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numbers | The SODACAKEVILLE
2008-10-29
numbers
Too good to be true, there will be an increase in numbers in the group I may have 10 next week. This may work out ok because our five group is working well and can continue on their story while I begin the newbies...but I am divided, I know for my hosts that numbers help justify projects and persuade sponsors, but quantities will show in quality of output. However, and being of an ambivalent disposition, I am also quite excited about new members bringing new stories and adding more to the pot, this is a familiar situation (and enthusiasm can lead one to being overstretched). It makes me wonder exactly what the term artist in residence is about....I err on the side that an artist residency should be about the artist defining the shape of the project and making decisions about all aspects of the working process, and having control over the outcome. The space, as defined by the artist, should be protected. My hosts are extremely understanding and are doing all to make the project as perfect as possible, (our compromise was to balance more numbers with more equipment to allow groups to work independently, while continuing with my dedicated helper will also make things smoother). This is especially kind because, for the time being, I have moved all operations to the studio rather than the dedicated computer room, so all at Digihub are being most accommodating to my working ways.
The Kidsown model seeks to be supportive by allocating equal percentages of time to the residency: contact time, processing and artist time....I am beginning to feel that though this is a generous way of acknowledging artists` work, it doesn`t quite match the notion of Residency, as these divisions are somewhat artificial and denote different areas of control / responsibility and the project is split 3 ways - or a at least 2 ways ie contact+ processing (kids work), then artist studio time, a private, separate, though related practice, a parallel practice of artist individual work - rather than a collaborative whole...???) I know the kidsown model has been built largely around working in schools which necessarily involves a particular kind of approach, but it might be worth teasing out at what point does the collaboration occur?
It could be interesting to discuss these kind of questions on a forum page?
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