Paul Harfleet

NEW WEBSITE

2011-10-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

I've created a new website that brings together every strand of my practice under one 'roof':

www.paulharfleet.com

2010-04-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

My current practice explores autonomous ongoing projects which focus on my interest in the cultural representation, position and attitude towards those outside of the heteronormative mass with an interest in the implications of citizenship and its influence on navigation and memory of the urban environment I augment and re-contextualise various sites and objects by allocating them with new meaning or significance often through drawing, photography and intervention.

This interest includes The Pansy Project an ongoing process that involves the planting of pansies at various sites of homophobic abuse. A pansy is planted at the site of a homophobic attack; each location is named after the abuse then posted on my website with further reflection posted on The Pansy Project Blog. Occasional large scale interventions, photographic documentation sculptural assemblage and drawing act as components of exhibition which have been included in various festivals and projects world-wide. Existing for five years the project continues to develop and explore the notion of memory, urban experience and violence from an autobiographical viewpoint.

Another experimental stream of my practice is the personification of Coco LaVerne a fictional 'female' incarnation who writes a satirical blog, this 'performative' writing takes inspiration from mainstream media and is intended to critique and observe the representation of society within popular culture. Originated as light relief from the occasionally harrowing Pansy Project the blog has garnered a world-wide following, Coco LaVerne has been described as “An Acid Tongued Glamazon” and as a “Controversial Blogger!” and was nominated for 'Best New Blog' at the Manchester Blog Awards. The imagery and personae of Coco LaVerne is promoted through on-line social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

I have been involved with various curatorial projects including Apartment which was an artist led space ran from my one bedroom council flat in central Manchester a space directed with Hilary Jack which showed various international artists over a period of five years.

Best of Both Worlds!

2009-07-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Above "Was willst du? Komm doch!. Ich hau dir eins in die Fresse!" ("Come on, I'll punch you in the face!") planted just outside the Sophie-Charlotten Platz U-Bahn.

My current practice has two main strands, both operate as autonomous ongoing projects though each focus on my interest in the cultural representation, position and attitude towards those outside of the heteronormative mass.

'Hanged' For more information click here

The Pansy Project is an ongoing process that involves the planting of pansies at various sites of homophobic abuse. A pansy is planted at the site of a homophobic attack, each location is named after the abuse then posted on my website with further reflection posted on The Pansy Project Blog. Occasional large scale interventions, photographic documentation sculptural assemblage and drawing act as components of exhibition which have been included in various festivals and projects world-wide. Existing for five years the project continues to develop and explore the notion of memory, urban experience and violence from an autobiographical viewpoint.

'Coco Kelly' Collage

The other stream of my practice is the personification of Coco LaVerne a fictional 'female' incarnation who writes a satirical blog, this 'performative' writing takes inspiration from mainstream media and is intended to critique and observe the representation of society within popular culture. Originated as light relief from the occasionally harrowing Pansy Project the blog has garnered a world wide following, Coco LaVerne has been described as “An Acid Tongued Glamazon” and as a “Controversial Blogger!” and recently was nominated for 'Best New Blog' at the Manchester Blog Awards. The imagery and personae of Coco LaVerne is promoted through on-line social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

a cranes caress

2009-01-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

Manchester’s Gay Village has evolved from a subversive collection of gay bars and clubs to a mainstream location of leisure and entertainment. Canal Street has been transformed from political ‘safe space’ to a popular destination for hen parties. A once revered space for same sex couples to canoodle, court and kiss has been usurped by the heterosexual tourist intent on witnessing transgressive behaviours that simultaneously excite and repel the heteronormative mass who both embrace and objectify the homosexual ‘deviant’.

This cultural shift has been epitomised by ‘Origin’ a large development located in the heart of the gay village subtitled ‘Live, Work, Play’ the developers have utilised the ‘uniqueness’ of the location to market living facilities to a modern cosmopolitan market. With large bill boards of aspirational gay stereotypes plastered over the boundaries of the location the cynical marketing campaign simultaneously seduces and exploits the local users and residents. ‘A Cranes Caress’ is an image depicting the cranes currently in place to aid the building of ‘Origin’. The images title infuses this masculine machinery with a subtle sexuality subverting the ‘Mechano’ set of the building site and its phallic ‘maleness’ to a visibly gay presence on the skyline of the Gay Village: The cranes ‘kiss’ reclaiming the space for the queer lived experience.

My Research Continues :

The Legacy of Turing

2008-08-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

I have come across the following memorials, above is a statue located at Bletchley Park, by Stephen Kettle the sculpture uses slate to depict Turing interestingly he is again shown sat down though on this occasion he is working at a desk for more information click here. I came across the video below on Youtube unfortunately there is no explanation or context, though it is an interesting response to Alan Turing as the virtual 'bust' is placed on-line a location made possible by Turing's legacy.

In my continuing research into Alan Turing and his legacy I am struck by the complexity of this particular figures impact. As various memorials outline, Alan Turing is widely believed to be the forefather of computer technology. Various on-line postings explain that without Alan Turing you would not be able to see the words you see here and on any other computer screen. The article here comments on the over importance placed on Alan Turing’s sexuality the writer claims that too much emphasis is placed on culturally important gay figures, inferring that this prurient interest in the private life of public figures detracts from the influence they have to society generally. I partly agree though in the current climate of homophobia that persists in its various complex forms I feel it is essential to publicise the identity of important contributors to society as this may in part challenge the stereotypes that persist.

When the above memorial was revealed at Bletchley Park there was some controversy focusing on the lack of information regarding Alan Turing’s homosexuality with calls from various activists to augment the text accompanying the memorial to properly place Turing in ‘gay history’.

