Finding an identity as a solo artist, among other things. R&D project 08-09. Esc

The Door- an update.

So I’m learning a lot fast, about how to deal with chippies!

New quote: £327 without VAT with materials.

Better, but still a little above budget.

Im brave and re negotiate- I share my budget (he’s nearly family…see below) …£200 all inclusive, thats the max, even if it becomes a bigger job, something goes wrong, thats all Ive got. I need a witness here, there’s whiskey on the go, I wanted it in writing but thought that was taking it to far…

What I learnt:

•Remember that it is important to get a price before thinking it will definately happen and that you will go ahead with it what ever the cost.

•Never tell your budget

•I want to receive a quote, they want to give an estimate

•Get several quotes, look at the difference go for the middle one. Never go for the lowest.

•Read the small print and challange the wording if necessary

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I have decided on a new sign-

Tokyo: 5988 miles>

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Ideas- update:

•Video footage of Hertford/London/Sandon with a focus on Roads.

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Commentary:

Some things take a longer time to make than you expect.

When I think of an idea I fail to spend any time thinking about the practicality of making, time, and costs.

What appears to be small is actually quite large.

What appears to be quick is actually quite long.

There’s more work to it than I thought.

It all costs something that has not been costed.

Will it all get stolen?

or worse vandalized and left there, only half of it, hanging by its corner, split, broken, swinging in the wind, up side down, soggy, wet and ugly?

Day 2:

Quote for door came back as £375 + VAT. More than I was expecting and showing no signs of charity.

Rethink- Toms Dad! He would do it for half the price- A better option also as I will be able to get more involved (hopefully), just worried about his motivation- Im going to have to do some monitoring, which is slightly uncomfortable. Apparently the key is to give a deadline!

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White gloss paint, unforgivingly is never as you imagine it to be on a surface. How does it do that- manage to erase its presents from your memory- only for you to make the same errors with it.

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No action on farm today- no deliveries, no farm workers, no traffic, no dogs.

The rains not good for the harvest. Corn gets flattened, delay in harvesting, delay in harvest being over.

(Saw the farmer’s son in Tesco last night, failed to see his purchases).

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No kids in village

Only event- a royal mail van had boken down, flat tyre by the look of things.

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Decided on the shape for the flowers- developed from some mapping exercises.

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Decided on date for sharing of work with villagers- been negotiating the village hall.

Thursday 28th and Friday 29th.

Sandon: Day 1

Rules

•Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

•It is now costing us to have waste removed. Take your rubbish home with you.

•Recycle as much waste as possible.

•The council now gives permission for this land to be entered on foot for recreation only, but this permission may be withdrawn at any time.

•No cycling.

•Danger fragile roof, use crawling boards.

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Matt- not sure how we will hang it. (In response to me asking him if he would make me a door for the telephone box.

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Goose- 5 kids were not scared, they said it had bit their dogs bum, but that their mate hit it with a tennis racket and now it doesn’t come near them. They had bread too.

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0-touching

10- more than five meters

Contact with telephone box 20/07/09= 0

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Fertilizer came in 3 lorry loads. White against royal blue. Feminine somehow. Small white grains, dust, movement, repetition, maneuver, backwards and forwards, collaboratively, instruction, signal, up, down, swinging, elevated, ordered, large, hard and soft, labeled, noisy, action, event.

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Sandon is split between two ordinate survey maps. 553 and 554. you have two buy two to get the full picture!

After a really good and productive experience in Gower, in residence with Jenny I return to normality for a while, well for a week anyhow.

Whats been different;

I have developed a love of horses- found a male that I don’t have the upper hand over (-Darbs, an flea bitten grey horse!), miss spending day after day scouring uneven terrain in all weathers, have discovered new ways to use a blog creatively, have discovered a new confidence with text/words in performance, have found some new ways to introduce new materials into the performance work such as collage, video and drawing and have had to re adjust to viewing the world at an eye level of 5.5ft rather than 6.2ft.

With such a rich experience, excellent use of a blog ([email protected]) and new and fresh working methods I have decided to embark on another residency process. Only this time at my studio in Sandon to crack on with the much talked about ‘Sandon work’ which makes up most of the creative processes proposed in my Escalator project. I will be living out of my flat for a week, and working in my studio and in and around the village of Sandon.

The time away has given me much clarity on this work and allowed for editing and conclusion with many of the ideas I have been juggling with.

Current ideas stand at:

• 4 acts around village:-

1. Telephone box- paint, attach new door, film- youth, graffiti, social change. (Film and photo post and pre action).

2. Mend village road sign- create new signs, introduce colour.

3. Plant flowers, create shape based on “you have to go away before you can come back”. Horse shoe, curvaceous shape of sorts. To go on village green.

4. Re-design youth club poster.

• Cut grass on village green – 1 day durational project.

• Road surfaces- London- Hertford-Sandon- corn, strawberries, salt, sugar- staining.

• Presentation event in Village hall late August.