Breaking Boundaries 1

James and I are in a team of two for discussion of our breaking boundaries projects. His is an idea for an interactive piece, using a reconditioned or reclaimed park bench, and arranging for visitors to write or draw on it. He would like to accompany this with photos of the bench, or benches, in situ. Much discussion on all the things that could go wrong, and what people might write, and so on. There is a possibility of an outside gallery space he knows.

A bench is such a repository of memories, a private public space we all have experience of. Very fruitful idea.

My plans for this have actually changed since I discussed it with tutor Caroline. When I really gave it time to consider what I wanted to do, I found a few ideas colliding, or coming to their right time somehow. I often find I have been brewing certain ideas for some time, even years, and then something happens and things slot in to place.

This project is actually several ideas in one:

- Organising a Big Draw event.

campaignfordrawing 

- Making an interactive large scale piece of work.

- Launching my platform of theViewergallery, which is to be my umbrella for various art activities, in time possibly with other people.

theviewergallery

- Incorporating a call to artists, collating a dvd of moving image animation, and hey presto, a film festival.

- Starting some events which are thought through, as future proofed as I can imagine, but very open to growth, changing, and repeating as series.

There are other interesting elements involved in this -

- negotiating with a local gallery to host the event and use their space

- making a successful local one day art event which is still doable with everything else going on - it's very near when I'm getting married!

- involving myself as part of a larger organisation - the Big Draw/ Campaign for Drawing. I remember once going to an artists talk about setting up exhibitions, and making it happen. It was advised to attach oneself to something larger going on - a festival, etc, and using their publicity while you add to their event - everyone wins. I did this in 2007 when I set up my solo exhibition - I made it part of the Crouch End Open Studio. It is using a wheel already invented.

Through this project I am breaking through several boundaries, some new (I have never released a call for work through listings sites before), and some pushing out into larger areas.

As a Big Draw event, it has inbuilt recommended systems for feedback, which will be useful to me.

As for the actual project, the drawing workshop, there are still things to think through, but I am going to make a Polyorama, an interlinking never ending landscape drawing. The horizon lines are matched, so any piece fits any other, in any order.

Polyorama

http://www.grand-illusions.com/acatalog/polyorama_1.jpg (accessed 13th July 2011)

I made a big one a few years ago at one of my son's birthday party - to great success - simple, sophisticated - it doesn't matter, it all fits as long as the size is right.

My idea is to extend this drawing over time, to organise different venues, to continually add to it - to get artists and many other people to contribute to it, and to make it the longest drawing in the world. Why not? It all starts with a few drawings in one day - I don't have to know everything that will happen yet, only that it is possible, and that it is an idea I love enough to continue it for years.

Plenty to do on this project, but somehow these complicated things are straightforward now that the time is right.

13th July 2011