Here’s a re-post from K.I.A. website 3.0 — it’s of an example of a week or so of what an artist does daily, as an FYI of a living artist’s life; it had thousands and thousands of views at the time:
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2016
For my own record, I kept a list of daily tasks this last few months. as I wrote proposals for grants, residencies, public art projects, and so on.
The enumeration of effort shown below was both to keep me on deadline, but also to relay what an artist does. A peek into the sausage factory.
Ironically, the more I proposed, the less art I actually made. (And I’ve been making, making, making my whole life.) You know why many institutional or academic shows come across as so visually uninteresting or uninspiring? A lot of research and explanation, not a lot of aesthetic experimentation. (The Didactic can actually be easier than the Decorative.) The text that accompanies these types of exhibitions would make a great article in a magazine or textbook, or as done as a lecture — insights into social justice, migration, colonialism, human behavior, data, finance, governments, 80’s records. But for the eyes it’s a big meh. And so many artists now looking backwards: Modernism; the archive; documentation of a collection, colonialism… tweaks or versions or revisions of the past, not looking forwards. (Perhaps because the work is arrived at analytically — with a thesis defense in mind — and not intuitively.)
The below doesn’t include regular-life stuff — like doing dishes, paying bills, etc.
There’s no poetry below: it’s a listicle, and probably typical. Also likely TL; DR. So gestalt the length, not the details.
Sunday - Monday previous week — Proposal for subway station public sculpture. Research and many trips to stations, looking at all the public art there already (mosaics, wall scullptures, etc etc and reading about the artist who got them, and what the budgets were, and the receoptions); going to 7 different stations, taking photos, thinking of ideas for each, including materials research on ceramics, cement casting, enamel tiles, etc. Multiple readings of the contracts and specifications; using 3D rendering program and photoshop to do idea sketches. Creating a single mockup in photoshop involves photo croping, color manipulation, FX (making a chair disappear), placing accurately images into other layers & looking proportionate and perspective correct, etc etc.; Sketchup involves creating 3D models, which means drawing models, making walls, etc Also, many images have to be edited — 50 paired down to 12, which means editing them, going back in files. CV has to be updated, statement rewritten for Call. Reading of questions to TTC. Getting ink for printer, proper photo paper, USB stick.
-photographing of work. posting of work on various social media.
-website: always tweaking: writing a newsy blog (“Art installed at collectors” ) photo editing, hashagging, then posting on Linkedin, FB, Twitter. (FB has my page and artist page.)
-maintaing website means changing pages, addling links to new/old ones, changing format, rewriting stuff
-going out to opening at PP re: artists reception, to network w//director & new curator
-email new curator
-party Fri at our place. Cleaning studio, lighting, installing works: new remixed sculpture (3 days); added 9 paper works to wall (unframed, magnet); brand new painting involved learning how to metal leaf (youtube videios), including archival concerns; buying materials (2 different art stores) and use of spray acrylic with them; also got real gold leaf to add to another painting, which involved more reasearch. Both paintings took about a week. Bought vitrine for chromed wood/web object; got booze, food. sent out first emails 3 weeks prior, sent follow up emails 3 days before
-found out did not get to second round of public art at ceramic museum. That proposal took 2 or three weeks (from writing, research, doing computer mockups and rearward tests — clay tests, getting, squeezing painting; laser cut tests (prepping files: 1 week), etc etc.
Sunday May 29
9:00 Social media to read art articles, etc. LinkedIn, Facebook. Tweak by changing images and commenting on posts released to art
10:30 re re-read artist call; see one sentence where they need reference for work; write email to 2 different reference asking to use them as reference, explaining what might be asked, etc.
11 am - 2 pm Photo edit — crop, size, brighten, place and format 18 images into pdf.
Monday
8:00 Social media — read relevant articles re: events (lectures, openings). Look at various critical articles (Canadian Art, Momus). Check google analytics to see how people found my website, what pages they looked at. Tweak my website, add information relevant to their searches.
9:00 Edit photos from portfolio for public art ttc. Rewrite final descriptions and details for each and relevance. Proofread bio, statement, 1 page proposal. Must edit down one more sentence to fit on one page. Must add image notations to paragraphs, which means more rewriting for size.
12-2:00. Final proofing of public sculpture proposals. Formatting for PDF, printing onto photo paper, prepping USB (deleting old files), making title page, signing contract, checklist,
2:00 Leave to drop off public sculpture proposal by subway.
3:15 drop off proposal at office, get receipt. Walk through main hall, seeing how the public art vinyl posters were suspended, what size, image use, how much would have cost.
4:00 google ‘public sculptures North York’ to investigate. Douglas Coupland’s work for large developer is another bus ride away, decide not to go. Walk around studying architecture,
5:00-6:00 research Call for collages for survey exhibition. Source negatives of images, research the space (location, history) and magazine released to exhibit. Track down the director’s name; write email w/history of the piece for inclusion, including jpeg that had to be cleaned up in Photoshop.
7:00 choose image to upload to Instagram (Mon. night best). Crop, brighten, etc. Send to IG and social media (FB, Twitter, Tumble) so add hashtags and carefully think of description. Send directly to certain VIPS on IG. “Like” various others, for “likes” momentum.
