NEW STUDIO Week Three (and Four)

Recap:

First saw the shop on January 25th and picked up keys the same day. Heard from Axisweb on Monday 28th that I couldn’t go in yet as the landlord hadn’t given permission. By the Wednesday 1st February the agent was saying I should just move in as the contract was a formality, so I started to tidy up. On Wednesday the 6th February I moved out of the Unit at Wheatley Hall Road and into 13 Scot Lane and began to reassemble the environment. I finished that and wrote about it in the last blog post. Since then I’ve spent most of my time cleaning. I’ve hoovered for at least two hours of three different days, spent a day washing the walls of dry food and fat and mould, and then hoovered again, and finally, yesterday February 25th, hoovered the upstairs. In an ideal world I’d have been in a position to try out different soundtracks and videos for the installation but I heard yesterday that the landlord was sending someone to do a valuation survey which meant removing the back of the installation to allow access to the upstairs that I’d blocked off. It also means that I might well be moving again if this is a valuation for a buyer. The valuer turned up at 1:00 pm today and spent half an hour measuring and taking notes. I’ve no idea whether there is a buyer or not. At the same time the landlord has offered to remove all the rubbish left by the last tenant with the proviso that anything I decide to use I move when I go.

Looking into shop 25/02/19

Looking into shop 25/02/19

So the shop floor looks like this after Monday – from the window, and like the below looking from the back.

Looking to window 25/02/19

Looking to window 25/02/19

There is still no contract and I’ve got the only keys apparently!

As I was waiting I started work on a new sculpture today, making use sets of shelves that have been left. There are four sets of four shelves each supported by welded steel frames. I made scale models this morning to begin to explore possible uses of sixteen slabs measuring 1700 mm x 210 mm x 25 mm.

Two maquettes 26/02/19

Two maquettes 26/02/19

They will be landscape based drawings I think.

John Berger says that ‘it is the actual act of drawing that forces the artist to look at the object in front of him, to dissect it in his mind’s eye and put it together again; or, if he is drawing from memory, that forces him to dredge his own mind, to discover the content of his own store of past observations’ 1 Deciding a direction for work functions in precisely this way for me, the repository of past observations is composed of times, places, drawings, conversations that form a series of stepping stones that carry me across to the finished work, if you’ll forgive my theft of Berger’s metaphor immediately after this quote. This points to both the reason the environment is not finished and the state it will be in at that point that most closely matches its finish. Essentially it is pursuing something in the manner of T.S.Eliot in Burnt Norton.

‘Go said the bird, for the leaves were full of children,

Hidden excitedly, containing laughter,

Go, go, go, said the bird: human kind

Cannot bear very much reality’

Albeit inadequately, this is as close as I can get to the meaning of the installation, perhaps I might get a little closer if this is crossed with lethologica2 or onomatomania3.

Purely by chance my last day in the studio this week is the last day of the month. The aim for today was to receive delivery of the materials for the downstairs dividing wall and build it. The delivery was late so I worked in the sketchbooks, I’m still trying to resolve a look for the garden images – the environment in its current state is somehow too literal. The drawings are developments of earlier sketches.

Rag paper sketch 28/02/19

Rag paper sketch 28/02/19

cartridge sketch 28/02/19

cartridge sketch 28/02/19

Once the materials were delivered It took the rest of the day to build the wall, about two and a half hours.

Looking into Shop 28/02/19

Looking into Shop 28/02/19

The wall is moveable, supported by braces at the rear.

Its main function is to contain the workshop and the sawdust etc., generated by making.

back of the wall with brace 28/02

back of the wall with brace 28/02

workshop area

workshop area

The wall, not including time, cost £76.00 and £18.00 of that was delivery.

1Berger, J. 2016. The Basis of All Painting and Sculpture is Drawing. In: Overton, T ed. LANDSCAPES John Berger on Art. England: Verso, pp. 27

2 The inability to remember a particular word or name. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/lethologica

3 An abnormal concentration on certain words and their supposed significance or on the effort to recall a particular word. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/onomatomania

NEW STUDIO – Week Two

This week has been about catching the installation back up to where I was at the Wheatley studio.

On Monday I had to finish building the space, which took the morning, and then thread the fishing line and hang the leaves, leaving me at this point by the end of the day.

