Simulacra And Simulations

I’m so excited about my upcoming trip to Oslo that now the flights are booked, the hotel is booked, and I’ve planned out what I’m going to do while I’m there, aside from Apparatjiking at the brand shiny new Astrup Fearnley museum. There’s an exhibition at the Nasjonalmuseet called “I Wish This Was A Song: Music In Contemoporary Art” http://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/sb5-nasjonalmuseet.no/en/?module=EventCalendar;action=Event.publicOpen;ID=782;template=exhibitionView_en

that I hope to go and see. Some of my comics might accidentally be left in the cafe. Whoops!!

Other than that, I hope to visit some typical tourist destinations in Oslo, and meet up with friends and a fellow illustrator whilst there.

A week ago I was stopped mid stride when I received a letter from HMRC to say that my tax credits would stop.

I exist on tax credits mostly. There are some that think I should never expect to earn any money otherwise. So this would mean total destitution. I was, as you can imagine, quite horrified.

Fortunately, a panic ridden phonecall managed to rectify the situation. But whilst I keep on making work as best i can, or for the duration of the school holidays, trying not to, the thought that is most on my mind is that I’m only effectively going to be a single Mum for another 4/5 years now. Once Brett hits 18, I really will need to have a properly paid job in order to live. At the moment I’m hoping I’m successful with a paid internship that I applied for. It might cover the £30 rise in the gas bill that has just landed in my inbox.

Fellow illustrator Lauren Waterworth posted the Facebook status “Job now please” To explain, she added:

“I was told that if I worked hard at school I would get a good job and lots of money. I’m still working hard at school….”

I’ve started to plan out an LAN pop up exhibition at the Empty Shop space, and already some exciting things are happening. We will be hosting a digital art exhibition in an old arcade alongside, along with other work within the Empty Shop space itself.

https://www.facebook.com/events/408385279222491/

Today, however, as the kids have only gone back to school, I’m enjoying tidying up and Things Staying Tidy, and downloading a Beast Jesus Restoration Society badge – not doing anything particularly useful!!

I’m really not meant to be working just now. It’s the summer holidays, and any attempt to even do mindless nothingness in my studio is constantly interrupted by the 13 year old. I’m applying for the AA2A scheme again to support my graphic novel writing and the upcoming Empty Shop projects.

I’ve been doing loads of work on the graphic novel, but have decided to put it on hold for now, even though I keep bursting to work on it, being a single Mum means I can’t really focus on it right now, so I’m not going to torture myself by trying. If I manage to get a few spare minutes I might, but I’m trying to enjoy some time out if at all possible.

The Mail Art exhibition is being postponed until October. The Empty Shop space is going well and is finally coming together, but it was decided that it’d be best to wait until after the summer holidays, when I can properly focus on it, and the space will be ready.

Otherwise, I was invited to a private view for a sculpture exhibition at Doddington Hall. Reluctantly I went. It was very posh, with champagne and canapes, and I hoped I’d know someone there, but there was only one person I knew. I found myself instinctively photographing the pieces, but didn’t really have an opinion on any of them. I found most of the work there lacking in something. Then I started to google the artists, and there was a review by Jonathan Jones in the Guardian criticising one of them. So I don’t think much of that now. It included no one I know, except for a blacksmith that once attacked me on Facebook.

I really think that by September / October things will start to happen again. But I have of late been feeling like another poster on here, that there’s only so much energy you can put into still continuing your practice with little or no support before your batteries start to wind down.

For now, I’m looking forward to going back to Oslo – I can’t wait to go, but wait I must!