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Carnival Heads, Surrealism + Victoriana = CYLCH at the Victorian Extravaganza

I’ve been going to the Victorian Extravaganza since i was little. I remember noble the smell of steam powered heavy machinery settling my stomach after ingesting too much lurid pink sugar cloud.. ahh.. it was a feast for the senses.

The theme of surrealism strikes first when thinking of the annual festival.. with one foot proudly in the towns Victorian glory, and the other in todays loud, electronic “alll righht.. one more time.. here we go!!” amateur nudie painted theme park rides. Year after year my parents discuss going.. and the phrase ‘glorified theme park’ is dusted off and brought out. Sounds great to me!

If CYLCH is to have a presence this year, how on earth are we to stand out when, for instance, the parade features smoke bellowing brass monster machines, loud dancing drumming tropes, proud cadet groups, Miss Alice 2015 and, bizarrely but predictably, Darth Vader and any number of imperialist troops bringing up the rear.

Options for CYLCH @ The Extravaganza

1. Parade

2. Stall

3. Perform

4. Mystery option number 4

We’re thinking:

1. Giant carnival heads for the parade, any head you like, in victorian dress.

2. Stall with carnival games, pop the balloon and win a prize.. but.. no one really wants the tombola prizes they offer.. so why dont we create our own surreal ones?

#mostyncylch #victorianextravaganza #llandudno #surrealism #darth vader

Induction Day/Animation Workshop

The Saturdays Cylch Induction session began as all the people interested in joining the group gathered at the Mostyn Gallery. We started off with introducing ourselves to other people present in the room until we were all comfortable with other peoples names. Tomos and myself then explained what the Cylch programme is and answered any questions to do with the group. We all filled in questionnaires on our own personality features and our interests. As we progressed,the new members started getting more and more confident and outgoing. After all the planned activities we proceed to the eating part,where we all stuffed ourselves with pizza, fries and salads.

After the lunch we greeted Natasha Brooks who as an artist came to do a animation workshop. We all had to decide on the roles of each individual and then make it come together with Natasha's help.

Emily and Kyle volunteered to be the 2 people in the video and the rest of the group has decided on roles such us being the shadows within the film,people in charge of the torches and the people in charge of the props. Even thought we all had our own tasks,we all tried to think creatively about the plot or ideas for the video.

#workshop #induction #animation #video #artist

GALLERY 1.. IS BORN..

It was a hot November day.. okay.. not outside.. but inside, the stress sweat from last minute trips up and down tall tall ladders, mixed fatefully with the heat sweat from the lamps above... in a few hours.. we would unveil Gallery 1 to the world..

There are few arenas in life that show so visibly the culmination of months of hard work as putting on a group show and seeing it.. finally.. in the flesh, looking like something you'd see.. 'y'know.. in a 'proper gallery'

Getting a group of people who don't really know each other to work together towards a common goal, for no material reward is hard. Enthusiasm waxed and waned.. members came and went.. a few stuck with each session.. it was not a cruising motorway, but a winding A-road, unrecognized by Sat Nav, with roadworks, dead ends, and the occasional mechanical burp from the car as it went along. There is certainly a lot to build on from here on in.. growing a group that really feels like they have an identity, a demand, and the momentum to do things for themselves.

There's no doubt that this project will be looked back upon by its participants with greater appreciation than was felt in the moment.. a shining memory of that time we really made something real happen. That time 'i really showed the world what was important to me at 15...17.. 20'..

A great many thanks to everyone involved in making this happen.. of whom there are two many to list. I think is fair to say that we have proven ourselves to be thoughtful, complex and not the stereotypes other generations might expect.

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

It's all go at Mostyn Gallery this week. Exhibition changeover is well under way and 'Gallery 1' opens on Friday 14th November at 6.30pm. That's TOMORROW NIGHT

In actual fact. everything is going pretty smoothly (touch wood). The exhibits have arrived, their pyrex plinths have been assembled and the gallery space is being decorated with our amazing custom wallpaper as I type (thank you Harold). Yesterday afternoon, Tomos and Will made an appearance on our local radio station, Tudno FM, where they talked Cylch, cake and giant paintings of Napoleon with their hosts. We are keen to promote the exhibition as much as possible and luckily our snazzy Gallery 1 postcards and business cards arrived earlier this week. We have been sending them out to family and friends to tell them about the opening and we will continue to use them to raise awareness once GALLERY 1 IS GO GO GO! We have one final Cylch meeting tonight, before the formal opening of the exhibition at 6.30 tomorrow evening. All hands will be on deck to put the finishing touches to our exhibits, refresh the paintwork and revel in the reality of having our own exhibition. We are so grateful to Tate, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and everyone at Mostyn Gallery for this opportunity. It has been such an amazing experience and we can’t wait to enjoy everything else that’s to come. * * * * GALLERY 1 opens on Friday 14th November at 6.30pm and runs until Sunday March 1st 2015. For more information, check out the Mostyn Gallery website (www.mostyn.org) or follow us on Twitter (@MOSTYN_Wales_) or Instagram (@mostyngallery) #mostyncylch #orielgallery1

Cronge

Ive been asked to write a note-blog on here but then got intimidated by all the banterous posts and photos on here therefore I dont know what to say lol.

