Blog
Studio visit with Manick Govinda
23/08/2019
Manick's first sight of my 2D 'sculptures' was at the far end of the long gallery in Outpost Studios, where they formed part of the members' annual show. There was a shocking-pink head (Rory Stewart), a life-size red, black and gold soldier, a squiggle intersecting another squiggle and a stick painted with mother-of-pearl (arranged by curator Mark Scott-Wood). Manick's immediate reaction to them was that there was something of the Comedia Dell'Arte about them (I have still to pursue this idea), a bit theatrical and carnivalesque.
This was elaborated when he saw the rest of the work in my studio, arranged so it all faced the entrance to greet him in a colourful flat crowd. I had not really been anticipating what an acute critic he would be, having been thinking of him more as someone who would give me ideas about how to get my work seen more widely. But he took me through various ideas about ideas, presentation, meaning, contextualising, suggesting artists for me to look at. He thought they needed to be more physically imposing and wondered how they would look if transformed into 3D, and made up by a fabricator.
Manick's suggestion that I try hanging them on the wall of the studio was very exciting to me, and I did it as soon as he had left. I've been trying to figure out how to move the cutouts into paintings, and this practical idea means I can try out compositions easily. We also pondered about using the cutouts perfomatively _ I've been thinking for a long time about this, and was re-inspired by Franz West's 'passstucks' and Rebecca Horn's prostheses, both of which were on show at the Tate the very day I first met Manick - a sign, for sure!
I also went to see a fabricator who happens to live near me, recommended by Roman Vasseur - 'Other Peoples' Sculptures'. Phil and Katie were wonderfully calm and helpful, and I suddenly realised how delightfully easy it would be to make macquettes and just hand them over to the professionals, rather than struggling with old cardboard boxes and cheap glue guns to make my wobbly sculptures.
Finally, I have just acquired a miniscule dictap[hone, as I didn't remember to write down what Manick was saying till half way through our session, and I want to be ready for my next mentor Sacha Craddock, when she visits my studio in September.
This was elaborated when he saw the rest of the work in my studio, arranged so it all faced the entrance to greet him in a colourful flat crowd. I had not really been anticipating what an acute critic he would be, having been thinking of him more as someone who would give me ideas about how to get my work seen more widely. But he took me through various ideas about ideas, presentation, meaning, contextualising, suggesting artists for me to look at. He thought they needed to be more physically imposing and wondered how they would look if transformed into 3D, and made up by a fabricator.
Manick's suggestion that I try hanging them on the wall of the studio was very exciting to me, and I did it as soon as he had left. I've been trying to figure out how to move the cutouts into paintings, and this practical idea means I can try out compositions easily. We also pondered about using the cutouts perfomatively _ I've been thinking for a long time about this, and was re-inspired by Franz West's 'passstucks' and Rebecca Horn's prostheses, both of which were on show at the Tate the very day I first met Manick - a sign, for sure!
I also went to see a fabricator who happens to live near me, recommended by Roman Vasseur - 'Other Peoples' Sculptures'. Phil and Katie were wonderfully calm and helpful, and I suddenly realised how delightfully easy it would be to make macquettes and just hand them over to the professionals, rather than struggling with old cardboard boxes and cheap glue guns to make my wobbly sculptures.
Finally, I have just acquired a miniscule dictap[hone, as I didn't remember to write down what Manick was saying till half way through our session, and I want to be ready for my next mentor Sacha Craddock, when she visits my studio in September.
