Week 3
I feel settled(ish) in my new environment now. I wanted to make some mess in my studio space this week, and indeed something to talk about, some kind of starting point. Although I’d been here for 3 weeks already, I’d only made some small experiments and didn’t feel as if I’d made anything worthy of noting. Around the studio, things were starting to appear on peoples walls and our coffee and tea collection was also growing.
I’m still getting used to being back in an institution. Things move slowly when you have to be inducted into things and when you have to wait around for other people. I felt quite strange at the end of the week when I noticed that someone, a cleaner perhaps, had swept up the pigment residue from my space. I’m used to tidying up myself, for some silly reason I felt like I’d been naughty and shouldn’t have made a mess. Although I’m a clean freak at home, my studio floors are usually quite messy. I’m sure there are some health and safety issues at work. It’s funny after working alone in my own space for 5 years, to being in a big open plan studio with 50 other artists. It’s really good and inspiring, and it’s the right time for me to be in this situation. The constant coversations have been great and there is always something new to see.
I had my first tutorial on Wednesday. It was a bit strange being back in that situation. I got some inportant feedback and I know that I need a specific focus. Lots of us felt in the same boat afterwards. I’m still reflecting on it, and will put some of my new thoughts into action when I get into the studio on Monday.
Other things that happened this week included an artists talk on Wednesday by Tom Woolner, which was great, his work has a sense of comedy to it. A talk by Tim Johnson who had work in the Centre for Drawing, and is also the painting technician and on Friday a talk by Edwina Fitzpatrick who is our course director. So there has been quite a lot to take on board this week which is great.
At the end of the day on Friday, a number of us went on an adventure to Deptford for the last Friday thing. It was a good evening and we saw lots of interesting work and places. It seemed like an exciting place to be and I’ll definately be heading back. It’s good to be studying in London with so much going on on your doorstep.
