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CASE STUDIES Tanya Abadjieva (Bulgaria)
All images: Drawing Wood by Tanya Abadjieva (Bulgaria) In 2001, Bulgarian Artist Tanya Abadjieva was awarded the Visiting Arts International Residency in partnership with Spike Island in Bristol. She took up here residency in Spike Island and produced one of the most fascinating pieces of art ever to be shown at the gallery. Here, Sally Shaw of Spike Island explains the story behind Drawing Wood. Drawing Wood "The game of lawn bowls consists of a collection of 'woods' (bowls) assembled round a key Beginning with a chance encounter, a visitor's foray into English culture in Bath, narratives and relationships developed to form the constituent parts of the exhibition. The title itself is a phrase which dropped into one of the first conversations between Tanya and the Bristol Arrow Bowling Club and describes the bowling action. Bowling is a dying sport in England, mainly due to a lack of young players and the seemingly anachronistic etiquette of the game. Players abide by regulations with meticulous care, creating small pockets of tranquil ritual in a world in which change and speed rule at the expense of tradition. A strong relationship grew between Tanya, myself and many of the players from the Bristol Arrow Bowling Club during numerous visits to the club. The Arrows were recommended as the oldest bowling club in Bristol by the newest club, the City and County of Bristol Indoor Bowls Club, who subsequently donated the baize for the green. As you would expect, members of the club are mostly retired and the majority are over 55. They are a relaxed group when off the green, enjoying their retirement at leisure. Once on the green, roles are strictly defined. Rules and laws dictate dress, behaviour and body language - everyone knows their place and formality reigns. This is not the first time that the Bristol Arrow Bowling Club has been involved in an exhibition. The founder member of the club J W Arrowsmith, was co-promoter of the Bristol Industrial and Fine Art Exhibition of August 1893 which was held in a space remarkably similar in dimension to the exhibition space at Spike Island - an historic occurrence which acts a precursor to this exhibition. This exhibition brings together two essentially alien establishments. One is wrought from ritual and demonstrates fastidious compliance to rules and regulations which have been passed from one generation to the next; the other continuously seeks to push boundaries, to reinvent and re-present the commonplace. The result of this marriage is not a recreation of an example of art's capacity to challenge preconceptions. By bringing these two Bristol constituencies together, Drawing Wood offers a unique insight into a particular aspect of British culture from the perspective of the Visiting Arts Fellow." Sally Shaw, Spike Island
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