Reviews

and Interviews

Silvia Lioci, Programme Curator of the Coffee Art Project in London, talks to Jessica about how their scheme supports a vital charity. Coffee Art Project is a community of artists and like-minded people that are helping others globally with their creativity.

June 2014.

JC: Can you give me a short summary of the Coffee Project?

SL: The Coffee Art Project is an art competition with the theme of coffee and coffee shop experience. The idea was by Jeffrey Young, managing director of Allegra Strategies. His aim was to be able to connect art with coffee to promote artists and give money back to coffee community in Tanzania. The programme therefore aims to: deliver an independent platform for talented artists, Promote coffee culture and the intrinsic

meaning of coffee, raise awareness and money for delivering clean drinking water to coffee producing countries

JC: How did you come to be curating this project?

SL: Ah that’s a really funny story. I was working as a barista in a coffee shop. I just came to London and I wanted to become a latte art barista. I found that job thanks to the London Coffee Guide which is one of the publication projects of Allegra Group. My director Jeffrey Young came to get a coffee and asked me if I could put the new guide on the shelf. I asked him why he had that copy in his hand as I had found a job thanks to the guide. He mentioned that he was one of the editors and the company which published it was Allegra publication owned by him. He mentioned the fact that his desire was to create a new project which connects art and coffee. As I have studied art management in Italy and I am a Goldsmiths student in Arts Administration and Cultural policy, the match was perfect.

JC: What does your job role entail?

SL: At the moment as we are a new project, I curate everything from the exhibition to the communication, brand and marketing. It is a quite interesting journey.

JC: What did you do before curating?

SL: I have been always a creative mind and before curating I have done different jobs. The one I liked most was being a latte Art barista. I absolutely love it and sometimes I really miss it. I had some experiences in curating back in Italy, but the market is completely different, therefore I needed to adapt myself to a diverse market.

JC: What is the ethos of the Coffee Project?

SL: Our ethos includes different values. We value: respect , social responsibility, artists focus, freedom in expression, nurturing talents and creativity

JC: In the spirit of connecting and community, does the Coffee Project connect with its overseas projects in Europe,USA and Australia?

SL: Yes we do, and it is amazing how we observe the different interpretation of coffee culture. We try to promote the artists in an international environment and cross the different coffee culture together.

JC: What is Project Waterfall and how does the Coffee Project aim to support this?

SL: Project Waterfall in partnership with WaterAid provides safe drinking water, good hygiene and improved sanitation to some of the poorest communities in the coffee growing regions of Africa. We are currently supporting over 8,000 people in Mbulu district in Tanzania.

Why Tanzania? Only 54% of people currently live with access to a source of clean water Some women and children spend over two hours a day collecting water Almost 21,000 children under five die every year from diarrheal diseases caused as a direct result of unsafe water and poor sanitation The Mbulu District is extremely remote and only accessible by plane and an eight hour drive. Consequently they have found installing a water system a challenge both logistically and financially. Put simply without Project Waterfall and Water Aid, it would be unlikely their 8,000 population would have clean water.

So far, the Coffee Art Project raised £ 10,000 for Project Waterfall as we have organised 2 auctions and we absolutely keen to consolidate this partnership

JC: Where have you exhibited artwork?

SL: In London, for both years our location has been the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane as we are connected with the London Coffee Festival (www.londoncoffeefestival.com). In Milan and Amsterdam, the locations were quite similar; they recalled a warehouse style, because we would like to get a super level of art, but always connected to the vibe of the city. For Paris and New York, instead, it is still a mystery...

JC: What is your favourite piece from the collection?

SL: Ahhh I cannot tell, this would be very unprofessional. Every piece of artwork tells its own story, thus, I really appreciate people who communicate and they want to make a difference.

JC: Where does Coffee Project aim to be in the future/ what are your goals/ hopes for it?

SL: Our aim is to build up a strong structure and become global. We intend to engage as much as talented artists we can to be able to promote and showcase them internationally. We are planning to raise money for Project Waterfall and other charity water to provide clean drinking water to coffee communities.

JC: What is your favourite aspect of curating?