Anyway

My mermaid idea is going quite well,it requires more details and preparation than I originally thought but its all coming into a place now.

Weve now decided to do it in Chester so its all getting better and better as we go along. Hopefully the video wont look too bad and I wont be embarrassed for the upcoming 6 months while the exhibition is up.

We do still have some issues with the project,such as the hot water source etc etc.

We did work out the plan of getting there which is following;

11.15-Arriving at the Mostyn Gallery

11.30-Leaving the Gallery

11.45-Travelling with a train, Llandudno-Prestatyn

12.10-Arrival in Prestatyn ,drive to Chester

12.50-Arrival in Chester

13.00-Arrive at the chosen place and prepering the equpiment

13.30-Getting ready for the shooting

14.00-Start shooting the video

15.00-The video finishes ,getting changed into warm clothes and heading home.

There is quite a few of us going as its me,Jan,Georgia and Naomi who are going so its basically a small crowd.

k bai

I am, I am, I am..?

"The worst enemy of creativity is self-doubt" — Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath I'm trying to recreate Sylvia Plath's writing environment for my final project

Much to my disappointment, the Google search for 'what did Sylvia Plath's writing desk look like?' failed to turn up a complete in-depth analysis or a carefully labeled photograph. So I've been researching in broader terms: *"What kind of typewriter did Sylvia Plath use?" - check** "What kind of paper did Sylvia Plath write The Bell Jar on?" - check "What did Sylvia Plath like to drink?" - check ** (Yes, I treat Google like it's Yahoo Answers. I'm one of those people. But it seems more personal that way!) I've been forced to read between the lines and to really read the lines as well:

and I'm learning more about Sylvia Plath in the process. It's hard, but it's also fulfilling. The really tricky bit has been finding the items I need to create the scenario - the typewriter, the desk, the carpet the desk will stand on, etc. I've been putting my eBay skills through their paces with wild searches like 'vintage patterned rug non-shabby chic' (that didn't work, but I'm getting closer). I've narrowed down my selection of desks, the typewriter - a green Royal HH - is on its way from America and I've discovered lots of Plath's writing quirks (did you know that Sylvia Plath liked sweet sherry? That she had a horse named Ariel? That she wrote The Bell Jar on pink memorandum paper, stolen from Smith College's supply closets?). I'm enjoying the process of seeing Sylvia Plath as a person, rather than a poet, rather than a myth. And my project is coming together, it really is. Despite the fact that I can't get that eBay search wording quite right. Despite the fact it's haaaaaard.

1. What was your personal reason for choosing this object/idea and what does it mean to you? 2. Tell us about the process you’ve been through from idea to exhibition. 3. What would you tell the world about your object/subject/idea?

Gallery 1 Diary #6 | Reality Check

Its a night of lists:

1. Share our projects with each other.

2. Have Adam Carr put on a serious face and tell us straight up the reality of the biz... a. There are deadlines b. We might not get what we want C. We need to get organized and get active d. There are deadlines.

3. Get to work Documenting the process for the wallpaper print.

4. Collectively ingest 4 "16 pizzas from 'The flames' down the road.

5. All the while have individual meetings with Adam Carr and Bedwyr Williams about our projects, and white a 'to-do' list, to be-done by next Thursday.

| 'Our Macbooks bring all the boys to the yard' - edricstorm |

| Pizza Party |

| Reality people, reality |

#SUCCESS

Gallery 1 Diary #5 | Coming to terms

Its the night of the day of the Scottish referendum, the air has thunder in it, and deep in the fortress of solitude, four brave Cylchees set about whittling down a list of possible names for Gallery 1 - there is ham and cheese and 50% less sugar fruitjuices.. lets go.

Today i had a look though the Cylch Facebook and tumblr, the repository for all our thoughts ideas and communications throughout our time together as a group. It had been pointed out to me that oftentimes the best ideas come about in the process of a casual chat.. so this seemed like a sensible thing to to.

