http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 4 week residency at 501 Artspace, China. From start to finish. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:45:09 +0000 a-n rss generator a-n The Artists Information Company and contributors edit@a-n.co.uk technical@a-n.co.uk http://www.a-n.co.uk/img/logo.gif http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Ideas & Research This week I have got my visa and booked my flights to Chongqing, cant believe I am going in a few weeks time. I have been reading the International toolkit and blog on the newworknetwork website as part of my research and plan to go to the Live Art Development Agency next week to look at Chinese live art and British artists who have made work in China. My initial ideas are exploring ideas around ‘International exchange’ and ‘communication’ during the residency. Although I will be resident in the artist community I am eager to work with the public in different environments. I have been thinking about contacting some of the artists who have done this residency before to find out about their experience and to learn more about the place I will be staying. When I visit China I will be resident during the Chinese New Year, which is an unexpected surprise. Due to this I have had to re-think some of my plans and instead of separating out my ideas I am trying to combine them. I am aware that some or even all of my plans may change when I actually get to Chongqing, however researching and having some structure to my residency makes me feel more confident and prepared for what is to come.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Research & Reflection I have been reading exhibition catalogues and books on Chinese contemporary performance artists who participated in live art events Vital and China Live. I actually saw the China Live event at the Baltic in Newcastle upon Tyne, and always remember the image of Shu Yang under a Chinese flag with a big knife stabbing in a downward motion. During the performance I stayed at the back of the audience feeling scared he might stab me as he moved around the space. I remember He Chengyao performance moving frantically in a dark room trying to catch a light reflection on a wall that was being controlled by the audience. My interest in Chinese live art has come out of a bit of a frustration with other performance work I have seen. I just feel that a lot of performance is very theatrical in it’s presentation and so creates a separation between the audience and the artist. I am interested in squeezing this gap, which is why I like to make work in public spaces and in social/professional situations. Working in this way brings the artist back down to an everyday level, which I feel offers a more natural way for the audience to engage with the experience. Chinese performance art has a modern history and is very political and bold, which encourages me to take risks in my work. Although I have the opportunity to exhibit at the 501 Artspace in March I am curious to see how my work will translate into a gallery context. There are no guarantees that the documentation of my work will be good enough to use, if so what else can I show? I could do a live performance, however what is left in the gallery space when I leave? Reflecting on these questions are important to consider for positive outcomes in the presentation and documentation of the work. I have loaned a Chinese medicine book from the Chinese Library in Manchester and have been scanning images from it. I really like this illustration of a figure standing on a persons legs, it looks strange even though this action is supposed to be good for you.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 What can I exchange? I can’t help but think of using myself, my foreignness as a thing to offer to people in Chongqing. I have been told that I will probably get stared at but I wonder if this will actually happen? I say this, as I don't think I look obviously western. However if this is the case and I do get a lot of attention how can I use it and engage people beyond the surface of how I look? This has sparked off a number of ideas from having words written on my face to simply standing in a public space with viewing borders around me. Recently I have been working in Selfridges, Manchester store over Christmas for a bit of extra money and found observing and participating in the retail experience fascinating. I embraced customer interaction trying to get people into conversation and seamlessly link in a sale. The social performance of shopping got me thinking about how I can sell myself like a product and who do I want to sell to when I am in China? I noticed many Chinese people purchasing at Gucci and Louis Vuitton concessions. We opened our doors at 8am and by 10.30am Gucci had totally sold out of all their sale items. I worked in the Paperchase concession and we had a mixture of branded shopping bags and Selfridges famous yellow bags. Most people didn't want the Paperchase bag favouring the yellow ones after all if you have spent money in Selfridges you want everyone to know about it. This got me thinking about the value of these paper bags especially if you take them to another country like China. How much money would someone bid for a paper Selfridges, Gucci or Louis Vuitton shopping bag?  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 The Study Room I managed to get my train down to London with no cancellations or delays, which I was pleased about. I used the study room at the Live Art Development Agency to research video documentation of artists who have made live art/performance work in China (www.thisisliveart.co.uk). In the study room there are a series of study guides to help users find relevant references. I used ‘A small map piece of performance art in China’ by Adele Tan, 2008 which was really helpful as it listed lots of video documentation. I know that documentation can never replace seeing the real thing/performance/event however I do believe that work can have a second life in other forms and is a good resource to have to reflect upon as a way of learning. Even though I mostly looked at video documentation the work which is burnt into my memory is an image of MA Yanling holding a gun to her head in a public space, no one is looking at her, they just look at the camera taking a snapshot. This work was made for an exhibition called Internal Injuries 2 at the Morella gallery in Beijing, 06. Liang Tao, Madhouse in Paradise was a performance where she lived in the gallery, which was set-up like a cell and she was dressed in an institutional uniform. This personal display and blurring of public and private behaviour is something I am interested in developing in my work. I watched the video documentation of a performance called Speech a collaboration between Clare Charnley & Shu Yang for the Dashanzui International Art Festival in Beijing, 2005 (www.clarecharnley.com). Clare appears to be in a courtyard, she takes to the stage and speaks into a mic as if she knows fluent Mandarin, however she is wired up to Shu Yang who is watching her on a live feed and relaying the story to her. I did not know what she was saying as there were no subtitles which I liked although on Clares website you can see a video clip with translation on. I think she is reading a news story about a pregnant woman who was beaten by her husband, which seems to have happened in the local area.  Clare performed Speech during 2002 – 2007 in collaboration with various artists in many different countries. She comments in her statement about the background questions to the project, “How can the foreign artist make work for a context they have a superficial understanding of? Can an audience in the host country engage with the incoming artist without viewing him/her as exotic, patronizing, didactic or irrelevant?” As I left the Study room all I kept thinking about was, what can I offer? So I left a slightly bruised banana at a crossing in Old Street.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 A space for exchange I want to set-up a show and tell style workshop at the 501 studio space as a way of sharing work and ideas. Newworknetwork recently held a workshop at the Wunderbar Festival in Newcastle called Tit 4 Tat, This 4 That, which looked fun and informal. Looking at the video clips from the day people were sharing all kinds of skills such as drumming, using the voice, making paper cranes to more unusual skills like how to balance an umbrella on one foot. One artist said that attending the workshop was “an opportunity to learn new skills from other artists.” Video clips from the Tit 4 Tat workshop can be seen on the Wunderbar website. (www.wunderbarfestival.co.uk/media?video_id=7758982). Following on from Clare’s comments noted in my previous post she raised concerns about engaging with people in a foreign country which has got me thinking about socially engaged practice and what this actually means. In some ways my practice could be labelled as this, although I do shy away from this term as I feel it gives the impression that I want to solve peoples problems with an art project, which I don't. Of course there are different levels of engagement and as my work develops I am starting to see two sides to my practice. On one hand I work with groups of people either initiating projects or developing pieces with my peers. On the other I like to question the rules of engagement with a more antagonistic approach towards the audience in my solo work. Both sides seem opposed, although for me I need them both to understand what one is and what the other is not. Engaging with another person could be as subtle as a glance across a room, or a full on parade through the streets with floats and bunting. I do find it challenging putting my practice into words and I am finding writing this blog a good short format to structure my thought process. I found this page on the Live Art Development Agency website called, Can we talk about practice? By Barby Asante which I found a useful read (www.thisisliveart.co.uk/projects/small_talk/small_...).   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Taking a risk I have been thinking a lot recently about what risks I am prepared to take in my intervention work in a different country and what the consequences of my actions may be. In the UK I do sense a little danger when I do things in public or in a professional situation were there are a certain set of assumptions and rules placed on how we should behave. I can see the potential of having a studio of my own in China to make work in and having a private, controlled space to invite audiences into. Now I know I am going to contradict myself here but for me there is something about that unpredictability of the outdoors, the risk of mis-behaving in a professional situation that makes me feel alive and an intense temporary connection with people. In December I was invited to give a performance lecture at the Chinese Arts Centre to an invited audience who were participating in a short course run by Kai-Oi Jay Yung, Cornerhouse: The Art of Social Engagement. Ying Mei Duan the resident artist had been collaborating with different people and artists whom performed individual pieces in different parts of the gallery space (http://www.yingmei-art.com/en/). I was in the basement and set the space up like an official artist talk, although I turned the expectations onto the audience by making them carry out a series of actions exercising my temporary control over them. I ended the talk by playing an intro to a song, speaking over the top of it about the choice we all have, whether to stay or to leave, then I just walk out of the room, leaving the audience wondering if I will come back. I went to the Negotiable Values exhibition last night at the Chinese Arts Centre (http://www.chinese-arts-centre.org/). Jamie Lau is showing work as part of his Whisper residency and I was really impressed with the amount of work he had made in just 2 weeks. This has got me starting to feel a little nervous about filling a gallery space, as I am not an object-based artist. There is an opportunity today to talk about the residency with Yan Yan the director of 501 Artspace as he has co-curated the Negotiable Values show. There will be a round table discussion about the current exhibition and a chance to talk about Chongqing.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Round table discussion at the Chinese Arts Centre I attended the round table discussion at the Chinese Arts Centre, which involved some of the current exhibiting artists in the Negotiable Values exhibition Rachel Goodyear and one half of Conroy/Sanderson, Yan Yan the Director of the 501 Artspace and Ying Kwok curator of the Chinese Arts Centre (www.chinese-arts-centre.org) were also present. The starting point for the show was for the artists ‘”to create works in response to the idea of ethics and moral choices.” Yan Yan goes onto say that “the exhibition brings together artists’ works which explore the notion of advancement and raises the question about the price of progress.” I don’t want to give too much away about the exhibition as you should really try and see it however the inclusion of Rachel’s work really added something else to her pieces and the exhibition, how power struggles are not only a local concern but an international issue. This show emphasizes the importance of context and how this can add to the reading of an artwork. For example the background information behind the show, how the work is hung and the place were it is shown. I got to meet some of the other artists who are due to go to Chongqing and Phil Davenport who has just recently come back. He had an exhibition of his work in a local teahouse, which I was really pleased to hear that someone was showing work outside of the gallery (http://tony-trehy.blogspot.com/2009/12/speak-is-co...). We went for a coffee, as I was eager to ask lots of questions about his experience. I had underestimated how important it is to have these conversations as it really helped me feel less anxious about going. To be able to let someone know how I was feeling and be told that this is natural was what I needed to hear from someone who has been through the same experience. I asked Phil about simple things such as money to take, how he travelled around he even drew me a small map. It was a chance to ask him about how he felt when he first got there and the development of his work during the residency. Only one week to go before I depart. I am starting to gather my things together and still adding to the never-ending list of stuff to take.