ARTISTS TALKING

# 73 [23 May 2010]

I hope to finalise the support work submission today. I have roughed out the journal content and references page that I always place in the back of each journal. The theory is that this makes the tutors life a little easier during the assessment process. Every little helps...

Everything is then geared up to begin the install on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to seeing all the gallery boards in-place and checking to see if they divide the space into appropriate places to display our work.

The excitement is building!

# 72 [22 May 2010]

F I N A L · S H O W · U P D A T E

There is now a Google Map and Street View of the exhibition venue at:

http://www.11degrees.co.uk/p/map.html

If anyone wants to attend the Private View then drop me an e-mail and I will forward on an invite when they become available.

There is a contact e-mail address at:

http://www.11degrees.co.uk/p/contact_22.html

# 71 [21 May 2010]

The urge to minimalise is growing by the day. I already have a plan in place to reduce the screens from three to one. As I collect all the components together the erasings (erased drawings or graphite stained works) have become much more important. So, the first in-situ build will be for one screen and three erasings on the internal surface. Then I will step back and contemplate (probably overnight) before deciding if the two extra screens are required. At the moment, I suspect not.

The exhibition build starts on Monday when our good people from the facilities unit install the gallery boards. Then on Wednesday we get to check them out and repair any transport damage and tape and paint the joints (not required in my case). The schedule then allows us to start installing work from Tuesday 4th June, giving us four days plus (maybe) the weekend if absolutely necessary. Assessment starts on the 7th and finishes with the private view on the evening of the 9th. We have to be available all-day on the 9th just in-case the external examiner needs to speak to us individually (there is usually a small sample).

Am I missing something! Everything feels far too smooth. Could it be my meticulous planning has worked, or is there something lurking in the background ready to bite hard. Time will tell I guess.

# 70 [20 May 2010]

F I N A L · S H O W · D E T A I L S

We have a show within a show. There is the wider Swindon College School of Art Degree Show which encompasses multiple art disciplines and within that context sits our BA (Hons) Drawing for Fine Art Practice exhibition.

Exhibition Title

11°

Location

The Mulberry Building, Kembrey Park, Swindon.

When

Thursday 10th June: 10am - 8pm

Friday 11th June: 10am - 8pm

Saturday 12th June: 11 - 4pm

Monday 14th June: 10 - 4pm

Still no official college flyer/invitation, so here are the basic details (as I understand them) once more.

# 69 [19 May 2010]

A few more hours and the support work will be catalogued and ready for submission. All that will be left (to do) will be the installation in the exhibition space. I believe that I have all the issues, real and imagined, under control, but there is no certainty until it is done. Maybe this is the worse time, everything is ready but there is the wait for the space to become available. There is not much I can do except start to work on what comes after the show. Already my mind has moved on even if, in the physical world, there are four more weeks before the show is over. Four more weeks and four years of focused work will be done!

# 68 [18 May 2010]

The journals have been photographed. Only a half hour for a couple of hundred pages.

1. Focus
2. Click
3. Turn Page
4. Focus
5. Click
6. Focus
7. Click
8. Turn Page

9. Repeat 4 to 8 until journal end.

10. Repeat for second and subsequent journals.

11. Backup images to PC and then to backup drives.

The wonder of digital photography and image stabilisation!

Cross referencing and making a contents mind-map will take a bit longer - probably a day or so. I'm about half way through that, so it should be done this week some time.

I manged to visit B&Q today and now have the hardware required to hang the installation work: screws, rods and brackets. I forgot the Velcro for fixing the power blocks to the gallery boards, but I can pick that up tomorrow.

Gallery board prep is under way with a handful of people sanding and painting today. Apparently the big push will begin tomorrow. This is mainly a first and second year task, but I plan to pop in and lend a hand anyway.

# 67 [17 May 2010]

Enjoyable GP and fantastic T20. It is always a pleasure to see us beat the old enemy! Relaxation day over. Now back to preparing for the unit assessment.

Today's major task is to photograph every page of every journal. I hate letting the journals out of my possession, they are the most important element of my work. The photographs act as a safety record - just in-case the worse should happen!

# 66 [16 May 2010]

Yesterday I tweaked the artist statement. I changed just a single word, but to my mind, it has made a significant difference. If you have already read version 1.0 then you should be able to find the changed word in version 1.1.

I have also tweaked the videos, if "tweaked" is the right word when the duration has gone from one minute each to 2.5, 2.75 and 3 minutes. The variation in duration is to ensure a more random feel between the three. The much extended length slows down the pace of change.

I have reached the dangerous stage where the temptation is to keep tweaking, changing and fiddling, but like a painter, it would be all too easy to destroy what has already been achieved. It is time to stop and focus on the build of the exhibit. Fortunately we can get started on that task this Wednesday.

I think today will be about relaxation. A good walk this morning and then sit down and enjoy the Monaco GP followed by the T20 World Cup final -  a mini ashes!

# 65 [14 May 2010]

Today I had time to consider what comes next. To record these thoughts I have started a new Artists Talking blog at:

http://www.a-n.co.uk/link/revad

For now this is titled:

Beyond Graduation

with a subtitle of:

U N D E R

C O N S T R U C T I O N

I am certain things will begin to change rapidly as the degree show passes into history.

# 64 [13 May 2010]

Continuing to collate and filter the support work for the unit assessment.

Tweaking the videos to ensure the three, when viewed in the installation space, interact and communicate as I would wish.

Taking a break from late afternoon to watch England's T20 World Cup match with Sri Lanka. Watching second practice for the Monaco F1 GP as I write this. So now you know my two favourite sports!

I have a final test install planned for the college studio next Tuesday and we start to prepare for the exhibition build next Wednesday by readying the gallery boards. Lots of sanding and painting I believe.

Apparently, off the back of the a-n Magazine 2010 Degrees feature, I am going to appear in the college's local and national press releases for the Swindon College School of Art Degree shows. I'll post details when I have them.