ARTISTS TALKING

# 3 [16 February 2009]

What I am finding interesting about collecting drawings for Floc is that when I ask people in the art world (whatever that actually means) to contribute a drawing of a bird it is met with some hesitation.  Not sure why that is!  When I ask people to contribute who come from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences I seem to have a much more positive response.  A real willingness to be part of it.  My recent addition of drawings for Floc has been sent to me from prisoners in HMP Coldingley.  They are such great drawings, infact all the drawings I have received are great.  Each one is unique, each one I imagine to be a little self portrait of that individual.  Each drawing expressing something about its originator.   As this is part of my MA at Aberystwyth I hope to have gathered a large enough Floc for my exhibition in May.  The Floc will then be hosted at other venues.  Some suggestions for that would be great! 

# 2 [29 January 2009]

Bird migration is fascinating and an incredible phenomenon. Groups of birds setting off from one place and gathering in another is intriqing.  Why do they do it and how do they know how to do it!    The advantages of being together as a group as a means of survival is age old.  Migration for birds provides a new food source and a familiar breeding ground.   

I embarked on this collaborative project with the intention of collecting bird drawings from various groups of people and bringing them together in the form of an exhibition .  It is gathering momentum and I am looking at a variety of ways of setting up collection points.   Where do we floc to?   Tesco's, the doctors surgery, the vets, the cinema, the list is endless.   I have now begun to also work with ideas about seed dispersal and the way that they are carried by birds on migration. 

floc is on flickr.

to view the gathering floc go to

www.flickr.com/groups/floc

# 1 [8 January 2009]

Birds begin to gather for the Floc project.