I am being over-stimulated by London! After weeks of working full-time with Tim in his rural studio being in London is quite amazing. It is great knowing that I am here for three weeks and that I have time to do things at a leisurely pace. Having said that my day with Francois in which we went to seven (if I remember correctly) exhibitions/events was a good example of how it is possible to get a good impression of things if one trusts one’s instincts and does not feel that every piece has to be studied in minute detail.
Freize felt fresh and vibrant and I was delighted to see several galleries showing artists working with glitter. And even more pleased to see that no-one is doing what I am doing with it! I bumped into Peter Lamb whom I have not seen in many years – we used to both be at Bow Arts in the late 1990s. He is an amazingly energetic and enthusiastic artist, and it was a real pleasure to catch up with him. His passion for art is infectious and after speaking with him I found myself dreaming up international shows and projects … which reminded me that I want to join the artist association in Enköping and get involved in the gallery there. I also want to meet with the head of the re-development of the town’s cultural centre.
It was the ancient and non-european art that interested me most at Frieze Masters. Perhaps because these pieces tended to be objects rather than images. Working with feathers and theatre costumes has taken me back in to looking at form and construction in very material and physical ways. I am looking forward to getting the studio organised and playing with materials over the coming months.
I have those itchy fingers and restless hands again!
I am very excited about the future! I want to move forward on formalising my apprenticeship with Tim, and I also want to spend time on my own work. It is very timely to be reminded that the most important thing is the making and all of its attendent processes. At Foyles I bought books about birds and feathers: one very technical and scientific, one alogorical, one historical. As Kim and I were leaving their café she spotted an announcement that Philip Treacy was speaking there the next evening. It was interesting to hear him speak and I was struck by how much of life is the result of the interplay of commitment and chance – the first being so internal and the second being so external. I know that I get distracted by what I perceive to be the complexities of the world, perhaps it is useful (“strategic”?) to keep those anxieties at arms length and to concentrate instead on something which I have control over – commitment, and to believe that that will put me in the right places for things to happen “by chance” …
