Tuesday and back at g39/WARP and now Elbow room's library in their new space. Cavenous and cool, it is housing storage boxes and an 18ft Christmas tree that is dwarfed by the space. Its a bit surreal just braced into the mainframe of the structure.
I spent 5 very happy hours in the library, currently a small well lit room with empty white shelves, an apple mac and the most gorgeously wondrous scanner I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Its an Epson and it has a dual lens system. Its p*** easy to use and even makes crappy images look good and great ones look incredible. Plus its quick and it allows you to name and number things seperately so you can helpfully scan books and keep track of how many you have done, have the same description but different sequence numbers. Its so nice when things just work! Yay for Epson.
I'd been chomping at the bit to get the books out of their boxes even whilst packing them away. The range of books is quite amazing, some early arts council publications like "Paintings of Welsh People" and loads of collective Estonian contemporary artists books, many bilingual books and some on architecture, some chinese works, japanese works, Chapter show catalogues as you might expect but also all sorts of mad things like the Creative Whack Kick Game, I really need to look into that more, its a pack of cards that when you play it makes you think differently and gets you out of a creative black hole, also sculpture park guides on suggestions for ideas for sculpture. Basically its a unique wide ranging group of books and magazines and stuff that will one day with my help be on line and searchable and usuable by anyone on the Wales Artist Resource Programme, you could learn stuff, entertain yourself or make artworks out of what you find there. I want to read them all and get an honorary Phd, Ok I'll settle for an MA.
Tomorrow I'll be the new girl again. May just last two days but its cardiff Uni and I am looking forward to that. I'll let you know if I meet the perfect hole punch or similar.
Jen
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Insider or Inside Art?
After a few days of serious lie-ins I can reveal that my brain is now capable of taking in information again. I am nearly half way through Richard Eldridge's Introduction to the Philosophy of Art which considering its on its third renewal from the library, feels like progress. I admit to having a list of about 8 words to look up, some of which I feel I have some clue at ('tropes' I think maybe leaning towards or attraction to like a sunflower is a heliotrope it grows toward the sun), some at first I thought were typos ('fiat' anyone?) The main thing is I seem to have got into the spirit of it and whilst he uses a wide vocabulary I don't feel like he's just showing off.
Just in time then for the next cross studio curatorial, this sunday, see the XSC blog I follow for more details. Having an art history degree does not prepare you for the reality of seeing artists and their work, the exposure to both of these things and more recent texts that examine and reassess art history methodology is really showing me I know nothing. Never assume, never think you know why artwork is made or what it is trying to say. Its certainly true it can say things it didn't mean and viewing is part fo the process. Think of any row you may have had about what band or song you think is brilliant and what you get out of it and you get the idea, but its not often you get to meet the songwriter and I'll tell you now for nothing being married to a songwriter doesn't mean you understand his songs more than anyone else.
Jen
Just in time then for the next cross studio curatorial, this sunday, see the XSC blog I follow for more details. Having an art history degree does not prepare you for the reality of seeing artists and their work, the exposure to both of these things and more recent texts that examine and reassess art history methodology is really showing me I know nothing. Never assume, never think you know why artwork is made or what it is trying to say. Its certainly true it can say things it didn't mean and viewing is part fo the process. Think of any row you may have had about what band or song you think is brilliant and what you get out of it and you get the idea, but its not often you get to meet the songwriter and I'll tell you now for nothing being married to a songwriter doesn't mean you understand his songs more than anyone else.
Jen
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Irons in fires
Sorry not been here for a day, been having a good think.
Leaving a structured career of 15 years however you may have sought development and opportunities and pushed your comfortable limits, well it is a bit different out here.
I always felt uni was like a halfway house to living but actually I feel another level of exposure. I have felt scared when nothing was happenning but this week a different kind of scared because things are.
Well maybe not that but I'm getting offers of voluntary and partly paid employment, no idea what rates but not imagining much, and it seems hard to know what woudl be good or bad. In the structured environment I often created opportunities by saying I'd love to do that and this is true out here too, but I don't know what these things are really like. I do plan to be open minded and experience it and I know I've worked for a lot of days without a real break, like a weekend, so maybe my gut instinct is just a bit tired.
