Our Place is an exhibition by Crisis artists, which will open on 16 November. Artist Jordan Vanderhyde is keeping a blog – here’s what he has said so far.

So today took an expected, but unexpected turn. As the deadline for a project I am helping work on, Our Place, comes into view. A trip to the Woodstock Museum to speak with a microbiologist and look at some samples of dust through his microscope. We discovered that beauty can be found on a molecular level.

Jordan with Katie, lead artist on the project.

So the main concept for this project is seeing the art in the places we use every day and everything that’s missed or cleaned away. (Or not at times….Sorry cleaners not a dig at your work ) The building we are using to explore our hypothesis is the Old Fire Station in Oxford, which is run by two charities: Arts at the Old Fire Station, and Crisis. This building houses various galleries and prestigious work. As well as a charity which helps homeless and vulnerable people get back to the daily running of life. Plus a Café which serves a mean breakfast.

I know just how much they help by my journey at the centre. So we have been collecting ideas, samples of grime, dust and a few unexpected discoveries along the way. All to see how we can turn the everyday left behind marks of where we have been into works of art which challenge how we view our dirt as well as our artwork.

A microscope snapshot.

Pulling together recourses from all the departments within the building. We want to collectively help members get involved in the project. We want to utilise all the help at our finger tips, to show everyone that in a world of who you know and what you have. Everyday people with the right support can produce amazing things as we see every day at the centre.

I am so proud to be a part of this project. Already the friendly staff and supportive team have given me the confidence to show my work publicly. Along side dealing with major mental health issues and anxiety. To gently break through my boundaries and be a more confident gentleman with drive and determination. For this I will be forever grateful and I pray the public can see this and get as much out of it as I have. So for now….

Jordan presenting about the exhibition at the Old Fire Station season launch.

–

The backlash of all my using has left me dead inside through depression, scared of going anywhere and of my own shadow through anxiety and a hyper and suicidal monster through BPD. I went through rehab and then slowly introduced into the community. It has taken so much work even daily to get up and get motivated. Just for today it can be done. I write about my experiences In hope that someone gets something from it. I am now no longer homeless, I can freely express myself through art and media and have a chance of getting an education. All that searching hoping using could help fix any situation I finally have what I was searching for all along.