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BS300-1

My Elevator Pitch

Trajectories, strengths, weaknesses and More!

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Task 6: WHY?

Why do I do what I do? Well in regards to the job I have, I need to in order to get by and partly I like the responsibility of it. It is necessary for me to work but I also get a feeling of pride to be able to say that what I have earned, i have earned (benefiting however from many privileges I am granted as a white male). 

Perhaps this could be applied to other sectors of my life but I definitely enjoy feeling responsible for something. I enjoy the making process. I should make more. I do see myself as starting something larger than myself later on down the road, I would like to do something that matters. I can see certain things in the world that could change (for the better).

I guess something that has always tickled the back of my mind is how elitist the art world has become, and in turn art itself. I would love for art to become more accessible to the youth. “Art is propaganda for what matters to you”. I think that if art were somehow more accessible in the way that renting a house, ordering food and even romantic dating have become easily accessible through technology than perhaps peoples lives could be more meaningful.

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Task 3: Intern

Hmmm. This is actually my 3rd year of interning now. Wowee. I learned a lot about what I didn’t like, namely one of the first people I interned. Dealing with entitlement can be difficult. My second internship was honestly so pleasant. The interner (?) was very warm and all over the place but I was able to help with that.

I was privileged in that the internship with John Nankin allowed me to be more in control of what I wanted to do. I have seen how important communication is in that regard.

I think this year I would love to internship a practicing artist or even an event planner. The idea of creating an event has interested me for a while now, I love the idea of people coming together for a compelling reason. I would enjoy to work with an artist in an active studio space, to get a feel again of an alive creative domain.

I think for any internship research needs to be done in who you are interning, what they do, why they do it and how it can relate back to you. I would ideally do an internship every Tuesday or Thursday. If I were to assist in any sort of event management institution I would be both disappointed yet humbled if I were to work with numbers all day. Boring yet perhaps necessary.

Maybe even an internship with some academic heads at CTCA. That would be interesting. 

Hint Hint

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Task 1: Setting myself up

Well this is only slightly overdue and I think that is a part of the problem. When it comes to taking the first step, I don’t even lift my foot till the person behind me is walking into me and wondering why I’m not moving. I think I need to set myself up for improvement. I’m allowed more than I give myself.

When it comes to my strengths, I think my top 3 would be:

-Confidence

-Articulation

-Openness

So far these have really allowed me to navigate various environments very successfully, however I think sometimes I do use them to run away from myself and avoid repercussions surrounding my inaction.

On the notion of which my most hindering flaws are:

-Fear

-Procrastination

-Resentment

I say resentment as I find myself growing more and more bitter as I avoid a task, preventing myself from even starting. I think I too often use the excuse of “later” even though I am obviously lying to myself.

I think that some behavioral changes will help me get out of this rut.

-Wake up well. Don’t go on your phone, take a shower, exercise and get a proper start to a proper day. There’s not rush to answer any calls or messages, you don’t owe anyone communication until you are ready to do so.

-Force yourself to go to bed earlier, put the blue light away after 10.

-Have a constant wake up time everyday.

-Be kind to yourself, you deserve it

-Go to therapy, you could use it

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Reading 6: “Start with Why”

This reading was so juicy. I love the comparison to nature, structuring business off of already existing formulas. Moving with something that is real already. I am shocked with how much this resonated truth. You dont question Apple’s level of influence, they’re just Apple. 

Also I find it crazy how when I think of Dell, Samsung and HP I just think of retail stores, not an idea. Apple has technically created and nurtured and ideology surrounding itself, a set of beliefs that have informed consumers for many decades now. 

Im interested in how this golden ratio, this choosing of your “Why?”, and how it can be applied to more everyday uses in life structure. I would like to do some introspection in order to tackle this more, become more aligned with the Golden Ratio.

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Reading 5: A design contract

Reading through this, I am glad that I don’t study design.

Contracts are very intimidating, very wordy and formal. I can see the necessity for them, but I would definitely get someone who is more learned than I to help me work through it.

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Reading 4: Build a Network - Even When You Don’t Think You Need One

I think everyone in some way or another (to varying degrees) takes pride in working alone, to be able to wear a badge saying “without help, I still did it”. 

I myself am guilty of this, but I also have been able to see how important networking is to people within the art field. Exhibition openings, parties, galas. All places to be. I think it can be a bit scary, but I have heard that connecting with these people can be extremely beneficial to ones career trajectory.

I would like to focus my network that I wish to have, people who I can meet along my journey. I would love to meet more curators, gallerists and art writers. I should probably research who they are first however... I respect a lot of artists but I surround them in so much mystique that I find socializing with them somewhat intimidating, as if I am not worthy. This is obviously something to be worked on.

I can see how a lack of a network may be holding me back. I wonder what sort of opportunities I would be submerged in if I allowed myself to comfortably engage in networking. I have seen the benefits in others, I need to allow that for myself too.

I would like to reach out digitally, especially during these trying times in lockdown. It doesn’t hurt to try. Digital meetups, online live drawing. Anything is something, at least.

