Lives in Nottingham
Works in Nottingam and Lincoln.
Armstrong’s practice in developing projects that have ongoing narratives that relate to overcoming challenges that are set by the projects objectives. Armstrong is increasingly interested in projects that attempt to place the work amongst other activities outside of an arts context.
Recent exhitbions/projects include: Interrogation Walsall, New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall; Her Name Is Her Farther, Wasp Room, Nottingham; Open Plan, Tyler school of art,Philadelphia, USA; Art:Work, The Collection, Lincoln; 6 Degrees, The Monks Gallery, Lincoln.
Armstrong Co-directs the Lincoln Art Programme; an organisation based in Lincoln that commissions new projects in the region.
The reading of The Weed Act 1959 (a government document which prohibits the purposeful growing of 5 types of common weeds) to a spear thistle growing in my back garden, and then the consequent removal of that weed, in line with government guidelines.
Flight of the Dayton involved designing and constructing a soapbox car to participate in a soapbox race at the Cadwell Gravity Festival alongside 56 other competitors from across the UK. The car was built based on archive images of a 1934 soapbox model, a car that has engrained itself in soapbox history after its victorious run in an inaugural soapbox race in the 1930's.
Flight of the Dayton takes the form of a short documentary that plays out the projects narrative, the building of the car, the race day and its improbable failure on the racetrack. Other elements compliment the DVD, including the remains of the soapbox (which was destroyed post race), and other associated items, such as the race helmet, track side wristband and race entry form.
The Project is supported by Tethervision, an artist led organisation based in Nottingham UK
Short film series documenting the ritual of saluting in front of the Rocky Balboa statue outside of The Philadelphia Museum of Modern Art, USA.
A selection of signs from an ongoing project in which I decided to make signs and put them outside.
A series of works made for the Monks Gallery, as part of the exhibition programme launch ‘6 degrees’. A functioning saloon door, built in the living room of the Monks Gallery house; A local newspaper containing a reward notice for the capture of Billy the Kid; and a 55 CD’s containing a single track of Woody Gunthrie’s Billy The Kid sung by me, in which galley visitors were encourage to take.
Documentation of the Monks Gallery ongoing programme can be found here
An ongoing project that researches the various expeditions to find the Mokele-mbembe. The legendary creature that is believed to live in the Congo River basin; the western equivalent being the Loch Ness Monster.
The project currently takes the form of various drawings of the Mokele-mbembe. Each drawing copied from images taken from Google images.
Opposite: Genral view up stream; Homer Leroy Shantz; Jan 18 1920. University of Arizona archive.
Lincoln Art Programme is a curatorial platform that commissions new work in Lincolnshire. Working within a nomadic framework; it has no gallery space, but uses the county and its various histories, events, communities and evolving landscapes as sites, spaces as starting points for new work.
Pat projects include: Union , The Usher Gallery, S Mark Gubb; Charter of the Forest , Chambers Farm Wood; The Normal Parade ; Anhtony Schrag, Lincoln Showground; Boy Horse Shoe Bad , Townely and Bradby; The Pilgrimage of the Fool, Agnes Nedregard; Search Party Vs , Cornhill Square, Serach Party.
To go to the Lincoln Art Programme website click here
Mistaken Presence is a 14 month curatorial project housed in a former Liberal Working mens club, in Lincoln city centre. The project invites artists to reflect and respond to the buildings former histories, in light of the buildings future uncertainty.
Mistaken Presence forms part of HOUSED, a studio and gallery facility that provides a number of affordable artist studios to artist living in the region.
Mistaken Presence is co-curated by Alan Armstrong and John Plowman.
To visit the HOUSED Facebook page, click here .
Tel: 0778391342
Email: alan_alanarmstrong.eu
Headspace
Over and Out, Milton St, Lincoln
March 15th – 22nd 2012
I’m involved in an exhibition that looks at your own and other peoples ‘headspace’.
I’m working on a new work that will be shown at the exhibitions private view, and will be showing alongside Andrew Bracey, John Plowman, Tom Cretney, Nick Simspon and Ian Manicom.
More information here http://www.overandoutlincoln.co.uk/current.php
Unofficial Histories
19th May 2012
Bishopgate Institute, London
I will be performing an adaptation of a work first performed in collaboration with fellow artist Amelia Beavis Harrison at a Beacon Bi-monthlies in May 2011 at the Unofficial Histories conference in May. Unofficial histories is a free public conference to discuss how society produces, presents, and consumes history beyond official and elite versions of the past.
More information here http:// unofficialhistories.wordpress.com/
Or book your place here
http:// unofficialhistories.eventbrite.co.uk/
Alan Armstrong / copyright © 2011 /alan_alanarmstrong.eu
