ARTISTS TALKING

# 1 [7 November 2009]

I feel I am part of something.....an arts community, a network. One that I have fought for, cajoled and persuaded people to join or to allow me to join. I now have a handful of wonderful arts mentors and people I can speak to about painting and this complex world of art.

In my first blog on A-N I was moving towards an exhibition at John Jones in their projection space. The blog had a natural conclusion.

http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/533863

I missed the blogging process, the self- reflecting,  the writing...the conversations and interaction with you.  So here I begin again...its nice to be here....

since my last blog on A-N I moved into a studio at Cor Blimey Arts www.corblimeyarts.com on Creekside Deptford. They are an affordable artist’s space- a cooperative as we like to talk to each other and plan exhibitions as well as engaging with the community. There are a lot of very nice people there including my lovely and talented studio mate Elizabeth Murton www.elizabethmurton.co.uk.

I was not sure if the studio was going to work, that I would sit in the space and feel blocked. I found it impossible to create work at the RCA – I could only work at home- mind you I had about 15cms of desk space so that’s not surprising.

But there has not been much of an opportunity to even allow for that as it has been busy for me with more exhibitions and teaching!

So a little update- after John Jones I had an exhibition with Brighton Phoenix gallery and then open studios here at CBA for Deptford X. All the studio artists from the area and galleries opened up and it was a great weekend of art and meeting artists…..thrumming with activity!

The plans have already begun for our Xmas open studios, which I am helping to organise, Fraction: we are going to each create 2 small pieces of work to be auctioned off at the opening.

In December I am also going to be having a solo show with Julian Hartnoll. A ‘ fine art monger’ www.julianhartnoll.com

Julian has a small gallery in St James-‘ the smallest in London!’ he gleefully exclaims. He bought my work earlier this year and now wants to give me an opportunity to show with him. I need to make 10 small new paintings by the end of the month…….so I have to go!

# 2 [13 November 2009]

I have been contemplating a title for my show in December 8-18th with Julian Hartnoll.

 I have decided on

I AM YOURS

 There are a number of reasons;

Itis a title that is provocative and intimate

 Secondly the buildings I choose to paint are public or community buildings. They are shaped by society, by the people who use them and they become part of the narrative of that building. Their lives are interwoven to that building. In some cases the public shape the building through consultation as well.  

Louise Bourgeois once said ‘Art is all about seduction’ and this title references that powerful statement.  Through our work we seek to seduce, we, artists, also put ourselves in a vulnerable position putting our works on display, to be celebrated perhaps in some way or to be rejected or ignored…. We are fragile...

Through my own work I feel I give something of my soul,  to the audience- a fraction of a world I see and source, even though it is not sentimental in any way shape or form. The work is more complex than just this alone but it is certainly part of it.. My own stories and other people’s stories become inextricably interwoven.

Julian has a gallery in St James’ London and wants small ‘masterpieces’ from me. The biggest painting shall be 30x40cm or so- hence the intimacy as well. Small works has been something that has worked very successfully in the past in terms of progress and experimentation. Working small lets me try out ideas and compositions quickly…or that’s the plan……

Here is what Julian wrote

‘These little pictures by Rosalind Davis work on several levels -technically they are intriguing because where one would expect brush strokes there are stitches; the subjects, more often fifties buidings observed from a picturesque perspective, question the  absence of people and what might have happened; and in the title of this exhibition "I am yours" the artist implies some suggestion of a glimpse of herself.’

Julianhartnoll.com

# 3 [20 November 2009]

Organisation and Co-Ordination.

I am part of the crew of the Cor Blimey Artists helping organise our open studios exhibition, Fraction. 4-6^th December.

I think there are about 25 of us and I have been collecting info for a press release, biogs and mailings.

The studios has not currently got a biog of the artists there so I think it will be useful for them to have. It was also very interesting for me to do as a relatively new member I learnt about everyone here-this is what a few of us wrote :

Cor Blimey Arts studios is based in the famous art hotspot of Creekside and is home to a wealth of national and international talent: graduates of the best UK art schools; Goldsmiths, Wimbledon and the Royal College of Art as well graduate artists from Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Uruguay

CBA Artists are a variety of emerging and established artists and they have had a startling amount of success; amongst them they have been selected for the following prestigious shows; John Moores Painting Prize, the Jerwood Drawing Prize, Salon 08 and the Creekside Open. There have been commissions for the Crafts Council and winners of the RBS Emerging Artist Award, Design Selected Award and New Cross Art Prize. They have been involved extensively in Deptford X and Brockley Max international art festivals.

The idea of Fraction was that Cor Blimey artists challenged themselves to create innovative artworks within a restricted size. By limiting this aspect they produce a contemporary collection of affordable art; capturing creativity in a thumbnail.

