I realised today just how very important sociability is to my work as an artist. The popular image of artists is dominated by the idea of personal creativity. Of course this is important, but without networks of communication, support and exchange it all falls apart.
My rather sour post yesterday does make an important point in this respect. Yes: I did spend ages waiting for a courier to collect my work to take to an exhibition in Wales. (In fact, he only got here this morning.) My creation of images is worth nothing if I cannot share them with others, and the gallery itself is only one link in that chain. Les and his van are all part of the larger scheme of things.
This afternoon I sat in on a Zoom session organised by the Artists’ Network. The subject of the discussion was the process of applying for grants to support “creative practice”. At the end of the day I decided that this particular avenue is not one that would be worth my while to try and follow. Even so, I learned several very useful things, not the least of which was the wider value old this organisation to which I belong. The discussion also helped me to evaluate more clearly a new project which has been in the back of my mind for some months.
Before writing this blog I checked my facebook page, and sent a reassuring message to a fellow painter who is obviously feeling the isolation of the current regime. Thinking about her situation it did come to me that there are several artists I know who are less well-supported than I am. The Unit 9 group to which I belong has not been able to meet for the best part of a year now, and I really feel the absence of the kind of professional sharing we used to have.* Maybe I should do something about that instead of just regretting it.
*Unit 9 is an informal cooperative of artists (there are sixteen of us) based at the South Square Centre in Thornton (a suburb of Bradford). Normally we are able to run a small gallery in which we display our work, and we meet every month or two for an informal meal and conversation about our work. Naturally all of that is in suspension for the duration of the pandemic.