So i am bed ridden! great! What was a chest infection has now turned into an investigation to whether or not i have a blood clot in my lung or chest wall or something. Though they said it is unlikely, they just want to make sure. And i agree.
So until the test results come back i have been told to stay warm and rest. Which means i cant attend the last few days of university (sigh) or go in to work (YES!). I hate working a job with no creative input or mental stimulation, which means i MUST make my career within the art world work. On that note i decided to drag my laptop into bed (along with my trusty hot-water bottle) and spend today happily developing my 'external elements'.
As my lecture Tim Davis tells us:
"Professional artists take on many roles in pursing their career – art maker, curator, teacher, writer, designer, project manager, marketing, administrator, fundraiser, spokesperson etc etc. While each of these 'roles' can be individually recongnised as specific areas of employment within the arts, the reality is, unless you are fortunate to be 'discovered' and support by a wealthy patron or galley that enables you to sit in your studio and just 'make work;, you will need to do most, if not all, of these things to survive.
At this stage in your course, getting involved in activity beyond the studios is important; organising your own exhibitions, entering competitions, initiating artist led projects and networks are crucial to making you visible and credible as artists."
And i agree, i have been telling myself for months that i want to start writing up short articles on exhibitions i've experienced. I feel it will develop my understanding of art, the current state of the art world and exercise the critical side of my thought processes. However, i've not managed to even write up one exhibition. The downfall of a lazy student! However, now that im spending the day in bed – i am using that time to enter a few 2009 graduate awards that i've come across, and i feel pretty good about my applications (for now)….. *fingers crossed*
As well as that i am putting a proposal together for an exhibition, which myself and another local artist will be pursuing. I will post a separate blog with an outline of the area we are choosing to respond to. While South Wales has a lot to thank its industrial heritage for, it also holds concern for the protection of its famously beautiful countryside. Every action has a repercussion and most goals involve a sacrifice. Swansea Valley was our starting point, and we have now narrowed it down to one area that we feel has a lot to respond to.
Crymlyn Bog.
