Erics Floor

So we have started the commissions on the second row of shops. E. Sucks the butchers now sells all sorts. Eric has diversified as he says people don't really buy cuts of meet like they used to so he does sweets sandwiches and bakery stuff. Plus bacon and sausage - still has fresh tripe and some general corner shop stuff.

Again we went in with the idea of doing something useful. The floor looked like it needed a new lick of paint so we suggested this. I got really excited because I thought we could make an exact replica of the floor on MDF and have it in the Exhibition at persistence works - so we would have a Neon and a Carl Andre. I sort of fell in love a little with this idea as I love the way people have to really decide to walk on the Andre floor pieces and it's back to the idea of -function to meaning. The point at which you step onto holds all sorts of questions about the value of the art object. It was also a really good thing for Eric as he was going to do it anyway.

I was a bit worried that he may have thought that painting his floor was a really funny thing to suggest so we took in some designs and some colour sheets. Proper floor paint takes 8 days to cure so this was a bit of a problem. Anyway in the end Eric didn't go for it which I suppose is what the works about - we couldn't just race in and paint his floor if it wasn't what he wanted. This was good for the project as it made me think about the value structure and the layers of ideas we were working with. The fact that Eric was pleased with what he got was far more important to me than the daft reference to function to meaning and ironic Carl Andre reference in the show.

In the end he decided he would like some window stickers to advertise what he sells - This is a good idea because from the outside of the shop it's difficult to know all the stuff he stocks so it feels more practical. I'm just off down there now to photograph some items. I am not sure how these will look in the exhibition at Persistence works but I think they will probably work - maybe even reference Warhole.

SORRY

That last post was meant for my personal blog and not this one!!
Ignore it...
Paul

a lot to think about

Well, I got the Parson X gig and it is going very well. I love being back on my old estate.
A far cry from when I left 35 years ago.

I have been very busy trying to juggle Other Things, the Parson X work, GRAFT, work for the Institute for Lifelong Learning at Sheffield University, the Open University, counselling and we have a new Freeman College student staying with us from tomorrow - so all the many preparations for that.
I can be sure that I am nowhere near as busy as Tim Etchells though.
See you soon.

Roses Hardware.
Ive been playing with some photos of roses, i took, to turn them into wallpaper, potentially for Roses shop. I like that she said what she needed was for the shop to be decorated. It seems like a useful and good thing to do. Her shop doesnt need pictures but as she has said "just brightening up". I wonder if she will like our wallpaper designs, i will print out some of the designs and bring on wed so we can show her. Have been wondering if we could get it printed up we might be able to not only decorate the shop but also have the paper for sale - both in the shop and in the exhibition. This is just one example, have done lots of others with different coloured roses and bigger patterns - it gives an idea though

Hello

Well, I feel as if I have gone from being a semi-critic of the Parson Cross project to being not exactly the old guard yet!! Anyway, I had one of the best top 10 days of my life on Tuesday.
After a great, liberating meting with Kate and Steve, I found myself outside Remington Community Centre meeting the PCSO for the area Nigel. He was great and took me into the centre. Within about 2 minutes of being inside, after a short discussion with Lesley from the centre, whom I had just met, I was offered the use of a space (free!) for the 2 days I want to work with young people. Fanatastic! As an aside, I also ended up volunteering for the management committee for the centre but that's great too. I want to be involved in Parson Cross for a long time.

Then on for tea with the vicar at St Paul's Church! Ian is defintely someone who gets himself out into the community. After savouring some of his collection of paintings - which were very interesting - we had a good chat about the project and he gave me some very good contacts which I am currently following up.

I''d like to be working on the project the whole time but alas my day job gets in the way.
I'll post again soon with an update....
Paul