Getting paid

PART FIVE:

Olivia Plender:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/oct/29…

Olivia Plender’s talk was difficult. I really liked a lot of what she was saying, (and I really like her work), but she seemed to speak at the audience rather than to them, plus she sat and was so completely obscured by plinth. No break between either so I was bad-tempered and my kidneys were complaining loudly.

Her talk mentioned Becks Futures, for which she was nominated in 2006. She talked of the difficult situation it put her in due to the skewed power balance between artist and museum. This was something she returned to a few times and it was interesting to think about how stuck we are in this ‘asymmetric’ (Olivia’s description) system and at the mercy of the big galleries. The often used satire in her work was very evident in the work at Becks (she showed us a page) with a very funny look at the business executives discussing how art would make them appear super liberal.She also spoke very eloquently of the changing business model and the fact that museums are still trying to fit into this shift from 'archaic notions to knowledge arenas', oh except that artists are still not getting paid within that system.

As well as her work (including watching a bit of Monitor-Private View -great stuff), Olivia also talked about working conditions, pay and art in general. The following is a quote –

“ How can artists collaborate to argue for better pay, look after our needs and not end up individualised with no power or say in this industry we work in?”

As is clear by the title of this blog, I am totally onboard with Olivia! But I really wanted her to say more about ways this could be done or hear how she did this. It really made me think though – am I just asking questions too? Am I actually doing anything helpful? I suppose asking questions is the first step – recognising that we all have a problem if you will! To have an artist of significant reputation saying these things is potentially a powerful thing though. It does seem that in addition to numbers, a well-known name behind a campaign could help?

tbc..

PART FOUR:

Sans Facon: http://www.sansfacon.co.uk/

Firstly it struck me what an incredibly strong combination an artist and architect is, especially in terms of large-scale ambitious public art. But it became clear during their talk that they weren’t just trading on that strength, they actually had a very measured and considered approach to everything they do.

Firstly, they mentioned applying for things like a pair of crazies when they first set out (I think about 10 application a month were mentioned). Their approach is to try and find ways to ensure their practice: looking for opportunities that will serve as ways to fund/realise/initiate work. There were many words used such as squeezing, stretching used in the context of squeezing your practice into all avenues.

I think this is an approach that I (and many other I’m sure) can learn from. Instead of dismissing opportunities and not applying because of the overwhelming restrictions/demands, try to see how the opportunity can be used /altered/improved to fit your approach. I suppose for some things this is similar to taking a brief and re-writing it for an artist. This is shifting the commission to fit your practice rather than trying to fit in with the brief (I personally think this is quite transparent and can be a waste for everyone involved).

They had been fortunate to work on projects in places before regeneration rather than as cake icing. They also stressed their disagreement with this: artists being used as decoration; being brought in at the end of a project to tick a box or add frills.

Another important thing I took from their talk was NEGOTIATION!! Don’t take everything as read, be straightforward about what you would like and try to be involved in projects from the start. They said this made projects more difficult to achieve/carry but ultimately made them richer. In one project Sans Facon actually got to pick their own team to work with – a rare event I’m guessing, but, see, it is possible…

They also mentioned that once they had done one project that involved a professionally printed publication at the end, it was much easier to inspire confidence and secure other projects/commissions in the future.

So in summary, work very hard, persevere, be creative and question your working conditions and find ways to ensure your practice.

PART THREE:

So, onto the speakers, first up – Linder Sterling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linder_Sterling

A really interesting talk and lots of great imagery. Her talk was a retrospective look at her career, considering how she has developed. Extremely briefly (and not doing the talk justice, it went something like this: Art school, Manchester, late 60’s, friends in bands, Factory Records, Buzzcocks, Morrissey

Hers seems like a very specific trajectory that could not be replicated in another place or time, or indeed by anyone else at all.

One thing she did say was that it was particularly difficult to get work out there when she was at/left college, including not being able to photocopy her work (deemed pornographic by the shop owner with the one photocopier in the area). I suppose the same problem of getting work seen still exists now but due to the sheer amount and ease of dissemination via the internet and self-publishing.

Linder seemed very grounded and recognised the uniqueness of her situation. She stressed the importance of ‘allowing history its anxiety’, which I really liked. She was talking about the fact that it becomes seamless and problem free when you talk retrospectively, and that to the listener it can appear like there were no gaps; no hardship. She stressed a few times the poverty of the North at the time and the struggle of making ends meet while working/living in her bedroom.I thought of all the times I have felt a bit deflated after an impossibly smooth artists' talk, it's good to know it isn't really like that!

Linder also said that it has been her collaborations with the music and fashion industry that have created the biggest opportunities.

Lastly I’ll just mention Linder’s theory about all the little worlds that co-exist, knowing about each other but actually being insular at the same time: the art world, fashion world, music world, of which she thought art was the most conservative.

PART TWO:

.. Anyway, after a quick flit round the newly-refurbished building we had some spiel from Neil, who is the creative industries coordinator (not sure if that title is spot on) at the Storey Institute. I hope the mix of business and art works here – I don’t know if I was very convinced by him, I heard a lot of ambition and lofty aspirations without him actually saying how anything would happen. But, in two minutes that may be a harsh judgement.

I was in the midst of a kidney infection and really struggled to sit still in my seat for the whole time to be honest. There was one point in the afternoon when I felt like I was going to have to leave/cry/plonk myself on the floor, but somehow I managed to get through to tea break. I also knew when in my discussion group that once I had tried to speak once, I shouldn’t try it again! Some garbled sentences came out – everyone politely nodded but I’m not sure it actually made much sense. I really wanted to tell Sans Facon what I thought about their practice, so it was frustrating, but never mind, it’s great to just listen and think sometimes!

More after work later on the individual speakers and the general usefulness of the event – this may be an epic post!

PART ONE:

This is a report on Fly Eric #2 at Storey Gallery, Lancaster, which I attended with a travel bursary courtesy of LAN (Lancashire Artists Network). http://www.lanarts.com/

Fly Eric is a developmental network of artist focused organisations in the North West of England, led by Art Gene, Castlefield Gallery and Storey Gallery. Its mission is to support visual artists to infiltrate, inhabit and contribute to society.

Fly Eric Symposia series – Changing perceptions of what artists can do
NO. 2: Expanding possibilities for artists’ professional practice and opportunities for artists in the creative industries.

Chair: Mitra Memarzia, Speakers: Linder Sterling, Sans Facon and Olivia Plender

The event last Saturday opened with an introduction to Storey Gallery by the director John Angus, he was one of the artists who set the Storey up and his love for the place was evident. I also appreciated seeing the little things like the new hidden door to let the big artworks in. It seems that small things like the way the door opened on its hinges could spark whole projects for me.

The event was chaired by Mitra Memarzia, an artist and generally multi-skilled individual (also an AIR advisor and on the board of directors for a-n). She seemed pretty formidable and I had to wonder how she had squeezed it all in! She made for an insightful and relaxed chair, wrapping things up before they went stagnant and asking some interesting questions. I enjoyed her presentation on her own work too, in fact, that might have been one of the most relevant parts of the day (in relation to the title of the symposium) as it was evident that she worked within different spheres, with many organisations and that there were many different avenues her work explored. I did mean to try and have a quick chat at some point, but my feeble state coupled with the fact that she was constantly occupied meant that didn’t happen. http://www.memarzia.org/mitra/