Around and about in Linz

For some reason on some days you get out of bed and your head is still in sleep mode and you never quite wake out of it. After having a very productive day yesterday, today has been opposite. I managed to finish one piece of work today – and it’s probably the best so far but has increased a lot in complexity. The plasticene rolling out is taking it’s toll on the hands – I think I am building up some seriously strong fingers. Anyone need a lid opening?

It’s surprisingly stiff to really blend the plasticene properly and I am hand mixing from a fixed palette of 5 colours – a pink red, bright blue, canary yellow, lush vegetation green and grey black. I’ve decided to stick with these as I’m a bit concerned how they will all work hung together. Limiting the palette to these colours and any derivatives mixed from them, at least gives me a sense of some comfort that it may all come together aesthetically. A position of faith at the moment it has to be said.

I’m starting to wonder if my over-ambitious goal needs to be downsized, but I’ve decided that rather than think about this too deeply I’m going to try my hardest to produce as much work as I can and see where that gets me. Too much deliberating mid-process can paralyse me a little bit. I have found I work much more effectively in concentrated bursts and then a little period of reflection to weigh up where I find myself. Reflecting before I really have a quantity of work to really dissect and think on was a bad habit from a few years ago which I no longer can afford. I don’t think I can know anything from making 1 of something.

Slow day was gladly cut short by a meeting with the wonderful Beate Rathmayr, artist and curator who I hosted in Liverpool in April and became part of Shane and I’s extended family really. She is a woman from whom I have already learned a lot. She’s passionate about people and about excellence. I find the combination proper inspiring (normally it’s one or the other). She is also a Director of MAERZ (www.maerz.at) the Artist Association in Linz and also one of the venues hosting the show opening here on the 6th. It was good for Robyn and I to go and discuss some technical issues around our work, and imagine it in situ. It was even better to catch up with her, Gerlinde and Claudia over coffees at Cafe Meier after.