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"Art should astonish, transmute, transfix. One must work at the tissue between truth and paranoia." Brett Whiteley
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." Steve Jobs "The chief enemy of creativity is good sense." Pablo Picasso "All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness." Eckhart Tolle
"Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left showes were thought up only a little more than a century ago?" Bernice Fitz-Gibbon
"The real creators know it perfectly well, that they are not the creators - they were just instrumental, they were mediums. something happened through them, true, but they are not the doers of it" Osho "Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected." William Plomer
Why am I an artist? Art is one of my major creative endeavours and disciplines because I find the beauty and vibrant aliveness of colour, line , texture and form so alluring. It seems to me that we were all born to create and in traditional societies like those that still exist in developing nations, the creative act is a natural one that honours the sacred and mysterious in life. The act of creation moving the individual and the collective out of 'normal' (sequential) time into 'holistic' time and an understanding and connection with the 'whole' and essence of life - allowing something 'other' and greater to be expressed. Symbols, like ideas are powerful connectors of consciousness. An image can encapsulate a truth, an essence of something with enormous potential. Creating art can range from the challenging, exciting and intensely adventurous to the calm and immensely peaceful, like 'zen meditation'. But above all, creating is a 'game' where like any form of play, we get to make up and redefine the rules. Over the twenty years I've been an artist I've seen different themes emerge from the intensely personal to the transpersonal ......and perhaps like a shaman, my aim is to transform apparently inert materials weaving them with energy, ideas, colour and form into something vibrantly alive and meaningful. Creativity makes me curious about life and like a very old friend and aly, helps me understand and negotiate my way through life so that I continually reconnect with its beauty, lightness and love. Consequently, I have a passionate vision to empower as many people in the world as possible to discover and awaken to their creative potential. I hope that this Creative Catalyst Art Car Parade will help to sow that seed....
"Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work." Rita Mae "A heart in love with beauty never grows old." Turkish Proverb
"If God is the DJ, then life is the dance floor; Love is the rhythm, and You are the music." Pink "Creativity - like human life itself - begins in darkness." Julia Cameron "Another word for creativity is courage."George Prince
"If you judge people, you have not time to love them." Mother Teresa "Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives." Louise Hay "Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will." George Bernard Shaw "Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun." Mary Lou Cook
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Have you ever been in a parade or carnival......for that matter have you ever driven around in an art car? Perhaps you've seen the odd painted mini, VW beetle or combi van way back in the 70's when it was more fashionable to individualise your car.
You may even have stumbled upon the wonderful art car parades that Walk the Plank stage in Manchester, Blackpool and Newcastle or heard about the vamped up 'mutant vehicles' that play such an important part in the Burning Man celebrations in Black Rock City in the US.
Well, last summer, 2009 I staged the FIRST EVER LONDON ART CAR PARADE - a fantastic parade of eleven permanently and temporarily transformed cars, where the crew got to not only dress up but dress up their cars too! The parade travelled from Hampstead to Belsize Park, through Primrose hill to Regents Park and finally returned through the vibrant area of Camden, to communicate the simple idea that, by being creative we can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
I am looking to stage London's 2nd Art Car Parade in 2011 - an even bigger, brighter event on your social calendar. So if you fancy being outrageous........if you have something powerful you really want to share and express to an unsuspecting audience of Londoners .......or you're simply inspired by the creative challenge, join me next summer for the alternative parade of a lifetime. Please get in touch and let me know in what capacity you would like to be involved.......perhaps it's spreading the word, enrolling friends and colleagues who have cars to take part, or simply dress up on the day and travel with us. Be prepared for a day of high octane adventure and excitement, beginning with the improvisation and completion of your art car in the morning from 9.30am and starting the parade at 1.30pm. We will be travelling as an 'unofficial' convoy of vehicles with the express intention of bringing colour, conversation and creativity into people's lives. We will literally be taking art directly to the people on the streets, many of which wouldn't normally dream of entering a gallery.
"There is no must in art because art is free." Wassily Kandinsky This will be the second Art Car Parade ever to be staged in London and with the help of friends, artists, students and car enthusiasts promises to take creativity and performance out of the white cube gallery space, into the ordinary public space of the street. What we seek to offer is a surprising event which illustrates how easy it can be to stand out and express yourself and add a touch of loving connection and delightful play to people living or visiting London. Living in london you could believe that it's inhabitants are a very private, boundaried and serious collective of peoples. However in the business of standing out with my Art Car and rainbow hair, I am continually struck at the playful nature that is lingering beneath the general facade of worry, disinterest and disconnection that is generally presented by people. "Art shouldn't be something that you go quietly into an art gallery and dip your forelock and say 'I have to be very quiet, I'm in here amongst the art.' It's here, art's everywhere. It's how you use your eyes. It's about the enjoyment of visual things. And it's certainly not for any one group of people."Ken Done "Whatsoever you do, if you do it joyfully, if you do it lovingly, if your act of doing is not purely economic, then it is creative." Osho
It strikes me that what society suffers from, particularly in a large metropolis like London, is a lack of a real sense of 'belonging' and community'. So this art project which I initially created as part of my MA in Fine Art and Media, seeks to explore human connection through creative self expression. The parade was dedicated to the memory of my mother, Sarah, who unexpectedly passed away on the 22nd of April 2009 and who was such a courageous, creative spirit herself. She was someone who always cherished the freedom and independence that a car gave her and never forgot what a privilege it is to own and run a car. She learnt to drive in Edinburgh back in the early 70's when it was still very unusual for a household to own a car, let alone a woman to drive. Her first ever car was a beautiful little red mini which we all adored..... I chose to decorate her proton below with her favourite colours, black and white, gold and silver - using the fabric designs
Through transforming and adorning such an important status symbol as the 'car' we seek to question the validity of 'the material' and the pursuit of money and acquisition in the belief that 'more is best'. That in order to be recognised as a 'successful and valuable human being' we must buy large, expensive cars as proof. Instead, we invite our audience in these challenging and potentially transfomrative and innovative times to consider alternate ways they could create a sense of 'identity' individually collectively without having to 'buy into' the status quo.
We have become a nation dependant on the remarkable technology of cars, computers and mobile phones but let's value what we have today rather than always seeking to improve, upgrade and live life searching for something better tomorrow.
So come, join us next June to parade around an even larger area of London in 2011. Lookout for spontaneous happenings and performances along the way....... Whether you already own and drive an 'art car' or other roadworthy vehicle or this is the very first time you've even heard of the concept of an 'art car', come and catalyse your creativity. Whatever your level of experience be prepared for high octane adventure and excitement. Prepare to book a place on one of my FREE Art Car Workshops and come and discover more.
I will also make myself available in the summer evenings of June 2011 leading up to the event for individual 'creative catalyst car sessions.' After all as the second ever art car parade in London we want it to be stunning don't we ! * ! Besides, if all goes to plan, in the future I can raise appropriate sponsorship and actually pay you for your artistic endeavours next time......... Live performances are planned for the finish of our journey and we will complete the parade at the end of the day by lighting large paper lanterns and seeing them float into the sky.
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