31/12/2012

27/12/2012

I'm becoming increasingly interested in people, and how the hell they manage to carry on.

It makes me think of that book, Written on the Body, and women being elemental and salty and sensitive and strong.
Inevitability
Powerlessness
Power
Talisman
Salt

23/12/2012

Pedicini, I (2012) Francesca Woodman; The Roman Years: Between Flesh and Film. Rome:Contrasto
Cerere and the Seeds of the Classical. P.55-81

This essay discusses the relationship between photography, particularly of the Nude, and painting of the nude, referring to self-portraiture as a context + use of the nude in painting, photography etc throughout different time periods.

58. “She fused subject and object in the self-portrait.”
Subject-object. Is it Tracey Warr who spoke about this in her essay?

Painting – Photography.
Is the combination/separation of different techniques at all relevant to my question?
(Use of gesture + the body to express identity. Don’t forget this)

58. “Woodman’s photography explored a number of parallel artistic endeavours, the emancipation of the female figure in art, the body as a language, and the poetry found in everyday life.”
The female identity. Collective.

“The artist was also the model, nullifying the power dynamic between photographer and subject.”

^^Is this the difference between using your own body and a model’s – lack of power hierarchy/interference? Does it inherently then make for clearer, more lucid or more honest, expressive work? Is it more efficient, less diluted?

____________________________________________

As I read I realise the things I am becoming most interested in;
The intrinsic HUMANITY that is present or expressed in works using the body. This sense of empathy and connection beiing inescapable. Viewing the body through your own.. The artwork is then not only perceived intellectually, but also experientially.

This relates to - How 'effective' it is to use the artist's body in their work. This being an 'efficient' method of communication - because it is all about communication. It's sharing informationn, confirmation, reaching out for someone in the dark.

There are the two conflicting (or are they?) notions:
-The Body as humanity
-The particular body as identity - one human

Can you separate the body from the individual psyche? Can you separate the body form the race, the unit?

22/12/2012 (3)

It scared me

22/12/2012 (2)

Don't worry though, because I have a plan.
Everything is about making connections, making connections, fixing things, making sense, bring in the calm, understanding, understanding everything. There are a lot of things happening to me right now, and you drag everything behind with you as well from forever. Collecting and sorting. I know that there's half a roll of film and I can't remember what it has but I took it before, and now I'll finish it, and once I have it and I have these images then I can go through them and make the connections that I need to make, and once I've done that I'll understand what I need to talk about. I know that there's something, it's just been a while and I'm tired and it's easier to sleep and drink and go for walks and murmur.


I feel that I really want to work again, and I want to be in Plymouth, and I want to be fierce. Or if not fierce anymore, something else,  not vague and timid, Certain.

22/12/2012

How do artists use gesture and their own bodies as a means of communicating identity, autobiography, and internal processes?

·         Exploring specific artists’ specific uses of their own bodies

·         (Comparing/contrasting different approaches)

·         Question the value of discussing the artist’s personal identity as opposed to a more universal/impersonal theme

·         The body itself as a symbol of universality, humanity. Inevitably relatable. (Empathy)

·         Evolution of use/perception of the body. Taboo, association...

·           

Oh I’m tired, this is dull.
Hold that thought

Oh books books, dull dull

Marsden Hartley, “Art - and the Personal Life” 1928

Chipp, H. B. (1968) Theories of Modern Art. London; California: University of California Press. P. 526-528

This essay expresses Hartley’s strong opinion that art and the personal life should be kept separate, and that art should be approached only logically and technically and never be hampered by emotion: “I do not admire the irrationality of the imaginative life.” (Chipp 1968:527) He expresses a belief that the presence of emotion or the artist’s identity is distasteful.

Writing Identity: On Autobiography in Art

Steiner, B (2004) Autobiography. London: Thames & Hudson. P. 11-28

This introduction discusses the difficulty of tackling autobiography in creative mediums, and the benefits of using both methods other than text, and selection and omission when discussing autobiography: “IF coherent, continuous autobiographical narrative is an impossibility, then it makes sense to open up the study of autobiography to other forms of expression.” (Steiner 2004:13)

The Naked and the Nude

Clark, K (1980) The Nude. Middlesex; New York: Penguin Books. P. 1-25

Discussing body ideals and conformity, this writing tackles the subject of the body/nude as an aesthetic model to be described and perfected, and as an inevitable object of human desire, empathy and association. The body is not discussed in terms of either its owner, or the artist’s internal processes.

