ARTISTS TALKING

# 1 [23 April 2007]

It is my second day. I take a walk out with several tasks to complete, including locating a suitable German language course. Spotting 'Schule' on a building nearby my studio, a brief investigation lands me in the middle of day 1 of a four week intensive language course.

The class group is very small, the teacher very jovial - I like him and instantly feel at ease. The price of the course also, at 183 Euros, is considerably less than the 500 - 1000 I had been advised.

It takes me a while to accept that I could by chance have stumbled upon just what I needed, without undertaking a City wide telephone / website / walking investigation of the many language schools in Berlin I had planned.

Could it really be so easy and still be 'right'?

It is a while since I have undertaken a residency, but I am instantly reminded of the strange mixture of intention and chance unfolding into new work in a new environment. These gentle and happy collisions of fate have in the past lead me into unexptected and fertile collaborations with dancer, writer, musician and actor.

I recall today why I enjoy working in a residential context - the finite framework of time / space / place breeding an intensity of experience quite different to 'being at home' - though at homeness is another set of qualities with it's own insights and rewards.

Time to get on with my homework...

# 2 [3 May 2007]

On returning home:

My first week has been largely occupied by language studies and settling in. The downside to residencies in unfamiliar places is the time spent lost, seeking that which would be easily to hand at home. The upside to residencies in unfamiliar places is the time spent happily lost (re)discovering that which might be overlooked, through (over)familiarity at home.

I have spent much of my life travelling. When I stopped travelling I seemed to replace an outer physical motion in geographical spaces with an inner exploratory motion through psychological spaces - which restlessness has lead me to explore art, singing, dancing, writing, meditation, religion, relationships and other things.

I don’t have a good track record for staying long in one place, though very recently (last month in fact) I had finally surrendered to the possibility of adopting Newcastle as my ‘home’ - to make it a choice as opposed to it being a place where I found myself when my studies ended.

I don’t have a good track record for remaining in any one job either, though thankfully my commitment to a creative path seems to remain pretty stable, even if my relationship with the wider art world at times feels strained: I often find myself choosing other activities (e.g. dancing, singing or the theatre) over art activities (e.g. an opening), leaving me occasionally confused as to where my real ‘loyalties’ lie.

The above rambling introduction leads me back though to place where eventually, I do always seem to return – my artwork.

Before departing Newcastle, I had been buying fresh, unprepared game – gutting, plucking or skinning it at home (and cooking and eating it) taking video and digital stills along the way. My journey to this particular work has also been rather long –

• 15 years of (almost) vegetarianism
• Eating rabbit stew with a wonderful, generous Polish family, whilst said white fluffy bunnies skipped around my feet (the ‘almost’)
• Working in conservation in the Lake District, with rare breed and organic farmers
• A sudden dramatic (one third of my body) weight loss leading to an intense carnivorous phase to reverse my impending departure
• Watching my stepmother pluck a duck

…And finally the disappearance from my local market in Newcastle of hanging game in 2003. I have since learnt from ‘Bob’ the game stall manager that he stopped selling unprepared game partly because his customers no longer knew what to do with it; but mainly because the health and safety executive said that ‘dripping fluids’ posed a health risk to customers, so the practice was no longer allowed.

Looking at the above journey I realise how long it can take to sink into and finally make a piece of work.

When I surrendered to calling Newcastle my home earlier this year, I had felt that the short burn cycles of residencies (of which I had undertaken several from 2002 till 2005) were no longer serving my needs. I had thought I should balance a part time job with commissions and a studio practice, and develop further some of the projects I had initiated in the NE region - namely the artists network newcastleGRAFT, more about that perhaps later.

Like I said though, I don’t have a good track record for staying put, so here I am in Berlin, exploring things to do with the home in a temporary live / work space far from the place I had begun to call home,

Feeling now in fact that I might rather like to call this my home…

# 3 [6 May 2007]

Postcards from Berlin (introduction):

Compared to Newcastle, the art scene in Berlin is big, no, it is HUGE. Part of my purpose here over the next 6 months is to get to know it, and in doing so to reorient, reconsider and relocate my practice in this new context.

My Dad lives in Spain. When I first went to visit him, I spent the first 4 or 5 days of my holiday luxuriating in the novelty of his new pool.

