AA2A NOTTINGHAM TRENT

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

17.01.2010

A fresh perspective is always something that is encouraged in art or in life. Over the past few months I have been more than struggling with this very thing within my art practice. I gave myself the challenge to pull my practice apart and try to rebuild it in a coherent way. The pulling apart bit is still ongoing and amid the frustration I have accepted that this is how it is at the moment. I am unsure of when it will become coherent OR if it ever will. January is always an appropriate time for reflection, however on reflection maybe I have been doing too much of this and not enough doing OR making. Questioning my position as an artist and even if I am one has come too much to the front of my head in recent months that it has stopped the art and making process from occurring. So enough thinking, and more doing is probably the answer. I have a few ideas for some quick pieces that may interest me plus the purchasing of a tightrope may come sooner than I had initially thought. My lessons on the lace knitting machines are going well and it has encouraged me to think more and more about my body in relation to equipment within space. Balance is starting to unearth itself once again, hence the need to acquire a tightrope.

LACE AND OTHER THINGS…….

26.11.09

Well, I have neglected my blog writing for the past month it would seem. I think I have been a little distracted, by what I am not so sure. Pulling apart my art practice has been more difficult than I had imagined, both mentally and emotionally. I am sure this is quite normal and I am not loosing my marbles, well not all of them. The mention of lace has been a recurring interest in previous entries and it is an idea that I feel confident enough to follow through. In what form it will take I am not so sure – a large project that needs planning and a good deal of organisation. This type of project is difficult for me to get to grips with as I have always made work rather spontaneously and then dissected and thought about it later, however this needs a completely different approach. So, I have searched the shelves of Angel Row library in Nottingham, (they have a very good local history section) if anyone is interested, and I have access to NTU’ s library now (owed to my AA2A privileges). After reading the lace books and having made progress with my own knowledge of the lace history I am hoping to gain access to the lace collection at NTU over the next month. Yesterday I visited a small village called Ruddington, just outside of Nottingham to see the Framework Knitters Museum. Through my lace research over the past few weeks I had learnt that machine lace has it’s roots in Framework Knitting where stockings were made. A process which has both similarities and differences, although I will not bore you with those details. The people at the museum were very nice and quite happy for me to visit anytime and to work there too. So, I have my first framework knitting lesson this Saturday with a chap called Milla who seems to know all about this technique. Aswell as learning the technique I am also keen to do some video and sound work there. My own handmade lace is going well and I finally finished a very small piece I had been working on for months, Excited to start the next piece. To keep my hands busy I have also been making collages and drawings which echo my interest in lace and knitting, I don’t want this project to be one dimensional but to open up a wide range of possibilities that will keep alive these technically brilliant skills.

AA2A

27.10.09

I suppose in many ways this is a new blog as I am starting a new project but in another way it is just a continuation of previous working practices. Visiting Nottingham Trent University last week was an uplifting experience. Myself and 3 other artists have been selected for the AA2A residency programme at Nottingham Trent. This basically means that we are able to use their facilities, library so that we are able to produce a new piece or new body of work. We get some money for materials and the emphasis is also on engaging with the students and the work they are also doing. It is brilliant that they want us to be really involved at this level, rather than just use their stuff and then leave. We have each been assigned a level, so I am level three, which means I will work with the third years. I will present my work to them at some stage over the coming weeks but I will also present the work of the other artists. It is really important that we know each other’s work inside out too so that we present it in the best way possible. The two selectors are also very keen for us to collaborate together (if this works for us) and mentioned the possibility of showing together or separately at The British Art Show in a year’s time. I am really excited by the possibility of making a new body of work, I know and realise that my practice is changing direction (from the private to the social) and I hope I can really exploit this in the coming months.

On a glibber note …. Money is always an issue for an artist. I have been doing the odd day substitute teaching in schools. This is a little depressing as you are just there to keep crowd control in check. There is a possibility of doing a longer supply stint teaching art but I don’t think this is the right direction for me. At £135/ day I could quite comfortably clear out my debts and even save some money BUT I know that my practice will suffer as a result. Hopefully the two to three times a week subbing will keep things on an even keel. In half term I am doing a Halloween themed art workshop for 11 year olds, which is well paid. If I could get more of this work then I would be happy girl. Meeting with the other AA2A artists tonight so we can get to know each other’s work a little better – should be fun!!