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 3 days to go before I depart I am half way through my packing and keep looking at all the other stuff that still needs to go into my suitcase. Today I am hoping to borrow an Edi role, which is a really high quality digital sound recorder, which I am looking forward to experimenting with in China. Yesterday I bought a disco ball just a small one; I like the idea of using the disco ball to change the look and feel of an environment simply with light, mirrors and movement. I have been learning a little Mandarin by listening to CD’s, which I have really enjoyed which is unusual for me as I find learning languages difficult. However Mandarin is a fascinating sounding language and I feel like I am learning sounds like music rather than words which for me makes it unique. I play the CD with the speaker behind my chair, close my eyes and relax into imitating the sounds as it travels through my body. This has got me thinking about how we learn and how by making the process more physical can help people engage with it on a deeper level and hopefully retain information for longer. I have just had a look at this website (http://www.learning-styles-online.com/style/physical-bodily-kinesthetic//) I am a physical learner which explains why I don't like sitting and listening to lectures and talks for long periods of time. I remember a programme on TV, which was a documentary about how a teacher taught a struggling group of kids English by exiting the classroom and working with the children in a park. Both the teacher and the children used more physical movements and gestures in the teacher/learning experience. To improve my Mandarin I will be going to Mandarin Corner at the Chinese Arts Centre, which starts at 1.30pm this Saturday. This will be an opportunity to speak to people and test out what I have already learnt (http://www.chinese-arts-centre.org/). I hope to continue publishing my blog whilst I am in China twice a week. If I am struggling with Internet access I may have to combine my posts into one long entry.    ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 New Arrival So many hours later I arrive in Chongqing and am met at the airport by Yan Yan and Chloe. We drove through lots of traffic, as it was the rush hour, the yellow taxis drive like England cab drivers, aggressively. I dumped my stuff off at the flat and then we went for dinner. We had a big hot pot of spicy prawns, tofu and vegetables, which was delicious although I found it difficult to get the prawns head and legs off with my chopsticks. It took me a while to get off to sleep, as I was cold but slept in til 11am. Went to the studio for the first time today and took along the few things I had bought with me, it was nice to lay my things out and start getting a feel for the space.  Speaking to Yan Yan it seems with the Chinese New Year celebrations the gallery will be used for a planned event so it is likely now that I will be showing my work in the studio or in another space of my choosing. This has taken a little bit of the pressure off and has got me thinking about starting some smaller projects which I can complete back in the UK. For example I would like to interview some of the artists who have already done international residencies to hear about their experiences. The audio files could be linked to a website or simply put onto a CD, sharing information in this way is important to me and I do see it as an artwork. We went for lunch and I had some dry spicy noodles, I really need to learn some more basic Mandarin, as I don't feel confident ordering food.  I am not being stared at as much as I thought, however when I speak I am aware that people take more notice of me. I feel that I would still like to do a performance in the street or on public transport using my voice as this draws people’s attention. At lunch today Yan Yan pointed out a sign, which is advertising a government organised International Festival of Art, which only has Chinese artists in. The word ‘International’ is used in the UK for artists who are not from the country giving the impression that the work is somehow better or more insightful than a local/regional artist work. However the Chinese version is the opposite of this, which is saying that Chinese artists are International.              ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 International Cleaner The main street, which the studios are on, is so busy with so much activity happening will anyone notice if I did a performance? Does it matter if there is an audience? There is always a market on along the main street, people eat overlooking or sitting on the pavements, I even saw two people playing badminton outside a shop. In England I feel street life is very controlled and sanitized with activity restricted to inside shops, shopping centres, and organised events. I know people say that this is because of our weather however it is cold in Chongqing but this doesn't stop the hustle and bustle of the streets. Along the road there are lots of benches, which are always being used, I really like the design of them as the seating is close to the ground. This has sparked off an idea to do a performance using the benches, I like the idea of cleaning them. Last night we went into the centre of town and we did some shopping in a large store, where I bought some props. I bought some cleaning products, plastic stool and plastic sleeves. In the studio today I have been experimenting with laying out the cleaning products and I just couldn't help but put on my fancy dress flight hat. I am going to call myself ‘International Cleaner’ and clean the benches, Chloe will video it for me. I would like to video inside the International Festival of Art and get a tour of the exhibition with someone translating for me. The advertising signs for the Festival are basic with white Chinese symbol on a red background. I would like to make flyers that are designed in the same style as the Festival advertising with the symbol for power and hand these out in the street to passers by. I performed my first intervention ‘International Cleaner’ on the street and I was a little nervous as I just kept thinking no one would notice what I was doing. I was wrong my cleaning ritual drew the public in and people stayed to the end of the performance. The piece lasted about 20 minutes and viewers commented ‘is this art?’ which for me is the biggest compliment. My intention with the ‘International Cleaner’ sign was to subtly critique the opening of the ‘International Art Festival’ and question the meaning of the word ‘International’. There is something ridiculous about using the words ‘cleaner’ & ‘International’ together as we only usually associate this term with high culture, business and travel. This performance exposes how the word is selectively used to promote/advertise products. As a foreign artist I felt that the act of cleaning the benches was also a personal offering to the public. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Meeting New Artists I have been introduced to some really interesting artists some have studios at 501 or in the local area others are here just for the New Year holidays. I met Zhou Yumei an installation and performance artist who has a studio in Beijing and we talked to each other about our work (Http://blog.sina.com.cn/zhouyumei). Although there is the obvious language difference the Internet helps to look at images of work and we could understand basic art terms. Mao Yan yang has a studio here at 501 and he paints, Mao has done the residency at the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester, which I had seen so this gave me some reference to his work (www.maoyanyang.com). He kindly documented my performance and has told me about his experience about temporarily living in Manchester; I hope to interview him after the New Year. I was lucky to meet the artist Ren Qian his practice involves video, photography and performance, when he showed me his work I recognised his ‘Water’ works were he collected bottles of water from different rivers over a period of 10 years. We went to his studio and Chloe and myself interviewed him about his experience of working in London. I was overwhelmed by Ren’s work especially making it over a ten-year period. This has got me thinking about my work and how my pieces are very short and temporary, it seems that durational performance work in China is popular. All the artists I have met have been very friendly and are eager to hear about my work. I can feel quite shy talking about my work, as I like to just show it rather than talk about it. Yan Yan is eager for me to do an artist talk at the studios which I would like to do but I am worried how much will get lost in translation. Were do I start with my talk? Recently I have turned artist talks into performances, however I feel on this occasion this is not appropriate. Interviewing and talking to the artists here will help me structure my presentation and I will discuss this further with Yan Yan. I feel a little nervous as I am still very much an early career artist and my work has significantly changed since 2007 with more of a focus on performance. The event I plan to have at 501 will be a new experience for me as I have either collaborated with other people or have been part of a group event. I would prefer to do a talk about what I have done rather than discuss my old work, as this will be easier to translate in real time, although Yan Yan thinks I should do the talk at a different time. I’m not so sure I think combining the two would be better and the audience will get more of an understanding about the work. I have been giving serious thought as to where I will show my work, as I don't feel that the studio is the right space for me. I really like the entrance to the 501 studios and the landing area on the first floor, which my studio is next to. I am drawn to these spaces as they are in-between and dark which is ideal for using lights and my disco ball. A young boy called Dou Dou has been practising playing the piano in the studio and I would like to do a performance with him for my final showing. He plays very well, although I found it more interesting when he tried to remember different melodies, creating a broken soundtrack. Since I have been here, listening to my music has been a great comfort and a motivator to work in the studio and I would like to combine Dou’s piano playing with my own recital of broken western pop songs. My aim is to create an ‘International Performance’, which continues my enquiry into the meaning of the word ‘International’. I have also been developing the Chinese medicine illustration into a moving slideshow with the image sliding across and off the edge of the screen.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Happy New Year  As it has been Chinese New Year I have been away for the past five days visiting Yan Yans family and friends whom have been very hospitable. It has been strange though arriving and working for a week and then being away, although what a wonderful experience to be in China at this time of the year. I have eaten some amazing food, the chicken is very good here and I have tried new foods such as pig’s lip and ear, which is like chewy bacon. In most of the restaurants we have visited in the different places we have been there is usually a big pot simmering away in the middle of the table with lots of stock and spices with a choice of meat and fish. After we have eaten the meat you then add vegetables and along the way drink the soup, which is really tasty. My favourite drink here has been a nutty milk, sometimes peanut last night it was walnut and is normally warmed up and is sweet if a hotpot is too spicy the milk can calm the chilli down in your mouth. In Long Quan Yi I stayed at Yan Yans sisters flat which was really nice and funny as we both couldn't speak each other’s languages so there was a lot of body language and laughter. With not being able to speak Mandarin when we have visited different people sometimes I have felt a bit like a tourist attraction, which can be looked at and not spoken too. At the dinner table if there are more than 4 people I loose track of what is being said and on occasion have felt like I am not there. However all this aside everyone has made me feel very welcome and I wouldn't have changed a thing about my experiences so far. When we were away I did get to meet and interview Zhou Bin a Live Artist who lives in Chengdu. We visited his studio and when we arrived he set off a belt of firecrackers, which were so loud. We then had tea, which his wife made, and I was fascinated with the process of how she was making it, I can really appreciate the process as art. Yan Yan helped translate for me and I interviewed Zhou about his time in Manchester for the Vital event in 2007 and I got a chance to talk to him about my work. We could see similarities and distinct differences in our work for example durational performance is very popular in Chinese Live Art and using irony and humour are more English traits. We go back to Chongqing today and I am looking forward to picking up my sound blocking headphones and planning ahead for this performance. During my stay here the Shanghai Expo is being heavily advertised with the strap line, ‘Better Life, Better People’ this also reminds me of the Beijing Olympics slogan ‘One World, One Dream, I find these messages very 'utopian'. Expo has a green theme which I find very contradictory for example what about the pollution which will be created by the traveling participants and visitors, and then what will happen to the site when Expo is finished? I am thinking about incorporating some of these cheesy strap lines into my performance, I could use them in a banner of some sort, maybe on some ribbon. I have found China to be very Chinese lots of places I have been to are very westernized, although China retains a strong identity. There can be no ‘One World, One Dream’ as we are so different which is a good thing, who wants to live in a world of sameness? It would be a pretty boring place.          ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Time is slipping away  So I am now back at the studios and have had a clear out in the space to focus on the objects and the final performance for the end of my residency. I am torn between two spaces the studio and the landing area, the studio is more appealing as it is cleaner and less cluttered although the landing area is more of a risk and I will need more support to install the work. The landing area is a larger space with a higher ceiling which would give the ladder more breathing room but I am not sure how or were to project the video. I feel I want to show both the video and do the performance in the same space and not split the work into different areas. I really need to find more bunting, I know I could try and make it myself but I like to use found objects in my work as this ties in with the place that they are from. When I was waiting for my connecting flight at Hong Kong airport I filmed a plane being prepared it was fascinating to me see how much work goes into this process. I was having a coffee and the window overlooked the area were the plane was and I filmed it by resting my camera on my laptop bag as I didn't have a tripod. As it was being filmed through the glass there is a slight reflection and I have speeded the film up to emphasize the carefully orchestrated performance. The sound on the film is not so good but I may take the sound off and keep it purely visual. I have found here in Chongqing and on my visits to different places the way people stack, order and display their goods really interesting. When we visited the old town in Chengdu up in the mountains I photographed a gap in-between two buildings were someone had stacked a variety of objects in a particular way. When I took this photograph people wanted to see what I was photographing and I think people thought it was unusual for someone to take a picture of such a thing. Over the New Year period we visited Ren Qian's family and on the ground floor of the property they let the space out to an artist who is a sculptor. I found the way the objects were naturally placed in the space like an art installation and I could imagine seeing this in a gallery. This has got me thinking about context and how we read work as art if it is placed in a gallery or part of an exhibition or event. I showed a young girl Din Din Cat she was 18 and another local artist my work on my website and they found it confusing and difficult to understand it as art. Referring to context beyond the site and placement of art it just revealed to me how, education, travel, social and political influences in our everyday lives effect how we see art.