Nottingham Contemporary

Geoffrey Farmer Let’s Make the Water Turn Black

• 12 October 2013 — 5 January 2014 *on now

Borrowing elements from conceptual and installation art, Geoffrey Farmer combines poetry and social commentary with specific cultural histories and memories. He presents these findings in a new and unfamiliar light, creating playful and visually entrancing works.

Let’s Make the Water Turn Black is his most technically ambitious installation to date. Over 70 sculptures have been constructed from found materials, salvaged movie props and discarded theatre sets which he presents as an ensemble on a large platform. Animated by computer, in an environment of changing coloured light, the population of characters are choreographed into a mechanical performance. They move slowly in response to musical compositions.

Echoing a 1968 composition by Frank Zappa of the same name, Farmer’s Let’s Make the Water Turn Black presents an improvised chronology of the six decades of the American musician’s life. Farmer sees the vast sculptural structure as a single instrument.

Website

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/art/geoffrey-farmer

Asco: No Movies

• 12 October 2013 — 5 January 2014 *on now

Asco were formed in the early 1970s by four Chicano artists - Harry Gamboa Jr, Gronk, Willie F. Herrón III and Patssi Valdez - who met in high school in East LA, the centre of Los Angeles’s Mexican American community.

They emerged from the Chicano civil rights movement of the late 60s and early 70s, which fought labour exploitation, the Vietnam draft, police brutality, and other forms of discrimination and deprivation.

Their name means disgust or nausea in Spanish, and their work had a low budget look reflecting their circumstances – Gronk called it aesthetics of poverty. In the 70s, a Chicano artist was expected to paint murals – the Chicano Movement borrowed from the Mexican political mural tradition of the early 20th century.

While sharing the Movement’s opposition to racial discrimination, Asco were also determined to free themselves from the straightjacket of muralism. They sometimes did this by parodying it. Walking Mural and Instant Mural were outrageous street performances rather than paintings on walls.

Website

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/art/asco

An Exchange of Creativity

• 10 October — 12 December 2013 *on now

Following the successful pilot course ran by artist Sian Watson Taylor, we are continuing a conversation inspired by the latest exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary. The conversations will be animated, creative and visual, giving women all the tools to express their ideas and voice their opinions about contemporary art and the wider world. This is part of the Women’s Learning Programme and is therefore a women only course.

Suitable for

• 18+

Admission

Website

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/adult-learning

Study Sessions

• 5 December 2013 6-8pm

What does it mean to be disgusting? Through reading and discussion, four sessions led by Tracey Potts of the University of Nottingham Centre for Critical Theory address disgust within art, theory, and the social realm, bringing in references from theories of abjection to TV documentaries.

Admission

Website

http://nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/study-session-poetics-politics-disgust

Free Family Activities: December

• 30 November — 22 December 2013 *on now

Sat 30 November and Sun 1 December: Newspaper Costumes, In The Studio
ASCO use newspapers to create wonderful costumes and fashions. Come along and try it for yourself.

Sat 7 and Sun 8 December: The Silly Sculpture Mash, In The Studio
Create mixed up sculptures with all kinds of things. We'll be using everything we can find, even vegetables!

Sat 14 and Sun 15 December: Make It, Eat It, Watch It! In The Studio Sat and The Space on Sun
On Saturday come along to The Studio and create art using film stills and film posters. Collage words and images together to make your own movie poster for a made up film.

On Sunday in our huge Space take part in making and doing activities inspired by the afternoon film, then enjoy your own picnic and a film (Tickets £3 each) with those beloved theatrical types The Muppets.

Sat 21 and Sun 22 December: Light Fantastic, In The Studio
Geoffrey Farmer uses lots of lights in his work, join us in The Studio to create some of your own fantastic light installations.

Suitable for

• 0-4
• 7-10
• 14-15
• 5-6
• 11-13

Website

http://nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/family-weekends-december

San Diego Surf

• 4 December 2013 8-9:30pm *on now

The first public UK screening of one of Warhol’s last films, made in La Jolla with Warhol Factory Superstars and local surfers.

