ARTISTS TALKING

# 19 [29 July 2009]

Yesterday a man asked what I'd do if he pushed over the tunnel with the remote control digger, I said I'd build it again. He laughed and left.

Dismantled the tunnel today to lay black plastic on the floor. Haven't decided about the fish hooks from the ceiling yet.

Some kids must've used a swear word on the fridge doors because a few moments later someone else censored them.

# 18 [28 July 2009]

A funny thing about writing a blog is people tell you they've read your blog and then I tell them what's happened. But they'll already know because they've read the blog.

# 17 [27 July 2009]

I'm in the back of the shop and I hear a women say to a man and a child "You two could do better than that." The other day I could hear the bingo caller upstairs.

Elaine walks past. I wonder if she wonders where I am.

I felt, sensed, a red dot on me, moving around. I followed the movement and trace it back to a couple of kids sat on the bench outside B n Ms. One of them is pointing a toy gun with a "laser sight" at me. I watch him pack it in the back of his trousers.

I sat in the shop window and watch the world go by.

Unrelated anecdote #1: A friend of a friend has a restraining order against her ex-husband. The ex confronts and threatens them, they report it to the police. The police say, it's his word against hers and do nothing. What's the point of the restraining order?

Unrelated anecdote #2: A friend of a friend is walking along the promenade at Blackpool. A guy with a Staffy off its lead walks past. Their is a couple with a Jack Russell puppy walking past. The Staffy attacks and kills the puppy. There is a crowd present, aswell as the Police. Many of the crowd are in tears, the Police do nothing.

Sunday used to be a day of rest.

# 16 [27 July 2009]

A toddler bangs on the window. "Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in?Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in? Can I come in?"

# 15 [24 July 2009]

"A pile of bricks,

A dead cow."

A raised eyebrow.

A trio of scouse ladies stop and chat; they've been to Blackpool for the week, using their bus passes. They ask what I'm doing and I tell them. One of them says something that sounds like "You want to be an artist." I ask her to say it again because I'm not sure I heard her correctly, she ums and arghs, then says you "You want to be an artist." I say I am an artist.

Of the variety of questions I'm first asked I try and do a Roy Walker 'Say what you see' and pass the buck back and most of the time people say tunnel. On a couple of occassions people have said bridge and that's stumped me. I understand tent, wigwam, construction site etc. but bridge....

Remembering the lady who said it looks like a bee, or was it a wasp, colony collapse.

# 14 [22 July 2009]

"You look like you're havin' pure fun."

A fella says he's been meaning to ask what I'm doing, people have been doing. I tell him there's only been me doing and he say's nah there was a half caste guy here the other day. I tell him that's news to me.

Children having a go with the remote control digger. I watch them use the wire to pull the digger back rather than the reverse lever. So that's something to be aware of, not that I can do much about it. The other thing is; whilst one child's playing the other wants to play. Creative conflict. I'm in a shop buying re-chargeable batteries for the digger and one of the kids who've been playing with it says "There's the artist."

# 13 [22 July 2009]

A young girl asked "Is that where you live?". My immediate thought was 'In the shop' then thought she means in the tent tunnel wigwam 'thing'.

Old school technology givin' me a hard time. Trying to put a one hour loop of a sample from The Great Escape on to VHS to make an 8 hour tape but no joy. Maybe today.

I bought one of those trolleys car mechanics use for working under cars.

A Dad asked if he could buy a digger.

# 12 [20 July 2009]

Two planks have fallen!

# 11 [19 July 2009]

Are you doing jankers?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jankers

The nextdoor neighbour from the newsagent having another go. Looking into the shop saying you can't see anything, (I don't understand, there is 'something' in the shop, a visible thing) saying no more people coming into St. Johns. In the middle of our conversation/debate/argument he walks off to talk to someone else, rude.

# 10 [17 July 2009]

Went to see Marina Abramovic presents (Dedicated to Tehching Hsieh) last night at the Whitworth, part of Manchester International Festival 09.

The other day eating my bacon butty from Galloways on the corner of St. Johns I watched the street cleaner cleaning the street in front of me. Using a grabber he was picking up other peoples discarded cigarette ends. He reached, squeezed, squeezed, squeezed again. One particular butt was proving to be particularly elusive and he kept on trying, I was thinking it's got to be easier to pick it up (he's wearing gloves). Finally, success. I go back to my butty. A couple minutes later I look down the street and I see cigarette butts, here and there. Quantum physics in action; me watching changed his behaviour. He could sense I was watching and didn't want to give up, didn't want me to witness him thinking 'fuck it' but once he'd succeeded and we were both satisfied the heat was off.

Can any female performance artist out there explain the prevalence of nakedness in female performance for me?

A man played with the remote control digger. I've set it up so that with the controls as close to the door as possible it would be impossible to knock the tunnel over. The man moved the empty rolls of tape around, against each other. Amusement arcade.

I've changed my mind, now I think I'll make it so the tunnel can be knocked down by the remote controlled digger, more poignant.

Alex was awarded with a certificated for staying the full four hours at the Whitworth; I left at 22.40 and received no certificate.