Whoa, you found me here!

This is an old blog that I don't update anymore. There are still lots of posts going back many years to explore. If you want to see what I'm up to now, you can find me on Facebook or Instagram. That's where I post about my zines and prints:

pottery

furniture

and sometimes my plants

You can also visit my shop to see what I've got available for sale at the moment. 

Salvage Collective zine

I've written and made art about the misogyny and abuse that is rife on the left a couple of times before, like here (4th image down) and here. I've experienced gendered abuse directly and seen it happen to people I love. Most of the time fighting against it in isolation leads to burn out or disengaging entirely from the activist world. 

So I was incredibly excited when the Salvage Collective put out a call for interviews from survivors of gendered violence in activist communities for their research project. I was also super flattered that they used an image from my mini-zine in their callout and immediately offered to provide any more artwork they needed for the project. They asked me to design and illustrate the cover of their amazing report.

The images I created are based on the hope represented when spaces and structures that have been neglected are reclaimed. With nature, this is an inevitable process. Unfortunately with people, it is a battle where those who are fighting against neglect and violence encounter an absolute shit ton of opposition and further abuse. People are pretty invested in not conceding their power, unlike abandoned buildings.

If you are under the illusion that this doesn't happen amongst people who claim to care about liberation and social justice, then you really need to read this zine. It's 70 pages of mostly first hand accounts from survivors - and that's edited down from hundreds of pages of interviews. Not only does gendered violence happen with depressing frequency on the left but the responses from people who should be setting an example when it does is most often piss poor. We need pockets of resistance to demonstrate that it's possible to do better; human examples of nature winning back space from an ever expanding and destructive industrial capitalism.

This project - and this zine - is part of the process of redressing that imbalance. It is ongoing, hard work, often done by the very same people who are directly affected by gendered violence. It's time for more people to step up and support those who are working to salvage what's been ignored and left to rot.

Buy the zine in my shop or from the Salvage Collective for a mere £2 - an absolute bargain. Keep up to date with what @Project_Salvage are doing, attend one of their workshops or support them to deliver workshops where you are.

The Man Called Uncle Tim #4 - Don

The fourth and final issue of The Man Called Uncle Tim has arrived back from the printer. This series has been an ongoing investigation into the life of my enigmatic uncle who lived in a queer, polyamorous household in rural Ohio and who died in 1995. The final issue features conversations with Don, one of only two surviving members from the J. Hartzelbuck household.

Aunt Judy, featured in issue #3, facilitated my introduction to Don and I've been talking to him by email since 2013 when I started this project. He still lives in Raven Rocks so when I went to scatter my grandma's ashes in the woods near my grandpa's ashes and Uncle Tim's grave, I was able to talk to him in real life.  

At the beginning of this project, I assumed I would be making five, six or more issues of the zine. When I started pulling together all the conversations Don and I had over the years though, it really felt like a conclusion to this story. He was able to provide so much insight into a portion of Uncle Tim's life that had remained largely hidden from the rest of my family. I also felt seriously relieved when this became clear. I'm ready to move onto new projects.

No doubt, there are many more potential perspectives to and opinions about his story. In fact, one of the things that has made me really happy about this project is the number of new conversations about Uncle Tim that have occurred in my family as a result. The impetus for starting this was to ensure that Uncle Tim's story doesn't get lost once the generation who knew him directly are not around anymore.

The fact that it became something so many people were interested in was a surprise to many of my family members who I collaborated with. But it is a fascinating story about alternative ways of living, risk taking and the unwavering conviction to be true to your own desires and values. So I'm not so surprised people have been able to find meaning in it even when they don't know the characters personally. 

Issue #4 is now available to buy in my shop. You can also buy the full set for yourself or as a gift and save some money.

Final Shape and Situate poster: Caroline Leneghan

This is my poster for the very last issue of Shape and Situate: Posters of Inspirational Women in Europe, the fantastic zine curated by Melanie Maddison for many years. I'm going to miss this zine. Ever since I started contributing, I've read books about radical history and thought about women in my community a little bit differently - basically with 'maybe that would make a good S&S poster' permanently in the back of my mind. So I thought I should end it all with a bang.

As a result of personal experiences, I've been thinking a lot about abusive men on the left for a while now, specifically how piss poorly the left deals with these men. At the same time, there has been an increasing backlash against marginalised people speaking out and challenging historical and current abuses of power. 

