Think I’ve recovered!
All cake was consumed.
The work remains up in the gallery/project space, I continue to study how it works.
If this space is to take nine bras, they will need to be spaced differently. At the moment the three are hung from electrical cable trunking things… for sensible grouping I will have to do things differently.
I think what I will have to do is get out the steel cables I used for suspending the children’s clothes for my MA show, to give me flexible hanging options. I think they are up in the loft… Thankfully the entrance hall of the School of Art in Margaret Street is somewhat larger than this space, so I should have the length of cabling required.
The songs definitely work better played into the space than through headphones. People engage socially with them, rather than being socially isolated from the rest of the work and other viewers. Initially I did presume I would need a set of headphones and player for each song.
The layered drawings I had hung for the Open Studio will come down. They are preparatory studies, and don’t form part of the installation, although they might be adaptable for sale. Perhaps they could hang downstairs while the installation is upstairs in July.
I was thinking I should celebrate the success of the launch by letting you hear another recording. I am cautious of letting you hear new stuff too soon, especially as it may change when we listen to the whole body of recordings near the end. But as a sort of sneaky peek I shall add a link to a song entitled “Numb”. This is a live recording of a Songwriters Circle end of term performance… it was my first I think. I was extremely nervous, and it shows. The final recording will have different instrumentation, although the amazing Chris Cleverly will still be playing on it. I wrote the top line of the melody, Chris gave it flavour, and steered it in the direction it now heads in. This live recording is Chris demonstrating his extraordinary picking style, and Dan Whitehouse on electric guitar.
The madness at the end, which I know made Chris feel actual physical pain, will get madder… Dan, however, knows me better and now takes these requests in his stride, and I think, is beginning to enjoy them!
NUMB
Vocals, Lyrics and Music – Elena Thomas
Acoustic guitar – Chris Cleverley
Electric guitar – Dan Whitehouse