From the video and the picture below you can see I had to build myself a rudimentary ladder to access the top of the boards.

Build your own ladder

Build your own ladder

On Wednesday I got notification that I’m almost official to move in. The agent says the forms should be across to Axisweb soon.

Shadow from projection, inside the space

Shadow from projection, inside the space

As you can see I got the ceiling on the space and set up the speakers and projector. The space presents some profound differences to the Industrial Unit, it’s a lot darker for instance.

This clearly presents problems with the painted space and the degree of visibility required to read its intention.

A view inside the space, lit by the projector

A view inside the space, lit by the projector

The video inevitably, for one as inexpert as me, appears darker than the eye. The photograph gives a better idea of the look of the space. By the end of the day this was the position.

So Friday was about finessing the space and continuing to tidy up downstairs.

Upstairs room with the installation in place

Upstairs room with the installation in place

Even darker with the roof stapled down and the webcam moved to give a better view of the door.

In the afternoon I spent two and a half hours hoovering the shop.

Shop floor view from the window

Shop floor view from the window

It looks much more acceptable now, although I wouldn’t be happy with it if I lived there.

Shop floor view towards the window

Shop floor view towards the window

At the moment I’m thinking of a workshop space at the back and an exhibition space at the front.

New Studio – Week One

Got the opportunity to move into the shop I mentioned in my last post although the landlord has not yet provided the official OK. The agent says go ahead and move in and Axisweb left it to me to decide so I’m taking a chance, the most it might cost is my time and effort and the cost of one extra trip moving my equipment and materials.

So these are the first progress shots of the space, the shots I took when I first saw it last Friday, 24th January followed by shots taken after one day of clearing up. I’m counting this week and next together as week one, my gear is moving in on Wednesday 6th February so I should be rebuilding the environment by then.

Ground Floor, Shop, first viewing

Ground Floor, Shop, first viewing

This is the shop floor, off the street from about halfway down, I forgot to take it looking back.

Ground Floor after a day tidying

Ground Floor after a day tidying

This the same view after a day tidying, and below the view looking back the other way.

Ground Floor Towards window (day one)

Ground Floor Towards window (day one)

Still a lot of clearing up to do but the bulk of the big stuff that can be moved has been moved. This is the space I intend to use for exhibitions and projects for as long as I can.

Above this is the first floor that will be the studio and workshop.

First Floor first viewing

First Floor first viewing

First Floor (window) first viewing

First Floor (window) first viewing

The right hand side of the building, above the shop floor, and the window that faces this.

After shifting stuff this side now looks clearer.

First Floor after some tidying

First Floor after some tidying

First Floor window side after some tidying

First Floor window side after some tidying

The kitchen is on this floor too, on the left of the building as you look at it and actually above the shop next door.

First Floor Kitchen

First Floor Kitchen

This doesn’t look that much different to be fair but the ‘after’ picture gives a better idea of the layout.

First floor kitchen, 'after' picture

First floor kitchen, ‘after’ picture

There is another window, obviously, facing the kitchen.

First Floor (second window day one)

First Floor (second window day one)

I’ll probably keep the carpets down for some noise reduction but put plastic over them to make cleaning easier when I leave. The last occupants left a lot of stuff behind that I’ve had to clear up.

Above this floor there are two others that are essentially not usable due to decoration and wiring issues.

Second Floor

Second Floor

This is the second floor.

Third Floor

Third Floor

And the third, although the second floor now looks a bit different as It’s where all the stuff has gone.

Second Floor (storage)

Second Floor (storage)

So once the rest of the unwanted stuff is shifted up here I’ll seal the floors off as they were when the last occupants moved in.

Wednesday 6th February.

Moved out of the Unit in Wheatley and into the shop with all my stuff. It took half an hour to load the van and then a good hour to unload it. The morning was spent organising space and then the afternoon sorting the jigsaw puzzle of the installation, it now looks like this.

Ground Floor Wednesday

Ground Floor Wednesday

And the upstairs like this.

Friday 8th February:

Today spent reassembling the installation, lots of carrying things up stairs. The space just about accommodates the installation.

Installation First Floor towards Window

Installation First Floor towards Window

Installation First Floor from window

Installation First Floor from window

And here is a short walkthrough.