Upcoming exhibition

Good news! My Van Gogh style painting Portrait of Ian Duncan Smith With Bandaged Nose  has been selected to be exhibited at the Institute Of Mental Health via City Arts in Nottingham next month

It's been four years since I won the Headhunters competition to go to Oslo back in 2012 to see Apparatjik perform live at the opening of the AFM, and I'm returning to check out Magne Furuholmen's latest project at Fornebuporten as well as to visit Ekebergparken, which is where Edvard Munch was inspired to paint The Scream. 

I regrettably couldn't be in Oslo earlier this week for a Peace Painting event at Radhuset, however, I'm looking forward to visiting the Nobel Peace Centre again, with new works Peace Cloud and Syria Is My Only Home along with Matthew Barney at the AFM, and Stian Andersen's photos of music icons - I have a packed itinerary!!

With recent news of hotel strikes in Oslo, I've managed to find an alternative place to stay via AirBnB, which is a new thing!!

Things I Am Not Applying For

Below is a list of art "opportunities" / "jobs" I'm very busy not applying for.

Holmfirth Artwork

All proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support. Nothing for artists themselves, who clearly have no bills to pay at all.

A slave lottery

Work may or may not be selected, and then there's no payment.

Rich people only

If you have £995 + VAT, perhaps languishing in an offshore tax haven, you could apply for this.
If you would like to be paid to create something innovative, or have a proposal for new work that will cost more than £995 + VAT to produce, forget it.

Tempting, but entry fees are off-putting

What guarantee is there that I will recover the cost? In a week after I've paid all the bills, and every £15 entry fee just gets added to an ever-growing list of exhibitions that are happy to take money, but not to refund it if work isn't selected.

Not working

I had hoped that once my sons grew into adulthood, my duties as a single parent would diminish, freeing up more time to take up residencies and to concentrate more fully on my fine art career.

But instead, what has happened is that my eldest son was diagnosed with depression, so now I'm also an unpaid carer, and this is the reason why I've had to take some time out.

Last year, he turned 20, and had finished a college course, which meant we had to consider the options. 

We were being pushed towards claiming JSA, but his first encounter with the Jobcentre was after he'd tried working for a few weeks at a fish and chip shop. 

The work involved long shifts without a break, cash in hand, and was paying the equivalent of £2 an hour. It made his depression worse, so he quite justifiably quit the job.

The Jobcentre were planning to sanction him for this, but we had to wait until he turned 20 to apply for JSA. 

My son quite rightly pointed out that he had a doctor's note that says he isn't fit for work, so we applied for ESA back in November, and went for an assessment with a DWP nurse, who completely ignored the doctor's note and awarded him no points.

We obviously appealed against this decision, and after months of stress, worry, debt and bureaucracy, last week our appeal was upheld and he has been awarded ESA.

Of course, it was also the week in which first cuts to ESA payments were overruled by the Lords, then forced through by the evil Kafkaesque government, so this is the next fight.

However, having been denied ESA in the first instance, we're currently celebrating that victory whilst preparing for more battles.

Portrait Of Ian Duncan Smith With Bandaged Nose 2016

Here's "Portrait Of Ian Duncan Smith With Bandaged Nose" after Van Gogh's "Self Portrait With Bandaged Ear".
Van Gogh suffered from mental illness and allegedly cut off his own ear, although more recently it was reputed to have been cut off by Gauguin in a fencing incident.

However, as the government keep insisting on cutting funding to everything except their own expenses and banker's bonuses, and in a week when they have forced through cuts to ESA for the sick and disabled, it's more like cutting off your own nose to spite your face.

My a-n blog was a featured blog at the beginning of the month, but due to the appeal, I haven't had time last week to post, and my subscription was due for renewal. I used the last of my money to renew it, after struggling to celebrate Mother's Day in debt.

It had better be worth it this year, because it hasn't been a good start to the year.

If you'd like the original Portrait Of Ian Duncan Smith With Bandaged Nose, it's worth £300.

