PRETTY VACANT RSS

Welcome to Pretty Vacant, a forthcoming arts collaboration between artists Christopher Guest and Darren Washington based in Newcastle under Lyme, UK.

The project has been funded by The British Arts Council and will see the two artists from differing creative backgrounds coming together to create work in empty shop windows in Newcastle Under Lyme.

The project will be a celebration of the “Local Heroes” of Newcastle Town. Local heroes are not the recognised celebrities we all know about, ie Stanley Matthews, Robbie Williams, but rather those individuals who are of unique character and make the area what is it..and what it is- is not what you read in the national press!

Taking place in the large empty windows in a vacant unit in Warner Village, in the heart of the town, the artists will hold regular research workshops around specific venues we have identified- meeting the public and talking through our ideas with them. In a way this project will be shaped by the public as it will be their character traits and vivacity that will make this project successful.

We will use our respective creative practices in graffiti and drawing, photography and digital media to create large scale projections and cut out forms, inviting the audience to look for the humorous, beautiful and fantastical aspects of those around us.

Over the coming weeks and months we will be posting regular updates on this blog,keeping you up to date with our venue visits, interesting people we have met and also documenting how us as two artists from very different creative backgrounds can learn together.

For more information on Pretty Vacant you can email us at prettyvacant2010@hotmail.com

And you can also text your interest through to the Pretty Vacant Hotline on 07504005980

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Skill sharing session- Graffiti video

As well as activating the empty space of the unit, the Pretty Vacant project is an opportunity for two artists from very different backgrounds to learn new skills and appreciate their respective art practices.

Over the last two days Chris has been teaching Darren graffiti techniques to spray the Pretty Vacant logo on the back wall of the unit.

The lessons varied in difficulty, from forming letter shapes to more complicated lighting and effects techniques. The sessions have already attracted huge audiences who are passing through to see the work and talk to us about the Art in Empty Spaces project.

Check out our draft video of the first skill sharing session in progress!