My upcoming events at the Centre for Contemporary Art (Glasgow)

The 2HB Launch for vol 16 & 17 is today starting at 7:30

And also there will be a solo show by Cedric Tai and a solo show by John Nicol, July 5th

Things to explore while in Glasgow

Before I left Detroit I wrote a top ten list of unexpected places to see art.

Now that the end of our time in Scotland is coming (it's August 22nd) I chatted with artist/performer/ball of energy, Jamie Wardrop to come up with an ultimate list of things that one must do in Glasgow and what's worth seeking out. There is an emphasis on things that are free, but also kinds of immersion that would be similar to someone who lives in Glasgow.

In no particular order and no particular time frame:

1. The Glasgow Museum Resource Centre and their free tours everyday at 2:30, sometimes specialist tours...

2. GalGael in Govan, (but nearby the Ibrox subway station not the Govan one) and their weekly evening meal on Thursdays at 6.

3. Lawn bowling, I particularly enjoy the scenery of the one next to the Kelvingrove museum.

They don't even ask to see your proof of residence. 

4. Following someone to a random house party and losing track of time

I still have no idea where I was that night, but it was great!

5. Trongate 103, (Sharmanka, Transmission, Project Ability and the Print Studios are all located there)

Kinetic Theater by Eduard Bersudsky

6. The Glasgow School of Art*

7. Find a music gig... could be in a bar, a flat, a studio, a warehouse, a poetry club, opera house, no matter where you find it, a lot of the music is damn good.

This is at the Bothy at the Hidden Gardens nearby the Glue Factory

8. Seeing a nice high view from the Lighthouse* (also has an exhibition space inside)

9. Hang out in an alley (the location of Douglas Gordon's EMPIRE sign, stereo*/the old hairdressers)

10. Find a favorite view on one of the 6? hills (my selection would be the Necropolis, the Hen run in the Mackintosh building, the stairwell from the JD Kelly, and I've heard there's a good lookout point from a hill in Queens Park on the Southshide, Govanhill)

11. Get sweaty from dancing at the Sub Club or the Arches

12. Being hungover in Kelvingrove Park

You may also find yourself munching on a lot crisps or candy... no regrets, only vague cheese memories 

13. The trail along the river towards the Botanics maybe have a nice cup of tea on the way from Tchai-Ovna

I probably should've used a picture of one of the arches, but you'll see them... So here's some dogs!

14. Take a bus up to Loch Lomond and go hill walking (maybe from Luss)



15. The Barras, People's Palace, Winter Garden, Glasgow Green

16. Tour something underground (underneath the Citizen's theater where old stage sets are, the disused railway tunnels)

17. One of the usual free museums: Kelvingrove, The Burrell Collection, Transport Museum

18. Galleries: CCA, Mary Mary/Kendall Koppe, SWG3, Common Guild, Tramway, Studio 41, Glasgow Sculpture Studios/The Glue Factory, GOMA, Modern Institute, David Dale  (http://g.gridartmap.com/)

Richard Wright's wall installation through the large window of the Modern Institute

19. Mono - Good Press - monorail (record shop/buy local zines and press/home-brewed beer and soda)



20. Rediscover the Southside (there may be too much to write in here because things will probably just keep popping up, but there are plenty of gems from Glad Cafe to the Grand Ol Opry) Checking out the really big mansions in Pollockshields on the way to House for an Art Lover*

An image of all the posters/postcards from past shows at the Southside Studios

20. See a play or performance or be part of an experiential work at the Tramway, Citizens Theater, the Tron, or do Play and a Pint



21. Attending an event that happens only once a year and is almost a secret 

- Installations throughout the Brunswick Hotel
- Undergraduate Degree Show at the Glasgow School of Art* (the secret is that a lot of people come to just see the Mackintosh building, but they won't be able to access any studios, if people plan it right, they can see almost everything AND all the work of the students, MFA and M. Litt included)
- Insider festival, camping, music, sells out fast
 - Glasgow Open Day (Unbelievable access all over for example you can the old sets below the Citizen's Theater where you can see old sets and the clyde that's coming up from below you) 

* means that somehow Charles Rennie Mackintosh is involved.





