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“A tapestry of new possibilities…” Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy – Reviewed

thedoublenegative — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:14:20 +0000

Kirsty Jukes reviews Legacy, Charmaine Watkiss’ new exhibition at Abbot Hall Gallery, Kendal, and finds a generous, critical, female gaze cast across botanics, history, ritual and mythology…

Legacy, curated by Helen Stalker, is the largest gathering of Charmaine Watkiss’ work in a public gallery space. The exhibition includes new drawings displayed alongside Witness, the artist’s multi-disciplinary installation originally commissioned for Liverpool Biennial (2023). Responding to the city’s maritime past and association with the slave trade, Watkiss saw Witness as an opportunity for healing; and it sits naturally next to her most recent work.

In Abbot Hall’s galleries seven and eight there are 17 artworks in total spanning three tranquil spaces. One grouping is informed by the artist’s extensive look into historic botanical collections, including a fellowship responding to the work of naturalist, physician and slave owner Sir Hans Sloane – founder of the British Museum. A trip to the Lake District in January this year also fed into research for the collection. Each piece includes reference to one or many of the following themes – archives, colonial collecting practices and trade, symbolism, folklore, the Middle Passage, spirituality, Afrofuturism, growing sustenance and the medicinal qualities of native plant-life. Crucially, Watkiss’ wider practice is concerned with the urgent crises of losing biodiversity and cultural diversity whilst emphasising the importance of both to our collective survival.

“Watkiss’ global appeal continues to rise”

Watkiss’ work consists of pencil drawings, watercolour paints and inks punctuated by more unusual media such as gold leaf, clay and coffee. She creates narratives primarily through research connected to African and Caribbean diaspora, which is then mapped onto female figures. She draws herself as a conduit to relay stories which speak about a collective experience; starting with an idea, then allowing intuition and a dialogue with the work to take over. Addressing ritual, tradition, ancestry, mythology and cosmology, since her first gallery solo show (The Seed Keepers in 2021 with Tiwani Contemporary), she has investigated the herbal healing traditions of Caribbean women, especially those of her mother’s generation. Watkiss connects those traditions through colonisation back to their roots in Africa. Her first institutional solo show took place at Leeds Art Gallery, and since she has work acquired by The British Museum, The Government Art Collection and Abbot Hall Gallery. Fresh from having her work on display at the 60th Venice Biennale, and currently part of two other concurrent exhibitions, Watkiss’ global appeal continues to rise.

Watkiss and her contemporaries, Lubaina Himid, Alisha Wormsley, Alberta Whittle and others, explore concepts such as the Black Atlantic and Afrofuturism as ways to renegotiate a way through the long shadow of slavery. The Black Atlantic, an idea inspired by sociologist Paul Gilroy’s seminal book, The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness (1993), proposes that we critique modernity through a transnational and intercultural lens. Allowing for a visualisation of Black expressive cultures as ‘countercultures of modernity’ and ‘grounded aesthetics’ which carry ‘residual traces’ of racial terror, it also produces a distinct, critical and potentially emancipatory positionality from which to interact with the modern world.

“Warrior Women are elevated to positions of powerful reverence”

In Watkiss’ work, her Warrior Women are elevated to positions of powerful reverence. Living totems burdened with a history that hangs heavy around them but perhaps not forever bound by it. Through Afrofuturism, artists of many interconnected and distinct disciplines have explored and continue to explore a vision of an equitable future that imagines spaces where people are able to thrive. The intersection of faith, knowledge and hope bound up in Afrofuturist narratives can also be applied to Watkiss’ figures, who sit throughout Legacy like family portraits, high priestesses of their traditions who are projected into the future in both attitudes and dress.

The new work addresses these concepts successfully, referencing that which is ancient as well as existences yet to be, creating a natural pause in front of each work, giving the viewer an opportunity to unpick prior narratives and to consider a future that holds space for Black expression and joy. Their intricate beauty becomes a tapestry of new possibilities.

There is something so intimate and generous in creating art about healing, and offering a glimpse into ancestral practices, that it is hard not to feel held while looking at these works. The sharing of histories changes them from purely aesthetic into an empowering tool. Reasons why this work could solely be focused on trauma are legion, but for Watkiss, it seems it is the growth that results from events and social constructs out of her control that need focus. Her Warrior Women are fully formed, bearing their wisdom, histories and their personalities through an intertwining of people and nature. These are ancestors and portraits both which are used as conduits to create a family of empowered figures. I imagine her being surrounded by their protection in her studio.

“Knowledge is passed down generationally in exchanges of love and care”

This brings to mind the words of Pelumi Odubanjo who, in a 2020 podcast on healing, said: “For me as a Black woman, artist, and curator, one of the biggest ways I can look after myself was by surrounding myself with positive visions of people that look like me and my community, both past and present.” Mixing African-derived mythology such as that found in stories of Babalú-Ayé and Obeah traditions with women as healers in indigenous knowledge systems, Watkiss reminds her audience of the potentials of Blackness when respected and thriving.

In tight focus is Watkiss’ idea that plants, just like humans, have different stages of spiritual development. In Legacy, this motif is expanded by adding to her botanical collection an aromatic spice historically known as negro pepper, as well as indigo dye, oil palm tree, cotton and tobacco plants. Some of these reference the industry of the North of England and how wealth was stockpiled during the Industrial Revolution and after, as resources of colonised nations were mercilessly exploited. Each embodiment is adorned in symbolism that gives the viewer more information about Watkiss’ train of thought.

By evoking moon rituals and characters from ancient mythology, these women are sacred, timeless, life-giving. All of the plants in her 2024 works have links to healing. The use of plant-life to signify both the vital nature of growing from the Earth and community practices is an opportune angle from which to approach the work of undoing the harm caused by an empire-led interest in specimens of the so-called Other. The medicine and sustenance derived from the qualities of aloe, cerasee, mahoe, lacebark, yam, callaloo, wawa tree, charcoal and kaolin clay is kept safe by the women who represent them, who then pass each piece of knowledge down generationally in exchanges of love and care.

“Legacy is in direct opposition to the fast-turning wheels of capitalism and the intentional destruction of community ideals”

There is something regal about the women in these images, which resemble an entire history of court portraiture that came before them. Traditionally this type of work would be painted from a side-on perspective with emphasis on dress and often concerned with stature and public reception. Unlike their forebears, Watkiss’ figures have no interest in connecting with the eyes of their viewer or their opinion of them; they have other concerns. Their gaze seems distant, they are deep in thought, perhaps connecting with a higher calling. Groupings of figures (as in Returning the Sacred Almanack and The Knowledge Pool for example) are casual and familiar, the women are relaxed in each other’s company and unconcerned with appearing to be formal. This is not at all like the traditions of white society portraiture hanging in many national galleries and suggests an intentional rewriting of genre. They feel real and full of personality; the denial of the gaze is just one way in which they value their own space more than the attention of any viewer. Narratives, as with Watkiss’ use of pencil and watercolour, are intentionally and delicately layered.

As she has said: “What I seek to extract through my narratives is stories of empowerment because when I read accounts I think, what is it about the human spirit that can survive such difficulty? So, the women I depict are very much empowered figures, it’s that resilience and strength I really want to draw on.”

