News - August 2008

‘Preston Market Mystery Project’ First edition (June 2008), Published by the Harris Museum, UK.
Hard back edition, Includes a forward essay by Bob Dickenson, a unique analysis section by John Newling and a DVD of the live reading event and edited film of the project. ISBN 978-1-871575-27-9

Whilst the publication is, in part, a lavish archive of this major project it also contains two, unique to the publication, projects; ‘The Propositional Stalls’ and ‘Constructing a Mystery.’
Throughout the duration of the project the artist had been forming sets of propositional analysis of the 280 mysteries gained from the first event. Using statistical data from the 280 mysteries each proposed stall has a graphical visualisation of its contents. The nature of this process, one of reasoned analysis, paradoxically enforces the context of many of the mysteries, that of incomprehensibility to reason. The propositions construct stalls through reasoned knowledge whilst being wholly imaginative in their proposal; offering new knowledge and possibilities. The final mystery (Mystery 281) is constructed entirely through this process.

The publication has fully illustrated sections on the three events, (the insurance stall, voicing mysteries and the new knowledge meal). It also contains notes by the artist and an essay by Bob Dickenson reviewing the relationship of the project to the context of the market place.

£30 including P&P. Obtainable from The Harris Museum or from John Newling for project information.

In April 2008 a new company, ‘Ark Lab’, was set up in order to establish a comprehensive feasibility study of John Newling’s proposed project, Ark: Road Vines. Ark Lab will disseminate information on this project at regular intervals throughout the coming months as the project moves from proposal to realisation. Ark: Road Vines will create the first ever mobile hydroponic vine yard; visiting particular sites and bringing itself into the local context, generating a relationship of questions and experiences. Ark: Road Vines will house a space that unfolds to become a laboratory, workshop and seminar space. It will archive all its transactions; collecting evidence of discussions, ideas and ensuing artworks. Ark: Road Vines is a major art project that is a living, moving entity that gathers and gains knowledge whilst being a spectacular visual icon within that landscape. Contact: office@arklab.co.uk For further information visit , also see .

Forthcoming

The Noah lab.

From January to March of this year Newling was invited to be the first recipient of the ‘International artist residency for the Lincoln collection. The residency generated a newly commissioned project ‘The Noah Lab. The ‘Noah lab’ first phase, is now completed and it is hoped that this new
installation will be seen in January 2009. see www.john-newling.com.
Newling will be giving a talk about his projects with an emphasis on his residency experiences at the Lincoln Collection on October 7th.

Forthcoming
Commissioned to write a extensive essay on ‘Art and Social Interaction’ for the World Aesthetics Year Book 2008, to be published in 2009.

11:24 am

New Events and Projects - Jan - Apr, 2006

Events: January to April 2006.

January 26th:
Chatham Vines lecture in Nottingham, Dryden Street lecture theatre Nottingham Trent University at 6pm.

This talk / presentation will focus on the distinct project, ‘Chatham Vines’. Developing visual and textual case study notes Newling will extract salient points that arose from his experience of the Chatham Vines experiment. From the mechanics of project management to thoughts pertaining to forming a project that could not be predicted Newling will articulate and contextualise the subsequent learning that has been generated from Chatham Vines. ..

February 23rd:
Book launch (John Newling ‘Writings 1995-2005’) in London.

March 2nd:
Opening of the installation ‘stamping Uncertainty’, Carlisle Cathedral.

April 16th:
Easter Sunday. Chatham Vines, Easter Communion service at Rochester Cathedral.
This is the final phase of the Chatham vines project. This major event will be filmed for television, local and national.

April 28th: Launch of the permanent work, ‘The Westonbirt wishes’ for The National Arboretum, Westonbirt.

New projects:

ArtOffice (London) will be publishing a book on the Chatham Vines Project. To be published in June 2006.

Future Market (working title): Research phase.
The Harris Museum and the University of Central Lancashire’s, ‘Here and Now’ initiative has invited Newling to form research and make a major project as part of the Preston regeneration programme.

The Museum of Contemporary Sacred Art Poland has invited Newling to make a project for their museum. He will be visiting Poland in January to visit the museum and to start research and meetings on the project. The exhibition will open January 2007.

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco has asked Newling if they could install the project ‘Stamping Uncertainty’. He has had several conversations regarding this possibility. Currently money is being applied for in order for this brilliant opportunity to happen. John plans to travel to San Francisco latter in the year for site visits, talks and research.

9:12 am

June Update

New Publication
John Newling: Writings 1995 – 2005
Newling’s notes and journals, edited into essays, have been published in two volumes. Book One includes all the writings from 1995 to 2005 and includes ‘Cathedral’, described as ‘Newling’s most astounding essay’. Book Two contains the 2005 essay ‘Transactions and Agreements’ and images of the artwork that have come from the writing. Book Two also contains previously unpublished photographs of work done by Newling as the first Fulbright Fellow in Visual Art in 1985.
“What makes these writings so unique is their exploratory tone, their profound and simple clarity, and the honesty with which they enter a modest inquiry.”
“Inspiring our own thinking, these two slender, beautiful volumes are a rare gift in the context of much of the theoretical literature produced on contemporary artistic and cultural production.” Johannes Birringer.

