Ok so I saw this amazing bambi sculpture (below) by Frederique Morrel in a magazine the other day and it took me back to the days when i was working full time on my exhibition (2007), knitting away at stag's heads (above) and guns and sewing up wall hangings and doing all sorts of lovely creative things *sigh*. And well it got me thinking about how funny it is when you think you are being totally original in creating something, when in fact 50 other people have already done it before you and have also actually done it far better than you anyway.
Spot the Difference:
I'd like to think that if we met in real life we'd all be friends.
I actually wrote an email to Rachel Denny after discovering she was knitting animal's heads. I think she was worried I was going to rock up to her house in the States single white female style with a bunch of sharp knitting needles and a crazy look in my eye. But I like to think of artists who are doing similar work to you as being kindred spirits (and possible friends in the making). That's why I was STOKED when Cream published my stag's head next to work by Michel Gondry, the Cocteau Twins and Rene Magritte. Ah yep. One day Michel, one day we'll be best friends. You just don't even know it yet.
Yo Sian, I just thought i'd let you know that (if it helps) I too have emailed artists and musicians out of the blue because I thought we shared similar styles/work/names/whatever.
ReplyDeleteUsually they reply politely, and i'm flattered, but then... i dont know what to do after that. Anything else seems stalker-ish like you said! Maybe I should print out the emails as an art piece in itself? haha.
PS. did you sell all of those knitted works? I really wanted to buy one... perhaps i'll commission one when i'm rolling in cashola.
haha, that's the way to do it Steve, turn that pain into art. I think that it's such a brave thing to do though! You never know what could come of it... Besides a possible restraining order.
ReplyDeleteAnd you don't have to be rolling in cashola to get a knitted piece out of me. You just need to make me some cool shoes! It could be a swap! (I'm serious. Let's talk business soon. And when I say business I actually just mean a lunch where we get to drink aloooot of wine. no but really lets do it.)