ARTISTS TALKING

# 9 [16 July 2009]

I am in the back of the shop with the lights off, setting up a video camera so that I can film an hour at lunchtime, hopefully 'to capture' passers-by looking in. I try plugging in the power adapter and realise I've brought the wrong one. There is a couple sat on the bench in front of the shop and I can see that the woman is explaining to the man what I am doing. She is miming wrapping a plank of wood in hazard tape.

"What am I building?" "A sculpture" "What of?" "Does a sculpture have to be of something? What does it look like?" "A tunnel." Beautiful. She explains she couldn't read the magnets on the fridge door from where she was sat. She suggested wrapping the chairs, "and a table", in hazard tape. I ummed and arghed but explained that even though that might connect the seats with the art, the seats weren't the art but a facility. She asked about the text and I explained, "Cheap Chairs!" she said. Fantastic.

Another audience member asked if I thought artists with beards had more authority (I've had a shave). He said I didn't have the towel last week then corrected himself to say it was folded differently!

A young girl asked if she could crawl through the tunnel. I said she could but if it fell on her whilst she was doing it then I could be sued. Her friend suggested I charge; we agreed the charge would have to be equivalent to the cost of insurance. She said she would sign a disclaimer, crawling consent.

I've hooked up sound. A Tom Waits sample with a sample from The Great Escpe. The headphones look lost on the seat. Philippa organises a plinth I can borrow from The Harris. A skip outside The Harris has two comfortable chairs in it, yes I can have them.

Back in the back of the shop I see someone picks up the headphones and listens. I go for a break and when I come back I know someone else has picked up the headphones because they are now ear down. I think about using speakers so that everyone can hear the sound. Is that more important than the idea, point about public/private space?

Where does copyright begin?

# 8 [13 July 2009]

Rang Alice Booth this morning regarding Making Time opportunity. I needed to find out if I had been shortlisted as I have an Assessment day to be a Bike Club Officer for CTC (first rule of Bike Club.....) tomorrow to be followed, if successful, by an interview in Birmingham on Friday which is the same day as the interviews for Making Time. I didn't get it. She didn't want to tell me, she said she'd email me in an hour or so. I explained the reason why I needed to know so I could let the other people (CTC) know and explained that I was away from a computer. She still didn't want to tell me so I assumed that meant unsuccessful. I realised, 'it dawned on me', that if I was on the shortlist she would have remembered my name and it would  be easy to say so.

Instant depression. Whittling wood (c5000 sticks) for a year sounds good  to me but I didn't actually say that was what I was going to do. Left it open, which in hindsight, aaarrrrgggghhhh. Then I start thinking it's all down to who you know, I mean, I know Charles and Elaine....

Depression turns to disappointment to realisation/actualisation I am doing art, being creative. I am grateful for the opportunity, it's all good.

"You've got that down to a fine art."

The guy from the newsagent nextdoor wants to know what I am doing, how much it costs, who's paying for the lights - he says his service charges will go up. I say something about he'd be paying service charges if the shops were empty. He wants to have a closer look, I ask him not to touch. The first thing he does is touch it, gently, just to see how stable it is. He comes out and asks whens it going to be open, I explain that it isn't going to be 'open' for the reason he's just demonstrated. He smiles.

# 7 [13 July 2009]

I told Charles (one of the ICP Team) about the lady saying too much art in Preston already and he read it as a positive; the work of In Certain Places working, being noticed.

I've edited interview with Charles and Elaine, two of ICP team, for radio show on Preston FM 103.2FM Tuesday 14th July 18.00-19.00.

Music to include Tom Waits, The Specials and The The.

# 6 [8 July 2009]

"It looks like a tent."

"Have you been here all night?"

"Are you selling Hazard signs?"

"What's it going to be?" "An art exhibition" "An art exhibition! There's enough art in Preston already." "Where?" I asked as she carried on walking. I guess people who ask you questions whilst they keep on walking aren't really interested in having a conversation, just an answer to the question. This was particularly interesting because of Fiona Flynns letter in this months a-n. The difference here being Preston, as compared with, London. Preston has The Harris and PAD.

