The Lincoln Simulacrum

I'm currently busy developing a project for the Digital Arts Festival in October, inviting Lincoln based artists, illustrators, photographers, and creatives to submit work to be eventually displayed on an Apparatjik-style Cube. 
I decided that the Cube is going to be called The Lincoln Simulacrum, a reference to Jean Baudrillard. 
I've drafted up an Arts Council grant application, and went for a meeting with Tiina Hill from the Arts Council to discuss the project on 4th July.
This is a lot later than I'd really like, as I was hoping to get the project put together and submitted by the end of June. I've now completed and submitted the arts council funding application, and now have to wait to find out of it's successful. 

I'm otherwise been busy working on an illustration commission for harpist Erin Hill, and trying to work out how I might be affected by these proposals for Universal Credit from next April. I've largely stopped doing as much work since January, when I developed a huge fear that, as a self-employed artist and illustrator, I would not have any income to support myself and my kids if I'm not earning any other income, due to this "minimum income floor" that was concocted without any consultation with me. If the government had asked me, I could've told them that I don't earn enough for the work I do already, never mind have any more cuts to that income. I could've informed them that when I got divorced, I escaped a financially abusive marriage, and I didn't expect to be financially abused further by rich toffs sitting on ugly green sofas, generally not doing a lot of work themselves, and earning huge salaries, whilst those of us actually creating and producing things struggle to pay the bills.

Recently, I went to Citizen's Advice to try and find out how I might be affected by Universal Credit. 
In 2009-2010 I was subject to a lot of financial abuse and gaslighting by the DWP, and was made homeless as a result. I now pay £75 more rent a month, a cost I was trying really hard to avoid. As was homelessness and abuse.

This is all subject material for my current graphic novel.

I decided that it is incredibly important that single parents highlight and showcase the problems so-called "austerity" is creating, and the sheer hypocrisy and abuse being dictated to society. I'm angry that 5 years on, nothing has been done to stop these proposals, that they're rolled out and no one is even allowed to object to them.

I have no intention to be subjected to less income due to Universal Credit. My costs will remain the same if not more, costs keep going up, not down, and unless they do go down, or unless I'm paid adequately for the work I do, any reduction in income isn't financially viable. 
I don't get paid for writing this blog.

And I don't have any intention of going to the Jobcentre and having to search for their non-existent and impossible jobs. I'm not leaving my degree off my CV, as I worked damned hard to get that, and I did that so that I could earn more, not be forced to take up any underqualified work to struggle to pay the bills. If I'm struggling to survive, I'm generally not creating anything. 

I could, in theory, spend months creating really awful work, but it's all part of a process of experimentation that will lead onto something good, and all creativity is subject to the risk of failure. James Dyson I believe made lots of prototypes before he came up with a viable design for his vacuum cleaner, and he was creating a mere product, a consumer device, not working on anything that is for the development of the human soul, which is what art serves to do. 

In other news, the kids break up for the summer holidays tomorrow. I have a meeting to discuss other potential projects, but will mostly not get much work done for 5 weeks. The is known as "shirking". I've already updated last years' application for the AA2A scheme, so that I can re-apply to support the graphic novel. This years' application is looking much better already.

Discernible exhibition

After all the excitement of Magne's amazing exhibition, whilst in London, I also met up with Jack Hutchinson, and we went to have a look at Discernible at ZAP studios in New Cross.

Work that caught my eye was Kate Murdoch's sculptural pieces, and I was pleased to see Rosalind Davies' paintings exhibited (and a sneaky spy in her studio).

Jack was telling me about his ipad drawings, so pleased that they were picked up by ILikeArtists on twitter.

So now it's back to getting on with work again, with a couple of illustration commissions to look forward to and busy applying for funding.

Magne Furuholmen's "Norwegian Wood" exhibition

Magne Furuholmen and Katrina at Magne's "Norwegian Wood" exhibition 

I feel a bit of a cheat considering this is meant to be a blog about how I go about creating my own work, and I'm about to share the work of another artist, but then this is what Andrew Bracey and Ashleigh Mc Dougall would regard as "mondegreen" 
Here are some photos I took of the show

I felt very privileged to find the opportunity to go and speak to Magne about his work, to share the anecdote about lino printing, and the connections to my own work, and Magne said there was nothing new in the world. 
I said that I love the Apparatjik stuff (I had the intention to ask them if they had any time free to come to Lincoln, but this escaped my thoughts) and I said I wished I was going to Copenhagen where they performed this weekend, and Guy said he wished he was going too (he wasn't), then Magne said he was going, but then added "but no one would really notice if it was just a bloke in a mask!" which we all laughed at. 

