Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Over the past couple of weeks I have been diverted away from my studio due to a number of factors. I am currently in the process of moving house (yet again), and the flat hunting, sorting, packing, cleaning, and unpacking process seems to have consumed much of my time.

In addition, I recently trapped a nerve in my back, and so my movement has been limited. Lifting things has been out of the question (not good when you are moving flat), and so I have had to take a break from casting.

These restraints have caused me to work in new ways and try different processes. I have been working on some new animations and experimenting with paints and collage. One has to adapt to different situations and conditions, and I am keener than ever to get back into the studio and begin making again.

Today I went on one of the Gi SPIN - Off tours organised by Glasgow International.

What a great idea. Led by the wonderful Lesley Hepburn, the group of approximately 30 people were driven from gallery to gallery by bus. Lesley provided en-route commentary about the festival and the galleries we were visiting, and once at each destination, the curators/artist/gallery staff introduced the exhibition to us, giving some information about the artist/the work/the gallery space/the curatorial premise.

There was a real mix of people on the tour, making for some interesting discussions. The tour was a great opportunity for artists to meet with non-artists, Gi regulars to chat to Gi newcomers, and for locals to mix with visitors to the city.

The tour was well organised, with appropriate time allocated at each exhibition, and snacks and refreshments were even provided! I would well recommend doing a Gi Spin-off tour, and hope they will be running again at Gi 2014.

Our intinery was as follows:

GI Festival ‘Spin’ Bus Tour on Saturday 5th May 13:00-17:00
13:00-13:15 Reception at Trongate 103,

13:20-13:50 Killian Ruthemann & Kate V Robertson, David Dale Gallery & Studios,

14:00-14:20 In The Shadow Of The Hand-Market Gallery,

14:30-15:00 Castling, The Wasps Factory, 77 Hanson St,

15:10-15:30 Marieta Chirulescu & David Korty, ‘Mary Mary’ at 45 Alexandra Park St,

15:35-16:05 Dazzler, The Duchy,

16:10-16:40 Dialogue Of Hands, East Gymnasium, City of Glasgow College,

16:50 Rosalind Nashashibi, GI Hub, 54 Miller Street, Glasgow, G1 1DT

Hanne Darboven: Op 17A

Hanne Darboven: Op 17A
Recital Room, City Halls

Thursday 3rd May

Tonight I was lucky enough to be working for the Scottish premiere of Op.17a by the visual artist and composer Hanne Darboven in the Recital Room at City Halls.

The double bass was positioned in the centre of the room with seats in a square around the performer. There were a few groups of candles on mirrored tiles on the floor. Robert Black introduced the piece, acknowledging that the performance was programmed for the recital room because the outside light levels can be witnessed. He noted that over the duration of the piece the light will dim as dusk draws in.

I cannot describe how wonderful the performance was, but here are some words that fill my mind when thinking about what I just witnessed.

repetitive - physical - rhymic - mesmorising - breathtaking - painful - pleasurable - endurance - duration - order - chaos - pattern - climax - powerful - beat - pulse - variation - progressive - time - concentration - stamina -