Graham Elstone

"I work as an artist, creative educator and project/technical Manager regionally, Nationally and Internationally. Although much of the creative work involves technology, a mixed-medium approach is always employed, resulting in installation work, performance and a fusion of art forms. My background in theatre and performance has transferred to installation, visual arts and the creation of works using projection or moving images, often in public spaces."

- mystrikingly, Graham Elstone.

As an artist, creative educator, and project manager, his projects and creative work involve digital arts, installation, performance, and mixed media and are presented regionally, nationally, and internationally. He shows that art doesn't always have to be created on a canvas.

It also shows that something simple, in terms of design and practicality, can be classed as art; simplicity is the philosophy and practice of creating only what is necessary within a work of art. Simplicity depends significantly on the artist and what they explore or express through their medium. The artist must decide what is absolutely necessary within their work and what is I can take inspiration from Elstone in my own work, as I am a fan of minimalistic art, meaning art with little to no detail or basic shapes, as I can add my own things in the image to make it more relevant to what I am working on.

Elstone's artwork has been shown in galleries, theatres, and festivals. Much of his work is for public spaces and unusual settings, including shopfronts, disused buildings, streets, rural landscapes, and other public buildings.

Much of the artistic work requires interaction from the audience. Elstone often challenges perceptions of a medium and expands creative boundaries whilst allowing audiences to explore and participate. Recent work includes the Arts Council England-funded mixed media touring project 'The Circle Squared'.

For the creation of 'Ode to…', Graham has collaborated with long-time co-creator Thomas Hall. Previously going under the name Low Brow Trash, Graham and Thomas have exhibited several creative works across the UK. Thomas Hall is an artist whose work utilises technology in a playful and eclectic way. From model dioramas and interactive sonic pieces to screen-based or projection works, his art often requires active participation from the viewer. His public and commercial commission work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

('Ode to...')

A dynamic collaboration by artists Graham Elstone and Thomas Hall, "Ode to" is an interactive installation that celebrates "buskers." It captures the essence of 'Xylophone Man' (1932 - 2004), who graced Nottingham's streets for over fifteen years.

Elstone has used the minimalistic art style again while researching Moulton Mill.

"While researching Moulton Mill, I was reminded of a visit to an area of Derbyshire called Stanage Edge, where, when out walking, I came across what can only be described as a millstone graveyard, an area where discarded millstones cut from the hard rock had been left, never to be used.

I began to conceive ideas based on the mill's circular aspect, the millstones, cogs, and wheels throughout the building. Circular shapes exist in practical and decorative terms. It is through this route that my ideas for the commission have taken shape.

I am constructing a free-standing circular structure that is a modern version of the mill wheel—the same size as the original but conceived in perspex. It will be interactive via conductive paint and highly visual, using graphics drawn from the building's shapes, colours, and textures.

Audio will be drawn from sounds and words recorded onsite and sounds recorded in workshops. The work will be lit inside, creating a 'glow' effect.

During the research period, I have spoken to several mill volunteers and presented workshops at the local school and residential care home, Abbeygate."

"This period has allowed me to discover memories, thoughts, ideas, practical information and soundbites from various groups and ages.
The young people at the school created short lines/poems that were recorded, and the older generations in the care home utilised memories of the mill to inform and stimulate spoken word aspects that have also been recorded.

I have been working closely with mill volunteers to record specific sounds that not everyone would typically hear on a visit. Visually, the recurring circular nature of the building, the texture and pattern created on the mill stones, cogs, and wheels, the sandstone colour of the brick (very specific to the mill), the wooden steps leading to each floor, the skyline/view, patterns in the use of materials, and design elements will all impact the graphic images that will adorn the circular shape.

The finished work will have up to 14 sounds, each emphasised by a visual image or shape that denotes the touch areas."