Reflection and Rebellion

Reflection and Rebellion
A Loudspeaker project
Autumn 2021

Reflection and Rebellion
A Loudspeaker project
Autumn 2021
“Art feels less like something that is right or wrong or good or bad and more
like experimentation and play.”
“I feel more comfortable showing up in the world as who I really am and
also in communicating this self, emotions, feeling, and experiences in
conversation, writing and art.”

The Loudspeaker programme is delivered
by Nottingham Contemporary as part of
the national Building Better Opportunities
programme though the Opportunity and
Change project, which is funded by the
National Lottery Community Fund and the
European Social Fund.
The programme is offered in ten week
projects of which there have been
fourteen so far.
Women are offered a supportive, caring
environment to help see things differently,
feel positive about the future and move on
from challenging circumstances.
Loudspeaker sessions are an opportunity
to take a break, develop routines, build
confidence, become inspired, and meet
new people.
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This book presents the outcomes of
creative explorations made by a group of
seven women living in the East Midlands,
during Autumn 2021.
The women explored exhibitions at
Nottingham Contemporary,
Allison Katz: Artery, Erika Verzutti and
Our Silver City. They also visited
exhibitions at other galleries in
Nottingham; Breaking the Mould:
Sculpture by Women since 1945 at
Djanogly Art Gallery and
Laced: In Search of What Connects Us at
New Art Exchange.
Together they discussed their responses to
the art in the galleries and experimented
with a wide range of art materials
and methods to make their own
interpretations.
Through taking part, the women discussed
ideas about the everyday in art, feminism
and personal expression.
In this book they describe in their own
words what they did and their feelings
about being part of Loudspeaker.
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Columns
We looked at repetitive column sculptures
by Erika Verzutti in the gallery, which
are inspired by Constantine Brancusi’s
sculpture ‘Endless Column’. We each made
towers from paper, sat on the floor next to
Erika’s sculpture.
Working in three groups, we then made
our own towers, and utilising each other’s
skills and knowledge. We built our towers
out of coloured card around a bamboo
cane fixed into a base, using scissors,
staples and tape.
Erika took her ideas from an existing
artwork, while we took inspiration from
each other to achieve a common goal. All
three towers had the members of each
group’s individuality showing through.
Working in the gallery.
In the background Erika
Verzutti ‘Pencil (Lapis)’
2014, bronze and wax,
Tate
“It gave me a chance to play with
materials and challenged me as I
didn’t want to use tape.”
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Maps, Networks, Arteries
Allison Katz’ poster for ‘Artery’ which
includes maps of road junctions and of the
Nottingham Caves was the starting point
for us to create artworks using maps.
We made a collaborative artwork in the
gallery by cutting up a Nottingham A-Z and
creating a collage with it.
In the studio we drew over the roads and
lines on Ordnance Survey maps, using
carbon paper to transfer our marks onto
paper. We then added colour to these
drawings.
Seeing the paths as arteries and finding
ways though places, ways to be guided
was exciting. We started to notice shapes
within our map artworks e.g. a garden
became a fish and a lake became a Loch
Ness monster.
‘‘It was totally unpredictable as you
couldn’t tell what your drawing was
going to look like. I like that – not
knowing”.
Poster by Allison Katz for her exhibition Artery at
Nottingham Contemporary, 2021. Courtesy the artist.
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Internal Spaces
We took photos in Allison Katz’s exhibition,
finding details of the building that were
unusual.
We then collaged prints of our photos.
We chose a part of the body to be a frame
for our images, an eye and an ear, similar
to Allison’s use of open mouths in her
paintings. We painted these with acrylic
paints.
There was quite a lot of decision making;
we looked outside ourselves to find a way,
rather than staying in our own circle where
it is comfortable.
“The exhibition shows different angles
which open up your response.”
“I am more conceptual than I thought.
I have new perspectives on many
things, mostly my own self.”
Allison Katz, Ssik, 2020.
courtesy the artist and Gio Marconi
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Exploring Sculpture by Women
We visited another gallery - Djanogly Art
Gallery to see the exhibition called
Breaking the Mould:
Sculpture by Women since 1945.
In the gallery we assembled sculpture from
cones, wire, acetate and string, exploring
tension, balance and space.
We looked at a sculpture by Sarah Lucas,
made from stuffed tights which looked like
intestines or female anatomy.
We went on to make our own sculpture
with a pair of tights. Some of us had
no perceived notions of the outcome,
while others had a strong idea, although
everyone’s work had unexpected results.
“It’s nice to have the opportunity to
express ourselves and not be false;
show our quirks”.
Sarah Lucas, NUD CYCLADIC 7, 2010.
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London
© the artist.
Purchased with the assistance of the Art Fund
“My favourite thing about taking part
was feeling safe and being supported,
not judged.”
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Fruit Sculpture
Inspired by Erika’s use of fruit in her
sculpture, we created clay sculptures of
a range of fruit. We started by arranging
real fruit into groups; it was good bringing
different fruits together and trying
different compositions – being playful.
The process got us thinking about balance
and how things are formed, and of our
own stability.
When moulding the clay, our hands
became tools; to create texture we used
our own fingers and nails. We used wire to
reinforce our sculptures, helping support
items that wouldn’t normally balance.
Creating sculpture from fruit that we
would usually eat was a new experience; it
was a ‘culture shock’ sampling fruit we had
never eaten before.
Erika Verzutti Painted Lady, 2011. Bronze and acrylic
Courtesy of Alison Jaques Gallery, London.
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“...being playful without thinking
about the end product”.

