How things change. I have decided that instead of using hooks in the ceiling as I usually do, that I will use metal grills suspended from the ceiling of the gallery that will then have the 'exploding notes' secured to them coming directly up from the books.
This all happened because I happened to go to Leeds last week to the artists book fair – £25 train ticket to see what other artists do with their books. It was interesting, there were some books that intrigued me but I was expecting a lot more to be honest. It was good, don't get me wrong – it just wasn't what I was hoping for.
Anyway, on the way to Leeds I was reading the Guardian and noticed in the 'what's on' guide that The University Gallery was showing an exhibition (Perhaps Nothing, Perhaps Something) that included the work of Cornelia Parker.
Her work 'Neither from nor towards' was simply amazing, I would recommend anyone who happens to be near Leeds to pay a visit, the exhibition includes other work that was also fantasitc but Parkers piece just held me in awe.
I have long been a fan but through books, magazines and the power of the Internet. I have never managed to see a 'real' Cornelia Parker piece. The installation was so well thought out, so meticulous in it's design and orchestration that I confess I spent far too much time (or maybe not enough time) circling and viewing from every angle.
Anyway, the individual pieces of rock were all hung from a suspended metal grill which gave me the idea to use the grill (that was kind of a round the houses explanation of why I have chosen to use grills instead of hooks in my own work).
So in my search for fabricated grill, realising the expense involved and as such thinking on a smaller scale, I have discovered replacement grills for speakers, pre-fabricated circular metal that is ideal. The books are all music based and so to have them exploding 'into' speaker grills seems very apt.
God, I'm going on!
Also this week I discovered another student on our course has folded books – the amazing thing is, she is doing the degree from 250 miles away as she moved house in the summer so everything is done with her tutor by email and she only returns for seminars and assessments. When she came up this week we noticed our books are very similar which was a bit of a shock to see but then I still have to explode mine, so they wont look alike by the time I am finished. It was actually good to see the differences, Louise's are so neat & very perfectly folded in a way that I really didn't want for mine but hers did look fantasic.
What else – oh had many headaches and migraines this week – definitely due to stress but it means my concentration is not great – JUST as I need it to be! May try acupuncture if it doesn't settle down soon.
