Anon.

P.A.S.T. Projects recently received an anonymous letter in response to The Woodmill's current exhibition Man in the Dark.

How does your personal engagement with art affect your emotional well being?

* Experiencing arts prevents me from feeling lonely with my feelings.

* Mostly it makes me happy & angry in equal measure

What actions do you take to nurture your creative self?

* Always wash whites and colours separately!

What piece of advice that you've received has most profoundly affected your artistic career?

* If you keep making videos you'll never make a living of it!!

* Don't ever compare yourself to anyone else.

* Patronage is traction.

* You should think that what you're making is the most exciting thing in the world.

* Look after your books better. They are important!

* Contentment is the enemy of invention!

Man in the Dark Opening Night.

The exhibition Man in Dark at Woodmill (8^th October – 7^th November 2010) explores ideas of well-being and self-betterment through the work of 10 artists from across the globe (http://www.woodmill.org/programme). With this in mind the P.A.S.T. Projects Library and Archive space has been adapted to serve as a space of contemplation and relaxation. The soothing sound of birdsong, a sofa, and low lighting provide a calm and comfortable area in which visitors can peruse exhibiting artists’ books, alternative living magazines, and self-help books. An ‘Advice Board’ has also been added to the space where visitors are asked to contribute advice relating to the relationship between art and emotional well-being, the ‘creative self’, and artistic practice. These contributions will be uploaded weekly to the P.A.S.T. Projects blog.

Here are some installation shots from the opening night:

New publications include:
Po: Beyond Yes and No, Edward de Bono
Man and His Symbols, Carl Jung
and books by exhibiting artists Lottie Cantle and Daniel Gustav Cramer.

Artist Joe Watling adding some comments to the advice board.

The new sofa, a lamp for some soft lighting and some inspirational magazines for visitors to browse through.

Man in the Dark

Man in the Dark

Opening: 08.10.2010 / 7 - 9pm
Exhibition continues: 09.10.2010 - 07.11.2010



Tales (Perada, Greece, August 2009), 2010, Daniel Gustav Cramer



Bettina Samson (FR) Jane and Louise Wilson (UK) Jon Rafman (US) Lottie Cantle (UK) Christian Newby (US) Joost van den Toorn (NL) Stuart Croft (UK) Daniel Gustav Cramer (DE)

'Man in the Dark' embraces the ambiguous and illusory nature of humanity's belief in self- betterment, in turn exploring the frictions that exist between our search for emotional well being and our desire to develop intelligently. The works included present opposing ideologies and deal with processes of perceptual, mystical and ritual transformation. Positing the irrational and unexplainable as central to the production of artworks the exhibition functions on the fringes of the logical, with collection of works

The exhibition includes debut London presentations from Joost van den Toorn- featuring a large and confounding bronze work, and Bettina Samson- whose practice is revealed here in a series of installations, having recently exhibited within 'Dynasty' at Palais de Tokyo earlier in the year. Other pieces include early work by artists Jane and Louise Wilson, photography and text by Daniel Gustav Cramer, and new work by Lottie Cantle derived from a recent excursion to the Caribbean Sea with the National Center for Oceanography. Jon Rafman shares his perspective through a Secondlife interview as avatar Kool-Aid Man, whilst Christian Newby and Stuart Croft explore narrative and transportation through their video and film.

Curated by Alastair Frazer, Thom O'Nions, Naomi Pearce and Richard Sides

Exhibition opening times: Thursday - Sunday 12 - 6pm

October's Contributor of the Month: Jasiek Mischke

For October our first ever Contributor of the Month, Jasiek Mischke, sent in a text from his recent performance at The Woodmill's month-long series of events 'Heat Haze.' Jasiek is a recent graduate of the Goldsmiths College MFA Fine Arts Practice course.

Click here for more information on Jasiek.

Each month P.A.S.T. Projects asks a Woodmill studio artist to contribute to our blog in whichever form they so choose. If you would like to participate as a Contributor of the Month, or for more information on our Contributors, please contact us at p.a.s.t.library@gmail.com.

A Letter for PAST Projects from Treasa O'Brien on Vimeo.

Elena Bajo reading a letter by Treasa O'Brien at Housing Works Bookshop in New York. The letter was a contribution by Treasa for the P.A.S.T. Projects Collaboration with Elena Bajo at The Woodmill, London.