Speaking of Art

In 2004, Ian Banks was asked by Charles Quick, the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) Professor of Public Art Practice and James Green (then) head curator at the Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston, to help them curate an inaugural series of public talks in the evening that expanded on the notions of art in the public realm. As such, and with the initial working title of Speaking of Art, a first series of 9 monthly talks were curated and facilitated by Ian at UCLan during 2004 and 2005, and were filmed and digitalised for posterity. The basic concept of the talks as envisaged by Ian involved an invitation being made to his identified lead ‘curator’, and for them then as first speaker, to then suggest their own theme, and a second main speaker to expand on that theme. A short public Q&A and discussion session, chaired by Charles Quick, then concluded matters. The links to intial Speaking of Art videos are as listed below. Note that some titles were slightly changed, but they essentially included the following 9 talks / themes:

  1. Public Art Practic at the Coalface – Geoff Wood & Louise Wyman
  2. Working the Site: Art Collaboration and Process – Cathy Newbery & Nayan Kulkarni
  3. Grand Gestures: The Temporary Spectacle in Public Art – Lewis Biggs & Clive Gilman
  4. Role of Curator and Artist – Peter Sharpe & Nick Coombe
  5. The Art of Good Design – Robert Powell & Walter Jack
  6. Public Art as a Physical Gaming Environment – Taylor Nuttall & Maria Stukoff
  7. Urban Versus Rural: Using Public Space – Adam Sutherland and Bedwyr Williams
  8. Regeneration and Community – Chris Davis and alison
  9. The Iconic Building and Cosmic Art – Libby Raper and Charles Jencks

Since this initial series, and through the vision of Professor Charles Quick, UCLan have now created a permanent artistic research project called In Certain Places within UCLan.

Categories: Public Art

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