It has been somewhat manic though, helping to organise a show of 25 people’s works and overwhelming in logistics and emails. Our studio manager is incredible.   

In terms of CBA  there is a fantastic group effort. we utilise all our skills and education and contribute to the lot of the exhibition. It is very satsifying and exciting.

I am learning. I am part of something.

# 4 [27 November 2009]

In Deptford there is a huge hub of artist studios: Cor Blimey Arts, Creekside, APT, Artworks to name a few and we are all collected on this rather splendid artmap

www.deptfordartmap.com

Set up by Julia Alvarez of Bearspace who has been one of many pushing for the presence of Deptford on the art scene and has organised this map, tours of Deptford’s galleries and studios as well as a Last Friday openings in the galleries in the area. My, what a treasure trove.  

We at CBA have been debating the merits of realigning the studio into a more of a permanent gallery space.  Which is great and serious !  It would be profile building for the artists here and mean having constant exhibitions of our works or curated exhibitions. It can only be a good thing…..The only drawback is the organisation of it all which with everyone juggling other commitments is a challenge, things like- when would we open? who would curate/facilitate/invigilate/do press? Then again introduce this idea and people start bubbling away with plans and tap into exciting prospects and opportunities….they will be invigorated- I hope , I think…….

you learn an awful lot when you show your work and organise things. It is energising ( and exhausting!) plans are hatching....

# 5 [1 December 2009]

Friday looms. Everything happens on Friday….

Fraction and our open studios as well as delivery of my new works to Julian.

 I have created about 15 new works in the last few weeks. I don’t know how. I am beyond tired. ….hysterical laughter bubbles up quickly…..the tranquillity of making the works lies deeply though. ...and the determination. Calming, keeping me alight.

The work for the exhibition I am Yours and Fraction has been an interesting journey.  the intimacy of the sizes has invoked a reflection of a deeply changed emotional landscape for me.  the works are more of a  personal narrative, ….still purposefully using the buildings to illustrate these ideas that are more than me…..but the titles reflect upon this highly personal aspect. A jigsaw to put together

Artwork Titles;

The Journey Begins and Ends Here

Last Orders

The Winter Palace

The Watchtower                                                                              

The Castle

The Martyr

Whittled

From Afar, From Afar

belong to nothing

belong to no-one

belong nowhere…..

Belong somewhere

Here lies my confession

Here I laid hope

Here I laid to rest

Out of the dust comes light and power

Thawed

I am Yours

I give to thee

# 6 [5 December 2009]

Fraction opened with aplomb and the exhibition is very strong. Talking to my fellow studio artists they say that Elizabeth , my studio mate and I who are amongst the new arrivals here have been told that we have come in with some great energy and organisation, that there is a feeling of productivity that had been missing here. Neil who helped with the concept of Fraction said the fact that people were forced to make new works for the show was motivating for everyone. For us, we are thrilled to have energised the space. We have lots of ideas of how we want to connect with people and the possibilites seem endless. We are all now discussing the possibilities of making the studios into a gallery space!

One of the things I need to bring up with our next meeting ( and I have to  be brave to say this ) is that I really not a fan of our studio name ‘ cor blimey arts.’ I think it is a bit dated culturally specific ( our international artists may not understand the link )  and a bit cheesy……It was one of my doubting reasons before even getting the studio. I know that this may sound snobbish but I thought it did not sound serious enough…….apparently though this may not be easy to change with the trustees, so E and I have thought we could name the gallery space instead. We think Core Gallery. Then its linked into the title.

We are hoping to get guest curators, make links with other studios/ students/ organisations. Invite proposals, possibly curate and more! Its very exciting, this new chapter.

 We are all going to become part of something.

# 7 [7 December 2009]

The opening night was quite an event. Enver Gursev, an artist at our studios is a musician as well as an artist and he organised some great music and a performance piece. Two ladies, Luci Boccino and Denise Heinrich-lane http://www.myspace.com/ledonnedonnedonne did some beautiful abstract poetic performance art piece! It was brilliant and mad and created a great buzz. It emphasised the need to have something maybe apart from the 2d and 3d art happening in the main of the gallery on our private views to draw people in.……

 The exhibition was pretty well attended – Cockpit arts had their open weekend and we were getting a lot of their audience popping in. Leyla was drawing them in off the streets, amazing lady!  Despite numerous signage and leafleting and having listings on loads of websites, blogs, local newspapers it was a little quiet- although 200 people came so that is brilliant! ……..the gallery ideas were gathering momentum over the weekend too.

