ARTISTS TALKING

# 18 [24 July 2010]

I completed the May Challenge today. Which in a nut shell was to re-make Sophie Calle's, Suite Venitienne. The piece saw the artist follow someone she met at an opening, undercover.

I decided like Calle to use a gallery as a starting point and began at Nottingham Contemporary. I waited outside until an appropriate person left the gallery. As it happened a person walked up the side of the gallery who I decide to follow. He was clearly a tourist, and certainly lost. I thought he would be interesting to follow as he may be sight seeing.

As I followed the tourist it became clear that perhaps he was a bad choice, he kept pausing, looking at the map and turning around. It was going to be hard for me to be discreet. At one point he stopped near a church where I pretended to take photographs before following him up the street.

The man continued to pause and check the map. He then headed onto a busier street and walked parallel to where he had previously been. He then turned into an alleyway which I followed him down. Part way he turned around and clearly saw me, as he walked passed I avoided eye contact. I walked on, paused and then turned back to follow him. We walked a little further and he stopped to check the map whilst looking at me, I walked passed as a diversion. When I turned around he had disappeared. He was clearly on to me. I check around the streets but couldn't see him.

I then decided to follow an old lady on a zimmer frame believing that with her speed she should be easy to follow. I had intended to follow one person but after not spending as long as intended with the first person I followed a second.

I ended up following the old lady into Marks and Spenser. From there she spent over an hour looking at the same four isles. I followed at a distance as she kept returning to the same pair of orange trousers. At one point I made a diversion to look at a product and ended up loosing her. I looked around all the isles and couldn't find her.

Its clear I'm not cut out to be a stalker nor am I cut out to be a secrete agent. This was the challenge I thought was the most intense and deeply challenging. The thought of doing this scared me but I managed get over my reservations and undertake the challenge. The experience now exists as a text and photographs, they are on my website:

http://www.ameliabeavisharrison.com/2010challenge.html 

I am still applying to TV shows for the June Challenge, however no more auditions, just a few phone interviews.

# 17 [19 July 2010]

Just returned from an audition for the June challenge. I have applied for several TV shows some more long shots than others and today was the first day of experiencing an audition, it was also the first show so far to offer me one, not only that it was the 'Apprentice'.

I had to be in the venue in Birmingham for 11.00am, upon entering the building I took the lift to the third floor and signed in, giving the two ladies on the desk a full application form (further to the online on I had completed that got me to the audition), a contributor release form (stating they could film what they liked, and portray it in anyway), a CV and photograph. After this I had to sit with other hopeful candidates in a room that had lines of chairs facing the front where signs read 'Silence must be observed at all times.'

At five minuet intervals groups of ten candidates were directed into another room. Upon entering the room we were told to line up behind numbers on the floor (I was number one) and wait until our number was called before saying why we were the next 'Apprentice' in 30 seconds. I had a well honed speech prepared, I got half way through and forgot everything I was saying, out of context I said 'splendid' ... of all things why splendid, I dont even say that in conversation! Never the less I knew my 'Apprentice' audition had finished then. Five of the numbers were read out, those people got through to the second round, five of us remained, we got sent home.

It was an interesting experience, and in truth I am too honest, I didn't do enough pretending to be a business person. For some reason I lost sight of the challenge and ended up taking the audition some what seriously, but in the wrong way. Ah well whats next to apply for? I have had a couple of telephone interviews but I seem to be the wrong kind of person they are looking for. Im aiming for Come Dine With Me!

The May challenge is still incomplete, I seem to be putting it off, so the next free day I have I intend to complete the work. That free day is this weekend!

# 16 [6 July 2010]

For June I accepted the following challenge:

June Challenge

'Test your physical and mental agility to the limit by appearing on a television quiz show or game show.'

Challenged by Anneka French

Now that's a challenge that Im quite excited about! So far I have applied to Master Mind and The Apprentice. I believe you apply then go to at least one audition (normally more) before being selected, so this is going to be tough!!

I have taken the decision to not over think the May Challenge which in a nut shell is to follow some one until I am sussed. When making work I usually like to attribute meaning to every aspect of it but for the May Challenge I feel the very nature of it is suggesting other wise. I am going to select a day to fulfill the challenge and let the moment develop the project, rather than over plan it.

I know that several of the participants from the April Challenge have received their challenge packs, hopfully the others have too. I think it will be interesting to see who actually undertakes the challenge, especially as the people vary in how well I know them. They have until the end of the month to send back their results, Im quite excited and looking forward to seeing what they have / haven't done!

