Metal International Residency Award

Visual Artist Claire Weetman has been awarded a 4 week residency in Shanghai as one of the two prizes that were offered alongside the Liverpool Art Prize.  Through a partnership with Shanghai Art School and LJMU’s School of Art and Design, Metal offered a month-long international residency opportunity for visual artists living and working in the North West region to travel to Shanghai, China. Shanghai Art School will host the visit and provide accommodation and access to a studio for one month. The award is envisioned as a professional and ideas development opportunity for artists and is part of the city twinning activity between Liverpool and Shanghai.

Whilst in Shanghai, Claire proposes to develop 'Watermark'; an intervention that she created on a public square in Istanbul as part of the POST artist exchange project TRADING STATION.  Alongside that Claire aims to further her research into movement through public squares and to develop mark making skills inspired by Chinese calligraphy.

The International Residency Award was announced at the Liverpool Art Prize 2012 where, fellow member of artist collective POST, Robyn Woolston was awarded the Judges Choice prize and Tomo received the People's Choice prize.  A fourth award of the Metal Studio residency went to Anna Mulhearn, who will have use of a studio at Metal Liverpool for 12 months.

http://www.robynwoolston.com/
http://www.quangowangism.com/tomosecurities.html
http://annamulhearn.weebly.com/
http://www.postliverpool.com/
http://liverpoolartprize.com

There is something disconcerting about a dead zebra

Markmakers exploring narratives, 19 May - 23 June 2012
The Brindley, Runcorn.

Halton's contemporary arts collective, Markmakers have spent the last two years exploring the theme of narratives.  With work including print, drawing, animation, painting, sculpture and ceramics this will be a diverse and intriguing exhibition.

Claire Weetman is exhibiting a piece called 71 steps, as an installation and artist's book inspired by the drawings and prints of John Cage that feature collected stones.  During a markmakers excursion to Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Claire collected 71 stones from the '71 steps' of David Nash's installation.  Taking them back to her studio, Claire drew around each stone, before creating a detailed drawing of each one using pencil on black acrylic paint - a technique inspired by paintings by Giuseppe Penone.  Claire plans to complete the story of these stones during the exhibition at the Brindley by returning the stones to the steps at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

www.markmakers-artists.co.uk