Caroline Leneghan's situation isn't unusual in the sense that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. But her abuser is a high-profile leader in one of the most powerful trade unions in the UK - a bastion of militant and radical workplace activism. Apparently what unites small, horizontally organised groups of activists and big, hierarchical trade unions who ascribe to very different ideologies is their shared failure to listen to, believe or support those who experience abuse in their ranks*.

But this is nothing new and everyone who speaks out knows very well that it could happen to them if they do. Choosing to do it anyway is my personal definition of inspirational and why I've profiled Caroline for my last poster. It is also a gigantic middle finger aimed at not only abusers but at those so-called lefties who cover up abuse, make excuses for abusers or stay silent by claiming it's 'none of their business'.

Read Caroline's story in her own words (content warning: images of the effects of physical abuse) and get yourself a copy of the last ever Shape and Situate. 

*There are some good examples from the left, like the stance Clapton Ultras took against Steve Hedley/in support of Caroline last year.

Updated shop with pottery and wood

In addition to paper based arts, I've been working with clay for many years and have just started working with wood. I finally got around to updating my shop to include some of my hand thrown pottery. I'm making new pots on a regular basis and continually adding them to the shop.

  I've also started a new wood turning project called Swords in Plowshares where I turn the posts holding estate agent signs into useful things like dibbers and nostepinnes on the lathe. These are not for sale but will be available to trade with anyone who is willing to share a story of being messed around by an estate or letting agent.

 

At the moment, I'm only shipping the pottery within the UK because international shipping is prohibitively expensive and I want my work to be both functional and affordable. Have a look around and see if there is anything for you. If you live in London or are planning a visit, you can save yourself shipping costs and come pick it up from my pottery studio in Hackney, East London. 


All my zines are available in the shop and I can easily ship those anywhere in the world. 

Free educational minizine

I developed and riso printed a new mini-zine. It's fairly simple and self-explanatory. If my lifetime of experience is at all representative, I think it will be relevant to many people in many situations. That is unfortunate.

I truly hope you will never have cause to use this but you probably will. When that times comes (maybe it's right now), it will be here for you. You can give it directly to someone you think needs to read it or leave it lying around in a space where theory bros hang out. You can even share how it goes down by posting a comment below.
  

This is on the inside when you unfold it. If you want, you could just print this out on another sheet and keep it for yourself. The whole thing is a copyleft publication so you are free to duplicate and distribute it. 

Print it in black and white, on exciting paper, in different riso colors or even embellish it with your own drawings or hand written notes. Seriously, do whatever you need to do.
 
Free A4 pdf black and white download here
Folding and cutting instructions here

The Man Called Uncle Tim #3

The third issue in the series of zines about my uncle who lived in a queer polyamorous household is now published. Based on conversations I've had with my Aunt Judy, it is a further exploration into Uncle Tim's family/community and the values that influenced his life. To find out more about the project, you can read about issues #1 and #2.

Aunt Judy was there when I conducted the oral history interview with my Grandma that features in issue #1. In fact, it was Aunt Judy's suggestion that we talk about Uncle Tim in the first place because she was so proud of how her had mother supported him. Since that talk so many years ago, we've had a long and fascinating correspondence about Uncle Tim and about what this project has meant to our family. Any silence that might have existed around his life has been well and truly broken. 

Although I've obviously been itching to find out more detail about Uncle Tim's life in Raven Rocks and the make-up of his unique family, what I found most rewarding was hearing about Aunt Judy's relationship to him as a sister. It was especially interesting to hear about how that relationship evolved up until his death. 

This issue features plenty of new information that sheds light on Uncle Tim's life though, particularly about why it ended up being so separated from his biological family. Aunt Judy provides personal insights from her visits to Raven Rocks over the years as well as philosophical reflections on the life they chose to live. In this issue, I have made the choice to move the focus on from Quakerism and start looking into some of the other influential values embraced by the J. Hartzelbucks.

These will be available exclusively at DIY Cultures at the Rich Mix in London on Sunday the 24rd of May. After that, they will be available to buy through my store.

Princess Hijab: Shape and Situate #6

My submission to the latest issue of Shape and Situate: Posters of Inspirational Women in Europe. I have been in awe of the work of Princess Hijab for a while and excitedly looked for some of her work on the Metro while I was visiting Paris (sadly I didn't see any). If you are not familiar with her work, this is what it looks like and as you can see, it's not just images of women that get "hijabized":



When the latest call out for poster submissions arrived, I was right in the middle of a long-term, painful wrist injury that was stopping me from doing most things. The most upsetting thing was not being able to draw but using Princess Hijab's super fast, drippy style, I was able to draw this simple shape using my giant tagging marker, which was the only thing comfortable enough for me to hold. Creating something again helped pull me out of a worry-filled funk. I guess inspiration can mean lots of different things.