8:00-10:00 add tags, likes, etc to IG image, trying to get on radar of collectors, curators etc
10:00 researching google & FB about Artist Reception party at AGO for new Director. (wasn’t invited. trying to find out who was, and why, and if museum has a list of artists). Send messages to 2 people (one artist, one curator) asking how they got invited.
11:00 reading articles on Magenta, re: what artists written about & why; also technical information they impart re: concrete sculputre.
11:30 pm tagging instagram upload
Tues
6:30 to jot down idea for sculpture
645 read CBC article about arts funding
7:00 check social media see if any reactions to the work, who looked at. Research art collector in France.
7:15 write this journal as record, because no one will believe amount of work involved.
730 - jot down questions for AGO artist liaison re: database, curatorial interests, etc.
8:30 -10: 00 read article on ideas behind Object Oriented Ontology & various proponents of.
10 am - 3:3o pM. Researching grants — who is on juries; who has one, for what type of projects, Canada Council, Ontario Arts. Research OAC Chalmer’s project grant, d’load & read voluminous application, check support materials, qualifidicaitons,
4-530 walking outside break, thing kind
530 emails. Get email from AGO (after 3 years of NO responses to periodic updates) saying curator wants to set up studio visit. This occurred ONLY because I had posted on social media that AGO is very bad at artist outreach, and that the PowerPlant is much better. (In fact, 6 hours after that post i got an email from the curator saying will get her assistant to contact me.)
Wed
6:00-730 am wake up to email ideas re Chalmer approach, then start writing grant, researching costs of car chassis, 3d printing etc.
8:00 social media — events, posts, analytics, website tweaking, IG tweaking
8:30 research how to cut enginenin half youtube.. researching giant saw blades, etc.
9:15 check instagram, see that Roberta Smith, critic for NYT, ‘loved’ my turbine remix of sculpture on instgram in a direct message to me. So then post that on FB
930 continue researching saw blade slicing on youtube. watch many videos, at 2x speed to save time
10-1200 searching fabricating co.s toronto used airplane/car engines
12-2 phone calls: auto body shops, metal fabricators, scrap yards, airplane museum, canadian forces, all trying to find if can get: engines, car shells, if horizontal band saw cutting is done (of outside materials), also rental places, also workshop tool clubs
2-4 sketchup 3d modeling to determine how many chairs re: 3d printing for budget for chalmers
4 reading of social media discussion of artist fees vs. admin fees and links to CARFAC
430 phone calls re: metal fabricating breaking, and with water jet cutting of engine, costs, can be done, kern, etc.
530 exercise
nothing till 9pm (kid soccer, visit brother)
900 bit of social media — IG message a collector, read an article on FB re: art, not much
Thurs
715 get up to write Chalmers write till
10:15 call AGO talk to curatorial manager re: does AGO have a database of artists for curators to refer to?, etc. 20 minute call.
10:30: tweak website re: projects to clarify.
11:00 follow up email w/links to manager above.
11:30 calls re: pricing of water jet and laser cutting of metal, wood materials & sizes.
1230 messages w/curator artist re: institutional databases
1-2lunch
2 re-reading of chalmers guidelines and writing statement.
3:44 read article about Sobey shortlist; research jurors. Friend PEI museum curator on FB.
400 call think2thing for pricing. research types of prototyping, esp. Rapid Freeze, which uses water. Jot down idea to use as ice sculpture maker!
530 still researching. Maker organizations re: CNC, lasercut, 3d printings, programs needed, costs, equipments.
6pm out for kids soccer.
chill till 11
11:00 sketch 3d rendering fractal chair
1130 done
FRI
8 start writing outline for chalmers grant.
830 see IG & FB re: notices or info re: art world
845 writing chalmers
930 jot down idea re: etching/3d printing ice panels for under a skating rink ice.
11 calls to water jet & laser cut companies (3).
1130 tweak illustrator file, send to water jet co’s for quotes.
12 call 2 3d printing co. re: renting scanner; costs of scanning, printing, sizes, materials.
12 research costs of cowboy hats, vitrine fabricating, acrylic costs, costs of plastic or metal car or airplane models.
12-2 budget of chalmers re: costs of projects. calculate how thick metal would need if metal; costs of sheets, how much hat project, word wall project, 3d collage project, and 3d printed sculpture/painting costs, try to bring to reasonable (i.e. 1/4 size fractal chair, etc.) lots of calculations
1:55 jot down idea for laser cutting very thin metal sheets, complex layers, and chroming? electroplating?
2-2:45 lunch.
245 answering emails, glance at FB & IG etc re: messages. check out photos fro PowerBall party at PP I refused to pay $400 for. See someone checked out by CV/bio, probably TTC re: my proposal.
4:30 read Saltz critique about LA show, post comment leading back to site for some reason.
500 go outside.break till
11:00 jot ideas, only 15 minutes & quit
SAT
7:45 write down thougths/ideas re: chalmers that have dreamt
9:15 jot down idea of large laser cut detail works thin metal to be hung in view-through layers in a celestroy or ceiling. like the conduit canopy idea but more complex. Different views of heaven?
