TSLoT Vinyl Art Space, Birmingham.
The initial invitation to do this residency project was one of excitement. Being approached is a privilege that I am yet to be used to but with this excitement came a natural fear, a fear of the inevitable. What other artists have been invited? What work do they make? Will I be able to make work that succinctly expresses the core of my practice?
I wasn’t worried about the intention of the project as my work embraces flux. To hand over the authorship of your artwork to another artist to re-interpret until it has be re-done 4 times. What will be left? This opportunity would allow me an opportunity to view my work through the eyes, brains and hands of others.
The initial introduction of one another’s work began with a sprinkling of awkward silences encased in a freezing warehouse where the kettle barely had chance to rest! What became apparent though was the ability to creative a narrative between all 4 artists work without force. Something to be noted was the humorous element that there were three other artists that were male and I, of course, the only female. The humour came in when the artworks were all revealed and presented and a blindingly evident theme that came from my male counterparts was upright structures. More simply put, the three phallus in the room! What became more intriguing was two of my collages were then hung on found objects [floor boards] and leaned against the wall, creating a visual harmony between the upright structures and my own floor and wall mounted ones.
None of us knew each other, we were not told what artists were to be involved until the last moments and communication was discouraged [a paranoid person may suggest the men were in cahoots but I’m going for the ‘happy coincidence’ side of curious].
I now await in excited apprehension for the first re-working of my work. Will I be offended? Will I be astounded? Will it move me in any emotional way or merely enable me to distance my self from my work and view it through a more objective critical eye?
Only time shall tell…
