Images by Robin ‘Bluebeard’ Page

With the growing intensity of government cuts to the arts and social services, artists are increasingly joining forces to refute the reasoning behind ‘austerity’ and in the process they are developing new strategies for democratic… continue reading

The following article was written for the Photography Research Forum hosted by the Research Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAin) at the University of the Arts London (November 5th, 2010). The paper is a fuller discussion of what I believe to be a shift in contemporay art practice as evidenced in the  work of artists discussed below and outlines the characteristics of what I envisage as a Citizen Artist.  

This paper will attempt to do three… continue reading

Throughout the 20th century, the notion of transgression has been a popular artistic stance. It is also assumed that transgressive attitudes are essential to our Democracy. But what exactly drives this assumption and is it true?  Does Art violate conventional social and political beliefs?  Does our Democracy truly thrive on infringements upon its values?  This article will aim to discuss the phenomenon and reflect upon the implications for engaging with contemporary Art….To be uploaded soon-ish… continue reading

The name ‘Citizen Artist’ may sound familiar to those of you who have heard of ‘Citizen Journalists’. Ordinary citizens, bloggers, caught on the front line of various arenas of war, offer us their observations and publish them online so that the world can gain a first hand account of their plight. These bloggers stand in sharp contrast to the savvy salaried hacks that lounge behind the frontline waiting for the… continue reading

One of the intentions of an artist is to present their work to an audience. The motive for this is not one of vanity or self-centeredness, but the desire to be part of a discourse. The desire to have their work, their perspective, be part of a conversation is a powerful one but here lies a dilemma: Who is the public? Who is the audience for the artist? 

 One… continue reading