The Fabelist

Imprint, Impression, Stamp

Hi My name Is Joshua Raffell I am Fabelist Artist of the month and Artist In Residence @ studio1.1, Redchurch st, London. http://www.studio1-1.co.uk/

I’m really looking forward to giving and receiving feedback and possible collaborations.

I started making this work a couple of days ago. Inspired by The beheading of St John The Baptist. Despite this turning into one of those horribly naff masks from the

eighties. One of the first issues I have is the title The first thing that came to mind is ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ Then I thought of ‘Be careful What You Wank Over” Open to ideas and suggestions…

Feel I should include Titles of other works:

Masturbating Marv

Suzie The Self Sucking Satyr

Arnie The Arse fingering Hybrid

My Stamp or impression has evolved into a wanking “puppet” that the viewer is able to interact with For me the Masturbation is symbolic of being comfortable within yourself and liking your own company. I also build these armatures onto a bike trailer taking something very private out into the Public. I’m inspired by Nathalie Djurberg, Paul Mccarthy, Delaine Le Bas & Annette Messager.

Careful what you wish for!!!

Well finally managed to get arse into gear, and started making a head for a new work. 'Careful what you wish for' Inspired by Images of St John the Baptist. Started making the head last night. I always start with the teeth and work in the mouth and then lips.

Going into a care home today to take i.d. hopefully start working there a couple a days a week. Although its not paid i'm hoping it will lead to payed work. God I need money, even if its only to be able to take projects to another level...

Also filled in passport renewal as Dave has booked a week a way to spain. So pleased first Hol in 4 years whoop!! Whoop!!

Lots i want to do...

Having a difficult day lots I want to do but don't know where to Start...

This is about a journey, Its not always one persons journey.

But many different journeys that happen to cross paths...

A Present for Everyone

This is one of the presents a xmas bubble...

Arnie The Arse Fingering Hybrid

I have been made artist of the month for a group called the Fabelist's http://thefabelist.blogspot.com/ They launch their blog at the end of this month. So good luck to them and looking forward to being involved.

Alan Bennett

1972

"we started off trying to set up a small anarchist community, but people wouldn't obey the rules"

The guy at The sausage Fest.

said my work was the most tasteless, tasteful work he had ever seen.

Clusterfuck aesthetics by Joshua Raffell

I have just joined the Fabelist. I'm hoping to get feed back and meet people with similar interests follow link for more information... www.thefabelist.blogspot.com

GiudyCat Judith Kroon

What was with the masturbating doll at #Supernormal? Apparently some people are offended by it. Shame I've missed it :)

Suzie The Self Sucking Satyr, @ supernormal by Joshua Raffell

Half Of Wedged In Willie

Head Fuck

Fixation 3

Clusterfuck aesthetics by Joshua Raffell

The Other Half Of Wedged In Willie

WOW what a great time We had at 'Supernormal'

met lots of interesting people and made some new friend's...

Thanks to everyone who put together this great show/festival...

"SUPERNORMAL' as aterm coined ny Norman Glaister, founder of Braziers School of Integrative social research, meaning those enlightened humans who had reached near perfection (Chreist and Winston Churchill were top of his list). Then it was picked up by swiss and uk artist taking part in Braziers International Artits' workshop as an ambiguous curiosity, definng what exactly? We take it further in a spirit of generous anarchy to include everyone - you - the clown, the stars, the divine fools who make up this world - opposing injustice and inequality in a society which outside these fields and this island in time so often to opose us.

To re-instate Auden's original words to 'September 1, 1939'

'In this low dishonest decade... . We must love each other or die'

'SUPERNORMAL' 19-21 August 2011

Braziers Park, Oxfordshire

www.supernormalfestival.co.uk

Well I have managed to fix back tyre. Much easier than I thought.... Back to sewing

Just re-built Suzie the selfsucking satyr. Had a few problems but got there in the end. Need to fix a puncture now on back wheel not looking forward to that. Then getting ready to go to supernormal should be a good weekend...

Press Release

Joshua Raffell

Supernormal 2011

Joshua Raffell is studio1.1 London’s artist in residence 2011 and will be at SUPERNORMAL to present new work made on site. Joshua’s work crosses and re-crosses boundaries of public and private, and forms a perfect counterpart to studio1.1 and SUPERNORMAL’s position in/outside the shifting art world/market where what is a dissenting voice one minute becomes a designated cutting-edge must-have commodity the next. This can be an uncomfortable place and Josh recognises that we must all bear responsibility for wherever we situate ourselves along the spectrum of comfort and outrage. That his work, beautifully crafted and defiantly object- and outrage-based, can simultaneously offend and delight the same sensibility at the same time seems to us a perfect choice for SUPERNORMAL.

Making work that is interactive. With masturbating erotic automata the sculptures that are put together using bits of wood string and wire. Using fabrics, patchwork, stitch and appliqué. These elaborate colorful armatures draw the audience into a world of fun, naughtiness and erotica. Making the private public. These seemingly innocent patchworks become scenes of grotesque and unashamed self- absorbed pleasure. There are no real narratives in these works…

Joshua Raffell’s work refuses to be pigeon holed, the work crosses over genres from performance photography sculpture textiles and kinetic art. Creating a cornucopia of exciting images. But this is taken on a step further as you are invited to send photos and comments about the work directly to the artist. Which will be posted on http://joshuaraffell.blogspot.com/ and may be used in the solo show at the end of the residence. In doing so you are giving your consent for the artist to use the images and text within his own work.

Please send photos and comments to:

joshuaraffell@mac.com

http://joshuaraffell.blogspot.com/

http://www.joshuaraffell.com

A couple of images showing the figure that will be coming out of the arse hole of the birthing chair. Its nearly finished...

