Stuff™

Last week I discovered the orange Ikea chair which we were going to remove and place outside in the courtyard and I thought this could become my centre piece. I could invite people to sit on it and contemplate the space and the work on display. In my view the whole space  Junk Space is the art, this space was storage for James' work and every time we pick something up, he has a story to tell. The exquisitely made leather bags and armchairs made by a charity working with drug addiction in Italy, or the gold leaf table that we had to be very careful moving, or the model of the villa he'd designed for this or that millionaire. It was like entering some long lost tomb full of treasures. 

Some questions I asked myself:

How am I responding to this space? 

For me Junk Space has become alive, it invites you in to explore every nook and cranny... this orange chair a symbol of hospitality.... inviting visitors to come into this immersive space. 

As there is an interconnecting relationship or exchange between my art and this space, I think about 'site-specific' art and how my work becomes the exchange between myself and the space, between the viewer and the viewed.  Nick Kaye mentions in his book Site-Specific Art: Performance, Place and Documentation that "... a definition of site-specificity might begin quite simply by describing the basis of such an exchange. If one accepts the proposition that the meanings of utterances, actions and events are affected by their 'local position', by the situation of which they are a part, then a work of art, too, will be defined in relation to its place and position. "  (Kaye, Nick. "Site-Specific Art : Performance, Place and Documentation". London: Taylor & Francis Group, 2000. Introduction, p1. Accessed May 7, 2022.)

As this pop-up show is 'site-specific' how do we extend the longevity of our work?

Once this show ends, our work ends. We are of course documenting the process and our work as well as the final event. The show and our experiences will live on in images, videos and blogs.  We could possibly have a show back in our university studio documenting the process?  Could The Junk Punk Bunch take this show somewhere else? or  do something similar in a different location? The more I think about this project the more questions I have.... 

What does networking mean?

From google: 

networking

NOUN 

1. The action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. "the skills of networking, bargaining, and negotiation" 
2. The linking of computers to allow them to operate interactively. "the demand for wireless networking is increasing rapidly"

So working with my peers on this project is in itself networking. We have been exchanging ideas, information, brain-storming and negotiating what we can and can't do allowing all of us the space to thrive and explore our own ideas. 

As for the second meaning... linking computers... we could live stream the event, so anyone anywhere could access the show from their computer or smart phone. We will need to use social media as a tool for networking. Note to self: should also do a few posts of instagram etc... 

What impact has working as team and collaborating had on my work?  

Sharing  ideas and collaborating means that my work is a product of all of us as a group The Junk Punk Bunch. I am responding to the space but also to what the others are making. If I was part of a different group my work would be totally different. 

Rob set up the computer screens so that he can show his game/interactive work. One of the screens was not working so I placed on of my sculptures in front of it and his installation became the backdrop for my piece (see image above). I also then wrapped the screens is hazard tape that we found clearing up. As everything is still in a state of flux, this could all change for the actual show. 

I have also been inspired by George's collage work and have been play with our images of Junk Space and the images of the demolished homes and streets of Cairo. 

Monday 9 May

My ideas are coming together nicely. This morning, I painted a large sheet in studio and the we met at Junk Space for final preparations and planning. Initially I was going to shred up my painted sheet, but after showing it to the group they said I should keep it in one piece and then James suggested I hang it from on the wall outside. So if it was going to hang on the wall outside, it needed something else... a  word or message and James came up with OCCUPIED, which I thought was brilliant as we have occupied this space and for four hours it will be transformed and become a creative space where we can engage with the public and each other.  

I also started to wrap and weave the orange chair in strips of white cotton sheets. My now white chair is occupying centre stage in the middle of the gallery, as well as my red sea monster occupying space by Rob's game. 

I showed Charlotte my photo collages which she liked and thought it would be a good idea to print one of them out quite big A0. We tried to use James' large format printer in the office above but we couldn't get it to work. 

OCCUPIED - the reoccurring theme running through my work in this group show. 

Promoting and marketing 

I plan to design and print a postcard to give out at during the event and a show catalogue for the group. 

This morning I  shared the first post on social media and Hannah set up an instagram account for The Junk Punk Bunch @thejunkpunkbunch. She will also be preparing the press release. 

Tasks for this week:

• Spray paint OCCUPIED on my painting 
• Finish show catalogue and organise printing
• Finish postcard 
• Print one of the photo collages quite big 
• Print some copies of the photo collage and mount
• Continue to post on social meda
• Send out email invites

Received the printed show catalogue this morning together with the postcards  I will be hading out during the show.