(I fell into a canal aged four. My slightly older brother followed by my grandmother who couldn’t swim both jumped in to rescue me. Whilst my would be rescuers both nearly drowned - I simply floated - buoyed up by my 60’s style swing coat billowing out like an aquatic parachute around me. The near tragedy was averted by a swarthy and handsome [so my granny said] fisherman chancing upon the scene to rescue us - ever since I have had a love affair with water.)

Towards the end of my stay we took a trip to the beach. My Dad lives near to one of the most beautiful beaches in the region with clear waters and white sand backing onto an extensive nature reserve. Naturally we found ourselves in the sea (my Dad is a water-babe too) and as we floated and shrivelled for the next hour or so, I reflected that though my time spent in the pool had been enjoyable, the parameters of the experience had been defined by 5 rectangular expanses of small blue tiles. I hadn’t truly comprehended the extent (or not) this limitation until stepping into the unbounded bliss of the Sea to merge with soft sand and stinging jellyfish.

Nobody likes to admit that their view of things has been blinkered, but as I venture out into the vastness of the Berlin arts scene I realise that mine has. Just as the differing environments of first pool and then the sea shaped my experience, I am seeing how much my work to date has been shaped by the context within which I have been making.

To be fair I have experienced these shifts or 'awakenings' many, many times before in my practice, in relationships, in life – in just about everything that I do. What may sound like naiveté in my writing is actually me revelling in the fact that there is always more to learn, more growth to be had. One of my favourite books is “Zen Mind, Beginners Mind” by Suzuki Roshi, but perhaps more about that later.

For now though I simply wanted to introduce to you that while I am here, I will be looking at Galleries; I will tell you about these (the smaller, independent galleries) in my blogg entries entitled Postcards from Berlin.

The entries will focus on the Galleries themselves rather than the exhibitons in them. I am aiming to 'map' at least some of the many independent spaces here (as oppose to writing a review) firstly so I can get a grip on the scene myself, and also as a (hopefully useful) service to artists coming here.

# 4 [6 May 2007]

Postcard from Berlin (1):

Last Friday I visited ‘after the butcher’

www.after-the-butcher.de

This is an artist owned space in a former butchers shop in the district of Lichtenberg, in the east of the City. The family who own it (they also live above and have a studio / workshop there) curate regular exhibitions including paint, print, sculpture, video and live events. The opening that I attended of work by artists Megan Sullivan and Axel J Weider, had the friendliness of a small fete as it spilled from gallery space into family garden, complete with music (not live, though there is a live event there later this month) and children playing on swing. The work on show was selected with the eye of an artist investing in that which s/he finds interesting and of worth.

The gallery space itself has interesting original features including shop front windows. If passing you can, as seems to be common in Berlin, pick up an invite for the next opening from the cardboard box taped onto the front door.

To get there take the S-Bahn to Noldnerplatz or Ostkreuz (the first being nearer), the gallery is at 25 Spitta Str. off Turrschmidt Str. If hungry - pop round to the corner of Tuchollaplaz and Turrschmidt Str where there is a great little bar - the ‘Rathaus’ - with outside seating and regular BBQ’s.

# 5 [9 May 2007]

Postcard from Berlin 2a:

Last weekend I went to 3 galleries (see postcard 2b also):

1. Stedefreund

www.stedefreund-berlin.de

This is at the top end of Rosenthaler Str. 3 close to Rosenthaler Pl. on the U8 north of Alexanderplatz; or if you prefer you can take a walk from Hackescher Markt on the main east/west S Bahn axis, taking in some shopping opportunities on the way (see below).

This project space is an artist led initiative involving 20 Berliner artists working in a variety of media. The space, like many artist lead projects in Berlin, makes use of a former office/mixed use building – the signage when I visited was very discreet so be careful not to walk past it.

There is a monthly exhibition schedule, two annual group exhibitions as well as the project ‘Edition 100’ – an evolving platform of the artists’ work, presented both in the project space and as printed material for sale.

Shopping – walking to this Gallery from Hakescher Markt towards Rosenthaler Pl., leave some time to look into Waahnsinn Berlin – a shop packed more with Retro clothes and furniture than you can shake a stick at, I thought it quite pricey so only browsed. Also on route is Calypso - packed from floor to ceiling and every conceivable space in between with second hand shoes both ‘new’ and retro.

www.calypsoshoes.com

# 6 [12 May 2007]

Postcard from Berlin 2b:

Last weekend I went to two openings. They were in independent or artist runs spaces very near to the very large and very excellent Hamburger Banhof

www.hamburgerbahnhof.de

For all take the S Bahn to Hauptbanhof on the main East West axis. The two galleries below are on Heide Strasse, a commercial / industrial street with warehouses and offices, that runs up the side of the Hamburger Banhof.

