Following dialogues with Elena Thomas I’ve been thinking about how others view what I do and what other artists do and what it is that gives work ‘gravitas’.
I always struggle when asked what I do and it took me a long time to be able to say ‘artist’ without feeling like the most pretentious fake ever. For a long time I found it easier to diffuse the ‘a’ word with a prefix of ‘visual’ or ‘installation’ to deflect the effect. Nowadays I am fine with the word but the description still leads me blubbering and blustering with lots of ‘interactive’s and ‘participatory’s thrown in. I usually then make a little joke about it.
THIS IS NOT REALLY WHAT I WANT TO SAY ABOUT MY WORK. WHAT I REALLY WANT TO SAY IS THAT IT IS A SERIOUS COMMENT ON LIFE – however frivoulous it may appear.
It strikes me that I will have an uphill battle to achieve the illusive seriousness given to works from the upper eschelons of the artworld due to the content and medium of my work – and it was with interest today that I listened to the Today programme talking about the work of David Shrigley who has very successfully traversed the divide from cartoonist to serious artist with great skill.
I remember whooping with joy at Grayson Perry’s acceptance speech for the Turner Prize (how many?) years ago – when he said ‘it was about time that a transvestite potter won’. When, I wonder, will it be the day of glory for an artist HOUSEWIFE?
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
I hereby describe my work to be of the
refFluxus movement
Thank you
NOT a 3 minute blog.
I have detected a flaw in my plan for WD. With the new listing for ‘top ten’ blogs on Artists Talking I now read that judging criteria also includes ‘time spent’ on the page…… hmm I think I might be selling myself a bit short with a 3min scribble…
The most prominant concerns of my time recently have been on how I can cope with a life that is in diametric oppostion to a having a successful career.
Whatever else I try to do I find that this is the essence of what my work is about and it is a hard realisation to find that your life’s work could be conceived as one enormous moan about not getting anything done.
A tricky conundrum. But if the work that you make does not reflect the life that you lead and the ideas in your head – what is the point? it could be made by anybody else.
I have found the MAKING of the work is the key thing to exorcise these struggles from my head and it is a therapy in itself – and perhaps one to prevent myself endlessly feeling frustrated by constraints which are unavoidable.
The MAKING is key to everything. Piles of sketchbooks are fine (which I have by the barrowload) and I am grateful for them, but for my work it is the actual process of labourious slaving over a piece for a considerable time which gives it it’s value.
Without epic time served, stress and strain – it seems unworthy.
3min blog #4
Having spent a week tending a sick child (and not getting any work done) I was excited this morning to think that I would finally get back to my studio (KINETICA IN ONE WEEK!). Fate is against me.
My husband’s car has a puncture and as he has ‘a proper job’ he has taken mine. I am to spend the day hunting for a tyre stockist (car has extra big wheels) and awaiting a lovely tow to garage (assuming I can find one).
Work again not done – shall I take some socks to sew whilst they change the tyres? – That should impress the mechanics
3min blog #3
Much of my life seems to be about trying to eke out time where no time exists… quickly sewing something whilst food cooks – making my promotional bags 10 at a time in quick snatched bursts whilst no-one is looking.
A recent trend in the papers (I imagine a yearly event in January) is the study of SELF CONTROL & WILLPOWER.
One solution I have found to work for me is using the hour before anyone else is up to get a bit of work done. As not a natural early riser this is at a horrible 6am on weekdays and (as I write) a much more acceptable 7.30 at the weekend.
The key to doing this I have also found is not to plan to do anything too demanding – serious decisions are too daunting to make bleary eyed at 6am – the mind-numbing stuff is best. Fortunately there is a lot of leg-work/ labour-intensive slog in my work. There is no better time of day for sock sewing.
(CONFESSION: this post took me 7 mins)
