making work leave home

The purpose of this blog will probably shift the more I post.

It is centred on the check in/check out shows but also on my own practice. I feel out of the loop and thought this would be a good way to re-focus. I have followed 2 or 3 an blogs closely over the last year and have been encouraged by their developments, it does seem to pay off. (will go into this more at a later point/post)

I’ve been trying to finish a piece of work for a year!! It really shouldn’t take that long. So now I’ve started submitting it as a work in progress for different shows.

Sensible or not?

I obviously need external deadlines & pressure. In my defence (why i feel the need to excuse myself is annoying) I’ve had a second child, moved house to a totally new area and have been trying to establish new friends, networks and work out how to work and make work with a young family.

I am really lucky to have a brilliant working space at home. As we’ve bought an old guest house I’ve got the reception & lobby as my space it even has its own separate front door.

Shelves some how seemed important. 5 months after moving in I now have a glorious shelving system, complete with colourful storage boxes due to unexpected sale at B&Q.see pic

The dilemma now is do I make the space child safe or safe from children?

I have been running www.nepartism.com a series of online exhibitions for the previous 15 months and have put it on hold so that I can concentrate on finishing a project of my own and making a physical exhibition.

So far what I have come up with is ‘Check in’, 25 & 26th June and ‘Check out’ 24 & 25th Sept

I have invited 2 artists (Jo Longhurst & Eva Stenram) for the opening weekend and 2 artists (Claire Haddon & Lynda Doyle) for the closing weekend of the Triennial
and the basic premise being that they get to exhibit in the bedroom they are staying in. Some of the artists know each other, but I know them all either through study, work or exhibiting with them previously. (Three of the artists I have shown on Nepartism)

I am working on the idea of the hybrid home/hotel and the opportunities that gives for displaying work. Our
home still has obvious hotel traits and I like this idea of
inflicting/reflecting the personal on a transient space, a space that is
meant to be an escape for others.

So thinking about dogs on the bed, illicit affairs, the romantic, flirting, the domestic and suggestion of unseen narratives.

I’ll be taking over the living room and I think the corridors will be displaying work that we own