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Sculpture (MA)

Michael Forbes

Michael Forbes has exhibited nationally and internationally, exhibitions including; Reformation at Yinka Shonibares’ Guest Projects, the Diaspora Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2017 and CPT:Time, History and Memory, Gallatin Galleries, New York  

Along side his artistic practice, Forbes has curated many exhibitions and supports artists professional development. Graduating from Nottingham Trent University with a BA(Hons) in Photography, whilst playing a leading role in developing the New Art Exchange, and its early programme. Forbes is a founding member and Chair of the board of trustees at Primary, an artist studio complex in Nottingham, where he holds a studio.  

Primary is a contemporary visual arts organisation, which supports artistic research and production through a public programme, provision of studio and workshop spaces. In 2018 Primary joined the Arts Council England National Portfolio. In 2020 with support from Arts Council England, Nottingham City Council Primary purchased the freehold of the building.  

Exhibitions (selected)  

2020 Tomorrow: London, White Cube, Gallery, London.  

2018 Reformation - Guest Project. Group show - Nadim Chaudry, Michael Forbes, Barbara Walker  

2018 Diaspora Pavilion I Venice to Wolverhampton - Wolverhampton Art Gallery  

2017 Venice - Diaspora Platform - International Curators Forum, at Palazzo Santa Marina  

Work (selected)  

2013 - 2020 Artist Curator Design - Forbes Projects 

2003 - 2020 Voluntary work - Chair of the board of Trustees and Directors of Primary, Nottingham  

1999 - 2001 Visual Arts Officer, EMACA (East Midlands African Caribbean Arts), Nottingham Art 

Education (selected)  

2018 - 2020 Royal College of Art, MA Sculpture  

1995 - 1998 Nottingham Trent University, BA (Hons) Photography  

Residency / Mentoring / Awards (selected)  

2018 / 20 Rose Finn-Kelcey Scholarship - Royal College of Art MA Sculpture  

2018 Nominated for the Paul Hamlyn Artist Awards  

2016 - 2018 The International Curators Forum (ICF), with University of the Arts London (UAL)  

2011 International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York  

Contact

Forbes Projects

Forbes Projects on Instagram

Michael Forbes on Facebook

Michael Forbes on Linkedin

Degree Details

School of Arts & Humanities

Sculpture (MA)

Sponsors

v21 Artspace

Contemporary racial politics, migration, blackness and whiteness are central to the work Forbes makes; in relation to universal debates on wealth, history and religion; he works with sculpture, installations, photography, animation and digital media to externalise the debates above.  

Gold Christ for Gold People & Black Christ for Black People is informed by ongoing issues of poverty and conflict in Africa, which has contributed to the increase of mass migration to other parts of the world, particularly Europe. Unfortunately, the option to get to Europe has caused unprecedented numbers of deaths crossing the Mediterranean. Black visibility, invisibility and the wider impact of religion also inform how the work has developed.  

An El Dorado of 512.6 million is an animation exploring migration to Europe. The exploitation of African migrants by people traffickers has caused an unprecedented number of deaths crossing the Mediterranean in inadequate boats and vessels. The migrants are lured to Europe by a fake notion of the streets being paved with gold; but the lucky ones that successfully make it to Europe are left to survive in the best way they can, which for some is selling counterfeit designer goods on the streets.  

Forbes developed Mapping the Black Body in response to being asked “why the black body” in relation to sketches of proposed new work at RCA. He used mind mapping software to draw out his thoughts relating to contemporary and historical experiences of the black body. In the work Forbes acknowledge historical facts, whilst recognising what is projected on the black body from all sectors of society, which may reflect individual experiences, prejudices, insecurities and fears.  

In Shop... Selling the Ontology of Whiteness, Forbes started by exploring the visual representation of fashion and handbags as desired objects. In documenting the shop windows in Venice, Rome, Naples and London Forbes expands his research into the relationship of the ontology of whiteness and how it is being promoted through the shop windows and the use of the mannequins. Forbes developed abstract text layers for the work, aligning the work to contemporary advertising and creating a genuine link to the shop windows and racial political discourse of today.

Image: Auto Portrait after Rembrandt, a black man in a wig and baseball cap

Auto Portrait - After Rembrandt a Black man in a wig and baseball cap
For this work Forbes developed a series of self portraits using material purchased for his Masquerade sculptural work; he places himself in the centre of the images, thereby making a direct link between him and the work he makes. The image of a Black male
symbolises many things beyond the individual, which he explores through: the gaze, wigs, baseball caps, sexuality and adornment.
Forbes constructed the image to challenge the viewer by consciously presenting a non-smiling and non-gesturing face, thereby allowing for many readings of the image.
 

Launch Project

It All Matters... They Will Fall — Art space somewhere in Nevada

Four bodies of my work will be presented within a virtual reality gallery.

