Getting paid

Randomblog:

I always like seeing the curated selections on Axis (well done Rachel!), especially thinking about the links that other people make between artists and their work. Same goes for the MA stars and artists of the month selections – it makes me look at people’s work that I wouldn’t otherwise find. However, recently the artist of the month has confused me – it always seems to be people who join just because they have been selected.. seems to miss the point a bit..shouldn’t selectors be choosing people who are already in the database rather than inviting people? Maybe it doesn’t matter, who knows? MA Stars is different, they are artists who probably haven’t joined yet anyway… but, anyway; a random thought for a random Monday morning.

Also – have been really liking Emilia Telese’s tweets of late – this morning:

it’s staggering to see how many artists make themselves fit into the mold of the selfish, tortured soul, advocating their own uselessness

earlier:

Artists change the world and are valuable to people’s lives

Yes! quite. I suspect she is about as good a model of professionalism as you will find in these here art-woods. Interesting podcast with her here:

http://www.digitalmediacentre.org/podcast.html

Linzblog:

Looking afresh at the exhibition space with the other artists and seeing it as a challenge – how to show the many possibilities of exhibiting within the same space – how not to use awful plastic screens! Less complaining about how bad it is and more conviction to make the best of it! I felt excited and am bouncing round my studio a bit today.

Linzblog: I’ve seen two amazing things this weekend and feel very lucky to be here.. Soap & Skin at the Cathedral on Sat night; a 19 year old Austrian girl who was just incredible and who I now have a huge crush on. Tonight, Willi Dorner’s Above, Under, Inbetween. Not only does this sound like a title I would give my work, it also involves using furniture and found things in a really clever playful way, so I was very keen to see it. Beautiful stuff that built up to a frantic end with furniture and the dancer’s bodies being used like the mouse trap game contraption and dominoes. I feel energised. I have also been exploring the building while staff are off and someone left the lift unlocked!! Uh oh.. this meant I could go into the attic – beautiful space, which we really need to use for the next exhibition.. now just to convince Holger.. hm.

Paidblog: A conversation in the pub last night highlighted for me something I never do much of -planning! One of the artists here, a photographer, often works with his girlfriend on jobs. He was saying how they have to be really honest about what they are doing/plan to do and also how they are going to achieve X,Y and Z (making money, getting better and building a rep I guess). I thought, hmm wait a minute.. I can’t remember the last time I had a conversation with myself about where I want to be and what I want to be doing in (number) months/years time. I tried to make a career plan quite recently, but wasn’t taking it – or myself – very seriously.

My head is full of these ideas and plans, but they are all shrouded in a (nice) grey mist and I can’t quite get a handle on any of it. Hence the panic when I arrived here I suppose. There is also the issue of being honest with yourself about what you are achieving..I always have a feeling with future things that they are mostly out of my control and the directions I take end up being decided by other people according to the opportunities I am offered. I’d like to change that a bit and I have already noticed that being booked for YSP from Sep – July has meant I have said no to things. Felt awful and like I was missing out at the time, but on reflection, they weren’t exactly right for my work and it was very good not to overload myself. I suppose I must have known they weren’t right otherwise I probably would have found a way to do them.

I also divulged all my insecurities to him, along with all feelings of intimidation I often experience and all cracks present in my being basically. It was good; he admitted to some similar feelings (not so many), but after that I felt less bothered: there’s not much left to hide!

Apologies if this becomes part Linzblog, part paidblog for a while – it all seems to seep through somehow!

On my quest to find independent artists groups: I found one! Just by accident and some word of mouth asking.. There is a big group of artists who live in an old industrial building by the docks areas. It’s really interesting round that area, very much like Liverpool’s old industrial bits, and although I haven’t been inside the house I plan to make a visit soon.

Comparing Liverpool & Linz, it occurred to me how much grass roots level organisations in the UK try hard to professionalise themselves and in some ways, imitate the larger institutions. Not everyone, but certainly a good amount. This trend of becoming so comercially adept (largely I think, a vital strategy to secure ever more elusive funding) seems to have spread and the number of sleek indie spaces across the UK has grown (and become easier to find due to the awesome power of the internet). This is good, especially if it creates strong networks/communities in local art scenes, as well as providing easier and more visible links to other places. However, how much of this is a fairly hollow process? How many artists and groups are just going through the motions to create something that looks good on the outside, but actually is just based on other people’s projects? Doing what they think they SHOULD be doing, not something they have really thought through.

