Art in the Community at Oxfam , March 2008

by technomist @ 2008-03-13 - 16:32:41

Some installations in Oxfam's window somewhat pretentiously self-entitled 'An Exhibition About The Possibilities of Art in the Community', are currently on view to the public at the junction of the High Street with St. James's Street.

These consist of 6, (possibly 7 if you include the one to the bottom left hand corner which does not seem to have been put up), pieces of frame and wire covered in canvas. These have some designs on them. Protruding from the oeuvres are some flexes with 13amp plugs attached. These are not plugged in. I gather from the sign which accompanies the works that these are supposed to be 'Illuminated Paintings'. Unfortunately, they were not connected to the juice when I stood to admire them, so I am not in a position to comment on how well these pieces work as fancy wall lamps.

Mónica Capelastegui, Dalilah Damoo and Sofia Brown are credited in Oxfam's window with having created these installations. This seems a little unfair to Des Whelan, who is not being credited,as he is on their website, as being one of their 'helpers', though Sofia is. At Oxfam she has been promoted to artist.

The artwork is claimed to be the 'original concept' of Walthamstow artist Mónica. If painting a lampshade can be described as an original concept, then this is not her original concept. There are factories full of people doing this in China, and have been for centuries. If the original concept is to explore the possibilities of Art in the Community, I am sure this has been done by many people. If it is to do so by providing 'illuminated paintings' but neglecting to turn on the illuminations, I can see that there is a statement of a sort being made here, especially as the website describes them as 'economical to run'.

(Since I wrote the above the seventh item is now on display, but unfortunately the electricity supply difficulty persists.)

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jenray ^pro
http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
2008-03-13 @ 17:43

Sometimes, I feel like tearing my hair out now at what is defined as art nowadays...I've discreetly withdrawn to lick my wounds at not being able to show my work anywhere now, but also because I simply cannot be bothered to jump through all the hoops now to get shown, nor do I want to have to pay through the nose either to get displayed, which is another way of doing it...like self-publishing for writing in the past...now you can do it for nothing...but this is new...at least I can put my work on the Net but only get traffic when something new goes on it, and as I don't add anything to it now, not many people go to it anymore...LOL...c'est la vie...had my day...big hugs...

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technomist [Member]
2008-03-13 @ 17:57

I quite like your work, not that my opinion is worth much.

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jenray ^pro
http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
2008-03-13 @ 18:04

Thanks, techno...pity the gallery owners don't as well...big hugs...

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technomist [Member]
2008-03-13 @ 18:27

I have never quite understood the position of gallery owners. Are they agents, or do they sometimes buy the works? How does the cost of promoting an exhibition get worked out and who pays for it/does the work?

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jenray ^pro
http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
2008-03-13 @ 21:23

If a gallery owner likes your work, they can invite you to exhibit and any sales they take a percentage...mostly 50%, but can be up to 60%, which I think is disgraceful...but no gallery, no exhibition...you also pay for the opening evening sometimes and any food and wine bought for it...the other way is you hire a gallery for a week for anything from £100 to several hundred pounds for a week - I think it's probably a lot higher now, those prices were over ten years ago - and just hope you make a sale, because if you don't, you're out of pocket all round...you definitely have to cover every cost yourself like publicity, the opening party and anything else that turns up...then it's only a week and, if you don't know that many people, you have to just hope people are going to come and so many people come, say they love your work, but can't afford it...and I can understand that well enough, but if you're going to sell, people have got to believe your work is going to increase in value and if you have no name, you can't charge much so you'll lose money...my closest friend is an artist and a brilliant one...she gets regular exhibits, and sells well, but she hasn't made a profit after she taken all her expenditure on materials out and the percentage the gallery takes...and she's in the USA where I'm told I'd have no trouble exhibiting...on those grounds I'd be just as poor there as I am here...HLOL...big hugs...

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technomist [Member]
2008-03-13 @ 21:51

Wouldn't it be better for a group of artists to take an interest in a gallery and pay a publicist/salesman on commission?

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jenray ^pro
http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
2008-03-13 @ 22:41

probably but I don't know any artists now...and those I have known don't usually do work like mine...they do their own thing and I can't say the artistic community is full of people who help each other...most are looking after number one and that's it...really is tedious to say the least... Glad I'm rid of all that now...I've lost the desire to have my work shown now...it's just too much stress and bother...I did try when I came down here, and people came and saw my work, said they were most impressed and I never saw or heard from them again...I put myself on the register for local artists and also never heard anything from that facility again... Told you, I'm invisible...I'm allowed to show in the disabled artists' galleries but not in the able bodied galleries...and I won't do that..it's too frigging humiliating...big hugs...

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technomist [Member]
2008-03-13 @ 23:16

I can't fathom how showing work as good as yours could be humiliating.

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jenray ^pro
http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
2008-03-14 @ 00:09

no, it appears my work can only be shown in a gallery specifically for disabled artists, as it's obvious when you meet me that I have a physical deformity, most able bodied people classify me as a disabled artist...the problem with a gallery for disabled artists is that mostly disabled people go to them and their work is mainly centred on their disabilities and my art work isn't so I'm different there as well...that's the humiliation that disabled artists have to be shoved into their own galleries as if their art isn't the same as that of an able bodied artist...and I can't and won't accept that there's a difference...hope that's clear now...and thank you for your compliment...just wish the art world saw my work as worth showing...LOL...big hugs...