Admission

Website

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/san-diego-surf

Warhol’s LA

• 4 December 2013 6-7pm *on now

Gary Needham and guests present the story of Warhol’s LA via his attraction to its culture and his interest in manufactured fame, through his connection with the Ferus Gallery, to the Velvet Underground’s disastrous 1966 West Coast tour. Live Broadcast online

Admission

Website

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/warhols-la-san-diego-surf

Wednesday Walkthrough Sharon Monteith

• 4 December 2013 1-1:45pm *on now

Professor of American Studies Sharon Monteith (University of Nottingham) draws connections between both shows departing from her research on American culture.

Admission

Website

http://nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/asco-farmer-walkthrough-sharon-monteith

Curating Sound: Panel Discussion

• 11 December 2013 6:30-8:30pm

With Lina Dzuverovic (Calvert 22), Mark Harwood (Penultimate Press) and composer Jeremy Peyton-Jones (Goldsmiths). Live Broadcast online

Admission

Website

http://nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/curating-sound

Wednesday Walkthrough Rebecca Lee

• 11 December 2013 1-1:45pm

Artist and musician Rebecca Lee looks at composition and performance in the work of Geoffrey Farmer.

Admission

Website

http://nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/farmer-walkthrough-rebecca-lee

Curating Sound: Performance

• 12 December 2013 7-9pm

A live acoustic performance by experimental musician and saxophonist John Butcher who responds to the unusual architecture of the Park Tunnel with responses and improvisations from other guest artists. Please see our website for more information.

Where

Off-site
The Park Tunnel, Derby Road
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire

Admission

Website

http://nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/curating-sound-performance

Take part in making and doing activities, then enjoy a family film with those beloved theatrical types The Muppets. Set in Los Angeles it has lots of retro moments for Mums and Dads too. Bring your own picnic.

Suitable for

• 0-4
• 7-10
• 5-6
• 11-13

Admission

Christmas Holidays

• 24 December 2013 — 5 January 2014

Tue 24 December - Sun 5 January: Holiday family Fun
We will be closed on Christmas Day Wed 25 December, Boxing Day Thu 26 December and New Years Day Wed 1 January.

Tue 24 and Fri 27 December: Christmas Lights! In The Studio
Join us for some Christmas fun with lots of lights!

Sat 28 and Sun 29 December: Changing Places, In The Studio
ASCO's art was in the street and by being there it changed the street. Drop in and draw onto images to change the places around you.

Tue 31 December, Thu 2 and Fri 3 January: Christmas Lights! In The Studio
Join us for some Christmas fun with lots of lights!

Sat 4 and Sun 5 January: A Day in the Life! In The Studio
Geoffrey Farmer's sculptures are an assortment of objects, sounds and movements. Pick your favourite moment from 2013 and bring it to life again by picking sound effects, actions and props.

Suitable for

• 0-4
• 7-10
• 5-6
• 11-13

Website

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/christmas-holiday-fun

Christmas Holiday Fun

• 24 December 2013 — 5 January 2014

Tue 24 December - Sun 5 January: Holiday family Fun
We will be closed on Christmas Day Wed 25 December, Boxing Day Thu 26 December and New Years Day Wed 1 January.

Tue 24 and Fri 27 December: Christmas Lights! In The Studio
Join us for some Christmas fun with lots of lights!

Sat 28 and Sun 29 December: Changing Places, In The Studio
ASCO's art was in the street and by being there it changed the street. Drop in and draw onto images to change the places around you.

Tue 31 December, Thu 2 and Fri 3 January: Christmas Lights! In The Studio
Join us for some Christmas fun with lots of lights!

Sat 4 and Sun 5 January: A Day in the Life! In The Studio
Geoffrey Farmer's sculptures are an assortment of objects, sounds and movements. Pick your favourite moment from 2013 and bring it to life again by picking sound effects, actions and props.

Suitable for

• 11-13
• 5-6
• 14-15
• 7-10
• 0-4

Website

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/christmas-holiday-fun

Installation and Intervention

• 7 February — 25 April 2014

Join this course to gain practical knowledge and a deeper understanding of what is meant by the terms installation and intervention. Tutor Chris Lewis-Jones will introduce you to how these ideas manifest themselves in contemporary art and give you the materials and ideas to create your own.

Suitable for

• 18+

Admission

Website

http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/adult-learning