When the internet goes down
def. studio
1. the workroom or atelier of an artist, as a painter or sculptor.
2. a room or place for instruction or experimentation
with continuous rain and 02 down; i’ve had the perfect conditions to start making work- and that’s what i’ve been doing. albeit it’s not 20mtr sculptures, but you’d be surprised how many maquettes you can make from the rural towns art suppliers.. we have (on the way)- wall art, sound installation and a thermal project!
perhaps the internet isn’t all it’s cracked up to be! Social networking – i’d rather be glueing basal wood.
how much of us should we publicly share?
Today’s question following on from yesterday’s blog- and here it is …
How much of ourselves should we, as artists, expose to the public?
Social Networking- first it was status updates, then it was the drivel of random thoughts, now it’s all the pictures we “like”, stolen from other peoples “mood boards / nature tables”.. i do all of this. But should i?
by uploading / downloading our every thought- are we sharing diluting the artistic narrative? Art snares the reader by not fully explaining itself, Art builds tension through slight gestures of the hand; hinting to the reader what might happen. Can we do this- when our inner thoughts are fully laid out for all to see in this social medial expose?
Who Am I ?
my question to you all is – what do you call yourself when faced with the question “what do you do? “
….having just moved to the countryside f, a small home counties village to be exact(ish) i found myself in a precarious situation this week. Here was the gist of the conversation
Setting – Village Pub, 7.15 pm.
Woman A “Hello, I believe that we’re neighbours; My names Beatrice”.
Me “Hello, i’m Eleanor I’m sorry for not coming round yet, it’s just been such a chaotic week.
Woman A “ So i hear you work in the city”
Me “ actually i’m an artist, specialising / generalising in photography, sculpture and sound… but for three day’s a week i work in the city”
Woman A “ Oh”
Pause
Woman A “ So where should i be investing my money?”
and here’s when i stumbled… how do i explain who and what, i am?
Yes i do technically work in the city(part time), but that’s only to allow me to make art, un-beholden to buyers and galleries.
but it did make me think , who am i… really? am i a banker trying to be an artist, or an artist whose hiding behind the security of a job unwilling to go to galleries because “i don’t have to”..
untitled
starting work in a new environment is never easy- well it’s not for me. I’m now sitting in my new “studio” –it’s a shed at the bottom of the garden. I’m surrounded by trees, and I’ve got Wimbledon on.
This new change in lifestyle has been a catalyst to start making work again. Really making work- not just toying with the idea! So sketchbook and writing pad to hand- together with a new fountain pen; I’m brainstorming. Taking all the ideas that have been floating around my head for the last two years and I’m laying them out.
What ideas I’ve had, some ok, some terribly and some- well I’m embarrassed to hold a MA. So with three projects that I think are goers I begin with the “making”. And I stumble on the first hurdle. Do I title the work now- or when it’s finished?
A tutor once said to me “compendium, why do you relentlessly title your work at the end, give it a name at the beginning and then see where it takes you”. Here is my stumbling block. Should we leave our minds blank of titles until the end- fearing they may influence the work , or introduce a title and let it be the steering rod?