SL: To be honest, I believe that curating means TAKE CARE of something. I love taking care of artists, people and art, because I do believe that art and artists can make a different in other people’s lives. I am happy curate the whole project without any specific preference. However, generally I love meetings and meeting with people.

JC: Thank you for your time Silvia and for doing the first of many interviews.

If you are interested in applying to the Coffee Project or to find out more please follow the link below:

http://www.coffeeartproject.com/Home.aspx

allegrafoundation.com/Project-Waterfall

All Images are the copyright of © Coffee Art Project and

JC: What drew you to Fine Art?

AN: I have always been interested in art and have attended

an art lab in my teens and a photography school in my

twenties. After having a very different professional career

and having children, I returned to education by attending an Access course in Art and Design.

My tutor at the time convinced me to apply for the degree course and I've never regretted the decision!

JC: Where do you find influences and inspiration for your work?

AN:Most of the inspiration for my work comes from theorethical thinking. I am an avid purchaser of philosohpical and theorethical texts and those theories, combined with my own reasoning spur my work.

JC: Can you describe your time at Laboratorio d’Arte and Istituto Superiore di Fotografia?

AN: My time at Laboratiorio D'Arte was extremely formative. It is there that I learnt that art truly is a form of self expression, but I also discovered that that form isn't restricted to one medium. I experimented with painting, watercolour, sculpture and even performance while there!

The time at the Istituto Superiore di Fotografia was much more structured and technical. It has given me a good knowledge of the technical aspects of photography but my heart is that of a fine artist.

JC: What is the 'S' Project and what is the ethos behind the project?

AN:The S Project is currently the main focus of my work, although I always have smaller side projects on the go.

Through cataloguing and re-photographing the film slides of part of a disused and discarded archive I am exploring notions of memory in contemporary art practice but also in philosophical thinking. Really, I am trying to make a case for the preservation of such archives and the memory traces they hold.

JC: How did you progress to the 'Objects of Memory' project?

AN:The Objects of Memory project is a small research project and part of the S Project. I was looking at theories regarding objects and our relation to them. I wanted to engage with the public in a more direct way. At the moment it is just an element of my main body of work but could be expanded upon in the future.

JC: What are your plans for this project? What is it about collecting data that you enjoy?

AN: I wouldn't say that I enjoy collecting data. I enjoy preserving memories, other people's memories.

JC: Are your collections focused around concept?

AN: My work is strongly conceptual and primarily concerned with the discarded, disregarded and memory, in all its different variations. It's an existential concern.

JC: In compiling collections, what do you think makes it become an art-form?

AN: I don't really compile collections. The collections already exist. I rescue them, give them a voice. That's how I think of my work. I try not to interefer too much with their voice.

My practice is that of an artist-researcher. Whether my work is art is for others to judge.

JC: What do you find aesthetically pleasing- character, form, history, colour...?

AN: Do you mean in my work or the work of others? In my own work, like I already mentioned, I try to listen to my material more than impart an esthetic judgment. Of course, my work being visual there are elements of selection but often these come from an embodied knowledge rather than purely rational decisions.

JC: Any artists or texts that inspire you?

AN: Everything inspires me! The people, music, places, everything. I am a magpie. My working sketchbooks are collections of all sorts of things, anything that triggers a thought in my mind and leads me to some reflection is an inspiration to me.

There are many many artists and theories that I draw upon, far too many to mention! But I think that what inspires the most are conversations. Often with myself.

JC: Where do your plans lead in the future?

AN:At the moment I am immersed in the S Project and the Research Masters in Photography at Plymouth University so my focus is on those. But the project is too vast to be completed in the time I have so I am hoping to continue onto a PhD. Currently research is the stronger element of my practice so I'm just going with that. Who knows what will happen in the future.

JC: Thank you very much Anna and I cannot wait to see how you progress 'S' Project.

For more information on the 'S' Project and to become a part of the 'Objects of Memory' Collection, please visit the links below:

annanewlandhooper.com

www.facebook.com/ObjectsofMemory

Anna Newland-Hooper is a conceptual artist and a Research MA Student at Plymouth University. Anna talks to Jessica about her connection with Art and Research, and on her ever-expanding 'S' Project.

July 2014.