930 continuing chalmers; writing, rereading application
1145 break. in fact, give up.
SUN
930 write ideas re collage as digital way of thinking re: Chalmers profile.
1130 tired, break. nothing tis
200 research subway station art in sweden
230 stop, chill till
945 write some grant materials
MONDAY
8 am social media : instagram re: edit images, look at art; FB read relevant links re: art events, reviews, ;
9 start grant writing.
10 read info re: art director interview Liste alt art fair Swiz. artist chosen
1030 write till
230 then daughter dislocate knee hospital no work till
1030pm cut paste paragraphs grant proposal
Tues
8 am social media re: art events, posting
9 jot down ideas for laser cut complex suspended sculpture and grant writing ideas.
11 research re: remediable sculptures and 3d collage sculptures see if anyone using that term
12-1 eat, help aira
1-630: writing chalmers
Wed jun 8
8-830 social media reading
9-4 research & wrirint on grant parts 2 Goal. 20 min break at one to get daughter library book & some breaks in there to help her w/splint & knee pain etc
lunch bath chill break
8-11pm writing part 3 viability
(3am daughter up w/pain from knee)
(5 am daughter up w/bloody nose.)
Thurs
5 am email myself idea for institutional intervention at AGO
530 more ideas: sliced on rung sculpture for large atrium; matte cut outs image.
7:15 up.
830 social media and prepping writing. Write till 5. Go out because Z has clients.
730 while out post & multiple tag image of painting on IG. this always takes 1/2 hour
Fri
9 social media
930-5 writing grant.
Sat
745 social media
8 am grant. now workplan/budget stage.
Sunday
8-230 writing
go out w/aria
5-9 writing, researching prices, writing, budget.
Monday June 13
715 am grant proposal ; project description, work plan, budget, image importance, image choice & editing, forms filled out, signed, phone calls made re: cost of materials, space share, tools available, cnc, lsercut etc etc etc.proofreading, printing out, collating USB key
STRAIGHT THROUGH UNTIL; lunch eaten at computer, 2 pee breaks
11 pm (Yes, 14 hours straight)
Tues
8-1030 proofreading, fine tweaks, change some wording, prep USB and folder for printing
[1030-130 ]doctor daughter re knee
130-330 photocopying 11 sets, collating, numbering, stapling, of grant
330 - 430 ride up and drop off grant in person
Wed: break. when out to waterfront all day. Thurs
8-12, researching, reading new.
THURS
sporadic research & materials testing (dyes on canvas). not productive. social media crap.
6pm Go to AGO to meet new director talk., 2 hrs.
FRI
8-12 reasearching. burnt out so saw movie. 630 go to Diaz opening to facetime, then
1 try to add color to an artwork, decide against it, rehang works and prep canvas. go to Photographer party.
Sat
8-12 studying via internet info on public sculpture, then break 7 ish Social Media stuff re: Toronto Art History
Sunday
8-11am. fathers day. minor social media crap (instagram) but stayed away so only an hour or two of work
Monday 20
8 am -630 start researching for New Chapter grant. Ice skate building, painting; costs. phone calls to ice rink companies & specialists, lots of questions, pricing, possibilities (rooftops, abandoned buiildings, parking lots, temperatures, grading, refrigeration, naturalized, subfloor, first ice, refolding — also in this time researching technical means re: software due to seeing edmonton public art commission, so researching software, metals, laser cutting, NURBS vs. polygon programs, stainless steel fabricator outside toronto, etc etc. then back to writing grant, right up till. lots of phone calls and note taking and strategizings
Tues
8 am social media. then waste an hour reading MJ stuff
9 am start writing Bold canada council. Emails, phone calls to city re: use of space, costs, problems. at least 6 calls to different city people
10 am start reading more about public sculptures & Luminato disco ball sculpture similar to my panel pieces so investigate infrastructure & how made, find leads on metal fabricator in ontario who did it, investigate sites & technique for couple hours, write an inquiry email
12 get call from city guy, then write email & images re: skate painting idea then more CC grant
530 stop for a bit
8-10 read article in NYT about influential french gallery, try to track down emails of the directors, send off emails. all 3 returned, manage to find one other & sent off again.
Wed june 21
715 jot down idea for aluminum poured then crushed sculpture
800 watch videos see how christo floating piers were made & the described
815 social media reading of art articles, events upcoming
830 writing Canada council grant for Bold projects
11. waste time posting non-art stuff on social media. 1hour lost.
12-4 writing ice rink art idea.
4-5 talk to art fabricator, many questions re capabilities, techniques, costs, what projects done, can do, etc. write notes about.
5-630 write grant.
630-7 eat.
7-1030 write grant.
1030-40 write this daily task.
Thurs
8 am socia media article reading
9 writing Canada Council project grant re: skate able painting.
11 arrange studio paintings (hainging 3 large ones, drilling, etc.) moving many small works, etc for AGO curator meeting
4 read and email that didn’t get to next round of TTC public sculptures. thought had a good chance, but there’s another 3 weeks lost to writing a proposal. leave to go buy ink & USB for curator takeaway.
5 go to AGO see painting exhibit.
