Anne-Marie Copestake is a visual artist based in Glasgow. She came to Cove Park for a one-month Visual Arts residency in June 2017 at a crucial time in the development of her work:
‘My intention was to develop and unfold new ideas that had been burning quietly for some months. During 2017 my work concentrated for the most part on various stages of a new film. This work was nearing completion as I began my residency at Cove Park and my plan was to leave it aside for some weeks, not to ignore it, but to switch concentration for a time.
It was a great privilege to pursue new ideas through bursts of filming, audio recording, writing and drawing, while based in the studio on site and supported by a contribution towards materials. My chief visitors were a pair of broad highland cows, my chief distractions the many birds and the tiny inhabitants of a pond directly outside the studio.
I shot a few Super 8 reels, partly to test a new camera and partly to develop one of the ideas. The reels came back with mixed results – I discovered a faulty light meter, though happily there is enough material to form the beginnings of my contribution for an exhibition curated by Rob Churm at The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, next year. ‘
I encountered writers engaged in plays, TV scripts, novels and short stories; latterly performers, artists and designers filled the studios. Many other residents were in similarly exploratory stages of their ideas and our conversations found us talking regularly about work – a naturally occurring part of our days fuelled by attitudes in common towards working practice, making mistakes, and our shared surroundings. So many great conversations and great people.
Since leaving Cove Park I completed my film and was very honoured that the film, A Blemished Code, had its premier at the BFI London Film Festival in October.’
In addition to working towards the exhibition at The Old Hairdressers, Anne-Marie is also taking part in the exhibition >>FFWD at Cooper Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee, in January 2018.
WORK NOTES – ANNE-MARIE COPESTAKE
Mouth and ear flyting. No logical or polite expression, no rational expression, deep xxxx, small amount of shock, instinctive.
Clothes saturated with water / pair of headphones left on the bank / a watch sinking in shallow pond. Light reflects over the entire surface which is broken swiftly at the slightest bit of wind.
0301 – stream, lambs, sheep, general birdsong, bees, bird call, sheep, lambs, general birdsong, airplane, bees, stream, lambs, gentler stream, man + dog, bees, crows, bird of prey, airplane, sheep, lambs, bees, bird of prey, footsteps, cars (distant), woman voice, signal interference.
0313  – pond splash (very small thing), motor (distant), bird calls, popping?, sheep (distant), (very windy), bird of prey, lamb, wind in leaves, birds (distant), branches and twigs knocking together sometimes squeaking, bird (close), speed boat on Loch, horse whinnie.
0317 – wee river, bin lorry emptying bins, wind interference, bird song, sheep,  flies, bees, footsteps, grasshopper, stream, footsteps, grasshopper, airplane (distant), popping / snapping – maybe a sheep over the hedge biting grass? flies, bird of prey, wind interference, cow, van.