Thursday

My main priority today was deciding which pieces for the final show will be exhibited as well their layout within the space. Although I like all the works, Dean recommended that I be brutal and make some simple straightforward cuts. I had roughly lain out the work in the space and set up each piece as how it should be shown. Removing the one's which I had decided were to go in the copy shop was the first move. Then cutting one more made such a difference. The work looked fresher and the two clusters worked well at developing relationships between the works.

Installed at the copy shop today. Managed to get all our works into the van so only one trip was needed. The space was actually smaller than I'd remembered and the floor isn't great. But it was good to take down the 'To let' posters as this gave us a better sense of the light in the space. As I am working this weekend, it was necessary for me to have my work installed today. Firstly, we helped Catriona install her 'Green room'. Then Lindsey discussed potential plans for her paintings and drawings. We were very excited about our external space but it has also been a challenge as we were not able to become intimate with the space before the install, as opposed to E25 where I have been working for the last month. This meant that for Catriona's site specific work it was a gamble at it's success however, it's worked extremely well which is great. In retrospect, I think my sculptures are slightly too big for the space. I perhaps should have taken some measurements and made objects based around this. One of my works (Eau de Cologne) had to be cut from the show because it was too large. So I have ended up exhibiting a combination of works which I had not expected. This is not a major problem as I am pleased with the whole body of work and since seeing the works in situ, the three selected do seem to work well together. Being a smaller space, we have work for pretty much every avaliable space, with all three of the other artists exhibiting two-dimensional works on the walls. I was slightly worried as I didn't want the space to look bombarded. Particularly as I have definately learnt through moving and editing works in ECA that less is definately more when it comes to these sculptures and their surroundings. I won't be able to see the show in it's final state as I can't get to the venue when the other artists install but I trust their judgement with curating their works around mine already in situ.

Title list & floor plan.

Curatorial issues..


Images of the Cowgate install. I placed 'Waiting' (suitcase piece) at an angle against the floor boards. This breaks up the space more than each work being face on. 'An exposure' is the first piece you see upon entering the venue. It is quite confrontational with the potato cast jutting out towards you. I like this work as it is crisp and honest. I love the rawness of the materials and the juxtapositions. It is also very human and has a sexual and ambiguous abstract quality to it. I was careful not to frame this work against anything too dominating in the room such as the door leading to the next room on the right and also any office or functional elements such as plugs. In a way the tall slender loofah also mimics the column in the almost centre of the room. The work towards the back of the room is called 'The lost and found' this piece works well with Lindsey's paintings in the background as her painting's for me have a textural and palette of landscape and shorelines which this piece sometimes reminds me of, thinking of pieces of litter washed up on beaches. The work also for me is reminiscent of urban living, with chip forks (which are continuously dotted around the city), netting which one contained food, a plaster bottle cast from inside a dented plastic bottle, the abandoned and broken shopping trolley and disguarded shelf. The only element which isn't linked with Edinburgh as a city is the pine cone, this is the anomaly. It was found in Blair Athol in a wood. It is a little glimpse of something outside, which proves valuable to the structure as a whole.

I am little worried that the layout is rather predictable. But practically it was the best layout. I considered placing the suitcase work on the carpet as I feel the piece could still have held itself situated on this surface, but this would have limited access to another artists work. I had to be conscious of the doorways leading to the other artists work in the other rooms so for that reason the works are quite central. I think this allows for an interesting dialogue between the pieces however, particularly betweeen 'waiting' and 'the lost and found' which are situated slightly closer to one another. 'An exposure' works in the group but is perhaps a more 'stand-alone' sculpture.