Four for Mutuality

JULIET- GSA Mutual crawled in to a hole over Christmas to eat and sleep, underground its great, fluffy body swelled and got stronger and as the old year expired The Mutual, Glasgow emerged into the light a bigger, better beast for 2010!

Formed in fear to thwart a promised pessimistic future GSA Mutual had a good run in 2009, a summer of exhibitions an autumn of events sustaining a community of young artists. But after speaking at the Artist’s DIY soapbox at the Collective Gallery Edinburgh, the Mutuals took themselves back to their houses and started to work on Mr. Mutual’s internals.

As we have gone along our interest in our idealistic idea only continues to grow. But becoming more confident and ambitious we thought we would ditch the GSA bit. The time has come, we thought to throw of the apron strings of the august institution that drew us all together and spat us out in to the world. So will lay GSA Mutual down to rest and leap up again as The Mutual, no longer framing ourselves as an organisation of recent graduates but as a collective of early career artists, with a portfolio of exciting projects planned for the New Year.

As time has gone on our organisation had grown bigger to encompass musicians and DJs, writers and filmmakers, all of whom have played a great part in past Mutual event and continue to make our exhibitions and events multi disciplinary affairs.

The Mutual is now open to new members, so if you’re an early career artist, or a DJ, musician, writer or filmmaker based in Glasgow for that matter, email [email protected] for more information. We would love to have you.

The next blog post will be about the breathtakingly exciting plans we have for 2010, grrrr!

Carrie –

How can it be November already…the summer has flown by, and I think that has alot to do with how busy The Mutual has been keeping me.

After Brigadoon in September, we presented a fundraiser at SWG3 with LuckyMe Dj’s and Hudson Mohawke. A brilliant night and a real learning curve for us as we’re getting relativly savvy at exhibtions but this kind of event was a whole other kettle of fish!

Undettered we’re linking up this weekend with Central Station to present ‘Sunday School’ to celebrate their launch and an excuse for us to have a right old knees up with an evening of vintage records, genteel games, quizes and fine ale at The State.

As Juliet pointed out to me that means we’ve had a Mutual event every month since graduation…so much for post-graduation malaise!

‘Sunday School’ takes place this Sunday 15th November from 5 PM at the State Bar, Holland Street, Glasgow.

CARRIE –

Well it’s almost a week now since we opened our final show at the Southside, ‘Brigadoon’.

It’s been a summer of intense energy and we’re still reeling from the extreme highs and lows that go along with the total immersion in a project. But we grumble not!

The achievements of all the participating Mutual artists this summer is astounding, made all the more poignant as the students return to art school, we realise, we were doing the same only 12 months ago.

If you missed the opening last weekend, we will opening the doors of the Southside once more tomorrow, Saturday 26th, between 12 and 5.

Do pop along if you can, the 44A or the 66 gets you to Victoria road at Bowman Street. The show really is worth the trip over the river, and we’ll throw in a cup of tea and a biscuit for that extra incentive…

CARRIE –

Visual and historical collage has never been more prevalent within all realms of contemporary existence. A fairly obvious observation, but one that has caught the attention of many in our merry band of artists in the GSA Mutual. So much so we dedicated our second show Jack Move to cutting up, copying and pasting.

Indeed, within our own hotchpotch ranks demonstrate a plethora of diverse origins, ambitions, and characters. Some of us share commonalities, but we are all united by only one factor; we are making Art in Glasgow. We are striving and surviving together.

It was our realisation of this union that brought us to The Mutual. How then could we articulate this camaraderie to the world beyond ours? Our language and ideals are romantic, and naive, drawn to the heroic and chivalrous, a crest seemed a natural expression of our identity.

Never ones to opt for the easy route, digital technology was never shunned, just not considered necessary. Images, patterns and motifs were ripped out of books and magazines, photocopied, traced and glued.

Each one carefully considered, its relevance and meaning of the highest importance; holding distant ideas that the crest and The Mutual may continue long after us in our moment. Without the historical lineage of the oldest houses, our crest is born in this moment. Yet its imagery delves into our understanding of the past we bear. The Lions hold the long plait of GSA alumni Margaret Macdonald. ‘Our understanding’ as the plait indeed may not be an accurate memory of GSA’s past.

These feroucious Lions hint at the future we are fighting for, supporting the shield with our present, the Saltire of Scotland and the linked rings of St Mungo’s Glasgow. Support is fundamental; it is the hands of co-dependency and co-operation that crown our crest. We need each other, sticking together our skills and prowess for the mutual benefit of all.