Madeleine Strindberg

RED

Trust the trustees?
Chisenhale Art Place (CAP) is the name of the registered charity that runs Chisenhale Studios in east London. Its website lists 37 artist members. Until very recently there were 40, but during the summer the board of trustees gave notice to three members that their licenses were being revoked and that they had to quit their studios. One of those three happens to be Madeleine Strindberg.

Madeleine has been a member of CAP for 25 years. During that time she has used her studio to produce work that has been shown in numerous exhibitions and that won her the Jerwood Painting Prize. The reasons given for Madeleine’s eviction are that she is not contributing sufficiently to the aims of CAP and that her studio is not an essential part of her practice. Eviction means that Madeleine has to find alternative space for several hundred paintings; many are over 6 foot; they weigh, I’d guess, several tons.

There is no appeals procedure. Nor has there been any opportunity to even talk with the trustees about their decision: all communication has been via the administrator, appointed by the board, who refuse to talk directly with Madeleine. And even if the board has reason to argue that Madeleine’s studio at Chisenhale is not being used as actively as they’d like, there are still things to talk about. Such as the infrequent use of studios by many members other than the three being evicted (yesterday morning only one studio in the whole building was being used by its licensee, and a glance through the signing in/out book showed that there are very few days when even half the studios are being used). Such as the fact that one artist member (who also happens to be on the board of trustees) doesn’t even live in England. Such as the regulations about subletting and the use of studios as business premises and whether a blind eye is sometimes being turned. Such as the rumours about the planned redevelopment of the building.

The decision to evict Madeleine and the two others appears to be arbitrary. The board’s attitude has been bullying. (One of the other members being evicted recently wrote to the board informing them of the concerns of the chair of the National Federation of Artists Studio Providers about the way the evictions were being handled; a trustee replied that those concerns ‘are of no interest to us’ and that ‘The Board has had quite enough correspondence and email about all of this already. Please do not bother us any more with this’; this reply was the only direct communication from any of the trustees that the member has had.) The refusal of the trustees to discuss the situation (I’ve seen an email from the chair of the board in which he says he has ‘more pressing issues’ to deal with) betrays the whole spirit of the place, which was established to give artists ‘secure premises’ to get on with their art in a cooperative manner.

‘Board of trustees’ is of course a term that’s recently become familiar to many in the poetry world, where the Poetry Society has had to deal with the fall-out from some clumsy decisions by its own board. You wander along for years without paying attention to the machinery of these places, then a gear slips and you have to make sense of it all. I think at least some of the artist members of Chisenhale are concerned about their board’s behaviour, but are also worried that if they speak out they may be next in line for eviction.
Charles Boyle

EVICTION

Dear Members
After a lot of thought I have decided not to attend the artists meet
on Sunday as I believe it would compromise any meaningful discussion.
I am also not prepared to put myself through any further stress than
this has already coursed me. Madeline, Lucy and I have been seriously
wronged. All of this could and should have been avoided if the AAC &
BoD had discussed their concerns with us. You the members must now
consider a bigger picture as I believe our terminations are only the
beginning.

The footnote to of the minutes of the 2009 AGM states:
AOB:  Tony Sharp would like to make a proposal to be discussed at the
next AGM regarding the constitution of the CAP Board and the types of
memberships in effect.  He will write a paper for the next BoD
meeting.
I don’t know if this paper was tabled at the last AGM nor do I have
the minutes of the 2010 AGM. If this paper exists in all probability
it is being implemented. (Action Jan).

I think what needs to be done as a matter of extreme urgency is for
the members to form themselves into a co-operative or similar body
that can represent the membership at all levels and take advice on all
matters arising representing individual members when necessary. This
has been discussed in the past but never implemented. (Action Nigel &
Malcolm). I think this must be done before an EGM or AGM takes place
if any resolution by the membership is going to succeed.

