'Visions Of A Free-Floating Island': Settling Dust

'Childish Things 3 (Misdirected)': 'Visions Of A Free-Floating Island', Surface Gallery, Nottingham
(Upstairs), September 2018

It’s well over a week since Andrew Smith, Shaun Morris and I removed our joint, ‘Visions Of A Free-Floating Island’ exhibition, from Nottingham’s Surface Gallery.  Months of hard graft and necessary admin, resulted in two weeks of public exposure – which, predictably, seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.  It brings in its aftermath, an equally inevitable sensation of mild anti-climax, and perhaps a few questions about what might (or might not) have been achieved.  There is even the temptation - in moments of enhanced self-doubt, to question why we put ourselves through the process at all, or whether anyone else even notices much.  Were you of a mind to, you  might regard our attempts to reach out into the public arena as a bit of a labour intensive vanity project, whose material benefits are often few and far between.

'Childish Things 4 (Mistaken)', With 'Sentinels 2 & 5': 'VOAFFI' (Upstairs)

At such times, I find it important to refer back to the creative impulse that lies at the core of our activities, and which, long ago - I personally decided is self-justifying enough to require little further explanation (to myself, at least).  I tried not producing my own work for years, and categorically proved that not doing feels worse than at least trying.  If the production of artwork (and its potential therapeutic spin-offs) are a given, that just leaves the bald choice between maintaining a purely onanistic stance - in which work accumulates, unseen, behind one’s own walls; and periodically punting it out into the world – in the hope it might, on a good day, constitute some form of communication or expression.  For all the expense and graft involved in organising and mounting exhibitions (and the subsequent quandaries outlined above) - the second option still feels like the more grown-up one.  It even occurs to me that the first course is more likely to lead to a knock on the door from Environmental Health, or to headlines such as “Lonely Recluse Dies Under Avalanche Of Own Paintings”.  Ultimately, it’s about confidence, and about how seriously you take your own practice, I think.  It seems impossible to ask others to take it seriously if you’re not prepared to stand beside it yourself.

Shaun Morris, 'Salute', Oil On Canvas, 2018, 'VOAFFI' (Downstairs)

Shaun Morris, (L.): 'The Street (Empty Boxes)', (R.): 'The Street (Empty Boxes) 2',
Both Oil On Canvas, 2017-18: 'VOAFFI' (Upstairs)

Shaun Morris, 'The Street (The Digger)', Oil On Canvas, 2018: 'VOAFFI' (Upstairs)

As Andrew, Shaun and I shared a post-exhibition pint, we also agreed that, regardless of how much or how little public attention one’s work might garner, (and how elitist the admission may sound), the opinion, and possibly respect, of other practitioners is actually pretty important to all of us.  That’s despite the fact that it’s all too easy to luxuriate in the ivory Art palace – or perhaps exactly because, contemporary art is really little more than just a weird hobby carried out by deluded eccentrics, in the view of many.  Even worse is the oft-heard view that it’s merely a cynical ruse to hoodwink or patronise the ‘hoi-poloi’.  Exhibiting should, ideally, aspire to break down those barriers, of course - but no one’s really pretending we’ll be able to transcend generations of educational shortcomings, societal expectations and cultural ghettoisation, over two weeks in another Midland town - are they?

Andrew Smith, 'Untitled (Hard)', Acrylics & Digital Print On Canvas, 2012: 'VOAFFI'
 (Downstairs)

Andrew Smith, 'Lead Balloons', Pencil & Fibre Pen/Digital Print On Paper, 2018:
'VOAFFI' (Upstairs)

What those who claim to be excluded by an elitist art world overlook, is that many artists themselves feel pretty marginalised by mainstream society, most of the time.  It may be a pretty blunt measure – but you really only need calculate the total audiences for, and broadcast hours devoted to, football, dating, gambling, or other ‘mainstream’ interests - compared with those pertaining to any form of serious arts programming.  It’s not actually so difficult to work out who’s really being culturally excluded these days, in the mainstream media, at least.  Ironically, as more or less good old-fashioned ‘lefties’, the three of us probably must accept ‘the democratic will of the people’ to choose, in such matters (honestly – don’t get me started…).  In which case, one is inevitably pushed back onto the hope there might at least be some connection to be made with the minority of folk who still actually value or ‘get it’.

Works By Andrew Smith & Shaun Morris, 'VOAFFI' (Downstairs)

That may also explain why, as we’ve also remarked amongst ourselves, so many younger contemporary artists often appear happy to self-curate distinctly inward-looking art events nowadays - seemingly tailored just for ‘us and our friends’.  Perhaps artists of our generation would actually do well to remember that we live in an online world where, perhaps, mass outreach is no longer even really the point.  Getting one’s work seen is probably now more about the nurtured audience, the targeted response, and the savvy marketing strategy, as it is about just putting it on the walls and opening the doors.

