Category: projects

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“Object Self (part 2)” with Olga Suchanova – Digital 3D augmented reality portraits

In a collaboration with visual artist Olga Suchanova, in “Object Self“, Kelise and Olga use digital technology to create 3D augmented reality [AR] portraits as a personal expression of self.

Much like old-fashioned painted miniatures, these digital portraits, too, can be carried in the pocket, yet with the avant-garde medium of AR and viewed through the frame of the smartphone screen, a digital portrait becomes 3D sculpture that can be placed anywhere and viewed from all sides.

Darling, you are a work of art.

To see our growing collection of “Object Self” portraits, scan or tap this QR code (sketchfab.com)

More info

Kelise and Olga will demonstrate how these AR digital 3D sculptures are made during the Object Self workshop as part of  Tate Staff Biennale 2019 on

  • Wednesday 28 August 2019 – 2:00P to 6:00P – Level 5, Tate Exchange
  • Sunday 1 September 2019 –  12:00P to 4:00P – Level 5, Tate Exchange

Responding to Tate Exchange’s theme for year 3, Movement, The Inside Job Collective have been invited to take over Tate Exchange and pull together the work of staff across all Tate sites into one exhibition. The exhibition showcases the often-hidden skills of staff members at Tate and allows you to see the impact of working with Tate’s collection has had on their practice.

Approaching the different strands of Movement through varying mediums, there will be a dynamic series of live performances, workshops, installations, film and 2D works, as well as an evening of specially curated music and performances from staff for the August edition of Uniqlo Tate Lates.

About the Inside Job Collective

The Inside Job Collective are a group of Tate Staff who organise and curate an exhibition dedicated to the many creative talents of their colleagues.

Helen Dixon, ‘Big Blue no 4’. Image courtesy the artist and Inside Job Collective.

“Object Self” is supported by Vectary 3D, the leading online 3D design tool on www.vectary.com.

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‘Corduroy Dog (or, How Memories Become Real)’, 2019, digital film and digital/AR objects (trailer)

Here is the story of how a memory and a seminal artefact from my childhood became Real.

Mock-umentary (duration approx. 20 minutes), digital film and digital/AR memory object (Corduroy Dog). Directed and edited by Kelise Franclemont. Reading from “A Velveteen Rabbit” (1922) by Margery Williams.

Feature short coming soon (28 August 2019)!

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“Object Self (part 1)” with Olga Suchanova – Digital 3D augmented reality portraits

In a collaboration with visual artist Olga Suchanova, in “Object Self“, Kelise and Olga use digital technology to create 3D augmented reality [AR] portraits as a personal expression of self.

Much like old-fashioned painted miniatures, these digital portraits, too, can be carried in the pocket, yet with the avant-garde medium of AR and viewed through the frame of the smartphone screen, a digital portrait becomes 3D sculpture that can be placed anywhere and viewed from all sides.

To see our growing collection of “Object Self” portraits, scan or click this QR code:

More info

Kelise and Olga will demonstrate how these AR digital 3D sculptures are made at Thames-Side Studios Open Studios weekend on Saturday 15 July 2019, 12-4pm (Unit 5, Studio 5-225). 

Thames-Side Studios is home to an impressive array of more than 500 creatives and the Open Studios event is a unique opportunity to meet the makers, talk about what they do, and to buy directly from their studios.

The array of creative practice at TSS includes painting, drawing, fashion design, carpentry, jewellery, millinery, photography, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and installation, tailoring, leather work, picture framing, stained glass making, writing, upholstery, illustration, textiles, conservation and restoration, lutherie, graphic design, furniture design, film and video, skin care, architecture, wood working, laser cutting, clock making, product design, book binding, and much more…

Click the yellow thumbnail to read more…

“Object Self” is supported by Vectary 3D, the leading online 3D design tool on www.vectary.com.

 

 

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Self-portrait workshop at The Passage, London

Many workplaces in the UK like mine offer a “special leave allowance” of up to three working days a year in which staff can undertake volunteer activities. From charity fun-runs to outreach or local community programmes, there are so many ways to support a cause or an organisation that is only asking for a little bit of time, expertise, or just a willing pair of hands. Knowing this, I couldn’t sign up fast enough when a UAL coworker was asking around for people to help with art workshops at The Passage House, a charity whose aim is “help homeless people transform their lives” through a variety of means including homelessness prevention projects, outreach, employment training, advocacy, and more.

a place of hope, aspiration, change, and innovation

The Passage charity based in Westminster offers help to people who are struggling to break the cycle of persistent homelessness on their own. Based on the teachings and ethos of St Vincent De Paul, who, in 1633, co-founded the Daughters of Charity, The Passage’s focus is on

“…action rather than words and in hands-on service to vulnerable people.”

