All the news from illustrator, curator, arts writer, performer and lecturer Valerie Pezeron. Programme leader BA Hons single honours at University of East London. Co founder Live Hazard Collective.
Above, Mill 24 handbook and map handed out at reception in a little goodie bag.
Over 2 weeks ago, I travelled up North to paint two big murals for Mill 24, a 24 hour week-end exhibtion full of up and coming artists art, videos and performances at the 5 storey Islington Mill in Manchester. I post here some photos of the event with a proper write-up of my experiences to come next !
All photographs courtesy of Valerie Pezeron.
When I arrived earlier in the week prior to the event, I had already figured I would give myself two days to do each mural. I knew I was being given the main bar/dancefloor walls to play with, but I was quite impressed to see how big that space was! So I took photos to give a 180 degree impression of the room.
That's one of my walls before I started anything.
That's the 1st sketch up before painting begins. That was rather a challenge working on that scale!
There is one shot missing as I forgot to take picture of the stage area though. But the here is half of the bar...
I painted the first mural all by myself the first two days and then went back to London to teach at uni on the Friday. That schedule was tough so I enrolled my boyfriend as artist assistant for the week-end- I assumed that years of modelmaking was training enough and, boy, was I right, he was of tremendous help! We travelled again to Manchester on the bus for 5 hours in order to paint during Mill 24 on Saturday and Sunday.
The Mill 24 crew of curators sorting out their handprinted labour of love. Womnderful people, I tell thee- I'm moving to Manchester at once!
The McWhippy van and crew having a well deserved rest after a not so smooth ride on that thing all the way from London. Very resourcefull folks, for sure!
The courtyard at Mill 24 before the crowd invades the premises and the fun begins.
Yesterday, I headed to the Print Club in Dalston, North London for a proper induction into the techniques of waterbased screenprinting. I was really excited at the prospect of spending a whole day in the company of like-minded people and getting my hands dirty! Last time I did any proper printmaking was back at university where I had played with etchings, monotypes and woodcut.
This time around I thought I would try something new and also test wether the book I am currently working on titled "Written by Men, Blame it on God" would look good screenprinted. Besides planned publication by The Rationalist Association, I am considering doing a small handmade and screenprinted limited edition for sale to various outlets and also for exhibiting.
I found the induction challenging as there was so much to learn! The tutors were patient, very helpful and entertaining and the facilities more than adequate. Attending the induction was a diverse mix of individuals with a painter, a former advertising executive now turned construction worker, art and design students and a newly made redundant fashion employee.Yep, the recession is still biting and we're all feeling it.
Getting my hands on the final output was very rewarding and my final prints did not look too bad albeit with a few minor imperfections. I left with my head full of data and plans as the day answered many of my questions but also raised new ones!
Later on, I walked around the area to explore what Dalston has to offer and I discovered a really good and well-stocked art shop with very competitive prices named Jacksons on Farleigh road past Princess May tube station.
I can't wait to go back to Print Club and do more, more, more! Now I'm gonna buy a stiff enveloppe so I may send one print to my editor as a peace offering- I'm VERY late on that book!
Episode 1 of my Adventures in London. Sometimes, I feel like an alien in this big city, sometimes things are the most peculiar, odd or fantastic and worth writing about. I especially like to expose people's bigotry or quirks and those short chronicles are social commentaries and ethnographic observations, except the natives under the microscope are not some far away tribe but you and I!
Courtesy of Tim Minchin and Fraser Davidson
Written & Performed by Tim Minchin. Directed and Animated by Fraser Davidson
Now as some of you might know by now, religion is a big topic of mine (see here for my upcoming graphic novel) and one chosen not by predilection but out of sore life experiences; I always like a good piss take when it comes to my religion of birth Catholicism! I think the big hatted holy men have earned a good satire and this one is just spot on! Well done to Minchin and Davidson, song has never been so well used!
Lyrics go as follows:
Lyrics:
Fuck the motherfucker, fuck the motherfucker,
Fuck the motherfucker hes a fucking motherfucker.
Fuck the motherfucker, fuck the fucking fucker,
Fuck the motherfucker hes a total fucking fucker
Fuck the motherfucker, fuck the motherfucker,
Fuck the mother fucker, fuck him, fuck the motherfucker.
Fuck the motherfucker, fuck the motherfucking pope.
Fuck the motherfucker, and fuck you motherfucker
If you think that motherfucker is sacred.
If you cover for another motherfucker whos a kiddy-fucker,
Fuck you, youre no better than the motherfucking rapist.
And if you dont like the swearing that this motherfucker forced from me
And reckon it shows moral or intellectual paucity
Then fuck you motherfucker, this is language one employs
When one is fucking cross about fuckers fucking boys
I dont give a fuck if calling the pope a motherfucker
Means you unthinkingly brand me an unthinking apostate.
This has nowt to do with other fucking godly motherfuckers
Im not interested right now in fucking scriptural debate.
There are other fucking songs and there are other fucking ways,
Ill be a religious apologist on other fucking days,
But the fact remains if you protect a SINGLE kiddy fucker
Then Pope or Prince or Plumber, youre a fucking mother fucker.
See I dont give a fuck what any other motherfucker
Believes about Jesus and his motherfucking mother.
Ive no problem with the spiritual beliefs of all these fuckers
While those beliefs dont impact on the happiness of others,
But if you build your church on claims of fucking moral authority
And with threats of hell impose it on others in society,
Then you, you motherfuckers, can expect some fucking wrath
When it turns out youve been fucking us in our motherfucking asses.
So fuck the motherfucker, and fuck you motherfucker
If youre still a motherfucking papist.
If he covered for a single motherfucker whos a kiddy-fucker,
Fuck the motherfucker, hes as evil as the rapist.
And if you look into your motherfucking heart and tell me true
If this motherfucking stupid fucking song offended you,
With its filthy fucking language and its fucking direspect,
If it made you feel angry, go ahead and write a letter,
But if you find me more offensive than the fucking possibility
The pope protected priests when they were getting fucking fiddly
Then listen to me motherfucker - this here is a fact,
You are just as morally misguided as that motherfucking,
Power-hungry, self-aggrandized bigot in the stupid fucking hat.
Valoche is Valerie Pezeron and she juggles! Working in illustration, is a university lecturer and an arts writer! A graduate of Kingston university and Montpellier III university, Valerie moved to London 12 years ago for what was supposed to be a year or two... 12 years later, she is still there enjoying her 3 cats, her garden full of berries and apple trees, her comic book writing, cycling and rollerblading! London rules!