I also have to let go of trying to aim at a proportion of old salary and just look at the role first, if I want it I should do it and maybe I'll be putting myself into a few years of debt, I'll have to learn to live with that and be hopeful that I will keep earning.
I know its better for me to work than not, and beside never wanting to work for myself I seem to have developed that. So I am available for hanging art work, invigilating exhibitions, administrating events, public speaking, family art workshops, bar work, writing marketing materials, distributing posters and leaflets on foot, meeting and greating, researching, networking, career coaching, telephony, budgeting, book keeping, troubleshooting, filing, origami, PA work, review writing, and cookery etc
I think I may have found a part time job to go for in an Architect's office, do hope that works out. I love architecture and the thought of a steady job makes me feel anchored and less needy. That way I should have more belief when I put myself forward for other things.
So can iron catch fire? It seems that sometimes they may glow and I do love to stoke.
Leaving a structured career of 15 years however you may have sought development and opportunities and pushed your comfortable limits, well it is a bit different out here.
I always felt uni was like a halfway house to living but actually I feel another level of exposure. I have felt scared when nothing was happenning but this week a different kind of scared because things are.
Well maybe not that but I'm getting offers of voluntary and partly paid employment, no idea what rates but not imagining much, and it seems hard to know what woudl be good or bad. In the structured environment I often created opportunities by saying I'd love to do that and this is true out here too, but I don't know what these things are really like. I do plan to be open minded and experience it and I know I've worked for a lot of days without a real break, like a weekend, so maybe my gut instinct is just a bit tired.
I also have to let go of trying to aim at a proportion of old salary and just look at the role first, if I want it I should do it and maybe I'll be putting myself into a few years of debt, I'll have to learn to live with that and be hopeful that I will keep earning.
I know its better for me to work than not, and beside never wanting to work for myself I seem to have developed that. So I am available for hanging art work, invigilating exhibitions, administrating events, public speaking, family art workshops, bar work, writing marketing materials, distributing posters and leaflets on foot, meeting and greating, researching, networking, career coaching, telephony, budgeting, book keeping, troubleshooting, filing, origami, PA work, review writing, and cookery etc
I think I may have found a part time job to go for in an Architect's office, do hope that works out. I love architecture and the thought of a steady job makes me feel anchored and less needy. That way I should have more belief when I put myself forward for other things.
So can iron catch fire? It seems that sometimes they may glow and I do love to stoke.
Friday, 23 September 2011
"Extraordinary!"
Last day being a PA, I cleaned the desk, printed and emailed the handover document and told everyone to keep to the line we just about coped without you, next week I'm staying on for at least 3 days to do filing and generally help out.
Told by another department my new boss described me as "extraordinary" whereas that department I was told told my boss I was very impressive and asked all the right questions. Satisfying that being resourceful and after 15 years in admin I really know my way around an office.
Had to sort Scottish travel today, haven't been there for years and got quite wistful. Now having money coming in planning more holidays mentally. Have once in lifetime holiday booked and paid for to NYC first two weeks in May next year and madly although it was positively overwhelming emotionally when I finally booked it it's only now I am starting to look forward to it. If you are feeling satisfied and busy you enjoy your holidays more.
Heard from Made in Roath will be meeting up sunday at 3, tomorrow then it's chores but hairdresser on hols.
Jen
Told by another department my new boss described me as "extraordinary" whereas that department I was told told my boss I was very impressive and asked all the right questions. Satisfying that being resourceful and after 15 years in admin I really know my way around an office.
Had to sort Scottish travel today, haven't been there for years and got quite wistful. Now having money coming in planning more holidays mentally. Have once in lifetime holiday booked and paid for to NYC first two weeks in May next year and madly although it was positively overwhelming emotionally when I finally booked it it's only now I am starting to look forward to it. If you are feeling satisfied and busy you enjoy your holidays more.
Heard from Made in Roath will be meeting up sunday at 3, tomorrow then it's chores but hairdresser on hols.
Jen
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