“You’d go to the opening of a crisp packet”, said the Left-field Filmmaker, when I mentioned that I wanted to go to a certain book launch later in the week.
The Filmmaker sounded mildly contemptuous. He seemed to be implying that I am indiscriminate in what I see. That I just go to whatever is listed on the Glasgow Art Map. Every time he goes out to an event, there I am, glass in hand. As if to prove his point, we were having this conversation at the preview of Duncan Campbell’s new video at GoMA.
I wasn’t bothered by the jibe. In fact, I was still thinking about the packet of crisps … imagining a Maurizio Cattelan-esque conceptual prank, featuring someone reverently opening a bag in a gallery. I never eat crisps, so it would be interesting to watch.
When people ask why I go to so many exhibitions and talks, I say that, as a freelancer who works from home, I need to socialise at the end of the day. Meeting up with friends takes planning and calendar management, so it is nice just to pop into a gallery where there is a good chance of bumping into a pal.
Why else?
I love how books and artworks concentrate years of a person’s creative energy in one artefact.
I don’t own a television. I prefer to get my entertainment live and interactive.
I find it energising, rather than draining, to meet people.
I'd like to put on a show of my own one day, and I'm gathering ideas.
And, lastly, you never know if these opportunities will come again. People die, stories are forgotten.
Whenever I attend an event I like to take a photo or two. Occasionally, I post these as the dreaded Instagram stories, which act as a timestamped diary and a way of making a connection with the person featured. It is this habit that has earned me a reputation as a cultural gadfly and a flâneur.
Here are some recent photos from events:
A couple of weeks ago I was commissioned to do team shots for The Glasgow Bell. As part of my payment I asked for a couple of tickets to their big event this week.