Simulacra And Simulations

Last week I went to see the University of Lincoln Animation Degree Show, as I have been working with Animation during my AA2A scheme residency. I was very impressed with some of the work, most notably a very well made animation entitled Bread And Dripping, set at RAF Coningsby it plays on the role of Lincolnshire airmen during WW2 – an excellent piece of work.

I’m planning to edit the timing for the animation for Alice In Disneyland to submit for the Guggenheim Youtube channel.

I’m not going to reapply to the ACE for funding for the LAN, I wish instead to carry on my own practice in the area of animation for the next few months, in order to continue working over the summer holidays, and am in the process of making a new application for this.

I’m also taking time out to make a new Business Plan for the LAN and need to apply for more funding now that the Enterprise @ Lincoln scheme has finished. I met with a Business Link advisor earlier this week, and regained some confidence that I’m doing this the best way I can, but the fact is that I have a few issues with how to manage self employment with being a lone parent. The fact is that I need more commissions, and I need people to actually buy my work when I do the artist’s markets, otherwise it’s a complete waste of my time.

I received an invitation to Beth Heaney’s private view as part of Synapse quite late, so now I’m wrestling over the fact that I will have to book my youngest son for Kids’ Club, then he can go to his friend’s after that, all so that I can catch the 5.30p.m. train to Nottingham for this, or whether to just go during the day and avoid all unnecessary headaches and potential extra cost.

I wish to highlight why evening private views can be a nightmare for single parents.

Lincoln Artist’s Network are running the Artist’s Markets on The Strait, Lincoln (bottom of Steep Hill) Sunday 27th June, Sunday 25th July, and Sunday 26th September, and although I’m not doing this month’s market, I still have all the stock from last month’s for sale, and I need to make some money!!

We are open to anyone wishing to have a stall – there are still some available, contact [email protected] for more information.

The LAN decided not to exhibit work at the castle after all, due to lack of time – our curator is engaged with her degree show, and after I was awarded the Synapse bursary, I realised I was trying to do too much at once!

I’ve been to both Derby and Nottingham to see work for Synapse, and am still seeking a gallery in Nottingham for a potential exhibition I want to have in November.

I have since attended the Private View for a Graphic Novel exhibition curated by Darren Diss, which was very good, comes recommended – Darren taught me all I know about comics and Frans Masareel etc, some stuff I’ve seen before, original artwork, obviously not though.

On Sunday, Lincoln Artist’s Network held the Artist’s Market once again, and I spent several days preparing some extra prints to sell, some from One And Other, however, not only did I not make a single penny, the weather was first windy, then sudden downpours.

I became very frustrated and went home early, then went to Meleaguer’s Garland at Joseph Banks Conservatory, which was a very well – curated selection of work, including Alex Pearl again. Most people there I knew, but did meet some lovely people as well! It was very enjoyable, although being in greenhouses reminds me of Dad – in a nice way. One of the most intriguing comments was from Ruth Pigott, who said that in larger places such as Manchester, there is so much art work out there it’s difficult to do anything really shocking (or I’d say different), but over here in Lincolnshire is a good place to exhibit innovative work.

The only thing I will definitely do this week will be to attend the Private View for the UL degree show – it’ll be fine art this year, as Gail is exhibiting work, as are some very clever friends, but I will of course have to go over to Illustration at some point while that’s on!

In other news, Apparatjik are becoming more apparent in their weirdness with a series of new Podcasts

Alice In Disneyland was exhibited for four days at Lincoln Central Library, for a much bigger exhibition, and I noticed that Lincoln Castle are having a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party next weekend, so I asked if we could exhibit our work there additionally, and they’ve agreed! The only difficulty being that the space is a grade 1 listed building, so we can’t actually do anything to the walls. If it’s nice enough weather, i might consider just having it outside in the grounds, which would be suitably mad.

The library is a better space to exhibit, because more people go in there, so we had more visitors and members of the general public than we did at The Terrace, which is good. And some very favourable comments about how professionally it was curated (by my friend and colleague Gail). The decor in the Community Room though isn’t really your usual white cube space, very early 90s, and as I sat there I thought that if there were rows of beds it would look a lot like a hospital ward. I’m also pleased with my finished animation. I ran out of time to edit it any more, and it isn’t as long as it was intended, but the analogy with the white rabbit going “I’m Late!” works well.

http://www.lincolnartistnetwork.co.uk/

I attended a meeting for EMvan on Wednesday evening, a follow up to a previous meeting that I had to miss due to not being able to go to Derby that day…

When asked how many from outside of Lincoln there were, many put up their hand, but said they were from other places around Lincolnshire, which disappointed me in that no artists from Nottingham or Derby were there. I made a few interesting contacts, but I was more excited about a potential Digital Arts Festival here in Lincoln for the Cultural Olympiad 2011. I have replied to the questionnaire and added my thoughts, and I hope to be involved in that, definitely.

Other news, I’ve been awarded an Interface bursary to review Synapse festival in Nottingham and Derby, which is on over the coming months, so I’ll need to find time to do that. And there’s a lot of exciting things going on.

I was invited to the private view for Cathy Servonant Blanc at Sam Scorer gallery, and what a stunning exhibition of work I was grateful to be presented with! I dropped by earlier for a chat.

I also received an invitation to Meleager’s Garland, which involves a friend and Alex Pearl (again) not attending (again)!!

I’m planning to make another animation now for a competition on A-ha.com, to be potentially displayed at one of their upcoming gigs in November. This would be an ideal way of exhibiting work within an existing context to an existing audience. I’ve also applied to Tethervision for this as well.