Well, that’s interesting – last time I wrote I was complaining that I was not being committed to my practice. Well that phase doesn’t seem to have lasted! I haven’t been able to write my blog because the lovely Bob has been on the computer, finishing his dissertation and revising for his finals. But I have been working.
I spent last week installing a piece in Stroud in the International Textile Festival. I was very stressed about having to drive a tonne of bedsheets down there. And also worried about whether I would have any help. But it all went smoothly and I had a lovely volunteer. I was even promised some money to cover my travel!
The installation looks good, it is in the window of Millets, as part of the Shop Window project. It was tricky to build it because of the limited space, and I had to climb out of the window space, and go through the shop and out into the street to see what I was doing! It attracted a lot of attention – including the photographer from the local paper who saw it as he was passing by and took some photos.
I was pleased that they chose one of my images for the leaflet, because there isn’t much about the project in the main brochure. The director of the festival really liked it and has asked me to talk to her about doing more work with the festival. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
My current project is getting some work ready for a group show that Jackie Wylie is putting on in her studio at the Rogue Open Studio at the beginning of June. I want to make new work based on this idea about the Victorian women’s refuge which I have been playing with since my residency. I’ve done my research and have patterns for victorian underwear. But so far my samples have not really been what I wanted. I’ve decided to make parts of garments and use the map images that I’ve been collecting since I moved into the Cow Lane studio.
Is it foolish to think that I can get something new done for the show? I might be naive, but I’m thinking of it like a university project – we would only have about 6 weeks to produce a piece of work. Well I had 6 weeks notice of this show, so am going to try. If it absolutely doesn’t work, I can put in a sheet installation.
In the meantime – I’m going to Hotbed press on Thursday to learn how to do a photo screenprint from the map images, and will print up some fabric and see what it looks like. I spent yesterday doing pin tucks, and have this idea about breaking up the images by the part construction of the garments. It’s still a bit vague but I’m just going to go for it.
Pride comes before a fall.
I confess to being too smug about my recent discipline in the studio. Today it started to unravel. I could have gone but instead I went charity shopping in Wilmslow! I didn’t even find anything I liked. And I’ve just looked in my diary and realised that I have booked non- art things in for every studio day for the next two weeks. I’m really pissed off with myself. it is too easy to see studio time as flexible time – as opposed to paid work time which I just have to do and nothing gets in the way of that. studio time can get filled up with hairdressers, opticians, meetings… And some of it is art-related, which is fair enough, and are hair appointments and eye appointments not part of life and art is part of life, and something about having this ‘free’ time makes me feel expansive and happy and does that not help the creative process? or am I justifying being flaky and thinking I’m an artist when I’m just floating about and saying I’m an artist instead of making art which is what actually makes me an artist. that’s my biggest danger, thinking rather than doing. I spent 40 years doing that.
And the other thing is that a break makes it so much harder to get started again, and allows such insecurities to creep in. Loss of momentum leads to loss of confidence, which is fatal to creativity.
Oh poo!
I’m so enjoying working in the studio, despite the cold. I’m trying to get into a routine of 2 days there a week. It has been quiet since Mia and I moved in, but yesterday three other artists were there and it felt like more of a community. I’m having a meeting next week to take over responsibility for the website. It will be good to get it up to date.
I had a day researching Victorian underwear at Gawthorpe Hall this week, for the work that I’m developing from my last residency. They have a massive textile collection and the staff are so helpful, but I just didn’t have long enough. I looked at the construction of knickers, chemises and combinations, but I could have done with a day per garment.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-gawthorpeha…
They also told me about a 19th century book called ‘The Workwoman’s Guide’ which has construction details for everything from clothes to curtains. I found a digital version, so I spent yesterday creating some basic patterns and next week I will take in some cotton sheets and start sampling.
I’m thinking about applying for an internship with BlankMedia. I’ve been very impressed with the shows they have curated, and I had a mentoring session with them which was really helpful. I think that I have time at the moment and it would be an opportunity to get more links with the Manchester arts scene. Their exhibition at Nexus Art Cafe is on until 11th April, and their Greenroom exhibition is on until 10th April and both are worth seeing
http://www.blankmediacollective.org/events/
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I had a chance conversation with Mary, from Manchester University. I told her I had a studio at Cow Lane and her eyes lit up. She said she always looks out for Cow Lane when she drives past, as it is the only place in the area where you can see a remnant of the community where her great grandfather lived when he came over from Ireland in the 1840’s.
That’s just a great start for my practice! I spent a bit of time yesterday mooching round the remaining streets – much of the area has been razed to the ground in preparation for new apartment buildings. (though when they will be started is in the lap of the economy!) Then a couple of hours in the local history centre in Salford Art Gallery, looking at maps.
The Casket Works which houses us and Hotbed Press and Suite studios, was built on the site of Grooms Buildings, three rows of particularly cramped back to backs with alleys rather than streets between them, and a shared pump. The new building was a confectionary works in 1910, and it was extended between then and the 40’s, to take in some terraces at the back and three big houses with gardens. Hotbed and Suite are in the original building, and we are in the 2 storey extension
I also crossed Chapel Street to look down at the Irwell, which is so beautiful at that point, opposite the Crescent of Georgian houses. The road at that point is 6 lanes, with pedestrian crossings which take for ever to change, and are so far apart that no-one ever gets the chance to stroll over from the University buildings to see the view. You can always tell how people are treated by how the rivers are treated. In this case, both have been sacrificed to the car.
The Platt Hall Costume Gallery opening was lovely. They counted over 500 people through the doors, and though most people were there to see the newly renovated building and the costumes, and the entrance was pretty crowded most of the afternoon, there was a lot of interest in the installation.
Highlights for me were Susie MacMurray’s new garment ‘Widow’ which is stunning,
http://www.susiemacmurray.co.uk/
and the cases of shoes, just beautiful! If you haven’t been, or haven’t been for a while, it is really worth a visit.
