10 January 25

DIY residency

I've set up my own DIY residency in Chania, Crete, for 5 weeks during Jan-Feb 2025.

Drawing of building opposite.

These are my goals for the DIY residency:

  • Time – a protected uninterrupted block of time to keep my head down and make work
  • More space – Physically, bigger space – I hope to work at a different scale, or with materials I can’t use in the home perhaps?  At home I have a tiny desk, and have to clear away after use …
  • A place where I can leave the work out, and not have to tidy away all the time
  • A change of scenery – taking myself out of my usual setting – inspirational. Putting some distance between me and my usual daily routine to make space for more creative habits.

More  …

  • My art career so far has centred around experimental storytelling – usually social comment & political/ news
  • I make multi layered stories – experimental stories – location based – psychogeography – interactive – digital – random/ chance – generative – diaristic
  • I want to continue this, but less digital, more off line, back to basics
  • Would like to explore character development – short stories (comics?)
  • through drawings, zines, grids
  • Be inspired by the new location – things around me
  • Explore the territory – Chania – the coast, climate, locale, people, culture, history, politics
  • Wild crete – learn & explore
  • Mix this with my own thoughts, story writing, politics and news, comment
  • Aim to take my work to a new level
  • Read a lot, get lots of inspirations
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20 February 25

Clutter exhibition

I’m off to visit the gallery space today, to work out where to put my work. Here’s some info on the show, and also a rough sketch of the sort of thing I’m planning …

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20 February 25

Back home

I finished the grid drawings, packed up, and took a week holiday in Athens.

I feel I’ve had a very productive time in Crete, for the duration of the DIY residency. Looking back I really got into the zone, and focused intensely on my work, which is what I always need to do, otherwise I dont do good work. So this whole period, feeling quite lonely at the start, became a very productive period.

A key aspect was the deadline – I had to get the work done before I left the rental apartment. I had no choice but to get my head down. Deadlines really help!

Coming back home, I hope I can keep some of the same focus, but I somehow doubt it, as I live in a small house full of people! I know I need to find an affordable studio space, but in London this isnt easy.

In Athens we visited Greece’s national museum of contemporary art, EMST https://www.emst.gr/en

Some of the exhibits there made me think about how to display the grid work in the gallery space …

The matrix of paintings have been pinned to the wall – using drawing pins. This works fine for this work, but obscures some of the images. As my works are quite detailed, and often have text, I cant use drawing pins as they will obscure.

The other example I found interesting is pottery nailed to the wall, but the nails just touch the sides of the work, to hold it in place. I think this is probably the way to go.

I thought a lot about the format for the display, and if I should use frames. In the end I decided against, and to mount each drawing on cardboard. I thought this would fit better with the theme of the show, Clutter, which is a scruffy theme, and I expect quite a few of the works will involve a mess. So framed works … I dont think they fit with this.

 

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20 February 25

Finished the drawings

I managed to finish the grid drawings, though didnt quite do as many as I intended. This is how they look together, laid out on a sheet, just to give an idea. I haven’t quite decided the display format yet, but will post some ideas on this.

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08 February 25

Framing thoughts

Am considering these type of frameless clip frames:

https://www.frames.co.uk/ready-made-frame/15/clip-frame

18cm x 24cm

And then fix each frame into place using L pins.

If I present 12 grid drawings – 4 x 3 – then using these frames, placed alongside each other, will take a minimum wall space of:

width: 4 x 18cm =72 cm
height: 3 x 24cm =72 cm

 

 

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08 February 25

Rough assembly

This is what I have so far … another 2 grids to make. I have 3 days left, should be easily doable … famous last words!

But … I am undecided again about how to display the work. As the paper is warped on some off the drawings, I need a way to make them flat. I’m not sure if pinning to a wall, or using magnets is going to work. Then again I’m not sure about framing either … but pressing them down with glass will help them lie flat.

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