The Body in Contemporary Art. P. 7-15

O’Reilly, S (2009) The Body in Contemporary Art. London: Thames &Hudson

In this introduction the Body in Art is regarded in terms of the psychical and inextricable connection between the human psyche and body, as opposed to viewing the body as merely a vessel for the mind. A clear distinction is made between ‘The Body’, and ‘The Figure’; “Figurative artwork tends to reside in the realm of the optical, whereas that involving the body required a wider consideration.” (O’Reilly 2009:10)

The Informe Body

Warr, T (2000) The Informe Body. [Online] Available at: http://people.brunel.ac.uk/bst/1no1/traceywarr.html (Last accessed: Jun 12 2012)

‘The Informe Body’ by Tracey Warr discusses the Artist’s body and its significance in terms of the body’s position as both subject and object; universality and empathic connection to the audience; taboo and the body as a controversial tool and the body as a means of either self expression or exploring collective ideas.

The Body as Language. Body Art and Like Stories

Vergine, L (2000) Body Art and Performance; The Body as Language. Milano: Skira Editore. P. 7-27

This essay serves to hypothesis on the motives behind using the body in art, with particular emphasis on aggression towards the body, psycho-physical connections, and the reciprocation and projection between artist and audience: “It is indispensible that the public co-operate with him [the artist], since what he needs it to be confirmed in his identity.

18/12/2012

I've been thinking very much about Annette Messager again lately... 'Practical Woman', collector, mother. It seems a very female stance to be a rational irrational. Building things up and putting them in order but living in internal and external chaos. c.h.a.o.s. Or perhaps that's just the perception... Female hysteria, madness, struggle, unreasonable. PERSONA.
It's a reassuring thing I think. Women are reassuring, comforting. And comfort can be found in creating order and being sensible and taking stock and looking back and documenting and building up a body of this STUFF because then it's there and that reminds you that you are here and you have done this thing to this stuff, so you're here and the stuff is here and everything's okay.
 When order is lost and the chaos creeps back in is where it gets strange, and it can happen slowly, through cracks and holes and that's frightening and confusing and distressing so you just keep doing what you always did, but there's no sense or justification for it, it's just doing what you do because it's better than sitting in the dark and jibbering.
But I'm still sitting in the dark and jibbering, and I'm trying to figure out how this happened and what to do about it.

You  have to be so many things



You can't be everything at once. It's all separate.

First update 25/10/12

Alright, the situation is this: Due to circumstances beyond my control I find myself at home and out of uni and the studio for a month. Although I could take this as a month off, I absolutely refuse to do that and it is my intention to continue working, which in theory shouldn't be too problematic as I am currently working predominantly with film.

Issues that I am likely to encounter however are of environment, which is less than pleasant at the moment. Making work about being in a place, or having access to a thing bigger than yourself that is away and separate from anything else is hampered by being at 'HOME' - whether 'home' be a good or bad thing - because it represents everything opposite to freedom or unpedictability. 'HOME' is comfort, discomfort, enclosure, tension, anxiety, apathy, contentment, self-involvement. Home is death to creativity and inspiration. Home is just death.

So a line must be drawn between being at 'home' and being a working artist. Before I left my tutor said that the trap to avoid is that of being a 'carer' which is the position I am shortly to be in, and though at the time I kind of understood what he meant, being here has made it crystal clear. I can care for somebody, and be this thing, and be domestic, however it is of equal if not greater importance that I continue to push myself, to be inquisitive, hard-working, hard-thinking, active, angry and powerful. Resignation will kill me.