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rubychoo [Member]
2008-03-18 @ 01:34

Jeeez Jen !

As a teacher I invited disabled artists into schools as residents for a week and we were given a loo to work from !

Boy's loo at that.

Particularly eeeew.

How we larfed !

(Well, we did.........in the pub for most of the time).

I'll have a look on your site for your work.

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jenray ^pro
http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
2008-03-18 @ 11:03

Not surprised...there's so little respect for disabled artist's work, though I must admit they annoy the hell out of me for constantly using their art to bring what being disabled is like to the general public, who quite frankly simply aren't interested...only people who know somebody who is disabled or have a close relative would bother to go to the exhibitions of disabled artist's work...I make myself very unpopular amongst the disabled because of this attitude...I think if you can paint or draw or sculpt then for heaven's sake do it but not one damn subject...namely 'look at me, this is what I have to put up with'...until a few years ago, I'd not done one personal painting of my disability...when I did, I was told it was amongst my best work by a disabled art group!! I wanted to scream... Big hugs....

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skip2468 [Member]
2008-03-13 @ 23:22

What is one man's meat is another man's poison.

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technomist [Member]
2008-03-13 @ 23:26

Or in this case, woman's. The person I presume to be the man, Des, got no recognition for his efforts. Or maybe he asked for his name to be taken off the credits...

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Oxfam defender [Visitor]
http://www.artsclub.org.uk
2008-03-18 @ 10:34

Dear Technomist
I saw your comment about the Oxfam shop window display. I would just like to explain how the use of the windows for art came about. Artists were showing work in the windows during the last art trail and the very friendly shop manager kindly offered the window to local artists to show their work. Seeing that I live across the road from the shop, I offered to be the person to schedule slots and take any extra work regarding the displays away from the shop manager.
So thanks to her very friendly and open-minded attitude, the windows are now a nice and in purpose completely unpretentious opportunity for local people to show their creativity. I can assure you that Ms Capelastegui didn't mean anything but to express that she enjoyed being creative, and especially being creative in a team, and to merely explain a littlebit about the lights (Ms Capelastegui would be the better person to expand on that if she likes, but I would say I can assure you that this is the case). Also I am sure that anyone who might have been part of that team without being mentioned in the windows will find it in them to give her a nudge in private if need be. The fact that the lights are not plugged in has a lot to do with the logistic limitations of being able to use the windows for local art for free. Oxfam shop staff and management are unbelievably friendly, nevertheless due to the amazing amount of sacks of new deliveries every day that get stored in front of the window entries and other factors, there is not much time or space for the artists to indulge the hanging or experiment with hanging mechanisms which explains why pieces might occasionnally come off no matter how carefully applied. At the end of the day, this is not a Kensington Gallery, it's a little window space in a local Oxfam shop... However gratefully used.
All in all, I was a bit sad that the focus is on things to be picked on rather than noticing a nice creative use of the windows even if not every display might be to everyone's liking. This often seems to happen.
If you or anyone else has got work that they would enjoy displaying in the windows, it would be nice to add you/them onto the Oxfam window list for a future exhibition. I have advertised this little, ad hoc opportunity on the local arts club website notice board www.artsclub.org.uk but you can also email me directly, katjarosenberg@hotmail.com
The shop manager has got my address as well and gives it to enquiring artists.
Hope this is a littlebit helpful. Although it is always nice and helpful and refreshing to see things are taken in and people take the time to feed back.

All the best,

Kaja

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technomist [Member]
2008-03-18 @ 11:34

Kaja, thanks for your comments. In describing and commenting on anything, I can only review what I see. It may be that in different circumstances, the artwork would look different or evoke different responses. I do recall however that some artists, such as Valeria Bateson have been able to use the space very powerfully, notwithstanding its limitations.

I am well aware of the efforts which the staff at Oxfam make, and have made, over the years to help lift this small corner of Walthamstow. I probably go past their shop ten times a week and go in there regularly to buy books. I think the work you have been doing to bring art to public display here is tremendously important, and I must thank you for it. These displays really do get noticed- there were several other people who were looking at and discussing the installations last time I stopped by.

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Katja [Visitor]
http://www.artsclub.org.uk
2008-03-18 @ 15:56

Hello again Technomist, nice to read your reply, if there is anybody who you think would enjoy showing their creativity in the space it would be nice if you advertised the opportunity. No grumpy sods who moan a lot about lack of artistic opportunity though please : ) Life's far too short.

Have a very nice day,

Katja

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Katja [Visitor]

2008-03-18 @ 18:41

PS And do ignore my grumpy sods comment!

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technomist [Member]
2008-03-18 @ 19:11

Are there a lot of them about? I have to admit I am not really plugged in to the local artistic scene, but I think I know what you mean about grumpiness. There should be a few takers for a spot outside Oxfam as long as people aren't too snobby. Not may artists get their work viewed by as many people who walk past these windows: there must be thousands on any Saturday.

I reckon if someone can make an impact there, given the other visual and aural distractions they are competing against, then an artist should be able to make an impact anywhere.

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Katja [Visitor]

2008-03-20 @ 12:02

Absolutely : )
The art trail among other things proves that e17 is full of proactive creative people.

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