ARTISTS TALKING

# 100 [24 August 2009]

NotPaidblog:

well, guess what, the money didn't go through again. No travel money, no fee money - nothing. I am pretty disappointed, but not surprised. I am leaving for Liverpool on Wednesday evening as it is my 30th birthday on Sat 29th and I have to spend it with my twin sister (it just wouldn't be right not to). I was looking forward to some celebrating, frock buying, champagne drinking (oh fine, cava then), not worrying.

As it is, IF the money goes through this week (international payments on Thursdays) then it will be in my account by Tuesday 1st September. One problem, all my bills come out then, rent, studio, council tax etc et... If the money doesn't go through.. I have no reserves left now, overdraft used, credit card a goner. End of line. Except family loans of course.. but that's horrible, I don't want to do that, I'm 30 next week.. an adult capable of supporting themself surely?

Pah. meeting about travel money on Wed morning, so that may be a couple of hundred guaranted for the 1st, although I don't know why this hasn't been paid in already. But as for the rest of it, it seems I am at the mercy of Linz council or some other official body...I don't really know what's going on.

so for the last two weeks of my residency I may have some money to spend (see reports of drunken, belligerent artists in the cultural capital)? Or not... watch this space....

# 99 [22 August 2009]

Linzblog:

On Friday we were very lucky indeed, and managed to get the keys to go into the tunnels under Linz. As the book I am making is about the surface and what lies underneath, I have been desperate to get in the tunnels and I have been pestering Holger to get me in for a while.. it was good too as everyone ended up going and seeing them. Earlier in the 09 year, there was an exhibition held in the tunnels, which I am so sad I missed, but the gallery who curated it still had the keys. This is a really good example of the things residencies can give you - a way in to things that would otherwise seem impossible. You have a middle man from the residency programme who knows who to ask and how to ask them.

These tunnels were partly built by prisoners from Mauthausen concentration camp 20kms outside the city. One of the hardest camps - no gas chambers until quite late on, but worked to death working in a stone quarry - a lot of the prisoners here were sent from Auschwitz and it was also well known for holding a lot of Russians, and treating them with incredible cruelty (5 tea spoonfuls of food every three days, enough to keep you alive, but hardly living). They worked in the dark (pitch black) and when bombs were dropped on Linz, which was often, as the industry Hitler built up was for manufacturing ammunition and artillary, the prisoners were made to go outside so the guards could take shelter.

We had about two hours in the tunnels and access to about 2 miles of them over two levels underground. On the lowest level there was the shell of a really old car, which was incredible and very puzzling! Lights only went so far so there were parts that we only saw after taking a photograph with flash.

This was an incredible experience that I won't forget.

http://www.mauthausen-memorial.at/

# 98 [19 August 2009]

Rantblog:

Just saw this posted by Art in Liverpool's Ian Jackson on Facebook

http://www.artinliverpool.com/blog/2009/08/topshop...

Liverpool's new topshop are looking for an artist to design and paint the walls in both Topshop and Topman. The store is going to be huge (biggest outside London I think) and has taken months to refit/build. In the midst of all this development you don't think they could manage to leave a bit of cash for the art? No, if you win, it's even preferable that you have your own team of helpers. Nice. You have 5 days to finish it and although there is no payment, you will get 'considerable media attention'. Ah really? thanks Topshop, you lovely multi-million pound business you. It doesn't even say if they will provide the paint/materials - that could make it a very expensive load of media attention if they don't.

This is incredibly angry-making and is a good example of art being added on for decoration (literally) at the last minute. Would a measly £500 have killed them? Wonder how much the shop fittings cost, and the plastic bags? A lot more than the art for sure.

# 97 [19 August 2009]

Paidblog:

Very good news: Intute have found me 10 hours work a month until December :) So glad. This will be mainly reviewing/ updating the mass of old and out of date records, but if you have a good art related website then send me the link and I will add it to the database.

emily@emilyspeed.co.uk

No personal websites I'm afraid, but good critical research or indepth written content very welcome..

http://www.intute.ac.uk/creativearts/

# 96 [19 August 2009]

Paidblog:

Alas, still no money through. I guess when a bigger amount is transferred the bank like to hold onto it for a bit longer to make themselves some money.

Linzblog:

An incredible weekend.. to the house of a local artist up north, a gorgeous 18th century cottage with a huge garden and orchards looking out over hills and hills and hills. Beautiful. Also discovered that Stephan is an amazing cook, so we were fed on gourmet titbits all weekend while we lounged on sunbeds and deckchairs reading through his collection of art magazines. Bliss, and a much needed break from the Salzamt. Living and working in the same building is fantastic, intense, productive, but also too much after a while! On Saturday there was a trip to Atterseee (one of the big lakes in the Salzkamergutt area.) and swimming in very clear water followed by smoked makerel from a little wooden hut by the Danube on the way back. Sunday night and Monday I spent in Vienna, while Stephan collected some large prints for the next exhibition here. I went to see Mind Expanders, Performative Bodies - Utopian Architecture at MUMOK

http://www.mumok.at/program/exhibitions/mind-expan...

