ARTISTS TALKING

# 1 [6 October 2009]

Good news refreshes a thirsty man! Heard the happy tidings that I've been accepted on to this years AA2A residency scheme. I'll be busying like a busy thing in the workshops down there, in the very near (and very busy) future.

The two residencies dovetail perfectly. l have had a video installation project on the back-burner for a couple of years now, due to a lack of resources to make some special equipment for it. Now, with this AA2A award, I'll be able to make the frames, and then, get this, make the work in my new shiny studio. How cool is that? It feels great. I've had no studio for the last year, 'cos times is hard, but it feels like the stars are beginning to align once more.

Or so I like to hope...

# 2 [6 October 2009]

“It ain’t about how HARD you can hit, it’s about how hard you can GET hit, and still keep going!” so sayeth Mr. Balboa. It is my dark and guilty secret that, once in a while, when the house is empty, and the beer is gone, I’ll sneak out, and rent a Rocky film.  What can I say? Sorry.
But did I speak too soon about the stars in the last post? My bike has just been stolen from outside the gallery I work in. Not normally such a bad thing, really. I’ve got added context though!
For a start I’m a disabled artist, who gets around on a groovy prosthetic leg.  Anything longer than trip to the kitchen, though and I’m stuffed. So I’m glued to my bike.  Or was. These ‘people’ have effectively immobilised me. Nice.
Which is pretty much the icing on the cake for this last 8 weeks. Starting when we had to cancel our wedding 24 hours before zero hour, as my father-in-law-to-be was rushed in for some emergency surgery on a brain tumour. (recovery is going well) Then, coming back from a ‘honeymoon’ spent in hospital waiting rooms, I was made redundant on my first day back. Next day, found out my mum has cancer. She’s just had her tumour removed, thankfully with great success. Next up, my dad is going in for open-heart surgery in a couple of weeks, before his valves collapse completely. Last week a slight infection resulted in me having a tooth extracted, which failed to heal properly. We’re trying to move house closer to the Chapel residency, but have run out of dosh, and now my bloody bike has been stolen.
“And why do we fall down, Master Bruce?”
“So we can learn how to pick ourselves up, Alfred”
True enough, and this is what I feel my installation work has prepared me for. I try hard to look at the bigger picture. To see things in terms of process, and explore the contingent nature of things. That along with working with a medium imbued with the tendency to get itself damaged, destroyed and interfered with by outside influence every five minutes, has indeed effectively prepared me to roll with the blows.
I have to be very grateful for that, because sometimes, they just don’t seem to stop!

Suck it in. Keep going. Get in that studio and make the most of what will be a great year.(eventually)

# 3 [29 October 2009]

A few days later, and the dust has started to settle. Examining the nature of a community based residency, and its requirements, we decided to uproot, and move right into the heart of Andover.  I think it’s important to be as close to the studios as possible. This has already proved really useful, as the public duties are starting to rack up. It’s a post quite unlike anything I’ve had before, and although the amount of fresh un-trodden ground is quite daunting, the support I’m getting from the folk at Test Valley Arts Foundation is very uplifting! I’ve attended the opening of a schools community arts project, met with the senior arts officer to discuss programmes, and have a slot at the next Café Culture event in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow I’m meeting a collection of councillors and Important People who could make a big difference in the next 12 months if their support is elicited. Then on Saturday we’re off to Salisbury to check out their external lighting systems.

Due to various building snags, I’ve yet to actually gain the keys to the studios (although that joyous part is imminent). Nevertheless, the sense of involvement within the Andover community is growing rapidly. Press releases, radio interviews, mayoral meetings…all these things convey a sense of sincerity from Test Valley Arts, and add to my excitement of being part of a project that gains potential everyday.

# 4 [30 October 2009]

Today was the day!

I am now the proud owner of a set of keys!

After all the waiting and building snag-list sorting, I at last have access to this fantastic building. Had an introductory meeting with some councillors and potential sponsors at the Chapel Arts studios as well. Seem like a very decent bunch, and once again  I have come away feeling nothing but encouragement from the people I am dealing with during this residency.