I think it is more important than it ever is in the studio that I am consistently and regularly COLLECTING, PRODUCING and RECORDING. I must be more creative and productive now than I ever have been. As I write this it sounds like a selfish position to be coming from. Maybe it is but I also think it's necessary. I'm not sure if this is everyone's position, or just mine, but I am constantly and consistently being told that I am something, always being TOLD, being TOLD. I am talked about as troublesome child, and a nuisance, and irrational. And everybody accepts that I am this thing. And I'm not, and I'm the only one that knows it, and if I stop working even that won't matter because I will begin to be absorbed into this thing that is 'home' and I don't belong here anymore. This is death. I'm frightened.

None of this really makes sense, but that probably just makes it an apt introduction to the weeks to come. Everything is fucked up.

21/05/2012

"The past, as we think of it, changes constantly, but those changes are determined, however obscurely, by us. They vary as moods vary or as weather alters from one moment to the next. The key is the rhythm but the rhythm is ours alone, dictated by memory."
(Morgan, S (1995) Rites of Passage; Art for the End of the Century. Tate Gallery Publications: London)

"For dwelling-as-residing is not necessarily sedentary; not the literal absence of motion but finding a relatively stable place in the world is what matters in such dwelling. Such finding is possible even when in motion. The earth offers continual if sometimes uncomfortable accommodations as one moves across its surface. If human beings may peregrinate in place, so they may also dwell stably even as they move from place to place.
-Edward S. Casey
(D, Tacita (2005) Place. Thames and Hudson: London)

Call 3 exhibition evaluation

Call 3 – sited/off site was a project that allowed me to work outside of the studio and consider what the line is, and where it stands between ‘the work’ and documentation. I proposed a performance piece and felt very certain about how it would be documented – with photographs – which took me away from my normal practice which would usually revolve around going to a place, but collecting/taking something away to explore in the studio.

In terms of curating this piece; my audience were my two travelling companions, fellow artists who were not only present for the performance, but who I had to hand control over to, and trust with my intentions. When the documentation was brought back to the Lobby to be displayed, the audience was something different again, and what had to be considered when selecting appropriate documentation was how much of the story I wanted to tell, and how descriptive the documentation had to be. In the end it was decided that more could be left unsaid – the image that I selected said all that I wanted to and doesn’t need to describe the piece entirely. It is not the piece itself.

The documentation of these events in the Lobby forms a cohesive and interesting ‘non-exhibition’; the work is varied and all of it somewhat cryptic which again illuminates the difference between the work, and the documentation that came from it. This has been the most challenging of the calls in this sense – the workload was relatively small compared to call 1, but there was working out to do with regards to how this should be translated – as with call 2 – but more so.

 I was not involved in the curation of the exhibition, but was present. The large amount of work for such a small space meant that a tight narrative had to be created, as well as a sense of aesthetic balance. I think this has also been the most challenging show to install.

CURA200 Call 3

"Rites of passage are ceremonies that symbolise the significant moments in our lives as we move from birth, through life to death. Such rituals are both personal and communal."
 (Morgan, S (1995) Rites of passage; Art for the End of the Century. Tate Gallery Publications: London)

The Big Adventure! Day 3

Damp early morning goodbyes and long walks home.

The Big Adventure! K D J

The Big Adventure! Day 2

A day of doing things planned and unplanned.

The Big Adventure! Day 1

A weekend wild-camping with artists and ambitions and huge excitement at being free. An opportunity to work outside of the studio in a different way, released from the pressure of making, doing, now now, this way. Just being and feeling the environment and discovering what it is and what it means.

The Big adventure! Making plans

Making plans, being excited, so much to remember. Mapping a place and imagining how it feels and is without ever having seen it. Living in a place in your head that is still geographically, physically, undiscovered.

Student Showcase - April 26

Describing your work to a roomful of strangers...

Proposal call 3 - First draft

Call 3 – Sited/off site working
Jess Young

PROPOSAL. 150 words max

“The idea of using nature as mirror and measure. It’s an understanding of oneself through a knowledge of what real, not imposed, limitations are... Inner geography is a plain knowledge of oneself, a kind of common sense gathered through repeated exposure to distilling experiences. Inner geography maps peace of mind in the world as it is and not as I imagine it.”                         - Roni Horn As an artist regularly working both collaboratively and independently outside of the studio in order to feed into my practice, I am aware of how intrinsic it is to my work and state of mind to escape and change my surroundings, and the sense of power that comes with having a lifestyle and a physical vessel that allows me to do this. I now wish to explore my relationship with my vessel – my body – at a time of change within my practice, and take this period of transition as an opportunity to cleanse and ‘make new’. By physically applying a sentiment that I wish to shed to my body, and then cleansing myself of this in the ocean, a psychical connection will be made, and a path cleared for the future.