If you can't afford that, I might consider setting you up with a regular payment plan similar to a Bright House appliance purchase, or a loan.
This seems to be the way forward.

KAWS exhibit at YSP

I currently have my own illustration exhibition on at Wilgress Books, along with a Kickstarter campaign ongoing via my Illustration blog, so LAN work is continuing with behind-the-scenes admin.

The main thing for this is that fellow LAN artist Sam Bartlett has lent me the use of his spare iMac. It's a temporary measure until a funding application is successful so that I can purchase my own up to date iMac.

It means that I can work to my full capacity, instead of being forced to compromise the quality and ability of my practice to 1990s standards.

I'd been aware of the KAWS exhibition at YSP since its opening, and it looked so good that I thought it was worth a look.

Sam and I discussed it, and he offered me a lift. Neither of us had been to YSP before, so it was a good excuse to go and see the KAWS exhibit  along with some Bill Viola, Antony Gormley, BobandRobertaSmith, and not bothering with any of the ubiquitous and boring stuff. (Henry Moore) 

We could've gone any day, however, we went on Valentines Day. 

Ai Wei Wei's Iron Tree, 2013. 

Constructed of casts of parts of different trees.

Ai Wei Wei's tree is situated outside the chapel, where it rusts away like the abandoned hull of a sunken ship.

Inside the chapel is Bill Viola's Tristan and Isolde inspired video installation, Tristan's Ascension and Fire Woman - I was too immersed in them, so I've shared some videos from others on Youtube here

Here's an interview with Bill Viola about the inspiration for Tristan and Isolde:

It's best to go and see this video on the large screen in the chapel at YSP for the context.

All of the following are KAWS unless otherwise stated

Antony Gormley's One And Other

Galloping Horse, Julian Opie, 2012 - still from animation

Small snippet of Julian Opie's "Galloping Horse" animation on my Youtube channel.

BobandRobertaSmith

Niki de Saint Phaile - Buddha

Unknown

Sophie Ryder 

La Llarga Nit - Jaume Plensa

Shock horror! An artist getting paid

The new year has now established itself with a letter from HMRC saying that I must make a profit from my practice in order to continue to receive working tax credits, on which I am currently relying just to keep going.

I spent the end of last year in a blind panic about this. 
The ESA appeal is pending, and everything feels so precarious, and I absolutely hate that.

This week there has been much said about the sudden death of David Bowie.
I always remember a discussion about how Jareth The Goblin King's character was created for The Labyrinth informed how I approached The Unreal God - that isn't how some people interpret it, but maybe they just fall for the rock god narrative....? 
And this video is more postmodern than the ballroom scene in which Sarah is effectively date raped by The Goblin King (who is a manifestation of Der Erlkonig) - and comments abound how women had this for their first dance? That's great if you get married with Stockholm Syndrome.

I remember news of The Labyrinth being remade - now that David has passed away, two things could happen, either The Goblin King could be dead and Toby, for some weird reason is now the heir to the throne, or Bill Nighy could play Jareth. To be honest, I haven't given it much thought beyond that!
Although it could make an interesting piece of art....

And shock horror! An artist is being paid!
Ellie Harrison is being funded to develop a project in Glasgow - which sounds perfect, how things should be for artists.
Here's what a-n wrote in response to the news.

In response to those that will say that there are others not earning the NMW. Yes, hello there, that is me you're talking about, and several of my fellow graduates, who are told to get another job, because artists struggle to get paid just for being an artist! On a zero hours' contract and reliant on working tax credits - which if cut would mean I will become unemployed - who exactly will that help? Certainly not me!

As I have said countless times before, if artists are paid properly, it will free up lots of other jobs for other people seeking work. 

I posted a blog post for the LAN (here) in which there's a link to the Human Rights Act, Article 27, paragraph 2. 

Article 27.
 

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author."

That includes this blog content.

