ARTISTS TALKING

# 82 [4 February 2008]

FIRST DAY

This morning I felt apprehensive as I packed my bag for the First Day - we are two Artists in Residence again - this time in Fine Art Printmaking at the University of Brighton.  

However I walked home with a smile.   I enjoyed today.  I printed 3 layers of 'the missing birds'.  There are few birds on the allotment.  I am looking for them.

# 81 [4 February 2008]

Day 1 of our residency at the University of Brighton

The start of an exciting month when we will be working in the printmaking workshops at the university!

We spent most of the day today with Ray Dennis who re-introduced us to screen printing. Roz had developed some drawings of birds which she wanted to print, so we slowly but surely went through the process of making up a photographic stencil and printing from it. By the end of the day it all seemed familiar again – despite the fact that it is nearly five years since I last made a screenprint!

I’m interested in pursuing ideas from the allotment about “Finding one’s place” & want to continue to explore ideas about mapping, measuring & marking territory. I marked a boundary around myself and my locker. Tomorrow I’ll start printing.

# 80 [23 January 2008]

Last Monday Roz & I visited the print workshops at the University of Brighton in preparation for our residency there. We met with technicians Ray Dennis and Wayne Case and Ray gave us a walk-round “refresher” of the workshop areas. Although it’s nearly five years since I used the screen-printing workshops, it still seemed very familiar and I came away with a sense of anticipation and excitement about the prospect of a month in such a productive environment.

Our residency at the University begins on the 4^th February. We’ll be developing our ideas for Breaking Ground through printmaking and, as Artists in Residence will be giving talks and tutorials to students.

# 79 [14 January 2008]

SOURCE

Part of the polaroid mystery is solved.  I found another photo and another and followed them back to Ken's blind shed (it has no door).  There was a stack of them by the wall. On the grass lay a panel blown off the shed.  Photos were stuck in rows on this.  I took photos of it but wondered who had put these polaroids on the panel, when and for what purpose.  More questions.   

# 78 [7 January 2008]

NEW LUCK NEW YEAR

I took 5 plastic bags of rotting vegetable peelings up to the allotment for the compost heap.  I put the mouldy old bags into an empty black bag and picked up litter blown over the beds by the winter winds. 

At the bottom of the allotment I saw a rectangular scrap and bent to pick it up.  I could not believe my eyes - it was a polaroid photo of  a chest of drawers.  Where had it come from and how had it blown up now? 

I had gathered the first polaroid picture of furniture in February 2007 at the beginning of this project.  And continued to find the rest of a small collection of 23 photos over the next few weeks.

Here was another, months later, at the beginning of 2008 and the start of Stage 2 of BREAKING GROUND.  The fates are with us. 

# 77 [4 January 2008]

STAGE 2 BREAKING GROUND

During our meetings about funding applications it has become clear that we have started on Stage 2 of BREAKING GROUND.  

This will comprise the Residency at the University of Brighton Printmaking Department for the month of February 2008, producing a book about Stage 1, bringing the project indoors and using 3 Project Rooms along the South Coast as a Platform for testing out the transfer and development of the work inside. This is an exciting and challenging position to have moved into.  Lots of work ahead, but with clear purpose.

# 76 [19 December 2007]

SOUVENIR SEED SOWING INSTRUCTIONS

If you have received a Souvenir Seed from us, here are some sowing hints.

This runner bean, Wisley Magic, can be sown indoors from mid April in a pot of seed compost and sealed inside a plastic bag until it germinates and gradually acclimatise it to outdoors when frost has stopped. Or sow it outdoors when the soil has warmed from early May.

# 75 [1 December 2007]

MEETING AT UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON

We had a meeting with Head of Painting and Lecturer from Printmaking last week re the possibility of being Artists in Residence in the Printmaking Department. Discussions went well and they seem very interested and see the benefits for the students. All to be confirmed in the next week or so. Exciting to be taking Breaking Ground forward by testing and turning ideas using screen print techniques and maybe etching. We will give talks and tutorials in return for use of the facilities.

# 74 [19 November 2007]

SOUVENIR SEEDS

We have made a series of Souvenir Seed packets. Each contains one bean seed.

We will send these to people who were unable to come to Allotmenta, the Open Day in October and those who have expressed interest in BREAKING GROUND and the allotment residency.

Currently we are developing work started during the residency.

# 73 [19 November 2007]

REPORT ON BREAKING GROUND

We reviewed BREAKING GROUND together yesterday and filled in our report form for the NAN New Collaborations Bursary. We found that we have been able to work together in a fruitful partnership and that we have achieved what we set out to do: find out if we can work together; try out being in residence on a site; make some new work.

We realised that BREAKING GROUND has become a wider-ranging and longer-term project. We have been in touch with the University of Brighton re developing some of our ideas in print. We plan to transpose the work indoors and try it out in a Project Space and move towards a future exhibition.