PLAN. 100 words max 

Myself, along with two other artists from studio 11, will shortly be taking a journey to the Gower in Wales – a new place to me, however with family and sentimental ties- where, with their help, I will perform this action. As artists who I trust to sensitively and accurately interpret my intentions, they will be aiding me by writing on my body in charcoal – a natural substance – and taking documentary photographs of my performance. This action comes from a desire to make connections with present environments, as opposed to past or fantasy, and acknowledge my relationship to a physical entity that belongs solely to me; exploring identity and attachment in a way that is unfamiliar.

REQUIRMENTS

The resulting documentation will be a collection of photographs.

GCOP200 'Repetition in The Everyday...' - The Artefact -

GCOP200 - Repetition in The Everyday and Archival Art Practice (-or- 'My Sad Life')

(Graphs missing)

Repetition in the Everyday and Archival Art Practice

I manipulate how I am willing to be perceived. This varies from person to person, relationship to relationship. There are some things that no one knows, and there are some people that know nothing. Everybody thinks that they know more than they do, but some people still know too much.

Currently my practice is largely made up of collecting and arranging information as a means to remedy the despair and disorientation I find in my surroundings. I like to assume that this is a universal syndrome, and we all do what we can to make a connection with our environments, however, I acknowledge that this is something that I continually struggle with, and my art therefore often serves as a system that allows me to connect in my own way. This often results in my art being somewhat escapist and rambling, which isn’t necessarily an issue, though merely masks the problem at hand.

This artefact forms part of an ongoing documentation of my life, specifically, certain elements of my life that I regard as significant. I reached a point where it seemed valuable, if not necessary to begin to track my behaviours in order to prevent actions or traits that I deem damaging or superfluous, and so designed a key onto which I could project my thoughts and feelings, and at the end of each day assign a numerical value to various aspects of my behaviour.

This is a direct response to my artistic practice, which often revolves around the archiving and collecting of information, and my fixation with pushing myself and ‘running at maximum efficiency’; the awareness that something is wrong, and my search for a remedy for this dissatisfaction and displacement. Adopting a pragmatic approach to this is another way for me to order and compartmentalize my life; to take command, and fix what I perceive to be broken. Georges Perec describes these feelings absolutely in his piece; Notes Concerning the Objects that are on my Work-table:

I tidy my work-table quite frequently... It most often corresponds to the beginning or end of a specific piece of work; it intervenes in the middle of those indecisive days when I don’t quite know whether I’m going to get started and when I simply cling on to these activities of withdrawal: tidying, sorting, setting in order.
                                                                           (Perec, 2008, P.44. My italics)

Perec describes a need to ‘sort out’, reorder, re-evaluate; a need that particularly comes at the end of something, as though reclaiming a sense of security after a departure from routine or direction. This is an experience that I can not only associate with, but which I see as a direct metaphor for my current attitude towards life; a desire for order and system.

This project is challenging and unusual to me because I am giving away elements of myself that would normally be kept very much private. Compiling these elements and information into graphs and statistics however alters this fact of sharing, seeming less personal because I am presenting myself in a purposeful and pseudo-scientific manner, allowing me to disassociate from the information that I have collected. If I turn my emotions, and my behaviours and rituals which I find negative into something clinical and separate from myself, then it’s less difficult to share, not only because it feels less a part of me, but because it will be received in a different way; in theory, less to do with other people’s emotions, and more directed at their scientific minds.

Parallels can then be drawn between this study, and between my actions in ‘real life’, once again behaving in a way that is controlling and manipulative. As such, the information that I compile and present can only be assumed to be incomplete, because it is made through a process of selection, and according to criteria designed by myself with the full knowledge in mind that this information will be seen by others.

