I’m on the home stretch now in terms of this project. My final exhibitions for Papertrails open on 17 Jan with the PV on Saturday 19 January. It seems to be coming together. There is more work to be done on some of the larger pieces I am making for the show but at the moment it is looking as I would like it to. As ever there are things that I would like to handle differently. I would like to show less work with more space around it to allow it to breathe but I know part of the point of this show is to demonstrate the range of work and the number of ways that local people were involved so an empty space with one large piece of work in a pool of light isn’t how it can be. I had a lovely Christmas without feeling that my roles of artist and mum were in conflict. That is the way I would like next year to be too.
I went out today early while it was still misty and very frosty. I was aiming to get some photos of the text of one of the stories that have been sent to me. Its a rather poignant story which I found tricky to use because I didn't want to illustrate it, just depict the text. I think the images I have taken are alright. I'll post them up when I have decided on which to use. It was hard to judge when nature by itself was doing so much better.
I have been very bogged down in sorting out the printing of invitations for the concluding exhibitions for the residency. As always I wish that just when one needs to get on with finishing off work (ie artwork) one didn’t have to instead concentrate on press releases and postcards. However the images and text are all sorted out and will be with the printers on Monday and they assure me that they can get it done before Christmas. Looking at some of the other blogs there seems to be heartening news. The ‘tripe installation’ in France which looked as if everything was going wrong looks delicately spectacular, the two studio groups have just had or or are soon going to have exhibitions which prove the merit of their endeavours. And ‘Festial’ as always, just made it’s deadline so I am hoping that a bit of this positiveness goes my way too!
It occurs to me that in our different experiences we are all learning so much during the course of our projects. it would be good to sit down with some of the other bloggers and compare notes. Perhaps my next project should be just that.
Well, gales and rain notwithstanding, the tree in the churchyard now sports a lexicon (though without the definitions) of words from St George’s.
I have been working in St George’s Church over the last few days. My artist in residence role has been slightly overwhelmed by the arrival of ‘Cards for Good Causes’ at the church. I think you would have to be very determined indeed to find where I am working, tucked away in the north aisle behind abundant displays of Christmas cards. Meanwhile, I am finishing off a few strands of work and determining how best to present them for the final exhibition here in January. I am also working on a ‘Tree Dressing’ in the churchyard. This was programmed into the events but has become marooned from its accompanying workshop which has been moved to February! In the absence of community input at this point I am using words from the flagstones and gravestones to temporarily adorn a tree in the churchyard. Many of these words were picked out by participants to use at the Big Draw back in October.
People have asked me how I feel, working here surrounded by ‘dead people’. It isn’t something I have worried about; obviously the past makes itself felt here but if there is a spirit of the place I feel that it is a benevolent one. The words I am taking to use reflect this feeling. The word ‘memory’ is found on the gravestones fairly frequently and has an unintentional poignancy as it fades away but there are also phrases like ‘tender love’ and instructions to ‘follow me’, reassurances that ‘joy cometh’ and only a few admonitions to ‘repent’! On reflection, I suppose I am working with the community on this piece of work, its just a community from the past.
