Getting paid

When I was in Milan last week I saw a huge demonstration by students against cuts to University budgets. The last time I saw anything like that here was when they brought in fees – at eca we all went and sat in the road at the main traffic lights on Princes Street. It didn’t do any good in the end, but at least it made very visible our opposition to the move.

In Milan the students were being cheered by the passers-by and they were shouting support to the students and joining in the chants. I think most of the public in Edinburgh avoided eye contact to be honest. I saw in Variant magazine that it has also happened in Rome. The public support may be a general feeling of anger towards Berlusconi and an increasing mistrust in the Italian political system, but I can’t imagine students being taken really seriously like that over here. To be honest, the students kind of negated their actions by then going to McDonalds and leaving the Duomo square and the connected streets literally covered (like a blanket) with litter. Support and respect goes two ways and this was kind of rude – just an arrogant gesture of teenagers I suppose, but I felt less inclined to support them afterwards!

If you haven’t seen the news already about the un-capping of tuition fees in England then there are some details here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11510466

Another unbelivable barrier in the way of those from low-income households.

It got me thinking that I have no idea what the best form of protest is, especially as all the save the arts campaigns etc don’t seem to be very far reaching at the moment. The art has been thought provoking and there is a lot of support for it, but I don’t think much of that is from outside the arts. That opinion is only gathered from taking to people I know, so it is a small sample indeed. But it is easy to see that people wouldn’t care too much when everything is being slashed and there are more immediate and personal worries to deal with. I hope it doesn’t get to the stage where people are asking what happened to free museums and all the holiday activities there used to be for kids etc – after it has been cut out of budgets.

Here is the latest great contribution to Save The Arts by Bob and Roberta Smith.

http://artlystlondon.blogspot.com/2010/10/bob-and-…

On a personal note, I had a good conversation with Emma Gregory at the Bluecoat yesterday. She is an artist and the print studio manager, and also like a wise bird. I was asking advice on whether I should take up an offer I’ve had from a gallery, something I feel I should take but my gut says no. I had made my decision already I suppose, but wanted to somone to tell me it was the right one. She pointed out that I was talking about the offer like the owner had asked me on a date – i.e. I was worried about turning him down and upsetting him, and ultimately I was flattered by his interest and didn’t want to disappoint.

Correct. It appears I am completely transparent.

I really have to stop seeing things through a personal lens and to disconnect feelings and personal relationships from making the correct decision for the long term. It would be easier to say yes now, but it would be very hard to make it work over time. MUST REMEMBER! Any ideas how anyone?

I just found out that I didn’t get the residency in Japan I applied for – the one I wanted so much it made me sick. Funny thing is, I’m actually quite relieved and I realised that I really just want to concentrate working at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I didn’t know that before so that was a surprise. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to go and work in Japan again, but I’m sure it will happen at another point in my life. Instead, Dan and I shall be going for a holiday instead, which will allow more time for stationery shopping. I guess part of my relief is just that I know what I’m doing for the next six months – wherever I’m spending it! This also means that I can definately be on the panel for a seminar in New York at the end of January. This is not a bad thing by any means!

I also just commented on Susan Francis’ blog, on the subject of open exhibition fees – because I just applied for one and paid £10 for the privilage. I feel a bit dirty and a bit of a hypocrite to be honest; perhaps I should be heeding my own advice. But, then, it’s usually a good exhibition and I wouldn’t mind being in it, but should I have paid to enter? I suspect not….Oh well, it’s too late now – I shall just have to see what they decide and take it from there. If I do get in, it may also be a good chance to ask them how they can justify charging a fee in the first place!

Tiny space blog:

I have just got back from doing the Showreel project in Milan and it has given me much to think about.

http://www.showreelproject.com/

Aside from the joy of amazing food and sunshine, the whole experience was a pleasure. The curator, Paola Caravati, has worked on Showreel for at least 18 months alongside her job at Francesca Minini Gallery in Milan. I was the last artist to exhibit out of five, the first four being Teresa Gillespie, Alice Channer, Sinta Werner and Adam Thompson. The work was displayed in a tiny shop window, with a photographer’s studio across the street used as an area to display a slideshow of works along with copies of a commissioned interview and in my case, some artists books.

My interview with curator Ciara Ennis:

http://www.moussemagazine.it/extraContents.mm

http://ciaraennis.com/

This interview was done via email as Ciara is based in L.A. and I really enojyed the whole process. She asked some difficult questions that I don’t normally have to deal with, so I appreciated the chance to get into some issues in my work.

It may have been the way I was treated in Milan, the fact that all the costs were covered, or just the long conversation involved in realising the project that made it such a valuable experience. Paola’s approach was to use the event as an introduction to the artist (rather than a straightforward exhibition), so the opening was mainly peopled by curators and gallery owners. Interestingly there was no alcohol and it was still a busy and engaged evening!