# 15 [20 June 2010]

If you are re-making someones work then it seems important to know that work inside out. However knowing Sophie Calle's Suite Venitienne in not such a deep way seems sufficient. Why? Perhaps it is that by re-creating this piece for the May challenge I only need the basics. Perhaps it is because the voyeur role requires minimal information. Perhaps it is because too much information would over complicate my own actions. What ever the reason my research has not been as extensive as I would usually attempt, and for some reason for this piece that seems acceptable.

Sophie Calle's Suite Venitienne conjures romanticism and lust perhaps the settings of Paris and Venice go some way towards this. I am increasingly feeling that the notion of following some one, or perhaps stalking as it would be known today has a romantic edge. Although the prospect of following someone until I am sussed is a terrifying prospect to me I realise I can approach this from another angle, a rose tinted one.

My initial thoughts were to follow the post man / woman, however this new perspective makes the postman seem more comical than is necessary, but taking a romantic stance on the situation makes it some what more sinister instantly.

Unlike Calle I would never have the budget to go to Venice just like that, so I think there needs to be some ground rules defined by budget and time, although by setting these rules I dont want to under state the challenge. I am also thinking that perhaps my residing city is not the place to begin this challenge ... so where. So many questions, and as of yet not many answers.

# 14 [13 June 2010]

I started getting all my challenges together for other people this week (well they have been in development for some time). I decided that because it was the April Challenge, being the fourth month of the year I should create four challenges. The challenges were influenced by religion, advertising, Danny Wallace and popular culture. I decide to look at things that I thought were challenging to people. The religious fast interested me, its purpose, use, and the effect on the people undertaking it. I then took advertising, the challenge and persuasion in a set of words, a phrase that could make decisions. As general "research" for the 2010 Challenge I have been reading a lot of Danny Wallace, and I took a lot from The Yes Man, it only seemed appropriate to make others try. Finally I looked at popular culture and challenges we are familiar with, this led to the Guinness Book of World Records. So here are the four challenges:

1. Live off a food and drink budget of £1 per day for two weeks. This can be a combined budget of £7 per week.

2. Just do it!

3. Say yes to every opportunity, invitation or question that requires a decision for 31 consecutive days. To be started in June 2010.

4. Beat a world record.

I thought it was probably appropriate to challenge some of the people who had previously challenged me, and alongside them I would give them a counterpart, another person to complete the challenge with (this person hadn't previously challenged me). Their counterpart is kept a secret, neither person know each other, but they attempt the challenge. To this end I have created four teams one for each challenge which is as follows:

Challenge 1: Orange Team

Challenge 2: Salmon Pink Team

Challenge 3: Blue Team

Challenge 4: Yellow Team

I decided not to ask the participants whether they would want to be involved or not, so its a bit of a gamble, to see whether they accept the challenges or not!

Never the less they hit the post this week, all I can do now is wait and see.

# 13 [9 June 2010]

It would appear there is an underlying challenge to this project which evolves around time and capacity. I am ridiculously busy with other freelance work at the moment so am getting slightly behind in the challenges, I think the set back really started in January though!

Never the less the March challenge is almost complete, the evidence is here: http://www.ameliabeavisharrison.com/2010challenge.html

Nottingham Castle were very kind and let me release 20 apologies attached to balloons with the word sorry printed on them. The act was a part of the public statement that Tom Duggan set as a part of the challenge. I also have apologised to two people in a more direct way with interventions that will hopfully make them smile and feel thought of, even if they dont understand the appology. Many of the apologies are trivial and for those that are less so the relevance of them is far gone.

There is one appology I have yet to make as I have discovered the person has moved to Australia which make the challenge a little more complicated. The wonders of indirect Facebook searches have given me a certain amount of information but it still needs more work.

I have begun creating the challenges for April .... more will follow .......

For May I accepted the following challenge:

'I challenge you to re-make a piece of work in true Hollywood style. Namely Sophie Calle's Suite Venitienne of 1979 which is now 31. You should follow someone you do not know at all or only vaguely (you can adopt a disguise if you require) for as long as it takes before you are rumbled, you must go everywhere that they go in this time.Along the way you should take images discretely. These should be exhibited somewhere printed in black and white. I accept no ethical responsibility should anything sinister arise from you doing this.'

Challenged by Andrew Bracey

I chose this challenge out of all the challenges as it made me feel the most physically uncomfortable! For May I had an amazing response and some fantastic challenges, it was hard to not accept more. I can say however one of my good friends has re-submitted her May challenge which is great because it's the first re-submission and also its a fantastic challenge.

# 12 [11 May 2010]

May is a record braking month. I sent an email out to various people in my address book asking for challenges, and have had the biggest response to date. In the course of three days on average I have received a challenge every 12 hours. Now that may not seem much but its a lot comparatively speaking. My only worry now is that later in the year people wont have any challenges to make!

