ARTISTS TALKING

# 161 [16 October 2008]

THURSDAY

Painted roots all day.  Not radical.  Walked out in the sun to buy fishing line.  Nailed the roots to the wall - very satisfying. 

# 162 [17 October 2008]

FRIDAY

It's been a black bird day.  Sewing, stuffing, hanging.  I brought 4 bags of meadow hay back from my lunchtime outing.  Getting the bird to stand up took all our ingenuity.  There she stands with her shining eye.

The work is taking shape - much to manage tomorrow, last day before we open for drawing and showing on Sunday afternoon. 

# 163 [18 October 2008]

Adding finishing touches now. This week has passed so quickly, yet I'm pleased we've both made strides with new work - in 5 days! It will be great to photograph all of the parts of our installation in the dark.

 Big Draw day tomorrow - Drawing In The Dark. 

# 164 [20 October 2008]

YESTERDAY

Yes the Open Day for UNDER GROUND and Big Draw event Drawing in the Dark have happened.  Plenty of people came tramping down the wooden stairs into the dark.  Each collected a torch and looked, examined, drew on the boards or the wall.  Batteries had to be changed, drawings blutaked to the wall.  We talked to everyone.

At 5pm the torches were turned off.  We left everything and closed the door.

Today is a day away from the gallery, to recoup and prepare for the Talk about the Work discussion tomorrow night. Lots of questions are circling in my head; about the work, about people's responses; about participation.

# 165 [22 October 2008]

TUESDAY - TALK ABOUT THE WORK

Last night was the Discussion Event organised this time in conjunction with Claremont Studios' Talk About The Work.  We held it downstairs in the Pine Gallery in the dark.

We had wine and Under Ground cake (made with ground almonds and chocolate) and people looked at the work, drew on the blackboards.

Each of us posed some questions and showed a short set of slides.

My title 'Dead or Alive' raised questions about the purpose of my practice - seeking animation, and setting up enlivening experiences, and the sharp surprise of how deadening the experience of working under ground has been.  How quickly I had urgent need to spend time over ground in the air and sun like a plant.  And raised too the purpose of participation by viewers, sparked by our Drawing in the Dark event and I questioned whether this enhances the experience of looking at art, engages viewers or only entertains. 

# 166 [22 October 2008]

The last few days have been packed with activity, discussion, drawing, photographing, documenting. So many images to look at.

At Drawing In The Dark our visitors drew on the walls and on giant blackboards or tiny postcards. They drew by torchlight and everything looked different for a day. My photographs are full of trails of light.

# 167 [25 October 2008]

For me the Talk About the Work evening allowed me the luxury of instant feedback on the new work I'd made during the week. Some of the work had covered new ground and I was pleased to have one day remaining in the space after the discussion event, during which I was able to go back into my installation and take a new set of photos in the dark, with the benefit of the thoughts and ideas which the discussion event had raised in my mind.

# 168 [26 October 2008]

THOUGHTS

Teamwork works.

Working underground makes me feel low. 

Keep it simple.

A week is a very short time to make, display, publicise and talk about the work. 

I love the big black bird.  She is coming to CRATE. 

We have to find somewhere to stay in Margate. 

# 169 [1 November 2008]

GONE TO EARTH INVITATIONS

I'm enjoying the feeling of continuity brought about by the relatively short break between Under Ground at The Pine Gallery and our next (and final) residency of the Breaking Ground project, Gone To Earth, at Crate in Margate.

We're just finalising the last of our set of four invitations. This time our Open Day and Discussion Platform are to be on the same afternoon - four weeks from today.

# 170 [3 November 2008]

BUILDING

The week at CRATE will give time to build on earlier work in the project. I will bring my birds and see how they fly in this new space.  Just over 2 weeks to go.

We have found a flat to stay in on the Front.