Tuesday, November 30, 2010

preparing workshop


Tomorrow I will give a workshop at Mimers Hus where I'm having my present exhibition. It's going to be about stereotypes and the unexpected. The kids (16-17 years old) will get the task to remake male Superheroes and Disney Princesses based on imagery from fashion magazines, lifestyle magazines and the sports pages. We are going to turn it around; the male characters are going to try the female poses and situations - and vice versa. Or it could just be everyday situations that you are not expecting to see them in (has to be unexpected though - Snow White shouldn't set the table!). And it's going to be cut outs and they will be allowed to traces the figures from the magazines (it's about ideas, not technical skills)

I've prepared some example of how to you can think (above): two superheroes having dinner and Batman posing after an add for perfume. The female examples we'll see in my exhibition.

I'm still a bit feverish, snotty and with a very soar throat ... but being self employed means I'll have to work anyway. Good thing it's going to be fun!

Monday, November 29, 2010

lecture and networking day

Lisa Lindén is lecturing
Last night I suddenly got this pain in my throat; and all night I was sweating and couldn't sleep properly. Nervous/stressed? No; some bug from the kid's preschool.

I drank a lot of coffee this morning and ate some pills - and managed to get going today anyway. Today we at KRO Väst (the Swedish Artists' National organisation) arranged at lecture and networking day about equality and I had to be there. I've been responsible for it (project leading, getting it financed etc) and have had great assistance from my intern Holger (thanks Holger!). The lecturers Lisa Lindén and Annika Hellström from Doris Film have had many years of experience from working with equality within film/theatre and the idea was to learn from other cultural sectors than Fine Art. And I think we did!

You can read more (in Swedish) about equality on our blog Aktivering Jämställdhet.  For example our Interview with Annika Hellström from Doris Film.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Art as Business: Progress Report VII

This autumn has been so totally overfilled with projects, exhibitions, workshops and sketching for a commission that I’ve barely been able to blog about it properly – and I must say that especially my Art as Business Series has suffered from lack of attention. I keep telling myself that soon, soon, I’ll have more time – but soon seems to linger just at the horizon all the time - it's like trying to get to the end of the rainbow…  I’m just not managing to get any closer.


But I thought that I should at least manage a little Progress Report today!

Commissions/Public Art
In August last year I gave myself the task to get more commissions for Public Art on a regular basis to secure some incomes (while working on getting somewhere with “my own art” without compromising). A year later - in August 2010 - I thought that maybe this shouldn’t be the way to go for me – but I was drawing conclusions too early. Some things need time in order to show results:

happening
- On December 3rd I’ll present my sketch for a Public Art Piece for a school (I’ve been posting a lot here at my blog about my work in progress).
- I’ve been asked to make another mural project in spring 2011 with new school children, but at the same school as before. Here you can see what we did in spring.
- I’ve been asked to make a minor mural for a private client

might happen
- Just a few days ago I got a question from an art consultant about the mural I painted in 2006; there could be a similar project for me coming up.
- While following up a contact I got a hint that I might be up for a public commission in another municipal. I can’t count on it, but it could very well happen..


…honestly I can’t do it all in 2011 and I don't want to do it all in 2011 … maybe save some for 2012?

Galleries
I’ve not had the time to work on this properly, and have therefore set this as a priority task for spring 2011 - but some things are happening:
- 2 Separate exhibitions in spring (minor public art galleries/Konsthallar)
- Booked a meeting in December to set the date for upcoming separate exhibition (2012) in a gallery where I’ve exhibited before.


Teaching/Workshops
Since January I’ve only agreed to teach art when offered a good salary (no more night classes!). I want to limit the teaching to shorter periods of guestteaching/ a few days workshops now and then - and I've therefore worked to make this come true. I’m focusing on screen printing or public art and would also in a longer perspective like to teach art at university level. I really like teaching - in smaller doses - and would like to keep doing even if it wasn't to make money.

- Last week I was guest teaching 5 days (instead of 2-3 days) at Formakademin (screen printing)
- Next term I might be teaching a full week at KKV (instead of 2 days) if a course is coming true
- My screen printing workshops at KKV (2/term) fills up immediately and without much effort.
- I’m negotiating with a school to teach big format – poster – screen printing for 3 weeks

Time management
I’m managing (barely) to juggle all my projects. I am being super organized and structured but I can’t say at all that I’ve been successful in the task “liberate some time”. Au contraire! But in spring maybe? Soon, soon…

In January I’ll be back with my goals for 2011 and the tasks for spring. But there should be Art as Business posts before that!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

tea party in Wonderland



Last week's students were at the pattern design program at Formakademin. Yesterday I managed to get a sneak peak of the first year student's (pattern design/ceramic) exhibition inspired by Alice In Wonderland at Galleri Pannrummet in Lidköping; I interpreted it as the mad hatter's tea party (what else?). The exhibition opened today and goes on until the 8th of December.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Back from Lidköping



This afternoon I came home after guest-teaching for a week at Formakademin in Lidköping. It's a beautiful little town. On my way there Monday morning it was snowing and it didn't stop until today... Suddenly my autumn turned into winter.