Very relevant to my work at the moment and really meaty stuff. Very nice to see some work of Austrian/German artists that don't get shown much in the UK. Valie Export is a new favourite.

http://www.valieexport.com/

Cy Twombly was also on and I was surprised how much I enjoyed that.. especially the sculptures and photographs, or maybe it was the mix of everything. Made me realise I too am guilty of putting artists into neat boxes (it's just what I am fed, sorry!!).

I also had a good walk round, went into some of the commercial galleries - really nothing I could recommend unfortunately. A walk past the Secession building sent a shudder through me as I relived working at the Tate during the Klimt exhibition last year. Thank god it was closed Mondays so I didn't have to decided whether to go in or not... although they do have contemporary art as well as the Beethoven frieze! My Tate staff card actually gets me in everywhere free... well almost, somtimes you have to pay 50 cents (tax?). This in incredible, changes the way you look at exhibitions, how long you spend and also saved me at least 40 euros.

Yesterday we spent four hours sorting out the flyer for the upcoming exhibition. Uck. A struggle working with a group of headstrong artists with whom relationships are still fairly new, but we have an image. Just need a title now... oh dear! My cardboard idea for the image was the one we ended up using, so I was very glad about that..

Anxious about time/work/finshing/whether what I'm making is a pile of crap or not, but just doing it now - it's too late for too much worrying.

# 95 [14 August 2009]

Paid in Linz blog:

Just spoke to Holger (thanks H if you are reading this!).. money was paid in yesterday!! Hoorah - more than I thought too, so massive sighs of relief all round. That means on Tuesday next week (perhaps Monday?) I shall be rich! Beyond my wildest dreams. Well, actually I will be buying my sister a really nice 30th birthday present and squirreling away a large amount for my tax bill in 2010! There is enough materials money to make a decent edition of the 'Grau/Gelb' book too, which is very exciting. I don't think I can finish it while I am here unfortunately (a prototype but not a finished edition).. that will involve at least a weeks (maybe two if I make a hardback..) full time work in the print studio and on assembly. But it will be done!! I need another month here! I wish I could have stayed for six infact. That would change everything and it's interesting (and useless) to think about how the work would continue to develop. I suspect it will be hard to hold onto in the same way when I get back to Liverpool and am in the midst of many stressful workshops for YSP in Wakefield.

Tax blog:

I was just messenging Dan about getting money and he piped up with tax worries.. YSP (the next project) involves a £10,000 bursary, but it is a charity and should be tax free say HMRC, although they won't say one way or another over the phone until I file it! This is because it is for career development/ training rather than paying a proper rate. It includes 100 days work - £100 per day, but travel, materials and accomodation while in Wakefield are not included, so the actual amount includes a lot of living costs rather than payment. Linz is definately taxable as it is a fee for work done, although I have some confusion about earning the money in Austria rather than the UK (when working in Japan I opted to pay NI, but didn't have to). But I will declare it of course.. infact earning more on paper is really important this year as I'm sure we will want to try and buy a house at some point in the next few years.... At least that is for next year's taxes.. I still have to do this years, although they are very simple as I earned bugger all!

Next year's tax form will involve this ever-increasing pile of receipts/travel costs and much more complicated things. I would like an accountant, but not sure my earnings are going to be enough to warrant it. Liverpool Council/ACME offer free accounts/tax training to self employed types, and so do Train 2000 infact. I shall be going down that route first. This may just give me a true idea of how little I know and lead me to an accountant!

Right, enough tax chat.. more glue guns and cardboard.

# 94 [13 August 2009]

blogblog:

Just noticed that a shortlist of 59 proposals for Take the Lead (Cultural Olympiad) has been decided on: http://tinyurl.com/mbzwcu. Some interesting ideas..

Linz blog:

Rain here, the likes of which I haven't seen since I lived in Japan. It's nice and warm too so was good to go out, get soaked and then have a swim in the river, in the rain today.

Work still going well.. I am making a costume/wearable sculpture for a performative piece Jens is going to help me document in the attic. Feel very lucky to have the help of such a talented photographer and hope I can repay him in other art favours. Imagine if art-bartering worked so well all the time! I never appear in my work so this is a bit of a strange leap for me, but I feel a bit like no one is watching, so it's a good time to try something I would normally be too shy/self-conscious to do. Drawings, nets, start, attic and my portrait by Jens all here... He is photographing all the artists in their studios as part of an ongoing project, but I will also use it for the article I WILL write for the neuner (09) managzine... any day.... I don't look like me.. far too serious (or glazed?!).

Travel money for the first leg of the journey came through, alas, by pure human error the £130 flight was missed off, so all I got was £42 trains... oh dear.. trip to Salzburg is off then! I was pretty fed up when I realised, but I'm so defeated by it, I just feel like what difference will one week make? More studio work at least...

# 93 [12 August 2009]

Cont from previous post..

