Finding the time to write about my practice is proving harder and harder. I can only hope that my lack of online transparency is being perceived as a vain attempt to appear mysterious and elusive in order to affect intrigue in my work. The truth of the matter is far more banal however – I just haven’t had the time.
My general – and probably erroneous – theory is that the more stuff you do the less you write about it, simply on the basis that time is finite, and can either be spent writing or doing. But then, there is plenty to write about: October saw me involved in 2 exhibitions. Both of which were in Sheffield and both of which offered different sets of responsibilities
First, we have FUSE – collaboration between SCI and Exchange Place Studios which I facilitated and co-curated with Ziana Sajid, a graduate from the Sheffield School of Architecture. FUSE was held at The Holt, Sheffield. a fantastic cafe and arts space.
FUSE was an exercise in fostering collaboration and providing a supportive and inclusive platform for artists to progress. Indeed, for me it did feel like a means of enabling relationships between artists to develop as opposed to simply a case of doing a bit of art and putting it up. There was a weight behind it afforded by the fact that it could provide further opportunities for the artists involved – a fact evidenced by the fact that a second exhibition next year will bolster the relationships initiated. My role in FUSE felt more of a facilitator than an artist – a feeling only felt once before; when organising UNITY.
That’s not to dismiss its aesthetic values though, as it was a well-balanced and strong exhibition that allowed artist and audience alike to assess the themes found within. A thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile experience supported by good attendance and reception.
Next, we had Curious Cabinets. An exhibition devised and curated by Sharon Mossbeck based on the notion of the cabinet of curiosities. However, as a means to confound expectations, often it was the cabinets themselves that provided the most intrigue, not to mention the eerie atmosphere created within the space.
The whole thing was brilliantly pitched and delivered by Sharon- a deliberately unnerving and haunting affair featuring the work of 15 artists from around the UK. My work attempted to exist somewhere between a medicine cabinet and a television cabinet, offering a speculative insight into the process of TV consumption.
I also co-created a piece based on Nostradamus with Sharon and I also provided artist Gill Alderson with perfumes for her cabinet:
The exhibition was supported by two events – an opening evening and a Halloween special. Both of which were a great deal of fun and confirmed the presence of Exchange Place as a destination for exhibitions.
I am filled with confidence off the back of these exhibitions, which puts me in good stead – as I’ve got it all to do again this month, with a Pokémon-based open call exhibition due to run from 22nd November at Mugen Tea House, and a brand new collection of perfume portraits due the same time at Bank Street Arts. Add into the mix Yorkshire Artspace’s Open Studios, Lady of Situations (for which I have developed a perfume piece) and a guest talk at Chester University and we’re looking at the busiest month I’ve ever faced! Right, let’s get on with it.