Got back yesterday after a few days in Glasgow. I had been longing to reconnect with my mum, brothers, sister in law and nephew, I just needed to see them, be with them.
3 short days of laughter, meals together, afternoon beers, talking round the kitchen table, running about in the park after Hank, a sweet time and sometimes a sad time. The losses are there, we can feel them, but the love is strong between us.
The first time I’d been back to Scotland since Nana’s funeral in July. We looked through some of her things including a huge pile of letters and cards which I’d sent her and she’d kept. From hand-drawn Christmas cards done when I was a child, letters from my student days (“we are having trouble with the bailiffs”) to my wedding photos, here is a history of a relationship. I feel so happy to have these things, documents of love.
Me mum and Brian spent a late night at the kitchen table going through a huge box of old photos, some of them dating back to Nana’s grandparents, again stories, laughter and sadness. I have offered to create an archive by scanning and sharing these photos around the family – which include relatives in Australia, New Zealand Scotland and England.
I have been working with family photography for some time within my practice – including research ( Jo Spence, Annette Kuhn) rephotographing, collage, restaging, re-placings – and I’m particularly interested in gesture. Here in this vast family archive created by one Glasgow woman over 90 years is a wealth of material – what a gift. Thank you Nana.
Home now to my love and my dog, a few days rest and reflection before going to Liverpool next week for the ‘Inhospitable’ show. My piece is ready, I’m excited. Reading Wendy William’s blog on curating and organising the show, how much graft and stress involved, I feel grateful for all the hard work done by her and co-curator Bruce Davies in bringing the show together. I’m looking forward to pitching in where I can next week when I get to Liverpool.
Wendy’s blog www.a-n.co.uk/p/983947
Also feeding my head this week in no particular order:
-‘Pig Iron’ by Benjamin Myers – a compelling novel which won’t leave my head.
-Peter Burger’s “The Negation of The Autonomy of Art by the Avant-Garde”. – Fantastically ballsy and provocative writing, which I keep returning to
– an excellent essay here on a-n by Becky Shaw on Continuous Practice www.a-n.co.uk/p/1381399 making some excellent points about quality.
-An intriguing poster work from collaborative research project ‘Milky Way Hear Me Call’ with some superb texts from Leeds based artist Emma Bolland
– stunning images from Edinburgh-based artist Alex Hetherington’s current research and production project: ‘Modern Edinburgh Film School, 2012-201’
My heart head and eyes are full.
