Jobs and opps

Paul Rooney works in video, sound and narrative and has exhibited prolifically in the UK and internationally. He is this year’s winner of the Northern Art Prize nominated by Greg Hobson, Curator of Photographs at the National Media Museum.

What was the starting point for your work?

I was a painter and trained at Edinburgh College, then I went into teaching. In 2001 I gave up teaching, stopped painting, and started to apply for residencies.

You stopped painting completely?

I stopped painting and haven’t since. I started up the Rooney band. My interest in music developed from when I was teaching at Stoke – there were students in bands and we had a lot of discussion. I had a lot of songs that had been storing up inside for a while.

I’d hoped I could make the Rooney band into an art practice, it was part fictional but then it came real as I was approached by musicians and performers. I collaborated with different people – choirs and singers – to create the work.

I still do one off days teaching or do talks - it’s quite common for artists to have part time jobs doing something not related to their practice. Teaching is good in that it’s related to artistic practice, but it’s not ideal. It’s pretty exhausting being so close to art all the time, it gets too full on.

How did the music lead to the work you are doing now?

I did the Peel Sessions in 1999 – I’d listened to John Peel since I was twelve. I did three albums in 2 years, it was a very intense period, but it was something I wanted to do.

I guess most bands would climb high after doing a Peel session. For me that point was the pinnacle in terms of the music. I just wanted to do it and I got it out of my system.

After that it slowly dawned on me that video could be a good way of showing Rooney songs in galleries. But this way of working was not always satisfactory.

I was part of an artist group – Common Culture – where I did video with songs, it developed from there.

When I was teaching at Staffordshire University I had access to technical kit (which was pretty expensive in those days). I did sound works, performance, narrative, videos – quite an eclectic mix.

The videos linked to stories, they’re narrative and fictional. I now focus more on single screen video works.

…and the band?

I had dissolutions about being bracketed with ‘art bands’ – there’s a problem there, people see it as part time, not a serious thing.

Now there’s a move towards text and short stories. I recorded a 12” vinyl record – it was based on a Jamaican dub record with a narrative over the top.

The video is like a monologue, the text is most important.

What’s the reason for your focus on residencies?

I don’t make saleable work, in fact I have never sold a film. It’s outside the commercial realm.

Residencies seem to be aimed more towards people who make work that responds to place and encounters with people. It literally was the only way in.

I’ve worked on a project by project basis, rather than putting myself consciously in front of people like curators. However, it was at the Durham residency that I met Judith Winter from the Reg Vardy Gallery (now Head of Arts Programme at Dundee Contemporary Arts) and this led to work and a publication Songs and Routines.

I applied for residencies to make work. My focus has always been on making work as good as possible.

And now?

I’ve settled down now, I’ve a two year old son. You need to be mobile for residencies – some artists like to move around a lot and it suits them.

The teaching work in my early period put me in good stead. I have low overheads, I’ve paid off my mortgage and so we’ve limited bills to pay, my studio is in my house, I have a lower budget.

I still go for commissions but for a reassured amount.

What challenges have you experienced in exhibiting and working with organisations?

Some organisations ask you to put in a proposal but don’t pay for the time involved, they can be a lot of work. Some organisations do pay, which is good, it’s good practice to pay for interview costs. Northern Art Prize paid £1,500 for the runners up, which was a kind of acknowledgement for the effort. As a matter of principle this should be normal practice.

I’ve been dissatisfied with some small-scale commissions. The bigger ones are more ambitious and allow you to test yourself, for example the Tate Liverpool exhibition which I’ve just finished. Personally, I will go for a commission if I’m attracted to the brief or the theme, but I only get excited if it’s an officially sanctioned proposal.

But there’s a problem with making this kind of work, for example, my last film was 26 minutes, the one before was 28 minutes. The first one took a year to make and the one before 8 months. These have budgets attached to them – I have to pay actors and cameramen other than paying myself, they’re big budgets. So therefore I have to get funding to make them happen. Organisations like the Film and Video Umbrella have been involved in some projects.

Some big shows are actually working on a shoestring, and it shows. On one major exhibition the selectors handed us over to the venue and the venue didn’t seem to care about the artists, which left the artists not knowing who to talk to. Big shows like this need dedicated and skilled people, and resources.

I had to apply for extra funding from Arts Council to exhibit at Matt’s Gallery. But there’s a stopping point with Arts Council – you can’t apply again and again saying the same thing, like this is a cutting edge piece of work.

I’ve not had so much luck with group exhibitions, the British Art Show was a challenge, there was a lot of stress getting the work installed.

I showed at Kunstwerk in Berlin in a group show. I installed the work and when I went back the DVD’s were not on. There was a sound piece right next to my work with loud club music, but my work was showing a subtle guitar choral piece. I couldn’t work out why the curators couldn’t understand – visually it’s like two slide shows overlapping –you wouldn’t do that would you? Sound is secondary in some galleries. It seems odd, like a lack of thought.

But then I’ve had good experiences. Matt’s Gallery was unique. They are dedicated and look to show the best of the work. People like Robin Klassnik and John Peel share the same passion.

What do you plan to do next?

I’m working on a ‘sound text’ for September, based on Malcolm Lowry’s book “Under the volcano” to celebrate 100 years since Lowry’s birth, and it will tie in with exhibitions at the Bluecoat. I need to resolve what it will be.

I’m also working on a book with photographer John Holden. My fictional text is based around vampires in a Turkish holiday resort.

Do you have any advice to artists during the credit crunch?

Keep your work going, keep costs low. The more savvy people out there put their money aside in a good period in preparation for worse times.

Have you seen an effect of it?

There already seems to be less opportunities.

What do you think are issues for artists right now?

Perhaps it’s easier for selling artists, but then commercial market is difficult right now, a lot of artists have part time jobs.

My advice for artists would be to be aware of what you want to do as an artist and find the opportunities to make work that you want to make.

Some opportunities don’t make money, but they take your practice forward. Artists need to remember it’s the work that’s important.

Will you be spending your Northern Art Prize winnings on anything specific?

I will put it in savings and live off it.

Next year’s Northern Art Prize exhibition runs from 27th Nov 2009- 7 Feb 2010 with the prize giving on 21 Jan 2010.

More information can be found on their website:www.northernartprize.org.uk

Links:

www.commonculture.co.uk

www.regvardygallery.org

www.fvu.co.uk

www.thebluecoat.org.uk

Kate Gilman Brundrett, Paul Rooney

www.kateb.co.uk

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