Becoming Part of Something

The last couple of weeks have been diverse! Amongst the things that have happened:

I had the great honour of curating the Salon Photo prize which was very generous of Matt to allow me such responsibility ( and daunting!) I am learning new skills which I just love! Matt and he is a very good boss!

Read more here/ see the cataologue here:

http://www.salonartprize.com/

I also managed the online catalogue ( new skills part II- hello Indesign) the PV which was incredibly busy, 1000 odd people in one night ( I felt a bit seasick as wave upon wave of people came in ) as part of First Thursdays in East London. The lovely Rachel Wilberforce ( who was selected and has a wonderful photo in the show ) , Michaela Nettell, Katriona Beales and Andrew Bryant came by as well which was great to have friends there amongst the throng!

Speaking of Andrew, he shall be curating his second show at Core which opens next week which has already been creating great debate.

I heard on R4 the other day a discussion about this very thing: People’s nervousness of robots and the like, in this context within a religious framework: basically, if a machine has no soul, then it cannot have original sin, in which case it does not need salvation , therefore a machine is like God, without sin and therefore can usurp god….interesting… do come along!

Then of course DIY Educate launches that same week. I am nervous and excited about it- feedback has been great, we have a really strong programme I feel and we now have about 20 chair sponsors which is incredible so seats for people- bonus! DIY educate feeds into my role at AIR, a desire to improve artist’s situation, to make up for the lack of professional practice compulsory components within art course, so essential, yet often neglected.

Xhibit Selection for the UAL. Being a judge for the open submission for the all UAL students, very interesting day of considering artworks for a show in March

My Work: Had an installation at Battersea Power Station for the last 3 days, incredible space. The Lost Lovers Ball was a festival created by the Secret Garden Party team ( all of whom are incredibly ambitious in their vision) . My installation, an interactive map of lost love, developed from a previous installation at Shunt a couple of years ago. One could call it socially engaged as the people make it what it is- from a barren map to a forest of stories and narratives. It was incredibly popular with hundreds of people adding to the forest, taking photos, pouring over other lost loves. I was there on hand as Lady Valentine and it was a majestic experience!

Tonight, appropriately I guess for Valentines, I shall be reading all the stories to compile….

www.coregallery.co.uk

www.rosalinddavis.co.uk

I am delighted to have been interviewed by Chantelle Purcell in one of our in house interviews: you can read it here

http://coregalleryinterviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/…

Below as well a taster

“In this interview we look to the past and survey Core Gallery’s 2010 highlights, we find out the commitment and work that goes into sustaining a gallery. I get a peek into this year’s exciting programme and discuss the cultural relevance of artist run spaces.

CP: William Morris declared in his 1884 lecture ‘Art & Socialism’ that: “Association instead of competition, social order instead of individualist anarchy” were the ways to free creativity and return it to the working man. How pertinent would you say that this statement is today? What associations have arisen from the conception of Core Gallery?

RD: I believe through sharing knowledge and working together we can only strengthen artists roles and improve our situations. Association is better than competition, that way you can build a community from which you can nurture and sustain yourself, your career and others.

At Core we have also set something of a new precedent in terms of our associate members, who are not actually in the studio space itself but contribute significantly to the space such as Jane Boyer and yourself and the artists who contribute to the space or education programme.

CP: The programme last year promoted an experimental approach to exhibition-making and placed a strong focus on curatorial concepts. How do you plan to maintain that this year?
RD: This year our exhibition programme is going to continue to be experimental, focusing a little closer to home with myself, Elizabeth Murton and Jane Boyer all curating exhibitions rather than just having guest curators.

Two shows I shall be curating this year: one with Jane Boyer of our DX winners ‘Extra-Ordinary’ in April and an exhibition called ‘Home’ with Annabel Tilley in October. With home, we are exploring this theme in the widest sense of the word- a place of fragility, transition and identity from a cross generation of artists. Artists so far for this project include Graham Crowley, Delaine Le Bas, Rich White, Freddie Robins, Peter Davis, Rose Wylie, Lucy Austin, Emily Speed myself and Annabel Tilley.