Included in the Passage’s multi-faceted approach is a rich hospitality programme in which clients can participate in a variety of activity groups, including such things as book clubs, concerts/theatre, and art/craft sessions. London-based artist David Tovey supports participants weekly in their creative expression, and last week [1 March 2018] graciously hosted my co-worker Emily and myself for some drop-in art-making with a few of the residents of Passage House in Pimlico.

‘Love Notes To Self’ art workshop at The Passage House, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.

Committed to “action” and “hands-on service”, I proposed to share one of the drawing exercises from my recently completed #365LoveNotesToSelf project and demonstrate how, through a simple act of looking and recording one’s own face in the mirror, anyone at anytime can give themselves the gift of a “Love Note To Self”. At the end of the morning, my hope was that not only would each person have a sketch or two to be proud of, and to have enjoyed making it, my firm wish was also that those around the table with me might have a glimpse of the positive impact I myself experienced over the past year by giving myself the care and attention that I so markedly deserved.

C—– exploring colour in her self-portrait at Passage House, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.
Self-portrait by M—– at Passage House, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.
Blind-contour self-portraits by E—- at Passage House, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.
Self-portraits by S—— at Passage House, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.

With basic school materials such as graphite pencils, pan watercolour, ink pens and crayons, we had a hand at blind-contour drawing, which really boils down to nothing other than “notice what you notice” and “follow the line”. Before even letting the drawings settle, we attempted to “wreck” them by adding expressive colour and in some cases, brushing water over the whole surface, forcing ink and watercolour to move (but without much control over the matter), which contrary to expectations, really brought out something winsome in each character on the page.

And what a lovely result.

Everyone’s ‘Love Notes To Self’ at The Passage House, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.

This was never really just about drawing, though; from my side, I am so grateful to have had the chance to share a few hours with great people who were so patient and willing to try something new, maybe outside their comfort zone, sharing laughter and stories with me along the way.

A final thought: if your company offers a volunteering allowance, don’t hesitate to find some way to contribute to or serve your community. You may even find that you gain much more than what you give when you give of yourself.

More links and info:

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#365LoveNotesToSelf – a year of self portraits

In a year-long experiment, #365LoveNotesToSelf is a project about finding love by giving oneself the gifts of time and looking deeply, one day at a time. #365LoveNotesToSelf is also part of the “Selfie” exhibition on at Candid Arts Trust, London from 23 February to 4th March 2018.

I am here and now

What started as a last-ditch effort to make myself feel better from encroaching depression, I kept at it for a year and in time, developed a pattern of self-love, perseverance, and mindfulness that continues today. I learned how to give myself a break and be flexible (some days it’s just not possible to stick to the plan so learned to make a new one!) I discovered I do have the determination and stamina for a long project (when in the past, I would often run out of steam half-way through). And even though I had a few days here and there with a low mood, it is with joy and pride when I say I can’t remember the last time I felt depression actually take hold.

It’s been a year and I feel like I’m just at the beginning. Stay tuned!

More links and info about #365LoveNotesToSelf

To read more, click this link to the project page for #365LoveNotesToSelf

Exhibition details: “Selfie” is on at Camden Arts Trust, 3 Torrens St, London, EC1V 1NQ from 23 February to 4 March 2018. Hours: 12-6PM daily; free admission. Cafe on site.

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‘Homeland (a diary)’, 2017, archival installation of found objects

For our second collaboration at Rondo Sztuki Gallery, borne out of shared interests in found objects, the archive, narrative, and collective or personal memories, we have decided to develop something that would focus on the past through an array of found objects that belonged to a man named ‘Henry’, supposed to be a common ancestor of both artists. The work is titled Motherland and through the seemingly disparate objects, when perceived together, they tell a story about finding your place in the world and following your dreams about a better life.

The Connect Project and its experimental form presented many challenges for us as artists. The combination of twostrangers was a risky operation, but in our case it brought about a most positive effect. During the cooperation, we found many common interests and ways of working, out of which many possible new artworks could be generated. Obviously, there were differences of opinion along the way, but through committed dialogue we worked out our differences, so that we could reach a successful compromise and a richly rewarding experience overall.

