There is a story about a Native American Indian who was hitchhiking across the USA and kept asking the driver to stop after every two hours of driving. They would stop and the Indian would sit by the side of the road in silence for a while before he was ready to go back into the car to continue the journey. Only after a number of times of stopping the driver asked – why are we doing this? Indian gave a simple reason – we are travelling too fast and I need to stop to let my soul catch up.
Just like the Indian, I feel that I need to stop and catch up with all that happened during last StudioBook ‘session’. This was the inaugural weekend of the In Nothing Flat exhibition in Manchester, organized and curated by Mark Devereux Projects, which brought together artworks by twelve artists who took part in the StudioBook2017 programme.
We met again after three months that flew past and were busy for all of us. It was an intense experience, in spite of the cold gallery space. No need to mention that refreshments and the crowd of people who came to the opening made it warmer, as did the mutual appreciation and special connection we, the StudioBook2017 artists, shared. But, it was so short and intense and my feelings were raw. I felt that I did not have the chance to speak with everybody as much as I would have loved to.
I felt overwhelmed but, at the same time, so grateful I had been chosen for such a unique opportunity that will feed into my artistic career for years to come. And, I do feel extremely fortunate with the ongoing support of my new, extended art family – Mark Devereux Projects and my StudioBook peers.
My feelings continue to be a wee bit raw but time will help me process this intense and positive experience.
Everything is going to be alright, I’m sure.
For me the central experience of the StudioBook programme 2017 in Manchester, to date, is about relationships – building and creating new relationships and finding ways of maintaining and nourishing them. At the same time, it is also about being in and discovering places I have never visited before – Salford and Manchester, which are in a constant flux with rebuilding all around. There is the juxtaposition of traditional redbrick buildings and shiny new 21st century architecture.
Since the StudioBook fortnight finished, I have been going through my notes, through all the stuff I gathered – impressions, memories and printed matter. My notes were very useful for putting together a proposal for a “StudioBook Commission to Collect” opportunity with the University of Salford Art Collection and for another proposal for a group exhibition that we, the group of twelve StudioBook artists, had in November 2017 at Old Granada Studios in Manchester.
Amongst the many words in my notebook, I found these: “Start with a theme or a topic and develop it into a project you are passionate about, …think of a group to work with.” What appeared to be a simple advice turned out to be highly relevant.
The experience of a group of artists coming together during the StudioBook fortnight and getting to know each other had a huge impact on me, both emotionally and professionally. I experienced ‘togetherness’, sharing, mutual understanding and a surge of creative energy. The stream of new experiences had a enormous effect on the way I thought about my artwork for the November exhibition. I wanted to bring this fabulous group of people together again to enrich us with yet another joint experience that could form the basis of an artwork to be shared with an audience. This idea was the theme of our collaborative work: RELATION(S)intertwined immersed lasting – a performative reading at Chetham’s Library, which took place just before the opening of an exhibition in Old Granada Studios – In Nothing Flat – which showcased works by all twelve StudioBook artists.
