ARTISTS TALKING

# 26 [19 May 2008]

 The pub. Now there is a social space of intrigue if ever there was one. 

Now getting more to the point, the  pub at lunch time. This is nothing bad. Nope. Having a little drink whilst enjoying a hearty pub lunch is acceptable. On the other hand, the pub at lunch time with no food is slightly edging on wrong, and if it isn’t edging on it, then it’s certainly toying with it. Haha. So where am I going with this thought? Well it was decided that we should have a night in with some home cooked food and a glass or two of wine. This was Saturday night. I was working in the cinema from 11am till 7pm then I headed over to Alice’s for dinner and a chance not to think about our degree show. It was good. 

We sat, we drank and we ate. Slowly the people were filtered down to only 4, some of those were less present than others hehe there is an excuse though. Gin, whisky and wine. All amazing drinks when sampled alone. Not when drunk one after the other in copious amounts with the novelty of slushy ice. I ended up rather drunk and headed home for about 4am. I saw a fox, a mouse and a drunk pigeon along the way. Hehe

To be continued....

www.garybolam.co.uk 

# 25 [19 May 2008]

Part two...

I was up for work the next day at 8am for an hour which I was surprisingly awake for. I was only there for an hour and then I went home and met a friend. I then had to go back into work for a 6pm till 10pm shift. This was last night. I got a txt asking what I was up to as a few friends from back home were off out the the big G. I was already walking home by this point. But I am such a pushover and I decide “yeah... Maybe it is a good idea.” so I get dressed out of my uniform and head out. We drank and we danced and had the most random of times. My two friends ended up having a falling out and walked the streets of Glasgow until the first train at 5.55am. I ended up talking away with a jeweller from up north. The next morning after a few hours sleep we have a quick vodka and coke and then head to the pub. That was this morning. I have now had a few moments of stolen sleep since then and am writing this. This is where my dilemma exists. This is all ok when defined as a student. These things happen, but when it comes to being a final year student and only having two weeks today to get everything finished it becomes a dilemma. Haha. Its all a tad funny though, and I'm off to work again in an hour. I'm working 6pm till 12.30am plently of time to muse over these thoughts.

www.garybolam.co.uk

# 24 [13 May 2008]

woohooo! I successfully fixed my  washing machine 

(check www.garybolam.blogspot.com for video and pictures!) 

... its now 2:30pm only an hour of my degree prep time  wasted poking and prodding the insides of it. haha. ohh i also have a sneaky peak image to upload... i say sneaky peak but it may all change. 

i have an interesting space it has two large windows and a narrow walk way area. i think i may have set myself a bit of a challenge in choosing it but  oh well... we'll see how it turns out in the next few weeks. its only 2 weeks and 6 days until i have to have it all finished. eak! 

www.garybolam.co.uk'

# 23 [13 May 2008]

Ok so it is 1:30pm and I'm working tonight at 6.00pm. My washing machine has just broke with my uniform still in it. I'll take that as a sign to phone in sick. 

www.garybolam.co.uk'

# 22 [13 May 2008]

Blah blah blah....

Art school holds the plague. Today I have been avoiding it at all costs. gerr...  I'm fed up of the elevated stress levels and the required commitment to be seen to be doing work every minute of every day. I'm fed up of the uneasy feeling around people as well. Everyone is on egg-shells around one another for fear of tipping the balance.  I need a rest from it all. 

Having said that, all I have been doing for the last week is 'resting' from it. I went to two openings last Thursday. A solo fourth year show and the group third year show. Both of which were impressive, almost scarily so.  

So I go along to both and its a sunny day in Glasgow and I feel in good spirits, maybe more so because of all the free alcohol haha but also because its a chance to chill out a bit with friends. i ended up getting slightly drunk with everyone else and going home to crash.

I was having crazy dreams. I swear I was actually working in my sleep. It was weird.

www.garybolam.co.uk'

# 21 [7 May 2008]

Tears before dawn.