6 listen to podcast w/AGO curator going to meet tomorrow
7 eat dinner
8 compile images & ideas to make package for curator takeaway
12 midnight still compiling. stop to read article about new MOCA curator quitting after 8 mos. I think: “at least she can quit.”
FRI
730-10 — continue prep for curator visit. install version of NDF installation. Print out images & cv and ready USB for her takeaway files.
10-1230 curator visit, lead her through the works, history, ideas, future plans, putting me on the ‘call list’ for ideas, chat about the gallery & state or canadian art. great meeting, like the curator, who had an interesting insight (i was talking about my interest in parallel time… she mentioned that Land is a constant, even if Time is interleaved & how I shouldn’t shy away from that aspect that creeps in to my work — even tho i’m leery because its a canadian cliche. well said.) ask if she’s working on any new shows or putting together: she says all the shows are planned out for the next 2.5 to 3 years… and because of the new Director hire, there is a hiatus on new shows (the next one being a rehang of the collection.) so that means this curator wouldn’t even be doing a show for at least 5 years.
1:00 eat lunch, process the meeting. try to get motivated to write the Canada Council grant. Waste an hour. See an artist do something very close to an idea i’ve had for 2 decades — cut a car into sections. (mine is slicing.) hope he doesn’t do next step — interleaving cars & objects before i do. he cut a car into four quadrants. that’s all. Fuck. My idea is bigger , better, but don’t have money to do it.
3:00-5 start to at least reread/ edit some paragraphs. Write for couple hours. break for couple hours, have a meditation nap.
730 walk to PowerPlant opening. Point out public art on the way, look at how it was made, to my wife.
800-11:00 at the opening, networking w/the critics, curators, directors, collectors. excruciatingly hard, because of the power dynamic / imbalance. (if there is nothing to gain from you, the general feeling you get is “i don’t need to talk to you. why are you talking to me”. not helped by seeing art that is not inspiring — i.e. objects that look purchased, arranged on a plinth. cloth sculptures that don’t look to different form ikea garment bags. Drink some red wine. Get a face rash, probably from the wine, but just as likely from the people. (Diary note: very odd to have no prententions and just talk to people because they are people, not knowing their status in the art world or economically… but later feel that the huddled groups are all and only about that.)
Sat
10 write this daily task, trying to get the motivatin/discipline to write yet another fucking grant that takes weeks to do, research, write, etc. then months to find out you didn’t get it. Very very hard to do when tired, not making art because of grant/proposal declines and as try to go the ‘official’ route instead of my indie route, and see all these hours & efforts end up in zero advancement. yet, here i am, writing again. (insanity, doing the same thing over & over expecting different results, or determination? my head is bleeding, my skull is fractured, and that brick wall that its slamming against is showing no dents.)
1030 phone call to price out projector
11-1230 just cant do it. read on internet. listen to putin, of all things.
1230 try writing again
2 quit. try watching netflix. go to a hotel pool party at 530. talk to some people, explain to some woman why it’s alright to fund artists, not just engineers or doctors or scientists “who do so much for society”. try to explain that computers and tv came out of things like weaving and pointilism, but she’s the expert. talk to some other women who all love alpha males; try to explain that we’re all a bit of both, that a gardener could be an alpha (determined to be the best gardiner, disciplined, hardworking, etc.) or say a poet, but they say no if he’d do something else. jeebuz.
Sun jun 26
730-300 write CC grant re 17K size skate able painting. get a lot of good writing done. write this damn task thing at 9 pm. must finish writing tomorrow & do forms to put in grant for tues. go to cottage for 5 days on thurs; usually make art there but have no plans asof yet.
Mon
730 am - 730pm writing researching skating rink CC grant writing and filling out forms. Need to turn in tomorrow. Have to do budget & timeline & pdf tomorrow. Literally ready to give up. It’s now been 18 months of writing grants proposals for almost 20 different projects all which take 5 months to find out you didn't get. In the meantime i’ve nearly stopped making art… a couple tweaks on old paintings, but nothing new really in 6 months, nothing major for the last year. I can see why the people who do get grants seem to produce researchy shows that work better as an essay than as visual art…. because they dont’ actually make art they are too busy writing & researching.
11 pm try writing , just cant do it.
Tues
730-4. Grant writing, phone calls to city parks, quadcopter, crane rentals, also online research, an starting to get PDF for online submission to aether so writing writing wearing.
6-830 Hop on my bike and o to Mercer Union Gallery artist member mixer at 6. Meet artist, talk to co-director about biz of raising money, listen to artist talk, chat w/ex Director MOCA. Only about 30 people showed up… but was actually easier to talk to people.
Wed
8am 930 PM. 30 minutes for dinner, only break. write grant, finishing sections, rewriting others, going through 10 different essays making sure all match up, calling to confirm rental prices on weekly rates, projector possibilities, calling city hall again for permit information, researching more prices on web re: projector, then doing final budget, filling out form and doing detailed budget, adding all up, connecting prices, doing a per show/per all events costs… checking air b n b for rates in 5 cities, etc choosing, collating, formatting all images, writing about why each chosen, converting all docs to pdf, then start uploading, reread all guidelines, then after upload reread all submisisons, all covered. HIT SUBMIT. (now wait 5 months… )
Thurs
to cottage for ‘vacataion.’ will actually make art (painting or sculpture). 2016
For my own record, I kept a list of daily tasks this last few months. as I wrote proposals for grants, residencies, public art projects, and so on.