There is much to see here and much to unpick. Watkiss’ work may never be done, but that is what is so exciting about this path she has embarked upon and continues to tread. This effort to inform through her art and, by doing so, chipping away at the blanket silences of large institutions still struggling to decolonise by repatriation of stolen property. To draw our attention to a different way of living, one that is slower and more deliberate. Legacy is in direct opposition to the fast-turning wheels of capitalism and the intentional destruction of community ideals, true history and ideas of belonging by right wing rhetoric. Bringing the many and disparate strands together in her work is an education we should all be grateful for.

Kirsty Jukes

Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy continues at Lakeland Arts’ Abbot Hall Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria, until 28 December 2024. Tickets from £6-12

Images: Returning the Sacred Almanack, 2024; The Warriors Way, Recalling the Lost Legacies, 2022; The Seed Sowers Almanack, 2022. Feature image: Safeguarding the Sacred Boundary of the Bountiful, detail, 2024. All © Charmaine Watkiss

See more from the artist on her website charmainewatkiss.com

Liverpool Sculpture Walk! Sunday 27 November 2022 (Sold Out)

thedoublenegative — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 10:57:56 +0000

Liverpool Sculpture Walk
13.30-15.30 GMT (2 hours) Sunday 27 November 2022
Location: Liverpool City Centre
Language: English
Cost: ‘Pay what you can’ tickets (£25, £10, £5 options) via PayPal (secure, immediate, see below). £25 ticket includes a signed copy of our book, Present Tense, plus a much coveted The Double Negative tote bag!
Booking essential

The walk: details

‘Perhaps public artworks are created knowing they will be relinquished to external forces: to the elements, to politics, and their publics…’

Join us for a relaxed, autumnal walk around Liverpool city centre’s key and most controversial public artworks.

This special sculpture walk is inspired by an essay in our book, Present Tense (available to buy here), entitled ‘Finding Richard and Barbara: A Sculpture Walk’ by writer and The Double Negative Fellow Denise Courcoux. We’ll visit several important, city centre artworks, including Barbara Hepworth’s Square with Two Circles (1964), chatting along the way. Hosted by The Double Negative co-founders, Mike Pinnington and Laura Robertson, plus special guest Denise Courcoux, we’ll be your tour guides for the afternoon: pointing out and discussing the very best public artwork that Liverpool has to offer.

We’ll ask: why is public art typically met with either immediate affection or outraged horror? What effect does this type of civic sculpture have on us, the passersby, everyday, or as a one-off surprise? How do these acclaimed and key artworks evolve after years of weathering, urban renewal and fashion?

Our walk will conclude at one of Liverpool’s historic (best?) pubs, the Grade II-listed Baltic Fleet, so we can unwind over an ale (or three) by the log-burning stove!

How must does this tour cost?

We want as many people to enjoy this walk as possible, so, please ‘pay what you can’. Book via PayPal ticket options (secure, immediate), below. All proceeds go straight into our official Donations Pot: keeping The Double Negative, and independent arts journalism in Liverpool, going and growing. Donations of £25 include a ticket to the walk, a signed copy of Present Tense (a collection of essays by some of the UK’s most exciting writers, commenting on tensions in the fields of art and culture), and an exclusive, posh, The Double Negative tote bag! You’ll be the envy of all your friends.

Who is this tour for?

All routes and venues fully accessible
Group bookings welcome
Dogs welcome
No additional costs on this walk (e.g. no entrance fees)
Wear comfy shoes and warm clothes!
Weather forecast is cloudy and chilly: do bring a brolly, just in case!

Where?

Meeting at Mitzi Cunliffe, The Quickening (1951) Randall Building, University of Liverpool
Ending at Liverpool Mountain, Ugo Rondinone, Tate Liverpool, Royal Albert Dock, L3 4BB

More about us:

The Double Negative magazine is Liverpool’s premier, dedicated indie arts magazine, trusted by art lovers to deliver top-notch criticism and cultural commentary since 2011. Co-founded by writers and art critics Mike Pinnington and Laura Robertson in a post-European Capital of Culture Liverpool, we’ve since grown our ranks to more than 500 contributors based all over the UK and across the world. Our writers freelance for the world’s top arts and culture publications — including BBC Radio 4 Front Row, ArtReview, Frieze, Art Monthly, Elephant, Hyperallergic, The Art Newspaper, a-n, Art Quarterly, the Guardian, Tate Online and more.

The Double Negative tells the stories that matter most to our readers: what’s happening behind the scenes, who’s making the wildest, ambitious projects in the most interesting, unexpected places. As editors and commissioners, we have a particular investment in encouraging and developing the next generation of art writers. We believe it is incredibly important to offer platforms for fearless, well-researched and balanced criticism, which represents a wide range of voices, subjects and stories. We love discussion, debate and peeking behind the scenes!

Looking forward to seeing you!

BOOKINGS NOW CLOSED.

Photos from our 2019 Liverpool Sculpture Walk:

FAQs: please note, these tickets are non-refundable. If you are unable to join us, or wish to change the name on the tickets, please let us know asap. You will receive an acknowledgment of purchase and, nearer to the time, an email with meeting spot details. Any queries? Email Laura Robertson laura[at]@thedoublenegative.co.uk and I’ll be happy to help!

Culture Diary w/c 28-10-2019

thedoublenegative — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:16:23 +0000

Our pick of this week’s arts, design, film and music events from around the North of England and the rest of the UK – and loads of it’s free!

Monday – The Shining 8.30pm @ FACT Liverpool – £7.70

Halloween must be around the corner (or, perhaps more accurately, lurking behind the door with an axe), because “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” Spawning myriad references, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between Simpsons Treehouse of Horror pastiche and Kubrick’s (highly successful) dalliance with the genre. Adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name (and that’s where key similarities end, says King) it stars Jack Nicholson (on fine form) as a recovering alcoholic father who goes mad from cabin fever in a remote haunted hotel. With Shelley Duvall as his terrorised wife (who reportedly almost quit the production) and Danny Lloyd as his psychic son amply supporting.

Tuesday – Back to Black: Black Radicalism with Kehinde Andrews 6pm @ Waterstones Liverpool One – £2.50/£3.50

Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University and author of Back to Black: Retelling Black Radicalism for the 21st Century, join Kehinde Andrews this evening for this in-conversation with Madeline Henighan, director of Writing On The Wall. Tracing black resistance to slavery and colonialism and discussing figures such as Marcus Garvey, Angela Davis, the Black Panthers and the Black Lives Matter activists of today, Andrews’ book is an urgent and crucial insight into society’s problem with race and racism.

Wednesday – Book Launch: Present Tense 6.30pm @ Tate Liverpool – £2

Join us for the official launch of Present Tense: A decade since Liverpool EU Capital of Culture… What now? Hear from us, the book’s editors, Laura Robertson and Mike Pinnington, and two of our superb authors, Jacob Bolton and Stephanie Bailey. Enjoy an evening of live readings, drinks and conversation about a decade of change to Liverpool’s cultural landscape. Through eight new essays on the city’s past, present and future, Present Tense (available on the night if you want to get your hands on a crisp new copy) features daring new voices in art criticism, alongside acclaimed writers from some of our favourite (and the world’s biggest) art publications. Join us in the pub afterwards if you fancy.

