Reflecting on Spill – considering the position of creativity
in society.
The edge is recognised, acknowledged, subsumed, mopped up
and assimilated by a kind of Borg-like-conventionalism within a capitalist
paradigm that atomises individuality then reconstructs and regurgitates it as a
commodity for the individual. The
main-stream is veracious in its overwhelming consumption of the ‘other’.
Initially spurning what it does not understand, then consuming but never
acknowledging or validating the deep roots that initiated the creative thinking
that underpinned its watered-down presence in our everyday. This is repeatedly
the case – be it the role of the arts in the gentrification of derelict and
disregarded areas of the city or the alternative death celebrations that have
arisen, initially created by a generation questioning coming to terms with early
death. This lack of recognition and respect is on-going thanks to ignorance and
fear. Thoughts collated from the last 35 years whilst sitting within a like-minded
group of people waiting.
The MA Book Art students have an exhibition for three weeks in
the library at Camberwell of altered books – the results of a short set
project. The crit yesterday focused on discussing the creative strategies the
students had employed to develop work from the books they had been given, finding
and developing texts or alternative narratives embedded within the initial
books. How much to leave, remove, alter, add or possibly use the book as a
starting point to other work. Onto the Polar Institute in Cambridge where I
gave a paper for SHARE on the work I have undertaken with The Costume and Textile
Study Centre at Norwich Castle. All went
well – myself and Ruth were a wonderfully unscripted double act – it’s all
about trust - in the other parties involved, knowing what you do and finally believing
in and understanding your role.
Managed to see The Polar Muse at the Polar Institute Museum.
http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/exhibitions/
It’s a number of texts specially commissioned as responses to objects from the
collection. The textual interventions were vinyl cut onto the glass of the
cases that hold the collection – it was an interesting experience to see the
objects through a veil of words. They also have the wonderful Caroline Wright
working in residence there de-constructing de-accessioned objects – powerful stuff.