The enumeration of effort shown below was both to keep me on deadline, but also to relay what an artist does. A peek into the sausage factor.
Ironically, the more I proposed, the less art I actually made. (And I’ve been making, making, making my whole life.) You know why many institutional or academic shows come across as so visually uninteresting or uninspiring? A lot of research and explanation, not a lot of aesthetic experimentation. (The Didactic can actually be easier than the Decorative.) The text that accompanies these types of exhibitions would make a great article in a magazine or textbook, or as done as a lecture — insights into social justice, migration, colonialism, human behavior, data, finance, governments, 80’s records. But for the eyes it’s a big meh. And so many artists now looking backwards: Modernism; the archive; documentation of a collection, colonialism… tweaks or versions or revisions of the past, not looking forwards. (Perhaps because the work is arrived at analytically — with a thesis defense in mind — and not intuitively.)
The below doesn’t include regular-life stuff — like doing dishes, paying bills, etc.
There’s no poetry below: it’s a listicle, and probably typical. Also likely TL; DR. So gestalt the length, not the details.
Sunday - Monday previous week — Proposal for subway station public sculpture. Research and many trips to stations, looking at all the public art there already (mosaics, wall scullptures, etc etc and reading about the artist who got them, and what the budgets were, and the receoptions); going to 7 different stations, taking photos, thinking of ideas for each, including materials research on ceramics, cement casting, enamel tiles, etc. Multiple readings of the contracts and specifications; using 3D rendering program and photoshop to do idea sketches. Creating a single mockup in photoshop involves photo croping, color manipulation, FX (making a chair disappear), placing accurately images into other layers & looking proportionate and perspective correct, etc etc.; Sketchup involves creating 3D models, which means drawing models, making walls, etc Also, many images have to be edited — 50 paired down to 12, which means editing them, going back in files. CV has to be updated, statement rewritten for Call. Reading of questions to TTC. Getting ink for printer, proper photo paper, USB stick.
-photographing of work. posting of work on various social media.
-website: always tweaking: writing a newsy blog (“Art installed at collectors” ) photo editing, hashagging, then posting on Linkedin, FB, Twitter. (FB has my page and artist page.)
-maintaing website means changing pages, addling links to new/old ones, changing format, rewriting stuff
-going out to opening at PP re: artists reception, to network w//director & new curator
-email new curator
-party Fri at our place. Cleaning studio, lighting, installing works: new remixed sculpture (3 days); added 9 paper works to wall (unframed, magnet); brand new painting involved learning how to metal leaf (youtube videios), including archival concerns; buying materials (2 different art stores) and use of spray acrylic with them; also got real gold leaf to add to another painting, which involved more reasearch. Both paintings took about a week. Bought vitrine for chromed wood/web object; got booze, food. sent out first emails 3 weeks prior, sent follow up emails 3 days before
-found out did not get to second round of public art at ceramic museum. That proposal took 2 or three weeks (from writing, research, doing computer mockups and rearward tests — clay tests, getting, squeezing painting; laser cut tests (prepping files: 1 week), etc etc.
Sunday May 29
9:00 Social media to read art articles, etc. LinkedIn, Facebook. Tweak by changing images and commenting on posts released to art
10:30 re re-read artist call; see one sentence where they need reference for work; write email to 2 different reference asking to use them as reference, explaining what might be asked, etc.
11 am - 2 pm Photo edit — crop, size, brighten, place and format 18 images into pdf.
Monday
8:00 Social media — read relevant articles re: events (lectures, openings). Look at various critical articles (Canadian Art, Momus). Check google analytics to see how people found my website, what pages they looked at. Tweak my website, add information relevant to their searches.
9:00 Edit photos from portfolio for public art ttc. Rewrite final descriptions and details for each and relevance. Proofread bio, statement, 1 page proposal. Must edit down one more sentence to fit on one page. Must add image notations to paragraphs, which means more rewriting for size.
12-2:00. Final proofing of public sculpture proposals. Formatting for PDF, printing onto photo paper, prepping USB (deleting old files), making title page, signing contract, checklist,
2:00 Leave to drop off public sculpture proposal by subway.
3:15 drop off proposal at office, get receipt. Walk through main hall, seeing how the public art vinyl posters were suspended, what size, image use, how much would have cost.
4:00 google ‘public sculptures North York’ to investigate. Douglas Coupland’s work for large developer is another bus ride away, decide not to go. Walk around studying architecture,
5:00-6:00 research Call for collages for survey exhibition. Source negatives of images, research the space (location, history) and magazine released to exhibit. Track down the director’s name; write email w/history of the piece for inclusion, including jpeg that had to be cleaned up in Photoshop.
7:00 choose image to upload to Instagram (Mon. night best). Crop, brighten, etc. Send to IG and social media (FB, Twitter, Tumble) so add hashtags and carefully think of description. Send directly to certain VIPS on IG. “Like” various others, for “likes” momentum.