Exhibition Opening: David Ogle: A Horizon Collapsed 6pm @ Standpoint Gallery, London – FREE

We’re big fans of Liverpool-based artist David Ogle, last seen in an exhibition of works responding to the landscape, elements and environment around the Sefton coastline. Here, in new works, Ogle combines sculpture, video, photography and drawing, developing the theme: “I am fascinated by the ways in which natural landscapes can evolve and change each time you visit them” he has said. “The work in this exhibition seeks to question our fundamental attachment to these places and the constituent elements that bring meaning and resonance to confronting them.”

Thursday – Exhibition Opening: Joana de Oliveira Guerreiro 6pm @ OUTPUT gallery, Liverpool – FREE

An exhibition which is the very definition of timely (given it opens on the date that Boris Johnson erroneously assured his cronies he would deliver the UK from Europe). Joana de Oliveira Guerreiro’s paintings and animations deal with Brexit, its ironies, absurdities and peculiarities. Conceived and produced during a residency in Valladolid, Spain – supported by CreArt: a creative network of European cities, of which Liverpool is part – de Oliveira Guerreiro (previously a military strategist for NATO in Brussels no less) will no doubt bring to bear her experiences and relative distance to the gift that refuses to keep on giving. Expect much snark and side eye from OUTPUT’s final show of 2019.

Exhibition Opening & Afterparty: you feel me_ 6pm @ FACT Liverpool – FREE

Liverpool’s FACT concludes a year of female-led programming with you feel me_, a show that ‘invites you into a world free from division and bias, imagined by artists’. From VR experience to space-set neon-lit restaurant, the exhibition includes Rebecca Allen, Anna Bunting-Branch, Megan Broadmeadow, Phoebe Collings-James, Brandon Covington Sam-Sumana, Aliyah Hussain and Salma Noor, comprising ‘a collection of immersive artworks about power that create a space for healing’.

Friday – Exhibition Opening: Sof’ya Shpurova ‘Low Human Activity’ @ the Holden Gallery, Manchester – FREE

A touch surreal and full of rich narrative implications derived from mysticism, poetry, religious iconography and family history, Russian artist Sof’ya Shpurova’s paintings (above) are on display at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Holden Gallery from this week. Discussing the work in this, her first solo exhibition, in a recent interview, Shpurova said: “there is a consistent theme of ‘hiding’, possibly because I’ve been so scared recently. I guess there has been a conflict in conceiving a project of this nature, a large solo exhibition where there is nowhere for me to hide”.

Saturday – Exhibition Opening: Fanspeak @ Castlefield Gallery, Manchester – FREE

As the blurb for this new exhibition points out, Fan Speak might be defined as ‘[the] slang or jargon present in fandom, particularly the acronyms, in-jokes and obscure terms used among readers and writers of science fiction fanzines’. Taking this as their departure point, eight artists (alongside Salford Zine Library) respond with sculpture, painting and video to interrogate pop culture references and, dare we say it, obsession. Selected by Nottingham Contemporary’s Sam Thorne and curated by Manchester-based Shy Bairns collective, look out for works by Kurdwin Ayub, Lydia Blakeley, Maya Ben David, Graham Dolphin, Ashley Holmes, Owen G Parry, Beth Emily Richards, Rosa-Johan Uddoh.

Sunday – ROOT-ed zine Issue 9 Launch 1pm @ the Bluecoat, Liverpool

Founded in 2018 by artists Amber Akaunu and Fauziya Johnson, ROOT-ed Zine responds to ‘a lack of representation in university, media, galleries and museums’. Relevant as ever, the duo’s latest issue – which focuses on Black History Month, LGBTQIA+ concerns and mental health – explores how three of the biggest challenges of our times interlink and overlap in contemporary society.

Mike Pinnington

Images from top: The Shining; Present Tense; Sof’ya Shpurova: The clay veined girl holds trem-bling skin. (me as a retort); ROOT-ed Zine

You’re Invited! Present Tense Book Launch: 30 October 2019 (Book Now)

thedoublenegative — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 11:58:37 +0000

We’re having a book party and you’re invited!

* WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2019 AT 18.30–19.30, TATE LIVERPOOL, ALBERT DOCK, L3 4BB

* WELCOME AND THANK YOU TO ALL KICKSTARTER PATRONS WHO BOUGHT EARLY BIRD TICKETS: JOIN US FOR VIP DRINKS AND TO COLLECT YOUR BOOK!

* NO TICKET? DON’T DESPAIR! £2 TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE, ALL VERY WELCOME

* POSH TEA! BEER! READINGS! LIVELY CHAT! BOOKS ON SALE!

Join us for the official launch of Present Tense: A decade since Liverpool EU Capital of Culture… What now?

Hear from us, the book’s editors, Laura Robertson and Mike Pinnington, and two of the superb authors, Jacob Bolton and Stephanie Bailey. Enjoy an evening of live readings, drinks and conversation about a decade of change to Liverpool’s cultural landscape.

Through eight new essays on the city’s past, present and future from indie publisher The Double Negative, Present Tense features daring new voices in art criticism from the North-West, alongside acclaimed writers from the world’s biggest art magazines.

Talking about artists, collectives and venues including Tate Liverpool, FACT, Barbara Hepworth, Homotopia, The Kazimier, ROOT-ed zine, and more.

That ticket booking link again, taking you directly to Tate Liverpool website Can’t attend this time? Limited edition copies available to purchase through our online shop now.

Read more about the book, and the authors’ journey through The Double Negative Fellowship.

Present Tense (2019) // Paperback // £14.99

thedoublenegative — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 16:35:52 +0000

Present Tense

A decade since Liverpool EU Capital of Culture… What now?

Edited by Laura Robertson and Mike Pinnington

ISBN 978-1-5272-4281-4

Published August 2019. Very limited edition run of 250 copies. Paperback, 96 pages, undersize A5, matt finish

Price: £14.99. We’ll deliver to anywhere in the world.

Eight new essays on the city’s past, present and future from indie publisher The Double Negative – featuring daring new voices from the North-West, alongside acclaimed writers from the world’s biggest art magazines.

Talking about artists, collectives and venues including The Bluecoat, Between the Borders, Mohammad Bourouissa, Camp and Furnace, Banu Cennetoğlu, FACT, Barbara Hepworth, Homotopia, The Kazimier, Liverpool Biennial, Manifesta Biennial, MODEL Liverpool, OUTPUT Gallery, Queen of The Track, ROOT-ed, The Royal Standard, Tate and Tate Collective, Wu Tsang, John Walter and Richard Wilson.

Featuring new writing from Stephanie Bailey, Oliver Basciano, Jacob Bolton, Denise Courcoux, Mike Pinnington, Laura Robertson, Ellen Mara De Wachter and Eleanor Wiseman – produced under The Double Negative Fellowship 2018-19.