Whilst browsing the various posts on Turing it is interesting to note that the level of detail regarding his sexuality varies greatly. Some say “he was believed to be homosexual” others refrain from commenting on the nature of Turing’s personal life and death at all. Do these omissions represent a version of homophobia?

It’s tempting to believe that the reason for this partial cultural invisibility is in part due to Turing’s sexuality; a heteronormative society promotes and celebrates a particular version of masculinity. A brilliant scientist and thoughtful gay mans contribution to the war effort doesn’t tally with the traditional viewing of a macho war hero.

Though I believe there is a responsibility to celebrate the great in all fields irrespective of sexuality. It is interesting to note that a recent poll of gay men and their heroes neglected to mention Alan Turing at all, instead the majority of ‘heroes’ focused on popular culture ‘icons’, for more read here. This perhaps reveals as much about gay culture as it does a wider societal disinterest in politics and history. My research continues.

Ruinous Recollections > Reflections

2008-06-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Dirk Bogarde

Post ‘Ruinous Recollections’ preview at Upper Space Gallery I have been reflecting on the way the work outlined below functioned within an exhibition context. During the opening I found myself introducing the work, each piece became an illustrative tool to illuminate the story of Alan Turing and the symbolism of the apple. Many but not all of the people attending the exhibition had heard of Alan Turing, so I found myself as storyteller, explaining the legacy of Turing and his importance to history. One fascinating aspect of the proceedings was the level at which Turing features in local urban legend. Many were aware of the statue in Sackville Gardens but were vague about the specificities of its meaning, I attempted to reveal as much about what I've learned of Turing as possible to as many people as possible and throughout this process I found myself repeating the same phrases and seeing similar expressions on the faces of the audience. Most where fascinated by the association with the Apple-Mac logo and its link with Alan Turings suicide, as I was. Most like me appeared to be intrigued by the symbolism of the apple throughout history. It occurs to that there is an association between the symbolism of the apple in this case and the propensity for urban legend in oral histories.

So as with The Pansy Project which explores the symbolism of the pansy and its ability to instigate discussion on homophobia, I seem to be adopting similar strategies with the apple and the Alan Turing narrative. This strategy is accompanied by an oral contribution, where the symbolism is used to illustrate and explain. This performative element within my work is apparently an intrinsic component. This ‘work in progress’ show has clarified for me the need to place the apples over the statue of Alan Turing, and the necessity for me to be on hand to explain the project to the passerby.

Perhaps most profoundly for me, I seem drawn to acting as ambassador for Alan Turing, as I do for the experience of homophobia with The Pansy Project. I tended to correct some of the misconceptions about his story. I was keen to emphasis his openness about his sexuality despite the illegality of this at the time. I referenced some of the humour in his letters included in Andrew Hodges book. Apparently my main drive was to depict the man as a complex and positive figure in history despite the tragedy of his story. On this point I am reminded of Richard Dyer’s book ‘The Culture of Queers’, in the chapter ‘Coming Out as Going in’ – The Image of the Homosexual as Sad Young Man’ Dyer explores the propensity for culture to present gay men as tragic figures, from fifties film stars such as Dirk Bogarde (top) and Montgomery Clift to the 19^th Century Romantic Poets. On this I am inclined to focus on Alan Turing as tragic figure verses scientific genius and the link this has with the ideology of the struggling artist and the many contemporary versions of gayness. My research continues.

click on the book cover for more information on this book.

'Ruinous Recollections' > Research

2008-06-30T02:10:00.000-07:00

As outlined below I am currently involved with an exhibition entitled Ruinous Recollections - ‘Artistic drifts through post-industrial Manchester’. The Curators have selected five artists to focus on culturally significant figures who spent time in Manchester. I have been selected to work on Alan Turing. A ‘work in progress’ show at Upper Space Gallery recently enabled the artists involved to present their research so far. Below are some thoughts on my work included in this show with images from the exhibition.

The main focus of my interest is the memorial to Alan Turing placed in Sackville Gardens near the Gay Village in Manchester. I have been keen to explore the way the seated ‘man’ interacts with the park dwellers and have been interested in observing the impact this memorial has. As the statue is located along my route into town I pass it regularly at various times throughout the day. Since my research has begun I have noticed that the statue is a focus for activity, the public can frequently be seen sat round and on the figure, joking, laughing and almost seeming to include it in conversation. It is unclear if the public are aware of the memorials meaning though the fact that it is possible to sit next to the figure suggests a accessibility that is unusual in monuments that remember other luminaries.

I recently passed the statue and was interested to note the intervention/vandalism that had occurred on the Turing memorial. The above image shows that some park visitors had placed a Manchester United hat on the head of the memorial, and stuffed a Manchester Evening News under its arm. There were also condoms placed at various points on the monument, they had been blown up and filled with a white fluid; unlikely it seems to be the fluid they were designed to contain. The next day the statue was back to its old self; so no permanent ‘damage’. It seems unlikely that the people responsible were intending to make a comment with the assemblage though it is interesting to note the perhaps unwitting significance of their choice of object. It could be said that the use of Manchester icons The Manchester Evening News and Manchester United reveals that the Alan Turing memorial is embedded within Manchester operating as a cipher for conversation and a backdrop for civic interaction. The above, could tenuously be seen as a slightly seedy Manchester version of the ‘Angel of the North’ and its famous adornment with the Newcastle United football strip, which seemed to denote the popular acceptance of the artwork as a symbol of Newcastle.

I have also chosen to focus on the symbolism of the apple and the ambiguity surrounding Turing’s death widely believed to be with a cyanide laced apple. This dramatic story seems to have over shadowed the man so I wanted to explore a way of reinvigorating the monument by perhaps focusing on the apple and its apparent ability to dominate the story of Alan Turing. I have attempted to explore and subvert the apples contribution to Alan Turings biography and hope to use it to promote further interest in this significant Manchester Figure. My research continues….