That being said, however, the information that I collect is still framed within a scrap-book/diary format- the mode of documentation that came most naturally to me. I am reminded through this object and the information that I select for it (this goes beyond graphs and statistics, also collecting fragments from books, found objects and additional lists and thoughts etc.), that what I am archiving is my own life, and what I’m keeping is a daily diary of thoughts; a realisation directly conflicting with my desire for depersonalisation (possibly another symptom of my want to escape). I think that it is because of the informality in my process of recording information - daily moods and thoughts - that this is the form that I adopted to present said information. It is a system that allows me to include points that in a more rigid framework might be overlooked or excluded.

This set of criteria has not been selected consciously in order to impress or control; my principal motivation in this study is to better understand my actions, and recognise patterns and areas in need 

of improvement –in order to run at ‘maximum efficiency’.

This taxonomy falls in place to capture my inefficiencies and failings, and replace them with behaviours that I can confirm to be advantageous. This has been approached by tracking my mood and productivity (the two elements of my life that I believe to be most important for ‘maximum efficiency’) (Fig. 1), and then within that, repetitive behaviours. (Fig. 2) It is then possible to examine the effects of these behaviours by comparing them to the averages for both mood and productivity, and discern whether they are beneficial or damaging. (Fig. 3, 4)

I see a relationship between this systematic approach to studying my own everyday, and several other artist’s endeavours, for example in Sophie Calle’s ‘Hotel’ (1981), I was struck by the certainty with which Calle knew exactly what she was and was not interested in recording; in Annette Messager’s books and albums, particularly in the division of her personality and creating different personas to accommodate each aspect, and Mary Kelly’s ‘Post-Partum Document’ (1973 – 1979), specifically ‘Pre-writing alphabet, Exergue and Diary’ in which she makes connections and forms statements based on the patterns she finds in her child’s learning behaviours. These are artists who have recorded and dissected everyday life with a sense of humour, and a fascination with the banal or overlooked.

Annette Messager particularly interests me in this area because her work is so focused on documenting and archiving, and on challenging reality through her Collection Albums (1972 – 1974) which describe a person who may or may not exist. She creates a narrative through collections and records, building new memories and truths; ‘Like collecting, writing is a way for Annette Messager to appropriate the world and to project herself into a fictional character.’ (Messager, 2006, P. 12) She is able to build an archive, the contents of which dictate the character that they belong to, e.g. Practical Woman, Trickster, Collector; the album becomes the character.

Although my study is based on truth and honesty, what I am doing in my own way too, is dissecting the everyday; a research project into the ‘significant banal’; a mission to find out exactly how integral to my life and behaviours each seemingly trivial, everyday element is; tracking this cohesively and coherently in order to visually and mathematically demonstrate the effect of these everyday occurrences. As time goes by and I collect more information, I am able to synthesise and make assumptions based on the patterns that emerge.

By using this model, I can, for example, determine that eating excessive amounts of porridge has a positive effect on both mood and productivity; however lack of routine has a negative effect- particularly on productivity (Fig. 3, 4); this might prompt me to eat more porridge, and maintain a consistent routine throughout my day. This however does not mean that mood or productivity levels would necessarily sit above or below zero to be defined as positive or negative, but that they would be above or below the general average.

One of the biggest issues that I have with this system is the previously mentioned problem of selection and archiving; “The problem of making the everyday meaningful in a way that doesn’t imprison it at the level of the particular.” (Johnstone, 2008, P. 85) How can I claim to be documenting the Everyday when I am being exclusive with it, and assigning certain behaviours or activities greater value than others? By dismissing other, less repetitive elements to my everyday, I cannot propose to be creating a full and accurate archive; and by being selective, am I taking away the everyday-ness from the everyday? Does my very particular and incomplete process of selection impact the information to a point that it can no longer be defined as relevant?

