Looking Back

This is going to end up as two posts.  I want to look back at my 4 weeks of the Residency and sum up my experience.  However that’s not as easy as it sounds.

So let’s start with the easy bit.  During the last 3-4 days of my time there, I set up a small exhibition.  Mostly so I could actually see what I had achieved.  I found it to be a very encouraging activity.

The poster on the left was the poster the museum used to advertise my workshops.  They gave it to me as I left after the 2nd workshop.

I had been using the wall to display things but the books and boxes had just been put to one side, so it was good to see them out altogether.

I’m still working through what I’ve learned outside of the techniques of how to make new-to-me style books and boxes.

Which is why there will be another post on Saturday where I’m hoping to give a more coherent expression of my thoughts.  Some friends have given me some questions as prompts to help my thinking.

But what do I know so far?

I think that the difficulty arises from not setting down expectations for the 4 weeks.  If you write down expectations, then at the end you have something to consider.  Have any of the expectations been met?  What expectations weren’t met and why?

What do I know didn’t happen?  Well I had told myself - but didn’t write it down - that I would take a walk round the park every day.  I went twice in the 20 days!  I did however walk to the bus stop 6 times.  Plus a couple of longish walks from the station to the venue when I visited two different exhibitions.

I had also told myself I would drink more water.  To be honest a teaspoon of water would be more than I usually drink outside of my 5 cups of instant coffee a day!  I took a water bottle with my name on it specifically for this task.  It never even got wet.

Based on my application form, the museum had written about me as follows:

A visit to the ‘Dancing in Fetters’ exhibition at Fremantle Prison, WA inspired her current textile work in Captivity, Freedom and Identity.  Integrating her own creative writing into these pieces adds a personal dimension to her exploration.  During the residency, Bernice wants to develop these themes further through writing and experimenting with different techniques.

Bernice will consider the historical context of the First Fleet’s arrival and the experiences of convicts sent from the UK, however she aims to broaden this exploration to encompass other forms of captivity, particularly depression and freedom, examining their impact on identity. 

My response to this in my Residency Diary at the end of my first week:

In my application I said I would build up a portfolio of research, photographs, creative writing and samples which will inform my work on my return home.  Whilst the Museum has said they won’t hold me to any of the things I said in the application, I do need to do something!

I have photographs at home of the various convict sites we have visited.  I was thinking of going to the Parramatta Female Factory but I think I will give it a miss.  Also at home I have done quite a bit of research using AI on captivity and also used ArtHelper for ideas for pieces of work.  I’ve also got my Australian Connections to look at.

Well, apart from the mock up of a hanging expressing the England/Australia Connection, I have done none of the above.

This post has turned out to be somewhat negative.  The next post will definitely need to be more positive.

So to cheer you up, have a look at the Museum’s latest blog post Artist in Residence Q&A. Plus a nice view from the beach at Carss Park.

Here’s hoping you still want to come back on Saturday.

Bernice

Sadly I am unable to reply to your comments here at the moment as Blogger has blocked replies.  I cannot sort it out until I get home in a couple of weeks.  But please do leave me a comment. Don’t forget to leave your name.