DEGREES UNEDITED

’...in hindsight blogging on Degrees unedited gives you the ability to look back over your progression: the degree of honesty coupled with that personal / private debate and the idea of the journey being more interesting than the destination.’

Introducing Dan Green in conversation and his review of blogging on Degrees unedited

Hailing from High Wycombe and now residing in Nottingham after graduating from his BA Dan says farewell to Degrees unedited to join Artists talking and whilst travelling to his next destination leaves behind a review of his blogging experience over the last year.

In summer 2005 whilst on tour in Liverpool Dan found himself at the Tate standing in front of David Bromberg's 'In The Hold': a month later he had enrolled on a art foundation course. With some incredible experiences, underpinning his varied interests Dan was set to embark on his career in the arts, and having just completed his BA at Nottingham Trent University he plans to stick around in the city and through the blogs:

Blog post # 36 [22 July 2009]

I suppose this is where the 'degrees unedited' blog ends.  I imagine I will continue on through 'artists talking', could well be an intriguing way of thinking through work and discussing the complications and joys of ongoing practice, the setting up of studios and artist led space.

We are beginning to develop a vision for the future in Nottingham, to set up an umbrella name and studios under which all manner of transient shows and events happen. There is a fantastic mix of installation, moving image and performance work happening within our graduating year and I'm sure that within those disciplines and collaboration exciting things will happen, with eyes looking towards the British Art Show opening here next year. The dream is to build a profile and work with the other groups to host a sideshow running alongside the main event to show the incredible depth of what is happening in the city.

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Interview

Richard Taylor: Following on from the last post you made on Degrees unedited, I am most interested in is the Umbrella organisation you are planning. Could you tell me some more about this, does it involve a lot of people that you have graduated with?

Dan Green: Its early days and much of this has come from early conversations, I am aware that I have my own ideas about how I want my involvement to be, and that others' ideas will be different.

There are 15 graduates from the Fine art course who are definitely involved, and most have confirmed interest in having a studio space: others will be involved as associates or non-studio members. The plan is to have a name that covers all of our activities: this will include a studio space that also focuses as HQ and, providing we find what we are looking for will have space that can operate as a gallery, although this might not be a permanent fixture as such.

There is interest in performance, moving image and gallery-based work, which could all be transient in nature, operating in houses or shop fronts or in collaboration with other groups in the city. The inclusion of such a breadth of practices means we are well placed to host events and happenings around the city, and as much as they may have their own names and identities they will be connected to the umbrella organisation in some way; increasing funding opportunities and maintaining a community. I foresee several 'groups' within the group developing their own ideas and perhaps moving on as we grow into creating exciting things. There is an underlying operative to administer a traditional gallery, whether as a curatorial investigation or to showcase member's work.

As much as this is the plan for now, I think flexibility and imagination will be key to keeping it alive and not becoming entrenched in a particular way of working.

RT: How are you finding the search for a building, in which to place yourself and set up shop? Is it something that living in Nottingham seems to be helping with... do you think its easier there than anywhere else?

DG: Nottingham is great as there are a lot of unused industrial buildings: definitely a plus side to the city, and probably for the East Midlands. My impression is that it's much easier than in London. Its also a lot cheaper, partly as supply outstrips demand, although we have had problems so far with being taken seriously by the council and agencies; we have put the search on hold for a while to give us time to find work so we can afford to rent.

The Arts Organisation in Nottingham have been great with advice about avoiding 'change of use' as that can be astronomically expensive. Being clever with how you describe what you are doing - a gallery is a showroom and/or shop, and a studio is an office or somewhere industrial research, fabrication or manufacturing takes place as well as a workshop - can help you avoid the legal wrangles: setting up a shop or workshop or having community orientated events helps too. We are yet to see a space that really satisfies our needs, and I think persistence with all parties will be very necessary.

RT: Does persevering with your blogging on a-n have much to do with this? Will you be using Artists talking to publicise these activities...

