After the movement and sounds of Carnival this bank holiday, it is very calm and still at my studio this morning. As I questioned in my last blog, is movement fundamental to my work? Well the people that ‘matter’ have singled out a still from a video of 007 using a hula hoop as being their fave for a publicity shot, so I should take that as confirmation of the importance of movement. Advice from my established artist friend and the comment by Richard Taylor have only strengthened my nerve as to the dichotomy (a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different) between stillness and movement. In this case the action and glamour of the fictional 007 versus the rather staid desk bound office existence that my father actually experienced. The exploration of the preconceptions we have of close family members is new to me, my subjects have been up to now mostly at least once removed from my personal life. But here one person is a relative and the other a far off fictional character. I will have to not fall into the trap of concentrating too much on the glamour of Bond and leave room for the mundane day to day of 60s office culture, with all its lack of movement. The purchase of an ‘Empire aristocrat’ typewriter has helped to bridge the gap between the office and the spy world, as it looks like a piece of espionage equipment when in its case.
I have used the energy of the first meeting at the Oval House to get some things on paper, video and to make some images. The fun of trying to find the exact kind of cigarette case and lighter that Sean Connery uses in Dr No has been interesting and diverting. Now sketches have been made and a video shot, props amassed and photos taken. Then I had a great talk to a an established artist I know and she has opened up a whole new line of thought for me. Movement, is it what motivates me? New analysis of what inspires us make art is healthy but also scary. Now I have to re evaluate what I have made, take a deep breath and send it off in the hope it will be received OK by the people who matter.
Whilst it is great to win a prize, when the dust settles and the cold light of day arrives, there is work to be done. It isn’t enough to just rely on a piece of work that has been successful in the past. This work must be new and be an advance from the work of the past. New audiences will see it and you can’t rely on all those people you were at college with to be there and support you. The pressure can build and the doubts gather, then the questions, am I up to this? The first meeting is fixed and you wonder how it will go. What will you say? Is there a degree of eloquence expected of me? Do I need to read up on some theory, or just rely on instinct? In the end there was no problem, in fact any doubts I had were quickly dispersed and new ideas abound. Even better than this, an energy in connection with the project is apparent and you feel it will not only be OK but a step forward for your practice. Our imaginations are well equipped to foresee any number of problems, when taking the first step is really the only thing we as artists need to do.