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   New Arrivals for one night only Since being back from the New Year holidays I have been unwell which has stopped me being able to get into the studio. This has made me feel worried about running out of time to do the things I wanted here. On reflection I feel 4 weeks is too short a time to be here, and I did try to change my plane ticket but this wasn't possible. The sound blocking headphones I ordered didn't work as you can still hear the muffle of people speaking and traffic noise, although I do see the potential of this idea of giving people some peace and quite a project I can develop in the future. With only five days left until my final performance I have started to panic that there isn’t enough time to prepare. This is the shortest time I have had to plan a performance and I have become a bit frustrated with not being able to get some of the materials I need. Not being able to speak the language makes me feel like a child, not being able to fully organize things by myself and having to fully let go of the control and put my trust in other people has been a struggle. We went to a market yesterday and I managed to get my bunting and lots of balloons. I am thinking about getting a cake made which looks a bit like the ladder wrapped in bunting and feed it to all the guests at the show. We have started to put together a flyer and poster for my performance and decided to go with the title ‘New Arrivals’ which is the message on a sign I bought in Manchester. I have decided to go with the more challenging space out on the landing area as I feel I do have the support here to make this happen. Although today I have had a panic and had a meeting with Chloe and Yan Yan about whether to change the performance space back to the studio, as it is an easier space to manage. Since being here I didn't realize how much talking through ideas is part of my process and how difficult I have found trying to communicate my feelings which I admit can sound a bit scrambled making it even harder for other people to understand me. Then all of a sudden I had 3 helpers arrive and it has been all systems go setting up the piano and the ladder on the landing area. I was a bit taken aback by all the help and again found it difficult to communicate what I wanted to be done. We all muddled through it and I feel much better now seeing the main body of the work in the space before Saturday. The piano is a powerful instrument and echoes through the building and the disco ball really works covering the walls in moving lights. I tested out trying to climb the ladder and get over the top of it, which was a bit tricky it had the desired effect on the people holding it, as they were very worried I might fall.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Running order for New Arrivals performance   Dou Dou plays piano I will have lots of balloons attached to me Welcome people Ask people to burst a balloon When all the balloons are burst Dou Dou stops playing piano Sing                                             Give everyone a flag on bunting line to hold  Get two people to hold ladder Dou Dou starts to play as I start to climb the ladder When I reach the top Dou Dou stops playing and I give a speech         As I climb down the ladder Dou Dou plays When I reach the bottom I cut the flags for each person I play audio artist talk Dou Dou fades out piano Cut cake and feed it to people/give it to people                                    Q&A                    ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Post performance review I was happy with the performance although I did start a few minutes earlier, which I didn't think was a problem as the moment just felt right to start. After the performance I was told that it would have been better to start later although no one had told me this in advance. I guess this is just one of those little details that gets lost in translation, although I liked the fact that lots of people turned up later and had missed the party. Dou Dou played the piano really well particularly when I was climbing the ladder. I did get stuck for a moment when I reached the top, however this just added to the uncertainty as to whether I would get over. The event really looked and felt like a strange leaving party, which has to be the ultimate temporary event. I liked how people were not sure when the performance had started or ended this includes myself for example having my picture taken with lots of people and when we were tidying everything away. I was concerned were the drinks table was placed in the corridor and this seemed to keep people hanging around in that area which kept people further away from the main performance space. However at every opportunity in my performance I would intervene myself in-between the audience and used lots of eye contact. The video of the plane being prepared looked really strong projected large scale onto the wall and retained detailed quality. On the whole I was pleased with the outcome of the event, although there are always things that can be improved. I was happy to work with Dou Dou, which was a completely unexpected partnership, and I felt that he symbolised the youth of China learning the piano as a means to getting to a better life. I could see similarities in him and myself a young artist trying to get somewhere and the possibility we all face of making it and not making it. The bunting I used I had seen many times here as they are used as New Year decorations and I structured them as if they could pull the ladder over which created a dynamic shape and focus for the performance. The video of the plane and the shopping bags again reflected ideas of literally trying to get somewhere through travel and simply wanting to buy more stuff. The frame for my work was the private view and to use the situation as an excuse for a weird party for myself and to explore ways of engaging the audience with me and the work. Later on in the evening we went to Zhang Xue Qing’s bar called Bosa Novas, which was in another town, she really talked the place down as this little bar she part owns. It was a large lounge bar with karaoke and VIP rooms and we had a room all to ourselves. We played drinking games and sang a few songs I wish I had my camcorder with me as it is really funny how us regular folk entertain ourselves. In the main bar area there was a lounge band playing and Zhang asked me if I wanted to sing on the stage, I was a bit embarrassed when she asked me as I wanted to make it clear to her that I am not a professional singer. However this was not a problem and she was determined to get me up on the stage to sing, as they like to get foreign people up on stage as they are seen as a novelty. The only song I could remember was ‘It’s Now or Never’ the famous Elvis Presley song. When I got up on the stage the band just looked at me and when I started to sing they struggled to get in synch with my out of tune voice. Eventually near the end of the song we somehow pull it together, what a strange performance.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Return to Manchester I returned back to London early Thursday morning after a 12-hour flight, which I slept most of the way through. It was so cold at 7 in the morning and funny to hear London accents again. When I got back to my Mum’s house in Shepperton she was pleased to see me and eager to ask me lots of questions about my trip while I enjoyed a cup of tea and bacon sandwich. The jetlag started to hit me around 3pm and again at 9pm although I did manage to get a good night sleep. I got my return train to Manchester late Friday night and was greeted at Piccadilly train station by my husband. It was strange being back in the warm flat and how the normal everyday things at home didn't feel so normal anymore. I didn't think about what it was going to feel like being back I just thought it would be the same as before I left. It's taken me a few days to settle back into some sort of routine and in some ways it has been like moving in with my husband all over again. My art head is returning and I am planning a performance for BLOP – Bristol’s Live Art Open Platform event at the Arnolfini­­ at the end of the month for further details on this event please visit this link http://www.arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/live/details/600. I have proposed to sing a few pop songs in areas such as the library, the café and reception as I am interested in how the audience will react to someone singing in an improvised manner in the semi public spaces of the building. I am selecting songs, which make reference to relationships between people in the lyrics, which will create a highly personal soundtrack as if I am singing the song for you. I have put the video from my Bosa Novas, It’s Now or Never performance in China at the lounge Bar on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xoe0ipe_9FQ and I hope to put my plane video on the website later this week. This is all part of the second half of my Arts Council proposal, which is to share the experience of working in China with a wider audience by using video sharing sites, social networking and artist talks. I need to do some more research on how to share the artist audio interviews and how to edit them together.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Airports I have uploaded my plane video on to You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-oJh8FDmtU which is such an easy website to navigate and manage video content. I am trying to get in contact with fact TV who host video and film work which has been a slow process, I’m just not sure whether anyone can upload videos or whether there is a selection process it’s not clear on their website http://fact.tv/. I keep thinking about the plane video and how this could potentially translate into an installation as the video is best shown large scale so you can see the details within the frame. Airports are such strange places particularly Hong Kong airport which feels like a never-ending labyrinth of corridors with a vast selection of luxury boutiques such as Gucci and Channel, I couldn't help but notice how the more expensive shops were deliberately placed near the International departure lounges. On the evening of my departure they were playing some sort of sophisticated, ambient lullaby music, I find it fascinating how airports are designed from the sound, lighting, soft furnishings and carpets. Waiting for my connecting flight felt like being temporarily suspended from reality, a vacuum within space and time, knowing nobody and nobody knowing me. My next departure will be Bristol for the BLOP event at the Arnolfini and I have been busy selecting songs to sing in the semi public spaces. I have found it difficult to find songs with relative lyrics and within my voice range. I have been getting the lyrics for the songs from http://www.lyricsmania.com my favourite tracks so far are Absolute Beginners – David Bowie and Ride like the wind – Christopher Cross. I really don't want it to sound too karaoke and have been thinking about ways to blend in with the crowd for example being in the audience at the end of a performance and then start to sing as people are leaving. I could incorporate using isolated stances such as hugging the base of a table/chair, being hidden or even using a prop like a leaflet display unit. As I will be performing up to four times throughout the day I feel that it is important for me to build the work up from discreet to more visually obvious performances, I have thought about hiding in spaces and trying to get people to clap along to one of my songs. As I will be using my ipod to guide me through the lyrics I need an invisible earpiece, which I have been researching on the Internet, I hope to have this ordered by tomorrow. I am really looking forward to the event and the opportunity to meet new artists and see more live art.