Keeping a safe distance, as art always does.

Last weekend, whilst the open garden at Lawson Park roared with the appreciative nodding of the gathering gentiles, I descended into the pit of heathen depravity that was Creamfields dance music festival. Grizedale were there to collaborate with John Moores University’s SITE projects department to experiment with an almost-live internet TV station for Creamfields.

From the sanctity of a makeshift edit suite in a portakabin in the production compound, pairs of camera crews wheeled away into the 40,000 morass of heavy beats, fake tan and neon bra tops. The scene in production subsequently took on the feel of a WWII RAF camp, with crews coming and going with tales of the front line and rest, tea and fags on the summer grass between.

The project was an attempt to equate the gentle world of art making with the extreme experience spectacle of mass popular culture. A meeting that ordinarily ends up with art getting its head stamped on. With Grizedale contributions to the big screen, you can see it’s hard for art to come close to making an impact in its usual mindset. Marcus Coates was due to perform the ultimate conclusion to his shaman act on the big stage, to the baying sea of e-ed up scallywags and wannawags. Cream got cold feet, not really because it was too weird, but more for his own safety. But it could’ve been pretty good. Carnage, but pretty good.

It’s this taking on of the mess of the bigger world that we need and aim to do. At this stage I’d give the project a 5 out of 10, but I’d go back for a 8.5 next year and by 2012 looking to meet the LOCOG and DCMS targets for straight golds in mass participation and synchronised vomiting.

For a taste of the action and some light discussion go to www.creamTVfields.tv

Posted by Alistair Hudson on 29/08/08 at 14:39

We'll be back in the yard next week Friday 5th September, welcoming autumn....

Posted by Dorian Moore on 29/08/08 at 11:51 : 0 Comments

Best use Google Earth next time

Yesterday saw Team Grizedale (& Team Guthrie, Pope-Olden, Watson, Quinn, Falconer et al) welcome several hundred visitors to the first Open Garden at our HQ Lawson Park.
Exact figures and photos to come - but a huge thankyou to all involved.

Posted by Karen Guthrie on 25/08/08 at 15:39

Topics: 'NGS'

This should work

so they line up on the landing board and fan the hive to cool it down. How do they work that out? its weird, first they have to know that if the hive gets too hot it's bad for the babies, then they have to work out that wind will cool it then they have to work out that their wings could alternatively be used as a fan and all that without a brain - genius and all together.

Posted by Adam Sutherland on 28/07/08 at 18:33 : 1 Comment

Bog Garden, July 2008

GARDEN DETAILS
Lawson Park, East of Lake Coniston

CONTACT: karen@grizedale.org
TELEPHONE: 015394 41050

LOCATION:
LA21 8AD
5m E of Coniston. From Coniston Village follow signs East of Lake/Brantwood, car park signed 1m after Brantwood car park. Please use free minibus (runs every 10 mins) from Machell's Coppice car park. On foot 10 mins steep walk up established footpath from car park.

Historic hill farm overlooking Coniston, which since 2001 has been restored to a working smallholding, productive and ornamental gardens, and artist's residency base. Approx 5 acres of reclaimed fellside in spectacular setting. Informal herbaceous, woodland, bog and wild gardens (incl wild flower meadow) and organic kitchen garden with apiary. Many experimental plantings and unusual seed-grown perennials and trees. Wildlife includess deer, red squirrels, badgers, bats and slow worms. Produce for sale.

OPENING DATES AND TIMES:
Adm £3.50, chd free (share to Grizedale Arts)
Cream teas
Day & Early Evening Opening, teas & wine, Sun 24 Aug (12-7). Visitors also welcome by appt July to Sept only, groups of between 10 - 20 (on site parking by prior arrangement).

NB - Lawson Park farmhouse is currently in the process of a major refurbishment, and is not part of this event

Posted by Karen Guthrie on 28/07/08 at 18:23
Originally posted at www.lawsonpark.org/blog/1468