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20//05//10 "IN ALL MY LIFE I HAVE YET TO SEE A POEM THAT IS PRETTIER THAN A TREE"
UNKNOWN

Wow, its been too long since my last update, I apologise but I really have been very busy. I've got various projects going in different directions all at once at the moment so its a bit hectic, but that's the way I like it. Some new work for you today, I was asked rather kindly to create the artwork for Washington Irving, a Glasgow based folk outfit who are preparing to release their first EP titled "Little Wanderer Head Thee Home." Its a beautiful record, and i enjoyed responding to their sound in my own way. Click the thumbnails to the right for a look at my efforts, and if you're interested click here to visit their myspace.

There's lots more exciting things in the pipeline, including more information about my upcoming exhibition in Berlin's Open Gallerie, but for now i'll leave it at that.

25//03//10 "LANGUAGE IS POTENTIALLY THE ONLY HUMAN HOME, THE ONLY DWELLING PLACE THAT CANNOT BE HOSTILE TO MAN."
JOHN BERGER

Three concrete tablets featuring symbols abandoned to be found in an unknown location by the unsuspecting, i've posted some photos to the right. This is an ongoing project that attempts to diseminate an unknown symbol language, you can find out more about it in my artworks section here.

13//03//10 "LOVE IS METAPHYSICAL GRAVITY."
R.BUCKMINSTER FULLER

Just another short update today, this time i've got some photos of a new series of artist books i've been working on for Now Now project's multiples showcase. Have a Look, the books relate to my symbols project, if I get a decent response to them i'll some how find the time to make some more and put a limited run on sale on my online shop. Speaking of which hopefully within the next week or so the online store will be functional, i've had a few issues figuring out costs and the best way to ship internationally for a decent rate, but that all seems to be fixed now, so watch this space!

11//03//10 "DREAMS ARE NOTHING BUT INCOHERENT IDEAS, OCCASIONED BY PARTIAL OR IMPERFECT SLEEP."
BENJAMIN RUSH

Quick update today to say my work was recently featured in an exhibition in the UK called Irresistible Forces. The show featured a range of works from artists new and old, including works from old master's such as Francisco Goya, and more contemporary artists such as Yuck & Yum coordinator Gayle Meikle.

Sadly I couldn't attend the private view myself, so I'm still waiting to receive some photos of the whole event, but from what I hear there was a great response. In the mean time i've uploaded an image of the new work I exhibited. It's been a long time coming, somewhat a labour of love but it was a relief to finally put a full stop on this particular piece.

In other news i'm currently working on a series of artist books that will be on sale at Now Now project's book sale, which will also be featured as part of the Glasgow International Art Festival. Check back soon for more details.

21//02//10 "WINTER MAKES A BRIDGE BETWEEN ONE YEAR AND ANOTHER."
ANDY GOLDSWORTHY

Rosamund West, art editor of The Skinny selected one of my pieces (Untitled Biological Landscape No.1) as part of the Central Station monthly showcase. CenSta has been good to me of late. So thanks go to Rosamund, you can read what she said along with all the other nominees here.

I've also added a couple of random photos i took while visiting the Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof's show Die Kunst Ist Super. Its a pretty comprehensive selection of work from the the Marx Collection and the Friedrich Christian Flick Collection. I'd been meaning to catch it for a while, if you're in Berlin go along on thursday its free!

16//02//10 "POST MODERNISM HAS CUT OFF THE PRESENT FROM ALL FUTURES."
JOHN BERGER

Brief update today outlining a few bits and bobs. First off I was pleased and surprised to see one of my paintings selected as a featured work on Central Station's community members page have a look. If you're an artist, designer or film maker based or born in scotland I really recommend signing up to their community area. They provide a great stream of interesting news and opportunities on a day by day basis, and the site allows you to make contact with and build networks with loads of people in the industry.

I recently had the opportunity to exhibit some video work in Sydney, Australia as a part of the group exhibition 'A Window on Berlin' artists working in berlin were asked to contribute video work which would be projected on to a suspended paper screen made by artist On-Yau Lui. I thought it would be a good opportunity to spread my Synchisia Symbols to an entirely new continent. I've uploaded some images to the right and I've also included a video taken by curator and artist Richard Byers of my work below. Enjoy!

08//02//10 "ART DISTURBS, SCIENCE REASSURES"
GEORGE BRAQUES

Another day, another update, this will get easier with time I'm assured. I was busy organising a lot of the photographs i've taken since moving to Berlin and thought I would take the opportunity to share a few.

To anyone who's visited or stays in Berlin these are pretty typical spots as far as graffiti or street art over here are concerned, but i thought they really did a good job of expressing the scale & variety of works you can see here on every street corner. Its refreshing to see this kind of creativity, that exists outside the typical gallery format, that doesn't even include a name or signature, the sole purpose it seems is to offer a visual alternative to the billboards and advertising that seem to dominate so many urban centers these days. I've got plenty more to share, so i'll try and spread them out over the coming weeks.

Right now i'm working on a couple of different projects. Firstly i've returned to an old idea I haven't explored in quite some time, that has required me to rekindle my love for intricate drawing, something i've gradually drifted away from in recent years. Its been exciting and invigorating to test out approaches that i can trace back to a lot of the work i was doing 4 or 5 years ago. Secondly i'm putting the finishing touches to a painting i've been working on for over a year that will hopefully feature in an upcoming exhibition later this year (more on that later). Check back next week for pictures of said projects.

05//02//10 "THE SHORTEST ANSWER IS DOING"
GEORGE HERBERT

After a lot thinking, experimenting and procrastinating and eventually arriving much later than I expected, my website re-design is finally in place. Although In a lot of respects the new design is less sophisticated than before, I hope as a result it is much easier to navigate and does a better job of showcasing my work than the previous incarnation. I hope this format will prove more obviously beneficial as the contents of of this website gradually expand.

The two Key additions to the website are the inclusion of this blog and implementing an online shop that allows you to purchase a variety of prints and select original pieces directly from me. The blog i hope to keep updated on a frequent basis, I see it as much for my benefit than anyone else's, somewhere between a record of my own art related activities and a public diary to keep track of my experiences since I relocated to Berlin. Expect information and updates on my current projects, news on exhibitions and photographic records of my journies through this fascinating city.

Please check back often, eventually I plan to implement an RSS feed to help you keep track of my updates, but in the mean time you can follow me on twitter here. Check back soon for more news!

Copyright Ryan Hays 2010
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all images and text and all other content of this website are owned by or controlled for these purposes by Ryan hays.