intersections and articulations

initial thoughts: when i saw the title ‘intersections and articulations’ i was expecting art theory rather than a description of the practical jobs that a curator might be responsible for yet making and curating indeed boil down to a series of practical tasks. interesting to note – Fran Stafford describes herself as an artist and curator although she does not talk about her practice. listing the many projects that she has been involved with and all the tasks that they entail, i wonder if it leaves much time for making.

the making and curating divide?: so perhaps the question that arises for discussion is where does curating sit with making? i am in no doubt that finding and creating ways to reach an audience is an essential part of why i make work, but what is the hierarchy between making and curating? i tend to prioritise making in general, yet at other times i respond to the opportunity of an audience and make work for open calls. sometimes working towards an audience and space in mind helps me be more decisive and articulate what i want to say. sometimes i think that i don’t take as many risks when working towards the curators gaze.

internal curator and outside curator: i guess my own internal monologues dictate what i make, select and decide to exhibit or share with an audience. this internal voice is a curatorial role of sorts and is embedded in the making process – in what i begin, in what i follow through on, as are all the reasons why i make these decisions. but there are times when i make only to realise that i have not anticipated who the audience is or where or if they even exist. one of the things that Stafford mentions are the ways that new audiences can be created – in spaces not aligned to galleries – the shopping mall, the clinic etc. is that easier said than done? i constantly look through open calls that might be relevant to my work and areas of interest but perhaps there are ways that i could create those opportunities and perhaps in ‘non dedicated art’ spaces. i guess i need to ask myself is that what i want and is it worth the commitment of time and energy. i guess there is a time and place for both. and indeed i very much enjoyed creating a group show last year where we decided the theme, sourced the venue, cleaned the venue, arranged the publicity, fundraised and invigilated and of course – made the work. but the impetus to make the work came first and sustained us through the process. perhaps there might be ways i could continue to create such opportunities.

parting shot: while playing tennis on sunday, my coach said i need to anticipate the shot that will come back at me before i even play the ball – that might be something to keep in mind as i make work