Pretty Shitty City

I’ve been keen to check out the Framework Social events ever since I’d first heard about them, but I was also a bit apprehensive. What kind of people go out to bake bread and listen to music?

Last Tuesday I finally plucked up some courage, spurred on partly by the fact that I had my own promotion to do (thanks for letting me flyer guys ), and ventured down to St. James Social Club to see some art.

That’s what Framework is basically; a place for people to perform, watch and interact with (or is that intra-act?) art.

I arrived early-ish so that I could take a seat comfortably and watch from the sidelines (not very sociable, I know). The organisers were friendly and they filled me in on the programme of events. I payed my £2 (proceeds going to Oxjam on this occasion) and went to the bar.

St. James’ Social Club is a great little venue for performance, with the tables and chairs arranged in a sort-of U shape around the dance floor come stage. Its worth mentioning that Swansea Jazzland organise events here every Wednesday.

So what happens at the Social?

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Exist are putting the finishing touches to their brand new website. Its nearly done, so head over to buy a tshirt, check out some photography or have a chat in the forum.

They’re also hosting a free live show in store, this Friday 14th September from 7pm till 9pm; featuring local ‘5 piece Punk Rock heroes’ The Arteries. Plus there’s a new art exhibition from Michael Sorenson.

The Exist Outlet is at 214 Oxford Street, Swansea SA1 3BG.

Thanks to Dan Penman for supplying the next banner for Pretty Shitty City. The photo is of Swansea’s infamous bridge that now sits redundantly on the cycle path along Mumbles Road.

Skating (or cycling) through the bridge reminds me of a level in ‘Mario Kart Double Dash!!‘ …pity you can’t race up the sides and lob bananas at people.

Dan is an amateur photographer, currently experimenting with Lomography and studying Art & Design in Swansea, you can see some more of his photos on his flickr page Polygon Window; or get in touch directly polygon-window@hotmail.com.

The Framework Social is back and they’re putting a call out for an artist in residence plus people who work in the fields of video, installation, drawing, performance & music. Get in touch if you want to contribute; frameworkcontact@yahoo.co.uk or check out their new myspace; myspace.com/frameworkswansea.

The next Framework event will be Tuesday September 4th 7pm, £2 entry (no charge for participants) at St. James Social Club, St. James Crescent, Uplands, Swansea, SA1 6DR.

Here’s a map of the area.

The next Framework Social event is taking place at 7pm this Tuesday (7th August) down the St. James Social Club.

Here’s the line-up:-

Mr Martin ‘Sonny boy’ Williams will be our special guest Bingo caller.
Daniel McCabe will be showing new video work.
Joan Jones will be entertaining all with something very exciting.
Tom O’Sullivan will be showing some small new works (or new small works).
We have Artist in residence Lydia White writing and performing poetry live on the night itself.

We are also very pleased to announce that Fay Crispin will be doing a performance on the night. Fay has just graduated from Time Based media at Cardiff, and you can find out more at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uruK2NpYXQ4. This is a great opportunity to witness a fantastic action by an up and coming artist in Wales.

There will also be lots of opportunity to dance and chat and have a drink, so we hope to see you there.

The Framework Social is being held at St. James Social Club, St. James Crescent, Uplands, Swansea, SA1 6DR.

Here’s a map of the area.

The soon to be opened Elysium Gallery (formerly the Exposure Gallery) are seeking artists for solo or group shows and one off events.

Artists working in any media are welcome; e.g. Installation, Interactive/Open Studio, Film, Music, Photography, 3D, Performance, Experimental or Sound etc.

Contact Jon elysiumgallery@yahoo.co.uk or check the Elysium Gallery myspace for more news.

Thanks to Kara Seaman for letting us use her photo for the header this month.

Kara is a freelance / photographer artist working in Swansea and her work has an emphasis on documenting this ugly, lovely town. You can see what she’s up to at her Myspace, or her Flickr page.

If you’d like to have your design or photo featured on our header for a month or so, please email us: prettyshittcity@thelab7.com.

Images should be supplied in JPEG (or similar) and atleast 750 pixels wide by 280 pixels tall.

Framework, a Swansea based Artist Collective are hosting their next event at St. James’s Social Club in Uplands this Tuesday (3rd July). So if you’re looking for arty, eclectic entertainment this week, you should pop down.

This time we’ve got the following host of talent to enjoy; performance work by Fay Crispin, video work by our own Paul Woodland, ukulele musings from Joan Jones and of coarse the usual bingo excitement will continue. We’re also proud to present Jonathon Anderson as Framework Socials’ very first artist in residence.

Framework Social is a space for experimentation and the development of practices so we are open to suggestions for works, live or static to show. It is also a space for us to build a creative community together so it really is an open space in which you can contribute and participate.

Entrance will cost you two pounds.

The Framework Social is being held at St. James Social Club, St. James Crescent, Uplands, Swansea, SA1 6DR.

Here’s a map of the area.

Head down to The Grand Theatre next week to experience Surface Structure Space, the BA (Hons) 3rd year Surface Pattern Design Degree Show.

Students from the course at Swansea Institute will be exhibiting their work, which ranges from contemporary textiles to installation art and promises to be an exciting and varied show.

The show will be open to the public 10am - 6pm Monday 4th - Thursday 8th June at The Grand Theatre Arts Wing Swansea. A map of The Grand Theatre.

I spotted a raft of minions setting up the Earth From The Air installation outside the National Waterfront Museum yesterday, which reminded me that the exhibition will be opening this Saturday.

Earth From The Air is a travelling exhibition featuring the work of the French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. It’s a collection of large-scale aerial photographs taken all over the world that tell a dramatic visual tale of our changing planet.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s mission was to create a photographic record of the natural world at the start of a new millennium. The collection of 160 images takes viewers off the ground and into the air to witness a bird’s-eye view of the extraordinary patterns and colours created in landscapes all over the world. Some are the result of human activity - farming, industry or habitation. Others are entirely sculpted by nature itself. None of these images could be seen or even imagined if you were standing on the ground.

There’s a gallery of the images here. To see the real thing, get over to the National Waterfront Museum any time of the day or night between 26 May and 29 July.