the public art module really focussed my mind on getting my work “out there” as a vital next step in my professional development. i chose the live sziget brief to really challenge myself to produce a proposal in time to submit for the competition, so i counted the project as a success at that point. what i wasn’t prepared for was the email that came last week saying that the proposal had made it through to the second round \o/
sadly i’m unable to travel for the length of the festival (10 days in august) due to family commitments. ingrid suggested perhaps someone else could take it for me but the interactive nature of the proposal requires a lot of supervision and i think that would need to be me (control freak? :D). my other concern would be actually making the work. while i’d be happy to sit and crochet for a month or so to produce the tent structure the other elements – most importantly the flags – would require access to a print workshop. there’s also the small matter that the notional match funding i included in my budget is closed to applications for this year.
so it’s been a lesson for me in terms of overambitious plans – it never occurred to me for a minute that anyone would actually ask me to make the thing 😀 but more than anything it’s a huge confidence boost. my feedback this year has been really encouraging, but to hear from an actual judging panel for an actual competition that my work is interesting/appealing is a massive deal and will encourage me to keep making these applications. hopefully i should get better at identifying suitable briefs without over stretching myself.
today i hit the deadline for a call for experimental artist’s book from weloveyourbooks.com on the theme of “home”. when i spotted this opportunity in the book arts newsletter i knew i already had a piece that would fit perfectly with the theme – my bed as a book. an added bonus for me is that the final exhibition is online only, and wouldn’t require me to part with the book, which i made while i deferred my studies last year and is very close to my heart.
book arts are something i know that i’ll keep exploring, so i really hope that my book and this exhibition are a good match.
maker soph 