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INTERVIEW #1: Mark Devereux @ BlankMediaCollective

Image Copyright Mark Devereux

Mark Devereux is an artist and director of Blank Media Collective. Now in its fifth year, Blank Media Collective champions emerging artists, writers, musicians and performers by giving them a unique platform to showcase their work. The organisation is developing an excellent reputation for the high quality of its output. Blank Media Collective are proud to offer a vital support network to hundreds of creative practitioners from throughout the UK and abroad as well as its base in the North-West.

In our first of a new feature, we interviewed the man himself, Mark Devereux (or Interview #1 as he'll now surely be known!)

CAUSE & EFFECT: Blank Media Collective is a fantastic concept. What was your motivation behind launching it?

MARK DEVEREUX: The original proposal to form what is now Blank Media Collective was based around the difficulties of some friends and I showing our own personal work. We decided to meet up and work together in order to create our own opportunities and pool our resources of skills. The original team comprised of around 5 different practitioners, which has grown and expanded over the years. The ethos has always remained the same with regards to creating a platform for emerging creative people. We found a gap in the provisions for emerging artists especially in Manchester and have worked hard to give the practitioners we support the guidance and platform they deserve.

C&E: Where do you see BlankMedia’s future? Do you think the goverment cuts will have an impact in terms of your development?

MD: Blank Media Collective has an exciting future! We are just about to launch BLANKSPACE, our first multi-disciplinary creative hub in Manchester enabling the organisation to support even more creative practitioners in even more ways. This is no doubt a substantial challenge in the current climate, however we feel we have shown strength and commitment working as volunteers creating the exciting opportunities we already have. We are now challenged by a new situation but we can and have always relied upon our innovative and creative thinking to make sure the organisation goes from strength to strength. Blank Media Collective is currently an unfunded organisation. As someone said to me recently, "You can't cut nothing!". Blank Media Collective were also quoted as being "...recession proof..." in a recent article from Creative Tourist.

C&E: You’ve just put together BlankMedia’s biggest project yet, BlankWeekend. What was the idea behind that and how successful was it?

MD: BlankWeekend was devised as a celebration to launch the start of our fifth year. We wanted to show everyone the different elements of the organisation all at the same time. We wanted to challenge ourselves to create something special and hopefully inspirational for both the artists involved and the participants of the weekend. We felt BlankWeekend was a massive success, receiving applause from the artists involved, participants and a number of highly respected individuals and organisations throughout Manchester.

C&E: As a visual artist yourself, what or whose work inspires you?

MD: Many different things inspire me as an artist but one of the biggest is through my role as a curator for Blank Media Collective. I love seeing new and exciting work breaking down boundaries, challenging preconceptions and appealing to the senses. In the wider concept, I take inspiration from artists including; Olafur Elliasson, James Turrell, Anish Kapoor and my Uncle, Richard Devereux.

C&E: How do you think Manchester compares to London in terms of its art scene?

MD: That's very difficult for me to answer, as I have never spent any length of time in London so I can't comment fairly as a comparison between the two cities. As an organisation, Blank Media Collective are keen to work with groups and artists from throughout the UK and Internationally, actively seeking collaborations and networks to enable and increase our work for emerging artists.

C&E: What makes a great exhibition? What’s the best exhibition you’ve been to recently?

MD: Wow, what a question! Every exhibition has the potential to be 'great'!

C&E: We were excited to hear you’ve just taken over the EASA gallery. What are your plans for the space?

MD: BLANKSPACE is going to be a creative hub showcasing exhibitions, events, hosting workshops, discussion groups, creative studio spaces/darkrooms... the list continues! The main plan is to make BLANKSPACE accessible to all, whether you are a creative practitioner, viewer or anything in between. Come along to the launch of BLANKSPACE and our first exhibition, BlankExpression 2011 on Thursday 27 January to see in the flesh what you can get involved in. For more information keep checking our website,http://www.blankmediacollective.org/ :0)

C&E: (in a vain and failed attempt to discover the subject of Mark's recent work) Your work is visually very interesting and abstract. What exactly is the subject you photograph in your most recent works?

MD: Good try! ;0) What do you think it's about and how do you think I made it?

C&E: What did you eat for your tea last night?

MD: An out of date steak pie (Starving Director/Artist/Curator!)

For more information about Blank Media Collective please visit http://www.blankmediacollective.org/ and to see more of Mark's work click HERE.


Glinka


CAUSE AND EFFECT