In Linz it feels like the pendulum swings a bit too far in the other direction – artists getting on in secret and not engaging with the larger art scene as much. It seems that the kind of activity I am used to seeing from young or less established artists, like exhibitions in empty spaces, or groups setting up, is more the preserve of students here. This goes some way to explaining why it is quiet in the summer.

After getting away from the organising, I have been having conversations with a couple of artists via e-mail. At the moment this feels like all I can manage in terms of networking and collaborative efforts. However, there are some good and deep connections developing here, so I hope it does become something more substantial in the future; when it’s ready!

Well, things are better now that we have dates! They (official types) are meeting on the 13th August to sort money out and transfers will be made the next day.. so we should have money by the 18th at the latest.. They are sorting out money for the next residents then too, so they will actually get paid before they come, but I will have been here for 5 weeks by then.

So, anyway, I feel like there has been much negativity from me of late. Apologies, and today – a good and happy post, about Capital of Culture spending would you believe!
This place, Bellevue, Das Gelbe Haus (The Yellow House), is fantastic! It is about 7-8kms out of Linz, next to all the tower block flats, overlooking the motorway. It opened on the 25th June and closes on 13th September and everything here is free.

Monday = Artist in residency (there are about ten!) presentation or talk – sadly I miss these because my German is hopeless.
Tuesday = film screenings with an introductory talk
Wednesday = Music evening
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday = workshops, sports, walks, writing, dancing, live music and artists in residence again
Sunday there is also free breakfast from 11.

I have been a few times now and it is always full, people use it, hang out with friends there and most definately take part. I went to a sewing workshop last week and made an apron as well as meeting two seventeen year old Somalian refugees who live opposite and go most days to volunteer or just drinks ridiculous amounts of coffee. They also play for the football team, which they are ectastic about – knock out tournaments with other ad-hoc teams every weekend, but they get to wear a special yellow shirt. How nice is that?

So, a truly useful and inspiring project. I’m not sure this would work quite as well in England, would it?.. certainly can’t imagine the same set-up working in Liverpool. What I mean by that is that I can see it being used to drink in and graffiti on. Perhaps I’m wrong? I hope so. It might be good in a smaller city perhaps..

But yes, it seems like money well spent.

Events here at the Salzamt in Linz have got me thinking about the way artists get treated sometimes. The atmosphere between the three international artists here (including me) is glum to say the least. Instead of getting on with work, we are all pretty worried about money as we have still not been paid. I have just been paid a bit from Tate Liverpool and have borrowed off three people to keep me going. I will have been here three weeks on Thursday and have also paid for my travel to get here. Needless to say, I don’t have any savings to rely on, haven’t worked this month elsewhere and so have no income until September 1st (Yorkshire Sculpture Park). I just feel glad that there are people I can ask for help and that I have pounds not Krooni.

I am starting to feel a bit foolish as there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I came here on the strength of some emails (the first from Liverpool Biennial – so I know the money will come). There is no contract, no guarantees and even the amount we are getting seems to have changed (materials money has disappeared from the equasion). Apart from not really getting the benefits of being in a new exciting land, there is also the worry that I have to exhibit some new work in three weeks. I had hoped this residency would be a good chance to play about with some materials (wood, concrete and resin were in my head) or make something really ambitious in this wonderful space I have, but currently I am saving my money for food. Although I am sure the money will come before then, time to play about and make is also important, and it feels like it is slipping away. I shall have to be content for now with my paper and cardboard… and I am still being ambitious, but not in the ways I hoped! I feel like this problem may be fixed for the next batch of residents as we are almost like guinea pigs, but that doesn’t help today.

So, how often do artists have to put themselves in this position? I know I have, many times. I have also signed contracts, which included payment dates, amounts and what was expected of me. I got paid on time and did what I said (sometimes more) and it was easy and good. Perhaps contracts don’t always work out either? It just seems artists are not very likely to have savings, a steady income or other back-ups (i.e. living in your overdraft already), so they will be ill-equipped to deal with delays and non-payments. Pah. I suppose another lesson learned; not to rely on immediate payment or to trust vague figures from an email. At least we have beds!