“The book contains writing that is upbeat, realistic, and honest about processes that bring positive and negative outcomes, provide opportunities but create divisions, and involve forces we should be wary of. This is like a beacon for those of us facing similar confusion and contradiction.” – Jill Howitt, editorial, The Critical Fish (Issue 2, November 2019)

“Can’t put it down or recommend it enough to anyone involved in the arts, especially NW… An emotive & informative little book cleverly composed by a diverse selection of contributors. I can’t imagine anywhere has my heart as an artist more than Liverpool.” – Jayne Simpson, artist and lecturer

“Present Tense – the title says it all. For anyone interested in the City of Culture phenomenon this publication is an essential read. It is the grass-root artist and curator speaking about their roles and experiences before, during and after Liverpool’s 2008 tenure as European Capital of Culture.” – Paul Collinson, artist

“Anyone who wants to know about the central role of art and culture in the fraught era of regeneration needs to read this astute, timely, entertaining publication. The Double Negative’s collection of lively essays give you vital insight into what’s changed and is still changing in Liverpool. And it all chimes in with what’s going on in many another post-industrial British cities.” – Bob Dickinson, freelance writer and radio producer (BBC)

“For a city famous for punching above its weight, a book with a reach far beyond its 100 pages: Present Tense is a purposeful collection of voices that care…. about Liverpool, about art, and about cities of culture everywhere.” – Mark Sheerin, writer (Hyperallergic, The Arts Desk). Full review on Mark’s blog here

“This book is really very good! I love how it looks as well as the thoughtfulness of what it says. I’ve been telling everyone about it and I hope it gets a lot of recognition. It’s an unusually successful combination of art theory and deep rootedness in place, community and history.” – Dr Diana Jeater, Senior Lecturer in African History, University of Liverpool

Scroll down for a preview of the stories.

Read more about the book, and the authors’ journey through The Double Negative Fellowship.

Buy Present Tense (free delivery to Liverpool addresses):

Buy Present Tense (UK addresses, Signed For 2nd Class delivery, add £3):

Buy Present Tense (international addresses, Signed For 2nd Class delivery, add £9):

You’re Invited! Liverpool Summer Sculpture Walk 28 July 2019

thedoublenegative — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 10:40:18 +0000

*Extra release of limited ‘pay what you can’ tickets available! All welcome! Wear comfy shoes!*

>>PRE-BOOKING ESSENTIAL ON EVENTBRITE, CLICK HERE<<

‘Perhaps public artworks are created knowing they will be relinquished to external forces: to the elements, to politics, and their publics…’

Join us for a relaxed, summer walk around Liverpool city centre’s key and most controversial public artworks, to celebrate the launch of our new book, Present Tense.

Inspired by Denise Courcoux’s Present Tense essay, ‘Finding Richard and Barbara: A Sculpture Walk’, we’ll visit several important, city centre artworks located between (and including) Richard Wilson’s Turning the Place Over (2007) and Barbara Hepworth’s Square with Two Circles (1964).

Hosted by Denise and The Double Negative co-founders, Mike Pinnington and Laura Robertson, we’ll attempt to understand why outdoor art is typically met with either immediate affection or horror; what effect this type of civic sculpture has on passersby; and how these works evolve after years of weathering, urban renewal and fashion.

Our walk will conclude at one of Liverpool’s historic pubs near Moorfields Train Station, so we can reflect on what we’ve seen over a drink or two.

More about our new book:

Summer Sculpture Walk donations of £20+ include a signed copy of Present Tense: a collection of essays by some of the UK’s most exciting writers, commenting on tensions in the fields of art and culture. It takes as a starting point the celebrations in 2018 that marked a decade of Liverpool’s status as European Capital of Culture.

More about us:

The Double Negative magazine was co-founded in a post-Capital of Culture Liverpool, UK, by then culture journalist Mike Pinnington and artist/curator Laura Robertson.

Liverpool, it seemed, had attained a level of creative maturity – across various disciplines – that meant its output deserved increased levels of comment and criticism. Indeed, it needed those things. The Double Negative was a reaction: a means of analysing what we loved (and what we thought could be better) in contemporary arts, design, film and music. We especially wanted to highlight artists, projects and venues that were flying under the radar in Liverpool and more widely across the North of England.

Now, we’ve grown our ranks to more than 500 contributors based all over the UK and across the world, and we write for the world’s top arts and culture publications — including ArtReview, Frieze, Art Monthly, Elephant, Hyperallergic, The Art Newspaper, a-n, Art Quarterly, the Guardian, Tate Online and more.

However, our aim is the same: to tell the stories that matter most to us. We have a particular investment in encouraging and developing the next generation of art writers. We believe it is incredibly important to offer platforms for fearless, well-researched and balanced criticism, which represents a wide range of voices, subjects and stories.

Laura Robertson

>>PRE-BOOKING ESSENTIAL ON EVENTBRITE, CLICK HERE<<

Read more about the book, and the authors’ journey through The Double Negative Fellowship.

Thoughts on The Double Negative Fellowship – Denise Courcoux

thedoublenegative — Fri, 17 May 2019 11:58:09 +0000

“I wanted critical feedback that would challenge me to produce the best writing I can.” Denise Courcoux on her time on The Double Negative’s inaugural Fellowship, how it has affected her writing and raised her sights…

Being selected for The Double Negative’s inaugural Fellowship last summer was hugely exciting for me. I had been writing about art for five years, on and off. I spend a lot of my free time visiting exhibitions. Going away and researching them further, and reflecting on them critically, enriches the whole experience for me. My reviews had previously been published on a few cultural websites; I valued my writing being given a platform, and the thought that it might be useful to or appreciated by readers. Looking back over my application for the Fellowship, I wrote that I was ready to take my writing ‘to the next level’. I definitely wanted to try and professionalise my practice, and broaden the outlets I write for – but most of all, I wanted critical feedback that would challenge me to produce the best writing I can.

The calibre of mentors in the Fellowship was brilliant, and a little daunting: a set of internationally renowned writers for publications like Frieze, ArtReview and Ocula. I was delighted to be paired with writer and curator Ellen Mara De Wachter. We share a background in galleries and museums, and I admire her writing. I’d also quoted her in my dissertation – something I was too shy to mention! We agreed a schedule of monthly catch-ups; ahead of each I would email her some new writing for feedback. Ellen’s comments were always useful and thorough, from the nitty gritty of grammar to the overarching aims of a piece.

“Ellen shared practical advice on things like payment rates and how to pitch to publications”

Receiving regular, detailed feedback was incredibly useful, and something I’d not had before. Ellen pulled no punches in her critiques, but was always constructive and encouraging. Of the many useful tips I received, my main takeaways were to make my descriptions as accurate as possible, and to get to the heart of what is interesting about the subject; why should the reader care? These might sound obvious, but they are difficult to achieve well and take a lot of work – which means editing and re-editing. Ellen encouraged me not to be afraid of putting my feelings into my writing, and we talked about confidence. She also shared practical advice on things like payment rates and how to pitch to publications, as well as offering some wonderful reading recommendations.

Most of our discussions were conducted over the phone, and I looked forward to settling down with a brew and my laptop every month to talk writing. We also had an introductory meeting in Liverpool with TDN’s founders, Laura and Mike, and I paid a return visit to Ellen in London last September. We spent a great afternoon gallery-hopping in East London, including viewing the stunning Earwitness Theatre at Chisenhale Gallery, for which Lawrence Abu Hamdan has recently been nominated for the Turner Prize. Our monthly conversations meant I kept producing new writing, something I’d often found difficult to balance alongside a full-time job. During the Fellowship I wrote three exhibition reviews, edited an existing article on social class in the arts, and experimented with some creative memoir-style writing.

