Thursday 27 September 2012

Twitterview with Caitlin Griffiths

Caitlin Griffiths 'A Million Tiny Failures' Acrylic and ink on postcards (2011)

Caitlin Griffiths is an artist, curator and writer based in the West Midlands. Her own work experiments with stealing other peoples stories and representing her self as others - something she calls 'the cuckoo effect.' She has exhibited widely in the UK and Europe. 

Her other projects include Lamb White which takes advantage of technological advances in the difficult current financial climate to sell contemporary art in a fresh and innovative way. 

@BuffyDismorr 1st question...in your practice you talk about 'the cuckoo approach'. What exactly does this mean? 

@BusyCaitlin I ask people to tell me their memories - and then I write them with me in, instead. It's not quite as brutal as that!

@BuffyDismorr I see, so like a 'cuckoo stealing nests' so to speak? 

@BusyCaitlin Absolutely! I guess it's a way of me to work out who I am and who I'm not by putting myself in other people's (nests) shoes. 

@BuffyDismorr What projects are you currently working on? 

@Busy Caitlin I'm working on new paintings for a new exhib in Sweden http://www.wipsthlm.se/ and I also run @LambWhiteLtd 

@BuffyDismorr can you tell me a bit about @LambWhiteLtd? I think that the internet, ie social media & websites can be v beneficial 2 artists! 

@BusyCaitlin @LambWhiteLtd's a mechanism for new ways of curating, commissioning, distributing, selling the best new art, using technology

@BuffyDismorr I definately agree that technology (with our constant use of the internet, iphones etc) can help artists distribute and promote work! 

@BuffyDismorr I really like the look of your postcard project 'A Million Tiny Failures' - what inspired you to set up the project? 

@BusyCaitlin That was actually inspired by quite a raw emotional period in my life - I was suffering from depression though I didn't know it...

@Busy Caitlin ...and was looking back to people and times in my life when I thought things had been 'better'...

@BusyCaitlin...people have since pointed out that the pin pricks are like a 'safe' form of self harm and it's a motif I've continued with

@BuffyDismorr I can see that - I wish I had seen the show @TROVEart. I know the Midlands has a vibrant art scene...

@BuffyDismorr I don't know that area of the country well. Which art spaces would you recommend I visit? 

@BusyCaitlin There's a lot going on up here! @FRAME_brum launches this month, @TROVEart of course and the AMAZING @supersonicfest in Oct

@BusyCaitlin then there's the big institutions @Ikongallery @BM_AG and slightly out town @mac_birmingham and @_the_public

@BuffyDismorr Can you tell me if there is a practioner whose work you often return to for inspiration?

@BusyCaitlin There's a huge legacy of women artists interested in remaking existing work - or re-presenting themselves as others...

@BusyCaitlin...Catherine Sullivan, Gillian Wearing (of course!), Oreet Ashery and @Miranda_July

@BusyCaitlin I could go on! 

@BuffyDismorr Ha! I will look them up. Last question....

@BuffyDismorr ...If you could be remembered as one thing would it be either as an artist, curator, or a writer? And why? 

@BusyCaitlin That's a really hard one! Maybe as none of them - maybe as a singerdanceractressmodel: http://ow.ly/i/Yjm5


Thank you to Caitlin for taking the time to take part in my twitterview - I really enjoyed it! 


You can find out more about Caitlins work by looking at her website here





Thursday 13 September 2012

My Work at Motorcade/FlashParade

                 


Motorcade/FlashParade is an artist run space in Bedminster and I  have been volunteering there since January. I spent every Monday in the office there, working on the Marketing (sending press releases, social media, organising the website) and it is something that I really enjoy doing. There are only three of us who work there and we all do it voluntarily. Any money made in the gallery (such as from our national open) goes straight back into the gallery and, therefore, helps supports the artists who exhibited there. 

Obviously I get a lot out of being part of the team. Not only am I building useful skills that I wouldn't have gained otherwise, but I really feel like the space is a wonderful place for the artistic community in Bristol, and adds to the already vibrant artistic scene. One thing I sometimes find difficult as an artist is sometimes being told that 'London is the place to be'. I find this a little depressing, as I think that there is some really excellent art being shown outside of London in smaller cities and towns. I sometimes get the feeling that cities outside London which display art are viewed as provincial backwaters, when in fact there are some really exciting shows going on. Therefore, it excites me when I know that some of the shows put on at M/FP are of  high quality and are helping to build upon Bristols reputation as a place where innovative art is being produced and shown. 

The big thing which I am helping to work on at the moment is Motorcades National Open. The deadline is not until the 21st of October, but already a lot of work has gone into publicising it. Some (often large, established galleries) charge a lot of money for open competitions. The £15 charge (for up to three works and six images) will go straight back into the gallery space and not into some big void. As a gallery we also really want to build relationships who show are selected for the National Open. The 1st prize includes a solo show at the space (as well as £500).