Pearly whites wanted
Although still in the early pre-production stages I’m delighted to tell you about my involvement as project producer in helping realise artist Gina Czarnecki’s wildly imaginative sculptural work, PALACES. Gina's current body of work revolves around stem cell research, informed consent and bio-engineering, with a retrospective exhibition of existing and new work scheduled for December 2011 at Bluecoat in Liverpool.
PALACES will be a sculpture some 2 metres high and 2 metres wide, consisting of stalagmite-like towers formed of clear cystal resin. Grouped to form a fairytale palace (more in the Jim Henson mould than Disney) and embedded with UV particles, it will be clad in an ivy-trace of barnacle clusters formed of up to 12,000 children’s milk teeth, purposely donated on the back of an international campaign.
Milk teeth are a means of extracting adult stem cells (not necessarily stem cells from an adult, but cells whose future role is limited to specific outcome/s due to their progressed stage of development), unlike embryonic stem cells, which can become any cell type. I’ll be posting more about this project, but the thinking behind it includes debate upon regeneration, how wealth will affect future health care, informed consent and ownership of our own genetic make-up.
But at heart, it’s quite simply a wondrous and beautiful sculpture that will enable mass public participation, with a UK tour already in the planning stages. Endorsed and supported by The Science Museum, Imperial College London, Welcome Trust and Medicine for Children Research Network. If you’ve got any milk teeth saved from your own childhood, or know of any young’uns with wobbly pegs, I’ll be announcing information on where to send these totemic human gem stones soon.
Oh, and before you ask, the tooth fairy remains fully consulted at every stage and is looking forward to moving into her Grand Design-styled new pad. Tokens for tooth exchange can be downloaded and slipped under the pillow so that she's aware of who is contributing to her fantastical abode (so she can advance the expected reward), while special treats await those who follow the project through development, childerlings and grown-olds alike. Let's get the word out - the Palace needs YOU!
TPYN theatre shots 1 of 3
Charlotte Gould & Hannah Gibson
Charlotte Gould & Hannah Gibson
Laura Barnard
Laura Barnard
TPYN opening night
Image: Paul Greenwood
Some shots of the opening night preview of The People You're Not, which had life mirroring art (at least, the binge-drinking element of our collaborative piece) by breaking venue records for the most bottles of wine consumed at a single gallery opening. Should we be proud? I'll go with yes. Clearly, the lure of free alcohol is magnified in Austerity Britain (TM pending) on a Friday night in January. Like King Canute attempting to hold back the sea, we were deluged. The evening included a live performance from reclusive balladeer and international rock-god Norman Clayture, supported (some might say upstaged), by Imogen Powder on backing vocals and Les Merde on keyboard. Packed? You couldn't run a credit card between butt cheeks, so tightly clenched was the crowd.
Image: Paul Greenwood / left to right: Bren O'Callaghan, Gemma Parker, Hannah Gibson, Laura Barnard, John Powell-Jones, David Bailey.
Image: Paul Greenwood
Image: Paul Greenwood
Image: Paul Greenwood / Norman Clayture
Image: Paul Greenwood / Imogen Powder and Les Merde
Image: Paul Greenwood / Norman Clayture
Image: Paul Greenwood
Image: Paul Greenwood / Les Merde
TPYN animated trailer
The People You're Not - at Cornerhouse from Cornerhouse on Vimeo.
Fab animated trailer from the excellent folk at Design By Day for my group show opening next week. Feeling the pressure when the marketing is as good as this! I'll be giving an interview before it opens alongside Harry Hill with Kirsty Laing on BBC Radio 4's Front Row arts and culture programme. I'd better keep a dictionary handy and some big words, just in case I should dry up. Zeitgeist! Sequential! Baudelaire!