We looked at random snaps from the computer.. looking for words and phrases abstractly, to try to extract something snappy. We also made notes from our discussions and put forward new ideas into the mix which came up off the cuff.

Then we got rid of the naff ones (of which there were.. many) into a partially juiced 'PARTY TIME' paper cup. (-ARTY TIME) Then, there was but to pick two favorites to put forward to vote.

|... the final cut |

Youth-Full - A popular suggestion by our very own Will.

Yooth - A catchy title which sounds like a brand already to me.

Zimmer - As in Zimmer frame.. As in Zimmer - German for Room.. Frame. A lot of us liked this one!

Obbbbviously - We delighted in the nonsensical spelling. Beyond the obvious.. contemporary and casual.

R-AGE - Speaks for itself

(Clicky symbol) - Possible logo ideas, using emoticons and lofi computer symbols

'...the ones who' - Full of mystery

Panic - Short, snappy, panicy

Unlike - Unlike anything in the gallery, Unlike anything done before, Social media references, reminds the audience to share and like too!

Wunderkinds - German for amazing youths!

Definition - Changing the Definition of the young in the eyes of the older generation.

---

| And there you have it!! The polls are open! |

#diary #gallery 1 #MOSTYN #cylch #circuit #tate

Diaries #2

Hello everyone,

I thought I'd ask as to whether they would like to talk about any old doodles, diary entries, bits of writing from their childhood/ early teenage years, in the film I'm trying to plan for Gallery 1? I would love it if any of you could get involved!

On a side note here are some examples of what you could talk about (but basically anything you've created with fiends or by yourself, that is important to you and represents your childhood, it can be funny, cute, emotional, anything!)

Unfortunately I don't have any huge details as to when we'll film it and such but as soon as I know I will let all of you know!

Thanks for reading,

Catrin.

#projects #cylch #circuit #MOSTYN #tate

Gallery 1 Diary # 4 | Keeping up Appearances

So this week was a mix up of activities, where we rotated in mini-groups of two to three developing our individual ideas rotating turns with Bedwyr Williams, Adam Carr and the OSB board.

| In the zone with Bedwyr and Sketchup |

With Bedwyr we created a mockup design of what the Gallery 1 space will look like. We each placed a mini image of our chosen objects into this space.

| It's all about Bedwyr...Design for Gallery 1 |

Adam Carr spoke to us about our individual objects and ways they would appeal to the public and the relevance they have for the exhibition. We also discussed ways of getting in touch with those who have our objects to help us reach out for them.

| Deep thoughts with Adam Carr |

We then concluded the session discussing different forms of design and logos and how they would appeal to the eye. We each picked out our own and explained why we liked them and what it was that made it stand out.

| Just a big board of images |

| Gallery 1 is in your hands |

#diary #gallery1 #circuit #cylch #MOSTYN #tate

Gallery 1 Diary # 3 | Crunch Time

We need to choose, from all of the objects and ideas out in time and space.. what is important to us as individuals, what represents us.

An unenviable task but a must if we are to represent ourselves as a generation.. what are our influences? What are our interests? How can we defy expectation and excite imagination in Gallery 1?

| Cylch fortress of solitude.. ie the Mostyn Office |

So we set about it, grabbed a massive board of OSB and some pins and made a grand mood board of items, ideas, notes, scribbles.

| A picture of a generation.. and a wheely chair |

We also had a chat about choosing a name for the show.. Gallery 1 having been a working title for the time being, we needed to be open to other possibilities:

| Sometimes the answer is right in front of you... |

And more! We worked with Bedwyr Williams on a frontage for the Gallery 1 space, to make it into its own 'gallery-in-the-gallery'

Till next time..

#diary #MOSTYN #tate #circuit #cylch #gallery1

Languages

My 'object' for gallery one isn't exactly an object, it's languages, (hence the title). Languages are something I find incredibly interesting and important, everything from dialects and the evolution and devolution of language to the ever developing definition of words. It's something I spend a long time thinking, reading and talking about and something which, I believe, is often overlooked. We take language for granted, we rarely think about what it was, what it will be, or even what it is, despite the fact we use and consume it daily. And rather than prattle about the difference between 'you' and 'thou' in Shakespearian english, I'll explain my idea.

At first it was hard to think of a way to represent language, I didn't really want to just represent a single language and I didn't want to confine it to only one aspect either. After brainstorming at a Cylch meeting, I started to see ways to combine the aspects of language that I wished to represent. One of these was to possibly display an english exam paper written in text-speak or a Shakespearean play, yet again written in text-speak. Thereby combining 'classic' english with a more modern version (evolution of language yo).