Andrew Smith, 'Untitled (Therapy)', Coloured Pencil/Digital Print On Paper, 2018,
'VOAFFI' (Downstairs)

Andrew Smith, 'Portrait Of The Artist As Two Dogs (Big And Small)', 2018,
Fibre Pen/Digital Print On Paper, 2018: 'VOAFFI' (Downstairs)

If this all sounds like a bit of a counsel of despair, it’s really not supposed to.  Perhaps it’s just a kind of wake-up call to do with properly clarifying one’s true motives, and aspirations.  Perhaps it's actually about being a little more ‘strategic’ about it things (however much I might dislike the general implications of that word).  In fact, we, and Surface did manage to cover several of those bases outlined above, and I think we all felt positive about most of the work itself in ‘VOAFFI’, and maybe even more so about the show as a whole.  The proviso is that it was also our most ambitious joint venture to date – and thus, with magnified implications to match, perhaps.  As I intimated in my last post, the sheer effort of realising it was pretty full-on - taking us all close to the limits of our physical capabilities and collective  ability to manage time and competing commitments.  Perhaps it’s that which really provokes all this questioning about exactly what we might hope to get back in return.  Could it just be that, after so much graft, the ego petulantly feels like it's due even more payback?

(Top L.): Shaun Morris, 'Trousers', 2018, (Bottom L.): Shaun Morris, 'A Home In England', 2017,
(R.): Andrew Smith, 'Wall Poem (Redacted)', Digital Print (Two Parts), 2018: 'VOAFFI' (Downstairs)

Clearly, that’s not quantifiable in terms of sales (although they weren’t totally absent, in the end).  But, in fairness, none of us could exactly be accused of chasing the easy sales or of deliberately tailoring our work to that end.  And I’m conscious there’s always a tendency for independently minded artists like us to want our cake, and to eat it (again – don’t get me started).   So perhaps it really is more about a craving for recognition, in that case.  And, encouragingly, the general response from attendees of our Opening Event and Artist Talk was encouragingly positive.  That’s worth a lot - particularly when in-depth conversations about the subtleties of the work replace mere polite chit-chat - as they did in many cases, on both occasions.  Even more tangible, in terms of positive opinion, is a subsequent review, in Nottingham’s estimable ‘Left Lion’ listings magazine - penned by Adrian Shaw.  Adrian was one of the small gathering who attended our Artist Talk, and who took the trouble to talk to us at some length about our work.  I won’t pretend I’m not more than a little gratified by the results, which you can read here.

'Sentinels 1 & 3': 'VOAFFI' (Upstairs)

That was one of three in-depth conversations I had with completely unfamiliar faces over the two events (the other two being with fellow practicing artists).  Each, in its own way, seemed to prove my earlier point about the value of connecting with one’s peers, or those with at least an already partially open mind.  In fact, my own experience of exhibiting is still relatively slight, and this was the first time I’d either conducted a public discussion of my work, or indeed, been reviewed.  The genuine connections made or communication achieved, which they seem to represent - are probably the most significant take-home ‘achievements’ of the whole project, for me.  And, if we must remember to think more calculatingly about all this stuff –the profile-raising value of a favourable review probably shouldn’t be ignored (obviously – you can ask me again, should I ever receive a bad one).

'Sentinel 1': 'VOAFFI' (Upstairs)

I had originally intended this post to be more of an in-depth reflection on the actual content of the show – rather than a self-indulgent meditation on ‘the point of it all’, but to do that here would clearly create a piece of ludicrous proportions.  In fact, the necessity may be negated by both Adrian’s review, and also by referring you to another blog piece – this time posted by Shaun Morris himself.  This goes back again to that point about connecting with fellow practitioners – and in his case - that is actually what instigated all this recurring joint exhibiting in the first place.  As we’ve repeatedly recognised, it’s the common threads and implied conversations (both conscious and unpredicted) – between three quite distinct bodies of work, which has provided much of the impetus behind these periodic comings together.  I know Shaun doesn’t always have an excess of confidence in his literary abilities, but whatever he does write always feels refreshingly from-the-heart, to me.  Either way, his extended post - penned shortly before our show came down, feels like an apt enough reflection of the whole venture.  If it also seems to reflect the odd doubt, of his own – well, we’re clearly all as bad as each other - aren’t we?  Shaun’s piece does cover many of the points I might have made myself, so I’ll resist the temptation to bore on interminably myself - and instead, refer you to him…

I think you’ve saved me a job there, Shaun.