The first opening was at Speilhaus Morrison Galerie:

www.spielhaus-morrison.com

This is a large former industrial space that has been sensitively converted for the showing of art. I found the whole space a little ‘swish’ for my taste and didn’t really feel at home. However I imagine that it would be possible to see some good contemporary artists work well shown in this very spacious and bright gallery, and I wouldn’t mind seeing some of my own sculpture in there too (just don’t ask me to dress for the occasion).

The second opening was at ‘Fruehsorge – contemporary drawings’:

www.fruehsorge.com

I had much more fun here – this is a gallery dedicated to drawing and the group show I saw included a cute little robot making a floor drawing, animations and papercuts in a show that aimed to "experiment with how far the medium can be extended sculpturally, architecturally and linguistically".

The exhibition was linked to, and culminated in a joint publication by, two publications for drawing:

www.dmagazine.org

www.fukt.de

# 7 [12 May 2007]

"What I've really enjoyed is having time with other artists and time for reflection. The studio feels more playful - last week I caught myself sitting back and smiling at something I'd made with bright ribbons, materials I'd have been far too stressed to allow myself a couple of months ago!"

From the blog 'Project Me' by Stuart Mayes.

On discerning the underlying motivations that shape my practice:

My work is developing slowly around my language course. I have put out some feelers about getting whole game products to use in my videos (I would really like a hare), the process of obtaining permission is interesting, but convoluted and slow.

At present though I realise, the thing that excites me most in my studio is two cardboard boxes, a paper bag, some drawings I made of parrots and petals some months ago, and the possible ways in which these elements might combine.

I am beginning to understand that sometimes (not always) my use of video is motivated by a reluctance to commit to and confront the physical presence of an object, and all that this makes us/me feel.

In a roundabout way this has been one of the motivations for my recent work, which has involved skinning rabbits and plucking ducks: a desire to connect with flesh, the body - to explore physical presence.

As I look at the cardboard box in my studio, I recollect a similar impulse that when I first started making art, carried me towards sculpture.

# 8 [12 May 2007]

On relationship:

My new German friend when he came to my studio looked for a few seconds at my work and said "it is all about relationship".

The works I have pinned up span the last 12 months and so far I have been unable to see in them a satisfactory unifying theme, not that there need be one, but I sensed that there was and somehow I was missing it.

Of course there are the themes that I expressed in my proposal for this residency -

my current work explores a collective forgetfulness, a subtle evolutionary shift from feathers, fur and dirt to shrink-wrap plastic

and whilst these remain valid, I had often felt that there was something else going on under the surface of my work that I was failing to see.

Apart from my artwork, I have in recent years been undertaking a thorough and unrelenting investigation of both my own personal psychology and wider family history. In the process I have uncovered 'artefacts' which give pattern and shape to aspects of my character that had previously seemed like 'random aberrations' from the normal course of my behaviour.

My ancestors have a wonderful (hidden)history including affairs, elopements, 'illegitimate' children (I hate that term), bunny boiling stalkers (love in a hall of mirrors bent to insanity) and bigamy. One day when it is safe (and considerate) to do so, I shall write it all down.

And just as these hidden artefacts were shaping my approach to family and home, so I now see their undercurrent tugging at the feet of the work I have been making:

birth, life, death, love(fear) as experienced inside(outside) of the frame of relationship and home.

Some flowers to my new German friend for his clarity of insight.

# 9 [12 May 2007]

# 10 [12 May 2007]

How to find out what's going on when in Berlin:

You can pick up these first two for free at cultural institutions in Berlin:

Berliner Galerien - this has mainly big or commercial galleries, it is a paid for listing so is not necassarily and indicator of quality.

Index - handy fold out postcard format with maps and listings of a more select range of galleries including independent and commercial. It apparently used to include artist lead spaces, but they no longer seem to be listed, perhaps because the artist led scene has grown so rapidly.

Zitty - a fortnightly magazine with arts listings that include artist lead spaces for 2.70 Euro.

Tippy - I have been told that 'Tippy' has a good listing but not encountered it yet, I will update here when I have.

(what it it with the names 'Tippy' and 'Zitty' - does anyone remember the children's programme Rainbow...?)