8:00-10:00 add tags, likes, etc to IG image, trying to get on radar of collectors, curators etc
10:00 researching google & FB about Artist Reception party at AGO for new Director. (wasn’t invited. trying to find out who was, and why, and if museum has a list of artists). Send messages to 2 people (one artist, one curator) asking how they got invited.
11:00 reading articles on Magenta, re: what artists written about & why; also technical information they impart re: concrete sculputre.
11:30 pm tagging instagram upload
Tues
6:30 to jot down idea for sculpture
645 read CBC article about arts funding
7:00 check social media see if any reactions to the work, who looked at. Research art collector in France.
7:15 write this journal as record, because no one will believe amount of work involved.
730 - jot down questions for AGO artist liaison re: database, curatorial interests, etc.
8:30 -10: 00 read article on ideas behind Object Oriented Ontology & various proponents of.
10 am - 3:3o pM. Researching grants — who is on juries; who has one, for what type of projects, Canada Council, Ontario Arts. Research OAC Chalmer’s project grant, d’load & read voluminous application, check support materials, qualifidicaitons,
4-530 walking outside break, thing kind
530 emails. Get email from AGO (after 3 years of NO responses to periodic updates) saying curator wants to set up studio visit. This occurred ONLY because I had posted on social media that AGO is very bad at artist outreach, and that the PowerPlant is much better. (In fact, 6 hours after that post i got an email from the curator saying will get her assistant to contact me.)
Wed
6:00-730 am wake up to email ideas re Chalmer approach, then start writing grant, researching costs of car chassis, 3d printing etc.
8:00 social media — events, posts, analytics, website tweaking, IG tweaking
8:30 research how to cut enginenin half youtube.. researching giant saw blades, etc.
9:15 check instagram, see that Roberta Smith, critic for NYT, ‘loved’ my turbine remix of sculpture on instgram in a direct message to me. So then post that on FB
930 continue researching saw blade slicing on youtube. watch many videos, at 2x speed to save time
10-1200 searching fabricating co.s toronto used airplane/car engines
12-2 phone calls: auto body shops, metal fabricators, scrap yards, airplane museum, canadian forces, all trying to find if can get: engines, car shells, if horizontal band saw cutting is done (of outside materials), also rental places, also workshop tool clubs
2-4 sketchup 3d modeling to determine how many chairs re: 3d printing for budget for chalmers
4 reading of social media discussion of artist fees vs. admin fees and links to CARFAC
430 phone calls re: metal fabricating breaking, and with water jet cutting of engine, costs, can be done, kern, etc.
530 exercise
nothing till 9pm (kid soccer, visit brother)
900 bit of social media — IG message a collector, read an article on FB re: art, not much
Thurs
715 get up to write Chalmers write till
10:15 call AGO talk to curatorial manager re: does AGO have a database of artists for curators to refer to?, etc. 20 minute call.
10:30: tweak website re: projects to clarify.
11:00 follow up email w/links to manager above.
11:30 calls re: pricing of water jet and laser cutting of metal, wood materials & sizes.
1230 messages w/curator artist re: institutional databases
1-2lunch
2 re-reading of chalmers guidelines and writing statement.
3:44 read article about Sobey shortlist; research jurors. Friend PEI museum curator on FB.
400 call think2thing for pricing. research types of prototyping, esp. Rapid Freeze, which uses water. Jot down idea to use as ice sculpture maker!
530 still researching. Maker organizations re: CNC, lasercut, 3d printings, programs needed, costs, equipments.
6pm out for kids soccer.
chill till 11
11:00 sketch 3d rendering fractal chair
1130 done
FRI
8 start writing outline for chalmers grant.
830 see IG & FB re: notices or info re: art world
845 writing chalmers
930 jot down idea re: etching/3d printing ice panels for under a skating rink ice.
11 calls to water jet & laser cut companies (3).
1130 tweak illustrator file, send to water jet co’s for quotes.
12 call 2 3d printing co. re: renting scanner; costs of scanning, printing, sizes, materials.
12 research costs of cowboy hats, vitrine fabricating, acrylic costs, costs of plastic or metal car or airplane models.
12-2 budget of chalmers re: costs of projects. calculate how thick metal would need if metal; costs of sheets, how much hat project, word wall project, 3d collage project, and 3d printed sculpture/painting costs, try to bring to reasonable (i.e. 1/4 size fractal chair, etc.) lots of calculations
1:55 jot down idea for laser cutting very thin metal sheets, complex layers, and chroming? electroplating?
2-2:45 lunch.
245 answering emails, glance at FB & IG etc re: messages. check out photos fro PowerBall party at PP I refused to pay $400 for. See someone checked out by CV/bio, probably TTC re: my proposal.
4:30 read Saltz critique about LA show, post comment leading back to site for some reason.
500 go outside.break till
11:00 jot ideas, only 15 minutes & quit
SAT
7:45 write down thougths/ideas re: chalmers that have dreamt
9:15 jot down idea of large laser cut detail works thin metal to be hung in view-through layers in a celestroy or ceiling. like the conduit canopy idea but more complex. Different views of heaven?
930 continuing chalmers; writing, rereading application
1145 break. in fact, give up.
