Chaosmos 2010

Oh where have the months gone... Delay before Abandon has experienced a major delay but has certainly not been abandoned...In fact, our piece is going to be in the Chaosmos 2010 exhibition as part of the Liverpool Independents Biennial!

Megan Chapman and Steven Heaton
Delay before abandon: A transatlantic collaboration

Chaosmos 2010
View Two Gallery
07.09.2010 - 02.10.2010
Chaosmos is an arts initiative that aims to research and develop the production of an array of mixed media artwork, animations, video and live art. It is curated by Chris Boyd, the Lead Artist, and platforms a collection of international and renowned art in a unique exhibition that investigates turbulent visual planes within the conceptual framework of Chaosmos (a Joycean coinage).

The exhibition attempts to map meta-physical states, track intermittent interference whilst revealing a preoccupation with the creative process, pictorial puzzles and the integration of traditional artist techniques with current post production methods.

Artists: Chris Boyd; Megan Chapman; Gordon Cheung; Mat Collishaw; Peter Eramian; Steven Heaton; Maggie Lambert; Lady Lillith Leveigh; Tomioka Masahiro; David Ogle; Jonas Pihl; James Roper; Boo Saville; Jane Ward; Boris Zakic and others. Writers: Peter Eramian; Penny Goring; Nina Miall; Kenji Siratori; Sam Skinner; Suzie Saw; Marcus Williamson and others.

The crystal set begins to function...

this is what it has to say;

An introduction: Delay Before Abandon

And so it begins...

Here is how the initial painting looked on Megan Chapman's studio floor with the envelope before it made it's journey in November 2009 across the ocean.



And here it is once artist Steven Heaton received it and documented it against his awesome studio wall

version 1 megan chapman november 2010

Delay Before Abandon

A transatlantic collaboration

This paper painting is only the beginning of a collaboration between American artist Megan Chapman and English artist Steven Heaton. The two artists have been friends for over two years and admire each others work greatly and wanted a way to work together even over such a great distance.

The collaboration began as Megan painted a work on paper and sent it to Steven knowing that her work would be added to or even covered over. Steven received the piece, documented Megan's original painting, and displayed it in his studio before he worked on the piece. When Megan receives her painting back in the mail, it will have been transformed by Steven. She will start the process again as she adds a new layer to the painting and mails it back. This single sheet of 140lb Arches watercolor paper will be sent across the ocean again and again, and as the painting morphs and changes the artists will document this process here on this blog, as they share the thrill and sometimes trepidation of this collaboration.

Steven makes it his own:

Then Megan receives Steven's version of the painting and documents it. She feels some major trepidation about painting over it because she likes it so much...

Version 2 Steven Heaton January 2010

But, she has to play by the rules so she begins the process... She starts with a change in orientation and covers it with white, scratches additional lines into the surface, uses some colored pencil.

Version 3 Megan Chapman March 2010

Now it's time for Megan to pack it up and mail it back across the ocean. The next time you see this piece it will be on Steven's wall and the process begins again.

Stay tuned...