The depictions of apples illustrate culturally and historically significant apples that have directly or indirectly affected the reading of Alan Turing’s suicide. In displaying five identical drawings of apples and titling them differently I intend to pictorially punctuate human history through the symbolism of the apple. From ‘Adam and Eve’ to ‘Apple.Inc’ various significant apples regularly feature and are embedded within popular culture. The Biblical story of ‘Adam and Eve’ and the ‘Forbidden Fruit’ represent the first story of The Bible which acts as the foundation for Western Culture a foundation that has persistently resisted the acceptance of homosexuality, which has and continues to have a profound effect on many gay people. ‘Isaac Newton’ was an important figure to science that reportedly after having an apple fall on his head whilst sat under a tree received inspiration for his celebrated theories on gravity. ‘Snow White’ a popular fairy story said to be Turings favourite and a possible influence on his method of suicide. ‘Alan Turing’ the focus of my research whose story will be forever entwined with the apple. And finally ‘Apple.Inc’, Turing is seen as the father of computer technology, the famous company logo of Apple, depicts an apple with a bite taken out of it, this is widely believed to be homage to Turing, though this has been contested by Apple.Inc who prefer to attribute the design of the logo as an acknowledgement of Isaac Newton. Controversy still surrounds the computer industries reluctance to acknowledge Turings influence on technology as they declined to financially contribute to the memorial placed in Sackville Gardens.

‘please take one’ is a collage illustrating a proposed intervention that will completely cover the Alan Turing memorial with apples. The apples placed over the statue will create a temporary intervention, the apples used will then be given away to passers by, as they walk on they will carry these symbols of Turing throughout the locality walking the streets that Turing once did. When the apples are removed the memorial will be re-seen reviving the statue, throughout the process discussion will surround the location of the memorial. (Sackville Gardens was selected due to its position in-between The Gay Village and UMIST (as was) which continue to be locations still connected with those most associated by Turings legacy). The apple, initially seeming to mask the story of the man, conceals then reveals the memorial.

‘Poisoned Apples’ the two bowls of apples present a possible solution to the reading of the installation placed in the gardens. I intend to create some form of accompaniment to the apples being given out. My initial feeling was that I would enjoy handing out apples to passers-by to eat whilst they hear or read about Turing and his suicide with a poisoned apple. Though I struggled with an efficient way of attaching this symbolism or meaning to the apple which would not visually detract from the installation, I settled on the skull and cross bone ‘sticker’ as a symbol of poison or toxicity, it is an instantly recognisable marker that without words communicates fatal danger. This simple augmentation then transforms the apple from humble fruit to possible danger and sums up the story of Turing’s suicide I especially enjoy the juxtaposition of these two recognisable motifs and note there appropriateness and resonances with the ‘Forbidden Fruit’ and ‘Snow White’ mythologies. My research continues…

Ruinous Recollections

2008-06-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

I am currently researching for a new exhibition in Manchester entitled ‘Ruinous Recollections’ established by two Manchester-based curators; Darien Jane Rozentals and Robert Knifton. “Taking multiple stories of the city as its start point the exhibition will create works that etch memories into Manchester's urban canvas, re-imagining and adding layers to an already fluid city”. Each participating artist has been invited to respond to a public historical figure associated with Manchester. I was selected to focus on Alan Turing, extremely apt in light of my recent research outlined in posts below. Alan Turing was the founder of modern computing and worked in the city after WW2 before committing suicide with a cyanide-laced apple. His suicide was especially controversial as it was thought to be as a result of a relationship with a younger man, which resulted in Turing being prosecuted for homosexuality and consequently being prevented from working in his chosen area of research. I have chosen to use the public memorial for Alan Turing placed in Sackville Gardens as a starting point. I’m especially interested in the symbolism of the apple in this context as Turing was thought to have selected an apple laced with poison as ‘Snow White’ was his favourite fairy tale; it was also speculated to have been a reference to Newton’s apple. Urban myth suggests that Apple.Inc have used an apple with a bite taken out of it as there logo as homage to Turing’s influence on computer technology though this is not confirmed officially by the company.

My research continued whilst on a recent trip to Berlin where I was able to view the recently unveiled National Memorial for Homosexual Victims of National Socialism designed by Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset. The viewing experience of the Memorial is an interesting manifestation of the psychogeography of the city and ones place within the heteronormative environment. The memorial is a slightly distorted single granite cuboid with a blackened window enabling viewing access to a video that shows two men tenderly kissing. The site is tucked into the corner of the Tiergarten opposite the imposing Jewish Holocaust memorial. The high profile public position and vastness of the many architectural forms of the Jewish memorial is in stark contrast to the single monolith placed in the Tiergarten partially disguised by trees.

click above image to read inscription

A plaque revealing the meaning of the memorial is placed on the promenade in front of the monolith that sits at the end of a gravel path. The viewer then must make a detour to the monolith to view the video described in the text. Peering into the blackness of the interior, momentary disorientation follows as eyes adjust to the moving image.

I felt both disorientated and physically vulnerable as I peered into the darkness and was reminded of the cultural shame experienced as my own emergent sexuality came to the fore in my young adulthood. This public/private experience felt akin to being caught admiring a handsome man, reminiscent of the first burgeoning signs of the experience of my own sexuality, both terrifying and exhilarating. This very personal interpretation may reveal more about my own personal perspective rather than the artist’s intentions though the complex reaction evokes some of the terror of those early victims of cultural homophobia.