Order copies of the zine here and keep up to date about the zine by liking the Facebook page (or maybe even contribute a poster to the next issue yourself).

The Man Called Uncle Tim #2

This is the second issue in a series of zines about my uncle, who helped to found an intentional community in rural Ohio in 1970, where he lived in a queer polyamorous household until his death in 1995. I never got to know my uncle while he was alive so these zines are my attempt to understand how he lived and loved during his brief but extraordinary life. Issue #1 is based on oral history with my Grandma and this issue is based on conversations with my dad.

A major factor that led me to start this project was the general silence about my uncle that existed throughout my childhood. To be honest, there was a lot of silence in my family when it came to anything that was difficult to talk about. But it wasn't just not knowing about how Uncle Tim lived, I had no idea what it felt like for my dad to lose his brother so young.

Talking to my dad openly about my uncle was revelatory. Not only did I learn about how close he and Uncle Tim were when they were growing up, it was the first time we'd had a real, profound conversation about things like death, sexuality and difficult emotions. It may have taken more than 35 years but it was also the first time we communicated about what it feels like to be the weird kid desperately searching for a different life, something Uncle Tim and I shared.

As important as anything was hearing how he felt about Uncle Tim's death, especially after such a long period of not being in contact. There is still so much more to learn about Uncle Tim's life from the other people who were close to him so the search continues. For now, pick up a copy of issue #2 in my shop.

The Man Called Uncle Tim #1

My first zine in many years is finished.  Well, really this is half comic book, half zine. I posted the introduction back in November, which other than a few minor changes and the addition of color, is still the same. This first issue is based on oral history I did with my Grandma about 5 years ago. She died last year so it really was time to put the words she shared with me to use.

Shape and Situate: Rebellious women at the dawn of capitalism

So happy to have contributed another poster to the fantastic Shape and Situate zine - now on it's fifth issue! This time it was a collaborative effort with radical feminist historian Lady Stardust. About six months ago, I read her essay Burning Women: The European Witch Hunts, Enclosure and the Rise of Capitalism and was completely blown away. I immediately knew I wanted to make a poster about it. Of course, I have a well established love of Medieval art, as demonstrated here and here.

Feminist graphic arts exhibtion

This Saturday, I'm participating in a group exhibition about feminist graphic artists as well as giving a talk about my art at The Feminist Library. The title of the exhibition is 'I call myself a feminist because...' and there will be a zine making workshop, talks about things like Jewish women's comics, films and food.

Remembering Who We Are zine

After our workshop at Leeds Zine Fair and our exhibition at Space Station 65, Melanie Maddison and I have collated all of the great contributions we received for our zine Remembering Who We into a brand new website. My contribution is based on an incredible woman I met many years ago but who I will never forget. 

There are already lots of contributions up on the site and more to come. And we are still open to more submissions so please find out more and contribute.

Ante 2013 - Day 1

This weekend was filled with more Yorkshire loveliness than you can shake a stick at, much like last year, which you can read about here and here. The Caged Bird Club worked with Melanie Maddison to put together an exhibition celebrating the labour movement and workers' struggles as well as those of us who are anti-work and reject the divisive workers vs. shirkers rhetoric.

Remembering who we are - the event

To celebrate the last of day of the Shape and Situate exhibition at Space Station Sixty-Five, Melanie Maddison and I put together this one day extravaganza showcasing art that seeks to address lost or hidden radical history and document current social movements.

Interview in COTL6

There is an interview with little old me in the latest issue of Colouring Outside the Lines. This zine is the brainchild of Melanie Maddison and it rocks. Printed by the great folks at Footprints Workers Co-op in Leeds. You can get yourself a copy (or copies) at her Etsy shop.

It was a real pleasure to talk and think about my art. It helped to remind me why I love to do it, what I get out of it and how unrelated both of these are to conventional forms of validation. But of course, it's pretty awesome to feel appreciated enough to be including in a project like this. 

Yes, it's that Megan Kelso! Yes, it's that Fly! Yes, it's that Caroline Paquita! And so on. So if you want to read me talk at length about how and why I make art (along with all these other amazing artists) get yourself a copy. It's one Christmas present I can actually endorse. The second one would be Shape and Situate of course.