ROSES HARDWARE - 43 Margetson Crescent, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. S5 9ND
At the above address on Wednesday last week, Steve and I hung the Rose Wallpaper for Kath at Roses Hardware! Cheap gag maybe, but you know what- Kath was happy, most of the customers were happy and Steve and I felt really happy and you know what we hung it ourselves! As an artwork its great, viewed by innumerable people, liked by its owner, truly collaborative, site responsive, purposeful and aesthetically pleasing - what more could you want?????? [Im hoping steves going to add some photos]
We spent from about 11 there, eating lunch from Erics, staying until about 4.30. We were, well i was a bit grumpy, Steve said he had post Venice malaize. Never the less we got started and within minutes i felt better. It was a really enjoyable day, we met really nice friendly people and their dogs, had a laugh, talked of gossip and enjoyed Kath's company and cups of tea. We took some film of the day and in the spirit of - "we dont know what to do with it but if we dont shoot it we wont have it". Lets hope it looks ok!. We managed to cover 3 large section of walls above the shelves. It looked particulary good against the balls of wool Kath sells. I hope the air bubbles have gone by now.
Its been interesting talking about this project to those who don't know what we've been doing. Exploring the question of purposeful art, notions of generosity/value and the role of practice. I suppose i thought about it the other day and wondered whats the difference between this and philanthropy. When i write it, it makes me sound a bit to do gooding, but its a serious question. If as steve and I have done, is give away large proportions of our fee to other artists, have work made at local businesses and provide community members with useful 'artworks' then the work as a whole is of course made greater by the sum of its parts. i feel like we've tried to ask whats possible through a practice within a social setting and along the way offered others opportunities to be nourished by the arts.
Im going to go away and think about the talk we re doing for the symposium day on the 13th dec at Knutton road - see link
http://artspace.org.uk/blog/permalink/2011-11/symposium-event-art-practice-in-a-social-context
Philanthropy? Was it not public money that paid for this 'art' project on Parson Cross? The paintings on the metal shutters approved by traders who soon after moved out, leaving new retailers to deal with the shutters advertising things not relevant to their trade? The wallpaper in the hardware shop that was also very soon vacated and its inside gutted by a new trader(the shutters were either cleaned or replaced)! However, Yorkshire Artspace has left a lasting legacy here in the form of Ania Bas's book 'I love Parson Cross' which draws a terrible picture of its people despite the patronising title. Yorkshire Artspace will be judged by its condoning of this piece of work which included the shocking verse 'Rotting Heads on Parson Cross' (animated version can be found on u tube). What does this type of work say about the people involved with it and would any of the many talented people on Parson Cross sink to such depths in the name of art? I doubt it!!!!
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