scope to play

hello.

sometimes i have a freeze of ideas how to start a post – today has been such an occasion.

i add in a picture from a walk last weekend to break up the words so far.

i feel tired.  today has been a day of wordsmithing and completing my submission to doc fest of the second tranche of the non linear commission from the derby silk mill.

even if the submission were to be unsuccessful, the non linear project has moved on as a result of considering what was needed for the submission.  part of me knows i can re-write this in more positive langauge – the project overall has benefitted from submitting.

a week ago i responded the invitation from sue ball to join the volunteers and listen to the digital artists who are jointly commissioned with dlab also part of the arts and heritage programme.

at the meeting were 3 of the 4 commissioned artists and their projects. they are very diverse.  the plan  for the group is to meet bimonthly and share about practice and projects.

it was wonderful to be in the silk mill again and see some of the objects from around the museum waiting to be taken to storage.

while out with florence today i thought about the completion of shimmering place and the beginning of the skin and bone trio collaboration.  one circle completing – another beginning.

with the skin and bone trio there is synergy with the silk mill project.  at the beginning of the filming there were lots of different things to think about and consider – so many possibilities with the path ahead of finding out what i know about the project as yet to be defined.

skin and bone is as yet unfunded.

therefore i’m needing to make sure i manage my time and keep enjoying the opportunity.  i say this upfront – almost to remind me – of what though ?

its fun and for me.

i mentioned earlier i feel tired.  if i wasn’t i would pull up a you tube video of carl cox and start playing.  i think this evening i need to accept being tired and find a way of looking after myself and relaxing.  i smile to myself as really i want to play and i almost need to so i can see that i am too tired to make anything constructive this evening.  i’ve chosen to generate the visuals from scratch so i have much playing to do.  there are some simple conventions to find and agree upon too – a way of making the early stages of development manageable.

i’ve got the end of what i wanted to record.  oh my mind struggles to find a neat way of rounding this out.

for now.

goodbye.

i’ve met with the skin and bone trio. greg, walt and geogre have been playing together for about 18 months and they are looking to add visual elements to their set.

we met in the first floor function room of a pub in wirksworth while outside the sun gave way to snow gave way to sun.  i sat, listened and talked between the trio’s improvised rehearsal.

i meet a dancer called rachel, also new to the collaboration.

twice during the afternoon i experience a meditative trance as the trio work together.  i discuss the aesthetic of feel that is being expressed within what they do.  i start to learn how they communicate with each other through what they play.

after my meeting i begin to consider how i might create generative visuals.  i begin to assemble means to human interface with the computer.  we will meet again soon.

i settle down to make a review of my janaury 2018, florence has taken to eric’s chair – i think she realises that once the laptop comes out in the morning we’ll not be going out for our walk for sometime.  i’m looking forward to getting out into the crisp light blue sky with tuned down sunshine.

the highlight of the month for me has been leading three #richardlong based activities at the museum and art gallery in derby.

[note to a-n technical – the embed feature isn;t working right now.  i’ll send a technical ticket later]

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd7xjBNAfs1/?taken-by=andrewmartynsugars

we’ve made two out of doors and one inside the museum.

for me its been a period of quite hard work – in terms of the amount of preparations, i’ve certainly done many times more the three hours of paid planning time for the three sessions.

all the sessions went well with the feedback across the board of enjoyment, thought provokation and even how therapeutic its been.

i’ve shown myself what i’m capable of when put into a situation to do so.

having watched the rhod gilbert programme about shyness i can now recognise in myself how my own shyness affects me when going into new situations.  i am going to try and manage this a little better in the coming months as a result.

the gravel art workshop was a slow activity, very mindful.  the way i planned it with a group activity going onto individual working was a success.  it further backs up my preparations for the work needed for the steam programme at the museum of making.

the art and photo walk – a sunday morning for an hour and a half gave participants the scope to respond in the manner in which they felt most inclined to do.  we’d love to run this activity again.

the word walk – part of national storey telling week.  a walk of about an hour followed by a look at the exhibition with the curator and workshop where we made our own word works.

this january has been a very special month and one likely to be a stand out month in years to come.  the new years bells had barely cooled down and i was into working and delivering.  this has been a really good thing for me as it’s kept my spirit and mental health on the positive side of the line.  i recognise how the activities tied to the exhibition are likely to be unique and i have worked at making sure i enjoy them and get the most out of them – the resonance with me being strong.

i’ve also been playing.

i’ll be open with you.  this month has been so good i have been concerned that the months that follow might not come to the same level.

to manage this i accept that the level of this month will be achieved through other paths / routes and ideas.

i anticipate the experience of the richard long exhibition to play out in the coming months, along with activities that have been in discussion during january.

its feeling good.

the sun is out – time to wake the dog up ….

two weeks into the year and i’m fully back up to speed and i can share with you that this is the first time in years my year has started so quickly and i’m still a bit whar!  this is ace !

in a packed week one of the many highlights has been preparing for the art and photo walk happening this coming sunday, part of the richard long exhibition at the derby museum and art gallery.

working with jonathan wallis, the curator of the exhibition we made a planning walk on wednesday and i’ve continued to hone the plans as the week has gone along.  i even made a promo video with emma, the social media guru of the museum. it took the shape of a facebook live video.  at the time of writing the video has been viewed 993 times.

i’m loving all the opportunities that are appearing through being involved with the derby museums trust.

as the silk mill prepares for the collection decant i’m part of the on going discussion about the development of the schools programme for the museum of making at the derby silk mill.  the programme needs to be fully ready for the opening in 2020.

our select team is being asked to consider what a steam powered schools programme might look like.  we’re using a logic model for our early work and i have to say i’m loving this way of working.

the work we began in earnest this week is going to take months to realise and i’m up for the full journey of discovery.

this week has also included the realisation that there is some significance in the year ending in an 8.  there’s a lot associated with this thread of thought so i’ll fully unpack the multiples of 10 over the coming weeks and months.

given my current state of mind and offers being received there might be something in years ending in 8.

it was lovely to receive a comment from rob this week.  hi rob, i’m so glad we still have an ongoing connection.  inspired by you rob i think i’m going to include a few more pictures of my walks out with flo.  we began the week in a heavy frost illuminated by low sun and playing with her christmas present.

with a few more little prep things to do tomorrow i’ll  be ready for sunday’s walk leading and you know what ……. i’m so up for it.

i migrate to the laptop as work becomes painfully slow due to a feeling related to simply being tired.  am i trying to run before i walk in this new year ?

i’ve been thinking about what’s to come this year and what i carve out for myself through enquiry and realisation based upon.

there’s also the questions left for me to respond in connection with the second tranche of the non linear film for the silk mill museum.  it’s nearly complete and on my lsit of things to do in january along with bringing the accompanying blog up to date.

i stop and reflect for a moment.

i’m experiencing the beginnings … lots of ideas and wants to do while still getting to know where everything is.  i might be in a familiar built environment yet i’ve set for myself the boundary of something new and exciting and i’m feeling that feeling one gets when starting a new job / residency or commission.

only one thing for it…. explore, be curious and play.