Whats even better about receiving so many challenges is that so many of them are good, better than good great. It seems the quality of challenges has improved over night. Challenges range from stalking, appearing on a TV game show, walking in other people's shoes to not using any digital technology for a week. I am spoilt for choice. The trick is to work out which one is the most challenging, wether it is physical, tactical or something more.

Of the present challenge (March) I will in theory complete one part of the challenge over the weekend. With two humble apologies to those who deserve them. The more public part of the project is still in the planning stages, I am attempting to find a site for the balloon release. I think this will require a certain amount of environmental concerns such as biodegradable balloons, and having just ordered them I am a little worried they may not be, so I will have to check on that.

# 11 [6 May 2010]

Its taken a while but Ive got there. The public statement needn't be over the top, it should be appropriate. To attribute a public statement to an apology it has to fit, be sincere. So I began to think sentimentally, perhaps ceremoniously. There are several apology's I want to make and one is to my Nan who is no longer with us. I though how would I apologise to someone who will never hear me. Visiting the grave seemed obvious, delivering flowers to a grave was where the train of thought began. People often look to the sky when talking of the decease, so I began to think perhaps the closest I will get to her will be the sky. What is symbolic and reaches great heights, balloons. Helium balloons are released on all kinds of occasions, usually celebrations, this time however they will be released as an apology.

I will release a balloon for every apology I ow, this stands just short of 25. To the bottom of each balloon will be an apology note, letter or card. I haven't decided on that format yet. I feel for certain people I will also need to make a gesture to them, there are four in particular. The only problem being I dont really know where these people are any more. Its appropriate to do this properly though, apologise to those who really do deserve apology's, and symbolically apologise as the challenge suggest through a public statement / gesture for every apology I ow.

I ordered the balloons earlier. They are blue which is symbolic of sincerity. The have a single word on them 'sorry'.

# 10 [2 May 2010]

I spent many hours editing the video for the February challenge, however it just wasn't working, so I took the decision to stop. I then thought about linking the audio track with a scrolling text panel. I went back and forth with wether this was the right decision and then decided that I would utilise the strength of the audio alongside the 2D rules I have created, acting as an installation, audio and paper signs. I am waiting for Vimeo to upload my audio and then I will put it on my website.

The image with this blog is a still from what would have been the film.

The paper prints look quite dry, but I think with the audio track playing alongside the prints it should create an atmosphere, when viewed in the right location.

For the April Challenge I have been less enthusiastic with it than other challenges, as I didn't find any of them particularly challenging so I selected the most interesting. One challenge which I almost chose would have seen me make an image each day for a year, but I feel this is incredibly achievable, a sketch book with 365 pages and I'd be sorted. So I chose:

'Make a whole load of challenges for other people to complete, and send you their responses as evidence.'

Challenged by Jodie Hawkes

The interesting thing about this challenge is that it was made as a Facebook comment and I dont think the challenger will be expecting me to select it. The era of Facebook is here and I think its time to utilise it, not just for marketing but also for production of art work.

I have several ideas for this challenge but I am working on a minimal budget, this is also affecting the March Challenge, so I will have to bear this in mind whilst producing and creating the work.

Have a think, and send me a May challenge, email:
mail@ameliabeavisharrison.com

# 9 [14 April 2010]

Im feeling a bit under the weather, which is lucky for the February Challenge as I always promote the fun jobs to the top of the list when Im feeling shitty. So last night I undertook the role of composer and created the sound track to my short film. (I am undecided wether I should call it a film or an animation, primarily because Im not filming any thing, however the word animation doesn't seem to fit.)

The film is actually very short indeed, a total of one minuet and three seconds, I was actually aiming for two and a half minuets but these things never work the way you plan. I was aiming for two and a half basing this on the time length that songs often are, as I have done bits of video editing, and sound manipulation for that approximate amount of time before and I enjoy the duration of it. I also didn't want it to be ridiculously short and be over in a flash, but we shall see.

I started making a film because as you may know my research for this piece is derived from The Game, and there is plenty of insparation on their website, particularly their animated logo and some amusing You Tube videos. After spending many an afternoon re-visiting the site, it became apparent that I had to embrace the nature of The Game and that really did mean making a video.

The March Challenge is also taking up a lot of brain space. Its the element of public announcement that has got me thinking. I have considered various ways to announce something publicly but none of them are quite there yet, here was my thought progress:

Town Cryer > Advertisements in newspapers > Ad campaign with a charity > Football / cricket interlude announcement > Creating a song to be released > Sky writing / blimp

Although I haven't written my list of all apologies, I have isolated several which I deem as important. Probably because they have been playing on my mind for years. My boyfriend keeps reminding me he is expecting numerous apologies, but I think he will have to go on waiting.