The horror of contemporary cultural homophobia is something I recently explored in ‘Hanged’ part of the Reykjavik Arts Festival in which I depicted the public hanging of Mahmoud Asqari and Ayad Marhouni in Iran. The drawing process was intended to act as a humanising strategy revealing the personal contemplation of this state sanctioned execution. Simultaneously the relocation of the image from computer screen to exhibition space enabled the profundity of the event to be considered in a location once associated with death which has been transformed into a place of art and culture. The drawing element of the show supplemented the photographs of pansies I planted at the site of homophobia and an installation of pansies placed outside the Slaughterhouse Cultural Centre in Egilsstaðir where the exhibition was housed. For more information and images click here.

As my exploration of the depiction of gayness in public locations continues I will endeavour to reveal more here on my thought processes both for the interested few and to benefit my own research processes.

"Unrequited"

2008-01-20T06:51:00.001-08:00

"Unrequited" more information on this and other work can be found below...

Influences

2007-10-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

I saw Bernini’s ‘Apollo and Daphne’ (above) in Galleria Borghese in Rome a couple of years ago the work is strikingly beautiful and appears to be influencing present concerns; the work depicts the moment when Daphne is transformed into a laurel tree: Apollo, who has been struck with Eros’ famous arrow and, enraptured with love, is pursuing the nymph Daphne. Daphne has been hit with Eros’ lesser known other arrow, causing her to despise the very thought of love, and has called upon her father, the river god, to transform her into a tree to free her from Apollo’s grasp.

Similarly I recently saw ‘Pygmalion and Galatea’ (below) by Jean Léon Gérôme in Berlin at the 'Neue Nationalgalerie' the painting depicts a moment of metamorphoses. Pygmalion Olio; was the name of a legendary king of Cyprus who fell in love with a statue of Aphrodite, or, according to the Roman poet Ovid, fell in love with an ivory statue of his own making, expressing his ideal woman. The sculptor then prayed to Aphrodite for a wife like the statue, and the goddess accommodatingly brought it to life. Like Bernini’s work Gérôme depicts the moment of transformation.

These two works epitomise my current concerns and reveal the persistent relevance of certain mythological tales and their significance to contemporary life. The tension in the tales of desire vs. repulsion climax in the protagonists metamorphoses. This magical solution reflects our current interest in the ‘make-over’ ideal, this quest for perfection it could be argued is driven by the search for love or approval though ultimately results in potential anxiety and unhappiness. It is in this context that my research continues with elements such as sculpture, drawing, fountains, parks, gardens, public space, memorials, and monuments leading me to research and create new projects.

Fountains

2007-10-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

As I continue to explore the idea of parks and their relevance to my practice I have been thinking about the relationship between each architectural object within the park and its symbolism. As explained here I have previously explored fountains as ciphers to connect with internal emotional dialogues. In New York I visited the fountain at the end of this clip and found it very emotive as I had previously seen the film this clip introduces. I connect so much with it due to the subject matter that ‘Angels in America’ explores: Aids and its effect on America, in this 'gay' context the public memorial enables me to explicitly interpret this fountain in a way that is relevant to my own perspective as a gay man. Of course each public architectural feature has personal relevance depending on the viewers own perspective it is this that I continue to explore in my current research.

The Bench

2007-10-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

As my research continues I have been thinking more about the nature of parks and their function. As yet I’m unclear on the work/project I will create as a consequence of this research but here are some images of things I have been looking at revealing the aesthetics of my research. My next installation as part of The Pansy Project in Liverpool for the first time is directly exploring the relationship with memorial and public park. As the installation will be placed in a park filled with memorial statues an interesting dialogue will occur between my small temporary ‘memorial’ and the large statues and plaques surrounding it. Above a bench with graffiti; photo Hilary Jack, below a roadside bench in Berlin.

books I'm reading

2007-10-02T04:14:00.000-07:00

"Paul is Dead Inside".....

2007-08-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

The image above is a drawing made to use as my profile picture on Facebook the “social utility that connects you with the people around you.” I became interested in the way that people choose to represent themselves on these profile pages. Generally people depict themselves as successful and happy perhaps in front of a famous land mark whilst on holiday. The selected image tends to capture an idealised representation; a popular, contented, well traveled sophisticate. I wanted to investigate this by capturing myself at my most private and vulnerable. In presenting a drawing of myself whilst in sorrow I reveal perhaps inappropriately my most intimate moments to a disinterested ‘world’. This can simultaneously be seen as a misguided cry for help or a negative self indulgence that contrasts with the superficiality of the favored depiction of oneself. This coincides with a constant status update that presents the ‘network’ with details of current activities. I consistently update my profile with negative or depressive updates such as; “Paul is dead inside” or “Paul is slipping away”. This too adds to the self indulgence that both contrasts with and typifies the nature of Facebook and sites like it. Below as the image appears in context.

facebook profile....

2007-08-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

Research

2007-08-06T04:17:00.000-07:00

I have recently read 'Queer Phenomonlogy' by Sara Ahmed it has has been hugely influential to my current practice. Synopsis; "In this groundbreaking work, Sara Ahmed demonstrates how queer studies can put phenomenology to productive use. Focusing on the "orientation" aspect of "sexual orientation" and the "orient" in "orientalism," Ahmed examines what it means for bodies to be situated in space and time. Bodies take shape as they move through the world directing themselves toward or away from objects and others. Being "orientated" means feeling at home, knowing where one stands, or having certain objects within reach. Orientations affect what is proximate to the body or what can be reached. A queer phenomenology, Ahmed contends, reveals how social relations are arranged spatially, how queerness disrupts and reorders these relations by not following the accepted paths, and how a politics of disorientation puts other objects within reach, those that might, at first glance, seem awry. Ahmed proposes that a queer phenomenology might investigate not only how the concept of orientation is informed by phenomenology but also the orientation of phenomenology itself. Thus she reflects on the significance of the objects that appear - and those that do not - as signs of orientation in classic phenomenological texts such as Husserl's Ideas. In developing a queer model of orientations, she combines readings of phenomenological texts - by Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, and Fanon - with insights drawn from queer studies, feminist theory, critical race theory, Marxism, and psychoanalysis. "Queer Phenomenology" points queer theory in bold new directions."

