ARTISTS TALKING

# 1 [21 May 2007]

Suddenly the world is littered with boxes.The image notebook of ideas and inspiration has a fair few additions this week.'The unusual box pile' in the studio has two new additions. My hard hat and boots have arrived and the joyful job of choosing new sketchbooks complete. The anticipation of starting is overwhelming.

# 2 [14 June 2007]

After three days on the construction site and time off site 150 miles away I am swamped with sketches, boxes of site rubbish and drawings of people on trains from the 6 hr round trips to Coventry. One of my worries was that because my proposal was so considered I would find it hard to move away from that. This week I needed to know how far away from my original idea the gallery are willing for me to move. My models have already changed from cardboard boxes with 'peep holes' to larger wooden walk in boxes. Monday saw our first development meeting, a run through of work and ideas so far and potential groups for the workshop activities. Dates,deadlines,publicity, events, research facilities, interviews site sketches and ideas. It struck me this week that everything about this project is numerical. From the train timetables to get me there to dates and the abundance of measurements and markings on site. I'm wondering about the idea of integrating some counting 'game' into the installation. Hopefully next week in Coventry might spark further directions to add to the inspiration of dim and dusty buildings, fresh pineapple and talk of grafetti in the builder's canteen at lunchtime

# 3 [5 July 2007]

The studio smells of hot glue and etching ink.The wall is covered with lists of on numbers on site. Returning to wood to card idea we're trying for sponsorship for the card so I can get someone to construct more complicated boxes - and still keep within budget.

# 4 [11 July 2007]

The tall Dutch builders (seemingly the only ones on site) informed me they were there to do a 'little job'...putting the concrete slabs in place.(the supports and walls of the whole new building!) A quietly active site to draw in the morning. In the afternoon this week, Beryl in the Coventry Archives kept me supplied with blueprints of the original build and programmes for the opening. Details of workers in Coventry in 1936-37 and more about Alfred Herbert fed my intrigue and will provide great images for the installation. Elements are slowly coming together. Its frustrating that there is not enough time to explore the avenues that are opening up. The Polish links, Herbert's links with industrial paternalism and social clubs and the connections with the workers on site.

# 5 [24 July 2007]

Flood warnings in the Midlands didn't instill hopes for a successful day on site this week. The rainwater slowed down the site, but sparked great conversations with people sheltering under the cabin stairs. Paul agreed to be my first interviewee for the soundtrack, and offered me his biscuits in case of flood on the train line home. Compensation for a damp sketchbook. The Dutch have gone,leaving Rachel to wallow in her love of white precast concrete (the only woman on site) the Germans have moved in to put on the roof. The electricians, still singing, were keen to establish which ones of them have been drawn. They all noticed that I'd drawn some of them without hats ...something I've been asked not to do ..against health and safety.None of them noticed my rucksack bulging with their old cable reels or seemed to read the conversations noted on page corners.

Tomorrow back in the studio I finish off the two prints for the boxes, The handmade paper arrived and the dimensions figured out.  

# 6 [30 July 2007]

Annoyed with myself for not having really considered the sound in the installation. I realised this week that I couldn't have. I hadn't gathered enough material. With Paul agreeing to talk I have got the confidence and ideas to go and pick the sounds. The crane slewing bell, that repeated mobile phone ring I keep hearing, J&M Morrison's lyrics (boom shakka lakka) in my head these are all starting to link together. Tomorrow I talk to the media guy at the Herbert for his advice on the recording and editing. 

With only 8 weeks before the opening the studio is now plastered with wet prints and the box dimensions have been delivered to Rob who is building my boxes. My first 'employee' and a good reminder that I can't do all of the work for these projects on my own now with family committments, much less time and with out all the neccessary skills. Admin is taking up time too, writing interpretative text sorting out another CRB check. So it feels good to have the prints underway, but difficult to envisage them together in three dimensions in my studio- which is a fraction of the size of the gallery. Next job to book a space to set them out and view from a far.

# 7 [25 October 2007]

It has been a hectic and heavily timetabled life. I lost August and September to strict days of printing and running between the studio and the hire room where the large boxes were installed ready to be worked on. Evenings on sound editing and e-mail and the education programmes. And little enthusiasm to keep up a blog. Just another thing on the end of the list.

Now I'm emerging and the work is almost ready for installing in the gallery.

So far its the most intense project I've worked on. The strict timings of it all juggling journeys to Coventry, studio work on the boxes, sound work and childcare have meant that I have been so much more focussed and worked with a different clarity to previous projects. Its been necessary to take a step back and more often.

Someone descibed it as being in the theatre you got to see the final peformance and the whole of the rehearsals and behind the scenes too. I hadn't thought of it like that.

There has been little organic growth or room for experimenting with the drawing. This is my first commission of this type , in that the work almost, and was expected to, directly reflect the original proposal. The next phase is not planned or predicted perhaps I will find time to push ideas here.

The sound element has taken almost three hours of recorded interviews and whittled them down to 5 minutes of capturing the site and some of the workers memories.

I wanted to experiment more but again time is a hinderance. I need to remind myself that this the first sound of this nature that I've explored and its appropriate. Next time can push those boundaries even further.

# 8 [22 October 2007]

So far there have been two anecdotes contributed from the cards in the gallery. There have been no responses by e-mail. I have started gathering some memories from different sources now and have three more interviews with keepers and gallery folk. Researching the material for the new boxes is interesting and having the five themes to put them under will make for varied but coherent sections to the installation. I wasn't expecting to spend so much time sourcing tales! Its only two weeks until the next installment.

The five separate 'pieces' in the exhibition are taking on their own physical identities after much modelmaking. I have decided to suspend boxes and use the walls space more than anticipated. It will make the space much more interesting.

# 9 [14 November 2007]

Stop. Take stock. I've thought about what I'm doing with the work here, obviously I have- and sort of where I'm going with it. This week I wrote it down, to reflect. My practice, working process, audiences, workshops.

I wasn't a fan of the digital camera before now, but working on the additional installations, I have worked on, collaged and drawn on the pictures. I couldn't have continually visualised the angles and the changing space so easily without it. The movie mode has allowed me to walk round the exhibition long after I've left the gallery. It has become a natural way of working and producing interesting working drawings and models in themselves. I realise documenting this exhibition has to be different to other projects because of the three dimensions, space and the sound.

Sound is a direction I have to explore more. The future project will now be 70% sound and 30% drawing, to give me time to concentrate on a small series of drawings instead of this frenzy of production for Recollect and push the sound and editing ideas that just aren't relevant for this work.

Constantly walking round this work instead of judging it from one spot in two dimensions is feeding into life. Everything suddenly seems more three dimensional. I am looking from more angles and am more aware of tactile qualities I'm sure.

 haven't talked about my work in a critically with an exhibition since working with PhD students 5 years ago.  Practical workshops have been integral to my practice for a long time. On reflection I need to change the emphasis to help me clarify ideas and challenge my practice.

And the audience for my work? Am I changing that? I'm still considering that.

# 10 [21 November 2007]

You get a commission. You finish the work. You decide, with the gallery, how to best hang the work in the space. You have a private view and then you wind down while it all sinks in.

I haven't had much time for a wind down. I am now essentially working in the open instead of the privacy of my studio. I'm juggling alternatives, wondering how I add the next phase of the installation all in full view of visitors and gallery technicians.

I am trying to remember that basically it is a work in progress.

Today's hiccup? Only having handy access to a new photocopier whose ink doesn't dissolve with the solvent I'm using to transfer texts. I was saved from complete stress by listening to a musical on the radio. I think this could further change my practice.