Mood indigo. @plasticp1 @pocketarts #dementia
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Sitting at our kitchen table where she has sat hundreds of times before Padma says "I am lost".
Continuing with research into the history of global sea trade, especially early trade in spice, dyes, fabric and sugar and confirm that it is the story of the slave trade. Making Mood Indigo pieces and playing Nina Simone.
South End Green Market Stall beside Hampstead Heath Station
Expensive, but high quality; fancy neighbourhood.
£38.50 Cherry tomatoes, 8 apples, large papaya, 2 small cucumbers, oak leaf salad, 2 limes, 2 avocados, large punnet strawberries, 4 pears, 2 pomegranates, 2x blueberries, massive bunch red grapes, carrots, fennel, artichokes,2 large mangoes, green beans, aubergine, melon, 4 sweet potatoes, bunch asparagus, large celeriac
Nautical Perspectives: My work on show : Deception Narratives on @a_nartblogs @plasticp1 @Spice_Mountain @stKats
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
I am feeling delighted that I have been selected for the "Nautical Perspectives" exhibition to be held at Commodities House, St Katherine's Dock, between 1st and 15th of May. I will be showing 3 works which are concerned with the following three narratives, found when researching the story of international food trade: These are all narratives of deceit:
1. Phoenix Egg
Context:
In the 1300s, before the establishment of the sea routes, spice and fabrics were traded by Middle Eastern and North African traders who went along the silk road, taking goods back and forth. Spices were an incredibly luxurious commodity, prized highly by the elites of Europe and commanding very high prices. Most of this trade came across the Mediterranean and into Venice. The traders were aware of the treasure they had, and for a very long time they made up stories: Stories to defend their trade. But also I like to think of them making up stories as a way to make the long hazardous journeys bearable, to make themselves feel brave and less vulnerable to being robbed. At this time nutmeg was literally worth more than its weight in gold, it is often stated that a pound of nutmeg was worth the same as seven fattened oxen in 1393.(*1a) The price of my piece in this show is determined by the current price of 7 fattened cattle at market (*1b).
Story:
They told of dragons and phoenix who guarded the spices in the East and the adventures they had in trying to release the spices from their protection, of winning battles with these monsters and defeating dangers in the pursuit of spice. They told these stories to the traders in Europe, and for a long time the traders in Europe stayed away, but with so much wealth to be made....
2. Chilli on Gold Square
Context
Sea routes to Asia were established going East but they were long and dangerous. The second narrative behind my work is the reason the chilli pepper got its name. So the sailors had been trying, as we all know from school, to find a quicker way to India and the Spice Islands, so jealously fought over by the British and Dutch. But instead of reaching India they reached America, and there was a desperation to find pepper. Pepper was so valuable it was sometimes used as currency, and certainly plenty of piratical raids went on across the seas to attain possession of this spice.
Story
1. Phoenix Egg
Context:
In the 1300s, before the establishment of the sea routes, spice and fabrics were traded by Middle Eastern and North African traders who went along the silk road, taking goods back and forth. Spices were an incredibly luxurious commodity, prized highly by the elites of Europe and commanding very high prices. Most of this trade came across the Mediterranean and into Venice. The traders were aware of the treasure they had, and for a very long time they made up stories: Stories to defend their trade. But also I like to think of them making up stories as a way to make the long hazardous journeys bearable, to make themselves feel brave and less vulnerable to being robbed. At this time nutmeg was literally worth more than its weight in gold, it is often stated that a pound of nutmeg was worth the same as seven fattened oxen in 1393.(*1a) The price of my piece in this show is determined by the current price of 7 fattened cattle at market (*1b).
 |
| Phoenix Egg |
They told of dragons and phoenix who guarded the spices in the East and the adventures they had in trying to release the spices from their protection, of winning battles with these monsters and defeating dangers in the pursuit of spice. They told these stories to the traders in Europe, and for a long time the traders in Europe stayed away, but with so much wealth to be made....
