Artistic conclusions.

Posted by Jazzybt 29 Jul 2010 at 11:52

I think my exchange was a resounding success having met people and been to a place that shifted certain perspectives I had about working in the arts.

 There are certain career paths that I certainly overlooked as a fine arts graduate- for instance the possibility of doing freelance work  and not necessarily working in the same place for more than the duration of a project is something I can imagine would be a good in terms of always being given a challenge and having to have a fresh approach to ones own creativity. It means you never have time to become stayed in thought or practice because there are so many possibilities reaching out to you.

 Working in the Showroom And in Miekes project ,also reminded me of my love of workshops and participatory projects, and I like the way the Showroom has imbraced this alternative path of teaching within their 1 year pilot programme -'Communal Knowledge'

 I feel and have felt since graduating, that there are ways of working within the arts which I am still trying to acclimatise to, that the creation of an art work is rarely a solo effort and there is little time to be precious about it.The 'artist' has a team or group of collaborators and so has to compromise their ideals.To make a project an intial success the artist must maintain 101% confidence and artistic integrity and 0% doubt about the final outcome of the project. All parties also have to benefit from the project, and maintain a healthy relationship (in an ideal world).This working relationships  was reaffirmed when I was generously invited to sit in on the evaluation meeting of the Communal knowledge programme.

In the past I have felt my thoughts had been pushed into a mould of making work for this final outcome, for an audience, without considering the collaborations I have made to get that point. It is those relationships, with galleries, communities, educational authorities, local businesses, that you really form any sense of the outcome. Without their input the project wouldn't necessarily burn so brightly.

 Artists or galleries who work with or in a community as a form of outreach education are brilliant.To work together and make an ‘experience’ , to extend networks , expand on  modes of thinking , to create something new together, and have that support to be able to that, It is far less elitist and far more productive thing.