I also think this is where the arts get strange. I'm not sure there are other industries (for want of a better word), where unpaid professionals work alongside paid ones (Is anyone really paid?). I don't think it's really a case of amateur and professional working alongside each other, as lots of artists are graduates and have been practising for a long time, they just earn their income in another sphere. Imagine if someone graduated in accounting and after university continued their part time job in a stationery shop whilst doing accounts in their spare time -  never going to happen because they can and will earn money.

If artists never expect or ask to get paid (properly) for the things they do then why would the public perception of arts being free ever need to change? It won't. If artists, on the other hand, recognise that they have many skills to offer, perhaps in other arenas than simply making their own work, other people will also value them. I'm thinking about all the multi-tasking, writing, applying creative thinking, problem solving, imaginative, thrifty things that artists do in everyday lives that could be applied in any number of situations.

As the visual arts are becoming increasingly important parts of big development projects and consultations, it is up to artists to stand up for their worth. A really great example in this field is Sans Facon, who get involved with large scale projects, but will also insist on changing the terms to fit the way they work best if they cannot work within the original brief.

http://www.sansfacon.co.uk/

On the other hand, the perception of the arts being free is quite far gone and it might take a lot of work to undo it - but on the scale of individual/organisation, it might only need a conversation. There is also the issue of there being too many artists for the amount of work available, I have no idea what happens there. I guess you just have to try and find the place you fit best and work at that, perhaps considering other avenues for work that aren't strictly art? It seems to me the less restrictions or labels you tag onto yourself, the less likely it is that others will categorise you too.

# 92 [12 August 2009]

Getting paid blog:

This is in reply to Christina and Andrew in the previous post.. firstly thanks very much for the rant encouragment! There shall be more to come. However, recent frustrations I mentioned here are more to do with personal.. shall we say.. issues, with one of the other artists here (and money), and the blog is not the place! This is one of my areas for improvement - knowing where the line is and not stepping over it!

Regarding writing about my practice, I did want to try it again with the Linz blog, but I have learned that when I am very involved in something and start analysing it too much, it gets complicated. I then tend to paralyze myself with too much thought and stop making. I find it is better to have a little distance on things and although I know what I want and am trying to do, the consideration of success and progress should be done retrospectively. Of course this is entirely personal and just what works best for me. No rules etc..

Not sure I agree entirely with your thoughts on the importance of money in the equasion.. It is difficult when you are so absorbed in what you're doing to consider money, but I think it IS important where the money comes from. By supporting your art with another job, doesn't that say something about not valuing your own work? Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's possible to get paid for just making work everyday - so I realise the idea that an artist has a studio and works in it all the time is pretty difficult to acheive. But there are ways of getting people to invest in you, to find support for periods of time, perhaps people will buy your work too (not really with mine). What I mean is, it's very challenging and it takes hard work (and often miserable rejections and self-doubts), but aren't the hours of boring admin the same as having a part time job somewhere? We don't want to do it - but it is what brings money.

My dad had an electrical engineering firm when I was small and when he did tenders for jobs (that took days), I remember thinking 'what the hell's that about? They might not even get the job and they're doing all that work for nothing..'. He always said that they budgeted to get one out of eight jobs. It's exactly the same with applications for me and if I get one out of 4/5 residencies/exhibitions, I count myself successful. (It is also a basic psychological trick to make myself feel okay about the knock backs!)

cont...

# 91 [11 August 2009]

Blogging blog:

I have been reading blogs, but not writing them for the last few days. This is mainly because I am frustrated about a fair few things and I just don't think it's entirely appropriate to be ranting about it all on here. I have an opinionated mouth and I should think more before I speak! I have written a few ranty posts in notepad, left them for review in the morning and never posted them.

Linz blog:

Work is great; racing along with four or five different projects, some drawing, sculptures and a bookwork. None of these will be finished as such by the end of the residency, but I am excited and happy to have so many leads and to be working so consistently. One of the projects will be photographed in the attic space (gorgeous, but not safe for public use, hence the vetoed exhibition idea!) and I hope to have a prototype of the book ready for the exhibition. This is called 'The City is Yellow, The City is Grey' and uses the colours to explore the bright side of Linz contrasted with a darker, underground side.

Time feels like it is rushing by and I'm not sure how I will get my day trips (Salzburg/Vienna/Cesky Krumlov) in before I leave.. especially as these are also dependent on cash! Holger as been given the okay to take us to one of the big lakes near Salzburg for the day, so perhaps we will do this next week (weather is a bit overcast this week). Overnight trip to one of the local artist's country pad this weekend and it will be so good to get out! Living and working in one place is great, but I could do with a change....

I also contacted some more artists this week to interview about how they make a living, and have been purposefully trying to contact more established artists to get a balance (and those whose work I really like too!). So far there is quite a lot of passiveness (in accepting things the way they are) and many of the artists are exhibiting garret/starvation tendancies! Ther are a couple who really tip the balance though, so that's interesting to see... wonder what the older generation have to say?