ARTISTS TALKING

# 145 [17 September 2008]

While researching some of those creatures which build their homes underground I've been reading a great book called "Animal Architecture". This has really caught my imagination, and I've become especially interested in those amazing animal architects of the Ant & Termite families!

I'm intrigued by the apparently meticulously structured ant society in which worker ants become physically adapted to carry out their tasks - some workers developing huge heads used to block the doorways to their nest (if that is their allocated task), others with bodies transforming into living storage vessels to contain huge amounts of honeydew to feed the colony.

I came across a scientist, Walter Tschinkel at Florida State University, who has been making amazing plaster casts of ants nests - how did he do that?

# 144 [6 September 2008]

BREAKING GROUND goes UNDER GROUND.

Just getting back to work after the holidays and beginning to prepare for our next residency, UNDER GROUND, in the basement Pine Gallery at Claremont in Hastings.

I went to Orkney on holiday and was amazed at the history embedded in these small islands. People have lived on Orkney for 6000 years. We visited several fantastic Neolithic sites and (not entirely by co-incidence) I was able to spend some time in underground chambers in a variety of mounds and cairns. Perhaps the most puzzling was the deep pit of Mine Howe with its 29 steep, ladder-like steps down to a tiny chamber; the most fascinating,  Maes Howe, with its Viking runes and tales of the mid-winter sun shining through the tunnel entrance onto the inner wall of the chamber at sunset.

# 143 [2 September 2008]

EATING THE BEANS - EATING THE ALLOTMENT

A few days ago a friend visited from Hampshire.  She brought a bag of runner beans grown from the Wisley Magic bean I sent her earlier in the year.  She said the plant was prolific.  We ate them for supper and they were delicious.  We ate the allotment. 

# 142 [12 July 2008]

Going through my photographs of the last weeks I am interested in the stories which they tell. I must begin to organise, order and edit. Perhaps one of my summer jobs will be to make a workbook.

# 141 [11 July 2008]

The last few days have been a blur of activity - Open Day, Discussion event, consultations, mentoring, dismantling... what a pleasure today to begin to catch up with everything else which has been put to one side for the last couple of weeks.

Today I am posting some images of the final installation of our work. We have gathered a huge catalogue of pictures now over the course of the project, and are thinking about ways in which we might be able to produce a publication at the end of it all. 

# 140 [10 July 2008]

DISCUSSION EVENT - TUESDAY 8 JULY

This was a busy day, getting the work in position, ready for our Consultation Meeting with Frances Lord in the morning. Scurrying to Sainsbury's to buy the wine for the evening.  Quick 10 mins with eyes closed to give us a breather before setting up the Foyer for drinks and documentation.  We were able to use the Phoenix large screen to put up this blog for guests to read.

People viewed the work, talked to each other and Susan Diab facilitated a discussion.  This experimental format included asking guests to make something in response to the objects that had been brought in by themselves and the visitors to Open Day or to the work we had made.  People busied themselves and told the group about what they had put together.  We completed the evening by writing references, ideas, words in response to the work on plant labels and sticking them in flowerpots.

# 139 [7 July 2008]

OPEN DAY - 7 JULY 2008

Today we finished installing the work and had the Outside In Open Day.

People started arriving promptly and many brought something from outside in.  The objects were photographed, labelled and displayed along the window ledge.  Some interesting items came including a penny, some bacteria, and a poem about mulberries.

Lots of people came from Phoenix Studios and most people tried the courgette cake.  Useful comments and questions about the work. 

# 138 [6 July 2008]

Getting ready for the Outside In Open Day. I'm looking forward to it but hope to have some time to extend my wall drawing a bit further before our visitors arrive.

Mounted my leaf drawings to day, but tore one as I was doing it and so have had to spend the evening redoing it. 

It's been an interesting & exhausting week. We have tried to achieve so much in such a short time. Some things are successful, others less so, but it's nice to think that we can move things on again at the next Project Space. 

# 137 [6 July 2008]

SIXTH DAY

Today we had to get cracking on setting up and sorting out.  I made my wallpaper, tacked up the prints, arranged the birds.

We got rid of excess materials, mess and furniture.  Still much to do but it is beginning to take shape.  We drove to B & Q in search of turf - last rolls sold out this morning.  Perhaps I will have to dig some from the allotment - how come I did not think of that before.  Bought some towel hooks.  The cress is growing.

Home to make the courgette cakes.  Open Day tomorrow.

# 136 [4 July 2008]

FIFTH DAY

Up at the allotment first thing to gather raspberry, blackcurrant and gooseberry leaves to print napkins.  Later start at the Space.  Felt subdued today.  So much organisation and promotion to do that the work is having less attention.  I feel the need to bed down in the work again.  To get connected and inside, to make a place  - maybe I must gather a great heap of the dried grass and line with raw felted wool like a nest.

Went home to consider and then up to the allotment, the original place of this project.  Remembered my urge to clothe myself in the allotment and took up an old tee shirt and straw hat.  Covered the shirt with raspberry leaves and started weaving a veil of bindweed.  This is more like it.