Most significantly for me, I also produced an essay for Present Tense, the forthcoming book from The Double Negative, featuring new writing by mentors and mentees involved in the Fellowship. We were asked to reflect on Liverpool a decade on from its year as European Capital of Culture; I chose to examine two of the city’s public artworks, by Barbara Hepworth and Richard Wilson. I loved the process of researching the piece and writing to a brief, and having critical feedback from both Ellen and TDN helped me to hone a piece of writing that I’m really proud of. Having my work published in a physical book will be an amazing outcome, and the designs I’ve seen look fantastic. A Kickstarter was launched to support the production costs, and I was overwhelmed by the support shown to the project, especially by other emerging writers.

“It really helped demystify the world of art publications and what they are looking for”

Each of the writers who applied to the Fellowship also had the opportunity to attend a writing ‘boot camp’ with Jennifer Higgie, Editorial Director of Frieze. This was an inspiring and focused day on the technicalities of writing about art, and professional tips which really helped demystify the world of art publications and what they are looking for. The Fellowship exceeded my expectations in offering an array of unique and valuable opportunities to progress my writing. If I could change anything, I would have liked to have met up with the other Fellows [Ellie Wiseman and Jacob Bolton, pictured with Denise, above] more to share our experiences – it was great to see their new writing appearing throughout the process.

Since completing the Fellowship in January, I have already had a couple of paid writing commissions. I have written about Liverpool Biennial’s touring programme, and I was approached by artist Rebecca Chesney to report on an event about art and class, a great opportunity to delve further into an issue that is important to me. I have also made my first pitches to a national print publication – something I wouldn’t have dreamt of doing before starting the programme. I am determined to keep up the momentum I have gained from the Fellowship and, above all, keep writing.

Denise Courcoux

Denise’s essay, Finding Richard and Barbara: A Sculpture Walk, features in Present Tense, a forthcoming book from The Double Negative

Main image: The Double Negative Fellows 2018/19 (l-r: Ellie Wiseman, Jacob Bolton, Denise Courcoux)

Read more about the book, and the authors’ journey through The Double Negative Fellowship.

NOW LIVE! Preorder Your Copy of Our New Book, Present Tense

thedoublenegative — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 11:16:20 +0000

A decade since Liverpool European Capital of Culture… What now? Present Tense: a book of new essays from some of the UK’s most exciting writers. Available to preorder now on Kickstarter!

What is the Present Tense book about?

Present Tense is a collection of essays by some of the UK’s most exciting writers, commenting on tensions in the fields of art and culture. It takes as a starting point the celebrations in 2018 that marked a decade of Liverpool’s status as European Capital of Culture. We asked six writers to reflect on the ten years, while not being tied to the past.

Present Tense asks:

What do we define as the culture around us? Who are the stakeholders? Who chooses?
What does it mean when an artwork is repeatedly and violently destroyed, especially if that artwork is about the global refugee crisis?
How does a city like Liverpool understand, and make peace with, a European Capital of Culture award during Brexit negotiations?
What becomes of ambitious outdoor sculpture that, years after being commissioned, is unloved and neglected?
What are the consequences of a cultural award on individuals: the people that imagine, make and deliver that ‘culture’?

These essays have something to say about now and the future, while not forgetting what has come before, and what can be learned. This is Present Tense, a book from The Double Negative, and we’d love you to support it.

Featuring new writing from Stephanie Bailey, Oliver Basciano, Jacob Bolton, Denise Courcoux, Mike Pinnington, Laura Robertson, Ellen Mara De Wachter and Eleanor Wiseman – produced under The Double Negative Fellowship 2018-19.

Talking about artists, collectives and venues including The Bluecoat, Between the Borders, Mohammad Bourouissa, Camp and Furnace, Banu Cennetoğlu, FACT, Barbara Hepworth, Homotopia, The Kazimier, Liverpool Biennial, Manifesta Biennial, MODEL Liverpool, OUTPUT Gallery, Queen of The Track, ROOT-ed, The Royal Standard, Tate and Tate Collective, Wu Tsang, John Walter and Richard Wilson.

Wu Tsang, Under Cinema (2017). Installation view: Under Cinema at FACT, UK (26.10.2017 – 18.02.2018). Courtesy of the Artist and Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi, Berlin. Photo: Jon Barraclough

John Walter’s Alien Sex Club, exhibited at Camp and Furnace, Liverpool. Photo by Robert Battersby

We mainly publish online… So why do we care about printing a book?

Printing books can be expensive. But as a predominantly online magazine, it’s really important to us that we:

Get new writing into new hands
Complement what we already publish online with high quality print
Make something tangible that can be read again and again
Give our writers an extra printed outlet for their work that they can share with family, friends, peers and YOU, the reader.

We have already commissioned all of the new writing in Present Tense (thanks Arts Council England!). But instead of simply publishing the texts online at thedoublenegative.co.uk, we would LOVE to print them all in a book – stories you can hold in your hand and keep forever.

Why support Present Tense?

Since the very start, The Double Negative has commissioned, published, edited and shared skills with the next generation of arts writers. Over the past several years, we’ve worked with hundreds of writers across the UK and Europe, publishing them online and in our first book, On Being Curious: New Critical Writing on Contemporary Art From the North-West of England. We give clear and constructive editorial feedback; connect writers with other publications and networks; and provide writing classes and critical writing bursaries. We’re always teaming up with like-minded organisations to make this happen, as the latter two are often only achievable with the financial and logistical help of other partners.

It’s difficult running The Double Negative with only two people at the helm, but we have a lot of friends who believe in what we do and are keen to collaborate! Preordering your copy of Present Tense will help us to continue nurturing new critical voices.

Stephanie Bailey: writer, Present Tense; mentor, The Double Negative Fellowship; Ocula Editor-in-Chief

Why did The Double Negative Fellowship commission the essays?

All the new writing in this new book has been commissioned under The Double Negative Fellowship 2018-19: a mentoring programme for three, Liverpool-based writers. Jacob Bolton, Denise Courcoux and Eleanor Wiseman were encouraged, challenged and championed by mentors at the top of their game – ArtReview International Editor and Turner Prize Juror Oliver Basciano, Ocula Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Bailey, and writer and curator Ellen Mara De Wachter. Our other mentor, Frieze magazine’s Editorial Director Jennifer Higgie, has been giving us gold standard advice from the very start – she even led a writing bootcamp for us and twenty other writers last year!

The Fellowship was only made possible through funding from Arts Council England, alongside financial and in-kind support from CreArt (Network of Cities for Artistic Creation), Culture Liverpool, Contemporary Visual Arts Network North West (CVAN NW), Heart of Glass, History of Art at Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Biennial, and the University of Salford Art Collection.

Aside from being excellent critical and reflective essays on Liverpool’s art scene, they have also served as a part of the mentoring (and learning) process for our mentees; discussed and critiqued by the mentors from initial idea to final draft.

We don’t have production costs covered for a printed book, so that’s why we’re using Kickstarter; to crowdfund Present Tense and make it something that the community has endorsed. We think that new writing deserves to be published – we can all relate to the ideas in this book – so we really would love your help to make Present Tense a reality.

All the new writing in Present Tense has emerged from The Double Negative Fellowship 2018-19

Who are we?

The Double Negative is an online art, design, film and music magazine, established in 2011.

The Double Negative was conceived and co-founded in a post-Capital of Culture Liverpool, UK, by then culture journalist Mike Pinnington and artist/curator Laura Robertson.

