ARTISTS TALKING

# 91 [11 June 2007]

Photographic exhibition

Have confirmed the dates for a photographic exhibition of archival prints of Craig-y-nos Castle when it was used as a childrens sanatorium. 

This will take place in September. 

This is a result of my current research for my book on "The Lost Children of Craig-y-nos" except they are now found! I have been inundated with photographs though not a word has been written or are there any records of this missing piece of 40 years of Welsh history. 

 The reason I suspect is that TB, the "white plague" was a taboo disease.

Meanwhile my videos on You Tube continue on their merry way notching up nearly 50,000 downloads. Suddenly realise I am now part of what is known as the "You Tube" generation.

Have they any idea how old I am?

# 90 [7 June 2007]

Podcasts at Hay Book Festival

Thinking of the way we consume arts and media brings me to the recent week I have spent at the Hay Book Festival.

All the talks were available on a podcast. As the area is Wi-Fi you no longer need to sit in a stuffy tent on a plastic chair when you can sit back in your deckchair in the sunshine and hear it on a podcast.

So I did both. Those talks which were impossible to get tickets for I downloaded. But it raises an interesting question: unless there are visuals or something other than two talking heads (the author and the interviewer).

 do you really need to see them in the flesh?

Only one event I attended did I feel that the physical presence of the author was essential and that was with the South African photographer Austin Stevens (“the snake man”).

He made his talk interactive: he produced a python and a boa constrictor for people to touch.

And yes folk lined up in orderly queues for the pleasure/horror of touching live snakes.

Now you cant get that on a podcast!

# 89 [7 June 2007]

What is the role of curators in the future?

I ask this question in view of the changing way we consume new media and the arts today.

At present curators act as gatekeepers, they decide who shall be artists, who will be given exhibitions and who will be recognised in the canons of art as artists.

But the world is changing.

I have just returned from Wales and tired unsuccessfully to get an exhibition of my archival photographs in two art centres which both claim to represent the community and are heavily funded for this purpose.

  The first approach was to the exhibition organiser at the Dylan Thomas Arts Centre in Swansea . He did not reply for 3 weeks to my e-mail . After several phone calls I eventually tracked him down. No, he had not looked at my proposal , anyway they had a 2 year waiting list...

As for the exhibition organiser at the Pontadawe Arts centre I was told she was “too busy” ( though I could see her sitting in her office reading) and the message was relayed to me via a foot soldier i.e. man on the reception desk there is a 2 year waiting list.

Instead I look for an alternative space and find a genuine community venue. I explain the project and without hesitation I am offered an exhibition space for September.

So I am tying this in with an online photographic exhibition thus combining the old ( physical space within the heart of the community ) with the new (web based).

As one of my tutors at Glasgow School of Art used to say:”Regard each problem as a challenge. Look for new solutions.”

He would approve of my decision.

# 88 [24 May 2007]

Wrestling
Nearly 10,000 people have downloaded my video on wrestling at Bridge of Allan Games.

 Denise, the young blonde woman wrestler did not know she was being filmed and she has just  found it on YouTube and added this comment:"Hi! I'm the blonde girl. None of my friends understood the sport until now."

Click on the link below to view

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GncZoKF-v_c

# 87 [24 May 2007]

Dundee Degree ShowIf you are only going to do one Degree show in Scotland then make it Dundee! that's what I tell people and Dundee did not disappoint this year. You know how it is: you walk into a studio and work just hits you smack in the face. It is so astonishing. Well, this happened at Dundee in the first studio I walked into. The next surprise was meeting the artist, Hazel Campbell, She is 74 years old! a former nurse who fulfilled a lifelong ambition by going to art collge. And her Degree show is sold out.

# 86 [20 May 2007]

Twittering

Spent the last 10 minutes trying to twitter. Yes I know its the latest social networking craze and supposed to be dead easy. Well, not easy enough for me to figure out how to send one. Most of what I have read  so far on Twitter is in Japanese ( or is it Chinese?).

(Memo to self: must try harder)

# 85 [20 May 2007]

Passing the Artist Newsletter stand yesterday at the Perthshire Visual Arts Forum reminded me that I had not updated this blog for some time...

First congratulations to PVAF for organising a highly successful event though I would have liked to have heard more speakers and open discussions and less networking time. Maybe that's just my opinion.

It was held in the Birnam Arts Centre, a purpose built centre in the tiny Highland village of Birnam, near Dunkeld. Amazing place, worth a visit in itself. Many towns and cities throughout the UK would die for a purpose built arts centre like this.

The calibre of the speakers give some indication of the quality of the event: David Prior from Devon on creating "sonic spaces". He is working with architect Frances Crow to find ways of integrating sound and architecture. He made the interesting point that in our rush to immortalise our heritage in words and images we forget about the sounds of the past.

Environmental artist Kerry Morrison did not have enough time to talk about her fascinating project documenting brownfield sites. Dutch artist, teacher, anthropologist and filmmaker Jan van Boeckel gave an international dimension with his talk on "The Snow Project" in Finland where he worked with other artists to create sculpture inside the snow hotel.

Finally Shauna McMullan spoke about her social and sculptural project for the Scottish Parliament. She interviewed 100 women throughout Scotland and took phrases from their conversations and incorporated them into a wall sculpture. It reminded me of the Rossetti Stone.

Didn't have time to see Sue Grierson ( chair of PVAF) new audio and video poems at Threhold in Perth but hope to in the near future.

# 84 [7 May 2007]

For the past couple of months my on-line book has been taking up most of my time but the interesting thing is that my web movies continue to gather "hits". Unlike a gallery show which lasts for only a couple of weeks work once it is online has a steady audience months after it was put up. This is what has been labelled the "long tail "effect.

# 83 [6 May 2007]

Just back from New York. Had expected to be able to update my blog on a daily basis through using internet cafes.

Not so. In New York everyone is WI-Fi and they carry their own personal gadgets ( cell phone, laptops etc) for accessing the internet.

Madison Square Gardens had huge banners advertising that it was Wi-Fi

My budget hotel, the very funky Gershwin just off 5th AVenue had 2 computers with internet access and I used that to update my online book (www.craig-y-nos.blogspot.com). This was situated in a corridor and in much demand by other users; it was also unreliable, gobbling up dollar notes as if there was no tomorrow. Found my room was above one containing at least 10 big Afro-American musicians and thought I wa in for a rowdy night...until I smelt the marijuana wafting up then all became peace and quiet. Walked into a transvestite party in the hotel one night and felt ...er...uncool.

And the art? mind-blowing. MOMA is worth seeing for the building alone and the Met. well you could spend days there and not see everything.  Too much to see and too much to do.

# 82 [16 April 2007]

Early walk before breakfast doing some simple photography with found objects before leaving for New York where life will be anything but quiet...