It is not all Computers!

The exploration of computer-mediated textuality has played a large role in my artistic practice over the last five years. However, many of the artistic interests explored in this practice first became apparent to me through non-computer-mediated work. In particular, my interests in artistic collaboration, participation in meaning, the determination of a text, authorial intention and materiality of texts were all brought into focus by paper- and card-based work.

Most of this work was developed as workshop pieces in creative writing classes. All of the designs were executed as one-offs, that were unsuitable for book or Net publication. Much of this work was also ephemeral and has not left any mark by which to be remembered. However, I do have some photographs of some of the later works. The work presented on this page provides a small section of the work that survives.

Dice 2.0/2.1

Dice 2.0/2.1 was developed in a Level 2 'Fiction' module at the Luton University, UK run by Dr Lauri Ramey. In these sessions I had written a series of short lexia about chance and luck. Dr Ramey encouraged the group to take an experimental approach to their final portfolio work so I decided to find a suitable 'material' form for these aleatoric works. The notion of a text-dice evolved out of a chance encounter with the work of Ian Hamilton Finlay in a park in Luton.

The dice was constructed out of white card cut into the shape of a cross. The text was then stuck on to the faces. It was then folded into the cube shape held by Paula Taylorson in the photograph opposite.

"I know that you're a sensible person! That you plan things out...that you don't take chances or trust in luck. Logic's the thing to make those big decisions...but...

What are the chances that there is a God? A God that wants to be obeyed. A God of Old Testament fire and fury. A God that is going to furious that you are breaking his sacred commandments and resorting to worshipping the false idol of chance"

Poetry Dare (in association with Paula Taylorson and the Village of Toddington)

Poetry Dare was developed as a community poetry project.

Paula Taylorson and I had been commissioned by the local authority to work with children at a local school. The work produced by the children was then selected to be displayed on a stall at an outdoor event in a local park. Paula and I were invited along to carry out further 'poetry activity' on the day of the festival.

A community festival in a local park was an interesting writing location and we decided to weave the community theme into the production of the work. The participants in the work were asked by us to select a word that summarized their feelings about the day. They were then asked to write this word on a large piece of card (and to decorate it as they felt fit). Paula and I then challenged ourselves to produce a poem only using the cards provided by the participating public.

' Poetry Dare' evolved and mutated over the course of the afternoon of the festival. It extended into the assembled crowd and served to bring curious readers to the children's work. It also served as a focal point for the community to discuss the value of the festival to the community.

The Wishing Line (in association with Paula Taylorson and Downside Lower School)

The Wishing Line was developed as a Big Arts Week project. The aim of the project was to create a work of art that focused on the children's aspirations for their future. It also involved them challenging some of their 'hang-ups' about having ambitions.

The project was based on a washing line slung across the school hall. This was then hung with sheets, pillow cases and other laundry items.

It explored collaboration between generations of artists. It also provided an opportunity to explore writing for a medium that was very different from paper. The large sheets and pillow cases used in this project provided an enormous canvas to fill. The collaborations spread in a panoramic manner. They were also flexible so that they moved as they were being read.

The piece also gave us chance to explore some of the found-objects in the school's lost property box. I know that I was surprised at the range and types of clothes that had been left behind at the school!