I also wanted to share some photos from the hostel (Lidköping Vandrarhem) where I always stay. It's so very much un-styled, but grandma-style (or maybe great-grandma-style is more accurate). I was told that they just kept the furniture from the former owner when they turned it into a hostel. Unfortunately the bedrooms don't run in the same style...




Sunday, November 21, 2010

ambience


I'm off to guest teach a week (screen printing on paper) and will be back on Friday. Have a nice week!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Of Fishes and Birds in Meppel


Now the Of Fishes and Birds exhibition (where I participate) has opened in Meppel, the Netherlands. The exhibition is on until the 31th of December. You can read more about the exhibition and project here.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

model building

this "little model" can be divided into three pieces to make it easier to carry. Silver tape is awesome, by the way.
two children and a small tree to be placed in front of the model

The other week I had a meeting with the art consultants (artists) who had picked me for making a suggestion for a public art piece for a school. [I've had so much to do since then that I haven't blogged about it - but it did happen and they had no objections!]

These days I'm fixing the last details for my presentation in two weeks. I'm making a "model" - if you can call it that. It's BIG - because I consider it important with size to get the idea (after all the wall is approx 24 meters long)  And basically I'm just making it 2 dimensional. It's got s feeling of theatre set over it, doesn't it?

Monday, November 15, 2010

if you didn't blog about it - it didn't happen


Today I mentioned the screen printing workshop I gave last week to my studio neighbour.
"...So you are giving the workshop next week", he said. (I suspect he's often not really listening to what I say)
"No, I gave it Wednesday-Friday last week" I answered
"But you didn't blog about it ..." he said.

ERGO: it didn't happen.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

more photos from my exhibition






Before the opening I managed to take some photos of my exhibition - and with a tripod even (though now I realized I should have used a level as well). Normally I'm too busy before an opening - and afterwards too tired. But yesterday the journalist from the local paper was a bit late - so I got the time to take all the photos I needed.

Everyone who came to my opening: Thank you!
And the rest of you: You can see the exhibition until the 8th of January 2011. [And for you who can't make it at all; get a closer look at the art pieces at my website]
the only one who dared to taste the apples I offered was my nephew Henry
- he tasted five ... and just kept smiling.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Opening




I just wanted to quickly share some photos from the opening at Mimers Konsthall - without revealing too much. I'll be back tomorrow with some proper photos of the exhibition...

Now I'll open the champagne!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Welcome to my Opening!


Welcome to the opening of my exhibition [BLODRÖTT, NATTSVART, SNÖVITT] at Mimers Konsthall, Kungälv tomorrow. The opening will be between 12:00-15:00 and the exhibition will be on until the 8th of January 2011.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

a long day hanging exhibition




Yesterday I left home when it was still dark. It started snowing and got so slippery while I was packing the car. But I made it to Kungälv without problems. Then I spend all day hanging my exhibition with the assistance of a former class mate from art school (thanks Yvonne) who I basically haven't seen properly for 13 years... The exhibition is looking good and I was pleased as a child when putting the title of the exhibition on the wall (cut out with the cutting plotter that I now master). 

At night I was so wasted I went to bed at the same time as my 5 year old son (21:00)!

Monday, November 08, 2010

sunlight



today: KKV.

Sunday, November 07, 2010

Art as Business: no time to think


there has been and is this constant flow of things for me to do this autumn:
  • 2 Exhibitions
  • several studio visits (selling art)
  • seminars and networking days to arrange
  • several workshops to teach
  • a public commission to sketch for
  • meetings for upcoming projects
...I barely have the time to handle it all. There is no time for me to think and very little time for planning ahead. The good thing though, is that money is coming my way - and that I should be able to work for a more concentrated time in my studio in spring ... without having financial worries. I'm hoping that - NO - I will make sure that -  I also get enough time for thinking and long term planning. And sharing it with you, of course.

Thursday, November 04, 2010

Thursday night opening



Tonight me and my son Max went to the opening of Kristina Schmid's exhibition at Galleri 1. It is the perfect exhibition for bringing a kid - dreamy and a bit scary. To me it is like a fairytale, but quiet. Frozen. Odd, but with a certain sense of humour.

I had never met Kristina before tonight. But I've interviewed her for my blog. It's always very interesting to meet someone for the first time when you have made yourself an image of that person only through e-mails... [And no - I didn't recognise her in the gallery. I had pictured her differently]





Monday, November 01, 2010

final decisions

I changed the dear for a wolf - so much more "me"
On Friday I should be ready with my sketch for the Public Art Piece for the school. Then I'll present my idea for the art-consultants (artists) who chose me for the job. The "real presentation" isn't until December 3, but it is good to check with them ahead of time that the idea is working. The art-consultans are "on my side" so to say.

If they haven't got any major objections (could be practical ones) I'll just write the budget, time plan and an explanatory text about my idea. And make the sketch a little more polished. And build a model. The rest of November I'll also hang my exhibition and be at my opening, give a 3 day-screen printing workshop, guest-teach a week, give a one day workshop (has to be prepared!) in connection with my exhibition, check all the notes from the seminars on the quality concept and write a text based on them, plus arrange a lecture- and networking day - so let's hope they won't have any major objections.

This written - I'll be back to blogland after Friday. Cross your fingers!