I am planning a solo exhibition about subjectivity in our choice of art. The first part is about individual choice, when members of the public will be invited to make their personal selection from a retrospective of 30+ years of my art practice. The second part is about institutional choice and will display all documentation and works from my submissions to various opportunities over the past two years.
I stopped blogging for a while to concentrate on preparations for the show. Now there’s a little over 2 weeks to go and things are really busy. Here’s a brief update.
All attempts at public funding have failed due to “competition for funds”. This has certain benefits in the freedom to be totally independent in both action and comment. (Watch this space…)
In the private realm, I am receiving loyal support from people who are joining The Select Few – who make modest donations in exchange for a print of any work of their choice in the exhibition.
Workshop bookings are coming in steadily – from primary schools, colleges and art groups. So far no individuals have made bookings to curate – but this has yet to be promoted properly.
If anyone is interested in curating their version of my show or becoming a supporter, there are links for both on the events page of my web site http://www.karenwallis.co.uk/events.htm.
Lately I’ve been asking myself: ‘Why am I doing this blog?’ Originally I thought that it would stimulate comment – and when it didn’t I posted the conversation I was having on my own web site. But now I understand the difference between blogging, which is reflection on one’s existence, and a forum, where people engage in a dialogue.
So, once again, what is this blog about and why am I doing it? If it is to reflect on the progress of my forthcoming exhibition, then it will be a very boring diary of trying to get everything done. This would not be just the continual struggle of juggling domestic life and making art. It would be a catalogue of the day to day administration and frustrations, of trying to get a solo artist led exhibition organised. Frankly, I do not have time for that.
Having failed to get institutional funding I will not be able to hire support, which would have helped with promotion and later on in the gallery. Fundraising will have to continue with the pursuit of small donations and marketing will mean endless phone calls and emails and press releases. All this leaves precious little time to get into my studio and finish making the exhibits. Therefore, unless anything startling happens, this blog will take a rest until the exhibition takes physical shape in September.
See you then…?
The conversation continues:
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Highlighting the rejection/selection element to being an artist shows you and the public where you are placed. Paraphrasing Robert Motherwell’s thoughts – one of the biggest problems a contemporary artist has is to determine who to connect with. For me this has been exacerbated since he wrote this in the 1960’s by the fact that the art world is populated by a vast array of styles and approaches. The liberality of aesthetics makes it harder to occupy a unique territory whilst attracting the support of an industry to develop your work and career and leads many to irony to salve their wounds. The fact that the art world is now international should in theory make it easier to connect with like minds but the practical reality is that it is difficult to convert this to financial benefits without the support of organisational endorsements. A frustration is that you have done all the right things. You have found a voice, produced the academic argument and got the badge, made organisational connections, operated professionally and still feel as if you are operating in a goldfish bowl. Well take it from someone who has done a lot of the wrong things that favela feeling is pandemic and is heightened for me when confronted with art education in schools that goes only as far as Picasso. Research scientists and farmers have similar cries and in the current economic climate this negative outlook is infectious. There is a vast array of arts organisations running a gamut of initiatives, often duplicated. This reproduction of programmes is an effect of a free market and on that basis, like many companies, they will stick to products and services that are proven and economically viable. It is hard in times of hardship to persuade folk to take a risk until circumstances force them to.
Might I suggest that if you are after political change, you may need to be more overt about what you are seeking to change. I think there could be a danger of appearing like the comedian who in the sweaty throws of dying, screams ‘Laugh you bastards laugh’. If it ain’t funny, this ain’t no joke.
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I am aware of this state in art and, at my age, don’t feel like taking on the monumental task of changing that particular world. I see my job as keeping up production and trying to reach people on the ground. It is all just as confusing for viewers of art and that is where I prefer to concentrate my political activity – which is what this exhibition is trying to do. If a few people enjoy their own powers of decision making and realise that everyone, including the organisations, makes selections that are subjective, then I will feel that one or two grains of sand have been shifted. Alongside that, I will be able to get a taste of people’s perceptions – as well as the satisfaction of speaking my mind here.
As I find it easier to have a conversation rather than reflect on my own, I recently set up the same blog on my own web site at www.karenwallis.co.uk to reach some more people. Here is some comment, with my responses, to my first post [3 May 2009] below.
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You say you want to situate yourself within the current art scene and offer direction for your future practice. Which begs me to ask aren’t you in it? What do you want to be in and do you know the criteria that will allow/ enable you to be in it? Is NOT having a direction for your future practice one of the criteria for inclusion into the thing that you have been excluded from?
How will you know when you are in it?
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That’s a nice point – in the real sense of ‘nice’ picking up on a matter of precision.
Of course I am situated, as in placed, in the current art scene – and I’m not actually seeking to be somewhere else that demands different criteria to what I already do. It is a matter of others’ perception of the position I occupy in the current art scene. I don’t feel excluded, in fact I enjoy not fitting into any set style or manner of practice. However it would be useful to know where the gatekeepers and followers perceive me to be operating – so that the work I choose to make can be more effective in getting a reaction.
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You are wanting your work to be more effective. So do you want to change your work?
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No, I don’t want to change my work. But there is always room for improvement and development. Just as one wants the next work to be better than the last so I’d like my future work to have more impact than my past work. I’m not talking about sensationalism either. My aim is always to generate a quiet sense of everyday reality.
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Ok so a number of questions then follow: Do you want to change the minds of the gatekeepers in the belief/hope that this will bring the greater impact? Do you want fame, critical acclaim or political change?
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No, I don’t seek to change the minds of the gatekeepers. Any impact I might make on them in the future will only help them to apprehend what my work is about – it doesn’t mean they will necessarily appreciate it.
What do I want? Critical acclaim and fame are always double-edged. I would hate to be in a position where people assumed I knew it all and I’m not sure fame is worth the potential financial gain. Of the three on offer, political change would be top choice (in my dreams). Maybe it is possible in a small ‘grain of sand’ way, by helping to cause a shift or being a mild irritant.
To prepare for the second part of my exhibition, I have been collecting documentation of all my submissions to advertised opportunities. In the past the process of making applications has generated feelings of doubt, frustration and a general sensitivity to being rejected. But, having had to increase my number of applications for this project, my perspective has shifted. Rejection is now less upsetting and, not only have I had a few unexpected successes, but a few near misses have introduced a new ‘short listed’ category. I’m also getting better at judging what work to submit and making better use of my diverse practice to increase the chance of success. Nevertheless, it all takes time away from making work and the costs of so many applications are adding up. I do sometimes wonder why artists have to compete for every opportunity…
I draw and paint the everyday world, and have kept a daily drawing journal since January 2013, which is shared via social media. I am curious about the role of images and how they are perceived by the viewer; in particular how visual rhetoric influences their perceptions through historical reference, methods of display, and curatorial input.
