Safety Helmets Must Be Worn

Richard Baxter is taking part in the exhibevent Safety Helmets Must Be Worn at Artistsmeet.

Safety Helmets Must Be Work explores how sketchbooks inform and develop creativity and practice by exploring the construction of a sketchbook through the metaphor of building and construction work via the channelling of tunnels, laying foundations and embedding of networks. Artists Books, sketchbooks, and all compass points between are explored and presented: log book, journal, an engine room, a place to store ideas, images, artefacts, experiences and memories, a place of exploration. This exhibition aims to explore a newly-recognised and rapidly expanding genre of artwork.

Richard's contribution is three little sketchbooks described as follows:

"CODEX 1-3

Starting on January 1st 2010 I did one drawing a day, and continued every day for the whole year in 3 tiny sketchbooks. This was not conceived as an artwork. I am a potter so some drawings reflect my work. I decided to display the books pegged together to form a circle suggesting the turning of the year. (What a shame that there are 360 degrees but 365 days to go around the year)."

Richard also writes: "I see drawing as an engine-house for the generation of new ideas, so this was the first time that I had made a promise to myself to draw for it’s own sake, and to do it relentlessly every day, no matter how little time I had, or how important or trivial the subject depicted. It became a habit and a discipline. It was a process of taking stock, and finding out for myself what I am interested in, and how I am able to record it."

Artistsmeet  is a critique group for artists to meet and discuss artwork, ideas and exhibitions, to provide a structured, regular, live forum where artists can meet, exchange and evolve together.

Richard's work is also newly on sale at the Craft Centre and Design Gallery in Leeds.