Week 4 - Setting up Yuichiro's show
Today we worked on setting up Yuichiro’s future show. We being, me and Micheal Henley a multidisciplinary artist and freelance technician. With regards to technician work, I was already completely comfortable with hanging wall based works, so as soon as I got in I got into the rhythm, getting d links screwed in, cables ran across them, and getting the works up on the wall with the rule of top, drop and bottom. We continued the rest of the day just chatting casually about how to maintain a practice whilst working freelance, how to access the art world, and also how to install more complex works.
Micheal provided me with a wealth of knowledge about how to “make it” in the art world, the risks of burning out and also the flow of working for money whilst also maintaining a practice. He talked in full about his artistic timeline, up until where he is right now, repeatedly saying, “just keep making”, making me confident about my pre-existing anxieties about lack of time/resources to work. We talked for about 2 hours before Yuichiro arrived, in this time he provided me with vital knowledge on how to stay self driven and sure/confident about my skills in technical work.
Yuichiro was a perplexing character to myself, curating his show based upon the language only expressed from his paintings meant that I had a lot to ask when meeting him. Throughout my experience in art school, we were taught that conceptual works should be vital to our discipline, the key to expressing a synesthetic story. Though, Yuichiro made because of aesthetic, exploring how different elements effected the final visual outcome. This motive perplexed me, and after another two hours of mining him for reasons and motives, I’m still left perplexed. Though, Yuichiro is food for thought going forward as his practice and philosophy acts as an alley that I previously disregarded.
Week 3 - Meeting Jose and managing the gallery
On Friday, I met Jose at the gallery. Jose is a chosen resident for the next run of residents. Meeting him was a great opportunity to meet an example of the artists that The Muse select for their residency. I talked to Jose in-depth about his work, his fuel and also the rhythm of working as an early level career, balancing jobs, finding time to work, funding your practice and also how to sustain your conceptual health throughout the emerging years of your practice. After this discussion, we realised that we shared a lot of the same philosophies regarding our approach and also our conceptualisations. He told me I should consider doing a part-time degree at RCA to further criticise the questions I have about philosophy and conceptualisation.
I also spent that day as the gallery manager, introducing the audience to the work, discussing the prices, Paul Smiths conceptual and cultural background and also helping set up Portabellow Road Radio station. By the end of the day, I began feeling comfortable with the typical tasks at hand when managing the gallery, and also the rhythm of communicating with the audience members.
Week 3 - Networking and shadowing technicians
Starting off this Thursday, me and Damien continued our trip of meeting gallerists, discussing gallery models ana d generally networking. We started off at the Royal Academy of Sculptures. After going around their eclectic exhibition of members work, I discussed the demographic of their usual artists. They explained their focus on mid-career artists, though they introduced me to their new opportunity of joining their members society via a mentorship/show opportunity that is open to emerging artists, one that opens in late September.
After this, Myself and Damien headed to the design museum. We met Rebecca, the project director that was working at the time but also a member of KCAW. She gave us a private tour of the guts of the museum, explaining the process of receiving works at their delivery area, the ways in which they exhibit and show the works. I was extremely attracted by the potential of potentially working their in the future as a freelance project technician, after I expressed this interest to Rebecca she provided me with her contacts. I’m planning on sending her a CV, by mid-August hopefully after shadowing and gathering more experience as a tech via the internship.
Finally, we headed back to the gallery, where myself, Damien and Qalid (tech), began working on the VR system for the Tavistock festival. This was incredibly insightful to me as I could shadow/help with the problem-solving that A tech faces potentially every new job. I provided input and advice on the situation which proved that I was quite comfortable with the problem-solving aspect of the task at hand. To conclude, Damien again provided me with all the help he could, I made good links with Rebecca, shadowed a tech but most importantly, I grew even more comfortable.
Week 2 - Discussions with local gallerists
Myself and Damien are planning on going to meet gallerists today, for multiple purposes. Firstly a continuation from the previous day, learning how other galleries run, their models and also their purpose/motive as a gallery. I wasn’t previously aware of the ways in which galleries can become multi-purpose spaces, either to further develop artists, create another flow of income or expand their cultural outlet. One of the most spectacular spaces/organisations which we visited was Unit 1 Gallery, Stacey the gallerist/leader of the space explained her focus on artist development. She has over 80 artists involved each year, residency programs and also other development strategies. Though she also explained that they run almost purely on open calls for their residencies, a potential future opportunity for myself, which leads to the second purpose, networking.
Prior to today, I prepared a series of questions, one which would allow me to evaluate if my opinions and approach resonate with a gallery/gallerist, so I can make a more educated decision when perusing future opportunities. Though out of the 5 spaces we visited today, there was only one gallerist which I resonated with enough for me to begin to network and tell them about my practice. This was the Serena Morton Gallery, Serena took time to discuss her passion for her work, she was considered when approaching and replying to me and also it was the first gallerist who had returned the same level of curiosity I had towards them, back. She discussed her love for helping the industry stay alive, her dislike of commercialization and also her focus on supporting artists throughout the entirety of their career. She expressed her future plans on a second space, in which her focus would be on younger artists, she offered me the potential at being a part of her future, in essence, she offered me her contact and support. I feel so honoured that I have the privilege of meeting these individuals and cannot thank the members of this internship enough.
