so – back to the private view….in London for a private view last night. Walking from Liverpool Street towards Brick Lane two scurrying men, heads down came towards me. As I veered round them I suddenly clocked in. Gilbert and George. On their way to supper as they do every evening. Breakfast and supper, same place every day.
In the dusk, with the tall Hugenot houses both sides of the street they appeared positively Victorian, but then the whole area still carries the ‘Jack the Ripper’ vibe. Side streets that were they to be candlelit would put you back there in minutes. Look twice and you can see the ghostly horse and carriage waiting patiently outside the door.
Siamese twins by choice..a life lived as art, as performance, as incredibly public and as incredibly private too.Their art a ‘love letter to the world,’ their chosen costumes suddenly fashionable, their art still muscular and political, and yet their avowed right wing leanings……
Self and art.
I have been thinking a lot about both this week. I enroll on my course this afternoon.
Self cofidence in me is ok. Age helps.
In my art it is still problemmatical. I have been interrogating myself as to why I haven’t been working outside of this years projects.
I am now asking myself the question why do I think I have to?
and that’s new…
Hmm… came to write and found I’d forgotten to post this –
No PV at the National Trust but we had a ‘Meet the Artist Day.’ As visitors requiring tickets to the main house had to pas our way it was pretty busy.
On the way home I was thinking idly of the difference between a Private View and Saturday’s meet and greet.
I love chatting to people and the challenge of explaining my work. I find the whole enterprise relaxing and enjoyable. People approach my installation work with an honesty and questioning stance I find utterly disarming. Even the ‘I’m afraid I don’t understand anything like that’ conversation as they turn to make off can become one of the best of the afternoon……such visitors are usually happy to tell you exactly what they think, so giving you plenty to talk about in return. And a genuine crit into the bargain.
On this occasion the project was well signed but I still think visitors would have found it easier to have taken a sheet of paper with them. They would have stayed the course and visited all the works I think.
I know its not curatorially classy, clean and tidy but personally I make my work in the hope it will have a dialogue with people other than myself, so maybe we as artits need to be more willing to help non artists get a foothold on what its all about….
Anyway – the Private View. Either you know everyone and its a great chat fest and you have to go back again to see the work properly or you know no one and have to steel yourself talk to people.
Then there is always the who was there, the quiet boastful chat about great funding or opportunities bound to make you feel hopelessly inferior, the academic who gets it and you really don’t, the gallery owner/arts officer that they all know and you don’t but no one feels inclined to introduce you to, and then there is the lovely artist you meet for the fist time and end up working with for six months…
So there I was in the car still wearing my green National Trust Artist badge – such things make me feel like a real one……………