SUN
930 write ideas re collage as digital way of thinking re: Chalmers profile.
1130 tired, break. nothing tis
200 research subway station art in sweden
230 stop, chill till
945 write some grant materials
MONDAY
8 am social media : instagram re: edit images, look at art; FB read relevant links re: art events, reviews, ;
9 start grant writing.
10 read info re: art director interview Liste alt art fair Swiz. artist chosen
1030 write till
230 then daughter dislocate knee hospital no work till
1030pm cut paste paragraphs grant proposal
Tues
8 am social media re: art events, posting
9 jot down ideas for laser cut complex suspended sculpture and grant writing ideas.
11 research re: remediable sculptures and 3d collage sculptures see if anyone using that term
12-1 eat, help aira
1-630: writing chalmers
Wed jun 8
8-830 social media reading
9-4 research & wrirint on grant parts 2 Goal. 20 min break at one to get daughter library book & some breaks in there to help her w/splint & knee pain etc
lunch bath chill break
8-11pm writing part 3 viability
(3am daughter up w/pain from knee)
(5 am daughter up w/bloody nose.)
Thurs
5 am email myself idea for institutional intervention at AGO
530 more ideas: sliced on rung sculpture for large atrium; matte cut outs image.
7:15 up.
830 social media and prepping writing. Write till 5. Go out because Z has clients.
730 while out post & multiple tag image of painting on IG. this always takes 1/2 hour
Fri
9 social media
930-5 writing grant.
Sat
745 social media
8 am grant. now workplan/budget stage.
Sunday
8-230 writing
go out w/aria
5-9 writing, researching prices, writing, budget.
Monday June 13
715 am grant proposal ; project description, work plan, budget, image importance, image choice & editing, forms filled out, signed, phone calls made re: cost of materials, space share, tools available, cnc, lsercut etc etc etc.proofreading, printing out, collating USB key
STRAIGHT THROUGH UNTIL; lunch eaten at computer, 2 pee breaks
11 pm (Yes, 14 hours straight)
Tues
8-1030 proofreading, fine tweaks, change some wording, prep USB and folder for printing
[1030-130 ]doctor daughter re knee
130-330 photocopying 11 sets, collating, numbering, stapling, of grant
330 - 430 ride up and drop off grant in person
Wed: break. when out to waterfront all day. Thurs
8-12, researching, reading new.
THURS
sporadic research & materials testing (dyes on canvas). not productive. social media crap.
6pm Go to AGO to meet new director talk., 2 hrs.
FRI
8-12 reasearching. burnt out so saw movie. 630 go to Diaz opening to facetime, then
1 try to add color to an artwork, decide against it, rehang works and prep canvas. go to Photographer party.
Sat
8-12 studying via internet info on public sculpture, then break 7 ish Social Media stuff re: Toronto Art History
Sunday
8-11am. fathers day. minor social media crap (instagram) but stayed away so only an hour or two of work
Monday 20
8 am -630 start researching for New Chapter grant. Ice skate building, painting; costs. phone calls to ice rink companies & specialists, lots of questions, pricing, possibilities (rooftops, abandoned buiildings, parking lots, temperatures, grading, refrigeration, naturalized, subfloor, first ice, refolding — also in this time researching technical means re: software due to seeing edmonton public art commission, so researching software, metals, laser cutting, NURBS vs. polygon programs, stainless steel fabricator outside toronto, etc etc. then back to writing grant, right up till. lots of phone calls and note taking and strategizings
Tues
8 am social media. then waste an hour reading MJ stuff
9 am start writing Bold canada council. Emails, phone calls to city re: use of space, costs, problems. at least 6 calls to different city people
10 am start reading more about public sculptures & Luminato disco ball sculpture similar to my panel pieces so investigate infrastructure & how made, find leads on metal fabricator in ontario who did it, investigate sites & technique for couple hours, write an inquiry email
12 get call from city guy, then write email & images re: skate painting idea then more CC grant
530 stop for a bit
8-10 read article in NYT about influential french gallery, try to track down emails of the directors, send off emails. all 3 returned, manage to find one other & sent off again.
Wed june 21
715 jot down idea for aluminum poured then crushed sculpture
800 watch videos see how christo floating piers were made & the described
815 social media reading of art articles, events upcoming
830 writing Canada council grant for Bold projects
11. waste time posting non-art stuff on social media. 1hour lost.
12-4 writing ice rink art idea.
4-5 talk to art fabricator, many questions re capabilities, techniques, costs, what projects done, can do, etc. write notes about.
5-630 write grant.
630-7 eat.
7-1030 write grant.
1030-40 write this daily task.
Thurs
8 am socia media article reading
9 writing Canada Council project grant re: skate able painting.
11 arrange studio paintings (hainging 3 large ones, drilling, etc.) moving many small works, etc for AGO curator meeting
4 read and email that didn’t get to next round of TTC public sculptures. thought had a good chance, but there’s another 3 weeks lost to writing a proposal. leave to go buy ink & USB for curator takeaway.
5 go to AGO see painting exhibit.
6 listen to podcast w/AGO curator going to meet tomorrow
7 eat dinner
8 compile images & ideas to make package for curator takeaway
12 midnight still compiling. stop to read article about new MOCA curator quitting after 8 mos. I think: “at least she can quit.”