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Rooms within Rooms
Looking at images of how Allison Katz
had created a ‘room within a room’ in the
gallery, gave us the idea that we can create
our own rooms. The materials and tools
available gave ideas for our creations too.
We started by using colourful tape to mark
out shapes and spaces on the Studio walls
and floor e.g., creating the illusion of a
doorway or way in.
Then, we built rooms inside cardboard
boxes using coloured papers, mirrors,
lights etc., creating a safe space to look
into, maybe with a story, and giving
different angles and perspectives through
the windows.
Allison Katz’ exhibition Artery in Gallery 1 at Nottingham
Contemporary, showing her ‘room within a room’.
Photo: Stuart Whipps
“It gets rid of control when someone
adds to what you’ve done”.
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Place of Reflection
We started by sitting together in Grace
Ndiritu’s Temple in the gallery, part of the
exhibition Our Silver City, 2094, doing
some tapestry stitching. The Temple’s
concepts were relaxation, meditation and
expression for groups and individuals.
We built our own interpretation of a
temple, a place of relaxation, reflection
and calm. We expressed ourselves in how
we used the materials; canes, reusable
cable ties, fabrics, wool, lace.
Afterwards we sat together and reflected
and appreciated the feeling of safety and
sharing, where no ideas were wrong.
“Working in union; working as a team,
no judgement, having fun”.
“I feel more ready to be creative again
in a playful capacity. It has brought my
creative freedom back after it being
lost for so long since my breakdown”.
Our Silver City 2094. Installation shot of ‘The Temple’ by
Grace Ndiritu at Nottingham Contemporary, 2021.
Photo: Stuart Whipss
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Our Thoughts
“It was the first time I had been to
an art gallery as I never I thought I
was worthy of it; not knowledgeable
enough. I realise I don’t need to worry
about that, I can go to an art gallery
and decide what grabs me. I can
have my opinions and don’t have to
conform to the norm.”
“My favourite thing about
Loudspeaker was being able to meet
women from other areas and walks of
life and be accepted.”
“Your mental health is not a stigma;
you are seen for who you are, not your
‘diagnosis’, without judgement.”
“Taking part in Loudspeaker has
really helped me to find myself again.
Being introduced to different types
of Art such as sculpture has been
really interesting and educational.
This has allowed me to spend more
time on myself and reassured me I’m
important.”
“Loudspeaker has helped me to
feel less isolated, alone and ‘other’.
I feel more confident in seeking out
creativity within the city and at home
in my own time. I have more courage
to express myself.”
“My favourite thing has been the
group work that we do. I enjoyed
being with other women who have
similar interests and listening to their
thoughts.”
“Veronica, Gill and Katy have provided
a safe space that has allowed me to
be myself without the fear of being
judged or criticised. Through working
with the other women in the group I
have gained some self confidence and
self worth and remembered that I’m
OK.”
“Loudspeaker has given me a little bit
more confidence to express myself
and re-inspired me to go back to arts
and crafts.”
“It’s just fun to come and have a talk, a
natter, a giggle with other people.”
“Loudspeaker definitely changed
things for me. It is like I have opened
a shut door, which was a long time
closed. It brought me happiness and
opened the creative side of me which
I enjoyed a long time ago. I forgot how
happy I can be. I now feel artistic again
inside and also have created projects I
am proud of.”
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Thank you
Participants
Alinta
Christine
Jelena
Jenny
Lauren
Lisa
Xaffarae
Peer Mentor
Stephanie
Loudspeaker team
Associate Artist, Gillian Brent
Programme Manager, Katy Culbard
Support Worker, Veronica O’Callaghan
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