'UNREQUITED' ~ Edinburgh

2007-06-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Continued from here; In an exploration of the representation of sorrow in statues in Berlin and the relevance to The Pansy Project I have had a realisation that the sorrow I seek to explore is my own: Twenty years ago I sat drawing the Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh (Above). I drew it over a period of days with the sole intention of ‘bumping into’ a nearby man who worked at the refreshment hut in the gardens. I still have the drawings which I had wanted to include in a portfolio that I had intended to use to get into Edinburgh Art College. I never ‘bumped into’ the man I had a crush on and I never applied to Edinburgh Art College. On returning to Edinburgh last year I passed the fountain and recalled the slightly sad story and the lonely desperation of myself as a younger man.

(Above one of the drawings of the Ross Fountain; 1987)

A new artwork arose from this memory; I proposed to donate a bench that would be dedicated to the memory and place in which I had sat twenty years earlier a plaque attached to the bench would explain the story behind the location. I sought permission to donate or temporarily place a bench in the park which I gained, though as yet I have been unable to find the right context for this work, as I wanted to exhibit the original drawings with a photograph of the bench.

(below the bench I sat on to draw the above in 1987)

'UNERWIDERT' ~ Berlin

2007-06-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

In regarding the pictured sculpture in Berlin within the context of The Pansy Project I was reminded again of this earlier work. As I gazed at the pictured fountain it occurred to me that I was remembering a recent failed ‘relationship’ with a Berliner and as a result felt that I was reinterpreting the sculpture to fit my own recent experience. In order to explore this further I intend to sketch the fountain with the aim of claiming its meaning as my own; my research continues:

Geldzählerbrunnen

2007-06-25T08:42:00.001-07:00

The 'Geldzählerbrunnen' fountain was designed by Ernst Wenk in 1912 it was left for some time without water and has only in recent years been repaired to its current state. The actual meaning of the 'Geldzählerbrunnen' is 'Teller Fountain' which depicts the figure counting or distributing money, not as my initail impression suggested bowing his head in sorrow. According to some futher research on the 'Berlin Street' web-blog. An anecdote by Erwin Geschonneck reveals some detail about the fountain; "In 1914....Sometimes I met my grandmother at the Pappelplatz at the beautiful Teller Fountain, where the unemployed people always sat. Of the figure they said: “It counts whether the unemployment benefit was underpaid again”. My grandmother often rested there. She bought bread for me and the margarine on it was usually 'ranzig', but I was always very hungry, and it was the war."

UNERWIDERT ~ UNREQUITED

2007-06-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

In this context the drawing process is an attempt to meditate on the loss I have experienced and to capture the perceived representation of loss the 'Geldzählerbrunnen' represents though as explained above it does not represent loss. This misinterpretation acts as a metaphor for the misguided or unwanted attention I bestow on the unwilling. This is acknowledged in my re-titling of the fountain as ‘Unerwidert’ (unrequited in German) which reclaims and represents the reading of the fountain. In my case this reclaiming of the fountain's meaning has the effect of ‘queering’ the fountain and the space in which it sits.

The ultimate reading of the work is an exploration of lost or unrequited love; in not drawing the water I refuse to ackowledge the passing of time. I attempt to remain close to the subject of my desire at least in time. In Berlin I used a camera to video the fountain. In recording the spouting water I acknowledge that time does pass despite my resistance to it, when it comes to present the work I intend to project the video; the projection will be on a small scale to reflect the intimate nature of the subject matter.

I’m also interested in the bench as a symbol of absence and presence at the location. The photograph of the bench represents a place in which one sits or waits. The Edinburgh bench which was intended to be re-named or re-dedicated is a component of the work. In discussing parks, fountains and benches I ask the audience to re-contextualise these democratic spaces from a ‘queer’ perspective.

In describing the work in detail on this blog the work itself is only partially made; it is itself unfulfilled or un-realised. As someone who reads this text you then are given the ingredients to imagine the work and a future in which it exists, as a result you unwittingly participate in imagining; so your full experience of the work is unrequited.

The Pansy Project

2007-01-18T02:21:00.000-08:00

I devised The Pansy Project two years ago. I plant pansies wherever I have experienced homophobic abuse throughout the streets, I then photograph the pansy in situ then entitle it after the abuse, above; "Heh! queer Boy!!", was planted on Cross Street, Manchester, all the pansies I planted are then posted on my website. What began as an autobiographical artwork has developed into a multi-layered interactive ongoing project. For more information follow this link to The Pansy Project website.

WHAT LIES BENEATH ...

2007-01-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

What lies beneath this point is a selection of works intended to reveal what informs my current practice.

Hell Arrow

2007-01-18T01:55:00.000-08:00

I photographed this graffitied arrow near to where I live, as every time I passed it I wondered what it was pointing to. One particular day I supposed that it was pointing to Hell; alarmed by this notion I wrote a letter ( below) to Manchester City Council warning them that someone may come to harm if they were to enter this potential gateway. I suggested that they may want to put a relevant sign near by. They never responded.

This was shown at Floating ip for the 'Do Something' show in 2004.

26/07/04

To the Health and Safety Executive:

Enclosed is a photograph of a location.