Also there's these tours (I went because it was affiliated with someone from the Couchsurfing community):
The very popular FREE Ghosts and Mysteries of Glasgow walking tours begin a New Season of FREE tours on Sunday July 7th @ 7pm from outside Cafe Nero on St.Enoch Square. Evening tours will be Sunday,Monday and Wednesday and AFTERNOON tours will be Tuesday and Thursday @ 2pm.

As stated all tours are FREE but places must be booked in advance. This can be done by texting the Tour day and the number of places you require to 07950 947239.You will receive a confirmation text in return.

Although Tours are Free it would be nice if you tipped the Guide as all money raised will be donated to local kids projects..
Thanks in advance for your support and PLEASE pass this info on to all your friends.

My Kresge predictions... haven't heard a thing from over here yet!

categories may not be mutually exclusive...

1 Photographer

1 Abstract Painter

1 Graem Whyte

1 Ben Hall

1 Addie Langford

3 minorities

3 more people related to Cranbrook

2 people who have created community art projects

2 people who either used the skills of John Rowland or Tim Thayer

1 person connected to Susanne Hilberry

1 person who hasn't lived in Detroit longer than three years

The Hinterlands?

A video artist?

Judy Pfaff has a house somewhere in Southeast Michigan and figured out that she could apply?

Those are my guesses...

An "aye" in the storm

I'm in one of those moments where I have a rare moment of clarity (like the eye of a storm), where I'm still in the middle of writing a dissertation, planning for the most important exhibition of our MFA program and at the same time trying to figure out how to not bring any of the stress home and to give myself as much time to reflect on everything as I can, so this is me taking a break to take stock on everything that is going on...

But before I get into it I just have one thing to say: I can't believe that graduate school is about disciplining the self while deconstructing everything you've ever held dear AND trying to enjoy things and finding clarity at the same time so that you don't just go crazy.

0. Got back from spending a week in the Scottish highlands, for me vacation is still the key to productivity... Just like how I procrastinate artistically...

1. Still continuing my dissertation of "list-based artworks" as they relate to the development of art, absurdity, positive psychology, the placebo effect, and my own relationship to them.

2. I have three works in the pipelines for the degree show on June 5th which all involve taking on the role of the jester, poking fun at some art trends in Glasgow but also playing with the expectations we have now of site-specific installations, performance/interactivity and pedagogy-based artwork.

One of my projects is very involved and quite fragile at the moment, I've just realized that the bulk of the content of one particular work has a lot to do with thinking about what people of my generation do in terms of transitioning from higher education (and specifically volunteering) to work. If education is meant to prepare us for careers, why are so many of us having to sometimes create our own internships and volunteer positions? Detroit has a lot of people who are creating their own opportunities due to the inability of businesses to adapt to the kinds of meaningful jobs that they are seeking. So many of us are footing the bill for our own chance at being creative and productive, and the other side of that are institutions that demand proposals which only allow for calculated risks and to reproduce their values through their sanctioning of particular artistic labor.

 Sneak Preview!

4. Thinking about the transition to Detroit and how I want to be involved more with creative writing, and maybe producing some kind of tangible publication from a year of online discussions... Currently I'm most inspired by this lecture that is from a year ago online by Claire Bishop: https://vimeo.com/24193060

Through all of this I learned about a very interesting mayor: http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/03.11/01-mockus.html.

5. I may be involved sometime this month with planning a publication that will include my AnyonesIdea.com site and my absurd suggestion boxes. (I don't think I've told many people about this project yet... it's all still in the works)

6. I tested out a project during a critique wherein a visitor can receive a free work of art through an office copy machine, but in order to receive it the visitor must first contribute something to be copied and press the copy button. Once pressed not only will their image feed back into the machine, but their contribution will overlays the artwork that they are to also receive. This is something I'll probably try to do in Detroit when I get back, although it involves finding someone to help me alter a Xerox machine so that it can function the way I want...

7. Planning to begin applying for residencies etc, at least 3 applications a month once I actually graduate...

8. Downloading as many articles from October, JStor and other journals as I can while I still have access to them as a student and sharing them with everyone back in Detroit...

9. I'm realizing that if I want to keep challenging myself with my current interests I'll have to learn another language...