PL:

W ramach współpracy nad projektem do Ronda Sztuki postanowiliśmy rozwinąć coś, co wynikałoby z naszych wspólnych zainteresowań wokół przeszłych, narracyjnych, osobistych lub też zbiorowych wspomnień. Skupiliśmy się na grupie znalezionych przedmiotów, należących do człowieka imieniem „Henry”, który rzekomo miałby być wspólnym przodkiem obojga artystów. Pracę zatytułowaliśmy Motherland i jest to historia o poszukiwaniu swojego miejsca na świecie oraz podążaniu za marzeniami oraz lepszym życiem.

Projekt Connect i jego eksperymentalna forma stwarzały wiele wyzwań dla nas jako artystów. Połączenie w pary dwojga nieznajomych było ryzykownym zabiegiem, ale w naszym przypadku przyniosło to jak najbardziej pozytywny efekt. Podczas współpracy znaleźliśmy wiele wspólnych zainteresowań i sposobów pracy, z których można było wytworzyć wiele nowych dzieł sztuki. Oczywiście – pojawiały się różnice zdań, ale proces dialogu weryfikował rozbieżności, dzięki czemu mogliśmy osiągnąć kompromis.

Marcin Czarnopyś, Kelise Franclemont. ‘Motherland (a diary)’, 2017, archival installation of found objects, in ‘Connect: Katowice and London’ at Rondo Sztuki Gallery, Katowice, Poland. Image courtesy Rondo Gallery and Connect: Art Projects. Photo credit Michał Jędrzejowski.
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365 days of Love Notes from myself to me

<< Back to Archives << [] >> Part 1: Love Notes from myself to me >>

It’s that time of year again and maybe it’s the weather… but I’m sure I’m not alone when I say, I am in a deep blue funk. So for Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to give myself a little gift: an envelope of time that contains a kind of “love note to me”, by which I will remind myself daily of what love looks like – by gazing in a mirror and drawing what I see.

For in order to really see, one must spend time really looking.

I’ve chosen to create self-portraits (instead of, say, making selfies on my iPhone) because in these creative sessions, I must take the time to really look in order to draw what’s looking back at me…and maybe, after 365 of these love notes in a row, it will become easier day-by-day to see through any of the dark days, with positivity, confidence, and joy.

In today’s image, I see quirky, bright, and fun-loving; now, I don’t know what other forms my selfie-portraits will take over the rest of the year, but in words of one of my heroes, RuPaul, here’s what I do know for sure:

“If you can’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

from 365 Love Notes to Self, Day 365, 14 Feb 2018, collage, paper, and glue.

<< Back to Archives << [] >> Part 1: Love Notes from myself to me >>

 

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‘The Life and Death of Bierzigster Iarhgang’ – collaboration with Marcin Czarnopyś for Connect:Katowice project

Reposted from ConnectKatowice.com, the following describes a recent and ongoing arts collaboration with Polish artist Marcin Czarnopyś…

The artists

Project description/intent

Wrocław (Poland), November 2016/1856

One late afternoon in November, Marcin and Kelise wandered into an old bookstore in Wrocław’s main town square. A book, dated 1856 on the ragged spine and gently reeking of cigar smoke, fell into Marcin’s hands: “Neueste Nachrichten aus Dem Reiche Gottes”, or as Google Translate suggests: “Latest News from the Kingdom of God” by Bierzigster Iargang. As we thumbed through the contents, a postage-stamp sized portrait of a woman fluttered from between the pages:

kelisemarcin_proj_stmt_image01Intrigued and 40 złoty poorer, the book was ours.

Who was Bierzigster Iargang? (We called him “BJ” for short). The final pages of the book revealed some of his story:

BJ was born in Przemyśl (Marcin’s home town!), to a German/Polish family that owned several coal mines in the Silesian area. A religious and righteous man, yet troubled by the corruptions that accompany great wealth, BJ received a series of heavenly visions over the course of a year – which he called, “Neueste Nachrichten aus Dem Reiche Gottes (Latest news from the kingdom of God)”, wrote them all down and published in a book of the same title. This was directly followed by a spiritual calling to go to New York (where Kelise’s family originates) as a missionary, and he traveled to America around 1856-7, leaving his wife and six daughters behind until he could get settled and send for them to join him.

But in New York, he seems to have disappeared, presumed dead, shortly after he arrived and his family never heard from him again.

Our project aim is to unravel the mystery about the life and death Bierzigster (BJ) Iargang, and to discover the truth about what connects his story to Marcin and Kelise.

kelisemarcin_proj_stmt_image02

Proposed outcome

Currently we are working with an installation of found objects, text/prints, photos, and video which will present our research into BJ’s life as well as present the found connections between him, Marcin, and Kelise, (and particular, the artists want to unpick already discovered common ancestry between Marcin and Kelise).

