I have just come back from a very useful research trip to the east coast of Scotland stopping at Edinburgh and Dundee to visit some galleries, take part in a professional development course and review a collection of artists' books. It was very worthwhile and my head is buzzing with ideas, thoughts, reflections.
Living on an rural island to staying in a city was an explosion to the senses, the noise, the smells, the traffic, the people, and I walked everywhere, through different districts, shopping malls, housing estates, green spaces, grand buildings. It was brilliant, although by the end of the trip I did relish the return to the island.
I've had a conversation recently regarding my location and to what effect it has on my work. At home there are few distractions, a place to concentrate on the job at hand. Visiting the city like that allows a brief intense period of focus. It was really good to be in galleries looking at the artwork on display with a fresh pair of eyes and mind and it will be interesting to see how I respond to this experience over the next few weeks and coming months.
The course I went on was about making applications and proposals. We were a broad group of creatives ranging from architects, film-makers, artists and designers and this meant the information given couldn't be too specific which was disappointing. What the course did do was ask me some fundamental and thought provoking questions about my practice, some of which personally, I found difficult to answer or am uncomfortable with.
Some galleries I couldn't find, some galleries were shut or 'between shows', some galleries didn't appeal and some galleries were an unexpected surprise.
David Batchelor 'Flatlands' at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh was a revelation. He is primarily known for his sculptures but for this show he presented 2 dimensional work and drawings about sculpture. Here was his ideas for sculpture, as well as drawings of sculptural work unrealised or complete, often using these drawings as instructions for installation.
It was his process of creating which excited me the most and he works in series over long periods of time, 10 -15 years sometimes.
Famous for working with colour he has written a number of books on the subject of colour and the monochrome. One of his books in particular is now on my wish list, 'Chromophobia'. Because I always work with black and white I have been curious for a long while as to why that is, maybe his text might enlighten me?
At the Ingleby Gallery in Edinburgh was Garry Fabian Millar 'The Middle Place', a series of 40 photographs taken over a period of time of one place, at a fixed point with the lens. Every image was slightly different, but only ever so, and I could pick out some favourites. Each image was presented in a white frame for group continuity. I actually found the choice of display a little boring. It seems that anything as a series is either pinned to the wall, or put in a frame of equal size, style and colour. What about juggling things up a bit, ever so slightly, to create a slight blip, to break the monotony up, a little bit, yet still as a continuum?
In complete contrast was Summerhall, a creative arts hub in Edinburgh. One of their exhibitions called 'Phenotype Genotype (PhG)' has on display a collection of artworks from Summerhall's scientific past, illustrating the avant garde from dada, surrealism, arte povera, conceptual art, minimalism, pop art and the YBAs. Presented in old fashioned glass cabinets, it was a mass of the ephemeral. What struck me the most was how dated a lot of the work looked and it has made me now wonder how dated will my work look in years to come? There is looking dated as in 'a classic' (good) to looking dated as in 'naff' (bad)? I feel concerned.
In Dundee I had the pleasure of visiting the Centre for Artists' Books in the Visual Research Centre housed at Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre. With a collection of over 1300 books it enabled me a flavour of what an artists' book is or could be. It appears that generally an artists' book may contain handwriting and hand drawn imagery but is then printed by machine for publication. To connect with the viewer more personally a number of books were signed by the artist, with an original signature, and many books were limited editions. Hand crafted books appear to be a slightly different scenario and I think I prefer the sense of the handmade as opposed to the 'catalogue', hardback style design. It has certainly got me wondering as to how could I create books within my practice? I will have to try out some test samples. I think another step would be to visit an artist's book fair and see what is currently being produced, on the market right now, and what sort of prices they are.
This blog is just a sample of what I have seen, done and thought about during the last week. It has been so worthwhile, a success, and there is so much more. Being part of the wider art scene whilst living on an island can be difficult. The computer and social networking has to be key to my connection with the wider creative community but I love where I live and it is key to my daily existence. I have just joined Twitter but have yet to gain confidence in regular twittering. I have a small number of connections on LinkedIn and many friends on Facebook. 'Collaboration' was the buzz word on the applications and proposals course. Too much networking though means less time for creating and I need time for making. It's about getting the balance right.
And there is so much making to do.
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