Claire Weetman is interested in how her art can be created in public spaces, in the places where the movement that she follows takes place. When situating herself in these locations, she creates interventions that not only document movement, but also seeks to alter the day-to-day movement of people within that space; Lines of water painted onto the floor that people feel the need to jump over, a pedestrian needing to alter their course to pass the artist at work or an audience member 'playing' with the artist drawing a line to see who is in control. Weetman uses drawing processes combined with interventions in public spaces, responding to, recording, measuring and altering movement. Using bold calligraphic lines combined with video projections, she records the motion of people on everyday journeys; Flowing pencil drawings, charting transient and fleeting traces, noting how movement alters according to environment; Interventions into public spaces interact with an audience by both measuring and interrupting natural movement. Much of Weetman's work is created in a live context, which reflects her wont to document the transient and temporal. This transience translates into notions of presence and absence such as in the fading water traces painted onto a floor in Watermark or the empty outlines that are suggested in her earlier One Minute drawings. In 2012 Weetman became aware that the verb 'trace' and it's literary definitions was a core tenet of her work. The concepts within those descriptions - following a course, marking a position, superimposing lines over things, outlining people and objects - have run through Weetman's entire portfolio of work since 2002 and continue in her most recent works. Bio Since 2009 Claire Weetman has worked internationally on exchanges, residencies and exhibitions including Linz (AT), Schiedam (NL), Istanbul (TR) and in November 2012 as artist in residence at Shanghai Fine Art University (CN) as part of the METAL International Residency Award to Shanghai. Claire studied Fine Art at Liverpool John Moores University (2003). She is a founder member of POST Liverpool, a co-curatorial group of female artists working internationally with European Capital of Culture Cities. In 2011 she co-founded the artist-led studios and artist network Platform Art St Helens in her home town. |
| Selected Exhibitions |
| 2013 |
| Through: Process in art. Neo:Gallery 22, Bolton |
| I am awaiting the arrival of night: Gallery at Bank Quay House, Warrington |
| 2012 |
| dis)Orientation: an online exhibition of work made in Shanghai. claireweetman.co.uk/shanghaigallery.html |
| TRADING STATION: POST Liverpool, Artist initiated exchange with Istanbul - Curve Gallery, Liverpool. |
| Trace: Artists that explore the idea of an outline, an indication, a smidgen - Motorcade/Flashparade, Bristol |
| Animated Drawings: screening of works by emerging artists, Parasol Unit, London |
| Journeys: Artists critique the ways in which humankind is perpetually on the move - Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk. |
| 2011 |
| State of Perception: An experiment in artists exchange - METAL, Liverpool |
| Invisible City: Performance Interventions, Schiedam (NL) |
| 2010 |
| 'Latitude' - artist map making: Manchester Modernist Society |
| How much exchange can you stand?: Female artists from Linz and Liverpool, MAERZ, Linz (AT) |
| Global Studio: Examining global projects initiated by Liverpool Artists, The Bluecoat, Liverpool |
| 2009 |
| Next Up: Liverpool Art Now: 35 artists living and working in Liverpool, The Bluecoat, Liverpool |
| 2008 |
| Move: Albert Dock: Drawing, photography and installation, curated by Claire Weetman |
| Liverpool International Artists:Curated by Terry Duffy, Novas CUC, Liverpool Independents Biennial |
| Directions in Drawing:Artists who experiment with drawing in their practice, The Brindley, Runcorn |
| Six Artists from St Helens: Celebrating 60 years of town twinning, an exhibition at the Rathaus, Stuttgart (D) |
| 2007 |
| Prestival: A weekend of artist interventions across the city of Preston, Lancashire |
| Lines of Investigation: An exhibition of drawing and line at Albert Dock, Liverpool, curated by Claire Weetman |
| Journey, Movement and Place: Wolstenholme Projects, Liverpool |
| 2006 |
| Dyingfrog Presents…: Artists using performance to create their work, Cornerstone Gallery, Liverpool |
| 2004 |
| Liverpool Open: Arena Gallery, Liverpool |
| 2003 |
| Flinch: Group show at Sevenseven Gallery, London |
| It Ain’t What You Do: A performance and video evening at 291 Gallery, Hackney, London
|
| Residencies |
| 2012 |
| METAL International residency Award: In partnership with Shanghai Fine Art University (CN) |
| TRADING STATION: Artist led residency in Istanbul (TR) |
| 2011 |
| AA2A (Artists access to art colleges) residency, Salford University |
| 2010 |
| Urban Interventions: Atelierhaus Salzamt, Linz (AT) |
| riPOSTe: Artist-led residency in Linz (AT)
|
| Commissions & Public Interventions |
| 2012 |
| Watermark. An intervention on Barbaros Park, Istanbul (TR) |
| The Big Broughton Poem. Animation - Salford University Outreach Team (UK) |
| 2010 |
| Chatham Road (Eventually Everyone had moved), Animation - Art for Places, Liverpool Biennial (UK) |
| Passing, Watching, Waiting, Following II; interactive drawing - Arts council grants for the arts funded project |
| 2009 |
| Sculptural & Public Realm artworks - The Robins Children's Centre, Huyton, Knowsley |
| Passing, Watching, Waiting, Following; interactive drawing - Attitudes in drawing, The Bluecoat, Liverpool |
| 2008 |
| Wilkommen im Rathaus, interactive drawing - Six artists from St Helens, Stuttgart (D) |
| Sandy Lane Nursery, Warrington - Artwork for nursery windows, developed with children and families |
| 2007 |
| Feeling a little up and down: Drawing Intervention in the lift of Manchester City Art Gallery |
| Awards |
| 2013 |
| A-N Re:View Bursary |
| 2012 |
| METAL International residency Award |
| Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts. POST, TRADING STATION exchange |
| 2011 |
| Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts. New work in Schiedam |
| Grundtvig Adult Education Training Bursary - Intergenerational Practice |
| Creative Arts Award (Professional Practice), St Helens Cultural Awards |
| 2010 |
| Austrian Cultural Forum bursary - POST Linz - Liverpool project |
| 2009 |
| Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts. POST Linz-Liverpool project |
| NAN Go and See Bursary |
| 2003 |
| Norman Moores Fellow - Liverpool John Moores University |
| Education |
| 2003, BA(hons) Fine Art, (First Class), Liverpool John Moores University |
Artist Statement