FRI
730-10 — continue prep for curator visit. install version of NDF installation. Print out images & cv and ready USB for her takeaway files.
10-1230 curator visit, lead her through the works, history, ideas, future plans, putting me on the ‘call list’ for ideas, chat about the gallery & state or canadian art. great meeting, like the curator, who had an interesting insight (i was talking about my interest in parallel time… she mentioned that Land is a constant, even if Time is interleaved & how I shouldn’t shy away from that aspect that creeps in to my work — even tho i’m leery because its a canadian cliche. well said.) ask if she’s working on any new shows or putting together: she says all the shows are planned out for the next 2.5 to 3 years… and because of the new Director hire, there is a hiatus on new shows (the next one being a rehang of the collection.) so that means this curator wouldn’t even be doing a show for at least 5 years.
1:00 eat lunch, process the meeting. try to get motivated to write the Canada Council grant. Waste an hour. See an artist do something very close to an idea i’ve had for 2 decades — cut a car into sections. (mine is slicing.) hope he doesn’t do next step — interleaving cars & objects before i do. he cut a car into four quadrants. that’s all. Fuck. My idea is bigger , better, but don’t have money to do it.
3:00-5 start to at least reread/ edit some paragraphs. Write for couple hours. break for couple hours, have a meditation nap.
730 walk to PowerPlant opening. Point out public art on the way, look at how it was made, to my wife.
800-11:00 at the opening, networking w/the critics, curators, directors, collectors. excruciatingly hard, because of the power dynamic / imbalance. (if there is nothing to gain from you, the general feeling you get is “i don’t need to talk to you. why are you talking to me”. not helped by seeing art that is not inspiring — i.e. objects that look purchased, arranged on a plinth. cloth sculptures that don’t look to different form ikea garment bags. Drink some red wine. Get a face rash, probably from the wine, but just as likely from the people. (Diary note: very odd to have no prententions and just talk to people because they are people, not knowing their status in the art world or economically… but later feel that the huddled groups are all and only about that.)
Sat
10 write this daily task, trying to get the motivatin/discipline to write yet another fucking grant that takes weeks to do, research, write, etc. then months to find out you didn’t get it. Very very hard to do when tired, not making art because of grant/proposal declines and as try to go the ‘official’ route instead of my indie route, and see all these hours & efforts end up in zero advancement. yet, here i am, writing again. (insanity, doing the same thing over & over expecting different results, or determination? my head is bleeding, my skull is fractured, and that brick wall that its slamming against is showing no dents.)
1030 phone call to price out projector
11-1230 just cant do it. read on internet. listen to putin, of all things.
1230 try writing again
2 quit. try watching netflix. go to a hotel pool party at 530. talk to some people, explain to some woman why it’s alright to fund artists, not just engineers or doctors or scientists “who do so much for society”. try to explain that computers and tv came out of things like weaving and pointilism, but she’s the expert. talk to some other women who all love alpha males; try to explain that we’re all a bit of both, that a gardener could be an alpha (determined to be the best gardiner, disciplined, hardworking, etc.) or say a poet, but they say no if he’d do something else. jeebuz.
Sun jun 26
730-300 write CC grant re 17K size skate able painting. get a lot of good writing done. write this damn task thing at 9 pm. must finish writing tomorrow & do forms to put in grant for tues. go to cottage for 5 days on thurs; usually make art there but have no plans asof yet.
Mon
730 am - 730pm writing researching skating rink CC grant writing and filling out forms. Need to turn in tomorrow. Have to do budget & timeline & pdf tomorrow. Literally ready to give up. It’s now been 18 months of writing grants proposals for almost 20 different projects all which take 5 months to find out you didn't get. In the meantime i’ve nearly stopped making art… a couple tweaks on old paintings, but nothing new really in 6 months, nothing major for the last year. I can see why the people who do get grants seem to produce researchy shows that work better as an essay than as visual art…. because they dont’ actually make art they are too busy writing & researching.
11 pm try writing , just cant do it.
Tues
730-4. Grant writing, phone calls to city parks, quadcopter, crane rentals, also online research, an starting to get PDF for online submission to aether so writing writing wearing.
6-830 Hop on my bike and o to Mercer Union Gallery artist member mixer at 6. Meet artist, talk to co-director about biz of raising money, listen to artist talk, chat w/ex Director MOCA. Only about 30 people showed up… but was actually easier to talk to people.
Wed
8am 930 PM. 30 minutes for dinner, only break. write grant, finishing sections, rewriting others, going through 10 different essays making sure all match up, calling to confirm rental prices on weekly rates, projector possibilities, calling city hall again for permit information, researching more prices on web re: projector, then doing final budget, filling out form and doing detailed budget, adding all up, connecting prices, doing a per show/per all events costs… checking air b n b for rates in 5 cities, etc choosing, collating, formatting all images, writing about why each chosen, converting all docs to pdf, then start uploading, reread all guidelines, then after upload reread all submisisons, all covered. HIT SUBMIT. (now wait 5 months… )
Thurs
to cottage for ‘vacataion.’ will actually make art (painting or sculpture).