It is undeniable that during this study I have determined patterns in my behaviour, and it would not be possible or practical to record everything. The system of selection that I have used has been created based on personal experience and known patterns in order to maximise the possibility of collecting valuable data; so perhaps this is enough. My primary motivation is to create a model for myself that is useful and comprehensive, so being particular with my categories has been key for recording information with greatest efficiency. As time goes on, my criteria will evolve and expand to include more thorough guidelines for documentation. The varied categories for data collection as well as the knowledge that this is an ongoing project which will go on to encompass more elements of my everyday, I believe, lessens the impact of selection on this project and its identity as an investigation into the everyday. 

Another element to, and another purpose for this study is to track my withdrawal, and the behavioural and physical effects of suddenly ceasing to take prescribed medication. I began this project on my first day without said medication as a way to ‘keep track’ of my behaviours, and any ill effects of ‘going cold turkey’. This seemed important for my health, and as another way of taking command of my life and actions; taking back this element of control which until then had been with medical professionals. In a way, this has been about reclaiming power and banishing what I perceive to be weakness, so this need to improve my ability to work and live comfortably has, in part, been about fighting back and seizing control. It seems necessary for my work and my life to have complete command, and I feel regaining this gives me greater security and conviction in my art, which is so often about hunting and finding resolution, and most significantly, about knowing myself. This artefact, this book, as it exists crystallises a difficult period of change and transition. It can be preserved either as a symbol, a reminder of hard times, or more preferably, be regarded as a hopeful talisman; an ablation, and a souvenir of times past; An object of strength and renewal.

As well as this, I am also eager to know and have confirmed for myself that by doing the wrong thing, I did the right thing. This confirmation comes in observing the rhythms of my behaviour, particularly my moods, after the initial withdrawal, levelling (Fig 6, 7), and the patterns of my mood and productivity beginning to associate and flow in harmony (Fig 5); a result that is both pleasing and reassuring.

Throughout this project I have maintained a desire to be as candid as possible, and have been happy to share my artefact and my findings with anyone who has asked, though initially explaining little so they could take what they would from the object. I’ve been struck by how interested and how supportive people have been about what I’m doing. I think this is partly, as is human nature, slightly voyeuristic, but I also feel that this enthusiasm comes from the sympathetic acknowledgement that what I’m doing isn’t that easy, and that what I’m striving for is change. The element that people have been most interested in however, has been in making connections, just as I am; reading through the book that I am compiling, and comparing my notes to the graphs and charts that I have made. I think that there’s a fascination to be had in reducing life to a formula, however simplistic.

My final point comes in relation to a piece in Kaprow’s Essays on the Blurring of Art and Life (2003); Art Which Can’t Be Art. Kaprow properly acknowledges the act of brushing his teeth for the first time, and is led to the conclusion that the majority of one’s actions go unrecognised: “I began to suspect that 99 percent of my daily life was just as routinized and unnoticed; that my mind was always somewhere else; and that the thousand signals my body was sending me each minute were ignored.” (Kaprow, 2003 P. 221) If an autonomous action such as brushing teeth can be recognised, then perhaps every unremarkable event, once realised, can be deemed spectacular, and it is here, in the acknowledgement, that the boundaries between art and life, the everyday and the remarkable, truly dissolve.

Highmore, B (2002) The Everyday life Reader. London: Routledge.

Johnstone, S (2008) The Everyday. London: Whitechapel.

Kaprow, A (2003) Essays on the Blurring of Art and Life. London: University of California Press.

Messager, A (2006) Word for Word. London: Violette Ltd.

Perec, G (2008) Species of Space and Other Pieces. London: Penguin.

10/04/2012

Good coffee with almond milk

Instant coffee with no milk

A spider

Sharing blue raspberry bonbons in the car

Unrecognised landscape- ‘Where are we?’

Carry On marathon

Familiar places

Repeated pilgrimage

The comfort of Laugharne

Rain, rain, and rain. ‘Well we are in Wales.’

Toast and jam

Worn old sandals sticking in mud

Dogs, not cats. ‘He’s so... licky...’

