Cock[le] Pit

Cockle Pickers 2012, Film Still

Tuesday 26th of June 2012
15.30-17.30
Adain Avion, Swansea, National Waterfron Museum


Cock(le)pit is an attempt by Kathryn Ashill to reclaim her sense of Swansea identity. Cockles feature heavily in the hazy summer memories of the artist's childhood, walking towards the Mumbles in the hope of getting a tub of the fishy Swansea delights and covering them in vinegar. The cockle stalls at the centre of Swansea's iconic indoor market, with its four blue banners is, to the artist, a shrine to cockles.

Through social interactions with the cockle pickers of Penclawdd and the cockle sellers at Swansea indoor market, Kathryn will explore this industry’s heritage, and communicate these experiences through film, performance and drawing to create a new cockle shrine at the cockpit of Adain Avion.

This project is a commission for Adain Avion curated by Marc Rees.

Cockle Pickers

Cockle Pickers 2012, Film still 1

Cockle Pickers 2012, Film still 2

Cockle Pickers 2012, Film still 3

Cockle Pickers 2012, Film still 4

Cockle Pickers 2012, Film still 5

Cockle Pickers 2012, Film still 6

Cockle Pickers is a filmed performance that took place at Penclawdd's salt marshes. Here my Mother and I collected cockles from the muddy bed of the estuary. Penclawdd, on the Gower coast is world famous for its fresh cockles. Swansea's salty treats. I will be celebrating the history of Swansea's cockling industry through making a new live performance for Adain Avion. Penclawdd, my mam and us cockling will form the backdrop for the live work.

Cockle Picking

Penclawdd Cockle Pickers

Carol Watts Famous Cockle stall at Swansea Indoor Market

This weekend marked a breakthrough in my new artwork for Adain Avion, the Cultural Olympiad for Wales project. After months of investigating the cockle industry, its history and having conversations at Swansea Market with Carol Watts and her family, I made a new responsive performance called Cockle Picking. This new work is a filmed performance piece that will form the backdrop to a live performance that I will be making in the Adain Avion plane at Swansea on Tuesday 26th of June 2012. Cockle Picking was created at Penclawdd on the Gower estuary. My mother and myself climbed into the muddy salt marsh and picked as many cockles as we could find. Cockling has a predominantly female heritage, after the industrial revolution many of Penclawdd's workmen faced large unemployment due to injury or lack of industry in the area, as a result women would cockle in order to support the family financially. I have been visiting Carol Watts' stall at the market regularly since I was a little girl. They were my favourite work lunch and whenever I was in Swansea I would pick some up. Carol is supplying the cockles for my live work, as well as sharing her and her families history with cockles and the market. This has fuelled my desire to create a work which strongly references the strong filial ties that are embedded in the Penclawdd estuary and the history of cockling.

Images of Cockle Pickers to follow soon................

Month of May

As usual, my month of May has been crammed with art activity. I am currently preparing myself for one of my biggest projects of 2012: Adain Avion. For this I am exploring the deeprooted Swansea history of Cockling, and will be showing my new artwork in the wingless plane on June 26th 2012. It has been an honour to be commissioned by curator Marc Rees and to work alongside him and his team for the Welsh Cultural Olympiad. Who would have thought that the Olympics would effect me in any way?! I am adverse to sports!
I have just returned from Swansea where I went to see the open studio event of artist Sam Hasler at the Mission Gallery. Sam is currently artist in residence at one of my favourite galleries. Every Weirdo is on My Wavelength was an intimate event where Sam invited us to read his new written work, see his drawing, painting and overall work in progress. This was an intimate and unpolished event, and the audience were really moved by the intense reading. It was good to see the space in a low key manner, as the Mission is known for it's highly finished and produced exhibitions. Sam has been selected to represent the Mission Gallery for the Adain Avion project and his slot in the plane is before mine. Come and see!
We kicked off the second instalment of Tooth&Clawr on the 16th of this month. The event was really well attended and sold out again! Myself and Phil Owen are delighted that so many interesting and thoughtful people wish to discuss the exhibition programme in depth. There is more detail on the discussion on the Tooth&Clawr blog. I cant wait for the next one!
June is going to be a hectic month for me and my practice. It kicks off with the Jubilee and an installation I will be making at Chapter of my Royalist Memorabilia collection. It is my own personal Museum of chintzy Royalist mugs, scarfs, trays, ashtrays, plates, posters and books. It is highly Taboo to be a Welsh speaking Royalist and I hope to address this conflict of National Identity. I will also be doing a bunting workshop at the gallery for the OH so Jubilee event on June 2nd. Then comes Adain Avion. After that I will be working on Delaine La Bass' exhibition in the old Library, Cardiff (cant wait for this!). I am then off to Berlin, Documenta and Hamburg to visit artist's and to consume as much artwork as possible! Ill keep you posted.

Links:
http://www.adainavion.org/swansea/1173
http://www.missiongallery.co.uk/events/every-weirdo-in-the-world-is-on-my-wavelength/
http://www.samuelhasler.co.uk/
http://www.chapter.org/27155.html
http://d13.documenta.de/

 

Abandon Ship Memorial@ ARTCARBOOTIQUE, Chapter



Nearer My God To Thee, Performance 15.04.2012 2.20pm

Performance:

Mound of Ice poured onto platform

Stand on Ice barefoot

Ring the bell

Deep Breath

Close eyes

Sing loud and clear Nearer My God To Thee

Nearer my God to thee, Nearer to thee
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me
Still all my song shall be
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer my God to thee, Nearer to thee

Though like a wanderer the sun goes down
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone
Yet in my Dreams Id be
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee

There let the way appear, steps unto heaven
All that though sendest me, mercy given
Angels to beckon me
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee

Abandon Ship Exhibition Documentation



Lost with Vessel Drawings
Portraits of Jack Phillips, Cpt Edward John Smith and Wally Heart
Ink drawing



Lost With Vessel, Video Installation

Life Jacket
Fabric, paper

SOS
Ink Drawing

Last Supper
Food installation

Farewell Port, Video Installation

Farewell Port

After a busy start to April it is a pleasure for me to share the fruits of my labour with you. Here are some installation shots of my work at Stapleton Road Tavern, Bristol. The opening was fantastic- people feasted on samples of the 2nd class and 3rd class passenger menu for the fateful eve of April 14th 1912. The debris from the feasting added to the sense that the space had been abandoned in haste. The noise of the ships leaving port in Farewell Port echoed throughout the space, whilst Captain Edward John Smith appearing to be confused and distressed in Lost With Vessel loomed over us in the main bar area.

Install Begins!

Farewell Port 2012, film still

Lost With Vessel 2012, film still

Install of the show is underway and I am very excited about exhibiting my new work. I will be showing two new films, a sound installation and a set of drawings. The work has been laboured over and carefully made for each nook and cranny of the Stapleton road space.

Exhibiting my drawings is a relatively new aspect to my practice. My drawings are a result of the Edwardian imagery generated from the Titanic disaster- I have instinctively responded to the portraits of the deceased and spent time applying each detail and feature with great respect and attention. This medium has also enabled me to focus on the heroes and heroines of the titanic disaster that inspire me the most.

I will be making a new performance this Sunday at the ART CAR BOOTIQUE at Chapter. The performance is called Nearer My God to Thee and is a simple memorial to those who perished a 100 ears ago to that day in cold icy waters.