Really enjoyed taking part in the Pecha Kucha*, and I got very positive feedback. It was nice to have the opportunity to show some slides of work in progress alongside older pictures that I took with no purpose in mind. Going through my pictures I realise how many I take of empty architecture, of the sky and of the sea. Putting together a selection of 20 pictures allowed me to see some kind of affinity between them and what I’ve been working on in the studio.
Last week I spent most of my studio days making shelves for the box files that replace the filing cabinet that I had at home. Changing from an old four drawer filing cabinet to colour coded box files on shelves forced me to clear out a lot of old paperwork. The filing cabinet was so large that I didn’t have to think whether I needed to keep old invoices, notes, drafts of applications, rejection letters – there was room for everything. Getting rid of unnecessary old paperwork feels good, it feels like I’m loosening my grip on the past and getting ready for new things. The corner of the room where the filing cabinet used to be feels lighter than it did – both visually and mentally.
Over the last few years I needed stuff – a lot of stuff – around me. Stuff that shored me up, stuff that told me who I was and who I had been. Now I need space – space for new things. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that this sorting out and making space has come at this time. I’m very interested in something we discussed at the bereavement group – the idea of allowing (even encouraging) life to grow (increase in size) rather than trying to shrink the grief. I am fortunate that I have a life that I can grow, and I am very fortunate that I have good professional friendships that are supporting me. Life is getting bigger, life is getting better.
* Japanese for chit-chat. An event hosted by M2 Gallery; 10 artists/designers/architects are invited to show 20 slides for 20 seconds each. www.m2gallery.co.uk
