Post from Tracy Mackenna and Edwin Janssen

I regard it as a real treat to receive a personal letter, note, postcard or parcel from a friend. Items of post such as these make a welcome change from the usual bank statement, bill or piece of junk mail.

I have received a package from Tracy Mackenna and Edwin Janssen, the collaborative duo of artists who gave a talk the other week as part of the Newcastle University visiting artist lecture series, and with whom I had a wonderful tutorial with.

In the tutorial I was discussing the Out of Kansas exhibition at the Lit & Phil, and that Jodie and I were going to host a discussion event. I explained that we wanted to engage Lit & Phil regulars and those who visited the exhibition, and talk about issues around the work such as site responsive art, the changing role of libraries, and gather some opinions.

I then mentioned that Jodie and I are considering producing some form of material that could prolong the life of the artwork, and act as a document of what happened.

They then told me about one of their own pieces of work in which they had produced a set of beer mats that captured some of the conversations that happened in the pub.

I was delighted to find that in the brown A4 envelope there were a few beer mats as well as a postcard, a friends forever badge and a publication. Huge thanks to Edwin and Tracy for sending me such a thoughtful piece of post. Much appreciated!                              

Liz West blog

I really enjoy keeping up to date with the work of artist and fellow lover of colour, Liz West by following her blog.

A while ago she disclosed that she felt stuck, and so with a little advice from her Mum, artist Jenny West, she developed a project to help her be playful and generate work in a free and open manner.

'Construction project' was intended as "a two or three week project of consecutive days", but has occupied her for a couple of months. During this period, every day Liz was in her studio, she had to construct, document and deconstruct a work using only materials that were already in her studio. 

Liz writes, "I felt liberated from the constants I felt I had, able to move freely around my mind in order to explore ideas, respond to space and in the selection of materials I choose."

http://liz-west.blogspot.co.uk

This exercise demonstrates the creative potential in following rules. I regularly construct rules that i have to work with. Rather than being restrictive, I find that a degree of narrowing down can be liberating. I liken it to looking at things with a macro lens; focusing on a smaller section can reveal and enhance, offering a new way to understand and interpret the world. 

Rules are one way of exerting control over what can otherwise be overwhelming.