text in a subtle way into the rural landscape. Sections of dry stone walls that have fallen done seem to invite being rebuilt with the insertion, in stone, of some enigmatic message. LEO has been refining his skills making models in the studio but hopes to start on a nearby real dry stone wall soon.
LEO welcomed over 40 people to his first Open Studio events in November. He was able to meet and talk to local people and a number from further afield about his work and about what he is hoping to develop during his residency.
Work in the Community
Earlier in January, prompted by comments from a Highgreen resident, VARC hosted an illustrated talk and discussion in Tarset Village Hall; 'Contemporary Art: Why?... Why not?' Ilaria Longhi from BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art talked about the Turner Prize artists past and present and LEO talked about his own work. The evening was attended by about 30 people. It was a lively evening with lots of questions, comments and discussion.
LEO has been visiting first schools in the area talking to staff about ideas for art projects he could do with the children. He has already started working with children at West Woodburn First School. The school have the Olympic Games as a theme across a number of subjects and, with LEO, children have been making up their own 'Olympic' board games that, when completed, they will act out for real in the play ground.
Workshops for local residents in Night Photography and Artwork for Outdoor Spaces are planned for early next month.