I have spotted this location. A white spray painted arrow pointing to a dubious pipe. It’s located on the side of a building on Grosvenor Street in central Manchester. The building contains a scrap metal merchant and some kind of clothing manufactures. I think this arrow points to Hell. To Hell. I am not sure how you get into the access pipe. But I am now absolutely certain that if you could access the pipe that it would lead the passenger directly To Hell. It is sufficiently alarming to me to know that access to hell, is so feasible and open to possible misuse.

I wonder in light of this information whether it would be possible to inform the public with some sort of danger or warning sign near to this location. I have enclosed a photograph just to make it absolutely clear the whereabouts of this access. It troubles me greatly that access to Hell may go unnoticed and may account for some of the missing persons we hear so much about. I do hope this is of some help to you and look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Sincerely,

Paul Harfleet.

Nutshell Manifesto

2007-01-18T01:53:00.000-08:00

During May I have been included in a show devised by Julia Baird entitled 'Nutshell Manifestoes': The Alopecia Gallery Founded in 1996, is a contemporary art gallery, located in a hole on the beard of Gordon B. Isnor's face; he lives in Vancouver, Canada. Julia e-mailed artists asking them to submit a 'Nutshell Manifesto', she then selected 31 'Manifestoes' and placed them on a sticker which would then inhabit the beard for one day each during May. My manifesto, "Aspire to the extraordinary; embrace the mundane" left; came to me the morning after I'd decided to sleep on it. Follow this link to the site to see the rest of the show.

Postcard from Snowdonia

2007-01-18T01:52:00.000-08:00

'Postcard from Snowdonia, 1998 to 2006'I drew the above sketch on a trip to Snowdonia eight years ago it is a leaf from a small sketchbook that I filled from cover to cover. I was recently invited to take part in "Going Postal" organised by Belfast's Travel Agents as part of their current exhibition "In Flight Magazine". On being invited to submit a drawing, I realised that I hadn’t drawn for some time, so I began to look at past work. When I recalled this sketch book, it occurred to me that this visual reminder of my time there was a very personal 'postcard' from Snowdonia in 1998 to the present day. When once postcards and photos would be the preferred method of sending mementos; now camera phones and e-mails allow a digital image to be instantly e-mailed from your holiday location. I wanted to revitalise this image by digitally posting it on a web-blog; highlighting the contrast between the instantly disposable digital snapshot with the hand-drawn sketch that inhabits a bookshelf for years at a time.

One For Sorrow

2007-01-18T01:46:00.000-08:00

'One for Sorrow' was a video work shown at Apartment for the inaugural show; this one minute single shot focused on the dead magpie for a single minute whilst the soundtrack consisted of passing road traffic noise. This work was one component of a work entitled;' I had a dream I found a dead magpie outside my flat then I did'. As the title suggests I found the above magpie outside my flat. On finding it I kept the bird in my freezer whilst I decided what I did with it. Eventually I made the above video, I drew the bird and then placed the magpie back where I initially found it during the first opening at Apartment; this implied a deja vu that echoed my own experience of finding the bird.

Flew

2007-01-18T01:45:00.000-08:00

This is an example of a series of works made with found insects. I was interested by the location of these little deaths that had occured unnoticed on domestic window sills and city streets. On finding the insect I would retrieve it, place it in a frame it would be accompanied by a typed text 'epitaph'.

Hut

2007-01-18T00:57:00.000-08:00

The text (below) and image (left) was recently featured in 'We Belong Everywhere' a project organised by Anachron-Gen in Sheffield; for more information follow this link.The rail-side hut is a fascinating architectural remnant of some ambiguous activity that has occurred in some other time. The uncannyness of these structures dotted along rail-side verges consistently evoke a history that is invisible or half submerged. They are difficult to examine when one is speeding by on a train and when one is fortunate enough to be close by for a while they persist and linger in the memory.

The hut pictured near Guildford was once according to local rumour used by a music teacher to teach guitar to children. This seems unlikely as this hut backs on to open fields and appears inaccessible by car or pedestrian. Though the idea of some hidden dwelling housing an intimate teacher-pupil relationship is somewhat alarming, in this case this mysterious mythology emphasises the peculiar character of the structure.

Once a particularly special cabin has been noticed; a rail side hut has the ability to jog the passenger out of the trance like state that often accompanies rail travel. The variety of type is staggering; from wooden shed to dilapidated porta-cabin they always suggest contemplation. These self contained non-places that appear abandoned have lost their proper function; they now appear simply as dilapidations in the rail-side undergrowth amongst the budlea trees and wasteland. (below are recent image of the hut; 2007)

The Pope is Dead....

2007-01-18T00:49:00.000-08:00

Fifteen to twenty days after the Pope's death, the Cardinals meet to elect the next Pontiff. The election, known as a conclave, is held in a sealed and secure part of the Sistine Chapel. The ballots are burned after each vote, and if the vote is unsuccessful, a substance is added to the fire to produce black smoke. Thus, black smoke indicates to the waiting crowd that the voting continues, while white smoke signals that a new Pope has been chosen.

The photos above were taken over the same few days this was taking place in Rome. However in this case the smoke was produced by a stolen car that had been set on fire. The smoke turned white whilst the fire was being put out. I was drawn to this coincidence yet extreme contrast in location; In Rome thousands were completely focused on the subtle colour alteration of a plume of smoke, in anxious anticipation. In Manchester the plume of smoke signalled car crime and vandalism; here the colour change goes unnoticed.

Paul Harfleet CV

2007-01-17T02:59:00.000-08:00

Paul Harfleet C.V.

