18 minute read
ROYAL COMMISSION
Photography: Stephen Quinn
life in East Lancashire through the years and it has been really important in developing the work. The library and museum in Blackburn are both excellent for research and I spend a lot of time in both buildings working with the curators and managers there. We have an incredible amount of expertise in the county and I rely on these institutions to help me uncover unexpected pieces of research and artefacts that inform my work,” explains Jamie, who also visited the British Film Institute (BFI) in London. “The film archive at the BFI is a resource I use whenever I’m starting a big commission. I’ve just spent two days in the capital watching hours of footage from the coronation, various jubilees and exploring footage and newsreels of Lancashire in the 1950s.” Having studied for a degree and masters at Chelsea, Jamie started to exhibit his work internationally while he was still a student. “I was selected for the New Contemporaries and had my first exhibition at the Tate while I was a second-year degree student. When I graduated, I continued exhibiting internationally,” adds Jamie who went on to work for the Saatchi Gallery Magazine ROYAL COMMISSION
Jan Woolley meets Jamie Holman, who has been commissioned to produce a unique piece of art to celebrate an extraordinary moment in our history
ALancashire-born artist, whose work features in international collections, has been commissioned to create a new art installation to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Jamie Holman will record the memories of 70 people who have all lived throughout the Queen’s 70-year reign. This poetic soundscape will tell the story of our diverse Lancastrian communities and will be accompanied by seven large tapestries, each depicting 10 years of the monarch’s service to her people and the individuals who best remember her lifetime of service.
Speaking about the commission, Jamie, who studied Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art, says: “It’s exciting, but very daunting in terms of the weight of expectation and the complexity of communicating 70 years of service and representing 70 years of social history. These are always the best types of commission, the ones that make you excited but also nervous.”
When he started his initial research for the work, Jamie turned to the Talbot archive – a photographic press archive held by Blackburn College and Blackburn Library: “This archive of photographs captures both royal visits and day to day for 10 years, writing about art in London and across the UK.
In 2016 he returned to his roots, becoming involved in the emerging arts in East Lancashire and working on the first National Festival of Making, of which he is now a director.
Jamie also works with Blackburn College and has a studio where he works in collaboration with curator Alex Zawadzki as Uncultured Creatives, delivering complex works on a regional, national and international basis.
“Recently we delivered a large-scale
Photography: Richard Tymon
exhibition for the British Textile Biennial, we presented works at the Manchester Contemporary Art Fair, a print publication with Rough Trade Books, which we recently launched in London and HOWL a public performance featuring 150 people howling at Preston’s iconic bus station. That was covered by the BBC and even made it onto TV in Germany, New York and India! The work I make as an artist is collaborative, often large scale and is fabricated using industrial processes or heritage craft skills.”
Inspired by the people he collaborates with, Jamie has enormous respect for Lancashire’s rich cultural heritage and the county’s history of fabrication and manufacturing: “The potential of what I can actually make here in Lancashire is a huge influence on my work. I often encounter processes and materials that make me question, ‘What could I do with that?’ I look at how things are made – or what new technology is available. I go to factories and fabricators a lot, just to see what could happen if I could access their resources.
“I work closely with curators so the process of making work often becomes collaborative very quickly. It’s a way of working that really suits me.”
One of Jamie’s most notorious works from the past, is Once Upon a Time in the North West: “I was commissioned to respond to the provocation ‘the politics of cloth’. I made a wide range of works that included trade union-style banners that continued the story of culture in our towns and, in essence, I updated the heritage story of mass gatherings to include Acid House and explored the concept of transformation through people meeting in the workplace or in social constructs like fairs, football grounds and pubs.”
One of the banners made by Jamie was a tribute to the film makers Mitchel and Kenyon, the motion picture pioneers from Blackburn, who are famous for their ‘factory gate films’ featuring workers leaving mills and factories across Lancashire.
“I was exploring the archive at the BFI in London and stumbled upon a short clip, which turned out to be an out-take of ‘Kidnapping by Indians’ shot by Michel and Kenyon in 1899. This predates the accepted first ever western film by six years!”
To celebrate the fact that Lancashire was the home of a key Hollywood genre, Jamie decided to show the film again as part of the Once Upon a Time project: “I screened it at the Cotton Exchange, which had been a cinema when I was growing up.
