John Berger Makes Me Dizzy – #CCF

May 22, 2014May 20, 2015Leave a comment

How can I review a John Berger book? How do I gather my thoughts on his thoughts, simplify them and concisely and articulately present them in a 500 word summary? I can’t. Whether through my own honest inability or fear of even trying (I’ll give myself the answer to that later), I found it impossible to do. But under the watchful eyes of two of my teammates here at Fresh Milk (Katherine and Amanda) I feel I must say a little something about the man in the photo above.

John Berger is a writer, a poet, and an intellectual. He is one of the few minds of the 20th century able to dissect a wide range of matters and re-present them with precision and clarity. John Berger Selected Essays is a compilation of some of the most prolific writings of his career. The editor, Geoff Dyer, has gathered works from a number of his collections, including: “The Look of Things” (1972), “About Looking” (1980) and “The White Bird” (1985).

The above excerpt is from Versia Harris’ review on Selected Essays of John Berger, this week’s addition to the Fresh Milk Books Tumblr – the online space inviting interaction with our collection in the Colleen Lewis Reading Room.

For new Critical. Creative. Fresh reviews every week, look out for our #CCF Weekly and see the good reads we have available at Fresh Milk!

Colleen Lewis Open Archive Residency

May 21, 2014May 20, 2015Leave a comment

FRESH MILK is pleased to announce the Colleen Lewis Open Archive Residency between September and November 2014. Applications from artists worldwide are welcomed. This residency aims to support visual artists, writers and creatives by offering a peaceful working space for a minimum of 4 weeks, and the opportunity to interface with the Colleen Lewis Reading Room (CLRR) as an archive with which to engage, respond and activate. For more on the archive, view our online bibliography.

The CLRR is continually expanding its collection and has a special focus on the visual arts, with particular interest in archiving material on visual arts in the Caribbean. Resident artists will also be able to meet with the Fresh Milk Books team of young creatives on a weekly basis to converse and collaborate.

Spaces are available between September 1^st and November 28^th, 2014. For more information on the residency and associated costs please visit our International Residency Opportunity page.

Artists wishing to apply for residencies with projects outside of this targeted call are also welcome to submit proposals.

The deadline for applications is July 4th, 2014.

Frantz Fanon & the Pursuit of ‘the White Girl’ – #CCF

May 15, 2014May 20, 2015Leave a comment

Photo by Sølve Sundsbø

The objectification of the white woman immediately caught my attention. She was to be used: for sexual gratification, to fulfill a ‘ritual of initiation into “authentic manhood”’ (Fanon 52), to ‘de-racialize’ the black man. Wait…what? De-racialize the black man? Fanon’s socio-economic background meant a white partner would have gone a considerable way in establishing his status in society. As for me, while still an ignorant youngster, I always knew that the fairer a girl’s complexion, the prettier she was. It was a fact, but I didn’t know why—just like how Jeun Veneuse, as Fanon noted, didn’t know why he loved Andreé. However, unlike Veneuse and Fanon, I wasn’t acutely aware that there was a problem with my skin colour that needed correcting.

The above excerpt is from Ronald Williams’ review of the chapter ‘The Man of Colour and the White Woman’ in Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, this week’s addition to the Fresh Milk Books Tumblr – the online space inviting interaction with our collection in the Colleen Lewis Reading Room.

For new Critical. Creative. Fresh reviews every week, look out for our #CCF Tuesdays and see the good reads we have available at Fresh Milk!

Cherise Ward’s Residency – Week 4 Report

May 13, 2014May 20, 2015Leave a comment

Final Week

Week 4, the final week of the residency, was spent experimenting with mold making and casting, and working on the puppet.

While making the molds, I was anxious to see how they would turn out. I poured the molds, and let them stay overnight. The next day they were turned from liquid to rubber, and I was happy with how they came out.

I was excited to pour the first cast. This did not turn out as well as I would have liked, so I tried again. I was able to make 3 casts of the girl and rooster, plus one made with the very last of the liquid plastic. These are to be wall hangings, and I’m looking forward to painting them.

I also made 5 bunny casts. The shape for the bunny was a simple design, keeping in mind that I wanted to make a simple mold. These can be painted in any way, and I gave one to Annalee, and one to Katherine, to see what ideas they come up with.

I painted one using acrylic paint, and started a second one.

I enjoyed the time spent at Fresh Milk during the 4 weeks of the residency. I would like to thank Annalee and Katherine for their support during these 4 weeks. The residency allowed me to work on ideas that I had not had time to explore in the past. It gave me the opportunity to try new things, and watch initial ideas develop into concepts I had not considered before. Through the residency I was able to meet Juliana, and through her feedback, I have new ideas that I’m looking forward to exploring. I’m happy I made the decision to do a local residency, and I’m pleased with what I have taken away from my experience at Fresh Milk.

I will be doing a Puppet Building Workshop on May 20th as the community outreach portion of the residency. I will be teaching primary school students about puppets, and puppet building, so I will update the blog with images from the workshop.

Follow Cherise on Tumblr for more updates on her residency & practice.

Wangechi Mutu’s Family Tree – #CCF

May 7, 2014May 20, 2015Leave a comment

Wangechi Mutu, Try Dismantling the Little Empire Inside You, Ink, Mylar, pigment, photocollage with mixed media on Mylar and wall, 95 1/2 x 104”, 2007

Definitions have always been my go-to method for gathering my thoughts; when you define something, it becomes clear and finite, manageable and straightforward. It creates a singular approach to a topic. After reading Kristine Stiles’ essay Wangechi Mutu’s Family Tree in the stunning exhibition catalogue for ‘Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey’, I felt saturated by the full sensory experience- from Stiles’ words, to Mutu’s salient images, to the gorgeous, smooth matte cover of the book. So, I retreated to my comfort zone of definitions to decompress. The corner I managed to back myself into with this, is that seeking a tidy, singular trajectory for something which in itself embodies plurality felt inadequate, especially with the much wiser and nuanced voices in the essay colouring my interpretations.

The above excerpt is from Katherine Kennedy’s review of the essay ‘Wangechi Mutu’s Family Tree’ by Kristine Stiles in the exhibition catalogue Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey, this week’s addition to the Fresh Milk Books Tumblr – the online space inviting interaction with our collection in the Colleen Lewis Reading Room.

For new Critical. Creative. Fresh reviews every week, look out for our #CCF Tuesdays and see the good reads we have available at Fresh Milk!