Lens based Artist Quentin Budworth is looking for participants locations and venues for an exciting visual arts project happening in Hull in 2017. Hullywood Icons will recreate iconic moments from Hollywood films with the people of Hull in the City of Hull. The work will be exhibited prominently throughout the city and be featured in the media.
There are several ways to be involved with the project:
Participation in the project as a subject – I need to know which character, from which Film? Which scene you would like to appear in?
Use of venue as possible location for a shoot.
Offer of exhibition space.
Use of external walls for exhibition/projection work.
If you would like to be involved contact me quentinbudworth@btinternet.com
I was asked by the Roots and Wings organisation to document in photography and video – the progress of the giant floating Toad and Toads Revisited workshop and performance programme throughout the city of Hull here are the images – I hope they give a feeling of the events and the places where they took place.
Brian Eno had some interesting ideas on genius vs ‘scenius’ which challenge the idea of the genius artist working in isolation. Brian’s words are pertinent to Hull and hopefully this post will get some discussion going as what he is really talking about here is culture…
“I was an art student and, like all art students, I was encouraged to believe that there were a few great figures like Picasso and Kandinsky, Rembrandt and Giotto and so on who sort-of appeared out of nowhere and produced artistic revolution.
As I looked at art more and more, I discovered that that wasn’t really a true picture.
What really happened was that there was sometimes very fertile scenes involving lots and lots of people – some of them artists, some of them collectors, some of them curators, thinkers, theorists, people who were fashionable and knew what the hip things were – all sorts of people who created a kind of ecology of talent. And out of that ecology arose some wonderful work.
The period that I was particularly interested in, ’round about the Russian revolution, shows this extremely well. So I thought that originally those few individuals who’d survived in history – in the sort-of “Great Man” theory of history – they were called “geniuses”. But what I thought was interesting was the fact that they all came out of a scene that was very fertile and very intelligent.
So I came up with this word “scenius” – and scenius is the intelligence of a whole… operation or group of people. And I think that’s a more useful way to think about culture, actually. I think that – let’s forget the idea of “genius” for a little while, let’s think about the whole ecology of ideas that give rise to good new thoughts and good new work.”
As an artist working in Hull I have to say it’s a really exciting time, thursday the 28th of May was an amazing day for the City of Hull.
It started well with news of the Turner prize coming to The Ferens Art Gallery in Hull in 2017 a huge win for the city and for the City of Culture Team, it is one of the biggest events in British art, when it is UK City of Culture in 2017. Unfortunately at 51 I’m too old to be in it but I’m really looking forwards to seeing it!
The Turner prize and corresponding exhibition will be staged at the city’s Ferens art gallery. It is the first event to be announced for Hull’s City of Culture year. The gallery will get a £4.5m facelift to bring it up to the required standards.
Hull 2017 chief executive Martin Green said the prize would boost Hull’s image in the art world and attract more visitors to the city.”You can only see it if you come to Hull and that’s what’s great about these major events. They act as a honeypot,” he said.”All those people who come will spend money here and stay, drink and shop here. So this is great world-class culture being used as a regenerative and economic boost to the city.” Martin Green is hoping that the year’s festivities will attract a million visitors to Hull and be worth £60m to the city’s economy.
Darren Henley New Chairman of the Arts Council’s inaugural speech from the Ferens – great stuff..
Martin Green says he believes UK City of Culture is a “once in a generation opportunity” to transform the city. I say:
“Let’s make the most of it!”
Martin spoke a lot about the strategic vision and national and international partnerships the team are making and I was really impressed by his speech and the amount of work the team has already done on the City of Culture 2017 planning.
Here is the new City of Culture film that was part of the presentation made by the City of Culture team at Hull Truck on thursday afternoon. Hull 2017:The Seasons
Governments do come and go and I’m really not a fan of politics but it is nice and extremely positive however that for a while a light will be shining in, on and from Hull and the towns and cities of the M62 corridor. It is no accident that Darren Henley’s inaugural speech was made at the Ferens Art Gallery which will be refurbished for the 2017 Turner prize in Hull City of Culture 2017. Interestingly Darren Henley’s speech included the words “Imagine a corridor of culturally driven regeneration all along the M62, linking Hull with Liverpool, and taking in Manchester and Leeds. I call it ‘The M62 Corridor of Culture’.” Which to my mind signals some strategic funding commitments from the Arts Council to Hull, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Merseyside.
A fantastic portrait session for The Changing Face Of Hull project and some illuminating conversation at Hull Maritime Museum with the indomitable musical force of nature that is Mick Mcgarry – In the interview he spoke of his life really beginning with retirement and the joy that singing brings him. Mick is truly remarkable man who is changing the face of Hull through his work with the Hillbilly Troupe and his other musical activities within the city.
We are keen to work with and hear from the good people of Hull especially those with an interesting story from ALL walks of life. JOIN US! THIS Friday, 5th December between 6-30 and 8-00pm.at Princes Quay (Next door to the POP Gallery).
The Changing Face of Hull – call for participants in arts project in Hull
Led by Artist Quentin Budworth – with second photographer Rebecca Robyns. ‘The Changing Face Of Hull’ will work with people who live in Hull to explore ideas of self, city and shared identity.
The next few months bring opportunities to participate in workshops, collaborate and co-author your portrait image to create a unique video artwork. We will also be recording audio of the sittings and image making dialogue as a part of the soundtrack for the exhibition projection.
If you want to participate in the project join our mailing list – email thechangingface@btinternet.com or call Quentin on 07877434739.
Steve Elliott and Amanda Lowe have been commissioned to make a giant Jack Frost for Princes Quay Hull – I popped into the workshop on the ground floor of Princes Quay to see their work in progress. You can see the finished giant Jack Frost in the Christmas Parade happening in Hull City Center this sunday the 16th November 2014.
I shot this on a Canon 5d Mark 3 with a variety of Canon l series lenses and a beautiful very old russian helios lens from my first proper camera a Zenith E!
Hats off to Hull and congratulations to all the people who fought so hard to win the bid for city of culture – Its a fantastic achievement and great news for the city.
A few years ago I was commissioned by the larkin 25 Festival to produce a monograph based on Larkin’s poem ‘Here’ which is about Hull and the East Riding in it I sought to create images that matched, mirrored and commented on Larkin’s poem. You can see the exhibition online here
Quentin Budworth 