“Before watching the film, we paraded 500 people from Mitchel and Kenyon’s original studio on Northgate with my banner and 30 or so wild west re-enactment experts, through the town on a Saturday afternoon. The public were served food handed to them as ‘a gift from President Abraham Lincoln’ – a reference to the food Lincoln sent to feed starving weavers, who refused to handle the cotton picked by enslaved people in the southern states. It’s a remarkable period in history.”
Looking to the future Jamie hopes to continue working in Lancashire: “My ambition has always been to establish a contemporary art practice here in Lancashire, rather than feel the need to
relocate to London or another larger city.
“I don’t think there are many places in the country where I could have the size and quality of studio I have here, or the access to expertise in making and fabricating that we have across the county.
“Although I am interested in heritage, my work is contemporary. The majority of my sales are international or in London, but it would be nice if more of my large works stayed here. Aside from that, I remain incredibly ambitious and I’m hoping to work on larger commissions.”
The Platinum Jubilee artwork project was commissioned by Lord Shuttleworth and a collective of local business leaders and cultural professionals earlier this year. The footage and narrative will be available internationally and will accompany Jamie’s tapestries, which are to be exhibited. n
GOOD READ
Lauren Molyneux curls up with a good book to review the latest best seller
Klara and the Sun
Kazuo Ishiguro
‘Do you believe in the human heart?’ With the rise of the sun each morning, ‘artificial friend’ Klara takes her place in the store. Seemingly more perceptive than her peers, she prioritises learning as much as she can about the human race above all else, and hopes to be placed in a prime position where the eyes of customers will regularly fall on her, and she can observe the outside world. When she finally makes it to the storefront window and attracts the attention of a young girl and her mother, her hopes soar at the thought of being chosen. But with the early realisation that the girl, Josie, is in ill health, doubts are raised about the mother’s true intentions behind seeking an artificial companion for her daughter and Klara is warned not to invest too heavily in the promises of humans. When it becomes clear that Josie may not survive the long-term illness that also killed her sister, the central theme of the nature of love is firmly set into motion, and we begin to consider the prospects of posthumanism and the potential that advanced artificial intelligence has in shifting our understanding of human connections. Delivering a rich narrative with intricately developed characters and an intriguing premise, Ishiguro’s fictional world, whilst seemingly somewhat normal initially, quickly becomes one which appears to be dystopian by design, with genetically improved, ‘lifted’ children being the only ones given access to education and proper prospects for advancement. Set in an unspecified yet not-so-distant future, Klara and the Sun is both thought-provoking and reflective, exploring the habits and condition of modern society, the bases of human interaction, and the rapid development of technology and the scope of its potential to impact us as a race. Delivering insightful and often touching commentary from a unique and unforgettable narrator, in his latest masterpiece Ishiguro delicately explores concepts of love, loyalty and family to leave readers with the lingering question of what it ultimately means to be human. n
ON SCREEN
Anna Souroullas takes a look at the latest blockbusters, ready-to-stream films, cinema releases and DVDs
THE ADAM PROJECT
Release Date: 11th March Director: Shawn Levy Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo and Catherine Keener
Certificate:
Adam Reed, a 13-year-old boy, is grieving the sudden death of his father when one night he discovers a wounded pilot hiding in his garage. This mysterious pilot turns out to be the older version of himself from the future, who has risked everything to come back in time on a secret mission. Together they must venture into the past to find their father, set things right and save the world. n
MORBIUS
Release Date: 1st April Director: Daniel Espinosa Starring: Michael Keaton, Jared Leto, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Matt Smith and Tyrese Gibson
Certificate: CINEMA
RELEASE
In this Marvel Universe creation, Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic anti-hero Michael Morbius. Dr Morbius, a biochemist, is dangerously ill with a rare blood disease. Desperate to cure himself and others suffering the same fate, Dr Morbius attempts an experiment. At first it seems to be a radical success, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead. A darkness inside him is unleashed. Will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges, or will good override evil? n
THE NOWHERE INN
Release Date: 8th March Director: Bill Benze Starring: Annie Clark, St. Vincent, Dakota Johnson and Carrie Brownstein Certificate:
DVD
We follow St Vincent, a dedicated and artistic musician, as she pursues her desire to create a documentary about her talents. Enlisting the help of a close friend of hers, St Vincent hopes that her friend can bring creative clarity to the project and assist with the directing. Things quickly take a turn for the worse. Notions of reality, identity and authenticity grow increasingly distorted and unclear. Unpredictable forces are found lurking within the subject, whilst the filmmaker threatens to derail their friendship and the project. n
WOODFOLD PARK FARM, MELLOR, BB2 7QA OIEO £550,000
A stunning and spacious family home in a private gated development on the outskirts of the Ribble Valley. Woodfold Park farm is in an enviable rural location ideal for commuting to the main East Lancashire Business centres. Number 8 Woodfold Park Farm extends to approximately 2500 sqft offering accommodation across three floors fitted out to a high specification having being purchased originally as a shell by the current owners. There is a spacious entrance hall, cloakroom, utility room, open plan living dining kitchen along with three bedrooms, master with dressing room and en-suite, shower room and a house bathroom. There are two further bedrooms and a house bathroom with walk-in storage rooms. With a delightful landscaped South West facing garden to the rear, there is also a communal courtyard to the front with parking and visitor parking and a double garage. Inspection advised. EPC – E.
