I’ve been working on a number of things, as outlined in my blog:
http://helend-blackbird.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-final-animation-has-been-uploaded.html
Please “like” my Apparatjik animation here: http://vimeo.com/36575379
I was invited to take part in this auction http://www.afterdarkgallery.co.uk/
I asked from the outset what benefits this would give me, whether I would receive money, but it seems there is no financial benefit for artists involved. As such, I’ve submitted a copy of the comic, as the comic has already been covered now, and costs £2-3 where sold, so if it makes more than that, it would be interesting to see!
I’m taking part alongside a mix of top artists, including Jon Burgerman, Julian Opie, Sally Sheinman and Bill Drummond, and I’m participating, because I hope it’ll gain free publicity for my work, and I hope to gain some commissions from it. If I don’t get any commissions I’ll be disappointed, as I really need some at the moment.
I was really hoping to go down to Brighton to attend and take part, but single parenthood has thrown up another challenge typically at a really inconvenient time – always when I plan something elsewhere, and it would cost £91 in train travel, not covered by the organisers, so it reminds me how lucky everyone was that I made it to Colchester at all!
I’ve been following other people’s blogs about Open AIR: Effecting Change, http://www.counterwork.co.uk/index.php/article/belated_openair_response/
And I felt that a lot of what is being said is also how I felt, that not enough is happening for us. I wanted to clarify and expand a bit on my initial thoughts. I felt that it would’ve been good if AIR council members spoke on our behalf to get our message across to larger influences like ACE and the government in order to make it known that we don’t feel a part of the decision-making process, and that we should be. I also thought, when I saw cameras filming, that it would be great if it was televised – BBC?? I, like others, feel that I just want to make work and want less of the bureaucratic nonsense and trying to explain or justify what I’m doing. I really want it to be simplified. I think it was Emily Speed (forgive me if I’ve forgotten) that demonstrated the French / Danish model, where artists are subsidised to create work, and I really liked that idea as a possibility.
I was expecting more, but that isn’t to say the day was disappointing, just that we need to figure out how to move forward and implement some things that were discussed, and sometimes they can be quite tricky to nail down!
