Post Grad, Pre Artist?

I added to this blog whilst away but it seems to have vanished into thin air – for who knows what reason, so now I have more to update with ……this could take a while.

I do now have a studio, its a great space except there is no natural light and it’s roasting hot and there’s a noisy band practicing next door most days – however it’s a good size and I have a fan and 2 daylight bulbs in my new strip lights – all is well.

I am now officially part of an exhibition called ‘From these Walls we are Shaped’ in the Wolstenholme Creative Space as part of S.Q.U.A.T Liverpool come October, my proposal was accepted and they have also asked me to do a second piece that is probably far more exciting than the original proposal.

2 very large installations in one exhibition =lot of hard work.

On top of that I have put in a proposal to have another installation in the Bridewell Studios and Gallery in the same month…yes, I must be mad but that one too would be a really exciting piece involving a LOT of law books, I already have half of them donated and taking up space in my studio so I am hoping they say yes.

My Concerto No.1 Books are currently on display in the Lauries Centre in Birkenhead on a mezzanine floor – strange space but it seems to work there. They will stay there for the duration of the Independents Biennial too.

I have also got to make a small ‘shoebox’ size piece of work to go into a portfolio of artwork for the Co-operative, a strand of the Biennial as part of Arena.

Busy busy me.

http://biennial.com/content/LiverpoolBiennial2008/…

The search for a studio continues, I need space!! My life is on hold until I can get a studio now really.

I cant get into my conservatory to work, it’s too full and as such I cant concentrate.

Been to view a few now, some way too small, one not available until September but also I think they think I’m too old to join their team – not that anything was said but a very polite email suggesting if anything else comes up in the meantime I should go for that, hmmm, very successful brush off.

Age is a funny thing.

There is an excellent studio a skip and a hop away from where I work which would be ideal, spaces are like gold dust there but I was fortunate enough to get an interview at least and the space would be big enough, but expensive but managable…fingers crossed for that one.

Otherwise, my van is looking a likely candidate – van conversion into studio? why not, sure someone must have done it before.

Today I am full of cold, appeared from nowhere last night and is making me feel very tired and yet I have 4 bookworks to complete and frame before Saturday, then installation of said books along with my concerto no.1 works into a strange space, community centre where art is frequently shown so hoping it will look ok there.

Sunday I have a big lunch to organise, more on that in my Butterfly Park blog

Next week I have to finish 3 paintings and then go to a family wedding on our way to our holiday in Cornall

As you can see, I don’t have time to feel ill!

Tiredness has take over my life, I had to write my case study up this week.

I left it so long as it was to be a report on the Art for Places project I was working on through the Biennial and as such I had to wait for it to finish, I’d worked up all the research and notes but left it way too late in the day to interview the artists involved and I had emailed the Project manager in work asking for certain details he had but he was too busy to get back to me. AND we still haven’t had our debrief. so all in all the case study is nothing like what I wanted it to be.

It’s a report now, with my observations of project management, the facts/figures and ‘my feelings’ and ideas of how I would have run the project, had I been so employed. It’s also too lengthy (by FAR) but as a report you have to include as much as you can as everything is relevant. If it’s a critical study or an essay you can cut back on content.

I reckon at least 1500 words were just figures and quotes though so hopefully they won’t mind too much.

I tried to be much more involved in this project and succeeded but still didn’t have the power to make decisions. (much) There were two very different project manager working together, one from a housing background working with events and one as an artist working with the other artists. Interesting watching how the two worked. I would inevitably work from the artist slant and so it was great to follow Elaine and see how she worked, learnt a lot from her I feel.

The whole thing was a learning curve for me, though I have been admin assistant and then moved up to Project Assistant, it’s still an assistant and as such you are left out of the loop a lot.

It has however made me realise I’d like to run things – I like the idea of becoming a project manager and think I’d cope admirably. and even, dare I say it, enjoy that role!

I’d still much rather be the commissioned artist though but as we all know – day jobs pay the bills.

Anyway, due to some formatting hell – apple mac and PC do not like eachother – I was up until 4am finishing off. Not being a teenager anymore, this is quite hard for me to cope with!

I’m tired, a bit grumpy, in work and in need of caffeine. and tomorrow….?

The joys of tax returns.

Heard back from Wolstenholme Gallery and I will be part of their Independent Biennial exhibition, great news. Looking forward to meeting them in the next couple of weeks to finalise exactly what will be viable.

So excited by this, it’s a cracking space to have work in.

Also met with Simon at the Lauries Centre and my books can go in their balcony mid July, alongside this I will put 4-5 artist books that I’ll make, on a butterfly/bug theme that can reference the Butterfly Park and then I can leave some flyers there to entice people down to visit too.

I presented my project so far to my wee Uni group last week, we all did, via Powerpoint and chatted afterwards about the way each project is going. All went really well, the other 3 projects sound really interesting too. It’s so odd working in this manner as on a BA you’re studio based and see your fellow students on a regular basis, catching up on projects often and sharing ideas. On an MA (well…on this MA) contact is much more sporadic so when we see each others work it’s always much more of a surprise.

Went to see Wirral Met Degree show last week, know most of them from last year, it was great to see how much some of them had progressed since last year, it was a really good exhibition. Strange to think that this time last year I was in their shoes, not knowing what to do next. Stressed, nervous about the future.

Yet here I am half way through an MA, on a residency, a few exhibitions under my belt, couple more to come and loving every minute of it.

The answer was definitely to not rest on my laurels, I’m glad i decided to go for the MA straight away after my degree whilst still in right frame of mind to continue learning and progressing.

Writing up my case study on the Biennials recent Wirral project, it’s for Uni project not for Biennial but presume it might be useful for them too.

I’m preparing some questions for the artists involved to see how the project worked(or didn’t) for them. I think looking at it from an artists perspective might make a difference.

I have a meeting next week at the Lauries in Birkenhead, it’s a community centre with a difference in that a local artist runs a ‘gallery’ of sorts within the space and quite successfully exhibits work from local artists. There has been some really interesting work in the space so far.

I’m looking at putting my books there on their balcony but hanging upside down, these will be accompanied by other work made from old books, I like the idea of having all of the pieces in the exhibition made from books. Discusions Friday though so we’ll see after that.

Had a reply regarding a proposal I made for a piece of work for the Wolstenholme Gallery in Liverpool during the Biennial 2010, they are interested but there were some questions that needed answering first and then they will decide on final artists. I am very excited by the possibility of being included. So far so good, It would be fantastic to be involved with them and in the Independent Biennial and the project would be a really stimulating one to work on if they think it is feasible.

It’s all great experience though and my idea of still exhibiting throughout the course of my MA seems to be working, my biggest worry was to get completely tied up with MA work and the Butterfly Park project. I love variety and to have to chance to project my ideas visually in different places keeps me on my toes. I know I’m busy already but I kinda thrive on that business in a mad way, most of my best work comes out under pressure, I think thats the same for a lot of artists.