We had an amazing time in Leeds this weekend. Amongst the (many) fab things we did we went to see a film about Grant Morrison. Mostly, I'm ambivalent towards Morrison, he can be amazing or I can just tire of too many ideas and not enough story. But he got me thinking. He lives and works in such a way as to live his stories, when he was writing 'The Invisibles', he behaved just like King Mob, he did scary, crazy things for his work. Drugs and Shamanism and cross-dressing and shaving his head and crazy, crazy things.
Likewise with Grayson Perry, he wants to make things with heart, that mean something. And you can't do that without involving yourself body and soul. Which is making me question whether I'm doing crazy enough things. I have tended to stick a pin in my art as soon as I leave my studio. But perhaps I should be more open to letting my life be part of my art work.
There are some artists who can make work in a very domestic way, they can make thoughtful, beautiful work and then turn the lights out and leave it. But, I don't know their names. Maybe they're the Edmund de Waal's of the world, maybe they're the Paul Cornell's, I couldn't tell you, because those artists, although loved by many, don't market their work as an extension of themselves. In many ways you can see that Morrison's and Perry's work is a form of counselling, which, in the past, my own work has been for me so maybe a more life-on (as opposed to hands-on) approach might be rewarding.
On the other hand, I'm a very domestic person. I like baking and watching Saturday night telly and going for walks with my beloved, could I ever be a crazy artiste?
The whole university experience is about discovering who you want to be, and so far I'm leaning towards design as opposed to art, but I don't truthfully feel I'll have given enough of a whack at it if I don't let the edges blur between what I'm making and what I'm doing.
TL
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