I would like to make it clear to you all that last weekend I was
forced by the Chisenhale BoD to put into storage the entire contents
of my studio which represents a large body of my life’s work because
it was no longer safe in my studio.
I began to hear in June speculation from other members that my licence
was going to be terminated because I didn’t contribute to the
organisation or use my studio enough, it was concerning and stressful
and the first I knew about it. Such matters should have remained
confidential.
I was not consulted nor invited to any discussions with the AAC and
BoD. I think my past input to the organization speaks for its self,
and without my support the lease may not have been renewed. It is
quite clear that I was deliberately not given a voice which is
unconstitutional and detrimental to the organization.
On the 27/06/11 I sent an email to Michele Regan voicing my concerns
and making clear to him my circumstances he did not reply. I had
previously emailed pictures of the leaks and leak damage in Studio 35
to Andrea, AAC and Jon George (building committee) it was perfectly
clear that the studio was unusable due to the roof leaks but had no
reply. I also asked to be considered for a move to studio 8 but did
not receive a reply. (see attached Jpg’s)
I received a termination letter dated July 4th giving me till the 15th
of September to vacate. I took some legal advice. That advice was
that: the notice is invalid as it has not been served in accordance
with the applicable rules and regulations and for that reason I will
not be vacating my studio. The rules and regulations state that a
warning must first be given. I have not been given a written or verbal
warning. I asked the BOD to prove that they had, they have not done so
choosing to ignore the request. I also asked the BOD to provide the
relevant minutes of the BOD meetings but they refused saying: BOD
minutes are not available to the general membership.
Interesting as the BoD meetings should be open to all members to
observe so it would follow that the minutes would be available on
request but apparently not.
I took further advice and was told I should try and occupy the space
forcing CAP to go to the County Court to get an eviction order. CAP
would have been reluctant to do this as the Court would have heard
both sides before making its judgment. Unfortunately I couldn’t be in
the studio 24/7 so it was not an option. The other option would have
been to take out an injunction against CAP but this would have
involved costly solicitor’s fees which I cannot not afford.
I paid the rent up to the end of September which CAP accepted. I then
received this mail from Andrea: The Board stands by its decision and
your license has been terminated. As you have not vacated your studio
as instructed, CAP will arrange to have any remaining items removed on
13th October 2011. Any costs CAP incurs in doing so will be charged to
you. You will need to contact me to arrange access before that date,
in the likely event you wish to remove your items yourself
I had no option but to comply. The way Madeline, Lucy and I have been
treated is totally unacceptable. We are entitled to a fair hearing
which we have not been given. The AAC and BOD have not bothered to
discuss with us their issues and concerns and have completely ignored
our circumstances. I consider this dismissive behavior by the AAC and
the BOD highly unprofessional and irresponsible in sanctioning such an
aggressive act. I understand that the implications of these
terminations were made very clear by one member of the AAC and that
the decision to terminate was not unanimous, two members voted against
and one abstained. If that were a jury the judge would not be able to
convict. On what evidence is this being based? There is no clear
indication of what is and is not acceptable standard of usage or what
usage is.
 Allegedly I understand there other members who are in similar
positions. Why then have Madeline, Lucy and I been singled out? Such
hypocrisy, something is seriously rotten in Denmark. As members you
have the power to address the matter in the way you think fit at an
EGM or AGM. if you do nothing it a treble precedent will have been
set. The ethos that once was Chisenhale will have gone forever  no one
will be safe in their studios.

Stuart Reid.

EVICTION

OVER WHERE - New Hall, Cambridge

 

http://overthere2.blogspot.com/

OVER WHERE

 An exhibition exploring the complexities of Israel and Palestine through the language of video installation and painting.

1 December 2010 – 20 January 2011, Closed 24 December 2010 – 3 January 2011. Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm Free entry.

Over Where brings together visual artists Madeline Strindberg and Judy Price who both explore representations of Israel and Palestine.
 
Within this Narrow Strip of Land, 2008 is a video and sound installation by Judy Price and explores ways in which communities and individuals are framed and incited by the irreversibility of loss in Israel and Palestine.

The central part of the Strindberg’s work is ‘Over Where’, a triptych representing one land with two rightful owners, Israel and Palestine. Taking the centre stage of the triptych is ‘Bleeding’, a long and thin amorphous golden creature (Israel/Palestine) which is flanked by 2 large, predominantly bright red paintings that comment on the uncertainty and the unknown aspect of the outcome of the negotiations and the inherent violence of the current situation. ‘The Wall’ is a diagrammatic rendition of the current actual state of affairs. Other paintings include ‘The Flotilla Incident’, and Hebron’, one of the strongholds of the Occupation, while ‘Neharot’ is addressing feelings of separation and suffering due to the political situation in the land.

  INVITATION
Due to student's demos and heavy snow fall  the PV for the show 'Over Where' had to be canceled. The show however is still on, and has re-opened after the Christmas break and this is an invitation for a re-scheduled (belated) PV.
FRIDAY 14TH JANUARY, 4pm: ARTIST'S TALK/DISCUSSION ON 'OVER WHERE', FOLLOWED BY DRINKS + RECEPTION 5pm

 

madeleinestrindberg.typepad.com > OVER WHERE - the show 2010

 

RECESSION MONOLOGUE - for viewing of entire series please click on either image

RECESSION BLUES

recession blues, oil on canvas, 185x244cm,

the nose

no laughing matter