Problems / challenges?

'there is never a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek the problem because you need its gifts' (Richard Bach)

OK - yesterday I went into college for the clear out - all the full time students have allocated studio spaces - it is our job to clear all the spaces and turn the studio into a gallery. It was fairly chaotic but a sense of all mucking in together. I met some lovely full time students that I am sharing a space with.

I also got to find out the space I have been allocated to show my work for assessment and for the degree show. It was not great news.

None of my 3 proposals seem to have been considered - with the tutor either not reading my very detailled diagrams and photographic proposal or not understanding my diagrams and photos of where I was asking for so I have been allocated a corner......behind a door.

 

The corner allocated is the one directly behind the door and the whole of the wall space to the plug socket.

Devastated doesn't come close.

I talked with two of my tutors who agreed it wasn't great but that I could see it as a challenge to make the most of it. The tutor who allocated the space insisted it was architectural and a great space. And after 6 years of this experience its hard not to take it personally. I considered the possibility of going up. Up into the roof space - that has interesting, unnoticed spaces. Lets keep in mind the point of my work is to draw attention to unnoticed space, to inject complexity into overlooked space. 

I went back to college later in the evening and took my projection with me - I had to see for myself what I could do with the space instead of worrying about it or complaining about it. I was determined not to be beaten by this, by the system - artists must have to work with spaces that aren't perfect and if I can pull this off then it will be a great learning experience....a gift.

 

The gallery space is not ready - there are wooden boards waiting for construction so its not an ideal environment but it was enough to get an idea that it would be ok.

The door is not great - I don't know how it will be on the night - its a fire door so I don't think it can be propped open, similarly it can't be removed but the positive aspects were that it is the first piece of work seen as the room is entered, the wall space is generous, if the door is allowed to close behind you the work can be viewed in its entireity and I think my work is strong enough to not be down heartened by the space behind the door - if anything it does what I want - it draws attention to an overlooked space - it draws you into that space and gets you to look where you wouldn't normally have looked.

I have been inspired by artists such as Sarah Sze and Hesoop Yeon and they actively use awkward and overlooked spaces.....so, I accept the gift and will continue. 

2 weeks to go

There are 2 weeks to go now until the assessment. I will try and keep this updated to show the process - and maybe to vent and stay calm.

I am feeling ok. The practice session really helped me to know whether it was going to work, how long it would take, what to do on the day etc. I have been knitting like crazy to create this huge piece of knitted wire to hang in front of the drawing.

I took the picture to show how long it is now - its about 6 feet and has taken me about 14 hours - luckily I can knit in front of the tv with the children - they are grateful as usually I am in a different room working!

Its a glorious piece of wire - so lusty and robust! I am loving teh photos I can get from it - something else to do - enlarge the pictures - I am thinking of putting some into some shows but that can wait.

So - tomorrow the department at college starts its clear up - everything needs to be removed from the space and stored and the spaces allocated - some time ago I put in a proposal for 3 prospective spaces and I have not  yet found out which one I have been allocated to put my work in. The walls have to be painted white and the floor has to be painted grey - I'm not sure about the floor as work needs to be installed and then taken away to paint the floor and then re-installed! Logistical nightmare. I am hoping to go along and help out tomorrow. Then I think we can start to install our work.

Mine will take approximately 7 hours to do - I have the children for the next 2 weeks (bad timing!) but I am planning to take them along for a couple of hours each day next week. I can do nothing this week for work and child commitments. Yes, that adds to my anxiety when I think about it.

On the home front - the house is all but finished and weirdly I spent all Saturday painting my new kitchen/family room! Mmm probably should have been doing art but I had to take my mind off something crappy happening in my personal life. The new room is a beautiful space and I have my posters bought at the Leeds Book Fair when I took part in that earlier this year - I have been saving them - they are my new inspiration and I love them!

I will sign off with some images of the wire.....

Practice Time

Ok, we are into the final few weeks.

At college we had our final tutorial and a walk round the proposed gallery space so that we could complete a pro forma detailling where and how we wish to install our work. There are few suitable corners to be honest but I found at least three options. My tutor seemed quite interested in my work and supportive of what I am trying to achieve so maybe she'll give me a good space!? Good news was that we are all focused and doing ok as the assessment deadline approaches.

As I went to my tutorial I was considering the relationship between the projection and the drawing - I knew that the drawing wasn't enough and that the projection was much more interesting and why but a couple of people had said what about both? My tutor included. The only way to find out for sure was to practice.

So this weekend I hired a studio space for the weekend. It was an opportunity to have a practice run - to intall in a studio space, to time the installation and to assess the effect in as close an environment to the real thing as possible.

It was a very worthwhile thing to do. I learnt much. I was originally painting the line in a dark tone of ink - it wasn't working with the shadow however to change the tone of the line made it more difficult to differentiate between the line and the shadow. It was the right thing to do. It isn't enough as just a line, nor as a shadow - having both creates a third layer. It defines the shadow and also leaves a line on the wall when the viewer walks in front of the shadow raising the question 'is it the shadow or the line?'

    

So - thats the installation sorted....ha! Now on with the knitting! I ordered 5 reels of wire, knitted for 2 hours and got an 18 inch x 12 inch piece of knitting and no wire left! Ordered some more but it didn't arrive - I'll have a job load arrive tomorrow! My calculations reckon that I will need 50 reels to do 10 feet - at £3 a reel!! Its ok..

House wise the kitchen is in, the floor is down and I have been able to move some stuff from the conservatory to the new kitchen. Still need electrics and an oven and a cooker hood and then its on to the bathroom! Have to say am fairly worn out - had a day just chilling and reading back to work tomorrow.

nearly there

Its been a couple of weeks. I've been working but my house is being renovated so things have been somewhat chaotic! The wall between my kitchen and dining room has been taken down - I have no kitchen and am living out of boxes in the conservatory! It will only be for another week though so be ok!

Art wise I've been looking at the subtleties between a projected line and a drawn line. Still working in my corner I have definately decided on using the knitted wire, not the threads. I have found a resolved way of hanging the wire in front of the drawing ...it just a matter of deciding whether to do projection, drawing or both!

My plan is to fill the entire corner with the image of the knitted wire - the question is drawing or projection? Whilst the drawing is stunning there is something 'dead' about it - certainly when compared to the projection - the projection has many qualities that cannot be captured in a drawing.

Another option is to do both - really explore the concept of the line - where the drawn line ends and the projection starts - a couple of people have suggested that to me. And so to fully explore this, my plan is to do the installation in a studio so I can see for myself. It will also help me with the timings etc.

Another aspect for consideration if I project then the projector becomes a part of the installation - I can't simply place it on the floor and ta-da! Do I have the projector in a white square? Do I block out the edges so I am projecting a thinner space.....all to be resolved and 4 weeks to go!

This week we had our final tutorials - all went well, we seem focused and on with. We got our plan of action for the assessment and final show - we have to go in to clear out the studio space, paint the walls, paint the floor, install work. Then we have to go in for the assessment and again for 2 private views and then finally to take the work down and get our grade!

Much to do.