So the other day. What a day that was. Firstly the space I plan on using it full with crap... haha yes crap. :P 

So i go on the hunt for any other space not used in the building. It wasn't easy and i ended up looking and finding a corridor. Now, usually you would walk past this corridor and think... well think nothing because it's just a rubbish wee corridor. Unfortunately in the state of mind i was in i thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. haha. so yeah i then also have this 'inspired' moment when i think it would be a great idea to paint it red. oh yes. But not just any red, floor paint tile red. and it was just that.... floor paint. haha woops. i did however managed to paint about three 8 foot boards before realising what i was doing whilst talking to Jac haha it is kinda funny now looking back. 

Then i decided i should go make use of a bit of unclaimed space in the garage so I'm working away trying to get my work sorted for then exhibition when Tanya turns up.  all she does is ask how i'm doing or something and i burst into tears. eh?! 

In my defence i have had hardly any sleep and i'm still not over the 'break up' yet. 

I ended up talking with Tanya for about an hour but it could have been 4 hours or 5 minutes it simply felt like an hour. haha. This talk helped... now. At the time i just couldn't take it in or think about the words that flowed from her mouth. i simply heard 'You're crap and you need to get your finger out and stop making shit work.'  i was needless to say in tears after that talk too. It was too much to think about and it was mega hot too.

Hot + Tired + Crit + Break-Up = Pants.

I freaked out for about 3 hours after that. Not continuously. oh no.. just at random moments when i least expected it.

 I messed about making things after i composed myself again. i actually had great fun. it was nice to experiment again. Without really realising it, three of us were working away until 3.15am. wow... that is officially the latest i have been working in the studio. it shuts at 9pm. haha! 

The tears must have been in the air because there was another 3 or 4 people who also were complete wrecks by the time the crit came. there was only 7 of us in totally. That's a high percentage. haha 

www.garybolam.co.uk 

# 20 [5 May 2008]

ARGHHH>>>..........

 Some second year (you know who you are!) has, over the weekend, made a big installation in the space I am, sorry, I was going to use for my crit tomorrow. What a w**ker! Not only that but a fourth year has still not moved his work from last week.

 I'm raging. I'm trying to resist the temptation to sabotage their chairs or something equally unethical. Ohhh... I could cut a centimetre off one of the legs on their desk. That would be annoying. haha! Gerr...

Having said all that, I'm actually in a good mood. Summer or at least a day of it has hit Glasgow. It's actually sunny and their could even be talk of a BBQ. Yummy. 

www.garybolam.co.uk 

# 19 [2 May 2008]

Long day in the studio again...

my print has been printed and collected.

my glass ... is still glass.

wood for frame has been cut.

the frame itself looks cheap ikea-esq

my crit is still on tues.

ohhh on another (crappy) note I'm skint. I'm totally so so poor. I have £5 to do me till next friday. woohoo... beans on toast for a while. And of course when you have no money you always need to buy something. My underground pass has just ran out of rides, woohoo for walking. 40 minutes to the studio now. yass.... having said that I walked home last night and its actually really nice.

Righty well I am going to give my cheap handmade frame an overhaul. fingers crossed it looks better than a cheap ikea rip-off, and if it does... well I shall simply apply for a job in ikea. Sorted!

www.garybolam.co.uk 

# 18 [1 May 2008]

woohoo....

I'm still.... note still in the studio I have eaten both lunch and dinner here. The good news though is that I have updated loads of things online... note the new blog section on my website...

www.garybolam.co.uk/blog 

I am also a lot more engaged with the work that I'm making. It is taking shape. I think... haha I should really be a bit more confident in my thinking but oh well..

Anyway...  I'm going to head home now. haha and as if by magic the janitor walked in telling me to pack up.

www.garybolam.co.uk 

# 17 [1 May 2008]

hahaha...

You hear some totally hilarious drunk banter on Byres Road at night. It makes me laugh. Some drunken guy was putting on a funny but bad Skouser accent trying to sing and have a conversation with what I assume to be a friend but could have equally been his foot. 

Glasgow you've got to love it!

www.garybolam.co.uk