Robin came into my space and moved the pieces of work around. The fabric canvas on the main wall – it now has a title, Breaking the Silence. That crucial act was the beginning of this whole process, my speaking out, so it seems an appropriate choice. The eyes canvas on the wall opposite and Loss of Innocnce and Prisoner of Silence on the opposing side walls. No space was designated for the fabric sculpture. I thought it worked quite well except that I really want to use the fabric sculpture, I will sit with it for a while.
Jane was the next to take a look at the space, and proceeded to change everything around. She felt that the eyes canvas was the strongest piece and that it should be on the main wall and that the word canvas should be on the outside wall as it didn’t really work with the paintings.
We moved it outside, it seemed overwhelming in that corridor-like space but maybe that’s a good thing. Several hours later and getting used to seeing it in its new location I have to agree with Jane, it works better as a stand-alone piece.
I have started to make frames for Loss of Innocence and Prisoner of Silence. The original frame for Loss of Innocence was a really poor effort at frame making ( my first attempt I might add) and needs to be replaced and I want the frames for both to be the same.
My works have been placed randomly in my space and I am ready to move them around and give consideration to their placement. I have also decided to cover one of my walls with photographs of me, as a child and beyond. I have seen this display strategy a couple of times recently. The first time was at the Marlene Dumas Exhibition, The Image As Burden, at Tate Modern.
The second, was at The Photographers Gallery at the exhibition entitled Human Rights, Human Wrongs. It made a huge impression on me both times, I think it is a very powerful image and one I would very much like to use. I was unable to find an image to show here but the wall was completely covered with photographs which came from various conflicts around the world with no indication of which belonged where. It was difficult and overwhelming to look at.
The walls are sanded, painted and ready to be graced by my work. My pieces of work have been brought into the space, now comes the most crucial part of the whole process, what will be included and what will not and how the chosen pieces work together. Since my visit the Whitechapel Gallery First Thursday exhibitions I have been very aware of the importance of presentation, this is not a process to be taken lightly and will require much thought and consideration.
Monday morning, in early, eager to paint and prepare my space ready for the installation of my work for the degree show. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan. The paint ran out early on in the morning and I am ashamed to say that I had an emotional outburst with the frustration of it all. In my defence, I could say that the accumulated tiredness and emotion of the past few weeks played their part, which is true, but even so I felt rather uncomfortable about my behaviour and was compelled to make profuse apologies the following day. More paint arrived later in the day and work on the studio spaces continued without further incident.
I have been watching a programme on the television about the detectives who were investigating allegations of historical sexual child abuse against Ray Teret, D.J. and friend of the late Jimmy Saville. There has been an explosion in sexual abuse reporting over the last two years and this led to the formation of the Serious Sexual Abuse Offences Unit. Serious sex crimes carry the highest sentences and the lowest conviction rate. The detectives featured in the series are part of their specially trained team. the programmes charted the progress of the interrogations of Ray Teret. After a trial that lasted eight weeks, Teret was convicted of his crimes and sentenced to a twenty-five year prison term.
The only positive aspect of this is that more people are coming forward to report abuses against them, something that I was unable to do and that some at least of the perpetrators are being called to account for their crimes.
After having finished the Word canvas, I felt compelled to create a companion painting for The Loss of Innocence. My original intention, had been to follow the advice of Rimantas Plunge and paint another Eyes canvas but after much consideration I felt that another canvas would not add to the message already held within the original and may even detract from its impact. To take the story held within Loss of Innocence one step further however would, I feel, add something significant to my degree show installation. Two paintings, in dialogue with one another would add another dimension to what I hope will be a powerful, if uncomfortable, message. The idea has been rolling around in my head for some time but now I feel the need to make it real. I haven’t given myself a lot of time, a couple of weeks or so. Considering how long I was working on the Loss of innocence, I can’t help feeling that I must be slightly mad or maybe I just like putting myself under pressure. The jury is still out on that one!
The following images are a record of its progress.
Determination is a wonderful thing!