Left them to go Andover Sound (106.4FM!) and gave my first radio interview. Goodness knows what it'll sound like, as I tend to hate the sound of my voice when it's played back. I think this is a common thing, is it not?

Now back at our flat, having moved in the first of the studio stuff, including a makeshift table and chair set. Actually it's our garden furniture, but who's worried right now? I've put the word out and hopefully something will appear. Deck chairs can only be sat on for so long!

So for now it's time to sit back with a cup of tea, as the move is finally over. The house is only full of house stuff, the bathroom is ours once again, and the New Keys are safely in the key pot. Feeling completely battered by all the events this last fortnight, and who knows, maybe one of these days I'll be able to graduate from waffle onto something more coherent! For now, I'll just keep checking-in and reporting for duty.

# 5 [2 November 2009]

Had a quick trip to Salisbury Arts centre this evening to have a look at their new external lighting system.

Working in a cemetary comes, quite rightly,  with it's own set of challenges. A lot of them overlap.

First off the mark, we have Security. Always a good one this, as artists tend not to like being attacked. Can't say much about the general public, but, speaking as an artist, I know I'm not fond of the idea. We also have the questions of Urban Sensitivity, Public Awareness, and of course that old chestnut which I am particularly fond of, Access.

The Test Valley Arts Foundation has already secured an extremely helpful sum from the police towards the Security fund. What we have been thinking is that a decent lighting system could illuminate the building, not be too intrusive to an area of great emotional importance, provide safer access to and from the Chapel Arts studio, as well as help to deter attacks and/or interference from any undesirables.

Such a system would also have a wider benefit to the local area as the cemetary links a number of housing areas. To have any degree of lighting installed is a welcome advantage to those crossing in darkness.

So the rub is, we're trying to bring together various pots of financial assistance. These are aimed at making the local area safer, but at the same time will make our wonderful studio better seen and more secure.

While speaking to the director of the Salisbury Arts Centre, he  explained that although there were, initially, a great number of concerns raised about the introduction of his sunken spotlights, the biggest problem of all was simply mis-communication. Councillors, local support groups, ecological organisations etc were accidentally translating the explanation into something that was quite different from the proposal itself. Once that was realised, and the proposal rephrased, the problems evaporated of their own accord.

Their lights work, everyone is happy with them, and we want some too. We'll see how it goes...

# 6 [4 November 2009]

Great day yesterday. Got the email saying Jon Adams and myself have been successful in getting through to the final interview stage for our proposed collaboration at the Walsall Gallery. Then spent a day at the Toynbee centre in London at a conference on Diversifying Outdoor Arts. Plenty of food for thought there.

Outdoor arts is a relatively new field for me, as my work tends to lend itself to the great indoors. In the past I've been rather protective of my dust based installations: indoors is more controllable. Stepping outside into the realm of public and environmental is potentially a significant change in direction for my work and methods of working. Not least because my work will be destroyed, and my control of it will be compromised. But this foolish notion of control is what I have been trying to eradicate for sometime now, anyway, and the whole point of the dust is its extreme ephemerality.

So, on the face of it, Outside is looking like a pretty good option if I want to push these ideas a bit further.   The proposed collaboration at Walsall with Jon is likely to be in this vein. We’re both keen to be in a fluid position in terms of our response to the projects aims. This will hopefully end up with us making some fairly intuitive decisions, and relinquishing a significant proportion of this control beastie to the public. I love the sense of uncertainty in situations like that. When you have no real idea of what to expect, the level of excitement and reward are all the greater. 

# 7 [5 November 2009]

Night time in the cemetery certainly has it’s thumps and bumps. Sitting in the Chapel late into the evening had me lit up like a beacon for all manner of passers by. The stained glass windows are illuminated and attract window banging hoodies like moths to a bulb. I’m no shrinking violet when it comes to night time and dark streets. I’ve had my fair share of squeezes and scrapes over the years (though few will ever compare with the attempted cliff-top robbery in Jaipur a few years ago!). The point being I don’t tend to rattle easily.