Claire Jackson is a Fine Artist specialising in plastic sculpture. Claire recently exhibited at the Truman Brewery and has won several awards. Claire talks to Jess about her inspirations and achievements. July 2014.

JC: What drew you to Fine Art?

CJ: I have always been inspired by the vast visual stimulus of the arts, and I guess that from being very young I wanted to be able to visual express my ideas and share them with others too.

JC: Where do you find your inspiration- topics, artists, research?

CJ: I gain inspiration from a multitude of sources. I would say that science and nature mostly provide a rich array of topics and imagery. Cutting edge microscopic images & unique organic forms play a big role in influencing my artworks.

JC: How do you reflect the Micro-organisms/bio-science within your artwork?

CJ: I find microscopic imagery from sources such as the Wellcome trust, to be a beautiful and intimate look at the world. I try to capture and resonate these shapes on a larger scale.

JC: Is there a particular artist you hold in high regard?

CJ: hold all Artists in high regard, though if I had to pick one at the moment I would probably go with Helen Chadwick, here unique perspective and use of science in here art is something I have always admired.

JC: Have you seen any exhibitions recently and what caught your eye?

CJ: I have been to so many great exhibitions though I must say that the Leyden galleries mixture of classic and contemporary artworks at their summer salon was refreshing to see.

JC: Can you tell us more about your 'secret': 'Core Nebula' and 'Expresso'?

CJ: Secret is a section on my website that gives an exclusive look at my latest artworks before anyone else.

The sculpture Core Nebula is a suspended sculpture (one of many) for a stellar installation. The sculpture is an abstract expression of space inspired events, from forming nebulas to exploding stars. ‘Core Nebula’ in particular is a sculpture expressing my representation of the forces of pressure and combining of elements when a star is being born.

As for ‘Expresso’ that is a sculpture with coffee and speed at its core. The piece was created for the coffee art project which raises money and awareness for coffee growing countries, such as Tanzania which are in desperate need of clean drinking water. The sculpture was my way of linking the associated energy of the drink espresso with the speed of a native Tanzanian animal the cheetah. I tried to capture this dynamic energy by sculpting the coffee in a flowing lucid structure which morphed into the cat figure.

JC: What recognitions and awards have you received?

CJ: I won my first award at university for my final year Degree show, comprised of multiple large scale polymorphic sculptures, for which I won first place in fine art for the Enterprise award.

My second award came from entering the signature art awards with my largest biomorphic abstract sculpture to date, which won me first place in the sculpture category for my unique style and approach to a subject and crated in a unique medium which I have now become renowned for using.

And my third award was from the coffee art project where I was first runner up for my sculpture ‘The Impossible Coffee’

Though I am immensely proud of gaining these awards, I am very proud of my achievements of being one of the UKs top 100 artists who took part in creating an egg sculpture for ‘The Big Egg Hunt’, For raising money for charity through auctioning my artworks at high profile events, and for being able to take part in amazing exhibits such as Spare Parts.

JC: What is your favourite piece to date and why?

CJ: It is hard to choose a favourite I have attachments to many different types of art pieces, some for their personal connections and others because of how difficult they were to make (which makes them all that more cherished). I would like to say that my favourite piece I created is a painting titled ‘Mind Brain Thought’. The artwork looks at microscopic forms in the brain and my personal interpretation of psychological texts and theories. It was one of my first exhibited pieces, at the time I decided to pursue fine art as a career. It was the culmination of extensive research and many late nights working. That Painting was the first of many of my science inspired artworks.

JC: Where do you see your finished pieces being displayed?

CJ: I often envisage a blank white liminal gallery space which allows the art piece to breathe and speak for itself. For my more organic sculptures though I do often try to picture how they would look in a natural environment surrounded by similar formed foliage.

JC: Any future plans? What research or artwork are you currently creating?

CJ: At current I am working on some new pieces inspired by organic coral reef forms called ‘Anthozoa’ and also hinged sculptures inspired by fruit and seed pods which open up to reveal complex internals.

JC: Thank you for your time Claire and I am excited to see the pod sculptures!

To view Claire Jackson's work and any enquiries please visit:

www.artistclairejackson.com

twitter.com/polymorphist