Quite a few pieces from our Fraction auction wall sold. Not enough as I would have liked. In fact I have ended up buying two pieces myself  - i would buy a lot more if I could!  I feel rather responsible that not everyone sold as as we set people the task. However I do know that they also enjoyed the task being set and we are now thinking how to sell them- a facebook page? A January auction…A corblimey art shop?

However, we still need to get more publicity for the studios somehow……so the good thing is that Greg Tallent from London Fringe came in to visit us about doing something as a collective in August. In a few minutes, Neil, Enver and I envisaged A Cor blimey boat, from Greenwich to central london, with flaming Japanese lanterns being thrown off it some kind of performance/ art thing going on, All sounds very fun and exciting….( Greg loves the name of our studios,   ‘so London! ’He said. Harrumph say I…..scuppered  )

After the exhibition finished we had a studio meeting to discuss the future and Core Gallery was unveiled ! Hurrah! People seemed interested and there will be some kind of gallery committee of us that will formalise and structure things and I guess start creating a programme of events.  Neil mentioned the Chapman brothers may come and do something and I know a few guest curators I would like to get involved……Elizabeth is going to approach the curating dept at Goldsmiths….and maybe more stuff with the galleries and other studios in the area….exciting stuff.

Now, I have to read a lot of your blogs…..I am to choose one this month….how terrifying and fun! You guys are teaching me a lot….

we are part of something…..

# 8 [8 December 2009]

Group Crits

In the last couple of weeks I attended 2 group art crits (because I wasn’t busy enough with two exhibitions about to open !)

One was Engine Chat Chat set up by my studio mate Elizabeth Murton and a group of artist friends / colleagues from Goldsmiths. The other was with Matt Roberts Arts.

Both crits I found interesting. I found parts of it very challenging in that most of the artists speaking did not set out who they were and what they did and I need context and visuals      ( which were not always available) as otherwise it was very abstract. With some people I could not understand what the heck they were doing and their explanations were muddled so I could not contribute so much.

It was obvious that some found it  difficult to talk about their work- which is completely understandable . I have mentioned before that RCA makes you consistently talk about your work. I am talking unendingly about it – at exhibitions, artists talks, to students etc so it is luckily second nature. I know its not that way for a lot of artists  Writing this blog as well has allowed more time to self reflect on processes and concepts too.

 So back to these crits, some people didn’t seem to be able to stop rambling, with little energy or enthusiasm ……..and talked for 30 mins instead of 5-10 mins which became rather much…..

 Small groups are much better ( there were 11ish at Matt Roberts, 7 at Engine chat chat, both lasted 3 hours! )  – maybe 5 people max to really get into the subjects.

The good idea about Engine Chat Chat in particular was that the idea was to come with a question to ask the group so that this becomes the debate rather than just introducing and talking about your practise.  I think this is a good way to structure the crits…..

I did see some very interesting and thoughtful work however and across both groups similar themes came up. Confusion and doubt of what direction and how to move the work along came up consistently, fear, lack of confidence and time all were universal subjects.

I am grateful to Elizabeth and Matt for making these exchanges possible. Its needed I think , to keep engaged with people and create peer networks.

The most brilliant thing though was that on a couple of occasions where we discussed problems artists were facing you saw them light up as we made suggestions. You could see wild fire of thoughts crossing their faces. This is why I love to do these things. For moments when you see people light up…and you become part of something.

# 9 [9 December 2009]

' Every work of art is aggressive. And every artists's life is a small war or a large one, beginning with oneself and one's limitations. To achieve anything you must first have ambition and then talent, knowledge and finally the opportunity.'

Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Angel's game

# 10 [14 December 2009]

I recently was very honoured to be asked to write about my choice blog on A-N. I chose Susan Francis

You can read what I wrote here.

http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/article/587497

Very tough to choose someone as there are so many interesting stories……I really like it when people have a few images of what they are doing…..of works in progress , of finished works, of things they like….it puts it into context..

My show with Julian has opened. It looks great.  A solo show in the west end! I never imagined…… Pop along if you are in Piccadilly/ Green park;

I am Yours

Rosalind Davis Solo Show

Until late, 24th December 2009

Julian Hartnoll Gallery

37 Duke Street

St James

London

Sw1Y 6DF

www.julianhartnoll.com

The expectation of commercial success weighs a little heavy on me though, the fact someone believed enough in what I do should and does make me  feel fantastic and I know Julian loves the work whatever happens but what if nothing sells….. ? The fragility creeps in, the self doubt, the anxiety……

And I have a painting to make for London Art Fair for Long and Ryle Gallery who I shall be showing with. I hope they hang it as I am going to be busting my weary soul to get this done for them…( theres no guarantees) So no sitting on my laurels. Or sleeping much still……This is a rather lacklustre blog today, I apologise but it felt necessary to write…..