Bound
Wed 27th & Sat 30th Oct

I will now tell you a story.

When I was, oh, 20? I played in a band called the Round Town Four: Fist Fighting Association, or the RoundTown4 for short. There were four of us; an irascible wiry sparkly blue eyed ginger scot called James; Dave, an American Jew with dark hair, the blackest eyes you’ll ever see, a short babies body and big clumsy hands; Neil, an easy going jazz loving hat wearing fellow who you could imagine would often click his heels together as he walked away down the street; and me. Guitar, guitar, drums and bass respectively. We would all sing. James lilting, laughing and Celtic; Dave loud laughing and slightly out of tune; Neil, quietly laughing; me, strong, sweet sounding and happy. The guitars were wooden acoustics. James’ nylon stringed. Dave’s metal. The drum kit was a snare drum and a high hat and two sticks in a bag. The bass was a little portable amp called a pig nose, with a toffee brown leather skin and a silver pigs nose for an on button. You could plug it in and charge it, then it would be quite noisy for about 40 minutes with my electric bass guitar plugged in out in the street.

We all got on a train at 6 in the morning, took a long pull on a single malt and set off for Hamburg, Germany. We spent a month there, busking in the heart of the Reeperbahn, Germany’s most famous red light district, bleeding our fingers and singing our guts out. I’ll spare you the details. As we went, I took notes, wrote little poems and miniature descriptions. “At the end of the trip, I will write it up,” I said. Dave said, “You should print it as it is.” I did. I wish I hadn’t as they were really private notes. But it was quicker that way. And I can always write it up properly someday.

Now they are shared by the four of us in four matching, nicely bound handmade editions. At the front of each is a check box with 7 spaces. Each time the book is read a tick is to be put in a box. After the 7th tick, it states that the other three must be informed that the final box has been filled. After sunset the following full moon that copy of the book is to be burnt, in the presence of as many of the four of us as are within travelling distance as can make it. I thought they’d all be burnt by now. Happily it’s a hard read. Only for loved ones of one sort or another.

Those books have bound us four together over seas and oceans, from China to New York and back to Sheffield, probably for life.

That’s the story.

For its exaugural project, Unit3b Artspace presents ‘Bound’ – A two-part exhibition, which marks Unit3b’s departure from its premises at Chaucer Yard by celebrating its legacy, current situation and potential nomadic developments. The project is presented through two one night only exhibition previews:

Part 1: Aventures de L’Esprit
Preview – Wednesday 27th Oct, 6pm

Aventures de L’Esprit, a book compiled in 1929 by Natalie Clifford Barney, features an illustration. It is a rough drawing of Barney’s home at 20 rue Jacob, Paris, incorporating her house, garden and the little Doric ‘Temple to Friendship’ she had built there. Crowded within the boundaries of these features, the illustration presents a mass of names, regular visitors to Barney’s weekly literary salon. It is hard to tell which is more favored in this affectionate drawing; the house and garden, with particular attention paid to the temple ‘a l’amitié’, or it’s clientele. Barney’s house did not accommodate all these illustrious scrawled names simultaneously. People come and go, friends visit and depart. Does the salon keep the names, or do the names take the salon with them?

In this show, artistic communities and the spaces they occupy become of central importance. Architectures and objects are replicated and decorations are transplanted. Studios are constructed by unexpected methods and around unexpected participants. Inscriptions are carved, dedications or memorials. Things must make room and rooms must be made; and at the same time, a diagram is drawn, depicting a particular space. Marked as the penultimate members exhibition at Unit 3b, or rather in Unit 3b, and perhaps not of Unit 3b, our Aventures de L’Esprit looks upon places and the people who make use of them.

Work from current members of the Unit3b studio: Stephen Brown, Sam Bunn, Ben Connell, Jamie Crewe, Daniel Fogarty, Jim Howieson and Greg Thomas.

Part 2: The Archive Show
Preview – Saturday 30th Oct, 6pm

A display of works from Unit3b’s past members, exhibitors, collaborators and supporters.

Ashley Acott, Thorbjorn Andersen, Keith Barley, Andy Brookfield, Barbara C. Branco, Robert Brown, Stephen Brown, Sam Bunn, Theo Burt, Darren Chouings, Ben Connell, Faye Cresswell, Jamie Crewe, Martin Elms, Natalie Finnemore, Daniel Fogarty, Jonny Fox, Lesley Guy, Iris Harris, Will Hope, Mark Houghton, Jim Howieson, Siobhan McSorley, Emily Musgrave, Phil Nicholson, Sara Pinfold, James Prescott, Ben Wardell, Angharad Williams + more to be confirmed

Unit3b
Chaucer Yard
Countess Road
S1 4TE

(Located behind St. Mary’s church – off Bramall Lane)