Artist
Guy-Watkins began work on a 'quest' in 2007 entitled 'Postcard To Brooke', a project based around the poem Doubts by English poet Rupert Brooke. The work involves Guy-Watkins filming individuals reading the verse to camera, those who have contributed include Nobel Prize winning poet Seamus Heaney, artists Patrick Brill (Bob And Roberta Smith), Adham Faramawy, Marc Horowitz and Jessica Voorsanger, Mary Archer, actors Ryan Sampson and Glen Conroy, celebrity DJ Jodie Harsh, comedians Mark Thomas, Tony Allen, Dylan Moran, John Seagrave, Media:Chris Neill, Angus Lindsay and Tony Green, authors Patrick McCabe, Victoria Mary Clarke, Damain Barr and Ciarán Carson, as well as the poet laureate of Vancouver George McWhirter. During the period of March to September 2008, Guy-Watkins filmed these and over one hundred and fifty other individuals for the quest.
Postcard To Brooke was exhibited in 2008 at The Art Car Boot Fair, on Brick Lane, London; Miss Micks in Berlin, The Old Lodge, Minchinhampton Common, Gloucestershire; and The Flat Lake Festival, Clones, Co. Monaghan, Ireland. Guy-Watkins has also documented visits to Dymock, the University of Gloucestershire archives and Grantchester in order to research the life of Rupert Brooke.
In October 2008, Guy-Watkins began to use Postcard To Brooke as a means to document groups and individuals that exist within the social fabric of the early 21st Century, by visiting GEAR Projects, a homeless shelter in the English city of Gloucester. During this visit, Guy Watkins filmed a number of individuals who utilize the facilities offered by GEAR Projects, some of these people would also ask to read their own poetry to camera alongside the Rupert Brooke verse Doubts. During November 2008, Guy-Watkins visited the British Humanist Association, to document the organizations staff.
After Postcard To Brooke, Guy-Watkins began to build installations and made the choice in 2010 to study art further. He enrolled on a Masters degree at Central St Martins. During the year long course he continued to exhibit and developed his practice around large scale installations.
Read more about this topic: Oliver Guy-Watkins
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