Based in Frome, Somerset, Foreground is a commissioning organisation established to realise significant contemporary art projects in the South West.
In summer 2009, Foreground staged Independent State, a project which commissioned three artists: Bob and Roberta Smith, Edwina Ashton and Matt Stokes to initiate major new collaborative works that formed entries into the Frome Carnival.
VOICE | HAND | HAMMER | FIRE
For Independent State, Matt Stokes created Voice | Hand | Hammer | Fire, a monument dedicated to Frome’s punk/hardcore/metal music scene.
Drawing on the town’s industrial heritage (in particular that of Singers, a former foundry and forge in Frome), the monument was built in collaboration with Somerset blacksmiths. A focal point of the project was a ‘forge-in’ weekend, where elements of the piece were made using the traditional skills of the ‘smithy’, alongside live music from local bands.
On completion, the resulting monument was paraded through Frome’s streets as part of the Carnival procession, accompanied by some of the people involved in the piece’s production and from the local music scenes it celebrates - harking back to when statues left the Singers workshops in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This site was used to post info about the design, production and lead-up to the Carnival, but now exists as an archive of what took place.
The monument and other ephemera that form Voice | Hand | Hammer | Fire will be on show as part of the Northern Art Prize exhibition, which is taking place in Leeds City Art Gallery from 26th November, 2009 to 21st February, 2010.
THE FINALE: CARNIVAL NIGHT!
26TH SEPTEMBER 7-9PM
We made it! After a long night of working on finishing the monument, and a few nervous moments with the sound-system and a dodgy generator, Voice | Hand | Hammer | Fire trundled into the Carnival procession.
After signing in, we had a while to wait before being called into the procession line, which gave us time to sort out bunting, get the lighting and sound prepared and find a back-up generator!
Then we were placed in line, and before we knew it were passing through the crowd lined streets of Frome with the decorated pick-up towing the monument followed by four flag bearers, Nina, Andy, Alex and Milo. Music for the Voice | Hand | Hammer | Fire entry included a selection of tracks by Landscapes, Rejected Faith, All Guns Blazing, Bear Fights Fire, and The Dead Life ... (not your normal Carnival soundtrack!) ... which created an interesting mix when we started off in the procession as we were followed by a military band!!
Shortly after the Carnival it was announced that Voice | Hand | Hammer | Fire was awarded second prize in the Decorated Trolley and Cart class!
THE DESIGN AND FABRICATION
The outline design for the monument was drawn up after making a number of visits to Frome and chatting with members of bands and other people, mostly on the punk/hardcore scene. From these conversations, many people thought that the main structure should be abstract and irregular, but complex and intricate in parts. Another strong comment was that this structure should feel as if it's being restrained in some way ... So, the design tried to incorporate these ideas.
The main shape, which gives the piece its scale, is made of repeated geometric shapes - icosahedrons - constructed from steel-plate. These grow from/off one another to create what looks like a crystaline form. Wrapped around this is what looks like rope, made of forged steel bar, which is knotted in parts and looks like it is pulled taught. (On the drawing above, there is a photo of a trial for the rope) ... As the design for the main shape was so organic, the drawing only gave an idea of how the piece might look - and so it changed in the making.
A large quantity of the forged rope was made during the Forge-in Festival on the weekend of the 12th and 13th September, (see below for more info). Some of the icosahedrons were also welded together then, but the bulk of these were fabricated in a workshop in the two weeks following the Forge-in. In total 110 icosahedrons were made, each one being created by welding together 20 equilateral triangles ... and they took ALOT of welding! The final piece was constructed in a lock-up on Frome trading estate, then fork lifted onto the trailer the morning of the Carnival.
FORGE-IN FESTIVAL
12-13TH SEPTEMBER
LOCATION:
Frome Community and Youth Centre
Vallis Road
Frome
SATURDAY 12TH, 12-6PM, &
SUNDAY 13TH, 12-6PM
The Forge-in Festival took place outside, behind the Community and Youth Centre, where we used a hard-standing for the forge work and old BMX track (now a field) for the siting of a tent for the music.
The Blacksmiths Guild supported us with the generous loan of mobile forges, anvils, vices and tools. A host of local and regional blacksmiths got stuck into the forge-work and the making of the monument, including: Richard Jones (Dragon Works Forge), John Bellamy (Guild Master, Blacksmiths Guild), Alan Paterson (Somerset Smithy), James Blunt-Smith, Simon Grant-Jones, and Jez Pearson to name a few.
Saturday included a host of live music, a BBQ, and t-shirt and banner printing. Sound-maestro Will Angelero of Handsome Lama Studios sorted out our PA needs, aided by Sam from Bear Fights Fire. We also managed to get hold of a half-pipe too, so there was skating a plenty to add to the music and sounds of metal being bashed ... And the sun shone too ... the perfect festival mix!
Saturday featured bands:
MEIER
BEAR FIGHTS FIRE
REJECTED FAITH
ONCE WERE WARRIORS
... and DJ MAD APPLE
(There were a few hiccups with the original line-up and we lost a couple of the bands, but a big thanks to Once Were Warriors who stepped in to fill the gap!).
SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO:
Everyone involved in the design, fabrication and Carnival procession!
!Join us in infiltrating Frome Carnival - tomorrow night!
A Monument dedicated to Frome's metal, hardcore and punk scene, designed by the bands themselves and created by local blacksmiths will be paraded through Frome tomorrow evening.
Accompanying the procession, tracks by REJECTED FAITH, ALL GUNS BLAZING, THE DEAD LIFE and more will be playing at an infeasibly loud volume - come and join members of the bands in revolting against all things sparkly and glittery from 7pm. Be there
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![As Reflections Fade [Drummer Wanted / New Song Up]](http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/71/s_b949dafc630e4173910809afe6e575fb.png)