The space used was the window of a workshop in the Isola area of the city (an equivalent to Soho or something I guess), where incredibly intricate baroque parchment roses were made:

http://www.parchmentroses.com/en_catalog.htm

The owner, Elena, lived and worked in the space, with this incredibly economic use of space, but also with everything she could need. Her handmade tools and workspace were really inspiring and I am very glad I could see inside it.

The walls in her workshop (the front room that faced onto the street) were clad in marble. A lot of things in Italy are, given that it’s a local material. But this got me thinking about the quality of things, and how investing in better materials often makes more economic sense. Same with the exhibitions, and in retrospect I can see it was far more worthwhile taking so long to make a piece for a space not much bigger than a square metre than many other projects I have done recently. I still haven’t got to the point where I am saying no to things that I know in my gut are probably best avoided. I think this basically boils down to vanity, or insecurity, I’m not sure which, but it is to do with being flattered that people are interested in my work.

Already I have had an email from another curator I met in Milan, about taking part in an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lausanne in December so I am excited to see how this develops. But generally, I am thankful to Paola for making me so welcome and all her hard work on the project. This is also proof that an Axis profile can bring good things, as this is where Paola came across my work.

Watching the BBC Four series on Mathematics last night got me thinking. There was a piece about Henri Poincaré, who shaped his working day to consist of two hours in the morning and two hours in the early evening. The time inbetween was for walking and letting his subconscious roam freely. He is quoted as saying “it is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover”.

http://www.storyofmathematics.com/19th_poincare.ht…

The result generally, he thought, was sparks of inspiration and better efficiency. Like the two hour lunches in Italy or siestas in lots of Europe (I know it’s not hot enough here) this makes total sense to me. In my life, it’s more like the hours part of his idea is substituted for weeks, but there is the same effect.

Have been trying to follow the Lib Dem conference a bit since yesterday – it worries me that Nick Clegg seems to be becoming a bit of a scapegoat, when actually it is Conservative policies to blame. Watching ‘This is England 86’ also makes me think just how shit the 80s were for loads of people, and I certainly remember a lot of tension and worries over money at home while my Dad struggled with his own business.

People losing jobs as part of the cuts doesn’t make much sense to me when they will then have to go a claim benefits/housing and be more of a drain. I guess cuts to benefits will come just in time to lessen that damage. The cuts feel very focussed on the middle and working class and are missing out a massive point of revenue from the very rich – something that the tories are unlikely to touch I know. Whether the deficit is cleared by 2015 or not, it doesn’t feel like the government are thinking about what’s best for the long term.

Urgh, anyway, sorry about that political aside!

I have finally got a skeleton website up for Cardboard Folly. I’m finding it very hard to put together a journal like this as I keep seeing great work that should be in it. However, time is limited, my resources are certainly finite so I shall have to stop asking people and leave it until issue #2 next year. I think it will be interesting to spread the contributions out next year so I am only working with one or two artists at a time and it develops in a more relaxed and fluid way. The theme for issue #2 is Holes so I already have some people in mind. There I go again, getting carried away with future things before present things!

It is without logo or too much information at the moment, but that is partly what I will be working on next week in the Cooperative space:

http://cardboardfolly.co.uk/

Also, egg number one is hatched! (see pic). This is the simplest by far so the others are way more likely to get broken or not cast well, but when my rubber moulds actually dry (tip – use accelerator) we shall see..

Well, the holiday is gone and I am pretty sure I need to go somewhere a bit warmer next year, a place where swimming in the sea is not painful. Fingers are crossed for some sun in Milan! Still, I read 6 whole novels, spent a lot of quality time with my adorable 4 month-old niece and climbed some hills. The fresh air was much needed.

Now I am back and I am working on my eggitechture casts and press material for Milan for the next couple of days. My week in the Coop starts on Wednesday, so I am also getting prepared for that and figuring out all the content for Cardboard Folly. I am seriously impressed with the stuff coming in, some really great writing from Rich White and Gordon Shrigley and the visual content is shaping up to be just as interesting and diverse. I’ve invited various people to come in and work with me and am looking forward to a rich and varied week! Some of my first visitors will be Piccadilly Projects, who also have a blog on here:

www.a-n.co.uk/p/650261

http://www.thecooperative.info/

The website should be doing a little something by tomorrow, just making a background tile from a lovely brick pattern from the inside of an envelope today.

In money news, this discussion might offer up some interesting ideas on the FUTURE… maybe

Public Art Private Money:

http://www.ica.org.uk/25719/Talks/Public-Art-Priva…

Below is a teeny animation I made during the week I worked at PSL in Leeds last month. I need a) sturdier tripod to stop the jumping and b) to watch the focus more closely! Still, it was great to complete and I have a better idea about how I would do it next time!

Drawing Shed at PSL August 2010