Emily Pope – Artists Lunchtime Crit

I’M A BIT LATE WITH THE BLOG. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE ETHER IS PLAYING UP – THERES SOMETHING IN THE WIRING, AND THE FULL MOON IS OUT TO PLAY.

FRUSTRATION WITH CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, OR NOT EXPRESSING THESE FRUSTRATIONS, IN FAVOUR OF ‘PRODUCTIVE’ CONVERSATION, E.G CONSTANTLY COMPARING LONDON AND ITS OVERSATURATED ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENT TO REGIONAL AREAS AND AN INFLUX OF FUNDING – IS ALL STUFF I WAS THINKING ABOUT PRIOR TO (ON THE OVERGROUND) AND DURING (IN THE SPACE) AN ARTIST LEAD CRIT FOR TURF PROJECTS. HAVING BEEN COMMISSIONED BY TURF AND FUNGUS PRESS TO PRODUCE POSTER WORKS FOR WANDLE PARK, I WAS INVITED TO COME AND LEAD A CONVERSATION, IN THE FORM OF A ‘LUNCH-TIME CRIT’ – THESE TAKE PLACE EVERY MONTH IN THEIR WORK SPACE AT THE GALLERY.

MY WORK CENTRES AROUND CONVERSATION – RECORDING SOME OF IT – COLLAGING A LOT OF IT – HAVING A TEMPREMENTAL RELATIONSHIP WITH RADIO BROADCAST – CREATING A SELF AWARE CULTURE JAM AROUND THE ETHICS OF NETWORKING/ FEMINISED LABOUR/ SUBVERTING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FUNNY AND A WOMAN IN PUBLIC AND GIVING OUT FREE BAGS – AND IT ALL BREAKS DOWN WITH THE FIRST REHEARSAL, SO I THOUGHT; GOOD RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY – GOOD CHANCE TO CHAT AND SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE BALANCING PRACTICE WITH WORKING/ WORKING WITH PRACTICE AND HOW THIS EFFECTS THE WORK PRODUCED – AND I HADN’T BEEN TO CROYDON BEFORE.

TURF IS QUITE A CALM SPACE. I WAS MID-WRITING MY THESIS WITH AN IMMINTENT DEADLINE, SO I WAS POTENTIALLY ENACTING THE ANTITHESIS OF BEING A CALM VISITOR.

CHRISTINE MCGLOUGHLIN SHOWED A FILM ON HER PHONE WITH THE LINE ‘I AM SAFE’ AND WE LOOKED AT UMBRELLA EXTRACTS IN RELATION TO SOFTER SCULPTURE – I WAS KEEN FOR MORE UMBRELLA SPOKES IN RELATION TO SOFTNESS – WE LOOKED AT A THREE PART INSTALL PLAYING ON NARRATIVES – THE POTENTIAL TO BE DIDACTIC WAS UNDERCUT WITH GENTLE SCULPTURAL ELEMENTS E.G; A CHAIR WITH TWO VERY DIFFERENT CUSHIONS. WE ALSO DISCUSSED SCAFFOLDING COURTESY OF TESSA MO’S WORKS IN PROGRESS, SHE WAS INTERESTED IN THE UBIQUITY AND PRECARITY OF THIS STRUCTURE, AND FROM THIS WE TALKED ABOUT INVISIBLE LABOUR.

Thanks to Emily Pope and to everyone who came to our last Artists Lunchtime Crit. 

Join our next crit on Sat 28 May, led by Can I help you? artist Magnus Ayers.