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ARiM - Artist Residency in Motherhood #4

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When I started this working-period I knew that I probably would be very busy, but when is actually the right time to start doing something like this? And what was the reason I started this working-period? I wanted to use the structure of this residency to set up an art practice within the conditions of today.

When I was very busy before Lieve was born, I just worked harder and I could get everything done in this way. Now I’m working in the margins, during Lieve her naps, in the evening or early in the morning before she wakes up. When something needs more time or when I’m too busy, it soon turns into a backlog of work. If I end up in the margins of the margin it means that I need to eliminate work. My social life is already on a low level, so when I’m too busy I need to drop other least urgent things as well. Unfortunately, it means that I first need to drop my art practice and the rebuilding of ‘The Atlas’. This is exactly what happened the last few weeks.

Last Friday I had an appointment with Marjolein van de Ven, curator of Stedelijk Museum Breda about ‘The Atlas’. I told her why and what we are doing and how this project is intertwined with our lives. We also talked about my working-period at ARiM and the lack of time to make work, but also that I don’t really feel the need anymore to make work.

I used to make drawings, digital photo-collages and videos that were based on photos I made during my travels. Actually, it feels more and more useless to make such kind of work. I think it’s partially because of the birth of Lieve, that I’m not traveling anymore and because of the mainly practical part of the process we are in with ‘The Atlas’. But I know that there’s also something substantially changed in my art practice as well.

So, I started to questioning my art form. What I can say about this is for now, is that blogging during ARiM is working for me. By all means, because it gives a structure to my art practice and it sets a development in motion. Because I publish blog posts on a regular basis, I need to focus on some point, I need to deepen, revise and tighten where necessary. Actually, the posts become short summaries of my thoughts.

Who knows the blogging can lead me to a more suitable form of art?

The photos in this blog are made during a short journey through Romania in 2015

Geplaatst op 25.05.2018.

Auteur:
Laura Schippers

Breda, Netherlands

ARiM - Artist Residency in Motherhood is founded by Lenka Clayton. It is a self-directed, open-source Artist in Residency to empower and inspire artists who are also mothers. An Artist Residency in Motherhood is the reframing of parenthood as a valuable site for art practice, rather than an obstruction to be overcome. The residency will take place in everyday life, in and around home.

For the next 3 months I will undergo this self-imposed artist residency in which I explore the fragmented focus, nap-length studio time and limited movement / resources and allow it to shape the direction of my work. These conditions are just about the opposite of the conditions I created for myself during my study at the art academy a few years ago.

After the birth of my daughter Lieve on August 5, 2016 I tried to continue my art practice several times. I found it hard to maintain my art practice in between taking care of Lieve, making money and creating my ideal art studio Atlas Initiatief (a self-sustainable ship to travel around the world, what will also function as an AiR for artists and scientists). So, I want to use the structure of this residency to set up an art practice within the conditions of today.

Follow my process here at witterook.nu.

From 1 April to 30 June 2018.

Updated every two weeks.