2. Chilli on Gold Square
Context
Sea routes to Asia were established going East but they were long and dangerous. The second narrative behind my work is the reason the chilli pepper got its name. So the sailors had been trying, as we all know from school, to find a quicker way to India and the Spice Islands, so jealously fought over by the British and Dutch. But instead of reaching India they reached America, and there was a desperation to find pepper. Pepper was so valuable it was sometimes used as currency, and certainly plenty of piratical raids went on across the seas to attain possession of this spice.
 |
| Chilli on Gold Square |
Columbus craved peppercorns, had built his voyage on the promise of bringing back pepper. But peppercorns did not grow in South America. Rather than accept defeat, the hot chillis which did grow in South America were rebranded peppers.
3. South Sea Bubble
Context :
The third narrative is from the South Sea Bubble Company directors. The British and Spanish were at war over who could control trade with South America, the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714). Due to this war the British Government was in debt. In 1711 the South Sea Company was set up and in opposition to the Bank of England took over a large share of Government debt in exchange for monopoly rights to trade with South America, modelled on the monopoly trade enjoyed profitably by the East India Company. However this promise only had any meaning if the British won the war, and then they didn't.
The treaty of Utrecht ended the war in 1713, only two years later, so the South Sea Company now held British Government debt and only very limited trading rights with the remaining British South American colonies; select Islands in the Caribbean and British Guyana. It was 1717 before any South Sea Trading ships even set sale. South Sea Company ships were limited and the company profits were based on slave trade and interest on loans to the British government, but when has that stopped a good story? Certainly the slave trade was not an appealing one, so...
Story
In an effort to increase investment the South Sea Company Directors told stories, exaggerated stories of the profits they were making, and of the treasures to be found in South Sea trading. Bubble stories with no substance except a shiny surface.
Which through 1720 first lead to rapid rises in stock valuations, but by Autumn in the same year, price crashes and prosecutions happened, Company and Government Officials were accused and found guilty.
And this bubble, in the way of bubbles, created more bubbles, more crazy investment companies on the same model, and investment frenzy, with share prices in all sorts of dubious companies bubbling up. In January 1720 shares in the South Sea Company were £128 by May £550, by June, after receiving a Royal Charter £1050, but in July......in July the investors lost confidence, in August stock was valued at £800, and September £175, and across Britain people had lost their fortunes, there was a massive economic crash. *2
I invite you to come to the "Nautical Perspectives" exhibition at Commodity Quay, St Katherine's Dock, just next door to the Tower of London. It will be open from 1st to 15th May 2016.
And thank you to a_nblogs who are promoting the a_n feature of this blog this week.
The shop:
For this post I have researched the current price of spice at Spice Mountain, relocated from Borough Market to nearby, and from my local corner shop and online "ethical" suppliers. I have not come across a great deal of spice suppliers in street markets but would like to hear from you if you know of some.
Spice Mountain, traceable sourced spices
Guajillo dried chilli 50g £4
ground nutmeg 40g £2.40
Sri Lankan Peppercorns 90g £3
Corner shop
Fudco whole Indian dried chilli 25g £1
Millstone ground nutmeg prod more than 1 country 52g £2.50
White Pearl Peppercorns " " " " " 100g £1.70
Ethically Essentials online
Pepper corns 25g £1.09
Ground Nutmeg 25g £0.89
Chilli powder 25g £1.05
*1a On repeated sites in the internet it is stated that a German Price table indicated that the price of 1 lb of nutmeg in 1393 was the same as 7 fattened oxen, but I can't find the original source table anywhere. So is this another story too?
*1b Market Prices, Farmers Weekly
*2 All figures here are sourced from the Harvard College Library website and its publications about the South Sea Bubble
The treaty of Utrecht ended the war in 1713, only two years later, so the South Sea Company now held British Government debt and only very limited trading rights with the remaining British South American colonies; select Islands in the Caribbean and British Guyana. It was 1717 before any South Sea Trading ships even set sale. South Sea Company ships were limited and the company profits were based on slave trade and interest on loans to the British government, but when has that stopped a good story? Certainly the slave trade was not an appealing one, so...
 |
| South Sea Bubble |
In an effort to increase investment the South Sea Company Directors told stories, exaggerated stories of the profits they were making, and of the treasures to be found in South Sea trading. Bubble stories with no substance except a shiny surface.
Which through 1720 first lead to rapid rises in stock valuations, but by Autumn in the same year, price crashes and prosecutions happened, Company and Government Officials were accused and found guilty.