Timeline

  • June to Nov 2016: Kelise and Marcin communicate via email and regular post to become acquainted and discuss project ideas.
  • Nov 2016: Kelise visited Marcin in Wrocław, to work together and progress one or more project ideas
  • Dec 2016: Kelise and Marcin present work in Connect:Katowice in London at Hornsey Town Hall with Kelise to deliver talk/workshop around their project which both worked on together to develop (working ideas include: a book-making workshop, souvenir exchange, story-telling, etc.)
  • Dec 2016 to June 2017: Marcin and Kelise continue to work over email and regular post to develop the project
  • June 2017: final work(s) and/or documentation presented in Katowice, Poland

Click the link for more about the collaboration between Marcin and Kelise – “stories between the UK and Poland”

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‘Memoirs of a stone (part 1 – the flight from Hyrcania)’, 2015, installation and found items, in ‘Housed’ at Chelsea College of Arts, London

17 Chelsea MA students (12 MA Fine Art, 5 MA Curating & Collections) enter into a week-long cooperative exhibition in which the curators, who see the show for the first time mid-week, will reconsider curation and transform the space. The project is an experiment which aims to “…challenge the ‘occupancy’ inside the regimented frameworks” such as may be found in the academic or gallery setting. From 7-10 April 2015 at Chelsea College of Arts.

Read more about ‘Housed’ on kelise72.com…

Re-examining the relation between artist and curator

The basis of Housed: was about the relation (some might say “hierarchy”?) between artist and curator, firstly in a gallery/exhibition setting, secondly in academia. In the first half of the week, the dozen artists installed the show, collaboratively of course, installing their work with consideration for the siting as well as “conversations” between the nearby pieces.

Learn more about the project and how it evolved on the ‘Housed’ blog…

My proposed work, ‘memoirs of a stone (Part I – The flight from Hyrcania)’ was an installation of drawings on paper, a short looping film with sound, and several found objects, most importantly, a small piece of red shale about 1 cm big.

In the first part of week, a writing desk was situated in the doorway, a small intimate space which may inspire quiet reflection as the viewer may pause and read or handle the drawings. Further along in the exhibition in the next room, one might come across the small red stone on a black velvet jewel block, positioned on the floor.

Kelise Franclemont, installation view of ‘memoirs of a stone (part I – the flight from Hyrcania)’, 2015, installation of video, drawings, collage, and found objects, in ‘Housed’ at Chelsea Cookhouse, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.
Kelise Franclemont, installation view of ‘memoirs of a stone (part I – the flight from Hyrcania)’, 2015, installation of video, drawings, collage, and found objects, in ‘Housed’ at Chelsea Cookhouse, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.

Mid-way through the week, the curators came into the project with a fresh perspective to re-hang the work, possibly creating new conversations and altering the “flow” of the exhibition overall.

‘Memoirs of a stone’ was relocated to another room entirely, which somehow “opened up” the work in a positive way. The little stone, placed next to Paul Abbott’s work (the video/busts on plinths – left image) somehow crystallised for both works the reference to Greco-Roman era, with busts on plinths and the Roman-era mosaic tile. Then the writing desk, even though in a more open space, still allowed for intimacy placed in the corner, adjacent to a large airy window.

Kelise Franclemont, installation view after curator intervention, ‘memoirs of a stone (part I – the flight from Hyrcania)’, 2015, installation of video, drawings, collage, and found objects, in ‘Housed’ at Chelsea Cookhouse, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.
Kelise Franclemont, installation view after curator intervention, ‘memoirs of a stone (part I – the flight from Hyrcania)’, 2015, installation of video, drawings, collage, and found objects, in ‘Housed’ at Chelsea Cookhouse, London. Photo credit Kelise Franclemont.

For many of the artists, the re-curation improved the flow and openness for the exhibition overall, and opened up each work to have more “breathing space”, a marked positive change. If nothing else, the project allowed for a different way to see and experience the works in this very successful week.

Read more about Housed:

Chelsea_UAL_logo

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Contemporary art and unexpected encounters of the soiree – ‘Office Sessions III’ and ‘Office Party’ – London

Public blog post about “Office Party” which mentions also my performance piece on Sunday 30 November, the “Office Party Rat Race”. The image in this photo is from “Dreams of the Rat Race (No Exit)” – a projected video work, duration 2:23 (looped).