Jeff's very own record stall

Jeff has start an ambitious project, painting imagined record covers to create his own record stall.

Betty's new Collage

Betty has started work on a series of large collage works using photographs she took of objects from her home.

Chris's new cardboard sculptures

Chris is working on making a large art installation all made from cardboard. 

Jonathan's new paintings

Jonathan has started a new series of paintings based on activities at home.

Dave making the most of his Punning

Dave working on a large text piece a continuous stream of puns.

Jeff Johns at Edinburgh Film Festival

With support from AIM artist Jeff Johns developed Anything But Me,  as part of Different Voices film scheme run by biggerhouse films.The film included live action and animation. Following Jeffs experience in sound recording in Cork during the Expanding Realities workshop, Jeff was also keen to make his own sound for the film, which he did!

The film was selected for New Voices at Edinburgh Film Festival 2017

The Tea Service

The Tea Service was the result of an exchange of images between AIM, Gasp and Debajo Del Sombero.

The artists from AIM developed the idea and invited our European partners to take part. 

The artists at AIM were keen to find a creative way to engage with other groups, organisations and local community networks in Bristol, to discuss and share ideas about a wide range of topics including art, disability and local history.

The work was made by creating a tea service by using ceramic photographic transfers and applying them to chinaware. 

Once made this purpose-made tea set was used as a way to invite others to join us at the table for art, tea and discussion. The discussions were led by the artists using their artwork as the starting point, creating opportunities for different and diverse groups to meet share experiences and ideas in a relaxed informal way.

The finished work was launched at Spike Island Open Studios in 28th April 2017 and lasted for four days. It was a great weekend meeting and talking to many interesting groups and individuals. 

Tea Service is now starting its tour in the Bristol area and is will next be at the Arnolfini art gallery in October 2017 as part the Grayson Perry Exhibition.

Putting ideas into practice

Getting inspiration from our exchange of ideas AIM borrowed The White Installation idea developed by Debajo del Sombrero into practice.

AIM was asked to run a workshop to New Fosseway School in June as part of their creative day. Working with the school prior to the event we involved the pupils in creating an installation of miscellaneous white painted objects.

On the day of the event visitors and pupils joined us in painting the objects, transforming them with colour to create a vibrant finished installation.

This is a great workshop idea created by Debajo del Sombrero as anyone of any age, ability can get involved and requires working together as a group.

    

Belén and the record machine

During the last artist’s Exchange in Cork, Belen new already what was going to be her next project.

In the first image, she is rehearsing with an electric piano, playing the same musical chord that will be with us all week long from the beginning to the end.

The next Belen’s demand was a baby trolley where she placed the piano and a black doll, tied all together with tape, cables and ropes. 

With the time, the trolley was filled up with objects that she has had recycled with an order that only she new about it.

Belen and Jessica's Trolleys

Finally, in Madrid after a year and a half, the process has been repeated. Belen has reproduced her Records Machine, and she uses it together with Cai Tomos, an artist from wales, as she did in the past with the musicians Katie Whelan y Mick O´Shea, giving a continuation to the process happened in Cork.

Belén Sánchez and Mick O´Shea

New record machine

Belén Sánchez and Cai Tomos

Mario acting Garnet character

The first sing of Garnet was in 2015 in Tabacalera, during a mural painting session, when preparing the first workshop in Madrid.

Since then, Mario has been working on this animating character, a new process was slowly been opened.

In Mario’s work we can see a lot of similarities with AIM (Bristol), around the story and its representation through the clothing, being more precise with the work of Betty Sargent.

Garnet's weak

Detail of Garnet's weak

Garnet's globes

Most recently the clothing elaboration on the process of Garnet (weak and globes) has gone a further step in the imitation of the character.

At the moment, Mario together with the wales artist Cai Tomos, is starting the first movements in the representation of the character.

Mario Batanero acting Garnet, together with 

Cai Tomos (Nave 10, Matadero-Madrid, 2017)

Working with needles

There are already 3 artists working on sewing.

Marina Solana, Mercedes Serra and Rúl Hernández are opening the path in this field, substituting drawing materials by needles and fabrics. These artworks are personal tales and the three of them relating to the mothers. Marina’s mother is from Japan and she is sketching in fabric all the Japanese family. Mercedes is working with the memory of her mother who died a year ago. In her embroidered portrait, you will see her mother holding her grandchild. Raul’s work is more abstract, but he likes sewing because her mother was a dress maker and he comes to the workshop with a fantastic sewing box with plenty of colourful threads 

Marina Solana 

Mercedes Serra

Raúl Hernández

Examples of some of the Tea Service plates