Watched Banksy

what a film Although weak in places utterly brilliant in others. As for MBW he a genius. To suggest that that he became an artist over night was not really true after many years of mindless film making he built up some amazing networks and his passion and stupidity paid off... I'm still buzzing.

the birthing chair is coming out far better than I imagined it would...

Fondazione Prada writes about Nathalie Djurberg 'Turn Into Me' References to the macabre, violent and subtle pleasures of cruelty and the vaguely depraved give rise to an ambiguous sence of anxiety and unease.

Studio 1.1

Taboos rear up on their hind legs (and in our faces) in this well-past-the-watershed art: what exactly are we looking at? Initially perhaps a strong impression of craft, a choice of gay (old sense) domestic fabrics, clearly - defiantly, we might say – held together by stitching. (Whatever became of Invisible mending?) Obviously we're in the World of Quilts.

But then again - the other side of another watershed and they’re sculptures, totems, a soft-toy Golden Calf, clownish idiots our size occupying a space that could be playroom, carnival - somehow never brothel – the fabric not covering a body but being it, embodied, emboldened exactly to the point of precisely not going too far.

And when we see and turn the handle, what is that? We crank them into (real) life, make them do what comes naturally enough, if not normally to puppets or soft toys. What they're up to now is something Satyrical, conjured up by us. Unlike the idol (‘Gracieux fils de Pan…’) of Rimbaud’s ‘Illuminations’ these figures’ erotic energy is conjured up(wards) not by the poet’s imagining but by our actions, our curious ungodly touch. We set things in motion without maybe knowing what the result’s going to be. We’ve made the grotesque come alive with the outcome authentic Panic - the unlicensed rite of Pan, right here in the gallery.

There were seaside amusement arcade peep-shows just like this – or there should have been...

Michael Keenan & Keran James

Studio 1.1

Studio1.1

57a Redchurch St. London E2 7DJ

studio1-1. gallery@virgin.net

WWW.studio1-1.co.uk <http://WWW.studio1-1.co.uk>

Press release

Joshua Raffell

Artist in Residence 2011

Performance designer of erotic automata 3rd Feb 7pm

The artists that inspire Joshua Raffell are Paul McCarthy, Georges Bataille, Vito Acconci, Nathalie Djurberg, Delaine Le Bas, Annette Messager, Key Hiraga and Francis Alys.

“I set off sparks, images, even allegories, but I try – to the greatest possible extent – to leave the narrative, or interpretation, if you like, open.” Francis Alys, ‘A STORY OF DECEPTION’ Tate publishing, London 2010

As A.I.R Joshua Raffell intends to make a new piece of work every month using existing ideas and working in the gallery space to try out and push the work forward. His work is constantly being changed breaking up previous works that are then interwoven to create fresh and evocative sculptures, performances etc…

Joshua Raffell will be making work centered on its display via a bike and trailer. In doing so taking the work out to the public. Making work that is interactive with masturbating erotic automata - sculptures that are crudely put together using bits of wood string and wire. Through the use of fabrics, patchwork, stitch and appliqué, these elaborate colorful armatures draw the audience into a world of fun, naughtiness and erotica. Making the private public. These seemingly innocent patchworks become scenes of grotesque and unashamed self-absorbed pleasure. There are no real narratives in these works – it’s up to you to take from the experience what you like.

Joshua Raffell’s work refuses to be pigeon holed, the work crosses over genres from performance, photography, sculpture, textiles and kinetic art. Creating a cornucopia of exciting images. But this is taken on a step further as you are invited to send photos and comments about the work directly to the artist. Which will be posted on his website and may be used in the solo show at the end of the residence. In doing so you are giving your consent for the artist to use the images and text within his own work.

Please send photos and comments to:

joshuaraffell@mac.com

http://web.me.com/joshuaraffell

I want these blogs to reflect me and some of the things I'm dealing with. I want to just say whats on my mind and leave the mistakes which would normally fustrate me and hold me back from writing anything at all. A tutor told me to use word check which I do do but then I have to find out which is the right spelling is a choir and lose interest so from now on i'm just going to write the way I want!!!! I can spell a word diffrently every time i write it...

I'm really excited about the work for supernormal a victorian birthing chair which I have been working on for a year or two is finally taking shape. I don't know if it's a reflection on the recent riots but the work feels right... I was inspired by an old boyfriend now known as Nichola a message left on face book saying "Not one egg" and her fustration at being refered to as a male.

The work was also inspired by a indian goddess who blessed the people that could see beyond her anitial uglyness. Its funny how things fall into place.

Thought I would also include the images from 'POP UP' that I will be layering...

Old works

I just found these in my photo's album. As I want to create more layers to the 'Toilet Graffiti' 2D works in progress..

Richard Ducker

There is undoubtedly something very strange going on in Joshua Raffell‘s work. It is not that there are no precedents, Paul McCarthy being one of the more obvious. What troubles here is the lexicon of materials and the atmosphere it creates. Although it is a world populated by sexual (masturbatory) urgency, unlike McCarthy this is not the set of daytime TV. Neither does it use the device of repetition or the epic strung out performance. Rather, through the use of ‘crude’ hand made puppets, it sets this performative excess within a very English domestic as if the Id has suddenly interrupted a polite cup of tea – two sugars, and please don’t hit me Mr Punch! Although this then results in the abject of the settings they are fabricated with the consideration of an old lady’s crochet. This attention to craft places the violation is from within – and yet the viewer is left laughing, albeit a little nervously…

By Richard Ducker, (fieldgate Gallery) 2010

From ‘It Smelt Like a Hot Banana’ by Joshua Raffell