My Art Journey
My Art Journey
Biography
I was born and raised in Nottingham, United Kingdom and first became interested in the arts through my Grandad, Eddie, who was a carpenter. He made me and my sister a rocking horse when we were born and through that I fell in love with all things crafty. I am currently studying for a Fine Art Foundation Degree at Nottingham College and the subjects I gravitate towards the most are old, pre-loved objects, most notably dolls. Although through my A levels I predominantly used paints and pencils for my media, I am experimenting with different materials through my foundation course such as paper and clay.
Statement
During my journey, I have found certain medias I prefer over others. I started during GCSEs and A levels by only using acrylic paints and pencils, but just over my first year at Nottingham College I have made paper sculptures, screen prints, charcoal drawings, ceramic sculptures and spray paintings. Through this, the only media I did not enjoy were the spray paints. I particularly enjoyed ceramics however, it enabled me to physically work with my hands, and I didn't have to think about making every line and detail perfect, as the whole process around clay is almost haphazard. Once fired, they piece is smaller due to shrinkage, but you never quite know how much smaller (without a lot of complicated maths), or wether or not they will even survive the kiln, and not shatter. This element of uncertainty was very engaging to me, it allowed me to not stress over every detail and just make as many pieces as I could, knowing that they could break. It helped me get out of my head and just make art. This is what I enjoy most of all anyway, making art. It's the reason I enrolled on this course and the reason I keep doing it even when I'm stressed.
Throughout my journey in the art world, I want to continue my efforts to explore new medias and techniques, and not be held back by the 'what if's'. During the next few years I hope to hone my skills, and find a path that best suits me, wether that be physically making art, working in galleries, or both.
Artist Opportunities
Looking for jobs in the art world is hard, and ever changing. Unlike other professions, artistic jobs aren't always guaranteed, and you have to look at the exact right time or you will miss something, employers often only employ artists for a specific task or time frame. This means that any jobs I may find available now most likely will be gone by the time I need them, or am qualified for. Nevertheless, I have researched a few so that I can start to understand the process, for when I do need to look.
Wakehurst Summer Festival 2023
This offer is for up to 8 artists to work with RBG Kew Staff to design and create artistic installations for the outdoor summer festival with a budget of 130k.
They are looking for artists of all disciplines to help them make the 'invisible visible'. They are wanting artists to produce a piece which brings life to at least one of the following;
The dynamic nature of carbon
Reforestation
Genomic resources for health Ash Trees
The 'wood wide web': Myocorrhizal fungi and trees
Cultural identity and wellbeing
This opportunity is great for artists who want to convey very literal messages through their work, and inspire conversation. By doing something like this, you are not only putting yourselves on the map, but also sharing a message of sustainability and evolution.
Stanley Picker Fellowship in Design and Fine Art
This offer is a little different from the last, instead of a contracted job, a fellowship is a funding award given to subsidise the cost of education. Some fellowships simply cover the cost of an education, however some also fund scholarly activities outside of the classroom, such as trips, projects and shows.
The fellowships at Stanley Picker provides unto £16000 and access to the material workshops, technical resources and expertise within Kingston School of Art and the wider University departments. This means that you could acquire further education in the arts, whilst having access to resources that would normally be inaccessible, and therefore a brilliant opportunity.
TOMA (The Other MA)
The TOMA is an 18 month artist run education model which supports artists who have faced barriers accessing art education and the 'art world'. TOMA was created in response to the hierarchies surrounding accessing higher education, and aim to eradicate obstacles such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender, geography and time. They also aim to help students face challenges such as lack of mental space to self-invest due to other life commitments which is often required when pursuing higher education.
This sort of organisation helps student get a 'leg up' onto the ladder of success. Everybody has to start at the bottom of the ladder in order to progress in the art world, except for some people, that first rung is just a little too high up. TOMA provides the extra, lower rung for people in order to help them start climbing. Its not a cheat in order to get ahead of other artists, it simply lets them start climbing.
A Peoples History of Petticoat Lane
This is a paid opportunity to create exhibitions, events and creative community happenings on Petticoat Lane ran by Toynbee Hall. Toynbee Hall works to tackle unfairness and inequality to create a fairer and happier East London, and use stories of reform from their history to inspire positive social change.