Banu Cennetoğlu’s The List. Photo by Mark McNulty for Liverpool Biennial

Banu Cennetoğlu’s The List, photographed two months later. Photo by Laura Robertson

Biographies:

Stephanie Bailey is Ocula Editor-in-Chief, a contributing editor to ART PAPERS and LEAP, and the current curator of Conversations at Art Basel in Hong Kong. A member of the Naked Punch editorial committee and managing editor of Podium, the online journal for M+ Museum in Hong Kong, she also writes regularly for Artforum International, Yishu Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, and D’ivan, A Journal of Accounts. From 2012 to 2017, she was managing editor and senior editor of Ibraaz.

ocula.com

TW: @SBRetweets

Oliver Basciano is a writer and critic based in London. He is International Editor at ArtReview and contributes to the news, arts and obituary desks of the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph. His writing has appeared in the Calvert Journal, Spike Art Quarterly, Building Design, Architects’ Journal, Wallpaper, as well as numerous artist’s monographs, and he has contributed to BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, The Last Word and From Our Own Correspondent. He was a juror for the 2018 Turner Prize.

clippings.me/oliverbasciano

TW: @olibasciano

Jacob Bolton writes, designs, and makes art. His writing has appeared in ArtReview, Eye on Design and Corridor8, and his visual work has been featured in Brighton Photo Fringe. He is especially interested in on- and offline spaces and how they work together, power dynamics on the internet, and urban infrastructure.

TW: @bacobjolton

Denise Courcoux is a writer from Coventry, based in Merseyside, UK. She has been published online by The Double Negative, Corridor8 and The University of Manchester’s Institute for Cultural Practices. Her interests include issues of class and representation, popular culture in visual art and artist-curators. She has an MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies, and won Axisweb’s MA Curated Selection prize in 2014. She has worked in various museums and galleries in the North West.

TW: @denisecourcoux

Mike Pinnington is a writer based in Liverpool and the co-founder and full-time editor of The Double Negative. He has been published most recently by Art Quarterly, Art Review, Ocula and byNWR. From 2013-2018 he held the role of Content Editor at Tate Liverpool, working with the exhibitions and communications teams to deliver interpretation across the galleries, web content, and an in-house zine, Compass.

thedoublenegative.co.uk

TW: @doublenegativeM

Laura Robertson is a writer based in Liverpool and London, and the co-founder and contributing editor at The Double Negative online magazine. She has been published in international magazines Frieze, Elephant, Hyperallergic, Art Monthly, ArtReview and a-n amongst others; is a is currently the critical writer-in-residence at Open Eye Gallery, alongside studying MA Writing at the Royal College of Art (2018-20). She is a former director of The Royal Standard Gallery & Studios.

thedoublenegative.co.uk

TW: @doublenegativeL

Ellen Mara De Wachter is a writer and curator based in London, and has worked at arts organisations including the British Museum, Barbican Art Gallery and Contemporary Art Society. She is a frequent contributor to publications including Frieze magazine, Art Monthly and Art Quarterly as well as exhibition catalogues. Her book Co-Art: Artists on Creative Collaboration, published by Phaidon, explores the phenomenon of collaboration in the visual arts and its potential in society at large. She is an Associate Lecturer in Culture, Criticism and Curating at Central Saint Martins.

ellenmaradewachter.com

TW: @EMDeWachter

Eleanor Wiseman is a freelance writer, zinester, and single mama who relocated to Glasgow in 2019 after five years in Liverpool. She is a History of Art graduate and the creator of Grrrls In Their Underwear Zine. She has particular interests in the intersection of grass-root movements, body politics, and independent publishing. Her reviews have been published in Ocula and The Double Negative, while her poetry has been featured in Little Red Tarot, Fist Zine, as well as her own self-published chapbook.

ellieandart.wordpress.com

TW: @by_eleanorw

What’s our plan and budget?

We need to raise £4730 in order to make the best book that we can! A limited edition book that is well-edited, well-designed, enjoyable to read, and pays everyone involved fairly. We’re very well prepared:

our long-term collaborator and friend, Mike Carney, is the designer of Present Tense. You’ve already witnessed the book’s attitude from his bold visuals, above! Mike has been designing books, brochures, catalogues, newspapers, magazines, identities and logos for over twenty years. He worked with us on The Double Negative’s visual concept, as well as our first in-house book, On Being Curious. He’s amazing.
we (Laura and Mike) have eighteen years experience between us in commissioning and editing writers, and writing articles for national and international magazines (print and online), culture guides, catalogue essays, gallery/museum interpretation and directly for artists. Meeting deadlines and copy editing (to a very high standard) are two of the things we do best.

We’re very confident that we’ll be able to deliver Present Tense if we can crowdfund the following:

Printing costs (x 250 A5 books) = 37%
Design fee = 32%
Copyediting = 21%
Kickstarter and payment fees = 10%
Writers’ fees (got it covered) = 0%.

Any contribution you can make that will help us to reach our target would mean bringing this great collection of writing to life! Your support really is appreciated.

New to Kickstarter? How this all works

Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing. No one will be charged for a pledge towards Present Tense unless it reaches its funding goal. This way, we’ll have the budget scoped out before moving forward. No one will be charged for a pledge unless Present Tense reaches its funding goal in 30 days time. If we don’t reach our goal by the end of the campaign date, you won’t be charged, and Present Tense won’t happen… If we DO reach our goal (like we hope to!), everyone gets their books, rewards and the project comes to life.

Shipping

We are shipping Present Tense worldwide! The Double Negative has international readers – from our core demographic in the British Isles, to LA to Berlin to Sydney – that we know are interested in contemporary art, culture and Liverpool. We don’t want anyone to miss out.

Select your reward option and your location, and Kickstarter will automatically calculate the shipping for you.

We’ve using tried and tested shipping methods (Signed For® 2nd Class, UK, and International Tracked & Signed) to make sure you receive your book securely and on time. Present Tense and special Kickstarter rewards will ship during August 2019.

Risks and challenges

Risks and challenges
We learned a lot from publishing our first in-house book, On Being Curious – in particular, about logistics and distribution. Not to mention that we (Laura and Mike) have have eighteen years experience between us in commissioning and editing writers, and writing articles for national and international magazines (print and online), culture guides, catalogue essays, gallery/museum interpretation and directly for artists. Meeting deadlines and copy editing (to a very high standard) are two of the things we do best. We’re very confident that we’ll be able to overcome any potential problems, and deliver on books and rewards. Your support really is appreciated.

Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ

CLICK HERE TO PREORDER PRESENT TENSE NOW ON KICKSTARTER… And help us to bring our book to life!

Read more about the authors’ journey through The Double Negative Fellowship.

Remembering K-Punk: A Tribute To Mark Fisher

thedoublenegative — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 12:58:47 +0000

When Mark Fisher died in 2017, he left behind him a body of work now widely considered to be required reading. Here, Stephanie Gavan outlines how Fisher “inspired and informed a new generation of thinkers”…

In 2013 I attended a talk at Goldsmiths where I was a studying for my BA. It was a conversation between cultural theorist Mark Fisher and visual artist Laura Oldfield Ford. Fisher, a lecturer based in the Aural and Visual Cultures department, was well known around campus, mainly for his book Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?, which marks its 10th anniversary later this year. Copies of the svelte paperback swapped hands frantically among students. It was constantly referenced and discussed across departments and managed to articulate things that myself and my peers had long sensed to be true. And it did so in a way that we could relate to: through pop culture.