Later on, I asked Guy if he knew much about the process of woodblock printing that the curator had very kindly spent some time explaining to me - I thought the prints would be a lot smaller, and was impressed by the large scale, and he explained that they'd been created to that scale - since then, images have appeared on the gallery website showing how Magne created the prints.

But Guy said I probably knew more than he did. He bought "Helter Skelter", so I now wonder if that's his favourite Beatles track, or his favourite Magne print of a Beatles track? Or both!
My favourite print was "Norwegian Wood" (what, no Blackbird??!). I was drawn to the Van Gogh marks in the W, that really captured a sense of frustration that something hadn't gone to plan, perhaps the ambition to be as big as The Beatles, that I think Magne felt about A-ha. But I think that, for Norway, A-ha were definitely as big as The Beatles for taking Norwegian music to a global audience. 

Magne Furuholmen - Norwegian Wood

When I was taught lino printing, we were always told that if you include text, to reverse it so it prints the right way, but in Magne's work the reflective type is indicative of seeing the Beatles tracks from a different perspective, from that of a Norwegian fan, and following on from Magne's signature Schwitters style cut-out text and interest in language. The English is in reverse. In Norwegian, it would be Norske Tre. A-ha always wrote their songs in English, not Norwegian.
The frustration of hundreds of fans that wish they could be at the show but can't make it!

In one of the prints, I noticed a tiny splinter of wood, trapped in the ink, and I thought that if you touched it, you'd get a splinter that would cut into your finger, much the same way that the piece had been created by cutting into the wood with tools borrowed from Sir Peter Blake.

Here, I have written some lyrics about the evening:

I once had a Guy, or should I say, Guy and Magne.

He showed me his print,

isn't it good, Norwegian Wood?

I asked for a photo

As he was just standing right there

So I looked around

And I saw Peter Blake in the chair

I stood on a nail biding my time

Drinking their wine

We talked until eight and then I said, "no,

it’s time to go”

I told him I worked in printing

and started to laugh

He told me he didn't

and crawled off to go for a fag

And when I went home I was alone

This bird had flown

So I caught my train

Isn’t it good Norwegian Wood?

I'll get my coat....

I had lamented a trip to Brighton earlier this year, where some friends met with Steve Barron, director of the "Take On Me" video, and I was sharing with him my experience going to Oslo to see the original illustrations for the video.
He said I hadn't missed much at that talk!! 

Happy Birthday to Steve today - May the 4th be with you and all that!

I'd been thinking about the Apparatjik project - someone asked me if I got the funding, I wondered what funding, as I've been applying for loads. I was going to ask Guy and Magne if Apparatjik could come to Lincoln, and it escaped my thoughts - but still the encounter has given me a better idea. Apparatjik asked everyone to send in images of their face to go on their Light Space Modulator, and Guy wasn't going to be in Copenhagen himself, so there will be someone else standing in for him, the guy that was in Oslo that I still cited was him! I don't know who the fake Guy A simulacra is! So... therefore, for the purposes of this current project, I'm going to fake it and ask local musicians such as Lincoln Moondog to come and be an Apparatjik. No one would really notice it isn't Magne in a mask ;-) What would be really interesting, would be if Apparatjik then display the outcome of this fake Apparatjik experiment on the LSM proper somewhere. All of this has been keeping me awake. 

Upcoming trip to London / exhibition

I returned to work after Easter and this is the first creation I have made after a break for a funeral and a wedding.

I'm really intrigued and excited to be planning a trip down to London to attend the private view for Magne Furuholmen's "Norwegian Wood" exhibition at Paul Stolper gallery.

I'm really excited at the prospect of being elbowed in the face by A-ha fans (!), in an attempt to speak to Magne about his work - I noticed in the press release some interesting and obvious correlations between his work and mine that I wasn't previously aware of.

Aside from the fact that A-ha remains one of the pivotal reasons for becoming an artist and illustrator, in 1995, while Magne was creating "Kutt", I gave birth to my first son Kurt, named after Cobain, but since then I have been known to reference Schwitters within my own work.

In 1992-94 I had spent 2 years at college doing reductive colour lino prints, and I had hoped to make a return to the print room more recently, in order to create some form of prints in support of my graphic novel, even though the graphic novel is largely illustrated in ink and digitally edited. It remains a strong background reference and influence for my own practice.

