Notes from the Studio
chimney tops, a book, a shop, a glass of red.
What a whirly twirly whimsical wonderful weird whacky way to spend a month, tiptoeing in the studio only a tiny wee bit - yet gallivanting across the old smoke on many a mission. That, folks, has been November.
From Jazz nights in Oval where I had the joy of finding Louise Gouet (aka Out to See), whose skilled hand scit-scatted over her sketchbook with colours seemingly straight from the sax; To knitting walks [or was that walking knits?] with Barney Pau over in Notting Hill, home of that Travel Bookshop; and wittering on-and-on with art partner0in-crime Eleanor Cox as we perch at a pub on the top of Hampstead Hill, nursing smug little glasses of posh red as this fairytale of a village puffs out Charles Dickens characters across the night’s cobbled streets.
BOOK UPDATE
I’ve also been working with a publisher in Manchester to progress my upcoming book, Anima. For the astute readers among you, along with anyone whose ever had an utterance of conversation with me, you’ll recognise ‘Anima’ as being my topic-de-vie.
The book explores notions of agency in portraiture, using the photobooth as a medium. Having sat for several portraits, be those in paint, charcoal, clay or photographs, I am interested in whether the final image captures the essence - the anima - of a person. Is the piece a balanced dialogue between the maker and the sitter? Where does the agency lie?
As a portrait photographer, how can I ensure this agency honours the sitter? I remove myself. I invite individuals to sit in the photobooth; I pop in the £2 coin to the slot, and the mechanics of the camera whir as the sitter expresses themselves, however they chose, behind a closed curtain. The shared agreement that I may use their image for this book.
It’s all about engagement:
Between myself & people in Florence [where the photos were made]
Then the sitter with their ‘self’ or ‘anima’
Then me with the images, compiling them with tactile care
… And finally with you, the reader, whose tactile engagement with a book that contains various pockets, inserts, posters & other bits requires your active engagement.
Over the coming weeks, I'll be hand finishing 100 hardback copies. This will take time. And a lot of playlists. Please send me your favourite albums, podcasts, and other audio listens.
As soon as I have the first finished copy ready, I’ll upload imagery to bluepalms.co.uk (and here on the monologue, obvs), and create a pre-order list. There will be 80 hand finished copies, with inserts and handwrite pieces, wrapped in a neat little box. There will also be 20 special editions, which will include all of the above, a personalised note from me and a set of unseen extra photobooth pictures from my childhood.
Talking of Blue Palms… we’re testing out an online shop! Having shared evenings chatting art, discussing ideas, looking at contemporary & historical references and tbh just having fun, we thought we’d launch our own little shop. It’s print based.
This first series is with the intent to raise money for SOS, a charity supporting mental health and helping prevent suicide. Thank you for those who have bought prints so far!
We’re super chuffed to have Graham Cornthwaite on board with us; he’s donated a darkroom print of his 1985 photograph “Seven Stages” from Mijas. I’ll be dedicating a whole post to Graham later in the month, more on the mystery man then. [he’s awesome. like one of those retro undiscovered artists from the sixties. for real.]
+
It’s amazing how far I could whittle on this cold December evening, rambling and ambling endlessly. I walked to Hampstead earlier today traversing through some 16km of this here cacophonous chaotic clamber of a London; it was somehow soothed by a gentle glow of ginkgo gold across pavements, both rich and poor. I’m now back in my room, sat leaning against the radiator, playing that oh-so-familar game of don’t, get, burned. The bit where you’re sat just a bit too far that you’re cold, the lean in and yikes! burn! endless fun.
… so on that note, along with a blanket, I’ll wrap this monologue for now [and sip another bit of red]. More soon…
PS. Thanks for those who contact me about this monologue stream of consciousness I write; I've enjoyed making new friends and meeting you! If you’re reading this, and would also like to reach out - send me an email - I'd love to chat ideas and things.
Our conversational knit fills me with joy every time I look at it hanging on the wall ✨
I can’t wait to see the hand finished book, Elle!