Another passer-by wanting to buy the worlds? End of august mate.

"You're weird" says the girl walking past, I ask why, no answer. She walks past again and says the same thing. I think about saying "You're stupid/thick/ugly" but what's the point? I'd honestly actually prefer her to be able to articulate the reason why she thinks its OK to tell a stranger they're weird but.....

"Is it going to be a big wasp?"

# 5 [8 July 2009]

You've been playing that for two days now, you're not getting much of a tune from it. Or words to that effect.

I am imagining the work men in the souks of Marrakech; the wooden spoon man. Sat there, on the doorstep of his shop work space, making wooden spoons with a mountain of wooden spoons piled behind him.

Curator Captions

# 4 [6 July 2009]

Tartan paint

"So that's how they do it?" "Do what?" The passer by was referring to my hazard tape covered planks, she explained that she thought they were painted.

Another lady asked what was happening and I told her there was going to be an exhibition in the shop. She said I could sell it and give the money to charity!

"Job for life there mate!"

# 3 [3 July 2009]

It's all good in the wood.

The phone vibrates and I pick it up. It's Berrys, the delivery man asking where exactly I want the wood. I say you were supposed to ring me and he says he did, twice. I later check my phone and I missed the call because it was on silent. I ask him to ring Ken, St. Johns Shopping center manager. He rings back to say it goes to answer machine. I give him the best advise I can as to where to leave the wood, next to the second grey door; he says there are no grey doors, they're all green. He says he'll leave the wood between the 2nd and 3rd door, I apologise for missing the call.

I've painted the ends of the wood black and need turps to clean my brush so I go to the pound shop/stop across the way and it's £1.49. I try B&M Bargains, they don't have any so I try the other pound shop, it's £1.50.

Yesterday I bump into a guy I used to work with who is now working as a Parking Attendant (traffic warden). I tell him I did the weeks training but the prospect of the abuse put me off. I confirm the following: PAs have to be wearing their hat to issue you a ticket and if they hand you the ticket, don't accept it, just get in your car and drive off (if it's on your windscreen it's too late). Do not catch the ticket if they throw it at you!

# 2 [2 July 2009]

A pair of passers-by asked what the shop was going to be. "An art exhibition." "You're gonna sell art exhibitions?" They wanted to know where I got my atlases from, I told them the story. They offered me a tenner for both.

What happens when everyone has everything?

# 1 [1 July 2009]

"You've missed a bit" mouthed the passer by at the window. I had started painting a red strip, stripe, around the walls of shop unit 15. First coat finished 30th June, back today for second coat. Bought 2 globe lamps from Preston covered market. I saw one and logged it, saw another and asked how much "£5", I'll go back to the first one and see how much they want. "£3" and they've got another, I can have them both for a fiver. BOGOF, beautiful. Back at the shop cleaning one of the windows an old guy asks what's it going to be. I start to talk about art and he says "Tomatoes?". I correct him and say something about art again. He says it used to be a cafe but they couldn't afford the rent.

This morning, whilst I'm driving, my phone rings. Withheld number, I answer, hypocrite. I had a feeling it would be Berrys, the timber merchants. The sales guy says for collection and I have to correct him and say for delivery and then he says can't get the lengths I want and would charge for cuts(30p per cut). I explain that the reason why I'm using Berrys is that I was advised I could have these lengths (1.8m) and that there would be no charge to cut as no need because these lengths in stock. He asked who I spoke to, damn. I work in a call center and that's gotta to be a golden rule (ownership). He said he'd ring me back, I asked if he could ring me back in 10 minutes (giving me enough time to get home and out of the car).  A minute later, withheld rings again. He asks if it's rough sawn carcassing that I want, yes I agree. Delivery will be this friday. To the Harris? No to Old Vicarage off Tithebarn, like it says on the order form. I ask him to ask the driver to ring me ten minutes before hand.