They are looking for local artists and creative people to help celebrate the culture and heritage of Petticoat Lane Market. Much of the local economy and cultural aspects is based around people commuting into the area for work, which often prices out local residents from cultural events happening locally and creates experiences that are neither enjoyed by or representative of the local community. To preserve and celebrate the area, Historic England have contributed £90000 towards the project to spend on events, activities and training that represents them, and what they value about the area.
These sorts of projects, whilst also providing a monetary value for the artists, also helps them engage in something they feel strongly about, the place they live in. These are the sorts of projects I admire, bringing light to issues they believe in, and what to change.
My Ambition in The Arts
To be honest, I'm not quite sure what my future in the arts will look like. There are so many disciplines out there, and not so many that appeal to me to do for an extended period of time. I think that my first step into this world would be to work / volunteer in a local gallery. This way I could get a deeper understanding of the arts, and learn how to effectively and efficiently insert myself into it. Past this however, I'm not so sure. I hope to figure this out as I develop both mentally and artistically, and learn what inspires me the most.
There is one job however that does interest me greatly. It combines two of my biggest interests, art and body modification, piercing. Most people view body piercers two ways, an unexperienced girl piercing children's ears, or big scary men with stretched earlobes and covered in tattoos. Although both this descriptions can be true for some, that's not always the case. Piercing is an art form, as well as learning the safe and sanitary procedures, one must also learn human anatomy, and most importantly, be creative.
Piercing ears with lots of piercings can be simple if you want it to be, but it can also be intricate and delicate. In order to have multiple piercings, and for them to actually look good, you need to pick out the best jewellery, pick the best placements, all to fit a unique ear. In this sense, piercing is incredibly artistic, just like when painting, you pick the best colour palette and placements in order for the final outcome to look beautiful, and one of a kind.
Art Law
There is many aspect of Art Law which I will need to become familiar with when I start my journey as a professional artist. I have written down a few key definitions and explanations of terms, but Art Law covers a lot more than what I can even begin to learn and understand right now. Throughout my journey I will have to look further in depths into art law, and what they mean for me.
Intellectual Copyright
Once a piece of art has been created, the artist is automatically the first owner of any copyright in it, without needing to register it. There are exceptions to this however, including literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works made by employees in the course of employment. For artistic works, copyright protection lasts for 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the author dies, or for work where the author is unknown (orphan work), 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made.
Unfortunately for paintings, sculptures and other artistic works, artwork can be exhibited in public without the copyright owners consent. They can also use copyrighted material with ought consent for the purpose of criticism and review, meaning your art can be printed without your consent in leaflets and museum catalogues.
Copyright protects the expression of ideas, rather than the idea itself, it protects your intellectual property.
Bailment
Bailment is the transfer of possession (not ownership) of artworks by the owner (the bailor) to another person (the bailee) for the artworks to be used for a specific purpose, on the condition that they are returned to the bailer under instruction, or kept until they reclaim them. The bailee does not have ownership, but has possession of them. The bailee has a duty to take care of the goods and return them in accordance with the terms expressed in the contract.
A bailment can happen when someone consigns an artwork to auction, lends to a museum, borrows money secured against an artwork, passes an artwork to a conservator for restoration, or passes an artwork to a transport or storage company.
Capital Gain's Tax (CGT)
A tax on the profit when an asset (artwork) is sold, or disposed of, that has increased in value. CGT is calculated on the gain or increase in value, rather than the sale price.
Conditional Exemption
Under the Conditional Exemption scheme, heritage assets (including artworks) that qualify are exempt from inheritance tax or CGT provided certain conditions are met, in order to protect them from being sold off privately. No inheritance tax is paid when an asset passes to a new owner on death or is gifted, as long as the new owner agrees to look after the item and allow the public 'reasonable access's it (at least 100 days a year, subject to the objects condition) and kept in the UK. If the criteria are not met, the exemption may be withdrawn.
Consignment
The transfer of property by an owner (the consigner) to an auction or gallery (the consignee) for sale.
Consignment Agreement
Sets out the terms agreed between the consigner and auction house, which may include for example;
Terms dealing with the minimum price the artwork may be offered for
The minimum net return price that the owner will receive from a sale
The commission due to the consignee
The minimum length of the consignment and how it may be terminated
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