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 BLOP event The Arnolfini is an amazing building and really helped frame the intervention based work. It was nice to see the audience looking around the stairwell and in the foyer areas to see what was going to happen next. For my piece, My Tunes I decided that I did not want to have my performance times published or announced, as I wanted to blend into the crowd and appear as if I was not part of the official programme. My Tunes, Part 1, Foyer, 11.10 At this time there were not many people around and I started to sing ‘Ride like the wind’ which on reflection is the weakest song, which effected how I was feeling, weak. As the music changed I started to move around the space and as I was singing to the leaflets someone came out of a door. I decided to take my shoes and socks off to add to the strangeness of what I was doing. I peered into the café singing ‘This is the modern way’ and a child sat on the floor looking at me while her dad clapped along. The people in the café kept looking my way and the gallery staff looked confused. I moved to the wall opposite the staircase and sang ‘Don't you want me baby’, putting emphasis on ‘Don’t you want me’ in the direction of passers by, some people walked straight pass me others looked at me and smiled. I moved to the automatic doors at the entrance and sang a few lines to the street again people looked and kept walking by as I turned I started to sing to the glass automatic door which kept sliding sideways at my command. I lent on a column singing to myself holding my shoes and socks and exited down stairs to the basement. My Tunes, Part 2, Foyer 2/outside toilettes, 2.45 I found this space more interesting as it was in-between two official performance spaces so there were a number of people milling around. The simple act of taking off my socks interested people and they were trying to deliberately ignore me. There was a man hanging outside the toilettes taking photographs of a pretty woman against the white walls he was noticeably irritated by my singing and kept staring at me. I moved to the balcony and sang over it then just turned and posed by hanging out there with my arms stretched out holding the railings and staring through the window opposite me. Occasionally I would look at people but I was really focusing on the music and I started to click my fingers. I moved across the space and stood on the ledge of the window singing and clicking I stepped down and sat on the ledge. There were two young girls one came near me and I started to clap her mum came later she looked a little worried, and kept asking her daughter if she was OK. I moved to the edge of the doorway and sang as loud as I could and the staff kept looking at me from time to time I think they were not sure if I was really performing or not. My Tunes, Part 3, Foyer, 5.45 I was waiting for the theatre performances to finish so I could start singing and clapping to, ‘Take a bow' but they were running late, which started the nerves going. As the doors opened I sang nervously clapping my hands with my rucksack on, people looked at me and either went for the exit or made their way to the stairs nervously or dismissively looking at me. The more nervous I became the better it got as it clearly made people feel uncomfortable, a little annoyed and a bit sick of this person trying to get their attention in such an un-spectacular way. I felt like a negative magnet pushing people away but I just wouldn't stop and I was going to sing my last two songs even though it felt really uncomfortable. To see a video clip from this performance please follow this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJYYR1gPOto).  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Reality of the daily routine Since being back from China I am really appreciating the time I had there and how I did not have to worry about money and the daily routine. As I work from home it is so easy to get caught up on the Internet, fill out a funding application, putting on a load of washing, and cruising the net for paid work. I did get a cheque in the post from the BLOP event which although was for a small amount still contributed to my travel and amenity costs. I need some paid work and have been looking at shop/cafe work to more unusual jobs such as training as a mobile spray tanner. I really enjoyed working at Paperchase over the Christmas period and I do find the whole customer service experience fascinating so I feel that I am well suited to a retail environment. There were a couple of shops in town I want to apply to so that's what I will be doing today, and tomorrow I will get my glad rags on to hand in the applications in store. I have had the post show blues a bit after the BLOP event. It seems strange to say but I always forget how raw I feel during and after making the work especially when there are mixed messages in the performance. When I am intervening myself in a public space I feel every look and dismissal which comes my way. The most successful bit of video footage I have got is at the end when I am clapping and singing Take A Bow in the main foyer as the crowd come out of the theatre. It’s funny as at the time I felt this was the weakest performance but on reflection I feel it is the strongest. When I watch the video documentation it makes me feel uncomfortable, as I know it is a stronger piece of work because I am being openly vulnerable and unspectacular which is hard for me to accept that my weakness is my strength. This experience has shown me how important it is for me to have video documentation to reflect on after the event to learn more about the work.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Wang Jun open studio When I was in China I met the artist Wang Jun who has a studio at 501 Artspace http://yyyiii.blogcn.com/index.shtml#. He is now the artist in resident at the Chinese Arts Centre and he has been here for two months the residency will culminate in an open studio show in which he has sent out invitations to artists to respond to his work. His concept for the open studio project is the ‘Paper, scissor, stone’ game and he has made a rock inspired piece which I went and had a look at last week. This is a new way of making work for me and I wasn't really sure what to do although Wang Jun asked me if I wanted to interview him about his residency. This is something I started when I was in China I recorded discussions with Chinese artists who have made work abroad as a way of creating dialogue and learning about artists working internationally, although it is my intention to publish them. On Saturday I interviewed Wang Jun and Ying Ying translated for us I found it interesting how he has constructed this process, which I feel has similarities with curating. I asked questions such as how has he found living in Manchester, what has he personally learnt, and how he plans to pull all the submitted work together for his open studio. Wang Jun suggested that the audio discussion could be an exhibition piece with the headphones hanging from the ceiling for people to listen to. Reflecting on this idea of the ‘Paper, scissor, stone’ game I have been looking through some found images and I was particularly struck by an illustration of how a prism works in the photography process. When I look at this image I think of Wang Jun projecting himself through a rock shape around a space. Wang Jun open studio preview is this Thursday, 15th April at 6pm at the Chinese Arts Centre, Thomas Street, Manchester.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Film Critique Last week I presented my plane videos at Project Space Leeds film peer critique, which runs once a month. There were three artists showing their work and we used a projector in a white cube space to view the films. It was really nice to see my video being projected larger scale instead of just seeing it on a laptop. On reflection I feel the video needs to be larger so it offers a more immersive experience. I showed two versions of the plane video firstly the fast forward version and secondly a shorter sequence in real time, which then reverses and is accompanied by a soundtrack. Some of the comments I got back were; I prefer the real time version as I can focus on the details within the image. There was something about the quality of the atmosphere sound in the room with the video, which complimented the piece. Conceptually there is something about going forward and backwards, never reaching your destination, never leaving and taking off. I found it really helpful to get feedback on my work from people I didn't know and for me to reflect on what really interests me about the video. I have enjoyed experimenting with the sequencing and speed of the footage; although now I have re-looked at the real time full-length version I feel it is the strongest piece. When I watch the real time version it takes me right back to Hong Kong airport and reminds me why I filmed it in the first place which I simply want to share with the audience. I know that 20 minutes is a long time for a video although I feel that the piece has a hypnotic quality to it or you could look at it leave and then come back to see the end. I have had a hang up about the reflection in the video as it is filmed from behind a glass window, however the quality of the film looked good and conceptually I like this idea of the viewer looking from behind a surface at the work which you may or may not be aware of. I want to get into the studio to see how large I can scale up the video and experiment with emphasizing the atmospheric sound in the space. If you are interested in showing your work at the crit follow this link for more info:  www.projectspaceleeds.org.uk/i_can_still_see_you_%7C_events_unid7282_page.aspx... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Take a trip to the stars I have been getting on with some new work, which is based on a sign I saw in Bristol for the Planetarium. It was a simple piece of signage that reads,  ‘Take a trip to the stars!’ Sounds amazing doesn't it? Followed by, ‘Ask at the information desk for more details’ which takes the shine of the whole thing. I created a red and white plastic sign on a website and should be getting this in the post in the next few days. I love the convenience of using the Internet to produce work quickly. On twitter I saw an opportunity to submit video based performance work which will be curated into an online video festival in June, follow this link for more details: http://contemporaryperformance.com/  I have submitted my plane video and the documentation of me singing ‘It’s Now or Never’ in the Bosa Novas bar. At the moment I am playing a bit of a waiting game with another video piece, which is based on the Chinese New Year, Gala TV show. There is footage of this material on You Tube but there is a break in it so I really need to get it on DVD. When I watched the show in China there was an English computerised translation over the top it which really undermined the performances as it sounds devoid of emotion, I found this amusing and I want to re-create this particularly the magic trick sections of the show.­­  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Twitter & FabLab I’ve been enjoying using twitter to find out about arts activity and creative stuff happening in my local area. I can use it to communicate any event I am participating in, a good show I have seen and add links to other media such as a video on YouTube or my a-n blog. It's a good tool to just put some thoughts out their into the web ether. There is something about transferring the idea from your head and onto the page, which can start the creative process. Ideas can be communicated in just a few words, which is why I like to use twitter as you can only enter 140 characters in one post.   Twitter response to creating a mould:   Deep_sink_universe_stuck   Twitter response to using a woodcutter:   Cut_out_empty_peep_hollow_see   I found out about the 8 hour FabLab Art challenge through a twitter Future Everything had posted, which I applied for an hour before the deadline www.futureeverything.org. On Saturday I visited the Lab, which is based at the Chips building in Ancoats and I was shown the variety of equipment I can use. With only a day to make something I was more interested in using the machinery that is quick and easy to get on with. After looking at what the Lab had to offer I am keen to make a small mould, as I like how the object sticks inside the amber casing and I want to experiment with different coloured resins. I would also like to have a go at making something larger scale and I could see how the woodcutter can easily create large shapes that I could layer up and how the overall process makes a jigsaw effect with the bits cut out from a sheet of wood. To create a mould for the letters I was advised to have a look at Google Sketchup, which is free computer software that can create 3D shapes, which I will be checking out this week, follow this link to download the software www.google.com/sketchup/download/.   If you want to follow me on twitter my username is nsartist34  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Public & private actions She danced wildly and her skirt rose up She punched and pointed in the air He stared as he walked passed me He climbed on top of the speaker and jumped off She raised her hand and held it in front of him saying ‘I don't mean to be funny but’ She couldn't make eye contact with me deliberately looking and moving her body away A newspaper, empty coffee mug and a toolbox lay on the floor with a ceiling panel removed and some exposed wires Sock left on the street An unusually loud laugh She raised her hand and said ‘stop right there’ He kept taking the same photograph of her against the wall I stood on the table and pushed the light fixing She said ‘there isn’t time in this meeting for this let’s move on with the agenda’ I knocked on the wall with the back of my fist A noisy entrance Sitting at the corner of the square table He looked at her and then me and started to clap Cat litter at the side of a bin Cigarette butts in the flowerbed Constant flow of questions Wearing a hat Reading a book back to front Sitting on the pavement A single bag of rubbish outside the front door Doormats swapped Lying in the road A gold poster I couldn't read Grey splodge on the white wall Mirrors to close to my eyes to see An elastic band around a tree Carrying a large object Speaking loudly He dropped lots of felt tip pens on the stairs and I helped him pick them up A tanoy sounds which I don't understand She sat outside of the circle She said ‘you have come as yourself haven’t you?’ He said ‘can you turn the mic off and stop performing now’ A sudden movement backwards and then forwards A champagne bottle on the rooftop Dirty tea towel on the floor She said ‘please take a seat’ Scrunched up tissue with blood stains on The ticket man cracks a joke and a smile Chewing his nails by the door Eating on the train A shiny red bag with cartoon sheep on Condensation only on the left window He stands above me and asks for my ticket Lime green taxi in a line of black Poster case door open Echo of the tanoy on another platform Lights left on in the daytime Stripey door on the train Lady being escorted off Black bag sits on the high shelf She chants ‘any refreshments’ He says ‘I’ll take those away for you’ Orange cones in a green field A boy steps out in front of the car Brilliant white hair A slither of stones embedded into the grass Hole in the hill Squeezing my arm tightly Putting a coat on whilst sitting Section of clear glass A pink poster Emergency stop button Auto walk broken Suitcase measuring scales Blue line across the floor Little girl in pink hopping Man in a uniform with his back to the window Ticket machine constantly ticking A vase of brightly coloured flowers on the reception desk The rattle of the wheels from a trolley Worker eating a packet of crisps whilst walking Animal print suitcase being pushed forwards Attached to his belt jangling keys Pushing the sign to the back of the front Placing small cardboard tickets into the tops of the seats Trainers with glitter on  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Finnisage at the Palace Hotel I had 8 hours to make something at the FabLab, which offered the facilities to create a piece of work that involved using digital technology. I used a capital letter 'I' from the font ‘giddyup’, which is designed like a lasoo, the shape was cut out of a single piece of MDF that I covered with yellow vinyl. The FabLab brief was; urban intervention in a digital world, so I decided to take my 'I' out onto the streets from the Lab in Ancoats to the Palace Hotel, Oxford Road which is were the work was being exhibited and I wanted to see what encounters I would have with the public along the way. A number of people spoke to me about the yellow shape but no one recognized it as the letter ‘I’. People were intrigued as to why I was carrying it and were I was taking the piece and it sparked some interesting conversations about people’s involvement with art. One particular guy I spoke to outside the newsagents was really pushing me for a definitive answer as to why I was doing this, and I just said that there was no one answer it was more about opening up dialogue and interaction with people. As a coloured form moving through the environment it really stood out and cut through the angular lines of the surrounding architecture the vibrant colour in the sunlight sometimes bleached out into white. Once I finally got my ‘I’ to the Palace Hotel I only had a few hours to edit the video documentation together for the show, which was in a beautifully decorated space called the Post Room. It was a really good night lots of good work, wine and conversation. I have documented the project on the blog as it offers a space to reflect on the piece after the event, to share the experience with others and to create a legacy for my work.  