Arlene Burnett, Paul Newman and Leon Trimble spent 9 months working within a section of land near the center of Birmingham cut off from the public for over 20years untouched and in a state of overgrown wilderness. Behind Closed Doors spent their time there creating new artworks in response to the space and the surrounding environment. The project was open to the public in May 2008.
Each week Arlene documented the space and the changes taking place using wooden pinhole cameras, both medium format and large format.
Many of the photographs taken by Arlene over the duration of the project were placed in the shed which we uncovered during our stay at the space. The shed was also used to display many of the interesting objects found whilst clearing the site.
The site was given to us for a year on the condition we cleared the space which had been untouched for over twenty years. As with all other projects we do the space dictates the work created.
The view from the Custard Factory roof before clearing began.
The arrival of the shipping containers.
Paul’s Secret Garden Log November 2007 – June 2008
[...] known as Arlene Burnett, Paul Newman and Leon Trimble, open their new open-air art space, The Secret Garden on the other side of the river from the Custard Factory tonight from 6pm. All are welcome. A [...]
[...] containers and (in my prosaic language) done something arty. In their (more betterer) words The Secret Garden is: Reflecting on the regeneration of the surrounding industrial landscape, the familiar and iconic [...]