Slightly more direction with the symposium presentation.

The nearer this approaches the more in fear I am of it, yes I can talk the talk but do I really know what I’m doing? so far I have had quiet a few ideas of what I would like to present, but none of them have really been sound ideas, apart from what I’m currently thinking about.

A big part of my work practice revolves around long term shared dialogues that I have with other artists / friends. Some of these dialogues have been continual for at least 20 years others have been running for shorter periods , what is important is how these conversations have maintained the same levels of interaction and consistency over the years. Thanks to ever changing technical landscape, originally they were phone conversations, but thanks to video technology on mobile phones and computers we are now able to converse and see each other, Which has helped to add another level to these discussions, as we are now able to show each other the projects we are working on.

The impact of video technology can not be underestimated, it has only been within this past year of lockdowns that its full potential has been realized. With the rise of video conferencing sites and with so many feeling disconnected with the real world, Video technology has helped bring people together, and enabled to keep businesses, universities, friendships and families connected.

The discussions we have are manly a sharing of ideas and theories about our individual art practices from printing, painting and sculpture. We also use these sessions as a form of problem solving, to expand our ways of approaching what we are working on, there are also very many cross overs in the subjects that we are working on and I’m sure that if we had an exhibition together these threads and links would come to the surface and be recognized. In many ways we use these sessions to validate what we are doing or striving to achieve within our own separate practices and mediums.

So what I propose is to do a video presentation involving two of my friends that I have these discussions with, they are Oliver Flude and David Orme, we have known each other for over 13 years. Our first meetings took place at the Hotbed Press in Salford whilst working on our individual print projects. These initial chance meetings have grown in to strong friendships manly through our video calls. I speak to Oliver at least twice a week and David every few weeks.

Some of the areas I will be discussing in our interviews are

1. An introduction as to how we got to know each other
2. The isolation of being an artist outside of a university or shared studio
3. How we have been able to keep connected through disconnection
4. How our practices have adapted and changed over the years
5. The knowing or unknowing influence we have had on each others work practice.
6. The impact of 3D printing on my current sculptures.

Following on from the initial writing of this I have now done the interviews, now for the mammoth task of editing three hours of conversation in to fifteen minuets. I have gone through the material and picked the main important bits, thankfully I have a friend who is going to help me edit this material over the next few days. I hope it runs well and does not come across as too self indulgent, both Olly and David were interested in talking about my current progress. Hopefully what will come across is our knowledge of each others work oh and that I have a lot of odd facial expressions