To watch video documentation of this work please follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ulx2peh9uU... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Application for Hazard done Greenroom & hAb will be hosting Hazard MMX a series of intervention-based performance work across the city of Manchester on Saturday 17th July. I was interested in applying early on in the month for this but was struggling with what to propose, however after my previous piece ‘Giddyup I’ I could see the potential for developing the project further. In my work I have been using events and situations as frameworks for a performance, could I develop my giant ‘I’ into an event? My initial idea was to have my own travelling private view outside different arts venues around Manchester. My giant yellow ‘I’ would act as a visual focus for each private view, which would be placed on a surface outside each gallery and I could use other props such as colourful bunting and play music. This work is reminiscent of my leaving party private view ‘New Arrivals’ at the 501 Artspace in Chongqing which when I think back to it gives me confidence to take risks and encourages me to make myself look a bit ridiculous. I am also interested in using my online social networks to advertise and get people involved with the mini event. I have been thinking more about the conceptual ideas behind the giant yellow ‘I’ which on the surface may seem really egocentric to do such a thing, although don't all artists have to have a sense of their own ego to make and show work? The most interesting thing for me that has come out of this project is how ‘I’ cannot be physically constantly carried around on it’s own, you need other people to help you and interact with ‘I’ to help it on it’s way. So the physical act of carrying ‘I’ parallels the artist’s way trying to show work in arts venues, which without the support of others cannot progress. I like the fact that I am taking my own destiny into my hands and making my own show for myself with the support of accidental/invited audiences, friends and hopefully the Greenroom, however if the work doesn't get selected I can make the project happen myself.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Performance & Live Art/Intervention When I introduce myself as a performance or live artist to people I am always met with assumptions that I must sing, dance or act really well which is not the case although I am becoming more interested in these expectations of ‘performing’ and have been using them in my work. I have become aware the power the presence of the artist can have over an audience in a presentation situation be that in the form of the artist talk or the display of work at an event. Although I am fully versed in the context of why I make my work it does not fill me with much confidence in the build up to my performances. However I use my natural awkwardness and anxiety of performing to create tension, which is very real and not acted out. Joshua Sofaer questions, what is live art? he goes onto say that 'at its most fundamental, Live Art is when an artist chooses to make work directly in front of the audience in space and time. So instead of making an object and leaving it for the audience to encounter in their own time, Live Art comes into being at the actual moment of encounter between artist and spectator. The artist sets up a situation in which the audience experiences the work in a particular space and time, and the notion of ‘presence’ is key to the concerns of the work.' (www.joshuasofaer.com) With few galleries representing artists and a small circuit of live art platform events I like to take the opportunity to make my work in the public realm. Working in public offers unpredictable situations, which I find exciting and the ideal place to engage accidental audiences. My interventions could be interpreted as political acts although this is not my intention the work is always context and situation specific. My drive is to take ownership of my work so I can take control as to where and how it is shown in public if this is taken as being ‘political’ then so be it. It is important for me to feel free to intervene myself when I like as this is the only act that gives me a true sense of autonomy from the institution and the art market.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   A Wandering Practice As my work is site and context specific I like to quickly engage with people and place by creating verbal and visual dialogues to start the process. To experience a place I simply move through a space by walking, observing and feeling my surroundings. I gather visual material by recording sound, taking digital images and video to accumulate research about a new environment. This way of working could be interpreted as a Wandering Practice, which is open to arriving with little or no expectations, the possibility of getting lost, or finding out something I didn't already know. This way of working has been difficult for me to communicate as it is only now that I am realising how significant ‘wandering’ is in my work. To physically move I have to let go of pre-determined outcomes, forced to feel my way in a new environment and to experience what is right in front of me. My practice has greatly benefited from moving around the country and travelling abroad which has taught me how cultural differences and alternative readings of work is a good thing this has made me feel more confident about the work I made in China, were I made solo performance pieces, collaborated with artists and culminated in a final performance titled ‘New Arrivals’ at the 501 Artspace. My working method of performing on the street is an unusual practice in China as most work is shown as part of an organised event. In my work I like to encourage some form of physical participation and create a balance of tension and humour which artist Zhou Bin, commented in his interview as ‘being very British, a far softer approach compared to some Chinese Live Art’. I have disseminated my experience of working in China by presenting my work on the Internet by using video, blogging and social networking sites, which is a new way of working for me and a process that I have continued in my practice. Maintaining a blog allows a space for me to verbally and visually reflect on the work I have made and greatly compliments a wandering practice where the work is temporary in nature.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Departures Airports represent the ultimate non-place, a space where temporarily nobody knows me and I know no one else. The airport architecturally and psychologically offers a release from the daily routine entering into a streamline of time and space, with the function of simply getting you from one place to the next. In my final piece I have combined using a live art presence with video and the context has been inspired by film footage I shot of a plane being prepared for take off at Hong Kong airport; which I see ­­­­­­­as a visual metaphor for my underlying anxiety of being an artist, portraying feelings of not making it, not taking off, and never reaching my destination. I have used the video as the framework for my performance and experimented with editing the material playing with the speed, duration and sequencing of the time line. I have explored actions that are influenced by the video which compliment and disrupt the image. It is my intention to disturb the unfolding of time and to involve the audience dissolving the fourth wall and bringing people directly into the work. I have used the Cuban song ‘Guantanamera’ in my performance, which played when I was filming at Hong Kong airport although I was unaware of the songs origins although I assumed it maybe Mexican, Spanish or Cuban. The lyrics to the song have different interpretations. However, I am interested in how the words in the chorus are referred to as ‘guajira’ (the Cuban rhythm) a rhythmic structure rather than the words being a literal translation of something. Whilst researching the song I found many versions, even a cover performed by the 1960’s Liverpool band, Jerry & the Pacemakers. I have used ‘Guantanamera’ as it is a cheerful song which reminds me of summer holidays, it is also a trace material from my experience of going to China. In my final MA asessment piece I want to take the audience on a journey, yet leave them with a sense of never being taken anywhere. Video documentation of performance:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj0yBcJOgLA  Departures performance script Departure Lounge People sitting in seats/standing I come out of door Place CD player on table Press play Start dance with back turned to the audience Turn and dance singing Guantanamera into fake banana Get on knees Close eyes and wink During music break put leis’s around people’s necks Continue singing and dancing Finish with back turned to audience Stop CD Turn direct people into the room with plastic bananas Entering room I lead people into room Direct people to seats using bananas Shut electronic blinds  Play video I stand behind the audience  Video fades out I leave the room Video whites out playing Guantanamera    ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Planning ahead Since finishing my MA in Fine Art at Liverpool John Moores University I am trying to plan ahead what projects and opportunities to apply for. I recently started a part-time job at Radleys at the Trafford centre for some regular money and to simply work in the ‘real’ world, which gives me balance in my life. I had really underestimated how working sporadically on arts education projects was stressing me out not being able to manage my finances from one month to the next, although now I feel I have a bit more control over the books. I enjoy the retail experience and find it fascinating watching and interacting with the customer and the product, which I see as a kind of dance/performance. I didn't get selected for Hazard this year, which I was bit disappointed about although I was aware that the work I proposed didn't exactly fit the theme of the event. I have just submitted an application for a three week residency at The Royal Standard in Liverpool which I am really excited about as it will offer the time, space and support to develop a project which I specifically want to realise in Liverpool. Fingers crossed for this one if you are interested in applying follow the link below: http://www.the-royal-standard.com/events/ I had a meeting with Phil Davenport last week to discuss ideas for our two-week residency at The Chinese Arts Centre in November, 2010. Phil had also participated in the residency at the 501 Artspace in Chongqing and this opportunity is a chance for us both to develop some new work in response to our experience of working in China. We discussed two ideas the first was to have a loose theme called ‘Translation’ and we would individually make work and collaborate on a piece together. Our second idea was to collaborate on one piece a tour of the gallery that incorporates references to money and food, which were the two main influences on us from the trip. The gallery is an unusual space that houses a living and bedroom area, which is built into the gallery and is accessible by a ladder. There is a door in the opposing wall, which opens into an oddly shaped small storeroom. The gallery has another entrance from the street a door made of glass allowing a window into the gallery space. Although my residency finished in February at the 501 Artspace I am still feeling the influence and inspiration the trip has had on my work, which I want to continue to document until it comes to a natural end.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Gallery tour script ideas *Speak in a computerized voice Meet & greet visitors take them inside We all face the window and wave to people Please take your shoes off Archway placed around glass door Room is lit red with a toy dog in the corner Brief introduction to space Lead visitors to the Kitchen Tell a story about an artist who has made food in the kitchen Fan myself Enter back into gallery space Lead visitors to adjacent door in the wall Enter into the dark space with a light Close the door Turn light off Play sound of fireworks Exit door back into gallery Start moving objects around in the space in a ‘feng shui’ way Lead visitors to the ladder Take them up to the bedroom Dissected rabbit placed on the table Which we ignore Tell a story about an artist who has slept in the bedroom Lead visitors down the ladder back into the gallery space We all break fortune cookies and read our fortunes out Lead visitors to the exit Wave goodbye So far you have been my favourite group *Balloon archways/print of Chinese archways placed around all doorways   Wardrobe ideas Red hat with scarf attached to the side Hair tied back Red & black make-up Chinese dress Slippers/Heels? Holding a fan    ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Liverpool JMU MA Fine Art Show This week we had a meeting about our upcoming MA show which will be happening in September. The exhibition will be different to the usual degree show were the work is separated out into individual spaces, all the work will be curated in the gallery space. My assessment performance and video piece ‘Departures’ will not be appropriate for the exhibition so I need to produce a new piece of work. This has been stressing me out a bit even though I know that this is the cycle of being an artist I just feel a bit miffed that myself and one other artist on the course will need to make new work. It just feels a bit strange that we have been assessed and finished our MA although the final show wont be until September. The gallery was originally designed to be a shop so at the far end the walls are made of glass and is an unusually long space. My concern at the moment is that there is a lot of video and smaller object based work, which I feel that the high ceilings may swallow up. The show will be on for 3 months to coincide with the Liverpool Biennial, which is an amazing opportunity, however as the duration is so long makes it problematic to make live work for it. I have been thinking about doing a balloon drop and treat the opening night of the show as a mini event, which I would compare. I have been researching balloon drops and have found some images of different designs and formations of which I particularly like the balloon arch. I like the fact that balloons are used for celebrations and make an immediate visual impact. The balloon arch would be straightforward to design and install, although as time passes they will start to deflate which I am intrigued to see what they will look like after three months. I see the deflation of the balloons as marking the passing of time and symbolizing the end of the party.