Mashedpotatoblog:
Oh dear, all this moving, returning, catching up has rendered my brain a smallish lump of mashed potato.
I am so behind with correspondance and admin but the biggest problem has to be getting back into the pace I was working at before, everything just slowed so much in Linz that I can’t quite find it again..
I have been paid by YSP though, was all quite quick once I piped up complaining. It doesn’t help that I have to contact a lot of teachers for this project, and although I started that in July, I still haven’t heard back from my first two schools… arrgh. Lesson: teachers do not do email (on the whole).
Going to London on Saturday to a seminar called ‘Making a Living’ so have been thinking about alternative ways to make money… really looking forward to this discussion as it seems to take a more practical and proactive approach: looking for solutions and models rather than talking about the problems. We shall see!!! I also owe a-n a massive thanks as they have bought my train tickets. Hopefully I’ll have an hour or two to check out the Whitechapel Artist’s Book Fair too!!
Then, my lovely husband has booked us a week to Greece leaving on Sunday, which he desperately needs after a four month stretch of 12 hour + days on Lego Rock Band. They aren’t allowed to take any holidays during projects like this (always over the summer as the games have to be ready for Christmas sales) and it always feels really unfair. He looks like a zombie and I feel like we haven’t spent any time together for ages and ages. I’m not sure I need this right now, but he really does and of course, why would I turn down a relaxing holiday in a teeny little village of peace. I have been enjoying being back though and this holiday takes me away until the day before my first school date with YSP… I guess I shall just have to get on with it! Gulp.
Email from Sean at g39 yesterday asking me to speak about artists’ blogs at this:
www.mayyouliveininterestingtimes.org.uk
which looks great. Don’t think I’ve ever been to Cardiff… oh maybe when I was very small, but I don’t remember anything about it. Speaking fear looms, but it is long enough away to forget for now. School fear first and then speaking fear, one fear at a time. But before all that, sea and souvlaki.
oh dear, my arrival in the UK last night was not entirely successful, I managed to sprain my wrist quite badly wrestling with my suitcase (stupid excess baggage charge too) and am in lots of pain today. Typing very slow and irritating and no other usage. Right hand too – bloody typical. Someone come and airlift me back to Linz please!!
Arrived back to the flat today to find no cheque from the trust for the YSP bursary.. how depressing. The contract says £4,000 on 1st September and I even emailed a little reminder at the end of August. Is there any point when you can rely on punctual payments? Anyone? I’ve been putting a lot of prep in and collecting materials for weeks so I just want everyone’s end of the bargain upheld, but perhaps it’s lost in the post somewhere..
Our car is pretty much dead (extra bonus of a flat tyre within a mile of my husband picking my up at the station last night) and MOT is due very soon. Perhaps it was naive of me, but I had counted on this big amount of money to pay for that – especially as a car is essential to the project. I can’t get to the depths of Wakefield without it. If a contract states payment on 1st and you still haven’t been paid by the first day of work on the 22nd (I’ve already done lots of work actually), what do you do? Have faith? Stay at home refusing to go? Moan on your blog (some themes reoccuring here!)? Hmm, probably go and have faith, but without Sat Nav or video camera to help the project along (definitely not putting those things on my credit card!).
At least my Ma-in-law dropped me off at the flat with a bag of mini reese’s peanut butter cups as a pressie from NY. These should speed recovery and improve mood… grumble grumble grumble…….
LastLinzblog:
Well, I leave today, so the blog should get back to normal business quite soon – no more of this Austrian stuff. I’m quite surprised when I look back, at how much work I made, and I’m excited that I can come back and finish the book and just well, come back to be honest! I’ll miss the place and people, and apart from the money stress, this has been a great summer.
Yesterday was the very last thing I needed to do – taking ‘Inhabitant’ into Linz: the exchange project does have the title of Urban Interventions after all. I had been putting it off because I was a) scared of doing it, b) unwilling to be too cold or wet (fairweather artist) and c) waiting for photographers to be free.
As it turns out, it was really hard work and after about two minutes the thing was incredibly heavy. It was a nice day too so I was a hot ruffled mess by the time I got back. I couldn’t really see either and was just walking blindly until someone shouted stop or CAR! But, I could hear lots of reacting and I was having a good old laugh on my own in there too. My arms are quite sore today, but I expect it was great exercise for the wings.
So yes, some of the hundreds of images the guys took attached… perhaps another book…
So big thanks to Jens Sundheim and Mehmet Dere for documenting too.. very much appreciated.
http://www.jens-sundheim.de/
Yesterday Holger took me up North a bit to visit the artist Robert Mittringer in his studio in Epferding. This was such a pleasure and he and his wife were so sweet and generous. I left after 4 hours there, a bit squiffy after some prosecco and also armed with books – one signed with a drawing especially for me! Loved going through his drawings and limited edition bookworks, also his archiving is pretty amazing too; special cupboards full of wrapped, labelled works.
The bits of Roberts work that I like best are his cardboard sculptures, and this was why I wanted to meet him, seemed like we had something in common. A couple of people who saw my work here also mentioned a link between us, so I thought I’d better follow it up.. Images attached of his incredible studio and some works, also the little cellar under the house.
I am invited back to stay with them next time I come to Linz and he also said I am welcome to work in his studio if I stay! I was pretty chuffed that he liked my work too and had the pages of my website printed out with notes on. I hope I am always so open to meeting people and generous with my time.
Last night (at about ten pm) I managed to pin down Katharina for her interview. I should stop saying interview I think, they are more like conversations.
Anyway, it was good, very interesting and I was glad we got it done as I leave Linz in two days! She is incredibly busy, and at 26 and still studying she is doing remarkably well with a gallery and platform space representing her in Vienna. It was inspiring stuff indeed and it was the kind of conversation that made me reconsider some of my own opinions.
This richness that comes out in a conversation with someone you have got to know quite well is such a different thing to the online questions I have also sent out. I’m not sure those are actually much use anymore, they are interesting, but perhaps there is not a broad enough sample to make it truly useful.
