Thursday, February 21, 2008

Sifting and Sorting

home-ing pigeon, slipcast porcelain, 21cm

All this new work I keep rambling on about is for a solo show I am having later this year (July) at Jan Manton Art, here in Brisvegas. I am way ahead of myself and for once am not going to be pulling hot pieces out of the kiln a day before the opening. In fact, I am MONTHS ahead of myself and have almost finished the whole show! There is a very good reason for my weird and miraculous state of organisation, but I will tell you about that another time.

I am lucky enough to have the super duper freelance writer and art critic for The Australian, Louise Martin-Chew, writing the essay for my catalogue, and spent a lovely morning with her yesterday looking at and talking about the work. It’s the first time I’ve really shown anyone outside of my immediate circle, so I must admit I was a little nervous! It’s always a little scary when you first put new things out there. I was also curious to see what would come out of my mouth in talking about the work, because although I’ve chatted to oodles of people about bits and pieces of it, this was the first time I had really sat down and comprehensively spoken about what was behind it all – which to be honest has only really just started to become clear. It was fantastic to sit down with someone for a few hours and just mull it all over, having someone fire questions at me, inquiring about this, giving their own interpretations and readings about that. I find that process of talking (or sometimes writing) about my work incredibly useful in sifting through the myriad influences and ideas that float around while you’re making it all. It really helps me to clarify things, and also raises lots of new questions to pursue. In my bygone days of shared studios these kinds of conversations happened a lot more in the natural course of the studio environment, but working from home, and mostly alone (violins playing in the background now) they are fewer and farther between. So opportunities like yesterday, especially with people like Louise, are damn great!

Then I spent the rest of the afternoon in a mad frenzy of inspired decal design! I’m rolling with this inspired phase while it lasts!

9 comments:

j said...

beautiful piece. and a very interesting post. I hope you take a lot of pictures to share with us.

kylie Johnson said...

Mel,
you are SUCH an inspiration, your words are lovely and the new work divine.
love k x

lisatoni said...

sounds like the perfect balance between producing being able to make sense when you talk about what you are producing!
nice one!

Bibbi said...

Aha, now I understand the gun... Your work looks beautiful and I'm curious to see it all together, will be a long wait :)

Mel Robson said...

thanks everyone! Will definitely be posting more pics, but yes Bibbi, a little while to go before you can see it all together!

Reb said...

Wow Mel, love all your recent posts- particularly the story of the mistaken telegram. You ARE an inspiration, and your new work is looking really clean, powerful and strong. I love it!

Mel Robson said...

Thanks Reb! Couldn't have done it without you, you know!

paula said...

I´m glad that I found your blog, I will return later on.
Keep up the good work!

Kind regards Paula.

KT Mo Design Studio said...

....how refreshing to hear this. I am very much a fledgling textile artist but have found recent group discussion absolutely crucial to resolving in my own mind what my work is about and which direction it should go in. Sometimes its not until I hear the words coming out of my own mouth that I fully realise the thought process behind my work. Somethings need to be said out loud to fully understand and appreciate them.
...love your work!