Virtual New Art Tool

Here is the Virtual New Art Tool #1 to download as a PDF. It contains easy to follow instructions and these are supplemented by some specific examples from Dan Russell (The NewBridge Project's Artist Development Programmer).



As this was a work-in-progress toolkit when circulated, below are some further instructions as emailed to the first five people from the Collective Studio 19-20 cohort who wanted to take part. Their names bring to life the example. Also included is the deadlines the group wanted imposing - feel free to come up with your own.

Please add any modifications or follow up exercises as appendixes to this article!

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COLLECTIVE STUDIO VIRTUAL NEW ART TOOL #1 GROUP ONE

Congratulations, you are entering the guinea pig stage of this new exploration in Covid-19 Britain, remote, collaborative, individualistic, reference sharing, feedback looping, sequential art making.

Please consult your 2-page PDF document (Virtual New Art Tool #1) for the instructions as to how to continue and the handy diagram ‘GROUP ONE’ for your own places in The Circle.

The numbers you have been allocated (1-5) correspond to the numbers in the instructions (1-5), please follow steps A-J in sequence. A lot of activity happens simultaneously, which your humble instruction-maker has struggled to hold in his limited imagination. Therefore, reality and his imagined reality may differ. Please be forgiving of this.

To begin with:

Will shall equip Evie with 5 touchstones.

Evie shall equip Jenny with 5 touchstones.

Jenny shall equip Gen with 5 touchstones.

Gen shall equip George with 5 touchstones.

George shall equip Will with 5 touchstones.

PERSON 1 = Will

PERSON 2 = Evie

PERSON 3 = Jenny

PERSON 4 = Gen

PERSON 5 = George

TIMELINE:

Today is Thursday 7th May.

I would like you to furnish your designated person with 5 touchstones by Thursday 14th May.

I would like you to have made a new artwork (i) based on these reference points by Thursday 21st May.

I would like you to feed back* to the person who gave you the touchstones on Thursday 21st May.

I would like you to pass on your new artwork (i) or depiction thereof (Will to Evie, Evie to Jenny, Jenny to Gen, Gen to George, George to Will) on Thursday 21st May.

I would like you to create an artwork (ii) in response to their artwork by Thursday 28th May. Please pass this on to the next artist in a clockwise manner as per the instructions on the same day. Optional abstract feedback may be fed back 2 degrees of separation, anti-clockwise (eg from Jenny to Will).

I would like you to create an artwork (iii) in response to their artwork (ii) by Thursday 4th June. Please pass this on to the next artist in a clockwise manner as per the instructions on the same day. Optional abstract feedback may be fed back 3 degrees of separation, anti-clockwise (eg from George to Evie).

I would like you to create a new artwork (iv) in response to their artwork by Thursday 11th June. Please pass this on to the next artist in a clockwise manner as per the instructions on the same day. Optional abstract feedback may be fed back 4 degrees of separation, anti-clockwise (eg from Gen to George).


 * Feedback may be delivered by e-mail, phone, Zoom, postcard or similar.

I believe then that the circle will be complete. You should all have made artworks (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv). Please contradict me if this is not so.

BONUS STAGE. You could always finish by making another artwork (v) which will in effect be abstractly (by 5 degrees of separation) based on your own touchstones - in response the (iv) artwork made the person before you in the clockwise circle. If you choose to take this extra step, I would like you to complete this by Thursday 18th June.

Then on the solstice we shall rejoice.

I wish you luck, and I am here should you require clarification or inspiration.

D.S. RUSSELL