The Pansy Project

The Pansy Project is an ongoing artist’s initiative and artwork devised by Paul Harfleet in 2005, the artist revisits locations where homophobia has been experienced and plants pansies. Self seeding pansies act as a living memorial to this abuse and operate as an antidote to it; some pansies wither whilst others thrive in car park borders and windswept road verges. After an individual planting the pansy's location is named after the abuse received. The Pansy Project consists of individual plantings, photographs and occasional large scale installations at sites of homophobia. Utilising various on-line facilities such as Face Book, Twitter and Blogging the project has garnered a worldwide following and has featured in various festivals and exhibitions internationally from New York to London.

www.thepansyproject.com
http://thepansyproject.blogspot.com
Twitter.com@ThePansyProject

Artist Statement

Paul Harfleet’s interest lies in the implications of citizenship and its influence on the navigation and memory of the urban environment. He augments and re-contextualises various sites and objects by allocating them with new meaning or significance often through drawing, photography and intervention, from his ongoing Pansy Project which involves the artist planting pansies at the site of homophobic abuse to his current focus on objects that exist in the public realm from memorial sculpture to a more general exploration of the built environment.

Paul Harfleet is London based artist who has exhibited extensively worldwide, The Pansy Project has been included in various festivals from the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2007 to the Reykjavik Arts Festival in Iceland 2008. He was shortlisted for the ‘Best of Manchester’ award at Urbis in 2008, ‘The Pansy Project Garden’ Gold Medal Winner and Best Conceptual Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2010. And also co-ran Apartment, an artist-led exhibition and project space which was based in his one bedroom council flat in central Manchester.

Contact:

Phone: 07870 244 153
E-mail: pjharfleet@hotmail.com

Papers:

Forthcoming/February 2010 – ‘Backlash? The resurgence of homophobic violence in contemporary London’, UCL Urban Laboratory, London, paper presented by Paul Harfleet,
August 2008 - Manchester Metropolitan University, T.R.I.P Conference, paper presented by Chris Buckley and Maureen Ward
November 2007 – Tate, Liverpool, ‘The Art of Protest: Art, Activism and Oppositionality’, paper presented by Maureen Ward
May 2007 – Southbank Centre, London, ‘100 Ideas’, speaker Paul Harfleet

Publications:

Forthcoming/Featured in ‘City Farmer’, Lorraine Johnson, Greystone Books, 2010
Forthcoming/Featured in ‘Radical Gardening’, Dr George Mackay, Frances Lincoln, 2010.

Featured in TRESPASS, History of Urban Art, Wooster Collective, Phaidon , 2010
Featured in ‘International Encyclopedia of Human Geography’, edited by Rob Kitchin and Nigel Thrift, Elsevier Science, 2009
Featured in ‘On Guerrilla Gardening’, Richard Reynolds, published by Bloomsbury, 2007

Selected Exhibitions/ Events:

July 2011 – Collaboration with Tatty Devine Jewellery company.

November 2010 –International program Homotopia Festival, Planting and event at British Embassy, Istanbul, Turkey
November 2010 – Featured artist at Outburst Arts Festival, Belfast
July 2010 – ‘The Pansy Project Garden’, RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Conceptual Garden, Gold Medal winner, Best Conceptual Garden

November 2009- Shout Festival Birmingham, ‘The Pansy Project’ Hurst Street, Birmingham
May 2009- ‘A Thin Pink Line’ Liverpool, Commission by Merseyside Police

December 2008- Participating Artist at ‘Black Market’ Hannah Hurtzig, Bluecoat, Liverpool
August 2008 - 'The Best of Manchester' Award exhibition (Shortlisted in art category for The Pansy Project)
June 2008 - Ruinous Recollections, Upper Space Gallery, Manchester
May 2008 - 'Hanged' Slaughterhouse, part of 'Journey' curated by Bjorn Roth, Egilsstaðir- Iceland, for the Reykjavik Arts Festival 2008
April 2008- Solo Show, The Pansy Project – Tornado-am-Ostkreuz, Berlin

November 2007 – ‘Memorial to the Unnamed’, St John’s Gardens, Homotopia Festival, Liverpool
June 2007 - 'Meeting Point'-Axel Lapp Projects, Berlin
May 2007 – Solo Exhibition - Tooks Chambers, London
April 2007 – ‘Pansy Give Away’ - as part of LLGFF, London
March 2007 – Sexuality and the Ownership of Space’ South Bank Centre, 100 ideas series, ‘In Conversation’ event part of LLGFF, London
March – April 2007 – ‘For David Morley’, Southbank, Queen’s Walk, part of LLGFF, London
March-April 2007 – The Pansy Project, BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival - Festival Image collaboration with Nadege Meriau, London

November 2006- The Pansy Project, Crate, Project Space, Margate
November 2006 - The Pansy Project, Transition Gallery, London
September 2006 - Article featured on www.glowlab.com, New York
September 2006 - The Pansy Project, Conflux Festival, New York
September 2006 - Article featured in 'Critical Friend', London
August 2006 - 'We Belong Everywhere' for Anachron-Gen. Sheffield
May 2006 - The Pansy Project, queerupnorth, Manchester Art Gallery
Jan-April 2006 – Visitor Assistance; Social Work, Cornerhouse, Manchester
May-August 2006 – The Pansy Project, queerupnorth, Manchester
March 2006 - Travel-Agents-Projects, In-Flight Magazine, Belfast

Nov 2005 – On the Shelf, Compartment, Rogue open studios, Manchester
Sep 2005 – Cyclists Dismount, Apartment, Manchester
May 2005 and ongoing- ‘The Pansy Project’, a series of events and installations- commissioned by queerupnorth international arts festival, Manchester
May 2005- “Pansy!” Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester
April 2005 – ‘The Good Life’, Apartment, Manchester

