The last month has been simply amazing. After 9 months of full-on computer work, all my customers wanting major development work all at once, it’s suddenly gone quiet. Enough work coming in to pay the bills, but whole days at a time in my studio.
A couple of months ago, I asked around Oxford Improvisers if anyone could lend me a projector for some experimental video/projection improvisation. Someone mentioned that another improviser, Helen Edwards, had been talking about video and projection, so I got in touch and suggested collaborating.
4 weeks ago we met up and swapped ideas, and reckoned we could do something together. She’s an undergrad (mature student), just coming up to her final show, and this is what she wants to collaborate on … so she has to take the lead on this project. I think I’ve led, or co-led, every project I’ve done for the last 15 years, so it’s quite challenging trying not to push too hard on all the decisions … a good discipline, though: keeps the ego under control!
We’ve spent a couple of half days experimenting, and are running a “prototype” at the improvisers regular meeting on Monday, then on to the full-blown thing which is going to involve borrowing a swimming pool and a van load of waterproof video equipment. I gather it’s all sorted … one of the perks of being in formal study!
I’ve seen the AA2A scheme operating in other areas, but there’s nothing like it in Oxford, despite the presence of 2 Universities both running a full complement of Fine Art courses. So, this seems to be the alternative route: collaborate with somebody on a Fine Art course!
Other things going on:
The Oxford Feral choir – improvised voice in outdoor surroundings – has just split off from Oxford Improvisers, so my direction of outdoor multi-artform improvisation seems to be already half formed. They’re interested in the event I’m planning for which I’ve just submitted my funding application, so I’ve been able to list them as collaborators.
Still two other improvisation ideas I want to try out – one with poetry, developing some work I did 15 years ago after a meeting with Paula Claire (concrete/action poet), and one developing some gestural improvisation and combining it with video, probably another direction to take with Helen after her degree show.
Another batch of oxidising agents has arrived. If the funding bid is successful, then should be able to produce something interesting with these by Christmas. If I get a rejection first time and have to work up the bid further (likely), then I’ll have to wait for the year after … otherwise I’ll probably have to wait until Christmas 2012.
I also have a lovely idea for a gallery-based work stemming from the ritual and the stuff I’ve been doing with the sacred. I’m very excited by this even though I’ve had very little success getting galleries interested in my work so far … and it’s going to take another month or two or three to put together a “prototype”, get some stills or video (it’s kind of kinetic), and start hawking the idea round.
When things are going well like this, when life is flowing, I’m full of ideas and I get some of those rare moments of feeling like I’m flying … then I start getting a sense of foreboding …
Many artists I know have this: There’s always something round the corner to knock us out of the air, stop the flow, stifle the fire – illness in the family, eviction from either home or studio space, some financial crisis (e.g. van self-destructs), relationship crisis, jury service, a sudden death or suicide, car accident, house fire … we all seem to live so close to the edge, especially older artists, just hanging on in there by our fingernails.
Here’s one of my favourite passages from Joni Mitchell “Song for Sharon”, off Hejira:
A woman I knew just drowned herself
The well was deep and muddy
She was just shaking off futility
Or punishing somebody
My friends were calling up all day yesterday
All emotions and abstractions
It seems we all live so close to that line
And so far from satisfaction
