Ugh, waited in all day for a man to come and fix things up. Rather than between 8 – 1, it was actually 4.30 when they rocked up. As it was – the day was mainly a write off and I’m frustrated. Having trouble sleeping at the moment as I have so much on my plate, probably too much. I did a quick write down of tasks and instead of calming me down, it actually made things seem impossible. Not enough days in the week.
This is all compounded by the fact that I am having various technical difficulties with the work I want to make, i.e. everything I’ve tried to make so far has FAILED. Add in the theatre set that is turning out to be a fire-proofing nightmare. I have already done various trips to pick up and collect cardboard and I feel like burning it all, maybe adding the resin and catalyst to the pile too for extra flames.
Tomorrow morning is for set making. I can only give thanks for the fact that Elizabeth Willow is coming to help me. It can only get better right…..
Have been doing a lot of thinking about skill swapping and passing knowledge on this weekend. Hoping to have a bookbinding day with a couple of friends sometime soon to pass on what I have learned about hardback binding. I shall ask for tea and cake in return.
I have also been drawing really cheesy pictures to go on the poster for the local drama group’s next play. Hope no one ever sees them connected to my name…. but I am glad I can do this kind of thing to help them out!
I feel very lucky at the moment as we artists in A Curriculum are about to start receiving visitors at A Foundation. This week we have Paul Domela from Liverpool Biennial, Bernd Behr (an artist whose work I am very interested in) and Kate MacGarry, owner of Kate MacGarry Gallery in London. The visitors will give a talk in the morning and then do studio visits in the afternoon. I’ve never had a studio visit before and don’t have much idea of what to expect….but I know this is not the time to start talking about my work like it’s a load of crap.
I have noticed a few of us on the residency have a tendency to rubbish what we are doing and sentances are frequently cut short by a ‘or whatever’ or ‘you know, it’s just stuff’ and other throwaway comments. As an experiment I am going to try and approach it like I am cataloguing myself for Intute. My remit there is to be factual and non-emotional about resources. It has taken me a long time to be able to write like that and to emit myself from text (I have obviously not grown out of my egocentric stage of development), and perhaps it’s one way of presenting myself with some vague whiff of confidence or self belief, or whatever, you know, that sorta stuff! *blushes and avoids eye contact*
Monday – and started by waiting in for the postman to deliver materials that didn’t come, rubbish. Was planning to work with those this afternoon in A Foundation, but maybe tomorrow.
Just wanted to flag up this:
http://www.longhouse.uk.com/artist-projects/in-con…
This is an online conversation I am having with Anna Francis as part of her month guest editoring the Longhouse website. There are a few conversations on the go, we are manily talking about activism in the arts and improving working conditions for artists (sound familiar?).
The weekend was fantastic – hardback bookbinding with Lucy May Schofield at Hot Bed Press in Salford. Amazing results and it sorted out a lot of my bad habits.
Last night I went to the pub with me ma and over a few glasses of plonk she manged to help me sort out all sorts of irrational thoughts I have been having about making work at A Curriculum. I have no idea where all the insecurity comes from, but I shall have to ignore it if I want to make anything…
This morning was invoices, phone calls about unpaid invoices and updating accounts. They are behind still. I have made a list, which may help me to prioritise, it may not. Now I am off to Metal at Edge Hill for a meeting about the Liverpool Art Prize exhibition, then A Foundation, then cooking tea for my granny, then home for Glee with sister, bath and bed. What an exciting life!
As I mentioned, A Curriculum started on Monday and it’s been a good week so far. The space we have is ridiculously big (and chilly). I am feeling a bit out of it in some ways.. being local and also the OLDEST!! But there’s no escaping the fact that my experience will be different to the others’. I hope it is too – I want this residency to be a very productive period and also to feed into my studio practice afterwards. I have to find a better balance of making work and taking on other projects!
We all gave presentations about our work yesterday and it was great to see what everyone is up to. Normally I’m not too bothered about speaking in small groups like that, but something was up yesterday! I suppose it always makes you feel a bit vulnerable speaking about your work – I always forget half the stuff I want to say too. When there are no questions either – that seems worse than too many somehow! Anyway, enough reflecting on that – we all find the speaking stuff hard I’m sure..
During A Curriculum I am also making a (cardboard) set for a new comedy/performance production at the Bluecoat in April.It will be a slightly surreal affair and I am planning a lot of pipes that become other objects, a cat/telephone mix was also mentioned last night at out meeting…
I will also be working on a collaboration with Nathan Jones, poet in residence over the last year at the Bluecoat. We will be creating an artists books with one or more of his poems. He has written an especially beautiful one entitled ‘Slow Magic’ about the experience oif gallery spaces and we will concentrate on that.
Right, to my little red van and A Foundation. Ta ra.
‘Kin Hell. I have been shortlisted for the Liverpool Art Prize.. not expecting it and very very pleased.
http://www.liverpoolartprize.com/
I am in very good company indeed (pretty intimidating company actually) so I hold no illusions about winning any money. It will be good to be in the exhibition alongside the other artists though. Also shortlisted are Gina Czarneck, David Jacques, James Quin and Paul Rooney. Gulp.
Started A Curriculum today. It was great to get in there, although those studios are COLD. It’s a bit strange actually as I am in a position I haven’t been before; where I have no desire to explore so I am just ready to get my head down and work. I’m not making work about where I am for once, just work. I quite like it. Going to take my socks off tomorrow and cast my legs. BRRRRRRR.