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Am I being too safe? Here I go again questioning my proposed balloon arch, am I being too safe with this? Am I trying to fit in too much with the rest of the group? Deep down I want to do something live but I also worry that I wont have a presence in the show for 3 months, again I question, does this really matter? The strength in my work is having a live presence and using myself as material in a temporary situation. I could simply do a live piece on the opening night and repeat it intermittently over the 3-month period say once a week. I guess how long and when will depend on the nature of the work. I really struggle making proposals 2/3 months in advance of actually realising the work as it always changes. I feel really strongly that I do not want to show video documentation and that I want to use the energy and situation of an opening night. These feelings of worry are part of my process when I make live work, fear of looking stupid and crossing the line of the ‘status quo’ fills me with anxiety but also drives my work. I sense that the group would rather I showed a video or an object as they are easier to curate which I feel is the wrong attitude. This week I have been doing some research on the Internet looking for images, which represent ‘celebrations’ and ‘parties’ this is helping me build a picture of how I want my mini event to look. I feel that the balloon drop idea is what I want to go with and to start building the performance around this. I need to consider if I want my event to look like an informal party or more corporate looking? Could I somehow combine the two aesthetics? I really like the structure of a corporate stand, which has two or three elements such as a display board, poster stand and plinth. These objects would be easy to move around the space and place next to the balloon net. On the Internet I found information about Liverpool’s sister cities, whatever that really means? They are Cologne, Germany and Shanghai, China. From this research I am eager to have an ‘International’ flavour to my performance. On a-n website I have been reading the visual arts research paper titled ‘Biennial and citywide events’ and I particularly enjoyed Jan Verwoert piece ‘Forget the national: Perform the International in the key of the local (and vice versa)!’ (http://www.a-n.co.uk/research/topic/471538) When I think of 'events' I also consider this to be birthday parties, weddings, a dinner party, and meeting up with friends. However I am aware of how large-scale events are taking over our city spaces for example last year we had the ‘International Arts Festival’ in Manchester, the following month, ‘Spanish weekend’ and after this was the Jazz Festival.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Event Culture My intervention work is a reaction to large-scale organised events, which this country is saturated with particularly art events such as the Liverpool Biennial, Manchester International Art Festival, and Frieze Art Fair. Such events predominantly show established high profile International contemporary artists who make these stages seem unattainable to new and emerging artists like myself. It seems that in this day and age we are only allowed or controlled to engage with each other in public by attending official cultural events. I am tired of seeing the same art and artists doing the circuit and see the potential of down sizing, which can create an intimate experience between the artist and the viewer. In my work I want to create my own mini event which pushes back to the organized art ‘spectacle’ by showing myself as un-spectacular. The phenomenon of Tate Modern with its record-breaking visitor numbers could be criticised for creating a shopping mall like viewing experience of art. This way of funneling people through the space could be considered similar to an airport experience fills me with anxiety and concerns me whether people are capable of engaging with anything for longer than two minutes. The Tate Modern aim is to give the audience an ‘experience’ when they visit. However, are they merely just creating shallow encounters or a real opportunity for people to connect on a deeper level with art? The experience is a fleeting moment and once passed can feel like it never actually happened. As an artist this is an ongoing challenge and motivation for my work. At the 2010 International Arts Festival in Manchester, Marina Abramovic curated a group show of Live Art and led a group initiation before entering the space at the Whitworth gallery. I attended this event and felt the most effective part of the performance was the group initiation which lasted around an hour, this involved the audience wearing white lab coats then sitting with around 200 people and being taken through a series of actions. For example we all had to drink a small cup of water in 7 minutes, another action required sitting in front of the person next to you and staring into their eyes for 5 minutes. The aim of the performance was to slow people down, bring them into the moment, make the audience more aware of their surroundings.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 One-woman show I have been doing some research on the Internet in-between shifts at work looking at one-woman shows. I found many female comedians on You Tube, however I found the most funny performances by drag acts particularly Anna Conda who like most drag artists mime to songs and dance around a bit, which is exactly what I’m looking for! I particularly liked this piece a spin on the famous Tiffany track, I think were alone now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LURFNo94daE  I love the simple stage set design with the focus on the performer. Why is it so funny watching men dressed as women prancing around like children? I know why, because its ‘funny’ something you rarely see in the art world. To get some feedback on my first draft for my performance ‘The Event’ I have sent a rough script to some of my friends to see what they think and get references to other peoples work. One of my friends suggested looking at Miss World speeches which again I had a right laugh watching videos on You Tube of these beautiful women talking absolute nonsense all in aid of saving the children and ending world poverty. Reading through my script I have been developing my foreign accent, which has improved since watching videos of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Ivana Trump, I think I will call myself Miss Eventé. I booked a tour for next week at the Cornerhouse with Amy Rudolph around the Unrealised Potential exhibition, which will be ideal to research her hosting skills please follow link to show info: http://www.cornerhouse.org/events/info.aspx?ID=1752&page=0 I have visited the show already so I am interested to compare and contrast the experience of being led through the space by someone else. My initial feelings of the exhibition was that it looked well designed although it felt like a series of deconstructed parts and that something was missing. Maybe this was because a different artist made the proposal for the exhibition on level 2. I do think that knowing before I entered the space that tours were planned to happen on this particular floor influenced my experience of it. If anyone has any suggestions of artists to look at, and tips on hostessing skills please let me know, thanks again Andrew for your comments.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Mini meltdown eventé My anxiety has been simmering away all week and finally came to the surface on Sunday evening after a diversion on my way to work, someone being short with me, finally getting home to find out that the so called ‘mobile mic equipment’ I bought off the Internet isn’t so mobile after all. My anxiety is triggered by the pre-performance ritual I go through every time I make a piece of work, the stress of juggling money to pay for materials and technically not really knowing what im doing desperately makes me want a magic fairy to help me. A large Bacardi breezer, twenty Marlboro lights and a little cry later sorted me out. I just sometimes feel very alone and unsure about new work and get frustrated that I don't know more techy things. I should really be getting some support from the university with my MA piece but they are so unhelpful, which is why I wanted to avoid dealing with them and resolve the work myself. I have booked out space at the studio this week and it was such a relief to move my materials out of the spare room and really have a good look at them in a white space. I felt solace entering the studio and have had a sense of moving the work on which is difficult for me to feel when I am working at home. This is part of my process I need to start the grain of my idea at home to freely experiment but then the work reaches a stage were I have to physically move it to the studio to take it to the next stage. The balloon drop is bigger than I expected so I have made it shorter to make it more in proportion with the length of the display board. This week I need to get my artwork ready for my cardboard cut-out which again worries me as I need to order it on the Internet so who knows what it will look like until it is delivered, fingers crossed.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Back soon photo shoot On Friday I had a mini photo shoot in my living room to produce an image to go onto my cardboard cut-out. Originally my husband tried to do the photography but it just wasn’t working, luckily though he did arrange for a friend to help me. It was great working with Scott the photographer and I felt more relaxed during the shoot as I trusted his technical expertise. It was quite bazaar having a photo shoot in my living room and I like how in the background you can see power sockets, a speaker and the roll of paper I am standing on. I think I might use one of the original shots as a print for my promotion at the show I could even use it as a large print to exhibit in the future. I ordered my cardboard cut-out online Friday morning and I should receive it on Monday. I had to pay a bit extra for the cut-out to be a whole, flat piece and delivered ASAP I just hope the cardboard structure is as good as the image. My main focus for Monday is to take all my materials through to Liverpool and to test the sound equipment. I am starting to believe more in the work now and to have fun with it. The piece is very tongue and cheek about the idea of event culture and internationalism and I hope the work comes across with a sense of humour. MA Fine Art show at Liverpool JMU Art & Design Academy, Duckinfield Street, L3 5RD opens on Saturday 18th September. The Liverpool Biennial Touched conference is happening in the same building from 11am til 5pm and our show opens at 5.30pm were I will be doing a performance titled 'The Eventé'. No invitation required, it will be a fun evening with some interesting work and drink! Link to book a place at the Touched conference: https://www.patronbase.com/_LB/Productions I hope to see you there Miss Eventé  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   The end of the eventé I felt happy with how my performance played out including the happy mistakes that happened along the way. I did feel a little nervous however I had rehearsed a number of times, which made me feel more in control of them during the performance. When I entered the room people seemed to watch me but keep their distance hanging to the edges of the space. As I turned around to start it seemed like everyone was so far away from me, although I used this as a way to connect with the audience. I kept asking them to ‘come closer’, ‘closer’ which they followed very cautiously. When I asked for assistance on the stage only one person put their hand up but this just added to the tension of how this partnership was going to play out. Although I had run through the piece I was always aware of the unpredictability of crowd participation. This came up then I asked people to say ‘Guttenta’ as my lovely assistant held up the name card, which the audience didn't really follow. I saw this as an opportunity to air my disappointment with them and how they were not following my instruction, on repeating the action they responded. This interaction with the audience was a way of lightly laying down the rules of engagement. A particular high in the piece was when I asked people to throw confetti over me at the end of my dance as I lay on the floor. When the time came it felt like an age I was sitting on the floor and then each person slowly approached me, threw confetti over me. It’s as if everything had suddenly gone into slow motion and this section of the performance was out of synch. Throughout the piece there was a regular light rumble of laughter although I could feel the tension in the room. The climax of the show worked really well people were happy to take the party poppers, move closer to me and follow my final instructions. As the party poppers went off and the balloon drop failed we all stood in silence for a few minutes. Eventually I stood up, positioned my cardboard cutout and left.