FLETCHERS FARM, OSBALDESTON, BB2 7LY £850,000
Located just outside the village of Osbaldeston and tucked away in a quiet yet convenient location, Fletchers Farm is a beautiful family home with 1.5 acres of land, stables and all-weather riding arena. The property has been extensively upgraded in recent years and briefly comprises three spacious reception rooms, family kitchen, downstairs WC, utility and boot room accessed from outside. To the first floor there are four bedrooms including master with en-suite and walk-in wardrobe, three further bedrooms, two with fitted sinks and a newly refurbished house bathroom. Externally there are large private gardens with pond and terrace, stone built double garage, ample parking and a private driveway. The land extends to approximately 1.5 acres which is private and enclosed. Separate stables and arena. (Horse walker by separate negotiation). EPC - C.
OLD HALL FARM, SIMONSTONE, BB12 7NY £780,000
Hiding behind high stone walls on the outskirts of Simonstone, Old Hall Farm is a beautiful three/four bedroom family home which has been subject to a comprehensive restoration and refurbishment in recent years. The property has been tastefully modernised and offers flexible accommodation with two good sized reception rooms, dining kitchen, converted cellar, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, dressing room, gym / fourth bedroom located in the adjacent garage building, which would be suitable for an annexe if required and subject to planning consent. Electric gates offer a high degree of privacy, a sweeping driveway leads to a courtyard and parking area to the side of the house, which is surrounded by landscaped gardens and grounds. Early inspection is advised. EPC – E.
RIBBLEDENE, OLD LANGHO, BB6 8BJ £975,000
Ribbledene is an individually designed Arts and Crafts inspired luxurious family home sitting perfectly in a 1/4-acre plot on The Drive in Brockhall Village. This impressive and imposing five bedroom home has been hand crafted without compromise and has brick and render elevations with a canopied arch porch between two feature bays. Accessed from the impressive grand entrance hall, there are two reception rooms, study and impressive open plan living / dining kitchen with utility room to the ground floor. To the first floor are five double bedrooms, master with dressing area and en-suite, second bedroom with ensuite and three double rooms sharing the beautifully finished and equipped house bathroom. Externally there are substantial gardens to the front and rear, a detached double garage and copious amounts of parking. This house is truly a unique proposition and inspection will not disappoint. EPC – B.
Whalley 01254 828922 whalley@fineandcountry.com Ribble Valley Hodder Valley East Lancashire Head Office 119–121 Park Lane, London W1 | +44 (0)20 7079 1515 parklane@fineandcountry.com
WESTMEATH, BALDERSTONE, BB2 7LH £975,000
Westmeath is a superb, detached family home occupying a quiet yet convenient location with commanding rural views to the rear over open farmland with long distance Ribble Valley views towards Longridge Fell. This property has been tastefully upgraded in recent years and now affords three reception rooms, five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a high quality kitchen and fittings throughout. Externally the property is surrounded by sizable private grounds with gated driveway, ample parking and two separate double garages. Conveniently located for ease of access to a number of East Lancashire towns including Blackburn, Clitheroe and Preston, the property has good main routes, along the A59, to the M6 motorway giving through routes to both north and south. Westmeath is also ideally located for Preston station giving access to Manchester, London, Glasgow and Edinburgh. EPC – D.
