I’m trying not to think too much about everything that is going on around me at the moment. If I think about it, I’ll start to panic, and if I do that, I’ll lose concentration and my work will start to deteriorate .
I will write about it briefly though. I find that if I start to back off into the shadows and lose myself in my work, people always assume that I’m not doing anything. I get handed responsibilities and lists of jobs and I end up doing things that I really don’t have time to do.
So this is happening…
As in my last blog, I’m preparing for the Threshold Festival. I’m making a large installation that consists of at around 1000 paper houses and branches. I worked out that if I did a minimum of 8 a day, I can just about do it (if I include ones used in an earlier installation)
8 doesn’t seem a lot when you just say it like that. But paper has to be prepared (and found!) before I can start cutting them out. I’m doing this by getting up early, sourcing the paper, glueing it onto backing sheets and letting it dry while I go out to work. Then when I get home, I start again.
Its tedious and I’m going crazy, but so far, I’m still on target.
I try to do as much as I can on my break in work. write emails, write plans, chase up things.
One of those things, is preparing to take part in the artists Platform at Art Athena in Athens. My work for that is sort of bottom of the list at the moment as I have to raise cash to do it first. I’m thankful for my job, as I can take paid leave, but I still have to raise the cash for flights and accommodation. I want to do it, its important to me to do it.
Doing similar things in the past (SUPERMARKET Stockholm for example) resulted in so many connections and opportunities that are still ongoing. I’m still feeding of that, my work is evolving and the future is open to carry on connecting.
Sooo, yes, raising cash. I’m working with others on this one. A studio group in Liverpool are letting us use their space to do a fundraiser. In a nutshell, people have donated small works and we are aiming to sell as many as possible. I don’t expect to raise a huge amount, but if it will pay for the booth (£280) it’ll be worth it. http://culture.org.uk/2016/02/postcards-from-the-soup-collective-at-roadworks/
I still haven’t done my own work for that. that’s today’s job as I am off.
Next its nearly time for the artists in residence at our studio to return and put up their work in response to their ‘placements’ in local shops. To be honest, getting any publicity for it has been a nightmare. For some reason, despite the fact that its been funded by ACE, that international artists have been working in ‘the sticks’ – where nothing like this has ever happened, that it will create new opportunities for more artists etc etc, it just isn’t appealing to the media.
I’ve managed to get this published, but very little else. http://culture.org.uk/2016/02/translating-the-street-alternator-studio-and-the-local-community/
I’ll have another go later…
Now though, as its my day off, I’ve been asked to mind someone’s dog for the day (as well as my own) . After all, I’ve got nothing else to do :-(
