- Francois Matarasso - 9.2.18

Francois Matarasso  - 8.2.18

This visiting artist lecture proved interesting considering the collaborative exhibition myself and Fearn Hepden are working on within the community of Stoke-On-Trent.
Matarasso explored – ‘A Restless Art’ – where he articulated the importance of community arts practices to him. He noted a change since he begun community arts working in the 80s - the “normalisation” of participatory art.

This visiting artist lecture proved interesting considering the collaborative exhibition 'Sense of Worth' myself and Fearn Hepden are working on within the community surrounding stoke town centre. Francois Matarasso investigated the nature of participatory art – within this the value of this practice to the community – running parallel to show which outlines a worthiness in the history of pottery business and the value of contemporary art in public spaces.
Matarasso explored 'A Restless Art' - here he articulated the importance of arts practices to him. He noted a change since he began community arts working in the 80s - "the normalisation of participatory art." A plethora of new art idioms and movements coined by art critics and writers were beginning to surface that appeared to popularise the field.

However participatory arts practice is still undervalued as a form of art – unfairly in a sense that it is compared to other arts practices' "With its worst examples rather than its best"
In his research, Matarasso defines participatory art as 'the creation of art by professional and non-professional artists' Its important to him that its understood that a person participating in a creative activity is an artist (non-professional) because they are creating a piece of art in their activity. Even if they have never made art before, or never will again; they are in that moment an artist producing art. The professional artist can be defined as one whom makes regular artwork, or who has critical acclaim and so forth. - Matarasso has an evident sensitivity to both the artist and the non-artist which is exhubed when he is talking about where the artist meets the non-professional artist. As he is balanced between an involved and an academic angle in this field it’s much easier for him to embrace this sensitivity and talk about his practice in a balanced manner.

Here involvement is of great importance, not exclusion. Abolishing the elitist nature of labelling the ‘fine arts’ which can often translate to ‘exclusive art’. Matarasso traced the origins of this practice back to the Enlightenment where philosophers of the time defined painting, sculpture and so forth as ‘Fine Art’. The labelling of such forms of art seems to devalue any other. It allows people to hold cultural power -rendering everything else meaningless.
Matarasso illustrated a plethora of examples of art which was made for everyone. Accessible to everyone. The Wedgewood Institute opposite Burslem School of Art is a prime example of an establishment which offered art for the working people. Equally as entitled to culture as the upper class.

The organisation ‘Fun Palaces’ – operating under the tagline- “Everyone an Artist, Everyone a Scientist.” -founded by Stella Duffy – the organisation celebrates the work of Joan Littlewood – A radical theatre worker with a dream of creating a ‘fun palace’ for everyone.
This community value is important to Matarasso whom clearly seeks the best examples of community/participatory arts practice for his work. His talk had a clear social/political undertone whereby ‘new wave’ participatory arts practice post- 80s- spawned from an angst against the political climate. He sampled the community arts orgaisation ‘Welfare State’ (1984) The clear intent of this practice is evident in the name. This political unrest and determination for a voice to be heard led to the rise in community arts work – Including murals- which offer the voice of a community. A powerful, collective opinion.


Notes
- Political motivations – Community Arts practices
- Diversification.
- Research
- Useful Ornament, -Social impact of participatory community art- 1997 – Government. – Connotations – Labour government.
- Cultural production, socially engaged practice, relational aesthetics.
- “The creation of art by professional and non-professional artists.” – Participatory art definition.
- Generating meaning – personal vision projected outwards into the audience. Art is in-between what the artist wants and what the viewer sees.
- What are the rules of art?
- CULTURAL DEMOCRACY
- Social Change
- Simon Percy – Still life with key 1990 – Political intent.
- Border territory of shifting intentions.