Dean Leivers

The new year is in full swing and the beginning stages of the ‘Dependent Origination’ project are well underway. Various project co-ordination tasks have been completed and documents set up to monitor my progress in the form of a timetable alongside budgeting spreadsheets to ensure I keep on top of the finances. I’ve started the search for equipment that I need to complete the proposed activity, the main purchase being that of the dome.

The dome (or Garden Igloo, to give it its proper title) will act as my artist studio when on site at the schools or community partners venues during the project. It will allow me a space to make work and research and also act as a space to deliver workshops to small groups. The transparent material will be a good way to keep wind and rain out whilst allowing my Cyanotypes to expose to UV light, so it’s a pretty integral part of the project! Currently the dome is winging its way from Germany and is unfortunately a victim of Brexit related delays and so may not make it to me until March given current estimates. It’s certainly a factor that I hadn’t considered when developing the project. As it goes though, I couldn’t find the same product or something suitable from a UK seller and as this is all out of my sphere of influence I’ll just have to accept that this is the way that things are. It’s definitely made me think that for the rest of my equipment purchases I need to look a little closer to home though.

Another aspect affecting the project that I couldn’t really plan for is the Covid-19 pandemic and obviously whilst I was aware that the situation was ongoing when I received the funding, I wasn’t quite prepared for the impact on schools, especially the current closures. However, this week I did press on and book provisional dates with one of the planned school partners for the project. Hopefully they will be able to open and invite visiting artists in by the time of the proposed set of delivery dates. Time will tell.

Speaking of Covid, I was a very lucky recipient of Arts Council Emergency Funding which has allowed me to continue to develop other areas of my practice alongside ‘Dependent Origination’. I’ve developed treatments for a series of photography tutorial videos which I hope to begin filming very soon. They will ultimately become a set of stand-alone series that beginners and improvers can purchase and download from me directly. I’ve also used some of the time that the funds allowed to begin researching and making work for a video landscape series which I intend to become an installation piece (once gallery spaces can operate again).

Visually it’s currently a number of tryptichs depicting a response to the six elements (as described in an advanced Buddhist meditation practice). The above still is a simple test set up to give me a sense of what I can achieve using the software and kit I have available. I’m currently pleased with the early stages of development with both of these paths and feeling prepared for the inevitable challenges ahead.