Objects have begun to slowly flow in, i am receiving 1-2 a day since i sent out an initial email to friends and family in the first instance last week. Some are very moving ,i will start listing examples soon .. It’s like an alternative christmas, and some (local) friends / Givers have come to the studio and wrapped their object themselves. It seems to have the same cathartic effect on them as it does on me which is reassuring as it has felt like such a personal process so far , even though it is an age -old ritual i am tapping into here.
The museum are sending out a PR this week and it will start to escalate, i hope. Only real obstacle is the postal strike…! My brother pointed out to me that i have set up a project where certain elements (like the sourcing of the main material of the work) are beyond my control, and that must be a challenge i desired. He is right, it’s a step further than i have been before and it keeps the thrilling if terrifying element of uncertainty alive -will i get enough response to my call out for objects etc… The larger, deeper part of me trusts i will, postal strike or not , but my controlling side is somewhat on edge.
Raphaella helped me hang up 99 objects in a spiral to see how its going to work with the smaller of the two pieces, ie, my own objects. it’s looking good, though its going to be tricky to photograph since there is so much background visual noise and i am reluctant to publish images of it here as yet. It’s wonderful to finally see objects hanging in the air, as I had imagined them, and with only 99 it already feels like a powerful space is being created. I now have the dimensions needed to give the designers something to work with for the first hanging structure.
Which brings me to the number 9. the choice of 999 was an intuitive thing, I knew 6 years ago that was the number I would use if I ever managed to do this project. I am now discovering the beauty of the number 9 and how it always returns to itself , (ie 9+9+9 = 27, 2+7=9). Also, if you
you multiply anything by 9, the same thing happens, ie 9 x8 = 72, 7+2 =9 and 5 x9=45, 4+5 = 9 etc
And even in the dimensions of the spiral we made, bizarrely (and without calculation, just by eye) ;
144 cm wide, 1+ 4+ 4 = 9
261 cm high, 2+6+1 = 9
162 deep, 1+6+2= 9
Finally, here is the invite to contribute an object, either from my website or the Bristol Museum site (you have to scroll to the bottom to download the form on that one)….please spread the word…
