I spent Sunday working on my website and I have to say it was exhausting, but necessary. As an artist having an ‘online presence’ is arguably an essential part of your practice to be able to progress these days. I see it as a necessary evil due to a lack of confidence in with the art of using a computer – I prefer clay…
I am getting there, I think. I finally have a website that I’m fairly happy with, my own domain name that is as good a one as I could have hoped for, plus, the images I produce to represent my work are improving, though I reckon I still need a quality camera, rather than rely solely on my phone, as good as it is.
My incentive to work on the website was to get ‘Queue’ on there and out into the ethernet. These were figures made to be included in Form Sculpture Exhibition 2020 at the walled gardens at Bangor Castle, Co. Down. That got cancelled, though the organisers (Ards and North Down Council) did a virtual exhibition of sorts representing a different participating artist each day throughout June on social media.
Originally there were going to be 50 figures, partly because I wanted a good sized number to make an impact in the gardens and also it was my 50th birthday year. Measuring approximately 30cm tall, each figure would be positioned about 30cm apart, which turned out to be strangely prophetic as I had planned this before social distancing became a thing. At the time of lockdown I had managed to get 5 finished figures and 20 odd figures ready for a bisque firing and there they stayed on a table in my studio for 14 weeks waiting.
The few that had were done feature in my L.O.V.E. (Lockdown Outdoor Virtual Exhibition) video – see one of the previous blog posts.
I did bring clay and equipment home at the start of lockdown with the intention of at least getting the remaining figures made and ready for bisque, but as with a lot of fellow creatives - not all, but a lot – I met a creative brick wall and struggled to summon the will.
Finally, in June we were allowed back into Conway Mill where my studio and the kiln is, and I was able to get the lads waiting patiently in my studio finished.
Since then I submitted a version of Queue for the 2020 Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition but was unsuccessful – as were a few other or my artist friends, I like to think it had something to do with reducing the numbers because of restrictions due to the pandemic. I also missed a call out for another exhibition that they may have suited but hey ho.
So here they are on my website for all to gander at and if you are in Belfast give me a shout and you can see them in person.