One week into the Lime residency and I’m appreciating it more and more. It has none of the usual disadvantages of a studio, it is warm, tidy and well maintained. And I have access to a computer, printer, scanner and photocopier, which I’ve never had in a studio before. They are real time-savers. There are usually people around to chat to over a cup of peppermint tea, but they are also at work, so they don’t offer too much distraction. And the lovely weather of the last few days has made it such a pleasure to look out onto the garden.
The burglar alarm is less intimidating since I set it off on Friday! I’ve done the worst now, so am less worried about it.
I also feel a sense of accountability, which is good for my focus. No-one from Lime is judging me, or looking at my output, but I am aware that there is an unspoken… probably not expectation, but definitely interest. The combination of dropping some work hours, the excitement of this new start, and a looming deadline mean I have got a lot done over this last week.
I’m working on the map for the Flood project, and am really enjoying getting stuck into sampling different possibilities. Today will be spent at the Local Studies Unit, doing research, and then back in the studio later in the week to carry on drawing.
Lime is based in an old mansion in a leafy and once exclusive suburb, now occupied mostly by student residences, run-down multiple occupancy housing and the odd consulate building or embassy. An odd mixture, and with a strange atmosphere. Not threatening at all, but somehow bristling with its history. The setting is lovely, rambling gardens looked after by clients of another service in the same building. I have fantasies of lying on the grass in the summer – but I know myself, and will probably be inside working and missing the sunshine! I’m not very good at relaxing.
We artists have 24 hour access to the building, even though most of the staff will only be there in working hours. I tried to go in yesterday evening, but was scared of setting off the burglar alarm, and gave up. Today I will ask about it again and make sure I feel confident. The longer evenings make working late much more attractive.
I don’t yet know what I am going to do with my time here, but I am currently working on two projects, an installation for the Chorlton Arts Festival in May and an on-going project called ‘107 garments’ which I’ve started up again in the last few weeks. I also have ideas about things that could relate more closely to Lime’s work, and will be exploring them too. For now, I’m just getting used to the studio move, getting to know the other artists, and thinking about what I need in the space to make it work for me.