But last night I was. Still haven’t worked out why exactly. Maybe it was no more than being isolated and with out recourse to instant assistance: since I got my leg chopped off, I ain’t so good at running away these days!

There was something distinctly John Carpenter-ish and siege-like about the faceless hoodies staring through the windows at me, and banging. And banging. And banging. And banging.

The external lighting isn’t what it should be yet (all the more reason for this new bid to be accepted), and having to step out into pitch-black surrounds, where I can’t even see the path in front of me was a bit worrying . Like a brave boy, I just stayed indoors for another 10 minutes or so until it all blew over.  

My nice Development Officer has already stepped-up, and passed the incident onto the Police. For that I'm very grateful, as I’m now under extra night-time patrol, with my own armed rapid-response team. Well, I’ve at least got a phone number to call.

Fingers crossed, I won’t be needing it...

# 8 [7 November 2009]

Saturday morning, and I'm all geared up to go to work, but can't yet as I need the builders to finish off the ventilation sysytem properly. Legal requirements and all that.

For now, I'm limited to re-arranging bits of furniture, unpacking equipment, and writing the odd email. 

Good job I've got plenty of emails to write...

Hurry up builders!

# 9 [10 November 2009]

Builders in, builders out. Still the ventilation hums above the threshold. Time is running out for the Grand Opening now, and we really need to get the work signed off and the studio to be studio-fied. As it is, I’ve got some tenacious and diligent people on my side that just won’t take “It’ll do” for an answer. I like it when that happens.

Tonight I’m off to attend an opening of some local artists, and am looking forward to meeting more of my new community. Maybe even have a glass of wine, who knows?

Then it’s nose back to the grind stone as I prepare my presentation for tomorrows Café Culture event, where I’m one of the two speakers. This is my first spotlight occasion in the new role, and I hope to give a good account of myself. There’s a lot of extra observations starting to filter their way into my understanding of this role. One of them being a sense of responsibility towards the Andover community. It’s caught me by surprise, really. I mean there I was thinking that I’d just be the Responsible Artist, wheeled out to make Art and Perform to high standards, fulfilling requirements in the role. I guess what I mean, in other words, is that I expected to find a fairly objective approach in my work. But here I am, having been welcomed with open arms, thrust right into the core of a creative and bustling community, and I’m feeling a sense of responsibility towards the town. “Oh, I hope I don’t let them down” “Oh, will this be what they need?”, “Must try harder, must try harder!”

Reading back over this blurt, it feels like I'm not expressing myself very well. That maybe I wasn't prepared to commit in some mor engaged way with the project. That’s clearly not the case, as evidenced by my move to Andover to make the whole thing work to its best.

Not sure what to make to make of this, or even what I’m trying to say. Maybe it’s just that I’m enjoying myself an ways that I wasn’t expecting, and that’s bringing about a new set of attachments to my life in Andover.

Whatever it is, it’s a good thing, and it’s spurring me on more each day. Just got to get the ventilation fixed so I can stop being Office Boy, and start being Artist Man!

# 10 [11 November 2009]

What a great night. Is this really work? The opening was at Weyhill studios, and what a place. Once was a time when it was a sheep stables. Now, the little sheep lounges and boudoirs have been converted into a few dozen arts and craft studios. With a café. And a shop. It’s a great set up. Never heard of it before coming here. Is this the same for all over UK? Are there towns scattered around the country that possess this level of facilities and outlets, but remain off the map of public awareness?

Either way, I had the rare opportunity to wax nerdily about Palaeolithic cultures and the daring exploits of the Leakey family in Olduvai gorge. Museum directors are easy to like!

Best get on with the presentation for tonights Café Culture. Met some more artists last night who will be coming along, so it’s looking like we’re going to have an audience.