Stockholm Residency – ending soon
One week until the Open Studio and presentation.
I’m very aware that the residency is coming to an end. And I don’t want it to! I’ve had an amazing time – now I see that it has been exactly what I need(ed). It’s allowed me to open things up, it’s been great to have time and space – things that I find hard in London – to just be. It feels as though I’m at the beginning of something new.
It would be fantastic if the Open Studio leads to further opportunities here.
While I’ve been here I’ve just got on with things. Before I came I had an idea that I could re-invent myself – be a really dynamic ‘go-getting’ kind of guy, I’d confidently walk in to galleries and speak with the directors, I’d be at all the openings, I’d be out every night. I haven’t done that, I haven’t re-invented myself, what I’ve done is been myself, and it’s been really good for me. Coming away from London, away from home, has given me the break I needed. The break from old habits and patterns. Three months has been long enough for me to relax into being here and to let things evolve.
Before I came here I imagined that I might have a studio for three months, and that I would have a different experience to previous holidays and short periods here. Having a residency has given me so much more – it’s given me a framework in which to operate. Why do I even question if deciding to spend more time here is a ‘valid’ outcome?
And I should also say that starting a relationship with a Swedish man has been a major part of my life here too. Knowing that I want to the relationship to continue is focusing me on looking forward and looking for ways to be here, rather than falling back in to old habits and patterns.
For the first time in a good few years I realise that I’m thinking about what I want.
ps. found a wonderfully apt title for the collection of polished cake tins. I love it when I discover a word that encompasses so much of what the work is about, and the more I investigated the word the more appropriate it became! “GLORY”
Slow art …
Thinking a lot about the Open Studio:
• it’s an Open Studio NOT an exhibition
• do I show ‘process’ or speak about it in the presentation?
• how do I feel about what I’ve made/done?
• how many people can I expect to come?
• what do I want out of it?
• will curators and gallery directors come?
• should I ask who is on the wip mailing list?
• what about Konstfack/other art schools?
I hope that the evening is a success for me and for wip:sthlm. I’m anxious that my ‘slow art’ might not look much. The openings I went to last week re-assured me somewhat. Although the work was considerably different to mine I really appreciated the quality, and admired the way the work was presented. (Eva Löfdahl at Nordenhake, Worapong Manupipatpong at Roger Björkholm, Denise Grünstein at Gallery Charlotte Lund.)
Am currently settled on a very simple way to show the polished cake tins – propped up on a low shelf. After spending many hours thinking about it, at least one day checking out various shops for possible mounting schemes and devices, and a couple of days playing/stressing in the studio, I’ve realised that it just needs to be something simple. This morning I found some more tins – I should have time to polish these before I have to stop making and start showing.
Yesterday I had the polished tins leaning against the studio wall – the afternoon light reflected off them beautifully – it’s unfortunate that this perfect light only appears for about 20 minutes before fading. It would be great to give a time (of the day) to see the work – it would get progressively earlier as the days shorten. It is noticeable that it starts to get darker earlier and earlier.
Just had a wonderful meeting/chat with Karen Diamond. It was really good to meet here again and to have the opportunity to show her what I’ve been working on here. I feel as though I know her better than I do because I know her (very similar looking and sounding) sister in London –it’s one of my ‘tiny tiny world’ connections.
(The last two mornings I have woken up to snow fall! light little flurries of very wet snow, but snow all the same …)
wip:sthlm International Artist Residency
Another full day in the studio. After two months here I feel as though I’m getting into my stride. Although I’ve been here since the beginning of August this is actually only my 23rd day in the studio. Other days have been spent in town, visiting museums and galleries, being away from Stockholm, spending time with friends. Why do I feel that I have to account for my time?!
Alex, Anneli (the studio director and the coordinator respectively) and I have started to plan the Open Studio at the end of the residency. With the end in sight perhaps it’s no wonder that I’m beginning to assess what I’ve achieved.
Notes and thoughts from the last week:
Wednesday; Opening at wip Konsthall, artist Märit Runsten, curator BjörnSpringfeldt.
I did say hello to Björn. I’m very glad that I did – he’s a really approachable, generous man. He took time to talk about the show and his interest in the artist, of course his English was brilliant. We also travelled some of the way home together and he chatted about the printer who made the huge prints in the show.
At one point during the opening Anneli drew everyone’s attention and introduced Björn who welcomed everyone to the exhibition and then spoke for a few minutes about Märit and the show. He then introduced Märit who said a few words and thanked everyone for coming. It’s not the sort of thing I’m used to in London. It made me think of all the openings I’ve been to and left without knowing who the artist is let alone the curator. I mean not getting to know who they are, or learning anything about the show I’m seeing – it’s very different to hear someone speak to reading a press release. I liked it – there’s something about accessibility and education in it. It made it all much more personal and approachable. It literally ‘opened’ the show.
