I have never been great at sharing. Growing up amongst 7 children nothing was out of bounds no matter how loudly you yelled it was at people. Clothes, music, hobbies, food, books, friends, all were fluid. Deflecting, hiding and controlling became refined hoarding skills.
I got to make the first piece in this project. I note in my visual diary I have 31 pages dedicated to thinking out ideas and collecting information versus 4 for my second piece, six for the third and 10 for the fourth.
That first piece had no sharing involved. I was serious. I needed to make a work that would be open for the others to respond to, embraced ideas of conversation but also invited viewers to weave their own stories around it. I looked at beads that it is claimed Neanderthals made. Some academics believing these small altered natural forms such as shells and eagle talons indicate the presence of symbolic thinking. To decorate one’s self implies a sense of self and other, self and the world. I asked myself, what is the point of jewellery? I pondered, I drew, I thought and made. I wanted to make the best piece ever for people to view but I only had two weeks. I couldn’t keep remaking. I had to send it, way too much ego.
When I received the second piece I was not in control anymore. There were two weeks in which to respond but I had other things to do as well and anyway, the other works weren’t what I was expecting. What had I been expecting? The works I received held surprises. What were they thinking when they selected those elements to respond to and not others? Is that really what stood out for them? I was quite fascinated. I started to think but really there wasn’t enough time. I needed to just respond and commit to the project. Analyse forms, colour, scale, material. Respond don’t initiate. This was difficult and not me. Goodbye control.
The work arrived late for the third round of making. To catch up I had spent time pre-planning what I thought I could make as my response from what I had seen last time. No. The work had moved and what I had been thinking was totally out of place. Just respond.
The fourth iteration of the work arrived. I was looking forward to it, anticipating the challenge. What would my partners have seen in the work that I missed? I realised I would like this project to go on as I can see we really have only just begun. These works hold the potential for much more. Being part of this group rather than relying only on my existing making process made me alter how I worked. OMG, I had been sharing. There had been no yelling and I hadn’t lost anything. I had gained from the others view points, endured some discomfort but in exchange had received a wealth of possibilities.
Andrea Daly
UTTER 