PARISH VIEW, GRIMSARGH, PR2 5DR O.I.E.O. £950,000
Three high specification luxury homes on an exclusive gated development close to Preston and the Ribble Valley - these spacious four and five bedroomed detached family homes are stunning in design with fantastic high-quality specification rarely seen in new builds and will be finished and presented to a very high standard. The stone-built houses each extend to approximately 3800 sq ft and occupy large plots with substantial gardens. EPC – B.
LYNWOOD, WISWELL, BB7 9BZ £1,150,000
Lynwood is a superb large, detached bungalow on the outskirts of Wiswell near Clitheroe. This substantial five bedroom, four reception room property extends to approximately 3000 sq ft (285 sq m) and occupies a generous plot of approximately one acre with rural farmland to the front securing the wonderful long-distance view across the Ribble Valley. This spacious family home has many possibilities including redevelopment of the site (subject to planning consent). The bungalow benefits from ample parking on the gated driveway, four single garages and beautifully maintained lawns and patio making the best of the view. EPC – E.
TILE HOUSE, BOLTON-BY-BOWLAND, BB7 4NJ £900,000
Tile House is a superb, four bedroomed detached family home, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the Trough of Bowland. The house stands in a convenient yet rural location in between the village of Sawley and Bolton-by-Bowland near Clitheroe. This spacious and well-presented house offers flexible family accommodation and occupies a private and attractive setting with mature gardens and grounds with delightful rural views. A superb location for commuting within Lancashire or Yorkshire and with a market town on the doorstep. EPC – E.
Whalley 01254 828922 whalley@fineandcountry.com Ribble Valley Hodder Valley East Lancashire Head Office 119–121 Park Lane, London W1 | +44 (0)20 7079 1515 parklane@fineandcountry.com
THE WOODLAND HOUSE
The Woodland House is just one of ZMA’s many greenbelt approvals, which is now under construction
At ZMA 80 per cent of projects are located on sensitive sites such as greenbelt, open countryside, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) or conservation areas. With 16 successful sensitive planning approvals in the last 12 months, the Woodland House is one of our recent greenbelt approvals which is now commencing construction. Located on a greenbelt site within a clearing between trees, the area is surrounded by a biological heritage site and open countryside. Our design brief was to create a private, sustainable, contemporary, family home which had no impact on the natural woodland and landscaping. Our clients are self-building their forever home and wanted to create a bespoke, architecturally designed dwelling, which maximised natural light, woodland views and incorporated their individual living requirements. The proposal was limited to the area of the site which did not contain any Tree Root Protection Areas to ensure that no trees were affected by the development. The existing site included an existing bungalow and a number of out-buildings, which are to be demolished, but the clients wanted to continue living in their existing property until the completion of the build. Therefore, the design worked with this specific requirement along with the volume, ground floor footprint and height restrictions, which were limited to the existing structures.
As the site is surrounded by large mature trees, the siting of the property was key to maximising natural light at key times of the day and throughout the different seasons. To achieve this, we created a 3D walk-through which allows you to visualise how light will enter the space at different times and through different seasons. The proposal has been designed based on how the clients will use the property at each time of the day, integrating their beloved dogs, and to create a property which blends indoor and outdoor living. Features of the property include a split- level arrangement utilising the existing site levels, a large covered outdoor terrace, indoor-outdoor living spaces, a pool, dog room, triple garage, an open plan kitchen dining living space, a separate living room and a large master bedroom suite with external terrace and a green roof. Greenbelt is one of the most restrictive planning policies and planning success is dependent on many factors including the proposed design, current use of the site, site history, existing structures, volume and ground floor footprint, effect on the openness, visibility, character, materials, landscaping, ecology, biodiversity, beauty and architectural merit. n
If you have a project in mind, contact a member of our team for a free consultation to discuss how to begin your dream project
Zara Moon Architects We transform sites, buildings, and lives. Unit 37, Mitton Road Business Park Mitton Road, Whalley BB7 9YE 01200 403840 enquiries@zaramoonarchitects.co.uk zaramoonarchitects.co.uk