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Emergency bed-in tour I have had the predictable dip, mentally pulling the work apart but no time for procrastination as I need to focus on new work for upcoming events. I was pleased to be asked to put in a proposal for the ‘Bed-in’ project happening at the Bluecoat in Liverpool if you would like to make a proposal follow this link: www.thebluecoat.org.uk/content/view/276/15/ The project pays homage to John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s week-long bed-in protest. I am particularly interested in people helping me with stuff, as this is what makes me feel most at ‘peace’. As a visual artist I work mostly in isolation and often find it hard to ask for help and can procrastinate over this particular action, which makes the act of asking even worst. For this project I propose to have a list of things I need help with and my aim is to achieve as many as possible in the time frame. I will ask the audience to: Help me document this Help me write a blog Help me use my camera Help me decide what to have for tea Help me get lunch Help me get a drink Help me with my anxiety Help me I'm bored Help me make money  Help me have a ciggy Help me go to toilette Help me with my career *I must stay in bed or be carried to a destination using part of the bed This Friday Emergency kicks off at the Greenroom in Manchester and I am trying to construct a triangular net for my emergency balloon drop (http://emergencymcr.posterous.com/). I have spent £50 on football netting which I hope will be delivered today and I intend to fold it in half to create a triangular shape. Money is a bit tight at the moment so I hope I wont need more than 150 balloons it’s amazing how expensive good quality balloons are. If you would like to participate in my emergency balloon drop then please come along this Friday to the Greenroom, 54/56 Whitworth Street no later than 5.15pm, the event is free. On Wednesday night I went to the opening of ‘Association’ exhibition at Castlefield gallery. The artists collective had situated themselves in the gallery space and sent out open invitations to artists to collaborate with them. The exhibition is a developing visual archive of this process. Phil Davenport whom I will be working with had participated in this and it was great to see him at the show. For me it was nice to see more of his work and talk about how we could use it in our tour at the Chinese Arts Centre. He was showing A1 black and white spreadsheets that had written descriptions of extinct birds in contrast to headline set text that flowed between statement and nonsense. We spoke about enlarging the prints so people could actually walk on them making them more interactive and that the text could be used as part of the tour script. We both agreed how difficult it is to communicate our individual experience of China to other people but how we could also play with this on our tour.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Emergency 2010@The Greenroom What a weekend got to participate in and see lots of new work at the Greenroom, which is always such a treat. On the opening night I particularly enjoyed Allan Taylor’s piece titled ‘Alain D’Aylour’s Affordable Art Auction’ which the main character gives the audience advise on how to make money from your art and how ultimately art is about money. His piece was very interactive and he stayed in character the whole way akin to Lloyd Grossman in a blond wig speaking amusing art jibberish. I got to meet Mandy Romero on the Saturday night, it was nice to finally meet her and talk about her experience of traveling across China. The whole weekend was great research for me and I met some new people Matt and Jordan who put on performance/live art nights at Matt & Phreds in town. Amelia Beavis-Harrison was performing ‘In/Out’ on the doors stamping peoples hands as they came in and out of the venue she also has a blog on a-n which is a good read: http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/sing... To see video documentation from my Emergency Balloon Drop, please follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aslkjqMAdAo To see video documentation from The Eventé, MA Fine Art show, please follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moa4BLJFLeM    ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Chinese Arts Centre Residency On Friday I met Phil Davenport before our meeting at the Chinese Arts Centre to chat about our ideas, which just seem to be naturally flowing. It’s really nice when you have that creative spark with a person and I feel our vision for the tour is developing every time we meet. Phil is eager to use his spreadsheet concept and to expand it so it can weave through the gallery creating an installation in the space. I suggested how we could cutout sections within it and how I could use the physical gaps to speak through. We are eager to use the unusual spaces, which the public usually does not have access to such as the bedroom and the store cupboard that offer smaller enclosed rooms. I am really excited about developing performances for these smaller spaces as there is no way of avoiding physical intimacy. We talked about marketing and Phil had a really interesting idea to create bank notes and intervene them in different ways into the environment. Our work has been advertised in The Chinese Arts Centre autumn/winter programme and it was lovely to finally see them, the copy reads: Whisper residency artists, Nicola Smith and Phillip Davenport will be developing and showcasing Ghosts move about me patched with histories this November/December. Both artists have previously taken part in the artist residencies in Chongqing and will be using the residency space here to reflect upon their experiences in China. The pair will be using Chinese Arts Centre’s residency space to trace what they describe as ‘the broken edge between different cultures and the beliefs that leak through’. Their project will use smell, taste, hunger and desire to track these ideas. Nicola will act as a deliberately misleading tour guide, taking visitors through an environment created by the pair using scripts devised by her and Phillip. Ghosts move about me patched with histories will be an immersive experience filled with two of the most powerfully coded objects that human’s encounter: money and food. I have been thinking about my wardrobe as a tour guide and I feel that I want to move away from the obvious formal look. In my recent performances I have been playing with identity by putting on an unplaced sort of European accent, which has worked well. When I have put this accent on people have asked me if I am Polish or Spanish and are unclear if I am really putting it on or if I am really foreign. I do not want to imitate a stereotypical Chinese look, however I am interested in how people judge and want to place a person simply by the way they look and sound. I bought this book in a charity shop firstly the title grabbed my attention, ‘Race’, Culture & Difference then I was taken in by the front cover image of a woman with a band of fabric across her face. The band is making it difficult to read her face, is it an oppressive or antagonistic gesture? It could be read as both.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Collected Texts Phil asked me to send him some text from my experience of working in China and I thought it would be a good idea to use my blog and pick out bite size phrases. In my work I like to collect written texts such as observations and actions as part of my visual research for my performances. I originally started my blog as a way of documenting my residency, which took place in February 2010 although I have continued to write about my practice. The idea that work just stops or is completely separate from that period is not so and I feel that the residency has provided the seed which has since sprouted into a succession of new performances in the UK. I feel the opportunity to participate in the residency at the Chinese Arts Centre is another chance to make new work in collaboration with Phil Davenport and raises the question of how to communicate past experiences which happened in China within the context of the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester. Blog bites Just one of those details that gets lost in translation People turned up later and missed the party I did get stuck for a moment Uncertainty whether I could get over Strange leaving party Not sure when it started and ended In-between the audience Learning as a means to getting Making it and not making it We are seen as novelty We somehow pull it together Muffle of people speaking and traffic noise Giving you some peace and quiet Let go of the control Trust in others Feed it to all the guests Trying to communicate Can sound a bit scrambled Climb the ladder and get over the top They were very worried I might fall Torn between two spaces Stack, order, display A gap between two buildings Arriving, working, leaving Felt like a tourist Looked at Not spoken to I am not there I am not here He set off a belt of firecrackers Better Life, Better People One World, One Dream A world of sameness Tried to remember Broken western pop songs Sliding across off the edge of the screen I can’t order my own food When I speak   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761               Reading Performance I found this resource on the Live Art Development Agency website please follow the link below for the full guide. In this post I have taken a section of the text which questions the transference of 'experience'. http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/resources/Study_Room/guides/rachel_lois_clapham_guide.html Reading Performance Writing: A Guide (2010) by Rachel Lois Chapman What is it?  Towards a re-enactment of the experience of performative writing by Danae Theodoridou. Here is its cover: matthew goulish 39 MICROLECTURES in proximity of performance How do we understand something? We understand something by approaching it. How do we approach something? We approach it from any direction. We approach it using our eyes, our ears, our noses, our intellects, our imaginations. We approach it with silence. We approach it with childhood. We use pain. We use history. We take a safe route or a dangerous one. We discover our approach and follow it. What is it? ‘The bad thing with experience is that it can’t be transferred.’ (Remember these words)  What is it? You go back to it, you try to describe it, you try to analyze it, you try to show it, you try to tell it, you try to express it, you try to share it, you try to transfer it. What is it? Performative words. Their experience. It can’t be transferred. What is it? No need for describing words, analyzing words, showing words, telling words, sharing words, transferring words. Just words to re-enact the experience. If it can be transferred, it can be re-done and it can be re-lived. Here they are, they don’t transfer, they re-create. The experience of one who read a book and bought it twice, of one who carried a book everywhere like a personal Bible, of one who since that day knows that ‘the bad thing with experience is that it can’t be transferred’. It was such a relief reading this text and it confirmed to me how a personal ‘experience’ cannot be copied and exactly transferred to another person. All that can be done is to re-create and allow the experience to be interpreted in multiple ways and know that this is OK. The main experiences I want to re-enact are feeling out of synch verbally with people and to re-create watching the New Year Gala TV show with translation. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 30 years of Japanese Fashion  On my recent trip to London to see the family I had a free day and I visited Future Beauty, 30 years of Japanese fashion at the Barbican. This exhibition is the first in Europe to show avant-garde Japanese fashion that challenges ideas of beauty, function, ultimately elevating the work into art. As I entered the ground floor gallery was divided by banners of white fabric and clothed mannequins stood on top of plinths. My favourite on this floor was Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garcons piece from the autumn/winter collection 2000-01 which I like to call the flame. The skirt piece was constructed in a honeycomb formation from translucent fabric, which appeared to be glowing under the lights. The edges of the fabric look so soft and fragile it amazed me how the piece was actually standing. Up on the first floor the designer’s collections were individually set in their own spaces with sound, sometimes video from the catwalk shows which the clothes had featured in. I was blown away by the presentation of Jun Takahashi, Undercover, autumn/winter collection 2000-01 each mannequin is completely encased by the clothes in an almost fetishistic manner and placed in front of a wall covered in matching fabric. I love how the clothes wear the person rather than the person wearing the clothes which I feel reflects our obsession with brands and consumerism, a worrying glimpse into the future perhaps? Last but no means least was Issey Miyake’s most recent collection 132 5, which is made from recycled fabric which emerges from flat packed polygons into wearable garments. The curation and display of the work throughout was really impressive particularly Issey Miyake’s work that had the polygons placed at the front like mathematical drawings and then behind, the mannequin wears the garment. Video was used extensively from interviews with the designers, documentation of the catwalk shows and ‘how to’ animation. Large scale lambada framed prints hang on the walls of Kawakubo’s designs which have been photographed by Naoya Hatakeyama that document the bold, simple shapes in a two dimensional image. Please follow the link below for more details:  http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=10771  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Computer Love This week I have been researching how to create a computerized voice. I want to use this audio style and live translation of the Chinese New Year, TV Gala show video in my performance at the Chinese Art Centre. The simple way of doing this would be to pre-record my voice and edit it over the top of the video, however I feel this could be a good opportunity to create something live from the material. I have been looking at using a vocoder pedal which requires attaching a mic and a musical instrument such as an electronic keyboard. A different option on the market is a keyboard which has a mouth attachment that operates in the same way as the vocoder, simpler to use but much more expensive. It was suggested to me to use ‘text speak’ on the computer were you simply type in the words and it replays back in a computerized voice. I love this and have been playing with the voice and writing different scripts for ‘Linda’ to read. Linda is a voice I downloaded which sounds very similar to what I heard in China a computerized, English translation, void of emotion. Ideally I would like to use the keyboard as I see the potential of it as a prop which gives the impression that I may play something musical on it. However the voice sounds more like a musical instrument, which is not the effect I am looking for. The ‘text speak’ function on my computer is the right tone and the laptop is also an effective prop. I envisage sitting behind or to the side of the audience tapping away on my laptop, I could also try and lip-synch to the sound. In the video the female presenter wears a green sparkly evening dress and I like the idea of wearing something similar creating a duplicate image.