Out walking the dog first thing this morning, it hit me that sometimes it takes a while to know what a conversation means.
In my last blog post I wrote that I had realised that my decision to apply for ACE funding was as a result of a shift in my thinking, brought about by discussing my practice as part of the a-n Review bursary with my designated artists Sarah Spanton (http://www.waymarking.org.uk/people4.php), Andy Abbott (www.andyabbott.co.uk/) and Caroline Hick(http://www.brad.ac.uk/gallery/about-us/contact-us/…). One of my stated aims for the bursary was “to identify the socio-political contexts I want to locate my practice (e.g. cooperative or critical in relation to market and state institutions)
Firstly to backtrack a little. This research project into ideas of gift, generosity and reciprocity, began last year as open-ended exploration into what these ideas meant for me in my life and art practice. The research process has led, through a series of conversations, collaborations, research, online projects and artworks, to an examination of how these ideas operate in culture and economics, an increasing interest in the potential for conversation as an active and generative means for change. Looking at how I position my practice politically has become a key concern for me over recent months and something which I felt I now needed to define – how I situate myself in relation to the market and the state. Am I co-operative or antagonistic? I have always been involved in DIY activity and have done most of my projects on a self-funded “unofficial” basis but up until now this has been a more instinctive choice than a stated position.
Do I position myself as a DIY artist? Do I want to engage with or withdraw from public funding, art institutions?
These are some of the questions I wanted to raise with my three chosen artists, who have a range of approaches, knowledge of social practices within and out with institional frameworks, and who would be able to offer different perspectives and discussion.
Talking to all three artists, I realised that the questions I have been asking myself about self-definition as a DIY artist are not perhaps that helpful. Andy whose PhD study “ Radical Resonances: Art, Self-organised Cultural Activity and the Production of Postcapitalist Subjectivity; or, Deferred Self-Inquiry of a Precarious Artworker, 2008 – 2011. focussed on DIY culture activity said that he goes back to the phrase often used as a descriptor for DIY activity. ‘For love, not money”- i.e. it’s about the intention. Having some money to carry out a project doesn’t negate it’s intent or make you a sell-out – in fact sometimes doing a project ‘DIY ‘may not always be the best means to achieve your goals. It’s about judging the potential impact of each project individually, depending what you want to achieve.
My Re:view session with Caroline Hick a few weeks later also brought some enlightening critical discussion on the privilege and potential limitations of DIY culture. Caroline wrote about these via the Wurblog, of which she and Andy are both contributors to ( in response to a post from Andy “What is a generous work of art and where can it exist” http://wurblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/what-is-a-…)
It seems apt to quote these comments here, as this was the basis of our face to face discussion.
“I appreciate you both talking about your own personal experience of where you have found yourself within and without the institutions of art education and establishments. It helps to define the frameworks we see ourselves in and out of but, of course, our experience of this usually positions us within the frame of establishment through the “privilege” of our education in it. by choosing to work in alternative ways, we are still in a privileged position because we can choose to do this. It is most definitely good to have that choice and I suppose its what we then choose to do, that makes the difference felt or not.
Does having a DIY ethos mean you are restricted to a certain kind of practice? Does the nature of DIY activity serve a particular audience/interest group/community?”
Continued next post..