No phone signal – a relief

Long drives, Wales, to the North, to the South

Backseat passenger with paperback

Service stations, Irn-Bru

Things to look forward to

(Places planned)

Shared

Family

And new family, too

Tired and happy to be back at home with cats and socks and almond milk

Call 1: The Lift Gallery - Report

Call 1 – The Lift Gallery

The Artwork

Being on the curatorial team for Call 1 – the Lift Gallery was a valuable and rich experience, and became the focus of this call for me, as opposed to the work I submitted for the Gallery. I deliberately proposed a piece for this project that I knew I could work on both within the short timeframe, and while also being a part of the curatorial team. The piece revolved mainly around reading and research which made it something that I could work around other commitments.

The benefit of working in this way was that the research I carried out and the resulting work was so directly linked to my current artistic practice. I like the metaphor of seeing my working practice as a big box of things, or ingredients that I can choose an element from at any time to explore and play with. The ingredient that I chose for this piece was the fascination that I found with the moon during a recent project – The Big Walk – which I could further explore and expand upon; the method of presentation/medium i.e. wall-based montage seeming most appropriate for this area of exploration.

Curating

I found the task of curating the show as part of a team very different to how I had expected. I discovered that a lot of the work was in organisation and communicating with the artists and other curators as clearly as possible, a task that was not always easy.

As the member of the team who was sending t he majority of the emails – a job I was happy to do – I encountered several problems in communicating with other members of the group. I think several people felt that emails were impersonal and that they should have been addressed personally regarding issues/things that needed to be resolved, however, despite these issues, I still believe that emails are the most efficient and professional method of communication, and to try and track down everyone that I needed to speak to would be impractical and unnecessary, especially as we all keep different timetables.

I am aware that there were some issues that could have been resolved; particularly if there had been more time to work on this project, which unfortunately there wasn’t. For example, the decision to make flyers to advertise the private view was made 5 days before the private view, which included a weekend. We made the decision to design the flyer and get it out as soon as possible in order to best promote the event and the exhibition, which mean that it would have been impractical to involve other members of course, as a response was neither guaranteed, nor likely.
This decision led to me putting a note about one of the artist’s pieces – which was one of the few interactive/’live’ pieces in the show – on the flyer which she had not approved, and which left the artist feeling uninvolved and upset.

If the artist feels that her work has been misrepresented by the comment about her piece in the flyer then this is very serious, and a definite oversight on my part. Because of time constraints it just wasn’t feasible to run the flyer by her and expect a response in time to get it out by Monday morning, and this led to the flyer containing a comment that she hadn’t approved. In hindsight I understand that the correct decision in this situation would have been to make no comment about her work at all. In my desire not to offend the artist by leaving mention of their interactive piece out of the flyer, I made an error of judgement and advertised her piece in a way that I believed was appropriate based on the artist’s statement, and hearing them talk about their piece, which left the artist feeling, rightly so, angry about her work being misunderstood not only by myself, but by anybody who sees the promo.

The actual curating/arrangement of the show was an enjoyable, interpretive and intuitive process, which I think particularly worked well working as a group, because, despite some disagreements, it made discussion and compromise necessary and interesting. The space was very small, and an unusual area to work with, which again inspired compromise and prompted us to rethink and arrange work not only considering the pieces relationship to each other, but to the space, and coming up with some unconventional positioning. This process was an interesting comparison to the curating of The Big Walk show in the Lobby gallery; a different kind of show in terms of content, but the same in many ways; too much work, too little space; work of a very varied nature; awkward gallery space – stairs, doors etc... The results, despite a few to-be-expected hiccups, was satisfying, and for want of a better word, seemed to ‘click’.

I think that the issues we encountered after the fact of installing with regards to artists’ feelings towards the placement of their work is possibly an inevitable reality. It’s my belief that we were all considerate with the work, and personally asked each artist to attend the install at allotted times in order to discuss the placement of their work, but ultimately, decision making is the role of the curator.

It has been my intention throughout to conduct myself professionally, and efficiently. There has been repeated mention of the curatorial group not addressing other members of the group/discussing new information in person, however in order to work on this project as efficiently as possible, time has been of the essence, and it has simply not been possible to discuss projects/issues individually or in person. The students that have had issues with their work/equipment have been contacted my email and the curatorial team has devoted time to, and done their best to resolve any problems, and it’s my opinion that emailing has been the most appropriate format for this kind of communication, if not the most personal.