On my way out of the talk that day, Mark noticed I was reading Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing and told me it was a favourite of his, which naturally turbocharged my enthusiasm for it. Recently I found my notebook from that term, and in capital letters I had scrawled a quote from Atwood’s 1972 novel that reads: “If it hurts invent a different pain”. It was as if she was speaking directly to Mark’s theory of capitalist realism; that unbearable but unavoidable state of endurance in the absence of another horizon.

“K-punk gained an audience who felt similarly disenfranchised by the dumbing down of pop culture”

PULP MODERNISM

Mark grew up in the working-class East Midlands, the landscape of which is reflected in the pastoral tone of his work. Here he developed a love for popular culture that would come to span the rest of his life and form the basis for much of his work. He hated school and attributed his later involvement in philosophy to mainstream sources such as the music magazine NME. “It wasn’t only about music and music wasn’t only about music”, he said in a 2010 interview with Agata Pyzik. “It was a medium that made demands on you.” His lead into academia came with an expansive trail of influences not commonly observed within the institution. He was part of unorthodox accelerationist group Cybernetic Culture Research Unit (CCRU) whilst studying for his PhD at Warwick in the late 90s, and from this came K-punk – the first public manifestation of his interdisciplinary tract. A blog that began as a place to test and refine ideas, it gained a cultish notoriety among an audience who felt similarly disenfranchised by the dumbing down of pop culture.

Mark found a natural home in polemic, simultaneously blurring and operating in the spaces between punk and cultural theorist, between fandom and scholarship. Both cultural theorists and punks rejected consumer culture, notes Greil Marcus in his subcultural doorstopper Lipstick Traces, but the difference is that punks do so with joy. Likewise, enthusiasm for his material was obvious: his writing is marked with a sense of urgency – tendrilling across and through a deep web of pop and theory.

Nothing was off-limits, he sang Rihanna’s praises and surprised readers with an unexpected fondness for British singer Dido. Through K-punk he was able to expose how the mechanisms of class and power reveal themselves in pop. What gave him agency to do so was his fandom. There is a specific fervor that can only be claimed by fans, and he weaponised this energy in his writing – his riffing and rambling, his adventurous, idiosyncratic language. Punk was always a refusal to accept things as they are, and K-punk was not only a refusal to the walls and limits of academia but a restless refusal of passivity.

THE VAMPIRE’S CASTLE

Since his premature death in 2017, Goldsmiths has held an annual memorial lecture devoted to Mark’s work and the continuation of his ideas. The second of these events was given by American political theorist Jodi Dean last month. Aptly, yet somewhat bleakly titled Capitalism is the end of the world, she nods toward the Fredric Jameson quote – “it is easier to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism” – often attributed to Mark after having adopted the slogan as the title for the opening chapter of Capitalist Realism.

With more than 1,000 in attendance, this year’s event was a testament to how admired he was. Four additional rooms were filled by the surplus of Fisher’s fan base. Dean’s lecture asked how the left could counteract this apocalyptic state of capitalist realism whilst being simultaneously confined within it. Focusing on his contentious essay Exiting the Vampire Castle, Dean made a case for the figure of the ‘comrade’ as essential to the progress of the left. The essay, written in 2013 for The North Star was divisive and prompted his extended hiatus from social media in its aftermath.

“His warning is clear and more relevant now than ever: divide and be conquered”

In it he voiced concerns that identity essentialism had eclipsed class consciousness raising – that the efforts of neoliberalism had succeeded in shifting the focus from the group to the individual. He points out the very real consequences of online in-fighting for grassroots initiatives noting: “We need to learn, or re-learn, how to build comradeship and solidarity instead of doing capital’s work for it by condemning and abusing each other. This doesn’t mean, of course, that we must always agree – on the contrary, we must create conditions where disagreement can take place without fear of exclusion and excommunication.” His warning is clear and more relevant now than ever: divide and be conquered.

The left’s long infatuation with the ‘com’ prefix has been well documented – ‘communism, community, communication, comradery’ – hallmarks of leftist discourse, and rightly so. To say ‘I am a comrade’ makes little sense – and political work must be genuinely plural for it to ever exceed a self-conscious gesture. In her lecture, Dean reminds us that in comradeship, we gain a commitment to things that we would normally miss, gaining a liberating discipline. When we change our relationship to each other we ourselves become changed – and that inevitably radiates outward. To pry ourselves away from the disorientating focus on the ‘I’ requires faith in the group. Mark pursued that faith not only through his blog but through his other endeavours – his message board Dessensus for example, or his co-founding of Zero books, and later Repeater books.

BAROQUE SUNBURSTS

Mark wrote expansively about the potential of counter-cultural spaces as markers for community. Forms of collective experience that did not necessarily express themselves politically because, as he knew and continually demonstrated, the personal is of course always political. He insisted on the importance of spaces of communal dreaming – the municipal art schools of the 60s and 70s, football matches, raves – the energy of which he once described as a “baroque sunburst”, another tribute to Jameson.

Mark’s insistence on collectivity and inclusion was linguistic, too. He had a superb capability to coin phrases that functioned like memes. Neologisms that managed to encompass broad sets of ideas in a concise snapshot that could be circulated and referenced easily. Whilst Dean rejected the idea of ‘branding’ as being a strategy inherently capitalist, Mark found a way to use the tools of the system against itself. He was simultaneously poetic and economic with his language and understood the importance of style in practice. ‘The slow cancellation of the future’; ‘Reflexive impotence’; ‘Retroparalysis’; ‘Depressive Hedonia‘ – phrases easily circulated and understood.

He invented a glossary of terms that read like album tracks and, as with music, the titles act as catalysts, instantly recognizable. Music functions on a sensual level, or as Mark would say, “libidinal”. Pocket-sized versions of the experience of a song that can be called upon to evoke a mood, tone or memory. One of his favorite songs (Ghosts, by new wave art rockers Japan) inspired the title of his second book, 2014’s Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures. It was here he developed his theory of hauntology, which he later built on in his final book, The Weird and the Eerie.

HAUNTOLOGY

Originally a Derridian term, ‘hauntology’ describes a longing for a future that never arrived. In these essays he spoke candidly about his mental health, and throughout his work was able to contextualize depression as a malady of capitalism. Neoliberalism’s attempt to individualize suffering, he argued, burdens us with responsibility rather than our situations. Dean, too, spoke about the “ravages” and “casualties” of late capitalism. “Everyone bends under the pressure, some of them crack, fatally”, she remarked.

The rise of precarious employment, the loss of class solidarity and unions along with our lack of ability to imagine a different future for ourselves means that depression is, if anything, an appropriate response to ill-fated circumstance.

Mark argued that the crisis of mental health is inherently economic, inseparable from the financial crisis we find ourselves concurrently bound within. It comes as no surprise when Dean states that “the percentage of people in the lowest income bracket experience almost twice as many mental health problems as those with the highest”. He understood our psychic wounds were not just social, but also political and it’s this emotional dimension to his work that sets it aside from his contemporaries. We can find freedom in the analysis of our everyday lives, and this is what Mark found in academia, but as anyone who has ever suffered from depression knows – analysis can only take you so far.

