How We Live | exhibition:incentive:project

IT’S LESS ABOUT ARRIVING THAN IT IS ABOUT THE JOURNEY

What seemed like a fait accompli five months ago has now become an ongoing concern.

At first it seemed simple – do away with anything site specific, audio visual or built that would wind up as piles of scrap material in the basement after shows over. Create something that would result in a small finished piece that would still be a finished piece when the exhibition is done with.

Well that was the plan behind How We Live at The Midnight Bell last December, my contribution being a small series of framed pencil drawings concerned with the built environment. Along with Sarah and Richards work that also looked at how we shape the environment we inhabit it all seemed nice and compact – complete even, a little snapshot of three peoples musings on life.

What was a small display of drawings and textile pieces by three artists that would last for three months has become a group effort involving four artists, collaborative work and blogs that will dissect working patterns over the course of the coming year. An overnight stay at The Midnight Bell has been just what was neccasary to re-invigorate the idea and set us on the road again . . .

LANGUAGE – DESCRIPTION – NOTATION – CONSTRUCTION

I am sat in Leeds in a flat that belongs to someone, someone who I don’t know: I am listening to radio four and they had some kind of feature on how material produced on tax contributions contains difficult and impenetrable language. It made me think that much of what I write is equally as problematic and at times isolating… How much does an artist need clarity in how he writes about his work… and what sort of (and how many) contexts does he need to consider (yes I am a he, so this can only mean I am one of two in this group of four).

At times I am deliberately unintelligible as I enjoy the paradigms that arise between thought and action and making and how these tie together in a neat little knot: the knot of grammar and sentence structure and paragraph formatting. This notation within intonation is a happy space for me, it allows me to be descriptive as well as sculptural with my words.

I HAVE THIS NOTE BOOK. THIS NOTE BOOK IS JUST FOR NOTES AND NOTHING ELSE. I FIND MYSELF BEING VISUAL WITH THESE NOTES AND THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN BEING DESCRIPTIVE WITH LANGUAGE AND THE MAINTAINING OF A STREAM OF CONCIOUSNESS. I have given myself a rule that prevents me from drawing within this notebook. I take it to work with me. It fits in my bag. And almost, just about – with a bit of a squeeze – fits in the pocket of my burnt orange fat face hoody.

Within this I find myself visualising my drawings through the interactions of people that I see and also through attaining a description of the spaces that I inhabit. My drawings then, they are constructed through written thoughts – a tangible and recorded language that takes on many a form and then ends up as a drawing – perhaps a further recording.

I am working on a commission. I am finding it difficult.