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Reading 2: Overthrowing the Tyranny of the Ideal

WOWEE. This text was beautifully written. I found it fascinating, a bit humbling, somewhat terrifying but still warm. I think reading someone speaking of ‘the critic’ made me painfully aware of my own (made all too glaringly obvious by the lateness of me updating my blog).

The voice in your head, the rationalizing that stops you from your first step. The voice of your parents telling you that it’s best not to try, the voice that you project onto others within your own mind that keeps you from beginning. I think I need to perhaps address mine. I think that reading this brought forth the sort of awareness I have long ignored.

I work hard in some areas of my life and I feel as though my ‘critic’ stops me from working in others because ‘I’m just too tired”. I don’t know how true that is. I often find myself projecting that critic outwards. “How are you Nick? How was your weekend?”, “I’m just so tired, I worked all weekend”. This is not true, I project excuses out onto my peers in order to justify my inaction towards certain necessary tasks.

This reading really hit home for me. I want to be a strong ‘man’ in my approach to more aspects of my life. I see as I’m writing this that starting really is the hardest moment. Excuses in my head can be overpowering but I am the awareness of the voice, not the voice.

With writing this I too have the benefit of seeing myself from lock down. My inability to work from home in the past is all the more challenged now. I feel with every word I write down I am one digit closer towards letting my critic work for me, not against me.

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Reading 1: Maximize your potential

Glei, J. “Maximize your Potential: Grow Your Expertise, Take the Bold Risks and Build an Incredible Career.” 

Ive always been interested in figuring out what role my ‘career’ will play in my life, how will it make me feel and how will I DEAL with the stress it brings onto me. I think that I have been pleasantly surprised that how a career plays into your life can be largely defined by mindset and value structures.

What I really took from this reading was that last point. Your career should not be seen and defined by this idea of it being a ladder, but rather your career is each individual rung of that ladder. The ladder itself is your ‘mission’ in life, your careers are simply was of accomplishing that mission. 

Something that allows me to float between work spaces and enjoy the spaces that I take up is the mindset I approach them with. If you don’t see a career as a chore but rather as a learning opportunity then you will gain value and meaning from it. I believe this is what Glei speaks of when answering what sort of skills young people should develop when going into a job.

The idea of luck as a skill fascinates me, I take from the reading that luck is fairly equivocal to character openness. I think if you are open within a workspace you allow yourself into newer territories WITH the fear, maybe even despite it. As you let ‘luck’ take you from new space to new space you may find that you really do not enjoy certain things, I think this is good as you are establishing a broader idea of what sort of activities to avoid in the future.

I think whenever people answer the ever present question, “Where do you want to be in 5 years time?” their answers almost always point towards a position in which they have more responsibilities. People often compare themselves to people in higher up positions, associating that with success. This I believe suggests that people desire more responsibilities, as with more responsibility comes more purpose.

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TASK 5: To Intern Or Not to Intern

Pro’s and Con’s of being an independent practitioner? 

Independence is a pro and a con. I would be in charge of my income. This is good and bad.

I would work from home (potentially) so I could avoid getting sick? 

Realistically though being able to work from home/studio of my own is nice as it allows for flexibility around time/place of work. The terror of this obviously being self motivation in a potentially distracting environment.

I would like to have my own laptop if I am becoming independent. A car would be nice too? Maybe a less distracting home or perhaps a studio as making art at home can be challenging.

This way of working would speak to my personality as I do enjoy changing of spaces, I feel as though it does push my ‘flow’ time forward in a productive way. I also do see myself leaning into some sort of work that is based around connections and independent work allows for and even encourages changing meeting spaces. However I do feel it necessary that when one is working as an independent practitioner, one distinguishes between times of work and time of play. Time must be correctly co-ordinated. Work becomes owed to oneself.

I feel as though all artists are freelancers in some sort of way.

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Business Studies Task 4: Job Hunting

JOB 1: GALLERY ADMINISTRATOR

https://vansa.co.za/opportunities/gallery-administrator-at-smith-studio/

Not a whole lot generally appeals to me about this position as it appears to be the kind of work that I least enjoy doing, which is that of sitting down behind a screen to write/work (we can all see this Tumblr as evidence of that). However I would be lying if I said that it didn’t tickle my curiosity at all. What would it be like if my time was ALL spent (with payment and my reputation as an incentive) doing the work? Could I slide into that role?

Im intimidated by how savvy I may need to be with a computer, I have no idea what MailChimp even is. I would like to meet the people who i would work under, get a face to face understanding of the type of people I will see everyday. I also would find it necessary to look at the pay and if it is live-off-able.

Lastly I do feel as though this both is and is not relevant to my careers trajectory. I don’t want to become someone who slides into administrative work but perhaps working a gallerist would require/benefit on having done something before in the gallery space.

JOB 2: DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

https://vansa.co.za/opportunities/afrikaburn-development-director/

Firstly it sounds wild. Working for Afrikaburn. Not a whole lot of time is (in my head, I could be wrong!) actually spent in the desert, but I can imagine the amount of time and work that it takes to go into making this experience what it is. I think that is what I find most inviting about this job position, the idea that the work that I would be doing would be contributing in a significant way to the betterment of some sort of ‘coming together’ experience.