Another idea was to fill a dictionary with words that have been removed from past dictionaries or, you guessed it, text-speak and slang, and whilst I didn't want to just focus on one language in specific, I did find an interesting timeline showing how the english language became what it is today.

I really liked this idea of a timeline, either one focusing on a particular language and showing it's evolution or one focusing on the evolution of language as a whole. Trying to show the evolution of language as a whole would mean showing the progress from spoken word to cave paintings, from hieroglyphics to Chaucer's english, and then to english today, with lots of steps in between. I'd also like to include either slang or text-speak or possibly even a guess at how language will develop in the future, so as to come full circle.

Whilst I do like the idea of a timeline, I've not yet thought of all the specifics I'd need to include or how to go about creating it (vinyl maybe?), and any advice / criticism would be helpful, even if you hate the idea and think I should pursue a different route, let me know your thoughts and feelings! Thanks for reading, Lucy :)

#languages #oriel mostyn #cylch #mostyncylch #gallery one #gallery1

Diaries:

So I'm writing this to formally, well not formally, but to casually present my idea to everyone.

I like hoarding old diaries, sketchbooks and notebooks, it fascinates me. I love the idea that we may receive a sketchbook, notepad or diary as a gift and it may not mean much to us in that moment, but then we develop a bond to it through customising and changing it, making it really personal, and then looking back at it, through older and wiser eyes.

What I would like to do, as a very brief idea, any suggestions are welcome, is create a video or series of clips. This video could include people reading their old diaries (like in the documentary film called Mortified Nation, link to its info at the end), maybe showing their old doodles/ creations and commenting on them through their 'wiseness'. I think it would, possibly, be really interesting if we could get some older people too, not just 15-25. For example I was talking to my grandmother about it, and I didn't even think about it, but she's kept all of her old teenage diaries from when she was ten, I doubt she'd want to do it, but it sparked an idea; maybe there are people who would be willing to do it. This could also be a way of advertising and getting the word out of the exhibition possibly?

As to how it should be presented I quite like the small screens in this pictr]ure, each very personal:

But I also really like the couch and TV, living room vibe, that was in Tate Liverpool:

Let me know of your thoughts and ideas please!

The mortified Nation website: http://mortifiednation.com/

#mostyn mostyncylch gallery1

dingledodies.

"...the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a common place thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars…"

—Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Words are important to me. I hoard them as some people hoard stamps (or pressed pennies or dusty magazine collections or china figurines). They spill out of my bookshelves and stand stacked in tumbledown piles at the foot of my bed. There are reams of words, postmarked and stashed in cardboard shoe-boxes at the bottom of my wardrobe. I am a chronic list-writer. I work in a library. And I use words to enthuse and argue and write unnecessarily flamboyant tumblr posts in the middle of the night. Yup, words are pretty great. I spent a long time this evening contemplating words and what they mean to me and what they could mean within Gallery One (alternate exhibition name pending). What began as an abstract concept, slowly formulated itself into two distinct strands of thought. 1) Typewriters. This was the obvious place to begin. I brought my own Smith-Corona typewriter in to Cylch a couple of weeks ago as an example of an object that's important to me and tonight I spent a long time researching writers and their typewriters (and yes, pining over beautiful red Olivetti Valentines on eBay). I love typewriters. I find them fascinating - they create art and they are art in their own right. They look and sound like machines and yet they are the physical means to so much beauty, expression, magic, etc. (also, lots of joyous keysmashing in my case). In terms of the exhibition, I found a website which lists writers and their typewriters: http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html I like the idea of collecting several of these models and displaying them together in some manner. I suspect my train of thought might have been influenced by this picture:

Something to ponder. (Type Horses exhibition / for future reference: http://www.zoesadokierski.com/Type-Horses-exhibition) 2) Book Art. At the same time, I also love the idea of book art. Art giving life to art after it has expired or creating a physical aesthetic from something previously internalised.

I found some amazing examples here:

http://www.inspirationgreen.com/art-from-old-books.html

and here:

http://en.paperblog.com/art-made-from-books-review-721839/ In particular, I fell in love with the piece called 'Semillas de Libro' (Seed Tree) by Arián Dylan. The paper bulbs reminded me of hot air balloons, which ties in nicely with my passion for travel.

I also like the following installations:

Jan Reymonds

Alicia Martin

What do you think? Are these ideas suitable? Which do you prefer? Any suggestions/ critique would be most welcome.

#jess rambles #and then rambles some more #gallery one #ideas and suggestions

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