The book is available from SWPA Price £15.00 (p.p.£2.99)
To order a copy please contact:
Sarah Von Holstein publishing@swpa.com
Telephone: 01926 498 488 Fax: 01926 747 453

‘mine’
The Haggerty Museum at The Marquette University in Milwaukee is the venue for John Newling’s first One Person show in America. The work picks up on themes of currency and belief, transaction and exchange and full details can be seen on this website. The show opened on 2nd June and will run until 28th August.

Chatham Vines
On 20th June, Chatham Vines will be open to the public as part of Architecture week.
Exciting news from the installation is that there are grapes clearly visible via the interactive cameras. Wine making will commence as soon as the grapes mature. Follow the site links to Chatham vines to see what is happening live on site.

London Arts Festival
On 27th June a new version of ‘mine’ will be installed on the exterior of St Mary Woolnoth in the city of London as part of the London Arts Festival. The work can be seen during the summer.

Other Publications available from SWPA
“The Westonbirt Wishes”
This book documents the work done during the summer of 2003 at The Westonbirt National Arboretum. This installation saw over four thousand people participate in a project that gave them the opportunity to share, anonymously, their questions and wishes.
The permanent work resulting from this installation will be sited in the Arboretum in September 2005.

“Stamping Uncertainty”
This publication documents the installation of the same name at the Chapter House, Canterbury Cathedral during April 2004 and contains essays by the artist and Andrew Spira.
For more information please contact
Sarah Von Holstein at publishing@swap.com
Telephone: 01926 498 488 Fax: 01926 747 453

8:33 am

Writings by John Newling

Over the past ten years John Newling has adopted a method of working that sees him recording his thoughts, ideas and observations as a prelude to the production of art works. For Newling, this method of writing before producing work has become an essential research tool that sets the scene and defines the works.

The notes have been edited into essays that form a reflective journal. Although each one relates to a specific artwork, they also stand alone as essays that ask questions of us all. Through each essay we are given the occasion to pause and think through certain events, often commonplace and usually ignored.

In his preface to the book, Johannes Birringer has written “What makes these writings so unique is their exploratory tone, their profound and simple clarity, and the honesty with which they enter a modest inquiry.”

“Newling’s writings ask us to pause and reconsider how we confront uncertainty, how we wish to assuage our feelings of helplessness in an exceedingly complex global world. With their profoundly humanist sensibility, these writings are themselves works of art, testimonies of a creative imagination that proclaim an ethos of being in the world with others and trusting the experience of negotiating this presence in the world.”

The writings are published in two volumes bound together in an outer jacket. Book One includes all the writings from 1995 to 2004 and includes ‘Cathedral’, described as ‘Newling’s most astounding essay’. Book Two contains the 2005 essay ‘Transactions and Agreements’ and images of the artwork that have come from the writing. Book Two also contains previously unpublished photographs of work done by Newling as the first Fulbright Fellow in Visual Art in 1985.

“Inspiring our own thinking, these two beautiful volumes are a rare gift in the context of much of the theoretical literature produced on contemporary artistic and cultural production.” Johannes Birringer.

Writings by John Newling 1995 – 2005
Designed by Casciani Evans Wood - www.cascianievans.com

Published by SWPA
Available from 22nd April. Price £15.00 (p.p.£2.99)

To order a copy please contact:
Sarah Von Holstein - publishing@swpa.com
Telephone: 01926 498 488 Fax: 01926 747 453

3:59 pm

Chatham Vines / Transaction

News from Chatham Vines

The vines have reached an interesting point. Normally, Pinot Noir vines drop their leaves in November. Certainly the leaves on the vines at Chatham have darkened in colour, some of them displaying deep red veins, giving every indication that winter is approaching. However, Jeff from the hydroponics team has increased the light to 18 hours a day. Close inspection shows that new green shoots are starting to appear. This would suggest a jump from autumn to spring.
The team is not entirely sure that this has happened but will continue to observe what is happening to the vines.

This is very interesting because until now it hasn’t really been known whether the genetic behaviour of these vines had a lunar or a solar trigger. If the Chatham vines have been persuaded that it is spring because of the increased light levels, then we will know that they are solar triggered. Scientific information, that we think, was not previously known. Very exciting.

Meanwhile….

JBN has had a meeting with Jonathan Casciani of Casciani Evans Wood about the publication of a collection of John’s essays titled ‘Transaction’.
Jonathan and his team are working on the design of the book and organisation of the texts. They have done a lot of work on the way different views of content can link diverse essays by the way an index is formulated. The analysis that they have done will be a major factor in determining to look of the final publication.

9:35 am