MINESCAPES is is a unique performance combining live music , video projection , shadow puppetry and live art that creates a mysterious colourful dark and moody exploration of the Cornish underworld symbolised by the many relics of old mines and engine houses scattered across the county...
A section of the show is based upon the 2012 Minescapes book by Jonathan Hayter, which features Jonathan's automatic drawing approach. Creatures from the book are brought to life by performance artist Sheila Ivey and Claude Bean to great effect. Stuart Blackmore's musical skills drive a soaring musically sensational soundtrack that moves between dance and David 'Lynchesque' atmospheric whimsy, that helps to create a sonic light experience!
This April a series of events at the Old Bakery bring a fresh and exciting look at the work of Cornish-based artist Jonathan Hayter. Over his career Jonathan's work has taken many forms, exploring many avenues of expression including puppetry, video, painting, sound and sculpture.
Jonathan Hayter began his career at Berkshire College of Art and Design in the late 70's, graduating in 1982. He returned to his childhood love of puppetry in 1986 with an opportunity to work with John Wright of the Little Angel Theatre. On a visit to the Glasgow puppet centre in 1989, Jonathan worked with John on his marionette master class. From the early 1990's until 2013 Jonathan ran puppet workshops in schools up and down the UK finally moving to Cornwall in 2009. It was the move to Cornwall that allowed Jonathan to develop his visual arts practise, mainly as an expressive landscape painter. It was from this interest that a new project developed focusing on the symbolic significance of the Cornish Tin mines.' In 1989 I had developed an interest in the work of the Psycho Analyst Carl Jung. This led me to have in depth psycho analysis with an eccentric old man. Here I was asked to keep a dream book, and encourage to draw and paint spontaneously. After a period of 18 months, the relationship between my dreams and drawings synchronised, and I understood the importance of free expression'
Jonathan has applied this approach to all his creativity ever since... Jonathan Says; ' The Old Bakery performance space is the space I have been waiting for to present my work. It is an exciting new development as a venue at the heart of Cornwall. My work transcends so many genres and forms. The Old Bakery allows me as an artist to bring together all strands of wag I have been doing as an artist in Cornwall for the last 8 years and put it under one roof'.
Jonathan has worked with many other artists from other creative disciplines to create fresh and lively experiences for those who have witnessed his work over the years , including musically driven live performances, exhibitions, as well as live art.
M I N E S C A P E S is Jonathan's latest multimedia show, which was shown last summer to great critical acclaim at King Edward Mine.' The show brings together puppetry, live art, video projection, accompanied by a soundscape played live.
Performers Stuart Blackmore , Sheila Ivey and Claude Bean worked with me to create a psychedelic exploration of the psychic underworld symbolised, for me, by the abandoned mines, and mine shafts scattered across Cornwall.
''The Old Bakery is the perfect venue to bring this show to a wider audience.' says Jonathan.
Alongside the performances throughout the month Jonathan has helped in visually shaping the whole space with modernist -based visual artwork , as well as a specially commissioned installation of his UV artwork that was first exhibited at the Fish Factory in September 2015.' I hope that if you visit the Old Bakery in the month of April you will get a flavour of the diversity , imagination and creativity on display from my collaborations with other artists , as well as a unique insight into individual works too'For details of all the workshops , exhibitions , and performances please visit the Old Bakery website .www.figureofspeech.org.uk
Photography credits ; Jesse Leroy Smith, Jonathan Hayter