Simulacra And Simulations

I’m hoping things will move forward a lot quicker at the next LAN meeting next Tuesday, as time is running out for the Summer Gala, and so far it’s likely to be me and an empty cabinet!!

Tomorrow I have a training day for e-business / selling on the internet, and then I’ll have time to get some stuff organised.

Today I discovered that my contribution for John Newling’s “The Noah Laboratory: Constructing Soil” back in February/March is definitely referenced in his catalogue, along with a photo of Jo and I preparing to distribute his newspapers.

Which is good professional support.

I also know that my hero Magne Furuholmen will be exhibiting his work at Paul Stolper gallery again from 15th October, so I may go for a small excursion to the private view for networking.

Today I attended the last Lincoln Artist’s Market I booked for this year, and I’m really glad actually – I made the grand total of £1 – some savvy looking young ladies very graciously bought some Lady of Shalott mirrors that I’d made.

But by late afternoon I’d become very jaded by the whole event.

Realistically it was not a good idea to try to sell work – I could’ve used the stall more effectively to promote the LAN, but due to financial hardship waiting for my bursary to come through, a cheque bounced for the stall hire – the organisers seem very keen to make sure that artists pay the fee – everyone seems very keen to get artists to pay for things, even though recent graduates are expected to work voluntarily (ie free).

I’m quite tempted to stage a protest as part of the upcoming Summer Gala events.

The Sunday event is at Sincil Bank stadium, and I reckon it’s time to get the placards out and protest against graduate exploitation – the expectation for artists to work for free when even a cleaner won’t expect less than the National Minimum Wage, and in fact footballers, who generally don’t need to go to University, and therefore do not have student loans to pay off, are in fact paid a lot more for merely kicking a football around….. all that kinda stuff!

My bursary for the Lincoln Artist’s Market finally has arrived, so now the financial pressure will relax a bit, and plans are already shaping up for the Lincoln Artist Network.

I’m hoping to organise another meeting in the next couple of weeks, as the Summer Gala will be the best vehicle to initiate LAN installations/ artist’s employment issues protests!

Following the success of the protests made by workers at the Lindsey Oil Refinery recently.

This week I was invited for an interview for the SEAS Project internship, which would’ve been a perfect opportunity for me; the SEAS Project being based in places around the North Sea: Skegness, Sweden, Denmark and of course NORWAY…. but I wasn’t successful. Apparently they were looking for a terrier, and I am not a small ankle biting dog.

That is what I was told afterwards via some interview feedback. I asked if I could get involved as an artist instead, as the internship was for arts management. The response was very vague, and then there was mention of the dreaded “v” word, so my interest was being purged there.

I’m preparing for the next Artist’s Market, but also for the Lincoln Summer Gala, July 18th 2009, where I plan to create a Lady of Shalott mirror installation around the Brayford Pool location.

I have resurrected my old blogger blog to document the progress of that here: http://helend-blackbird.blogspot.com/

There was a mini LAN meeting (in that everyone else seems so busy that it was mainly myself and Gail Young)

We discussed further plans for the Summer Gala. However, financially I’m really struggling, no one wants to pay me for my work, no one wants to give me a job, and yet I’m still expected to pay up when my bank balance is -£0.

I am actually at the point now where I’m seriously thinking of giving up everything and applying for a full time non-arts related job just to pay off my overdraft before it has more insidious interest added to it.

To do that would be like cutting off my hand and poking my own artist’s eyeballs out with a hot poker, but how else can I earn some decent money???

Today I’m foregoing the chance to go to the talk for Kelly Large’s Legion project in Sleaford, because I can’t even afford the £7.50 train fare to get there.

It’s from 6-8p.m. half an hour away, and I really can’t be bothered!! I have a son who will drive me potty sitting through a boring grown up lecture, and I no longer have a babysitter – I’m back to square one on that front.

That is how depressing things have become. Until I receive the bursary for the LAN I can’t financially afford anything else.

On Wednesday I attended a website training seminar as part of my Enterprise Inc business training scheme for the Lincoln Artist's Network. The first half was basic how to build a website stuff, I already have one, so I was offering advice to others.

There was some useful information given – I'm a bit rubbish when it comes to metatags, so I'm working on optimising my searchability, or googleness! I really want to know how to incorporate a blog within my own website. Like a Facebook or Twitter feed, but of my own, so people can see me blogging on site. That and some kind of secure payment option to sell things via the web.

Yesterday someone sent me a link to an article about FUNEMPLOYMENT! Yes, Funemployment is the new buzz word! http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-funemployment4-2009jun04,0,7581684.story

As artists we have it pretty good, we can get away with it because we're always working, I just personally wish that I would be paid more than what I.S. gives me in order that my finances weren't quite as dire as they are after a whole year of refusing to accept voluntary work or full time work in London, neither of which I can do – for the former, I can't afford to, and for the latter I'm not able to do, due to the kids being settled at school here and not wanting to move. This month I seem to have the time to start seriously considering applying for Arts Council funding. I just need to stop wasting time applying for part time work, which after a year hasn't got me anywhere!

Needless to say, we art grads are not the only ones:

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/articles/lizs_job_log…

I have at times panicked over money and had several sleepless nights, but I try not to worry, that is something those working overtime every night would sadistically like to think we do. But no. I blog, I update my website. I apply for part time work to no avail, with no reply from potential employers.

On Tuesday I even went for a date with a man. I know, I know, don't worry, I have neither destroyed my seven month vow of chastity nor quite joined a convent yet…. such is the life of a single Mum. The good news is, it went well, there is love and much picnicking in the park happiness on the hottest day of the year. We chose the perfect day for it.

Today I had an interview with my lone parent advisor, but only received my student loan statement through the letter box this afternoon, otherwise, when she pointed out a job for hospital porter, I would've reminded her that a £7k job would not be enough to pay that back.

I didn't get the residency I applied for at Sheffield.

I am probably so efficient at not finding work now that I should really be awarded a prize for it…..

On a positive note, I feel relaxed after a "week off" for half term – finances seemed to finally hit rock bottom and threatened to start getting dangerous, but somehow I managed to pull through despite the fact that I've finally hit my overdraft limit.

This morning I went to have a look at the Tennyson/Lady of Shalott exhibition at The Collection. The gallery assistant had seen my doll version of the Lady of Shalott at the Artist's Market, which was good, it means that the Artist's Market at least has raised the profile of my work. The only thing I did last week that counts as work was updating my website.

And wanting to animate my Lady of Shalott doll.

I've just read the review of John's "Our Name Is Legion" project in Sleaford. I hope to go to the event on June 19th, as I was at a previous futile job interview the day of Kelly's event.