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 The Golden Ticket This morning I have been re-thinking how to plan the tours of the gallery and feel that I need to simplify the instructions. Originally I wanted to have ticketed spaces on the tour and communicate that you can also observe the tour, this is too complicated. I thought that I could bring this into the performance by giving selected individuals golden tickets to go on tour. I bought these golden envelopes in the arts and craft shop in China Town and they are used to burn in religious ceremony. I find it strange why you would want to burn such pretty paper and the man in the shop got a bit irritated with me as I kept picking things up and asking “what is this for?” and he just kept saying “it’s just for burning”. In the shop there was a mini concertinaed changing screen and small sweet like objects made from pastel coloured cardboard that I want to buy. I have been editing my video of the magic show and I am now waiting on translation. Yesterday I managed to find a green sparkly dress in a vintage shop and put a £10 deposit on it, I pick it up on Saturday. I’m feeling a little bit frustrated, as I have no money and am waiting to get paid at the end of the month; there will definatly be nothing left in the pot for Christmas presents this year. Writing the blog is giving me the structure I need to develop the work ready for installation next week. This has been an unusual way of working towards a residency as usually I am not sure what form the work will take. However as the residency is so short and we want to maximize the opportunity into a show rather than an open studio has meant developing a clear vision of what we want before we start.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Day 3 @ The Chinese Arts Centre Finally I bought ‘Linda’ my friendly computerized voice today for my video piece I am slowly putting together. I got the final translation through today and enjoyed listening to the audio then had to work out how to digitally record it. Thinking as I do all around the houses I eventually recorded it on an edirole, which my friend had kindly lent me. The best audio quality with no atmos interference was in the bathroom, I had heard that a lot of musicians have done this is in the past and it worked. I am struggling to edit anything in the residency space at the Chinese Arts Centre as we are still prepping the walls and have lots of random stuff around us. We have put up Phil’s spreadsheet wallpaper on one wall and the door it looks fantastic although we hadn’t planned in prepping time and it is eating into my making time. Tomorrow I plan to work from home and crack on with sequencing the sound with the video. Phil and myself have been making up our own invitations that has taken up most of the day but I think it was worth it. People like to have something to take away with them, which an e-invite doesn't offer. I managed to give out 50 last night at the Chinese Arts Centre, art auction and everyone really appreciated them. I have so much to do next week and we plan to have the space fully prepped by tomorrow. There are certain things I just cannot do such as physically marking out my performance in the space for the spoken audio tour until we finalize the installation. We intend to have another video piece of me running through the performance without an audience, a bit like a ghost.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Marking out the ghost For the past two days I have been making my second video with a little help from my friend artist Andrea Cotton. I just felt at ease and happy to have someone assisting me who gets the way I work and has an eye for detail. I was filmed marking out the performance in the space with no audience. As Phil’s wallpaper is black and white I thought the video would work better if I tinted it the same colour. As usual I underestimated how long it would take to run through the whole piece, although the process is helping me remember the sequence of the performance. Today I need to install the DVD players and see how the whole installation is working. My plan is to do a full dress rehearsal and I may ask a few people to come in and watch. Usually I would not run through the final performance with an audience, as there is no guarantee how they will react. There are key sections in the performance that I need to test out such as the lights being turned out, changing over DVD’s and how to handle a chicken roaming around the gallery. I still need to prepare for the artist talk and I plan to use my blog and show some of my videos. I want to focus the talk on the development of my work, performance, the artist’s I met and the influence the residency has had on my recent work.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Post Ghost, Part 1 I know I haven’t been blogging as much as I would have liked however getting the work made in time was so close to the wire unfortunately this had to take a back seat. At the artist talk we had about 15 people, which was really nice to see, as I was worried that no one would come. I started the talk first as I wanted time to prepare for the later performance. I went for the more formal slideshow although I sat on a chair, as I don't like standing behind reading stands. I decided to focus my talk around the work I was making before I went, blogging and my initial research before going to China. Unfortunately I have lost my China photographs and had to use my blog, which wasn't ideal however I was still pleased that at least I had this to show. I missed a middle section in the talk were I wanted to show another video piece and make reference to feelings of absence not being unique to China but how I can have these feelings in any place. On reflection I should have had a rough script to ensure not missing stuff out although I think I did well considering there was little time to prepare. Having the artist talk before the opening was a good idea as it ensured visitors stayed for the whole event and got more information about the artist and the work.    The performance started with me handing out golden envelopes and fake notes to the audience who were waiting in reception. I ushered people with the golden envelopes to the wall and signaled the rest of the crowd into a different entrance. I escorted the golden envelope holders through the entrance from the street and they waited behind the glass door while the gallery audience watch. As I direct people into the gallery I follow them in changing my persona, thanking everyone for coming round my house as I slip my shoes off. I offer tea but only have enough for one person. I change into my green sparkly dress behind a mini changing screen and proceed to mime silently and dance. As I hold my final pose at the end of the dance people nervously clap. I move the people off the sofa to allow the people with the golden envelopes to sit and I play them the magician video. I stand silently til the end. Lights go out. I move to the ladder and climb, framed by the dark doorway I sit and strike a match, watch it burn. I descend the ladder and leave. The audience are left standing in a dark room and eventually I turn the lights back on.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Post Ghost, Part 2 On the opening night we had around 25 people whom we crammed into the space. On reflection it was probably too many as later performances with fewer people in worked best. Again I am still always surprised at how the audience, want to follow direction even though I said little although I used a lot of physical gestures. As I ushered the golden ticket holders through the glass doorway a wall of people met me. I have read somewhere that a group of 8 and under in a meeting situation will express their own feelings or views. However, if the group is larger individuals will tend to go with the crowd. I don't know what it is but I do feel that the fine art audience is harder to please or get a reaction from. The audience laughed at my dancing and even commented on it while I was moving around. At the end I held my pose and they nervously clapped, paused and then clapped again almost trying to make me move through their actions. I do find it interesting why people clap or laugh in this situation, which isn’t really funny, and my performance is pretty ordinary. It’s as if the audience are trying to gain some control of the situation and move me along. I was aware of this during the performance and would deliberately hold poses to slow the piece down and not adhere to the crowd. As there were so many people in the room some had already sat on the sofa and I was worried if they would move on my request. They did and I ushered the golden ticket holders to the seats and played the video. The rest of the audience were crammed behind the sofa or had moved to the adjacent wall quite far away from the video. As the video ended and the lights went off the room fell silent and I moved to the ladder. As I positioned myself in the doorway everyone seemed to stay still and not follow my movements, which meant that most people didn't see me strike the light. The audience may of only heard this action or seen a dim light. As I left the audience in the darkened room they stayed their expecting me to re-enter the space. I did three more performances later in the week and each one was so different depending on how many people were in the room. Repeating the piece allowed me to add more gestures which were needed at certain points to direct the crowd. I was most happy with an audience of 8, as they were more vocal, trying to speak during the performance. I felt more control over the group and at the end of this particular performance I had to go back and tell them the piece had ended as they just stood still in the room for about 10 minutes. Generally people acknowledged surrendering themselves to my control and feeling a tension of what was going to happen next. The most surprising performance was with only two people, one particular person who was British/Chinese had his hands up against the wall as if I was going to search him. He tried to talk to me a lot throughout the performance but I just cut him off by not speaking. During the dance it was very intense as I really pointed and moved close to them. The audience member commented that he thought I was a bit like witch trying to cast a spell on him. Other comments were; It was like you were performing a ritual about life and death. Some people are invited to the disco and others are not, whilst others get to be famous. I felt included and excluded. Why didn't you give me something to hold? I just wanted to follow you. People with the golden envelopes had the privilege and we didn't. I wanted to know what song you were listening to. How did you get the same dress that the lady was wearing in the video? It was beautiful.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 Magician This video piece is taken from the Chinese New Year, Gala TV show. When I watched the show in China there was an English computerised translation over the top of it which really undermined the performance as it sounds devoid of emotion. I found this amusing and have recreated the piece emphasising the computerized voice. This video was part of the installation at the Chinese Arts Centre. Follow the link below to view the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72WXeuIuzAQ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761   Evaluation Comparing my proposal to the actual outcomes of my project is still ongoing, although I do feel I achieved most of the original aims. Work that I actually realised in Chongqing was a street intervention, end of show ‘happening’ and an improvised stage performance. Since being back in the UK the experience of working in China has emerged in the form of new performances, video work, recently culminating in a live art/installation exhibition at the Chinese Arts Centre in December 2010. Due to the ongoing artist residency programme at The Chinese Arts centre I had the opportunity to participate in a group show facilitated by Wang Jun an artist I met during my stay in Chongqing. Whilst working at 501 Artspace I interviewed a number of artists to learn about their practices. This work continued in the UK with Wang Jun and I interviewed him with a translator, which was recorded and shown at the ‘Scholars Rock’ exhibition at the Chinese Arts Centre in April 2010. I have presented 3 artist talks at Liverpool John Moores University, Leeds Artspace and at The Chinese Arts Centre. Self-publishing in the form of a blog on Newworknetwork website, a-n artist talking, You Tube, Facebook and Twitter has provided a fast and effective way of showing my work to a wider audience. My artistic profile has been raised due to this online activity, which has led to more exhibition and event opportunities. Unexpected outcomes    When I arrived in China in mid January it was the lead up to the Chinese New Year, which meant that the university was closing and students were travelling away to see family. This meant that it was not possible to present a formal Artist Talk. However to meet the requirements of my proposal I used a recorded artist interview which came about after I initially interviewed the Chinese artist Zheng Li whom then questioned me about my work. In my final ‘New Arrivals’ performance at 501 Artspace at the end of the piece, after a short Q & A I played the recording of my artist interview, which was translated throughout. During my time in China there were a number of events happening such as the ‘International Arts Festival’ in Chongqing and ‘Expo’ in Shanghai was being heavily promoted. From this experience I made work in reaction to these events and used the ‘private view’ as a framework for a leaving style party ‘happening’. ‘Event Culture’ is an international phenomenon a theme that has continued in my work. Throughout my stay in Chongqing my host Yan Yan introduced me to new artists and from him I learnt about his experience of the live art scene. I spent New Year with his family, which was a unique experience to participate in local activity. Since being back in the UK I have made links with artists in Manchester who are due to participate in the residency programme. This has led to an offer of an artist talk at a symposium at the Chinese Arts Centre in 2011. In December 2010 myself and Philip Davenport an experimental poet worked together on an exhibition at the Chinese Arts Centre called, Ghosts move about me patched with histories a live art, installation. This was a new experience collaborating with Davenport and we feel that we have produced a piece of work that has the potential to tour. Working with new people has showcased my work to new audiences this has resulted in an invitation to perform at an event called Fuel, in Manchester, 2011. What would you have done differently? I do feel that 4 weeks was too short a stay and on reflection taking into consideration the time it took to travel to China and the Chinese New Year holidays, 5-6 weeks would have been the ideal period to stay. I have produced a large body of work, which I have distributed through social networking websites. However with hindsight I feel that the work should also be distributed as a designed, DVD, show reel that can be given out to curators and arts organisations nationally and internationally, which I did not take into account in my project budget.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/592761