DG: It is a potential tool for advertising or at least developing interest in what we are doing.

The blog for me was a useful thing to persevere with; I'm intrigued with it as a very public way of discussing things. At times it feels like you somehow 'owe' your readership an update, but most of the time it is that need to keep going and not give up on something; the blog can be an interesting way of forcing you to think something through, portraying where you are at any given stage, even if you are confused or feeling negative.

It is a form of communication and therefore can ease things; I always find that communicating things helps me to think them through. It can be easy to give up for a while, and although putting things on hold for a set period can be productive, knowing that carrying on will, at some point, yield some degree of a result can give impetus, especially if there are others involved whether working as a team or through competition. I can foresee myself using Artists Talking to continue this 'conversation' with the wider world, I do find it helpful on a personal note, but also as a way of discussing with others who have experience or are in the same situation.

RT: You mention that you see several groups within a group, do you see yourself being transitory throughout them, as a way of working out where you want to be. Has this been a consideration - as you have all just graduated - that you will utilise this umbrella action as a way of formulating your next move as a singular artist? Is this the same as using the blogs in their conversational capacity?

DG: The idea of the umbrella is to give space and opportunity to everyone within the group to work with ideas without being caught within either a gallery context or a specific mandate. If we can, as a group, support each other then this way of working should lead to a forward looking, transient collective experience allowing for cross pollination within a wealth of disciplines. I think it is important as a group to build a presence, and support each other however that manifests itself, through discussion or simply giving some time. Obviously this will take a while to establish and achieving the ideal may prove a challenge. However I am confident that the experiences we have formulated in working together during study will lead to a collaborative atmosphere.

I am looking forward to seeing what happens and excited about the potential of working with others, helping me to do what I personally aim to achieve.  This multi-disciplinary approach is similar to how our degree worked, and resembles the Degrees unedited approach of encouraging discussion between the bloggers.

RT: You talk about community. For you, does the notion of community divide itself between online networking resources such as Degrees unedited and Artists talking, and the physical community of an umbrella initiative? Or do you see the two coalescing in broadening inter-city community and collaboration?

DG: In some ways they are very different things. The studio community allows for a constant critique in front of what is actually produced as well as added, more instantaneous and hands-on support: something that also filtrates into a citywide context. Nottingham seems to be quite an open and supportive environment, with exchanges of ideas and potential for collaboration between individuals who might otherwise identify themselves as part of a 'group'.

I think there is a need to distinguish between the artists group and being part of a studio community: we would aspire to be the latter, coming together when necessary from individual operation. Within this structure space is made to allow for the community to function perhaps more as a group of people seeking to encourage, critique and develop each other.

The online community is intriguing in its ability to connect groups and individuals across cites.  Being part of this allows for an amount of trading of ideas and methods, which could bear fruit as collaborative projects or shows, but also as a different way to discuss work with others who might not have the same inclination as a friend and therefore at times will allow for more cutting criticism. 

This is not to say that fruitful working relationships could not be formed, however it is far easier to maintain distance through the electronic medium.  i think community is paramount, however there is a risk of making work just for those within it-the wider context offer to be built and considered as an integral part of a method of working.

• Read Dan's review of the Degrees unedited blogging experience »
• "I think it is inevitable that the blog will evolve with my art practice, I hope to exhibit when I can and will probably talk about that, the trials of hitting the real world; but I intend to hit it running..."
  Introducing Carol Ramsay in conversation and her review of blogging on Degrees unedited
  Read on »
• Read other Degree show blogs, comment on what people have said and start your own
  Go to Degrees unedited blogs »
• Introducing another Degrees unedited blogger of 2009: Caryll Jack Dawber on her cultural heritage, thoughts on Cairo's contemporary art and her review from Forming Ideas’ Khamseen Symposium.
  Read on »

Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor, Dan Green

www.rich-taylor.co.uk

First published: a-n.co.uk August 2009