I have walked the length and breadth of Manhattan, my feet feel like they have been tenderised almost as much as my brain. Anyway it was fun, I walked for miles and miles and miles in the rain, skipped through central park and drank heavily in many Irish bars. I saw a tramp take a dump in the street and ate lots. I got paralysed with fear at the top on the Empire State Building (which I kept calling the Eiffel Tower) I ended up having to take some photos through the telescope things because my hands shook so much when I got near the edge. It was also really loud. I spent much of the week trying to record sirens on my phone. I remember laughing at Johanna Hallsten in San Francisco for trying and repeatedly failing to get her recording equipment out in time to capture the firetrucks, now I know how she feels. I managed to see one show too! Younger than Jesus at the New Museum in Soho (I think) it was extremely camp, over the top crammed with fun stuff. On the top floor was a show reel of recent significant media so the viewer could understand the mindset of these young artists. I enjoyed the Big Brother section but was disappointed that Hollyoaks was overlooked, I haven't got a TV at the moment and am really missing it. Today I am preparing for a film making workshop at BCA. By preparing I mean I am about to hurl a load of crap into a big suitcase and see if any of my cameras still work. I don't hold much hope for the cameras, I think San Fran did for them. Otherwise I am thinking about whether blogging has affected my career or work (and Facebook and now Twitter for that matter) I will blog the results later today.
I'm not a great Twitterer, this is my latest Tweet??
Recording morse code for my satellite film and packing a big case for my workshop at BCA on Saturday
I haven't achieved much this week. I am still waiting to find some sound for my space ship film which I have decided is more of a satellite film as the bloody things just go go round and round in my now almost totally black studio. Maybe something will present itself in New York (place name drop) When I get back I've got a few days to get ready for my first workshop at BCA I have the usual terrors while presenting a very relaxed facade. We are going to make an adventure film or maybe a disaster movie, I'm not sure which yet.
I finally got into the Guardian this will make my mum and dad very happy. I must admit I did a little skip.
Dashed to Bedford yesterday to bung up a little light for my self portrait which is now concealed behind a black curtain (best place for it) Eva had done a wonderful job tidying it all up and it did actually look ok. There were well over a hundred people (+ kids) at the private view.The kids seemed to especially like the most fragile things and one did 'rescue' a boat from its icy (polystyrene) grave spilling beads all over the floor. Unfortunately I couldn't drink but I brought a friend with me who made up for that and at one point started to drag passers by in off the street. The Guardian didn't use my picture, hopefully it will be in next week. I'm at my studio again today catching up on emails writing and filming satellites/space ships, I haven't decided what they are yet. I'm going to upload photos of the show to http://www.notantarctic.blogspot.com/
I think I'm on top of things.
Well thanks to Eva's energy we managed to get the show almost completely up on Tuesday, though not in the way I had planned. we made lots of changes as some of the work went up and came down and went up again. Though mostly it was very quick and easy. There is a little tweaking to be done and I have to make a small light to illuminate my self portrait. Eva seems to have great faith that I will be able to make it work (despite having detailed knowledge of my working methods) I've just been writing a short gallery guide, price-list (arrg) and sent off an image to the Guardian, so I think I'm on top of things. Last night I met Nadia Hebson and Paul Becker, though I didn't say much as I was cross-eyed from gin poisoning. Otherwise in the quickest response ever to a submission to an AN listing I'm going to be showing some Stargazer films in the windows of a tower block in Belfast. It seems a great place to put them. I think I'm on top of things.
Goodbye to most of the daydreams opens at BCA gallery Bedford at 12pm 11th April
I've been sending emails back and forth with Eva today, while I sand blocks of wood which might become shelves tomorrow. She's arranged a meeting with Coline Milliard (www.colinemilliard.co.uk) who is going to write about the show. I've seen an article she wrote for Anthea Hamilton's show Gymnasium which I enjoyed but am slightly scared as usual. Anyway the show isn't up yet but hopefully we'll get most of it done tomorrow. I've just remembered also I promised to put together another Black Flag Game fanzine for the show which I haven't even started. Apart from that and the shelves I think everything is ready. In my studio amongst the camping paraphernalia I've stated to make some shiny satellites out of Raymond's bits and pieces. Raymond was the husband of a friend who died last year. I've sprayed them with reflective paint and started to assemble a complicated mobile over my camp bed. (photos to come) I've also been making more plane crashes.
