EjectorSeat Festival: Art Asia, Obsidian AIC etc

In Indian cultures, all guests and visitors occupy a very special place and a Rangoli (beautiful, elaborate patterns drawn out on the ground; 'rang' meaning 'color' and 'aavalli' meaning colored creepers' or 'row of colors'), is an expression of this warm hospitality. Art Asia and local artists created Rangoli patterns out of unusual materials at Ejector Seat. The Rangoli created at Ejector Seat will help to inform a Giant Rangoli that Art Asia will be creating in the Guildhall Square on June 11th.

Marc Jaytin & Jade Xuereb from Southampton based photographic arts company, Obsidian-AIC, were at the Arts Festival and were allowing you a unique opportunity to become part of their ongoing CONception project 2011. Just get in touch with them through the website - www.obsidian-aic.com

 The Bandstand - Headliners were Peter and Kerry

The SoCo stage where bands engaged in exciting collaborations, fusions of sound and create something unique and not to be missed. With the assistance of local musicians and orchestras, it was something not to be ignored.

Childrens activity, fairy wing making with Jacqueline Rolls

EjectorSeat Festival: The Monarch Colony

My own personal project at the EjectorSeat Festival was a reenactment of the Monarch butterfly and their habit of migration and hibernation. A natural phenomenon that captivated me as soon as I saw on it 'Life' by David Attenborough, when combined with the white butterflies I've used in my work before it resulted in this Monarch Colony. Eventhough the outline of a Monarch butterfly isn't complex, the cutting was a long process but thanks to help from Nikki, Georgie, Lewis, Katie and Daniel, all 570(ish) butterflies were cut, taped and ready for the tree. The tree itself had been picked in advance and at around 7am on the day of the festival I began to cover the trunk and though there were preliminary issues with the butterflies staying to the tree, all was sorted and ready by 12! I was extremely happy to see the way the public interacted with the tree and how they would stick the butterflies back on, a few people even wrote messages on them which was also nice! In a way these paper butterflies migrated, albeit very slowly, from the trunk to the pine needle-like leaves as whenever ones dropped they were placed further from the centre and some only hanging loosely to give the appearance of flapping in the wind. It was lovely to have my family and friends visit the park too 

EjectorSeat Festival: unit11studios

An artist collective based in Southampton named unit11studios arranged an installation where a circle of rhododendron plants were 'filled with over 300 handwritten thoughts - a mixture of wishes, secrets, profundities and banalities - they were moving and hilarious and we greatly look forward to stitching them all together to give a picture of southampton at its sunniest. thanks to all who participated.' As written by Sarah Filmer of unit11studios. Steve White, another member, carried out live painting throughout the day and associated artist Chris Sav performed his one man cafe of disappointment. I'm definitely glad they were able to get involved as their message tree seemed incredibly popular!  Click on the panorama for a larger version.

EjectorSeat Festival: Simon Abbott and Hannah Simpson

Simon Abbott is an illustrator currently based in the sleepy village of Harrold, Bedfordshire. He makes artwork fairly sporadically based on the way he is feeling that particular day, the story he is reading, the music he is listening to or the particular form of popular culture that has attracted him in that moment. Needless to say he tends to flit from idea to idea, yet incorporates a sense of pattern, emotion and mystery throughout. Simon is fond of working with print, sculpture, pencil, pen, paint, and generally any other device he can get his hands on. At the festival he had around 15 rather small birdhouses (12x9 cm to be exact) that were illustrated onto and hung from a big tree.

Hannah Simpson is an illustrator and printmaker. In her spare time she reads comics and makes extravagant paper hats. She is fascinated by epics and mass imagery, and uses traditional printmaking and paper craft to explore these subjects. She makes big pictures with lots in them to explore. At the festival she completed the foolhardy task of illustrating the whole of Homer's Odyssey in one day - and on one piece of paper.

Info taken from
http://www.ejectorseat.co.uk/

EjectorSeat Festival: Arts & Crafts Market and Workshop Tent

After months of preparation and planning it finally arrived as this weekend Palmerston Park was once again flooded with the arts for the second EjectorSeat Festival. I acted as the site artist liaison officer so was there almost all day, taking several hundreds of photos a selection of which I am about to post now.

Our Arts Market was filled with the best in local culture, from fanzines, to hand-made crafts, and holding free Workshops for everyone to get involved.

Illustrator and friend Katie Allen stayed at my flat in Southampton friday night, with her fiancé Dan, to sell prints, zines, collage kits etc. Check her website or folksy shop for more details!

Claire Evans from Fabricland sold a variety of animal print or other patterned bags, cushions etc.

 

Red Hot Press returned to the Ejector Seat Festival with a hands on workshop for all ages and abilities in making an ultra long print. They also made a special commemorative poster for the festival which was available to buy on the day.

 More examples of  the variety on sale throughout the day.

Opposite the arts and crafts market was the workshop tent, this hosted a variety of events such as Johnny Toaster's bookbinding workshop, Drinky Doodles, Apples and Snakes poetry workshop and a workshop I planned where volunteers would be made over under a Warhol theme and photographed. The photographer from the City Art Gallery has better photos I'm sure but here are a couple of mine. 

Clothes and props supplied by Hepwrights Original Vintage, Beatnik Emporium and Southampton City Art Gallery.

Southampton Solent Illustration students set up a stall to help fund their degree shows.

Drinky Doodles

All images by KLV