Nick Cass

Park Row Drawing

Nick Cass — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:27:21 +0000

The original artwork for my contribution to Junction.

Junction and the origin of Park Row Drawing

Nick Cass — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:13:18 +0000

I found time today to take photos of the Junction project. It was important to me to get a photograph from the ‘point’ which shows the correct perspective. There are a number of aspects of this box (as with much of my work) which are not always obvious.
Park Row Drawing continues my interest in the idea that decorative surface pattern is a denial of surface. Clearly, the history of painting deals with the same issue; how to reconcile the illusory space of an image with the surface upon which it exists. Decoration though, is somehow more insidious; in that the discourse of decoration explores this issue without ever making it an apparent ‘problem’ as much of 20th century painting did. Nearly all surface pattern uses illusion to create the idea that the surface of the object being decorated doesn’t exist. Interlacing for example within Islamic pattern has a deep significance.

These two photographs show the source of my inspiration for Park Row Drawing, two pieces of furniture from the collection at Temple Newsam House.

What I aimed to do with Park Row Drawing, on the one hand, was simply to ‘decorate’ the junction box. On the other, it was to use this logic of decoration to completely deny the surface (and function) of the box, by redrawing the interlaced and looping curved block design from this 17th century wooden chest, in a way which allowed it to occupy the entire (illusory) interior space. To complete the illusion of location, the drawing is geolocated, in that the shadows are correct to the exact location of the box at a particular time. On the 27th June, the time that the shadows are correct is 4.10pm. By the 27th July, this will have changed to 4.25pm due to the changing angle of the sun. This clearly gives a temporality to what is a static image.

That there is a specific point to see the box is hinted at by the raked look of the interior ‘floor’ if you stand further away from the box. The photo above compensates as it is taken from the ‘correct’ perspective point.

So, location, viewer, time, meaning, museums as a source; I guess these are the tropes I consider with this work.

Vredeman…

Nick Cass — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 09:40:39 +0000

Junction launch 27th June

Nick Cass — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:30:25 +0000

Junction boxes are those green metal boxes which are used to control traffic lights; they are everywhere on our streets but we barely see them. ‘Junction’ is a project to turn these invisible boxes into artworks; I am one of ten artists selected to ‘intervene’ with one of these boxes.

Launch date is 27th June, so keep an eye out on the boxes between Leeds train station and Leeds Art Gallery.

Further information and map available here.

Work in progress…

Nick Cass — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:02:58 +0000

I’m working on a small new project to be unveiled in Leeds soon – this is a working drawing as a sort of sneak preview.

Spider Plant Project update.

Nick Cass — Tue, 10 May 2011 10:24:37 +0000

I’ve not been pursuing this project this year, with my PhD starting I’ve been really busy. However, perhaps as a result of it being Spring, I’ve decided to do another round of distribution.

This photo though, is actually of three plants, given to people I teach with; all of whom, I suspect by default, left their plant on the office window.

Project info and map can be found here.

Conference Paper

Nick Cass — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:01:34 +0000

People Make Places – ways of feeling the world

The 10th international SIEF congress, Lisbon, 17-21 April 2011.

I will be giving a paper at this conference too in April – it is turning out to be a busy month!

Passageways

Nick Cass — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:55:29 +0000

I’ve been archiving old transparencies recently, scanning images into a digital database of previous work. An interesting process which means examining work I’ve not looked at for quite a long time. This piece, Passageways, was shown with about five other works at the Cornerhouse in the New Art North West Show in 1991. Constructed from aluminium, wax, copper and latex; a work which is very much more visceral than my work now.

New Contemporaries – Haiti Fundraiser

Nick Cass — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:53:51 +0000

A while ago I was approached by the people at New Contemporaries to contribute to their Haiti fundraiser. You can enter the draw to ‘win’ a work of art by donating at least £100.

While, as a previous New Contemporary, I was invited to contribute a work – I’m also very tempted to donate as there are some really nice works available.

Please support the project if you can. You can visit the site here.

Art Space – 6by4 Secret Postcard Exhibition

Nick Cass — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:47:37 +0000

I created three postcards for this show – there’s a flickr site with images of all the postcards. Clearly as a ‘secret’ exhibition, I can’t post images of the ones I made. Apparently there’ll soon be a chance to buy any remaining postcards from the show.