I am finding the process of curating a very interesting, analytical, critical and exploratory role. I am testing new muscles and learning an awful lot. Also working in partnership is something I very much enjoy, the debate, the conversations which lead you to interesting new paths. It is a delight.

We are also delighted to invite back Nicholas Kaplony and Andrew Bryant and we are very excited to be working with Coexist, a dynamic artist led space in Southend in a collaborative project with our studio members that will tour from Coexist to Core at the end of 2011…..

Read the full insightful interview here :

http://coregalleryinterviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/…

After an inspiring first meeting with the AIR council, a very rich and resourceful, intelligent group I got to thinking about the 21st century artist. Who we are, what we do and why is it important….these are my sketchy first draft thoughts….more to come

Artists are incredible.

What the some people don’t understand about artists is that they are talented, not just at the art bit,. practising artists know that this is not the only thing we have to do: out of necessity one has to do your own marketing, research and development, manage people, projects, understand law and legal frameworks,, create business plans, business development, marketing strategies, organise and manage finance, pr, network endlessly, be adept at negotiation and writing funding applications, leading and managing people, ,audience development, collector development, education, teaching, professional practice, social engagement and politics. Surviving rejection, funding cuts, knockbacks to name but a few things…..

Out of the desire to survive and sustain and to nurture we learn countless skills: we are analytical , thoughtful, empathetic, compassionate, passionate, philosophical, aware of countless issues.

We draw on a range of skills,experiences, cultures. We are endlessly creative. We are endlessly self educating. self critical, self directive We challenge ourselves endlessly, we adapt, we try over and over. That takes courage, it all does,

The creative sector works damn hard at being everything we need to be to survive and you know what, we are pretty talented at all this plus the actual making. We need to be recognised and valued further for our contributions to this world.

for those artists who are more high profile or established artists’ give something back to those who are still climibing the mountain: those of us Campaigning, fighting to make better futures for artists in every way. Use your influence to create change. Dont isolate yourselves. Give back…..be part of something more than yourselves.

So, January is in full swing, I have had my ear operation, got a job with Matt Roberts (more on that later ) and Core Gallery is motoring ahead.

The xmas period was spent putting the final touches on DIY Educate, finalising our exhibition programme and looking at various funding applications as well as working on 2 curatorial projects within the exhibition programme.

DIY Educate is now launched and looks very exciting! A whole host of a-n bloggers are contributing as well which is fantastic and a-n and Artquest are partnering up with us.

So what is it?
DIY Educate is a contemporary evolving education programme run by and for Artists, Curators and Art Professionals to encourage artistic development.
DIY Educate is providing opportunities to learn, share ideas, network, and knowledge, providing impetus to develop your practice.

Basically that which we all need in this wilderness of an art world, plus the stuff that art schools dont always teach you…..We have 5 strands:

Nuts and Bolts Talks/ Workshops: Professional Practice( the nitty gritty of being an artists- tips and toolkits)

Engine ChatChat art crit: Peer Critique

Curators and Artist Talks:

Individual Artists Tutorials with established artists such as Graham Crowley

Discounts on practical workshops such as painting and photography Discounts on the Core Gallery Open Submission

DIY educate is just £18 per year and allows you access to all of these workshops either for free or at a concessionary rate plus more special offers and events to be announced.

You can read a lot more here

http://coregallery.co.uk/diy-educate/

This week sees my first AIR council meeting and 2011 looks set to be ever so thrilling.

Jane boyer and Rob Turner’s debate about paint , education and our own battles has been fascinating to read.

www.a-n.co.uk/p/643588/

Post no 32

I guess how I feel is that when I stop feeling a little scared about painting ,when I stop feeling so mystified and excited about it’s transformative elements,the beauty and ever changing alchemic quality.

When I am no longer fascinated by it’s mellifluous qualities and as longer as I strive to continue to challenge myself to capture it in my own way somehow, to express all that I need it to. When I stop feeling thiese things then I suppose I shall be dead,but painting will not.

thanks both for a very interesting debate.