The amount of experience required and large words that are thrown around in the write up of this job opportunity is intimidating. Very high stake high rewards it seems. I am extremely open to learning but this does sound particularly intimidating.

I feel as though this is relevant to my trajectory as the role does require a lot of leadership and communication. I love to communicate and being able to lead I feel like can only work in my favor, I like the idea of getting people on the same page with some sort of vision in mind.

JOB 3: PART TIME RESEARCHER

https://vansa.co.za/opportunities/part-time-researcher-at-africa-south-art-initiative/

This looks amazing! I actually have never considered this as being an in-industry career. I am excited by the idea of being able to meet artists, research artists and write up on them as a career. Working through exciting and relevant personas.

I am scared by the independence that is needed for the work to be done. Although I can work very independently, i feel as though I would not be able to gauge the ‘adequate’ amount of work for me to have done in the relevant amount of time.

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BS300 A TASK FOR OPENNESS

My practice of openness would be to work in more public spaces. The student lounge, coffee shops and maybe even more bars. I would find time between classes to use the student lounge and before/after college at coffee shops near my home. I’m not sure about the accountability to be held to this, I know for example I can be quite hard on myself, this I can trust as my own accountability.

From this I have found an unusual drive to continue this ritual, it feels really good to work and be publicly working? There is a sort of mutual holding up within a space that if you appear to be working you better be working. I’ve found myself also engaging with others around me, experience new perspectives on the work that I am doing and genuinely having a better time doing it.

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Josh Tutorial Task

Within South African Identity I have identified 3 cultural spaces.

1. Markets (eg. OZCFM or the Kirstenbosch Market).

2. The Fan Walk

3. Metrorail.

I will be discussing the functions of metro rail and how it acts as a cultural space.

Metrorail serves as a form of public transport that runs from various stations around the peninsula into the city bowl. If one wants to travel from Muizenburg to Paarl, they must go to the central station first. Metrorail is infamous for its late trains; overcrowding of passengers and vandalism. In my first year at CTCA I was required to take the train to Salt River and back everyday. I found the experience frustrating, terrifying and exciting. I believe that Metrorail is an excellent example of a cultural space as when you're waiting around for 2 hours at a station in frustration, you're going to talk to other commuters. I’d find myself talking to different people everyday (usually about the same thing, that being the train service). People preach at stations; sell snacks; talk about politics and how they're going to be late again for work. Everyday blind singers would be lead through the carriages busking. Everyday I would walk through to college with a man (who’s name I cannot remember). Besides the pleasantry the train can also uncomfortable in its community building. Id find myself most days of the week hanging between the carriages, clinging to a strangers arm and the side of the train, the absurdity of the situation is a reality for most people taking the 8 AM train. The poor service delivery of metro rail I would argue is one of the biggest factors in it being a successful cultural space. 

I do miss the community aspect of taking the train; however I am thankful that I am privileged enough to be on time for classes and safer than hanging out of a moving train.

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Ateliers du Paradise

Pierre Joseph; Philippe Parreno and Philippe Perrin

Air de Paris Gallery

1990

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Work? Work in Progress

Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Matthew McCaslin and Liz Larner. 

Andrea Rosen Gallery.

1992 

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Reflection on BS

I learned a lot about the workings and systems of opportunity within the design and creative world through the BS lessons. I think this is good for me because I feel more secure knowing that if things for me don't work out in terms of ‘being an artist’ the things I have learned and the skills I have developed, will be usable in other fields of work. I have ideas of where I would like to end up, but thats not really how things work in life - so other facets of work do excite me. 

One field of particular interest for me is and always has been potentially starting my own business, creating opportunities for myself and other creatives. Ive worked alongside entrepreneurs for while and hearing the voices of Lukhanyo, Dale and Claire excited me. I enjoyed hearing about how there is a ‘call of opportunity’ and how challenges must be overcome. I find a lot of value in believing in yourself and your ideas to the point where you commit your energy into your self. Id love to start my own gallery one day or some sort of platform much like ‘Daisie’ (started by Maisie Williams) which caters for creatives; allowing for their manifestations to take shape in a career. 

I dont know if I will end up where I intend to be, but I hope to do what I need to do.

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Bella’s Tut Homework

Yolocaust by Shahak Shapira deals with subjects in relation to space and the implications of this.

Shahak found facebook photos of twelve individuals posing in amongst the Holocaust memorial, many in inappropriate. Shahak then took these photos and imposed them over visceral imagery from the holocaust. By doing this Shahak reinforces the history of the space, what it stands for and what it means. Since posting the images Shahak has since started a website titled “yolocaust’ where individuals may comment/post on their feelings. This work calls out the abuse of space, how ignorance around the meaning of space is immutable in certain examples. These images remind us that spaces hold meaning, hold memory and should not be glamorized in the pursuit of surface level values.

The subject is placed in positions of criticisms for their actions regardless of background/intention.