Cyber Monday / Financial Abuse

Today is Cyber Monday. Today, like Friday, in theory I could get a very good deal on a new iMac, but I can't. 
This is because since 2013 I have unwillingly become an unpaid carer for my son, who is suffering from depression.
This is the other reason why I refuse to work for free, and why people working in the arts that do want me to work for free go off to whisper about their unpaid "opportunities" in a corner, and now know that if they even try as much as to paint a clown smile on their "opportunity", they know I can see right through it.

I can't even contemplate purchasing a new iMac, as we're currently awaiting a reconsideration of my son's ESA assessment.

Employment And Support Allowance is meant to be available to help people that can't work. My son can't work. He has a doctor's note to prove this. Yet we were "advised" to apply for JSA.
The letter refusing his ESA payments is dated the day of Granny's funeral.

Last week was a bad week for my son. He became very ill and said he wanted to die. Although he never tells me this - he rang Mum (who is busy enough - she has all of Granny's stuff to sort out, is grieving - again - and has largely been left to do it all on her own.) 

And while we're fighting to get my son the help and support he needs, we can't help her either.

Two weeks ago I applied for two jobs that I didn't get, and finished an illustration competition project.

I could get an Apple Imac for £425 but I'd have to use my overdraft, and I need to keep that for the time being in case the decision goes the wrong way and I'm forced into abject financial abuse by the DWP - AGAIN!

I mean, I'm glad the abuse regarding Tax Credits was reversed, but I'm under attack from all sides now, and still there are those that will say that cuts will happen elsewhere. But there is lots of money for war and poppyganda in the castle that I will be forced to avoid.

Je suis vraiment désolé

Last week I had some time off due to another funeral. (Granny)

I then attended a meeting at BGU with St. Hugh's Foundation for the Arts and met up with representatives of 1215Today, with mention of upcoming projects for next year that I hope to be involved with, either as an artist, an illustrator or with the LAN as a group that has had the Magna Carta at the core since its inception.

Then I went to bed on Friday night to spot murmurings on social media about Paris, and watched the news unfold that seemed so familiar for Oslo a few years ago, only this time it was at a gig, it was music fans, and other terrorist attacks around the city aimed at innocent people just out enjoying the culture of the city.
Je suis vraiment désolé.
The merch stand guy Nick Alexander was killed, (my sister's married name is Alexander) the band Eagles of Death Metal had no idea what had happened to all the band and crew.



On Saturday, the Cathedral said there would be a service for Paris for Evensong, so heavy hearted, I went up to the Cathedral and lit a candle for the victims and their families. 

I wasn't sure how appropriate it would be, but as I'm currently hoping to win a trip to Oslo, I took a selfie outside the Cathedral and posted it to Instagram.

I've never done Instagram or selfies before the competition by Visit Oslo, but this seemed somehow a poignant thing to do as an artist. It could be crass. I went alone, I wasn't with anyone, and others posted photos of flowers at the Nobel Peace Centre, and French embassies around the world, so there was only myself to document the moment.
It could be regarded as vain or selfish, narcissistic perhaps, that's how I think if Instagram anyway, but if I win the competition to see A-ha perform live at the Nobel Peace Centre, it would be the perfect way to create something - the Onochord Bicycle Bell Choir should've accompanied bicycle piano player Davide Martello playing Imagine outside Bataclan theatre where the tragedy happened.

I really think it's important more than ever to create work for peace.
In thoughts are all the places affected by disruption and terrorism, including Beirut, Baghdad, Syria, and others #PrayForWorld

All I could think about was that:
Muslims would've been at Friday prayers, so it wasn't them, that world leaders would be provoked into retaliating like braindead numpties, and in the dark echoes of Anders Breivik, the terrorists should be arrested, put on trial and jailed, not killed - two wrongs don't make a right.
Something Andrew Graham Dixon said in his lecture at the University of Lincoln about the church destroying art and thoughts about iconoclasts - the destruction of culture, the writings of Borges, Guy Debord, and Baudrillard.

There are no words, just keep on rocking, Paris. Guitars not guns!