In the last couple of weeks I’ve been back in West London working on the textiles project, and the group have produced some wonderful work. On the last day everyone brought cakes and sweets to share from all over the world (well all over Ealing).
I feel sad to not continue that space of making and talking but I’ve begun to create an installation in the studio, which is exciting. One of the things I keep thinking about is how much the project embodies care, a kind of shared care, and as a socially engaged artist whether it is possible (or important) to make work that both embodies care, but can also be provocative, and ask questions.
As a parent there definitely seems to be a balance of care and challenge, as I discovered today. I bought Abie a banana milkshake thinking he would really like it but he thought it was more interesting to make a drawing with it. I had to say no as the cafe staff were looking at us askance. We then went on to Hove Museum where we could make marks more officially in the children’s area and I tried to draw Abie whilst he made his first attempt at a drawing.
It’s the end of the summer and the start of term, so its back to work for me. I start teaching again next week. Its going to be more difficult to make time for my residency but I’m going to try in little moments. I did some more buggy psychogeography, in the rain, going for a walk along the seafront to look for sites for the students projects. Pushing a buggy is a good camouflage for nosing around. Sometimes the invisibility of motherhood is a protective cloak.