I wish I'd seen these when I was at college, but I was largely unaware of A-ha's continued existence at that time, and I spent several years before my degree where I barely created much work at all.

Magne's woodcuts already look visually and emotionally arresting just seeing them online, so looking forward to seeing this work.

I know my brother is planning to come and visit for this year's last ever Spalding Flower Parade. 

I often have mixed feelings about the Flower Parade. As a child growing up in Spalding it was the most exciting event of the whole year. I even had the opportunity, aged 11, to ride on the Flower Queen's float, however, speaking of college in the early 90s, people suggested I should apply for the Flower Queen contest, but I declined, thinking it was sexist and outdated. 

For some time I regarded it as a funeral procession for a long dead bulb industry, yet I felt I wanted to create something to reflect that. I had a concept for a float as a self portrait of Van Gogh with bandaged ear in protest at art cuts. But opportunities to become involved in the Flower Parade have too often been put off due to commitments here in Lincoln and a lack of support. The Flower Parade is Van Gogh's Sunflowers, black crows gather.

My old primary school appeared to have gone for a blackbird theme last year, even though I was not invited to contribute, I will claim credit for the inspiration!

I sometimes think that in honour of the Flower Parade, I might decorate my bike with origami tulips and ride around town on it like some kind of rogue float. I don't know if I'll make it, if I do, I plan to take reference photos.

Lastly, you can all support self employed single parents by signing this petition - I urge you all to sign this, thanks!

Stian Andersen A-ha The Photographs exhibition

I was recently invited to take my portfolio to show the gallerist at The Strand gallery in London, as I thought it might be nice to go and see Stian Andersen's photography exhibition.
The outcome is some exciting work coming up soon, but as I'm totally shattered, here are a few photos. 
Stian's exhibition is currently showing until 17th March.

I couldn't stay over in London mid week, so I planned to arrive slightly early on, and get the last train back to Lincoln after the private view. I knew that during the private view itself, I would not have an opportunity to discuss work properly, and I wouldn't have time to hang around afterwards.

I arrived around 4.40p.m. whilst waiting outside, I saw Stian's photographer, taking shots of the gallery, and Erin Hill's husband Mike, but I knew neither of them at that moment, as I hadn't been introduced. Once invited inside, I met the gallery staff, and the lovely and talented Erin, was properly introduced to Mike, as well as two nice ladies from the Norwegian Embassy, who are sponsoring Stian's exhibition.
I told them about my previous exploits in Oslo, and later on, they were looking at Stian's prints to decide which ones to buy.

We were expecting Stian and Magne to arrive at 5.30p.m. but they were being rock and roll late, and while we were waiting, it was nice to have a proper look at the work before the gallery was full of (mostly A-ha fans) visitors.
I was discussing what I do with Erin, it seems we have a lot of common interests, including Fleetwood Mac, and Erin was kind enough to play Gypsy on her harp for me, which was very lovely.
One of the nicest comments she said was that I remind her of Lauren Savoy, a compliment indeed :-) Somewhere there's a photo of us together, but it hasn't yet materialised.

The gallery opened to the waiting crowd outside, as Stian and Magne arrived and were due to go for an interview. I realised I'd left my camera in the office, so I went to get it, but as I'd been so busy chatting all afternoon, by now I was gasping for a beer, and followed them out to go and get one. 
Magne asked me what the setlist was, and by then I'd forgotten in my beer-hunt. I don't know many of Erin's songs. She performed with A-ha at the Royal Albert Hall in 2008, which I missed because it clashed with my degree show!

I stood close behind Stian and Magne as we watched her performance of And You Tell Me. The gallery is quite small, and there were a lot of people, the view of Erin very limited at one end, and because I'm small, it's a habit I've had since I was little, that Mum would always encourage me to go to the front so that I could see, and I was wearing flat boots for travelling/not getting stuck in the Tube, but hadn't thought to bring some heels for height.
I was getting a bit squashed in, trying hard not to spill beer down Stian's trouser leg - it really wouldn't be a good look for him! But wasn't quite of the Razorlight-at-V-festival2006-potential-crush-panic-level, and I was taken aside whilst we contemplated how Erin was going to get out of the corner! 
Along with Erin's performance, A-ha tracks were played in the background of the gallery. 

