Simulacra And Simulations

I’ve become distracted lately by a horrible issue with Orange, which I wrote in this blog:

http://helend-blackbird.blogspot.com/

Still no news from Ofcom yet, however, I’ve since been busy applying for funding for the Empty Shops project and just to be able to get the LAN going.

Last week I had the option of going with my G.C.S.E – stressed son to a post 16 presentation at school or the opening of Lincoln’s first Digital Arts Festival, Frequency, at The Collection.

In the end I attended neither. My son said he’d be fine going to the Post 16 evening by himself, and the Frequency thing became superseded by Tea Time.

Feeding the kids seems to be a priority for single Mums, over attending an event that I applied to be paid to take part in and wasn’t successful, and my omission from will only make me feel bad, so best to avoid. A tweet from someone involved saying “… YOU ARE MISSING OUT!” only served to add to a perception that the art world is blatantly discriminating against me because I am the sole carer of my kids, and I don’t find it responsible to go out at tea time when my son’s G.C.S.E.s take priority. Or will I have social services banging on my door again??… I always feel that it takes extra effort to attend such things, and I’m often ignored because I go alone, so why should I go to that much trouble? Why put myself through all that? I’ve never received any paid commissions, only people insulting me because I can no longer afford to work “voluntarily”. Having said all of that, I will go to Spire at the Cathedral. It won’t be any near as good as if JUSTICE were to perform there, or in fact APPARATJIK, but I’ll keep those thoughts to myself.

It’s half term now, so the usual frustration of being invited to arty things when I have a demanding 12 year old thinking i don’t love him if I don’t look what he’s doing 24 hours a day….. whilst ignoring ads for children’s workshops – I can’t afford to send my son to a workshop by another artist because I’m not working during half term, i can do them myself for free, but my son says he isn’t interested in art!! God knows what he IS interested in. Mostly breaking things. It cost me £30 to fix his bike, and he still needs a new brake cable. If I sit and draw things, he says I’m really good at drawing, and really quick, and that’s probably the best art education he’ll get. I learnt from sitting on my Grandad’s knee watching him draw stuff. Tony Hart and Rolf Harris don’t seem to be on telly these days. By the age of 11 I knew I wanted to be an artist, but I’m not so sure that was a good idea now!

I did receive a lovely message from Rosanne Robertson, from the AIR Activists meeting in Manchester back in March. She’s planning activist events in January and hopes to spread to other cities, so I’m hoping to support this in Lincoln. This is the kind of support we need!! But that kind of thing, ie work, can wait until November now.

I missed a Brothers Quay animation on SkyArts. Good, that would be art-related and classed as “work”. Then there was Vincent And Theo, which I left on, as my son was into Van Gogh, after that episode of Doctor Who. I’m not going to say what I thought of it, because again, that would be doing “work”, and it’s half term ;-) I don’t even know why I’m writing this blog!

Our exhibition went well in the end. We received a lot of positive feedback for our work, we inspired a few freshers coming to study in Lincoln, and I feel a sense of achievement now.

The best part was collaborating with Alice Lynch, who I contacted after I saw her blog on Artist’s Talking, and enabling her to exhibit work in Lincoln, which she appreciated. Stamford is a lovely town, I studied there for my A-levels in the days when Jamiroquai was thrown out of Oakham school… but the art scene there lacks a contemporary edge.

The gallery is relatively low cost compared to others, and artists are guaranteed an exhibition, as opposed to all the open submissions, where everyone pays a tenner but with no guarantee your work will be “chosen”. So I’m now going to focus on achieving funding for the group, whilst developing new projects.

My initial inquiries about Johnson Hospital are proving fruitful, so it’s starting to look as though that is a project worth pursuing further.

I received an email from the agent for the “owners” of the building (I use that term loosely ;-) ) interested in my proposal, so my next step will be to get in touch with him, and find out what we can do.

I’m in discussion with Apparatjik’s manager about collaborating with them, which will probably happen in 2013 now, and this requires funding.

I also hope to go to Oslo again some time soon.

Yesterday I wanted to take down work at the gallery, then spend the rest of the day relaxing. But the kids are being demanding, and a mirror was broken. The mirror is in my studio, so it gave me an idea for a new piece of Borges inspired sculpture.

So much has not gone quite to plan lately.

Last minute change of plans mean the show consists of five artists, and none of the people that initially showed their support.

We do have the work of Alice Lynch, and Beth Burr, both of whom are brilliant.

http://lincolnartistnetwork.blogspot.com/

I must stress, i consider myself no curator, but booking the gallery was a way to keep me focussed on creating new work amongst other things, to give me something to aim for, and with a lack of other paid opportunities in Lincoln, I have to do something, or I would never do anything at all.

It was affirming to speak to someone at the private view that knew about Borges.