And this bubble, in the way of bubbles, created more bubbles, more crazy investment companies on the same model, and investment frenzy, with share prices in all sorts of dubious companies bubbling up. In January 1720 shares in the South Sea Company were £128 by May £550, by June, after receiving a Royal Charter £1050, but in July......in July the investors lost confidence, in August stock was valued at £800, and September £175, and across Britain people had lost their fortunes, there was a massive economic crash. *2
I invite you to come to the "Nautical Perspectives" exhibition at Commodity Quay, St Katherine's Dock, just next door to the Tower of London. It will be open from 1st to 15th May 2016.
And thank you to a_nblogs who are promoting the a_n feature of this blog this week.
The shop:
For this post I have researched the current price of spice at Spice Mountain, relocated from Borough Market to nearby, and from my local corner shop and online "ethical" suppliers. I have not come across a great deal of spice suppliers in street markets but would like to hear from you if you know of some.
Spice Mountain, traceable sourced spices
Guajillo dried chilli 50g £4
ground nutmeg 40g £2.40
Sri Lankan Peppercorns 90g £3
Corner shop
Fudco whole Indian dried chilli 25g £1
Millstone ground nutmeg prod more than 1 country 52g £2.50
White Pearl Peppercorns " " " " " 100g £1.70
Ethically Essentials online
Pepper corns 25g £1.09
Ground Nutmeg 25g £0.89
Chilli powder 25g £1.05
*1a On repeated sites in the internet it is stated that a German Price table indicated that the price of 1 lb of nutmeg in 1393 was the same as 7 fattened oxen, but I can't find the original source table anywhere. So is this another story too?
*1b Market Prices, Farmers Weekly
*2 All figures here are sourced from the Harvard College Library website and its publications about the South Sea Bubble
The nutmeg, the phoenix and the dragon, East End of London
Tuesday, 29 March 2016
Last summer we spent a fantastic afternoon walking though the streets of Cahors former spice quarter: The area where the English traders would buy from the French, who in turn had bought from the Venetians, who before that had bought from the Phoenicians or middle Eastern traders who had procured spice from the dangerous Phoenix or dragon that guarded them fiercely somewhere at the other end of the Silk Road. This was before Vasco da Gama, but it is the start of the story of international trade. The silk route traders must have had plenty of time as they traveled along the great roads to make up their stories. The stories of the Phoenix with sharp beak and long talons which could arise from the dead. Of the dragons and monsters to the East who were busy protecting their hoards of magical spices so much in demand in Europe. The wealth of this trade lives on in the buildings of the spice bazaar in Istanbul and the wealth displayed in the many buildings of Venice.
 |
| Phoenix Egg, 2016 |
These prices were the engine behind many wars in Europe and across the globe in the name of European powers, wars, naval exploration and international shipping. Spices were the oil of its day. So this week I have been thinking about the history of International Trade and the role of spice in motivating various European powers in building shipping fleets and the perception of easy money to be made in creating economic crises.
 |
| South Sea Bubble |
The East End of London used to be the centre of the import trade in the south East. Both the wealth and extremes of poverty associated with the British East India Company have their geographic origins here. The history of London as a market is the history of the river. There have been trading posts here since the earliest traces of settlement. The legacy of this is the massive range of markets across this area, probably denser than the rest of London, and the range of people, probably more diverse and mixed than any other part of London. The East End has also long been the artist quarter, which is why Bow Arts Artist Quarter is so well named, with a lower (although no longer low) cost of living, and old warehouses, factories and religious buildings used for studios. This is shifting, the City creeps across the East End, with development projects which displace rather than carry people with them all built on the perception of easy money to be made.
Whitechapel Market
A fantastic market for imported produce, most of the food stalls cater for South Asian (Bengali) and UK tastes with produce from both. The stall holder where I bought most of my produce seemed surprised that I was so interested in the Asian produce, perhaps a sign that East London trendy food buyers still have to "find" Bengali food which is funny as it is so available Bengali restaurants still being some of the cheapest places to go out and eat well across the UK. I would be interested in finding our where the produce is imported from and how it is imported given the history of this area. The good thing is you can buy more than you can carry, pop into the Whitechapel gallery drop your bags off while you look round the show and then pop onto the tube to get home.
