Another one bites the dust!
Spaces to show work in and around the Wiltshire/Hampshire/Dorset area are few and far between at the best of times but an email arrived yesterday to inform me that yet another one had succumbed to acrisis in funding.
Earlier in the year we saw Kube gallery in Poole go, despite it’s weight of cultural contribution to the area and now, the artist led Bargate Monument gallery, a really vibrant, friendly and experimental space in Southampton has had to close it’s doors for the foreseeable future, the proposals it recently invited for next years programmes, no longer needed.
I have no doubt ASPACE, the organisation behind the gallery will continue to foster projects outside the gallery context but with it’s very central position among the bustling market stalls of Southampton, it’s a real loss to the area. It’s bienniel ArtVaults show, based in and around the underground vaults of the city has also sadly been withdrawn until funding is secured.
A survey broadcast on Radio 4 yesterday asked people how important they felt funding for museums and similar cultural organisations was to the nation. Overwhelming support was given with one man saying ‘It’s as important as having the bins collected’ but when asked the last time those interviewed had actually been inside such an establishment, the answers were pitifully few.
Perhaps then if nothing else a lack of gallery space will force artists to take art to the people as it were, in a more creative vein, rather than waiting for them to come to us.
I realise that my blogging is a bit sparce recently but life seems to running at 100 miles an hour, mostly with the sort of school work/ hospitals etc which earn me my living, sports days, music concerts and a raft of other children’s commitments. In between I’m trying to squeeze a little bit of art connected stuff here and there. Trying to make a packing crate for a piece to enter for the Jerwood Drawing Prize, a bit of a long shot and the piece is made of calamine lotion and rediculously delicate. I’m really quite pleased with it but whether they accept it as ‘drawing’ or not is another matter.
Which brings me on to ‘The Drawing Debate’ held last night at the Salisbury Arts Centre with a strong panel, mostly comprised of the judges of the Drawing open held earlier in the year – a new venture for SAC. The ‘Debate’ unfortunately was rather taken over by a very disgruntled group of with an axe to grind over the show itself. Comments such as ‘disgrace’ and ‘utter crap’ were bandied about, leaving very little time for the actual debate to take place. It was unfortunate really as plenty of people there, young and old, had come with an open mind and a real desire to engage.
It’s a start though which I’m convinced is positive and SAC hopefully seem committed to moving things forward regardless. I’ll be meeting up soon to discuss ideas but before I attempt anything in this area, I’ll be sure to have my bullet proof vest ready – I’m pretty sure I may need it!
A few days ago I took my non art chum, Mel, (Newcastle born and not behind in vocalising her opinions) to the Southampton/Winchester degree show. Mel had never set foot in an art college let alone a degree show so her views were untainted in any way which made her an ideal companion, so it turned out.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t the forethought to document names otherwise I could have contributed to reviews unedited. Overall though, the work was up to the usual standard, a little predictable but with one or two flashes of potential. A film of a woman with a cardboard house on her head absorbed us more than most. The little house appeared forelorn and Mel and I stood transfixed at it’s sorrowful meanderings, watching in silence and spending much, much more time there than at most other work.
All in all though, Mel summed it up as predominently ‘a lot of scatterings’ which was true, and as a bit of a fan of the ‘scattering’ approach, I was happy enough.
Hopefully I will have something concrete to work on soon, my Geneva connection is postponed due lack of money and the curator now focused on starting a family. I have continued pushing doors however, mostly to generate some activity in this barren part of the country and with two if not three meetings set up with potential collaborators, hopefully we will get something off the ground.
Fingers crossed.
Oh and Axis had my work as the front page image for a good few days which was nice, it has now been replaced by an angry woman, dressed in scarlet and squatting in an oversized birds nest – which I have to say, perusing her other work, I’m quite fond of.
If you listen really, really closely you might just hear a faint, distant rumbling – could it be that finally our area of the South West is showing a spark of artistic life? Hard to believe but I’m getting hopeful. The Salisbury Arts Centre has finally woken from it’s slumber and got someone with a bit of go in them in charge of the visual arts. The programme of shows, talks etc is undoubtedly on the up. On Jonathan Parsons advice I have nailed a meeting with Judy Adams to see if we can collaborate on projects I’ve been mulling over for some time.
The Artus meeting at the John Hansard gallery last weekend was spot on. At last, things are beginning to come together. We all stood round watching a DVD of a flickering candle in silence which eventually succumbed to the artist’s breath. Let’s hope the group doesn’t snuff out quite so easily.
Off to see the BA show at Winchester tomorrow, here’s hoping it’s worth the trip.
Finally uploaded the film I’ve been working on ‘Vanitas’. Go to http://www.axisweb.org/seCVWK.aspx?ARTISTID=13808 to take a look (I know I could put it on here but I haven’t the time or energy to get to grips with that yet!).
