Shave Artists Workshops

Shave Artists Workshops took place at Shave Farm, Bruton in Somerset between 1991 and 1995, and at Nettlecombe, Somerset, in partnership with Triangle Workshops.

“Shave developed its own character, influenced by the need for open debate and discussion between artists. However, in common with other workshops of the Triangle Network, Shave specifically focused on nurturing artists and their work. It formed a space where artists could be open and where they were not on public display.

Shave specifically focused on nurturing artists and their work. It formed a space where artists could be open and where they were not on public display. Because of this, the traditional distance between artist and audience was inherently questioned and the concerns of the workshops developed from the more object based to the site specific and collaborative.

Although a selection process (open and invited applications) was undertaken each year, the workshops were not curated in any traditional sense towards a coherent meaning. The aim was to enlarge existing networks for the benefit of all involved but primarily to create a space of exchange, questioning and open ended collaboration, with unknown or invisible results.

A two week period is a generous amount of time and provides space for ongoing convoluted and experimental conversation to happen. It allows the conjunction of individual exploratory processes and ideas mingling with discussion of broader issues of globalisation and its effects on art making, economic position of artists in different cultures, political role of artists in society etc· It is a space where literally theory, history and practice come together.

The group of participants (approximately 15 each year) were making work on site and in a sense suddenly finding themselves in an open plan (open sky) shared studio space. Shave could be thought of as a self organised temporary art school or university where everyone is a teacher and a student. Someone described it as ·perfectly organised anarchy· but in its brevity it offered something an institution could not possibly offer. It is out of the shadow of the art-marketplace, the academic institution and away from the pressure to constantly produce or succeed; a place where communication can fulfil its potential.” source: Triangle website.

Aknowledgements

Robert Loder, Rowena Pearce, Anna Best and Christian Anstice set up Shave Artists Workshop, the first Triangle workshop in the UK, in 1991. 

Over the proceeding years the organisers were Anna and Rowena, then with artist Ella Gibbs and a single year run by Tanya Kovats & David Gittings. For 5 summers the workshop was hosted by artist Rowena Pearce and writer Quentin Seddon. Artist Rupert Carey was the chef. In 1997 one further workshop took place at Nettlecombe Manor with artist Tom Wolsley hosting.

Shave (SAW) had charitable status, was funded privately, through foundations and latterly with ACE funding. 

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