My work, reasons behind it and what happens to it.

I don’t know why it is, but every time I de-install an exhibition, I feel like I have flu coming on. Is it because I spend weeks feeling tense during the exhibition, I suddenly relax when it’s all over…and that’s when the bugs attack? I don’t know, but as I said – it happens every time.

I had to work on Saturday, so I missed the PV for our exhibition in Leeds: http://www.digyorkshire.com/(A(0t_BpHr8zQEkAAAANDZlNjZhYTktZWViMi00Njk1LWIyZWYtN2RjNTdhOTQzMTcxKxb-k-S9BIRHJim8MPlJ6bX9l401)S(zrgpcnasaolugf55msdeev45))/EventListing.aspx?event=69695&pdate=20/11/2012&name=Inhospitable+-+SCIBase+at+East+Street+Arts+in+Leeds

( more info on the ESA website) That was such a pain as I really wanted to see the work in its new setting.

So…Sunday was my only day off this week. I spent the morning running round giving the house a (very) quick clean and headed over to Liverpool……….

It took me two solid hours to pick up and pack the work….colour coordinating the boxes and adding cardboard protectors between the houses to stop them crushing. In all that time, people were STILL looking through the window at me and taking photos. The really nice thing though, was that a woman from the shop next door came in and said ‘oh no – you are not taking it down are you? We really enjoyed looking at this’.

I also got an email from someone who hadn’t seen my work in about two years. She said that she was amazed how it had progressed and found it ‘unpretentious’. I’m sure that’s a compliment? ( I hope) FINALLY – some feedback!

So.. back to work on Monday and feeling achey and fluey : (

Two things that did come up this week though, was one : an offer to do a mural for the measly pay of £150. At first, I turned it down thinking that the ‘pay’ was ridiculous for the amount of work involved……….but now I’m having second thoughts. I need to get some savings together for an exhibition in America in a years time, so I might have to go for ANY extra money coming in…. and two, would I put my work in an auction to raise cash for a studio? Again, it was a change of heart with the knowledge that I am in NO position to turn down anything that may bring in money

The brief interviews I did recently for the two publications, made me think about my work more than I had done in a while. I don’t usually get those direct questions when people talk to me about it, so it’s resulted in me spending a fair bit of time reflecting over decisions I’ve made . It has been a really useful exercise.

I’m surprised at the response I had from the local paper – more people than I thought have seen it and said they liked it. In fact, I was surprised that so many have said to me ‘I didn’t know you did that’. Why didn’t they know that? Am I not communicating this side of my life very well? Well, obviously not as this is the whole reason I started up this blog.

The local news one wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d feared. I thought my words would be twisted so that it would be more appealing to ‘the readers’. The only thing I wasn’t quite sure of, was that it possibly made me look like I’d made an overnight decision to work with paper, when in fact it was a very long drawn out process.

Yet, I was personally more thrilled with having Seven Streets write an article. Although only an online publication, it is more respected in the arts community AND quite difficult to get a piece into. Maybe I should be thinking more about the general public and not worry so much about the thoughts of fellow artists?

The exhibition ended at Tate on Tuesday, so we dismantled everything straight after work. It is kind of sad when a show comes down, but I do feel I’ve got a lot out of BOTH exhibitions

The Albert Dock exhibition continues until Sunday night and although I know people are continuing to look through the window, I’m not getting any feedback. I know the purpose of these exhibitions isn’t to receive a pat on the back, but to be able to contribute to future ideas and plans. It still all makes me feel a little in limbo at the moment.

http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/local-wirral-news/west-wirral-news/2012/11/14/wirral-arts-artist-creates-art-installations-made-from-paper-80491-32223457/

( online version, without images)

Today, I realised I can’t do this. I can’t sit in a unit with people staring at me! I’m not a performer – full stop.

I got there just after 2pm today and the only reason I stayed till 3.30, was because my friend turned up and we were chatting for an hour. He kept saying’ oh God – this is awful’ – looking at the rows of faces pressed up to the glass. YES – it was awful! I didn’t like it, I don’t have to be there -so why was I doing it? Why do I feel like I should be offering a service ?

At 3.30, I went out and locked the door behind me, vowing not to go back. I should be happy, as it’s such a stark contrast to when I was invigilating up at the Bridewell last month, and we actually celebrated when more than 3 people came in! An empty shop unit is a whole different ball game.

I headed to town and went to see some of the Biennial.

I did quite well really, taking in the Cunard building, Bluecoat, 28 – 32 Wood st, The Tea Factory, FACT and the Monro. I took in so much art, I suddenly felt that my show was really insignificant.

Oh dear. Maybe it’s just the Christmas blues creeping up on me : (

Tomorrow, I’m staying at home.

I’ve been thinking about doing more drawing for a while now. Looking at some of the recent photographs of my work, has enabled me to focus on smaller areas and look at the actual design produced between spaces. It really has sparked some new ideas, which I hope to develop over the coming months.

What couldn’t have been better timing, was the briefing I attended this morning on Tate Liverpool’s forthcoming drawing exhibition ‘Tracing the Century’.

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/exhibition/tracing-century-drawing-catalyst-change

Now I am just itching to go out and buy some really thick handmade paper and some new pencils : )

ALL publicity is good publicity. Or so they say.

I’ve been contemplating the effectiveness of various forms of marketing this week.

As this present exhibition of mine was a last minute decision, I missed the deadline for the Independents brochure, so my installation doesn’t appear in it. Obviously, as I’d put so much effort into it, I wanted people to not only see my work, but hopefully give some feedback

I don’t usually bother with business cards, as I generally haven’t found them that useful. If I was in the selling market, it may be a different story, but for the type of work I do, they haven’t worked.

Despite this, I took up the most recent vistaprint offer and had 250 cards printed ( with an image of my work on both sides) for £9, inc P + P.

The only way I can judge the effectiveness of them is whether someone contacts me ( zero response so far) or the amount of direct hits my website has had ( 60% of the hits were direct, but I’ve no way of knowing if that was a response to the cards or not) I won’t lose any sleep over the £9 just yet.

As with past exhibitions, I’ve sent out press releases, with varying degrees of success ( or not!) I seem to have done a little better this time – though my words have been changed a little. Maybe the trick is to make it more ‘public friendly’ ?

While in work today, I received a call from a local newspaper, who may or may not run a piece on me – but first wanted a little more information. ( obviously, my own press release didn’t cover the type of info they needed!) Being in work though and not really being able to take personal calls, I was talking in a hushed voice and wasn’t sure I was getting my message across. I was beginning to worry about how my words could be misconstrued…… the reporter asked about my job…as ‘ it was important that readers understood what I did’. Why my job matters, is quite odd, but I told her anyway. So – you are not a full time artist? Would you call your work origami? Did you study locally? Do you sell your work? Did you used to paint?

No, No , NO ! to all of the above….well – yes, I did paint at one time, but I have a horrible feeling that my answer came across as me giving up painting as I wasn’t selling and not because my work was evolving. The readers wouldn’t understand that. I think I’ve probably failed the ‘local artist’ test.

As with last weeks questionnaire….here is the result: http://www.sevenstreets.com/liverpoolbiennial/biennial-radar-wendy-williams-journeys-end/