I was obviously quite keen to be properly introduced to Stian and speak to him properly as had been recommended for work purposes, however, he quite often was grabbed by overly eager fans asking for things to be signed, or buying copies of his book, so eager they were, some seem to forget their manners that someone was already there. 
The gallery was so busy that Magne bailed out early. I don't really blame him. He was meant to be there for an hour, they were both late for their interview, and Magne missed out on his speech.
In one attempt to speak to him, I seemed to get caught up in some photo taking, despite the fact that earlier, The Lady Of Shalott had taken one look at Stian's incredible photos and decided to go on strike! 
I managed to get a few nice photos, although I lament not getting one with Stian's photographer, Erik, who was very tall, and would've made a funny shot. Maybe next time..... ;-)
Yes, plans are afoot.

Paul Stolper was there as well, and I lamented that I had hoped to drop into his gallery, but hadn't had the time. He has some interesting projects going on, and I will consider going for Magne's next private view there in May.
And I met Stian's Dad and step-Mum, and managed to say "hyggelig å møte deg", which for the uninitiated is "nice to meet you" in Norwegian, without sounding Welsh, and was understood!

It wasn't until I was about to leave that I later found an opportunity to be properly introduced to Stian, and we agreed to catch up via email about work. I gave him my card and grabbed a spare copy of the comic from my portfolio. I'd brought a copy for him, should he want one, but now didn't really have time to ask, so there it was. Stuff you do in haste. Which reminds me, a copy I sent for Towser Zine Library last year is due to go to Leeds International Book Fair this month.

It's odd how I've been trying to develop my practice in other ways, but whenever I do something involving A-ha, I get more and better opportunities than all the wasted applications to more local galleries, all the proposals that I've sent that never get off the ground, funding applications that have been rejected, for once, things always go right, so I'm not going to turn such opportunities down. 
I feel I finally seem to be getting somewhere, so I've been over-excited and over-tired and a bit scatterbrained for a few days. 

Otherwise, I spent the previous week finishing and submitting a couple of proposals. One for a commission for a piece of street art at the bottom of The Strait, here in Lincoln, which I based on a Horrible Histories legend that is located in that particular part of the city. I am now waiting for the deadline to pass and see if it's successful, and not some poorly-conceived idea with a fleur de lis on it, or the Lincolnshire flag, which I saw passed around at the conference I went to previously.

Meanwhile, I've also been distracted by this

Jim'll Paint It was tweeted by Bob Mortimer, so I suspect it's Vic Reeves, and has had me in tears of laughter whenever it's updated.

meter readings...

Following the success of the previous Orange mobile phone illustration - it led to a paid commission for Mobile News, and through persistence, Orange have stopped trying to harass me for money I do not owe, as they know that if they do, I will win any court case, and would have to pay me more. 

This illustration was created as a commission for British Gas, who asked me to do a meter reading. I've invoiced them. Something tells me they won't pay.  

New Year review 2012

2012 seemed to be a year wasted applying for a myriad of art projects that obviously were not worthy enough of my considerable time and talent. Everyone seems to be holding back, especially when it comes to actually funding artists to create work, but 2013 already feels that this is the year when people are starting to let go of whatever it is that seems to be making them unable to do things. 

I can just tell that this year is going to be so much better than last year. You'd think that it couldn't be much better than the Olympics, but the Olympics was only best for a few people, not everyone. The Olympics was Smaug. This year will be much better for everyone. This year will be the year that all the dwarves gather at Bilbo's house and plan to take back what's rightfully theirs. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

I hope that a possible paid position running the LAN will become a salaried role some time sooner rather than later, as quite frankly it's shameful that I'm not earning enough for the work I do. 

I hope that no more of my time will be wasted applying for funding that isn't successful / other people's projects that are funded, but have no intention of accepting my proposals / no more money wasted investing in anything that doesn't pay me back at least twofold for my efforts - time to cut my losses.

Looking forward to more support and better support, such as my recent all-expenses paid trip to Oslo - definitely the best thing that happened in 2012, along with my comic auctioned in Brighton, with work by other high profile artists alongside, a published commissioned illustration exhibited in The National Library of Norway. And the recent Empty Shops projects that have provided not only myself, but other artists space to experiment and exhibit, is another successful achievement for last year.

Kendell Geers work from Nobel Peace Centre curated by Helen Dearnley

My work sold at the Alternative Christmas Market

The Nordic installation @ Alternative Christmas Market

Nordic installation @ Alternative Christmas Market, Lincoln

Apparatjik curated by Helen Dearnley, part of the Nordic installation.

But quite frankly, it still isn't good enough. I am NOT going to work for nothing, I'm STILL not earning the equivalent of my artists' day rate, so PAY ME!!