Shop... Selling the Ontology of Whiteness
12 lightboxes, with animated text layered, which rotates over a photographic image

Gold Christ for Gold People & Black Christ for Black People
An installation, includes:
• Four suspended upside down Christ figures, with wigs attached to their faces.
• Two photographic / screen printed posters accompany the work, one highlighting the presence of CCTV and the other highlighting the ‘Danger of Death’
• Three Christ busts, with wigs attached to their faces on black plinths – on the top of the plinths with the bust are the separated arms and a book
• Three Christ figures leaning against a wall

An El Dorado of 512.6 million is an animation of 10 Christ figures floating over a golden sea, to an edited sound track of Skunk Anansie.
Forbes has worked with the 3D files used for the cast and mould of the Christ figures and 3D software to create the gold sea.

Minding the Black Body is a lightbox of an image using mind map office software, with pink text and lines on a black background

Medium:

Forbes work presented in a Virtual Reality Gallery

Size:

Digital 3D space.

In Collaboration with:

V21 Artspace use a mixture of innovative laser scanning technology and multimedia including video, 360 video, audio, photography, 360 photography and photogrammetry to capture real-time arts, culture, museums and heritage, exhibitions, galleries, spaces and objects to produce interactive 360 3D virtual exhibition & gallery tours and virtual museum & cultural space tours. The closest thing to being there.
AnimationBlacknessFashionFilmPhotographyPoliticsRacialRealitySculptureTextVirtualWhiteness

Blackness (the manifesto) — Lightbox size 1.2m x 1.5m

A written manifesto on blackness developed during the research for Forbes' dissertation, titled The Metaphysics and Racial Politics of Blackness through the work of Kerry James Marshall.

Medium:

Photographic Lightbox and or Photographic print
Shop... Selling the Ontology of Whiteness — Animated image

Shop... Selling the Ontology of Whiteness

In Shop... Selling the Ontology of Whiteness, Forbes started by exploring the visual representation of fashion and handbags as desired objects. In documenting the shop windows in Venice, Rome, Naples and London Forbes expands his research into the relationship of the ontology of whiteness and how it is being promoted through the shop windows and the use of the mannequins.
Forbes developed abstract text layers for the work, aligning the work to contemporary advertising and creating a genuine link to the shop windows and racial political discourse of today.

Medium:

Photographic animation

Size:

looped
Shop… selling the ontology of whiteness — Shop… selling the ontology of whiteness Edited book for RCA2020 - full version of artist book ready for publication and available for purchase via the RCA2020 sales
Carnival… beyond the glitz of the parade — Carnival... beyond the glitz of the parade Edited book for RCA2020 - full version of artist book ready for publication and available for purchase via the RCA2020 sales.
The Metaphysics and Racial Politics of Blackness through the work of Kerry James Marshall — MA Sculpture dissertation completed in 2019, explores the ongoing debates of racial inequality within society and the Arts.
2 books and MA Sculpture dissertation uploaded as pdf’s via Issuu ready for publication

Shop… selling the ontology of whiteness
Carnival… beyond the glitz of the parade
The Metaphysics and Racial Politics of Blackness through the work of Kerry James Marshall

Medium:

Pdf of three books ready for publication
Opening the bust of Christ — Work in progress in the making of Christ
Opening the full figure of Christ — Work in progress in the making of Christ
Showing the studio as a workspace with work in progress at Royal College of Art.

Medium:

Photographic and video images
Portfolio of Practice // Exhibition Proposal
A portfolio / exhibition proposal.

In this Portfolio of Practice Forbes present eight bodies of intersecting work with images and text

Content:
1. About the Artist
2. Portfolio of Practice – summary
3. Work
• Shop... Selling the Ontology of Whiteness
• Gold Christ for Gold People & Black Christ for Black People
• An El Dorado of 512.6 million
• 12 Stations of the Masquerade
• Minding the Black Body
• The Masquerade
• Auto Portrait - After Rembrandt
• Carnival... beyond the glitz of the parade
4. CV / résumé

Medium:

Pdf uploaded to Issuu

v21 Artspace

V21 Artspace specialize in the creation of fully immersive 3D virtual environments for the Arts & Culture sector. Whether capturing real-time spaces and objects to produce 3D virtual tours or creating bespoke virtual exhibitions and gallery spaces, they always work closely with galleries, curators, artists and project managers to produce an engaging interactive experience. V21 Artspace has produced over 100 arts & culture interactive 3D virtual experiences which have been viewed by virtual visitors from 135 countries across the world. Their projects are easily accessible on all web based platforms, online, on mobile and in virtual reality (VR).

Website:

https://www.v21artspace.com/
24 July 2020
10:00 (GMT + 0)
Zoom

Sculpture: Panel Discussion with Michael Forbes and Susie Olczak

Art does not just stop at the door of the studio nor the gallery.
Read More

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