For experimental practices I'll need to learn dutch, 

for conceptualising and theorizing about art I'll need to learn german, 

for being part of where the art world is looking right now I'll need to learn portuguese. 

for understanding more about my own roots I'll need to learn chinese and tagalog,

and I only have a rudimentary understanding currently of Spanish... Which really... who am I kidding, I need to take classes again.

10. Still working on my list of 365 movies that are worth watching more than three times.

See my progress here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ACr55W4pjIDWDosR4RpHRseWSSLKYuybBsRh2chSf4o/edit?usp=sharing

11. I have a big secret project with... to culminate in a ... in ..., I'm very excited and yet I have no time to think about it fully.

12. I'll be putting online videos and documentation of 3 different projects (Equilibrium, Night Bus,  probably at the end of June as well as considering a complete overhaul of my website as it is so that it can better describe where my practice is heading... or just have Re:View be my only website...

Ok, back to work...

Thoughts on collecting art

Thinking about the art and economy based discussions in Glasgow and seeing an article on buying art in Detroit, I feel like there is a funny conflict in how I love cities with almost non-existent commercial districts, and yet I like all the people who run commercial galleries in Detroit.

Just think of the difference between Park West Gallery and Susanne Hilberry...

I like that I have ways to support my art practice, but I'm conflicted when I think about a culture of accumulation or even the idea of that era when Bush recommended that Americans shop more to support their country after September 11th.

Maybe the purchasing of artwork needs to be considered an investment in a living person than in a finished work of art?

I would like to put forward different ways and reasons for starting an art collection:

- Support the artists you appreciate. (And this also means for artists, help people figure out how to support you.) (And for those who are buying work, support is anything that helps artists to continue to make the best work possible, do you own a truck for example...)

- Buy friends' work so that they can see it when they like and barters and exchanges are always an option. Do  you have a work of art of theirs already, but another friend loves them too? Buy your friends art for your other friend!

- If you want to be able to afford the work, buy it without a frame, and when you get the money to finally frame it, bring it to someone who actually knows what they're doing, like John Rowland. I think that people get overcharged by cheap framers, someone should do an exposé on this! And on that note, we're in 2013, how come students can't rent expensive frames like tuxedos? The technology has to exist.

- Sometimes the best art in Michigan is outsider art. I met a guy in San Antonio who was raving about the outsider art from all around Michigan, he was saying that this one gallery in Chicago sells these wonderful pornographic birdhouses for hundreds of dollars, but if you just visit the chap at his home, you could get one for about five dollars! I also lived door next to this guy Pavel Olbrot, and I love all of his work too!

- If you have ever bought someone's work, let the artist know! You don't have to give them your address or contact information, it's just that one would be surprised how often artists don't know where their art goes. I love seeing my artwork in people's homes (Dan and Duke), it makes me feel like the work actually does something for someone and the work regains a kind of energy in someone else's space. I would also love if more artists were taken to dinner in the collector's home to see their work installed in exchange for a studio visit.

For everything else one would need to know see the movie Herb and Dorothy.

Also I would be almost interested in an article about the history of art collectors in Michigan and how they supported artists and how they formed their captivating collections, i.e. artist letters to James Pearson Duffy, when is a piece just the right amount of obsessive compulsive for the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Collection, how was it decided what gets to stay in Detroit from the Gilbert and Lila Silverman fluxus Collection...

-- -- -- --

I was going to go into all of the interesting conversations surrounding the Art & Economy conversations around Stills in Edinburgh, CCA, Transmission and at the GSA but I'll leave you with some of the tidbits that got all of our minds reeling:

Should people have to pay for attending art events the same way one would pay for entertainment such as paying 9 pounds to see a movie, and paying 9 pounds to attend a forum? (This was mentioned because the idea of something being offered for free will always have strings or ideologies attached)

Should artists critique the proposal process when applying for funding? Does it change if it's public funding? (This was mentioned because of the idea that perhaps artists aren't trusted enough to do their work, but also the best works aren't usually commissioned, because the process is much more indirect.)

I'd love to know what are your favorite gems from your own art collection (some of my best paintings I've sold to my parents and by sold I mean to pay back debt) or your thoughts on the two questions above.