Filmed at the Tate Modern, Turbine Hall. I have chosen the Turbine Hall because of the colour.
My reason is; ‘Everything is not Black and White, not everything you see is what it seems.’ Tate rules: Photography is not permitted at any time, unless otherwise stated. The angle is low, (on the floor) because tripods are prohibited. Representational of being alone in the arts, as a practicing contemporary visual artist.
A performance piece demonstrating being recognised, valued and seen in the art industry. This space, particular the location demonstrates the emptiness, and how an artist can be invisible. This piece can be seen as an installation guerilla performance.
Since doing this piece of work, I have learnt Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece, which was a pioneering piece inviting viewers to become agents in the creation of art. Like Yoko, I am motionless and expressionless throughout, even when a person approached me holding his daughter waving. Now I have looked back at the footage, I can see people glancing at me, taking photographs around me, walking passed or by me. I still remain unnoticed. Has art become disengaged? Do people not see the urgency of art anymore? Are we overcome by images? Has art become meaningless?
Facts to consider:
• It has become more difficult to pursue a career in the arts or media if you’re from a non-privileged background, with 44% of those within the TV, film and music industries being privately educated.
• On average men working in the cultural industries earn 32% more than women working in the sector.
• 88% of people working in the cultural industries have worked for free at some point in their careers.
• 38% of people working in the cultural industries do not have a contract.
• 32% of women are likely to have done unpaid internships as opposed to 23% of men.
• 90% of people in the arts have worked for free at some point in their career.
• A career in the arts leaves you forever in debt.
• A career in the arts is at odds with being a member of mainstream society.
• Will London remain the creative leader?
• Building a career out of creativity is often daunting.
• Government and the Cultural and Creative Industries need to take a united and coherent approach that guarantees equal access for everyone to a rich cultural education and the opportunity to live a creative life.
• Working in the arts has a growing sense of crisis.
• UK’s population as a whole are not being expressed, represented or developed within the Cultural and Creative Industries.
• 50% drop in the GCSE numbers for Design and Technology, 23% for Drama and 25% drop in other craft related GCSE’s (2007-2013).
• 19% Local Government spending on the arts has fallen by in the last three years (2015).
• Middle and high class people dominate arts.
• More cultural space is being occupied by extremely wealthy cultural producers.
• The cuts to public funding for culture has been explicitly framed around the hypothesis that there has been a decline in social mobility in the arts.
• While Creative Arts and Design is still a popular subject group at 230,000 applicants 2017 – behind medicine, biological sciences and business studies – there has been a drop of 17,000 students compared to last year, meaning that over half of the overall drop has come from creative subjects
• Visual and Performing Arts are the top 3 subjects that correlates with Parents' Household Income.
• People are more motivated by an aversion to lowering their social standing, than they are by a compulsion to improve it. Facts from: create London - Panic, The Arts Emergency Service and Art Net Thank you for watching.