A short blog today just to celebrate Jeremy Kyle’s show being axed by ITV. About time. I support freedom of speech but the public degradation ceremonies of reality TV take us back to the humiliation of the stocks and ducking stool, even worse Roman Amphitheaters and the fight to the death of unfortunate victims.

More concerning are the 11 state senators of Alabama who have voted for a near total ban on abortions. Women under attack! Back to the back street. This is a public health and human rights issue. Ireland must get its act together.

The group crit led by Bella today was very helpful. Great to see what people are doing. Some relate to my subject. It is interesting how reluctant people are about talking about what they are doing. I find it really exciting and interesting. Everyone has a different take on life and subjects. The complexity of some ideas is mind boggling.

Today I spent time thinking about which of my 500+ photos I might use for the final piece. I have been though this before but now I need to decide because printing on cloth is expensive and I need to commit.

I liked the idea of post cards printed on card, similar to those at the Martin Parr exhibition in Manchester, possibly shut in a box. Archived away. However, it isn’t quite where I am going with this. I am not sure “loose ends” can ever be shut away. I am working toward the final outcome based on large A1 fabric printed photographs and loose ends. But how?

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Worked on preparing the photos for printing, determining frame size (90 x 58), aspect ratio and increasing definition from 72 to 200. Frame size is determined by the amount of space allocated for the exhibition. Started to reach some conclusions about how to use the photos once printed.

Today I left art work on the train home . Carry as little about as possible is the learning from this dreadful experience. Fabric photos and smocking rolled up in a plastic tube with a screw top lid. The system for lost luggage is dreadful. It is impossible to talk to anyone who might be able to intercept the luggage enroute! Once I left a suitcase full of work on a train, a sacking offence I think! Swift action by station staff meant that it was returned to me within an hour. This time due to the national contract with the private sector and its restrictive contract no one could be raised who could talk to the train staff.

Update 1st June – art work still not returned! Who would want to keep these personal items, pictures of my family home? Thank goodness for photographs.

Moving on to testing more stitches on fabric photos. This is my direction now, not to be distracted. Looking back on my mind map I am shifting about in the sphere of “goneness”, “empty rooms”, ” questions”, “memory” and “loss”. This is leading me to loose ends, unanswered questions, annoying memories, knowing that there will always be loose ends in my family.

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Stitching is a good way to work, piercing the cloth, in and out, mulling over, searching as I sew. I am not sure about these stitches as they mostly block out rather than explore. I like the hanging threads. They are loose ends. Now see what happened in my next post!

This was a great day in which a small group of us were able to be completely absorbed by life drawing. We need more of this. It helps so much with all aspects of drawing.

I have started to experiment with cloth photographs to convey my feeling of “loose ends”. More than meets the eye.

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I can see the influence of Dorothea Tanning here. Uncomfortable.

At last we have information about the Chatsworth submissions. My work was successful.

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Visited yesterday. The presentation was most disappointing. I’m not sure what happened to all of the other students’ work. Why such a small show? Were the works chosen to fit the space? I was glad to be chosen for the exhibition but I had looked forward to seeing lots of work from other people and not to be squeezed into such a small place. Also the note about my work had been altered and was in terribly poor English. I wonder why this happened? The writing reflects on me. There was no indication about where the work had come from. Who are the artists? Anyway there is always something to learn. I have learnt that if my work is ever to be displayed anywhere I will be involved in the process at least to check it is displayed correctly. I would not have minded if people had been able to turn the pages of the book and I had wanted the handkerchiefs to be hung. That’s what I had in mind when I created them. Not for them to be hidden where no one could see them! Access was difficult. Another note for Chatsworth – this exhibition is not disability friendly! I have friends with replacement knees!

“Its not what you inherit , it is what you do with what you inherit” (Tracey Emin talking to Alan Yentob). I really wanted the coffee set. It had rarely been used. Such a pity, it ended its life with my parents shoved unceremoniously in the corner of the kitchen shelf. It is a great piece of design and always captured my imagination.