Many people think of Bengali immigration as a new thing, however it has its roots in ship workers stepping ashore in Limehouse from the ships of the East India Company after the Mughal Emperor made an exclusive trade agreement with the EIC in 1634 that allowed the EIC the sole trader status in spice and sugar from the Bay of Bengal.
The Chinese population in Limehouse, London's old China Town have a similar history. Here is where trade and reputation are not always fair bed fellows, because why is it that in popular culture it is the Chinese who brought opium to the UK when in fact it was the British EIC that took Opium to China from India?
The British East India Company that had its own armies, that resisted control by state powers, and in many ways was the first UK based Transnational Corporation. If you have been watching "The Night Manager" think Richard Roper in period costume.
So this area has always been tied up with making massive sums of money, at the same time as being a concentration of poverty.
Your guide to Party preparations at @BroughMarket @tedsveg @turnips @jamieoliver @borougholives @boroughbutcher #art #wastenot #marketsmatter #london #christmas
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
The last chilli in the garden edn:100
Party preparations for our big party at the weekend included a big print making session, competing 80 varied coloured prints from one set of blocks out of an edition of 100. I will complete the edition this week, they were all hand finished, and 20 are available to buy, the rest have gone to new homes already.
Remember to peep at the website www.artfromlondonmarkets.com prints available through the siteIt also included a great big shop at Borough. Now that I am a Borogh familiar I can tell you some secrets about getting the best out of the market, for fruit I went to Jock Stark first, he always has great tasting fruit, and reasonable prices by Borough standards, he is also very friendly and always has something particuarly delicious to try. Then I went on to Ted's Veg to get my root vegetables and herbs from Lincolnshire, perfect for beetroot and celeriac salads. I went to Turnips for rather expensive but beautiful lettuces tomatoes, and other unseasonal Italian salady imports; this stall is beautiful but more pricey than average, however they do warn you if you pick up something especially expensive, so I could swop one or two of my not paying attention to the price tag pick ups. Then I finished up at getting the last few things at Elsy and Bent, which is also at the more expensive end of the market but usually has some very good priced end of day bargains and a very lovely display.
But lets be honest you don't go to Borough for bargains they are to be found in other markets across our city. You come here for the beauty of the place itself, its luxurious feel of plenty, the craft on and of the displays, and the availablility of absolutley anything your heart could desire food wise. You come to explore the wide variety that is on offer, and once you know your way around you can buy seasonally and choose your goods according to which stall does what better. So my summary this week would be general: Fruit: Jock, Seasonable English veg: Ted's and fancy European and other imports : Turnips. Just nipping in off the high street: Elsy and Bent. And Olives and pickles from Borough Olives. And my kids love love love the pastries.
This is the first time I have bought anything from the farm to market stall Northfield Farm: I got an enormous lovely piece of beef from Northfield Farm, they cut a joint for me especially and rolled it for me while I was in the market. We were feeding 85 people at the weekend, so my usual budget was thouroughly blown, the beef alone was £50. However that piece of beef was both as big as it could be and still fit in my oven and completely delicious. There is also the reassurance of knowing where it was from and how it was treated before it got to the market. When it comes to beef I think buying infrequently but of good provenance is the key to keeping the environmental impact down, and the experience of eating it up. Also spaghetti bolognaise made with the left over roast beef is yum so not a crumb wasted.
We were having our party at the Calthorpe Ground, at Crouch End Cricket club. And at the end the happiest thing happened, I had made a buffet and as always for a party over catered so I picked up what I needed for lunch for the family staying with us the next day. Then the lovely Mo who works on the bar took the left over food to a group of homeless people in Green Lanes which he does reguarly, so there was no waste.
Tip: Use a food processor when making tonnes of salad and the salad parts of Jamies 15 Minutes are great recipes to make into a salad bar.
