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Professional Profile: Micheal Aitken
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'Ends', Salt dough, 2009. Photo: Tont Knox. Courtesy: artist.
Exhibited at Block Projects, Sheffield as part of Fear & Optimism: New Art from Liverpool
Dry ice, DIY and how to saw in a straight line
Michael studied Fine Art at the John Moores University in Liverpool graduating with first class honours in 2005. As well as developing his own practice he works concurrently at Tate Liverpool, Cumbria University as a visiting lecturer and as co-manager of Red Wire Studio & Gallery. After leaving university, along with three friends, Michael set up Red Wire as a “lo-fi and DIY” Artists group. They now run as an independent gallery and studio in central Liverpool taking part in such projects as the Liverpool Independents Biennial and international group residencies. He has also worked on artist and education workshops and exhibition installations in a variety of galleries.
In working on independent projects such as My Death Metal Cul-de-Sac and building on his art practice Michael is now producing a culmination of his ideas and concerns in Novas C.U.C (from August 19th) in Liverpool. He will be creating an Art Event/Happening called the Death/Doom/Thrash/Black Summer Fare that will include performances by musicians and dancers, food stalls, face painting, film projections, strobes, dry ice and “a whole lot of arty noisy heavy metal fun”.
mike_aitken@talk21.com »
www.redwireredwire.com »
In brief, what have you done since graduating?
Set up Red Wire studios and gallery, kept making work, curated loads of exhibitions, put on some gigs, edited a fanzine....
Worked for Tate, worked for the University of Cumbria, did some workshops in schools, some install work.....
Little bits of everything and just kept going I suppose!
Give 3 reasons why you chose to stay in Liverpool, where you studied?
I have stayed here in Liverpool simply because I knew I didn't want to move....
Lots of my of my friends remained, a host of newly formed studios and galleries emerged around the time of graduation, loads of personal reasons: I just don't want to move yet!
What did you perceived you might do after college/university and is this divergent or convergent with what you are doing now?
To be honest I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to keep making my work and exhibiting it but I was also very keen to spread my wings and try different things. In running the studio, fanzines, curating, promoting gigs, performances, films etc. I have done just that. I don't know, I mean, it's only now, four years after graduating, that I can look back and see how all of these things have influenced me. I think my practice is a lot more varied and open and I am quite happy about that; I now call some strange things my 'work'.
What is the most rewarding thing that you have done since graduating?
Red Wire: We are very proud of our little space and the things we have achieved from within it and outside of it: from the first show we did at the 2006 Liverpool Independent's Biennial, to a group residency in Greece, and the Daniel Johnston exhibition last year.
It is hard, hard work but it's what I love doing so I just do it...
What is the worse job you have done since, and what is the best thing that you took from this and used in another role?
I don't think I have a "worst" job, but the job I took most from was working as a plumbers mate for a few months. It was damn hard work but I learned so much from practical basics (sawing in a straight line!) to things like team organisation and delegation, to arranging and meeting deadlines... and how to work a 12-hour shift without complaining!
What advice would you would pass on the people studying arts based degrees now?
Quite simple.... work your arse off for three years, talk about your work with everyone available, don't miss tutorials.... Just the basics really, I know that sounds overly simple but it's what got me through!
What other information or advice can you provide that is pertinent to your profession that you would consider relevant to students nearing graduation?
I am not the best person to ask about things like this just because of my nature, and the nature of Red Wire: if you want to know about the business of Arts Councils grants and filling in forms I can put you in touch with people who do all that, I don't really care for it. And that's where I kind of stumble a bit with the "profession" part I just do it all because I genuinely love doing it all, because its supposed to be fun, because it makes you think, because I eventually want to look back and think 'Yeah, we just got up and did that'.... So, I guess my advice is to just get up and do something, if I can get away with it then so can you.
Look out for other Professional profiles on Degrees unedited: they are intended as informative yet short pieces of content for you to make use of and gain inspiration from so let me know if they are working.
richard.taylor@a-n.co.uk »
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First published: a-n.co.uk June 2009
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