update on my current studio work ( previous post here):
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Images and more detail
In large part this project has been one of discovery, it started out as a very simple graphics poster piece and spiralled out of control as I looked further into it. It has taken on more elements as I learned through the course of it there are many ways to look at it. There is of course the dynamics of communication in an internet forum where you have people from all walks of life communicating, there is the feeling of people being alienated from art and so many often speak in disparaging ways, there are those who feel all modern and conceptual art is rubbish and the artists are frauds, scammers who are getting away with it, there's the language of artspeak which is a cryptic linguistic brick wall to many people and a thing I am not alone in feeling needs an overhaul, there's the two sides that all this inevitably creates so I want to look at ways to address this laundry list of issues.
I have been looking further into why I am so interested in thes comments from articles on artists and exhibitions, I have realised there are a number of elements to this that are fascinating, the initial reason of course being the tone and content of some of the statements themselves, the often angry and words reflected and referred to something else. Sometimes very over the top, I saw many of them as almost poetic, vitriolic sure but, there is something there that attracted me.
What I have realised over the course of this is that these are statements made, often, by people for whom this online forum of commentary is the only place they will ever be able (or currently feel is their only option) to offer their opinions on the art world, artists, work they feel is pointless and so forth, it occured to me that they are people, and I speak generally, that feel excluded from and outside of this world, their words are those of protest.
People are not supposed to be excluded from art, it should be for everyone so I really want to find out what everyone thinks of this idea... what have been your experiences and thoughs on this? Where are the barriers to art and what can be done to break them down, what is already being done?
Comments and thoughts at the end of this post are most welcomed.
Programmes like THIS are absolutely wonderful steps to increase inclusivity on many levels and, I think, symptomatic of a wider expanding of humanity's desicion to nurture one another. Then... reading online commentary on the article itself there is an amount of negativity towards the idea.
My personal experiences of living in Australia, the US and the UK have all been vastly different as the culture of class is different in each place and this transposes itself onto the environment of art and artists accordingly. I find more community based groups and artist collectives, more outsider and self taught artists in the US, there I found a more inclusive and less formal way of doing things, in Australia again there is a different way of doing things, a bit of a hybrid of the methods of the UK & US but with our own flavour. The UK, the traditional formalised ways have been in existence for so long that I am not sure there is perhaps less room for the community democratic artist collective, the non heirarchical set up does not seem to work here as well as it does in other places, in my experience. This, though is what I think needs to be changed and challenged, so I am looking at ways to combine my curatorial practice with this idea nad come up with some projects.
Feb 17th 2017
So...based on all this I decided to start a little internet based project to see what will happen, I am inviting artists to participate in a new type of gallery experiment, a nomadic gallery and exhibition with no formal dates and open to anyone who is willing to give work to someone else. Artists will leave a piece of original artwork in a location chosen by thethemselves, this can be anywhere like a train station, bus stop, window ledge, doorway, park bench etc.. anywhere and share its image and location to a map, the artwork is to be taken by anyone who finds it and the hope is that through social media people will connect and start a conversation on the idea and the art itself. It allows people to share artworks with absolutely anyone and removes the barriers, the commodification and allows for a very simple way to share art.
it's open to absolutely anyone and I hope the project will last and spread to places other than the UK.
It is one of many ideas I am trying to see what can be done to get people involved in art at a more personal level.
Here's the call out for participation on Curator Space
Research:
In an attempt to find out about the sorts of people who are not visiting galleries and do not feel the environment of art and galleries is for them I have put together a survey which has been sent to about 50 art galleries in the UK, I am gathering data on what the visitor, engagement and outreach teams have done, experienced or know about in regards to making sure marginalised people and those from all educational and economic backgrounds feel they are welcome and able to visit galleries.
View blank survey here
Feb 25th:
I am starting to get some really well thought out responses to the survey from galleries and have started some conversations around the topics of interest that are great.
There is also a little survey I put together for the visiting public in order to get that side of the story so please take part if you can spare a few moments. I am interested in opinions and experiences from people who visit galleries regularly but, more importantly from those who don't.
Exhibition:
An exhibition is currently being put together in Manchester so please come along if you can, it will be small but intimate and there will be some fun stuff to do.