Borough shop: tonnes of mint and corriander, beetroot, celeriac, chillis, peppers, loads of lettuce of various kinds, clementines, limes, apples,pears, grapes, celery, cucumbers, pomegranates, tomatoes of a wide variety, radishes, beef, olives, cornichons, onions, garlic, spring onions, chicory, large mangos, avocados, carrots variety of colours, rocket, fennel, lemons and a price to high to mention
Anti Slavery Act, Hugh FW and waste, displacement cleaning. Ally Pally Farmer's Market @allypallyfm @RiverdaleOrgFm #wastenot #art #food
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
So the kids are back at school and I have time to spend on the new larger scale piece I have been planning, but suddenly all those domestic jobs I have been putting off are calling me...... this is the disadvantage of working home. SO I have fixed the door handle on the kitchen door, resealed around the shower tray, and used the washing machine so much it has broken down. All this displacement activity is then commented on by my husband who in a pleased voice says you have been busy... grrr. Displacement activities..... but I have a deadline creeping up and need to get on with it. Given that the activities listed are all time consuming but mindless I supose I could rename it "thinking time"...but it is now time for action and not DIY (although I will have to arrange the plumber....).
Slavery and trade: So preparing my piece for John Moores I have been thinking about trade and Liverpool both the current increase in imports represented by the Tetley deal and international trade in Liverpool in the past. You can't then get away from the fact of the history of slavery and the role of Liverpool in the slave trade triangle. So to come back to the present in October the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was published, which means that very big companies will have to publicise what they do to prevent slavery being part of their supply chain. Initially I felt a hurray moment, and then I went to the government website, and it became clear that big business with over 35million turn over are required to publicise what they are doing to try to prevent slavery being part of the supply chain, not actually show that there is no slavery in their supply chain. So it is down to consumers to then find the information and.... boycott I guess, to actually make them do it.....hardly robustly anti slavery law. I guess it will make journalists jobs a bit easier, but not strong enough.
Hugh Fernley Whitingstall's recent anti-waste campaign on TV, and the Aldi critique in channel 4 Monday night illustrate how there can be a great big gap between what companies say they do and what they actually do, and actually these issues are not unrelated. Excessive consumerism is at the heart of both, and in the model of the Anti-Slavery Act the consumer is expected to be the police. Funny that I thought that was the job of governments.
The shop
Alexandra Palace Farmers Market: Riverdale Organic
A very muddy walk across the post fireworks park leaves our shoes claggy. We get to the Farmers market only just in time, as it is in the school yard today just that bit further from where we started up by the Palace. I buy every thing from Riverdale organic stall as luckily he has yet to pack up. For organic produce it is reasonably priced and they have some really lovely apples and pears.
Fennel bulb, lettuce, 7 cooking apples, bag of kale, bag of eating apples, bag of pears, broccoli and a celeriac root sold with the stems, first time I have seen that..., and if you have ever wondered about the wisdom of eating things that look less than perfect gnarly celeriac is the thing to try. £9.80
Slavery and trade: So preparing my piece for John Moores I have been thinking about trade and Liverpool both the current increase in imports represented by the Tetley deal and international trade in Liverpool in the past. You can't then get away from the fact of the history of slavery and the role of Liverpool in the slave trade triangle. So to come back to the present in October the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was published, which means that very big companies will have to publicise what they do to prevent slavery being part of their supply chain. Initially I felt a hurray moment, and then I went to the government website, and it became clear that big business with over 35million turn over are required to publicise what they are doing to try to prevent slavery being part of the supply chain, not actually show that there is no slavery in their supply chain. So it is down to consumers to then find the information and.... boycott I guess, to actually make them do it.....hardly robustly anti slavery law. I guess it will make journalists jobs a bit easier, but not strong enough.
Hugh Fernley Whitingstall's recent anti-waste campaign on TV, and the Aldi critique in channel 4 Monday night illustrate how there can be a great big gap between what companies say they do and what they actually do, and actually these issues are not unrelated. Excessive consumerism is at the heart of both, and in the model of the Anti-Slavery Act the consumer is expected to be the police. Funny that I thought that was the job of governments.
The shop
Alexandra Palace Farmers Market: Riverdale Organic
A very muddy walk across the post fireworks park leaves our shoes claggy. We get to the Farmers market only just in time, as it is in the school yard today just that bit further from where we started up by the Palace. I buy every thing from Riverdale organic stall as luckily he has yet to pack up. For organic produce it is reasonably priced and they have some really lovely apples and pears.
Fennel bulb, lettuce, 7 cooking apples, bag of kale, bag of eating apples, bag of pears, broccoli and a celeriac root sold with the stems, first time I have seen that..., and if you have ever wondered about the wisdom of eating things that look less than perfect gnarly celeriac is the thing to try. £9.80
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