Manchester Metropolitan University

White paint

grey paint

black paint

Despite the never ending coats of paint i am really enjoying setting up my space for the degree show.

My work is going to be shown in various bars and venues with a performance emphasis after i finish uni- so i am savouring having a white cube space as i dont know when it will happen again any time soon. To be honest it is a challenge to try and represent my current piece in such a space.

My piece 'Emellee Was Here, You Were There' has been ongoing for over a year and is not very easily tied down to one medium.

The piece started out as a build up of a character as an alter ego- this character gained information that turned into personality and memory. This quickly changed from an alter ego into a piece to look at how people accept information and how accessible technology changes how we present our selves.

Many stages have occurred and i have gone with what has felt right in terms of which direction to take with it ( not setting any fixed methods etc). The current stage will be shown at the degree show and will inform people of the next stage and how to be involved and interact with the piece.

Hopefully i will be able to represent this quite complicated piece in a way that can be understood without having to list reams of information about the process of the piece.

To recieve an outline of the piece email me on [email protected] this outline sheet will tell you everything you need to start being involved with this travelling interactive piece.

I had my half way thingy today. It went really well- i managed to explain exactly what i was doing- which i don't always manage without getting all twisty faced and flustered =o

I had been getting quite nervous about the degree show and having the pieces that i want to represent my work ready and produced to the best possible standards i can achieve. But my tutor said not to worry about it too much- to keep it in the back of my mind and remember that pieces have to be installed- but not think of it first. It is important to carry on creating without presentation in mind up to a certain point- i suppose it just makes things less rigid.

so, i feel a bit a more relaxed about things now. I am enjoying the 3rd year so much- and i am really enjoying developing my understanding of the art world. I'm glad i havent discovered that i am going to hate it, because a passion to paint does not neccessarily translate in being able to work within the art industry.

But thankfully i think i am going to like it.

I am starting on some new groups of photographs and diagrams. I am aiming to present the idea of process. This is shown by documenting changes a particular place from one photograph to the next, using diagrams and using photos from film and digital. the piece says more than my garbled words.

Presentation on wednesday and i have just realised i have no images from 1st or 2nd year- ah well i'm not a fan of spending too much time talking about the past anyway

RR

Bloomberg new contemporary deadline has been extended! I messed up before and didn't get my submission in- phew.

So i have been photographing the log books from an on-line piece i have doing and getting all of the relative footage edited together from my recent exhibited video piece. I have also found the perfect place to exhibit one of my other pieces which is a collaboration between myself and Shebs Alom of mmu- the piece is performance shown on video. I am performing- and i am very nervous.

I have my presentation next week- so trying to get it clear in my head the 'journey' i have taken. Will no doubt do another blog about this- as i find it helps.

I also have my half way review thing which i am looking forward to- as after that point i am going to create a new set of works.

Mark Wallinger has just been on radio talking through the new exhibition he is curating at Hayward. I'm going down to the capital in two weeks- looking forward to see his show and his work as curator.

Any other suggestions of london exhibitions from any one?

Thinking of the degree show and what pieces or piece i want to represent my work is buzzing around my head constantly.

There is one piece that i was sure i wanted to be at the degree show and now i am not so sure. I get bored of ideas and pieces very quickly.

This is getting better though, as there was a point where i couldn't actually keep interested in an idea long enough to make anything from it last year.

The piece i have been thinking about using will feed off and 'use' elements of the show itself. as in a new piece will be created from it. This is the problem with a lot of my work- it doesnt end. There is no definate end point. As such, using a piece that seems more definately finished may be a better approach.

I don't know- i will most likely go with some last minute idea.

I am going to sit in a gallery tomorrow after the presentation and watch people looking at art as part of a new piece. I have chosen gallery 10 – the mezzanine court of the Whitworth gallery in Manchester. It is a very peaceful place and i love the architecture.

fun

I asked my girlfriend advice on how to keep a blog interesting (as she is a very successful gobshite and had best read blog on chortle comedy website) – she said to be honest- and to tell people everything.

So here is a little bit of a story. In my first year a painted very bad paintings. Very bad. I was happy and content in a relationship that was leading to dreams of a 'nice' house with 'nice' things and so on- you know the type. I was painting very bad paintings.

During the summer between 1st and second year this 3 and a half year relationship finished- to be more precise i had the piss ripped out of me- was cheated on and made to look like a tool… i was a mess.

I didnt want to go back to uni- what was the point? everything was worthless- bla.

But i did go back.

And i was angry and depressed- i produced work about the whole thing and about who it had turned me into- i left painting behind in search of faster forms of expression. I started trying to execute ideas when they first freshly came into my mind- i was producing better work- a lot better.

I haven't looked back- i am loving working with art objects/installation/video/process.

Dont ever be content.

Be challenged.

I will carry on with my story between other blogs.

Thanks for listening =)

ps. sorry for bad photo- camera troubles.