November 2004—‘Artist Book show’, Houseroom, Bath
August 2004—‘twoeightone’ International Mail Art, Manchester/Tokyo/San Paulo
August 2004 - 'Do Something, Floating ip, Manchester
April 2004 - Will Foster, ‘One Minute Video’ project, Glasgow
Feb 2004 -‘Apartment’ inaugural show, artist-led space, Manchester
Jan 2004— Debenham’s window, Manchester
Nov 2003—‘Showhome’, Artist Run, Manchester
Oct 2003— MA graduate show, Holden Gallery, Manchester
Jul 2003—‘The eve of destruction’, international 3, Manchester
May 2003—‘Dark and Disturbing Things’, Ove Arup Space, St James’s buildings, Manchester

Education:

(1st Class Ba Hons Degree) Fine Art Painting, Manchester Metropolitan University, ‘98-’01
MA Fine Art, Manchester Metropolitan University , ‘02-’03

Curatorial CV

Alongside his artistic practice Paul Harfleet co-ran Apartment (with Hilary Jack), an artist-led project and exhibition space run from his one bedroom council flat in central Manchester. Apartment ran for five years and has shown the work of over thirty International artists. This activity has led to a series of projects outlined below, for more information and a full archive including images please visit http://apartmentmanchester.blogspot.com

May2009 – PAUL,PAUL IS THE ART- Giorgio Sadotti - Apartment
November 2008- Life of a Bluestocking - Apartment
Aug 2008 – Artranspennine08 http://www.atp08.blogspot.com
March 2008 – Dirty Honky - Apartment
January 2008 – Nikola Irmer – Horst, Apartment
June 2007 – OPEN CUBE, Exhibition Selectors and Curators, CUBE, Manchester
June 2007 - 'Meeting Point'-Axel Lapp Projects, Berlin
Mar 2007 - Maeve Rendle - Mount Purgatory, Apartment
Feb 2007 - Martine Myrup - Domestic Disturbances, Apartment
June 2006 - 'Beneath' at Surface Gallery, Nottingham
Feb 2006 - David Wilkinson and Beáta Veszely - HÁ, Apartment
July 2006 - Cherry Tenneson - OT, Apartment
Jun 2006 - Contents May Vary, Apartment
Dec 2005 - Ken Chu - All We Were Saying, Apartment
Nov 2005 – On the Shelf, Compartment, Rogue Open Studios, Manchester
Oct 2005 - Cyclists Dismount, Apartment
Jun 2005 - Recent Works (Ma Interim Show), Apartment
Jun 2005 - The Good Life, Apartment
Feb 2005 - Joined, Apartment
Jun 2004 - Summer Show, Apartment
Feb 2004 - First Show, Apartment

Education:

(1st Class Ba Hons Degree) Fine Art Painting, Manchester Metropolitan University, ‘98-’01
MA Fine Art, Manchester Metropolitan University , ‘02-’03

Transformation: from Place to Face

2006-10-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

In my continuing exploration of the issues that I find of interest I have recently been focusing on a new incarnation of my practice. Some years ago before I went to art school I was a professional drag queen. I was part of Manchester based drag duo ‘Angel and Coco’ together we hosted club nights, made occasional TV appearances, featured in the odd pop video and generally spread glamour across the region and beyond. Our main uniqueness was that we both loved women and fashion and made every effort to compliment femininity in our appearances. We didn’t want to perpetuate the misogyny that drag was and is associated with and enjoyed paying homage to the super models of the mid-nineties.

After about five years of this ‘career’ we both went our separate ways and I entered art school. There I embarked on pursuing my creativity through art work, I did a degree in painting where I explored the qualities of paint, it is with some hindsight that I realise I was using paint to ‘make-up’ the canvas, with high definition blending my preferred technique. My MA in fine art revealed an interest in the domestic uncanny and continued to focus on the notion of location more generally. Shortly after the MA I devised The Pansy Project and my interest in the politics of location came to the fore. The Pansy Project has continued as an ongoing exploration of homophobia and place and still maintains my interest in its many incarnations.

I recently began recalling the years of my drag ‘career’ and wondered what and how it would manifest in my current context as an artist. As with my other artworks Facebook and blogging seemed a convenient way to explore this previously vivacious personification. I set up a Facebook profile for Coco LaVerne, there ‘she’ reacquainted with long lost friends of club land and made new friends who began to have an online relationship of sorts with this virtual alter ego. I also began writing a blog; this context enabled me to embody the qualities that Coco LaVerne had visually, my intention was to create a cultural critique from the perspective of a haughty glamorous woman whose disdainful attitude to humanity reflected my own perspective as a relative cultural outsider.

With this alter-ego I was able to explore the issues that as myself I may shy away from and as a result I have developed a particular style which has to my surprise had some success. The blog was recently shortlisted in ‘The Best New Blog’ category of the Manchester Blog Awards, despite not winning in my category Coco LaVerne has received some praise on line recently being described as “an acid tongued glamazon” by City Life. I regularly post articles on issues as varied as knife crime, the economic crisis, Barrack Obama and Sarah Palin in an attempt to critique the media and its attitude to the notion of the outsider.

This satirical tool has enabled me to invigorate an identity I had felt was long gone and as a result this has broadened my practice as an artist. Before art school I felt that drag was a creative process but was unaware of its context and significance, I now continue to see drag as a creative process though have manufactured a location for it outside of a social situation where the thoughts and opinions of this mythical construct can be revealed. I intend to continue to explore the peculiarities of this alter ego and examine its potential.

I have already noted similarities between The Pansy Project and Coco LaVerne as both tools act as brands or guises that ‘protect’ my own identity, both projects have a bizarre ability to be seen independently from my own artistic practice and it is for this reason I write about it here, to make coherent my processes and help an audience understand my motivations.

My research continues….