What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to
find out more about? Who do you admire who also works with what makes you
enthusiastic?
When I first studied art like most students in my art school we
had similar goals: to get our artwork into a gallery and to take part in group
shows as a way of establishing ourselves. At this point it has never crossed my
mind that art bring about social change and that I would be more interested in
this aspect. I became more driven and interested in taking part in art
workshops and community projects. I enjoyed the experience of working with
different artist from other parts of the world and taking art into communities
that have been denied the facilities to create art. Up until today I still love
and enjoy project work and taking part or delivering art workshops. I have
listed a few of the artists I have worked with and who have inspired me to want
to continue to be part of community art projects.
Hannah Westwood
Co-organising the Lee Green Art Project with Hannah Westwood was
exciting because it created an opportunity for me to use my art and community
work skills.
Klause Klinger
My first major mural art project came in 2001 in Cape Town and
from this project I developed the passion for mural and community art projects.
Through this project I had the opportunity to work with Klause who is one of
the founding members of Farbieber. Farbieber is an art organisation based in
Germany who focus on running and planning mural project in Germany and around
the world. From working with Klause I became more interested in mural and art
projects as an affective learning tool.
Kemang Wa Lehulere
Kemang is a good friend and fellow artist whose work I find
inspiring. He has managed to find a positive balance between getting involved
in art projects and working towards furthering his own art.
http://www.biennaledelyon.com/uk/biennale/edition/artists/lehulere,45.html
http://www.goodman-gallery.com/exhibitions/182
What gets you angry or makes you sad? Who do you admire who
shares your feelings or has found a way to work around the sadness or anger?
What makes me upset and angry are professional workers that use
young people that they work with to further their own career and use politics
to make life difficult for their colleagues who are genuinely trying to make a
difference. It’s unfortunate when people become disenchanted with their work
and loose sight of the reasons they chose their career path. They forget how
much positive impact they can have on the people they work with, especially
young people as they are still seeking guidance.
I admire the principle of the school I work at and a particular
colleague. They support me in my low moments and encourage me to bring new
ideas and approach’s to my work.
What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who
also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?
I love it when I can see that a piece of work that I have been creating
with a person or a group has had a positive impact. And to successfully plan
and deliver an art project by creating a space for people who might not have
had the opportunity to be in a space where they can use art to express
themselves.
Workings at my school has made me consider taking up art teaching
because I have seen how much the students enjoy themselves when they are in an
art lesson and how much art calms them down. I have seen the difference art
makes in building confidence and self-esteem with some of the students in
schools. I feel inspired when I see that the work I do has made a positive
difference to the pupils I work with who struggle to cope in a classroom
environment as they have learning and behavioural difficulties.
My mother is the main person who has influenced my love and
passion for community projects. She worked for an organisation in South Africa
that trained communities living in squatter camps (shacks), about how to build
shacks that were safe and also provided building materials at an affordable
price. She went on to start her own agricultural and arts and craft project in
a remote village in the Eastern Cape. The project provided employment and
supplied the neighbouring villages with seedling for the people to grow their
own food.
What do you feel you don’t understand? Who do you admire who
does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding
it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
I am in the in the process of trying work out if training to
become an art teacher is the best way for me to progress in my practice and how
teaching will impact on my own art practice. I wonder how I will manage planning
art projects/workshops, teaching and taking part in art exhibitions.
I do talk about this with a friend of mine, who is has done an art
teaching course and also work in different art projects. She too has founded it
hard to stay focus with her art practice, but she mentioned how working with
her students has inspired her to continue producing her own art pieces.
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