Thursday; Investigating options to move here (!). Stockholm has a specific ‘unemployment’ office for cultural workers (artists, actors, writers, designers …). The staff are specialist in their fields do their best to find appropriate jobs and opportunities. AMAZING! If I am unemployed and move here I can claim my UK benefits and register with the Kultur Abetsförmedlingen for up to three months. I need to think about the implications of ‘signing-on’ on my return to London. My contract at UCA ended at the end of May although I’m still registered as self employed – can I claim income support if I can’t find teaching or gallery work? Can ‘income support’ be claimed anywhere in the EU, or is being unemployed different? I’m dreading working all that out – but it might be worth it if I can get help finding work here.
Thursday evening; Planning meeting with Alex and Anneli – Open Studio set for Wednesday 28 October …
Friday; great lunch and chat with Susanne Neuman (wip artist)
Autumn has arrived in Stockholm. Yesterday was bright and crisply chilly. The trees turned from green to gold and red overnight, and the flower stand at Slussen has changed from roses, lilies and gladiola to ornamental cabbages, potted heathers and autumnal coloured wreaths. The sun is low and brilliant, in the evening it moves quickly across the studio – illuminating the glitter plates and casting intense shadows on the wall.
Ken sent photographs of Go-Go and the untitled piece in their bedroom.
I’ve had a wonderful email from a college friend whom I respect, admire and like very much – she’s an amazing person and a very generous artist. She has always encouraged me and had far more belief in me than I allow me to have in myself. Her email was perfectly timed and I need to take what she says seriously. I need to find the courage to approach galleries and talk to people about what I want. There’s no point in keeping my aspirations to myself – I can’t achieve them on my own! I need to start talking with people who can help me. I need to remember that some will want to help, and that it is better to find them sooner rather than later!
Why am I so frightened to say hello?
Tonight a show opens in the gallery at the studio. I don’t know the artist but I have heard that the curator is very good and is developing a new project/museum in south of Sweden. I must say hello …
Today I continue to polish the aluminium cake tins. Yesterday’s trip to ‘loppis’ (second-hand and charity shops) didn’t yield any of the little lamps I’d seen previously and that I now want to play with.
Go-Go installed at M2 Gallery …
Back in Stockholm after a week in London installing Go-Go and other work at M2 Gallery and Quay2c House (www.quay2c.com). I really appreciated how much time Ken and Julia gave me over the week, especially considering that they were working and preparing to have two properties in Open House.
Although I stayed at my own place, the week felt very reminiscent of my weeklong residency with Liz and Kjetil at Nordisk Konst Plattform last year. There is something wonderful about being welcomed into people’s homes and lives. I am sure that the final installation/exhibition benefits from the time I spend getting to know them and the building.
I want to thank Ken and Julia for inviting me to show at M2 Gallery and particularly for asking to show over Open House. It is a major event for them and for the Quay2c practice. It was very interesting for me to see how my work sat in their house. Tender looked very different in a corner of their library to how it looked on the 30th floor of Clifford Chance with Canary Wharf and the city far below. (Not better or worse, just different.)
And although I say so myself Go-Go looks amazing! It’s received very positive feedback already. I really like the way that it works both inside and outside of the gallery – it’s surprising just how far a mirror ball reflects light, not only do the splashes of light dance across the pavement below the window but they spin across the buildings opposite too.
It took a bit longer to install than I anticipated, however it all went well and the very simple technology (solar panels, car battery, inverter, dusk till dawn timer) worked as I hoped it would. The inverter is actually a little too sophisticated and has a rather annoying alarm signal when the battery gets low – of course for my purpose I want the battery to go beyond ‘low’ and reach empty. I guess that people run quite sensitive equipment from inverters and they need to know when the power is getting weak to avoid crashes and data loss etc.
Going back to London for a week made me realise that it doesn’t matter where I work or live, what’s important is spending time with people I like and who it is easy to be with – both professionally and personally. Years ago I remember saying that I never wanted a job where I came home and changed my clothes – now I think I was talking about a desire for an integrated life. What I want is to be a full time artist, to have sufficient resources to get on with my work and not to worry about the occasional unexpected bill. I know these three months have to come to an end but I really REALLY don’t want them to …
Go-Go runs until 8 November at M2 Gallery, 2c King’s Grove, London SE15
