Participatory Practice
My example piece from the colour, pattern and shape workshops this week
When I consider my career and the careers of my peers it’s easy to become disillusioned with the ‘art world’ or the possibilities for using what we trained to do as a means of making a living. Making A Living; this covers not just earning enough money to have a roof and some food but also the means to produce and exhibit work. Up until the end of the summer of 2015 the only way I saw for achieving this was by waitressing, supplementing my income with random freelance jobs which came my way and saving my tips in a jar by my bed. (real jobs don’t tip you, disappointing realisation). I worked hard, long hours and developed pretty mean insomnia over the four years of juggling both my career and my jobs.
How is this any good? Is it ‘worth it’ (and what does that question even mean, to me or anyone). Do I get some kind of kudos or cool stamp for making work and wrecking my life? Apparently yes! and with so many of us chasing our dreams the opportunities pool is becoming relatively smaller and smaller every year.
So what do I do, what am I doing? I’m breaking down the collaborative side to my work, taking it to pieces and putting it back together but with other people included. Working with others, whether they are peers, participants or disengaged young Glaswegians, has established itself as a central part to my life, my practice and soon, the rest of my work.
It’s just nice to have a job. And it’s my job to relate my practice to those young people who have fallen out of the education system so far that they need a painted, constructed, mad path back toward it.
Colour Matching Workshop, Young Person’s Work
Collaboration also comes in the form of Exhibitions: Eye Am Camera collective have an OPEN CALL