ACID COMMUNISM

Acid Communism would have been the title of his next book, the text he was working on at the time of his death. It is an attempt to find a way outside of capitalist realism and free ourselves from a state of cultural entropy. Using art, music, and dreaming as points from which to begin imagining the outside of our fatal predicament, it has more recently inspired appropriation by the Labour left in the form of Acid Corbynism. In a K-punk post from 2015 he refers to the “Red Plenty” which he defines as our “collective capacity to produce, care, and enjoy”.

The memorial lecture was duly followed by a night organised by students and friends of Mark as a way to think alongside him outside of the classroom. For K-punk, a free event, seeks to engage through music, performance and other modes of togetherness. Yes, as comrades, but also as friends. These experiences of sensuality and collectivity are imperative in moving forward and finding that transformative moment of rupture, that is, the ‘sunburst’ – a flash of light in a landscape on loop.

In November 2018 a volume of his collected and unpublished writings was released by Repeater books. With a forward by Simon Reynolds, K-Punk is comprised of short essays, interviews, blog posts and works in progress written between 2004 and 2016. Few people understood the operations of culture with such perception. Fewer still were committed to compassion with such ferociousness. Mark’s work has changed how I navigate the world. He inspired and informed a new generation of thinkers and has provided a framework from which to move forward. And, like fans do, I feel inexhaustible – always more, and too much to say.

Stephanie Gavan

Yes, Class IS A Big Deal

thedoublenegative — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 12:38:01 +0000

Perma-skint, exhausted, disenfranchised… We need to talk about why working class people aren’t getting ahead in the arts. And as we rarely hear directly from working class people themselves about the obstacles they face, we decided to start asking. Here, Mike Pinnington invites readers to share their experiences of an industry that is a long way from being fair or diverse…

“She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge,

She studied sculpture at Saint Martin’s College,

That’s where I,

Caught her eye.”

– Jarvis Cocker, Common People, 1995

“Common People is not a song about a spoiled condescending female, however vivid the character. The song – part poem, part manifesto – is about Cocker (back then) and people like Cocker (as he had been): the long-term disfranchised and perma-skint, who spend their lives feeling broke, scared and hopeless, without a safety net… Crucially, it’s a story about a penniless working-class student rather than a rich slumming one, and in an increasingly polarised one-note cultural landscape, this sort of distinction seems ever more important.”

– Barbara Ellen, the Guardian, 2015

When we were in the planning stages of the inaugural The Double Negative Fellowship, central to our thinking was eligibility: who should apply and why? Who needs it most? We quickly concluded that a fellowship should benefit those writers who, through no fault of their own, had hit an artificial, metaphorical ceiling in their upward trajectory. In a nutshell, this boiled down to people whose access to key networks was limited – not by their talent, ambition or endeavour, but by their immediate, often geographical, circles. Ideally, the successful candidates also wouldn’t necessarily be able to recognise themselves in the current critical writing landscape. We condensed this further, calling for the discovery of “daring new voices from the North of England”.

“The percentage of people working in music, performing and visual arts with a working-class background is just 18.2%”

This thinking fell in close parallel with, rather than being directly informed by, findings published by Create London and Arts Emergency in their study: Panic! Social Class, Taste and Inequalities in the Creative Industries (full report here). The report looked, in particular, “at the social class background of the workforce, and how this intersects with other issues, including attitudes and values, experience of working for free, social networks, and cultural tastes”. The report found that the percentage of people working in music, performing and visual arts with a working-class background is just 18.2%. Fundamentally, this only confirmed what any of us not granted a silver spoon or golden ticket conferred by privilege already knew: that things would have to change if “the idea of a fair and diverse industry” could take hold and become a reality.

Increasingly, questions of this nature are being posed and explored across the arts spectrum. Back in July 2016, Nikesh Shukla, the editor and author of The Good Immigrant, proposed via Twitter (where else?) that: “Someone should do a Good Immigrant-style state of the nation book of essays by writers from working class backgrounds”. Quick as a flash, Liverpool-based Dead Ink Books replied: “We would publish the crap out of that.” For the indie publisher, this instinctive response was akin to dropping a pebble into a lake, and those resultant ripples continue to be felt as readers discover the watershed collection of essays, Know Your Place.

More recently, writing about what he considers a crisis of the working-classes in the film industry in October’s issue of Sight & Sound, Danny Leigh speaks of our living in “a moment of gross inequality”, and asks the question: “What happens to working class talent in British cinema?” The answer, it’s safe to assume, makes for difficult reading.

“The problems outlined in the Panic!… study are deeply felt but rarely acknowledged”

One of the contributing authors to Know Your Place, Kit de Waal (a vocal figure on this issue), thinks that “the notion of social mobility has always smacked of: ‘How can we help you to be more like us?’ It seems to say that to be working class is to be a failure”. Leigh, meanwhile, recounts that his proposals for a project to celebrate working-class figures in film to a roomful of industry movers and shakers were met with bemusement. The consensus of the great and the good being that any such spotlight was unnecessary. But Leigh and de Waal, among others, are at least beginning to find traction and momentum in their respective fields.

The impact of these growing reports, publications and articles – and one feels this is just the tip of the iceberg – has been significant. For many, it’s led to an awakening of both consciousness and pride in their working-class status. Of course, for some this was never in question, and has proved crucial – along with perseverance, talent and, perhaps, anger – to sticking around long enough for a chance at success. It is, of course a nuanced, at times fraught, issue, and conversations absolutely need to be developed.

The world of visual art – where the problems outlined in the Panic!… study are deeply felt but rarely acknowledged – seems yet to have truly found its voice. In January of this year, we spoke to artist Larry Achiampong. Asked about the issue of class, Achiampong said: “I can be frank: class is such a big deal.” He reminds us:

“Achiampong reminds us that the working-class person is going to have to do crazy amounts of work simply to survive”

“Even on the basic level of resources, the working-class person is going to have to do crazy amounts of work simply to survive, versus someone who has that privilege who can really just wait for an opportunity. People of privilege can use their connections. I don’t think that kind of conversation is opened up. As a result, you tend to have conversations with people who don’t think it’s anything really to do with class, it’s just how hard you work. Excuse me, but this is bullshit.”

One feels the visual arts could do worse than look in the direction of and listen closely to what Achiampong, an artist increasingly enjoying popular exposure, is saying.

In that vein, The Double Negative hopes to foreground this conversation. Over the coming days, we will publish opinion pieces from writers currently employed in the arts, based in the North, who identify as working-class, including 2018 The Double Negative Fellow Denise Courcoux and Kenn Taylor, who is a writer and creative director. We’ll also be looking to publish YOUR stories. What are the obstacles you’ve faced and continue to grapple with? How do you relate to recent reports? Are you worried, angry, or optimistic? Make your voice heard.

Mike Pinnington

Read all the articles in this series via #classisabigdeal

Do YOU have a story (short or long) to share with our readers? Submit your experiences to laura@thedoublenegative.co.uk and mike@thedoublenegative.co.uk, or on Twitter, Insta or Facebook #classisabigdeal

This series was conceived after long conversations with our writers, including Denise Courcoux and Kenn Taylor. We’ve written about our own experiences, and sometimes have suggestions for what can be done to improve opportunities for people in our sector.

We feel more than ever that it’s important for those who have influence and power in the arts — contemporary art, heritage, publishing, and everything in between and around the edges — to consider the issues that working class people face when entering the workplace, as part of wider intersectional concerns.

Photo by Nate Nessman on Unsplash