the artist's studio

the artist's studio is a work of art in itself. what a load of shite

once I saw an artist, as part of a show, lay out an informational spread on how their work was made. what a palaver it is to make art, and we must share this with the world so as to prove that we do things with our time? it saddened me that what could have been a decent stand alone series of paintings was shat on by the fact the artists studio was opened, cleaned and mind mapped into a massive museum of how they make their work. it's patrionising to the viewer, and why would we as artists think that we have to defend our place in the world of the hard workers? don't you have enough confidence in your work that you have to brag about how you mix your own paint, and you can afford the rent on your studio? If that's what we're about, fuck that. I for one couldn't give a shit how you mix your paint. the studio is a place of work and a place of refuge, a place of privacy and isolation and making and then, leaving and going home. we make things, us artists and call me old skool but, the things have to overtake us. I hate all that bullshit about the artist being this 'brand' and this 'thing' without actually making shit. bragging about mixing paint is like a cleaner bragging about how they clean the shit off a toilet. it's part of the job. make that bathroom shine and you're a good cleaner, make some decent art and I think, that makes you a good artist, no?

subsequently you understand why I don't do open studio days, it's too neurotic. my studio is probably more creepy than I want to share with people. unless you want to buy something then COME ON IN

kidding. fuck off.

I'm nice really, honest.

fake exhibition

I don't have the nerve to attempt a fake exhibition again. I made flyers, posters, work even, hired a location, and got the staff in on the deciet. I also made up the myth that it was an exclusive, ticketed exhibition called 'question and answer', aptly named because it was to propose to my partner in a pretty place. anyway I made 900 yellow paper boats (I'll spare you the soppy meanings for choice of decoration etc), 800 for the floor of the viewing platform of the lighthouse gallery in central glasgow, and a further 100 which I stuffed with 'throwies' (led lights coined by graffiti artists somewhere, sometime) to decorate a surprise hotel stay. my art career may not have taken me to an exclusive and fancy art event like I had made out, but I propose like a fucking boss. she said 'yes' by the way. I paid a shit load for that venue so it's going on my cv haha, after all it did take up a lot of my work time for about 2 months while I made paper boats, paper flowers, throwies and ebayed many things to pay off those rings. I was shitting myself for weeks so it's worth a place in the blog, or just for so much gorgeous yellow

unsociable sociability

recently I was privileged to work with a great gallery in austria on a show curated by monika vykoukal titled 'unsocial sociability'. I installed a sort of shrine and on the opening night did a performance on the small keyboard featured in the show, and handed out some small 'plaques'. the fabric works I completed at the gallery custom made for the space and in german, to suit location

rather than babble on about it I refer you dr ken neil's brilliant essay he has written on this particular body of work, which I was showing some of at kunstraum, and the following images of the show


kenneil.com


kunstraum's site
kunstraum lakeside