Thinking about a new work for a group show, May 2018 …
The show celebrates a significant anniversary of an independent gallery that I showed with in 2009. I like the idea of making something that references the piece that I made in 2009. That piece was like the proverbial parson’s egg – visually it was successful, technically it failed. The fail-safe feature of particular ‘off the shelf’ component caused a difficulty that was eventually circumvented rather than resolved – a clean resolution would have been unrealistic in terms of both time and money. The visual aspects of the installation have been shown subsequently and work well in their own right.
The show is in London and I am in Enköping. Transport is a question. Do I make the work and then look into how to get it to London? Or do I look at means of transport and produce something accordingly? I have asked if there is a budget for transport and am waiting to hear back from the curator. This question though makes me very aware of how I work (and how I regard my practice generally). Thinking about weights and dimension that I can carry as luggage is at once both practical and passive: it is a sure-fired way to get something done however it also feels as though I am accepting (or even creating) an overly restrictive starting point. The artwork has to come first.
I want to make something beautiful.
[the next day]
There are so many things that I want to do.
There are too many things that I want to do!
Yesterday evening I went to Fredrik Ericsson’s show at Galleri Mejan. The show is part of his final exam – Fredrik graduates from the Royal Institute’s five year masters programme this summer. His work ‘Future Fuel’ is a solar powered machine that produces an ‘explosion’ from water! Fredrik comes from Enköping and it is through him that I met Nina and got involved in the art scene here. His work is fantastic and I am going to see if I can let other Enköping folk know about his show via various facebook groups. It makes me realise that we lack a specifically cultural network that allows us to share information and tips about exhibitions and such. So of course this is something that I want to remedy.
I think that Fredrik’s future is going to be very successful. I certainly hope that he is!
As Moderna is right next-door I looked at the re-hang of their permanent collection. I don’t know how often they re-hang but this selection was new to me. There was also an exhibition of Louise Nevelson’s work. Seeing such work made me want to get my ‘stuff’ to the studio and just play. Looking at pieces from the 1940s/50s reminded me that the most important thing is to work visually and with materials. I really want to focus on that now. I have spent too long thinking about what I want to make rather than actually making. This imbalance needs to be addressed. I want to develop my piece for the London show through play and materials rather than thinking and writing.
[the next next day]
While at Uppsala Art Museum I took some photos for the ‘Introduction to digital photography’ evening course that I am taking. I hope to improve my technical skills as it would be great to be able to document my own work.
I get a real mix of emotions when I see work by established artists that is not so far from my own. On one hand it is reassuring to see that similar processes and/or materials have a place and are appreciated. On the other hand I feel a little deflated seeing that such comparable work is already out there. Perhaps what I feel most is good portion of jealousy – to be perfectly honest! – that another artist has managed to work out how to do things successfully. That is something that I have yet to work out. Tomorrow I have a meeting with Uppsala Council’s art consultant/advisor, I shall ask him about how I might develop my career. In preparation I shall have a think about what kind of career it is that I want!
… 3 … 2 … 1 … you’re back in the art world.
On Friday September fifteenth I finished five months of working full-time with the council’s parks department. On Monday September eighteenth I began what will be three and a half months of a new half-time position with the arts department.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a gardener though working full-time, outdoors, and in a physically demanding job, obviously had an impact on my practice as an artist. Now, after two weeks of working half-time towards establishing a pilot public/education programme here in Enköping, I feel as though I am getting back into a more familiar and more comfortable way of being.
Over the five months of gardening I managed to maintain my engagement with art through a number of events in collaboration with various artists and institutions.
- Karin’s exhibition in Konstfönster Joar – curator
- Revolve Performance Art Days: Uppsala – visitor
- Wiks College open day – visitor
- Renovating/redecorating the studio – artist
- Enköping Art Association committee meeting – member
- Meeting with council to discuss collaborations – committee member
- ‘Scrap sculpture’ workshop proposal for Enköping arts festival – artist/workshop leader
- Invitation to participate in a group show, Glasgow (August) – artist
I am aware that my posts about the Easter Open House are lacking a conclusion, I will return to this. However I do want to mention something of a coincidence. When Klas, whom I now share a studio with, and his family came by on Easter Monday we talked a little about our respective times at Wip:sthlm. It turns out that we had the same studio – we both sublet from Alex before I formally took over the contract. In fact I moved in to Alex’s studio immediately after Klas moved out – which means that it was his artworks and tools that I saw when I looked around, Klas wasn’t there. So without knowing it I had already been in the studio (albeit very briefly) of the artist with whom I now have come to know and share a studio with. Even allowing for the relative scale of the Swedish art scene this is something of a coincidence. It is as though we we were destined to meet one way or another.
ps. working full-time in a non-art related field.
Next to my name and venue number in the guide it says (because that is what I wrote in my entry form): Installation and objects. I wonder if people have been intrigued or confused by that description. From chatting with my visitors it has become clear that I am offering a different type of experience from the majority of the other artists.
My work does require some ‘guiding’ especially for visitors who are not so familiar with contemporary practice. I continue to be fascinated by the stories and topics that come up. And I am incredibly grateful that people give me their time and allow me to tell them about my thought processes and the practical aspects of a wide range of pieces. I made a small printed visitors guide, and there is a stack of them by the door. Sometimes I hand them to visitors before we start the guided tour, and sometimes I do not. I try to gauge from their level of engagement and body language how much time we have to look at the pieces and if there is adequate time for us to have a good discussion. I know my work well enough to acknowledge that it does not give its best to the hurried viewer. Yesterday [Sunday] I ‘hopped over’ presenting Mr Dandy Blue’s robe at least two times – as it requires a considerable shift to begin discussing ‘live’ and project-based work after having been more focused on material objects.
Just as realised that it was almost time to ‘close’ yesterday my phone rang. It was Eva, who I first met when I visited her studio during last year’s Vår konst, she apologised for being late and wanted to know if it was alright if she and a friend came by. A few minutes later she and her friend were at the door. Eva works with fabric, she also collects and exhibits vintage fabric (mainly Scandinavian designs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s), and she runs workshops and courses in pattern design and dressmaking. She lives and works a little outside of town in two former light-industrial buildings that are the Teda Art Project.
It was good fun showing them what I do and talking about being artists. Our discussion turned to economics and politics – and our shared motivations for moving out of cities in order to pursue our practices without the pressure of high rents. As we were saying goodbye Eva asked if I was free that evening as she was having friends for dinner and would like to me to join them.
I had a lovely evening in great company and with a fantastic Italian dinner. Eva lived in Italy for several years and the friend that was with her early is Italian but moved here to be with his Swedish girlfriend – he now imports and supplies Italian food to restaurants in and around Stockholm, so we had some amazingly good fresh mozzarella cheese as well as the great seafood and pasta dish that Eva made. It was a totally unexpected and absolutely perfect end to the day.
Getting together in each others studios with other artists and friends over good food is, and has been for a long time, a vital part of artists’ lives. I look forward to similar evenings at our new studio!
