ARTISTS TALKING

# 42 [12 September 2007]

With the time we’ve set aside for the allotment residency drawing nearer, the issue of a shelter has grown more urgent. Out of the blue I received a call from Simon Barker, an architect based in Eastbourne, offering to join us to help build a shelter.

Simon has a long standing interest in the evolution of improvised buildings such as those found on allotments or developed on PlotLands. We met with Simon yesterday and talked about ways we could work together to build a structure on the allotment using found and recycled materials. We talked about what the shelter will need to provide for us, and how we can make it into something more than just a shed – could it have another function or in some way be a place of transformation, somewhere that offers “a new view”? A telescope? A cinema? A schoolroom? And we talked about the work of Folke Köbberling and Martin Kaltwasser who mount installations and interventions in urban space, building structures from found and re-appropriated materials.

Simon will visit the allotment and we will all start gathering materials ready for a weekend of building at the beginning of October.

http://www.barkershorten.com

# 41 [10 September 2007]

I love the shabbiness of allotments. Nevertheless I felt weeds and grass had got out of hand on our preparation day. Thus I took the strimmer and spade to prepare the allotment for the residency proper which starts in a few weeks' time. It looks much better for its late summer clean.

I took the opportunity for a lesson and examined the leaves of the vegetables and fruit bushes. Spent a happy hour printing from these.

# 40 [9 September 2007]

Following our second preparation day, I put aside some time to go through all the photographs I’ve taken at the allotment so far, and to begin to make up a work book in which links might begin to appear.

A couple of photographs have already prompted ideas in my mind. One seems particularly appropriate for our collaboration – “An extra pair of hands”, while a recurring theme, seen here in the image of the shopping trolley, is the constant exchange on the allotment between indoors and outdoors. This set me thinking of words which are common to both the context of cultivation and the domestic, with “beds” for growing vegetables, “carpets” of grass and “blankets” of blossom.

Still of prime importance for the residency is providing ourselves with a shelter. The weather on Wednesday was perfect, but we can’t rely on that to continue, and we will need somewhere to store and look at work as we make it. We have had an offer of help to build a shelter and will be having a meeting to discuss it next week.

# 39 [5 September 2007]

ALLOTMENT DAY-TYPEWRITER BURIAL

On Brighton beach 8 years ago when I was beginning my new life in art I found a rusty burned typewriter. It represented change and I made several pieces of work based on this typewriter. But it is ready to be buried on the Downs, ready for further change.Judith assisted with the photography and filming and we got some good shots. We went for a cuppa in the garden centre. I deleted some bad photos and inadvertently erased the whole memory card.

And we could not find the other memory card full of the best ones. However after frantic searching we found it and retook the missing pictures.

At the tail end of the day I helped Judith begin to construct a 3D shed using canes and string. She gained some useful experience and we plan to continue this next time.

# 38 [4 September 2007]

Laid out the polaroids that I found on the allotment a few months ago. There are 23 - tables, chairs, chests, whatnot table and paintings. The bluish green faded colours are beautiful. I hope by handling them, placing them, scanning them that ideas will arise of how to use them. They look like doll's furniture but they are full size antiques. I will show them to Judith again tomorrow as we have a preparation day on the allotment.

# 37 [23 August 2007]

We had a progress meeting yesterday. Up for discussion were plans for our next preparation day. We hope to realise 2 pieces - filming the burial of my typewriter, which has been planned for some time; and marking out a 3D plan of the shed with string and canes. A place to work in the dry and somewhere to display work is important for the residency. We are chasing up contacts to try and find a suitable shelter.

Meanwhile normal harvesting continues. Potatoes, garlic and parsley are the crops of the day.

# 36 [12 August 2007]

I met up with Ann Rapstoff on Friday as part of our research into collaborative work. Started a conversation about issues around working this way. Ann has worked in many combinations. We hope to arrange a meeting between Breaking Ground (Roz Cran and Judith Alder) and Kitchen Antics and Appliances (Ann Rapstoff and Barbara Dean and Hilary Kneale). There would be lots of criss crosses in such a conversation and I think many ideas may bounce from this meeting. We hope to get together in November. See www.kitchenanticsandappliances.com

# 35 [28 July 2007]

One of the ideas to structure the work we do on the allotment residency is Art School. I took a blackboard and chaiks to the preparation day on Monday. After changing into my mortar board and gown I wrote the date and the weather - handwriting practice. Both of us are very organised people and working to a timetable, however loose, suits us. Judith noted that we have both used childhood themes in our art. I hated school when I was there. Now it seems quite attractive. A place to learn, to experiment, to make things

# 34 [23 July 2007]

PREPARATION DAY

Roz & I have timetabled in three preparation days at the allotment to enable us to plan our residency. Today was the first of those days.

It’s been difficult to decide how to approach the residency – whether to arrive with completely open minds, or to have a firm plan. The point of the residency is to “explore the possibility of producing a body of new work together, based upon existing common ground and interests” and we are keen to make a space where anything could happen, but think we will need a structure which will help us to focus.

We have begun to develop a few ideas on which we can build and today we earmarked sites on the allotment where some of our activities can take place. We talked about what we think we are physically and practically capable of (…constructing a residence/shelter/shed – it seems essential if we are to work here for two weeks, but can we do it?)

The first time I visited the allotment, I took compost from my garden as a gift and the allotment gave me spinach. Today I took a bouquet of long-stemmed chive flowers packed with seeds and the allotment gave me fresh lettuce for my lunch.

# 33 [17 July 2007]

COMMENDATION

Raspberries had two weeks of being top fruit and filled, along with strawberries and redcurrants, three delicious Summer Puddings. They have been HIGHLY COMMENDED. The last few berries have been rotting on the canes or devoured by snails.

Strawberries and redcurrants did well and are over too until next Summer. One goes with the seasons on the allotment.