Portabello Road Radio was also having their weekly show at The Muse, I met the hosts and discussed my work and role in the internship briefly with the plan of having a full-blown feature on the radio show later that day. Though unfortunately I couldn’t continue with the day and had to cut it short as I received some bad news regarding a personal matter, Damien was extremely understanding and respectful of my situation and has given me nothing but support, I am deeply thankful for this.
Week 2 - Understanding how to curate
Today I shadowed the head curator at The Muse, Gosia. Firstly I asked her about her background in curatorial work but also her practicing career as an artist. She explained in depth the vitality of having a job within the industry, specifically the relationship between curatorial work and artistic practice. I learnt about the vast opportunities that can arise from curatorial work, due to the social nature of the role, you can promote both your curatorial work by meeting artists, gallerists and also other curators but also network for your own practice. This introduction to curatorial work was a brilliant way to start off the day as I was instantly engaged via the attraction I had to the opportunities that can arise from curatorial work.
With a heightened state of engagement, Gosia instantly went into explaining each step between an artist producing an artwork to it being on the gallery wall. She first began discussing the timings between visiting an artist studio and the final show, the logistical and marketing prep that has to be compensated for and also the process of eventually selling a work. We dived right into how to create a price list and bio, something I’ve been creating for the upcoming Yuichiro show. She also explained in-depth the marketing model they have at the gallery and the ways in which they attract an audience - extremely valuable information for potential future shows I will be in or organising. Though, the most insightful part of the day was Gosia’s introduction to curatorial work.
I personally have had no experience in curating work, though, with passion, Gosia explained the depth and beauty of curation. She explained the ways in which space can be manipulated to guide the audience, the ways in which the natural light is manipulated to even the way different seasons lead to different considerations. She helped me develop knowledge on how to manipulate space, how to lead an eye and how to make works talk to each other. The knowledge I can carry through to my installations but also knowledge to explore further in curatorial work. She also provided me with two books on curatorial work, she introduced me to the option to mine for information, another gesture which cannot thank enough.
Other than that I talked to another curator that day which was a friend of Gosia’s, her name was Joanna and she was the head curator/gallerist at the Polish Cultural Association. Throughout my small time in the world of visual arts, I had not previously studied painting, though Joanna’s did not hesitate to teach me about painting. She helped me learn how to read a painting, she provided me with a key that unlocked a previously untapped area of visual art that I couldn’t connect with. This day was extremely insightful, I took in new areas of information I previously had not accessed, it has been a pivotal day in my life within art, I cannot thank the teachers of the day enough.
Week 1 - Networking on day one.
Coming from art school and experiencing a glimpse of the art worlds inner sanctum first-hand, filled me with enthusiasm. I felt hesitant when approaching artworks and artists, meeting gallerists, technicians and even film directors, as I was treading into foreign territories.
I was initially anxious as it was my first day, I forced myself to overcome this due to the opportunity that this internship presented. I talked to Maya Sanbar who linked me with an award-winning Iranian filmmaker, Taghi Amirani. I’m hoping to go for a coffee with him to discuss how he approaches the cultural issues I do, with the aim of enlightenment but also to build a bridge between myself and him.
The second individual I talked to in-depth was Mikei Hall, a senior technician at Tate Britain. We discussed his job in-depth and I expressed my interest in his industry role. I explained the depth of knowledge I had as a technician and fabricator and he offered me a potential in, telling me to send my CV over to him on July the 19th with the aim of shadowing him and eventually securing a role as a Junior tech.
I also managed to talked to many gallerists about my work, all of which seemed interested about my work. Alongside this, I got invited to a private view on the 6th, an opportunity to meet even more interesting people. I went to bed on the 1st with hope and comfort, but most importantly more excitement about what the future holds.
Week 1 - KCAW visit
A breathtaking collection started off my visit to KCAW, I was at Notting Dale Campus, in awe at the spectacle the Beakers place space presented. In the space of half an hour, I saw a work of Jeff Koons and a Hirst, though Kimsooja’s work was the most powerful. A Hyundai truck was parked in the middle of the space, carrying 2 tons of what looked like bedsheets/colourful fabrics. A truck that carried two tonnes of emigrating fabric, echoing the trip that my parents took when I was two. Scratches on the paintwork of the truck, became forms of expressive mark-making, symptoms of the journey the truck made. A reminder to myself of the marks that are left on my parents after the 3877-mile trip they took and how they still exist with those marks. After the deeply personal/poetic experience that Notting Dale Campus presented, I decided to head somewhere more lighthearted.
After a read through the KCAW booklet and a check to see where was still open, I arrived at Japan House. They were exhibiting work about traditional methods of fabric-making and paper, something I have tried to replicate in my practice (washi-paper). I was again left in awe at the intricacy of the process, the calibre of work that was included in the KCAW is nothing like I’ve seen before.
My experience of artwork at this current stage is based upon the south London scene, most shows are not curated as effectively as this but also no south London based art festivals I have experienced have been as coherent as this. Though, I only managed to go to two spaces (as most spaces closed) both of the spaces had artworks that were accessible but also potent, something I do not usually interact with at BA level, becoming the new standard of work/exhibitions that I will compare other works/shows against.