Hondartza Fraga

I had a bit of a disastrous day at the studio today. Basically I ruined two works and I had to start from scratch and not feeling very confident about them anyway. The day was so clear and crispy outside that I should have stopped there and then and go for a walk to clear my head, but no, being as impatient as I am I wanted to finish today… And I did in the end, but not with what I wanted. So I headed home early to work on some video footage instead and I had a bit of lucky with some findings on the internet that will be very helpful for the exhibition. I have too many vague ideas and not enough specific ones, some of my works result from lucky accidents, so I guess that in a way I am collecting data that I find interesting, waiting for the accident, waiting for something to click.

I am still hoping to see some polar lights while I am here, so I keep checking the space weather forecast. It looks like tonight it could be some aurora boreal visible from here, so I will be looking up from time to time. The SpaceWeather website is great. It has a little graphic showing the aurora boreal activity and lots of interesting data about space weather.

According to wikipedia, the circular designs of some doilies are reminiscent of the Polar coordinates system. I find this fascinating since my recent unconscious relation between circular doilies and my model ship drawing and webcam work. Here I am interested in the the concept of being lost (in norwegian mistet or savnet). But I realize now that mine will be an imagined, illusive or constructed ‘being lost’. Maybe I seek to lose perspective. Abandon a way of looking. I am interested in broken or faulty maps. On my first little trip to second hand shops I found lots of doilies, and a very old and torn of nordic art magazine that I find irresistible (in norwegian kunst means art).

Weather was lovely today and I revisited my favorite street in the world. Beautiful day

Yesterday was a full day, in the morning I met some of the other artists during a free coffee and cake session baked by Margrethe, one of the resident artists. Everybody is really friendly and thanks to Margrethe I now got a list of flea markets that I intend to tackle very soon. I spent the day in my studio filming from my windows and starting some very, very basic drawing. It was good. In the evening I had my first night out since arrival, first an opening in the art museum by artist Narve Hovdenakk, and then we went out for some drinks. It was quite an experience in a piano/karaoke bar. Yes. And no, I didn’t sing.

Today I walked into town. And that was the hardest part. Walking. With my eyes fixed to the ground to avoid falling like yesterday I found it a bit difficult to concentrate on the sights. Nevertheless I managed to take a few snapshots of the city centre, had a look at the cathedral, the main streets, joined the library and got some books about Trondheim. One is about the polar explorations. Looking forward to that one. Unfortunately my budget here doesn’t allow to stop for as many coffees as I would like to keep the cold in control so my day was a bit short.
I feel myself filling up with a strange sense of blankness that I need to learn to accept. I look and see snapshots that I recognize only too well before I have even taken them, so I don’t. I bought a very thick sketchbook, with the plan to start pouring this blankness out onto drawings; walked (very slowly) home and put the kettle on…

I have arrived. It has been the easiest journey I have ever done. My flight was on time, my suitcase appeared in the belt before myself, the bus was ready to depart and I got off at the right stop. No fuss at all.

My apartment is lovely and the studio is huge. Set on what it was an old school, it will be difficult to resist making some work about the building itself. Then I fell on my arse on the way to the supermarket and later I didn’t have enough money to pay for my shopping… A little fuss there.

New place, new people, new work. Tomorrow is when all the fuss begins, the good one.

During February and March 2010 I will be a guest artist at LKV (Lademoen Kunstnerverksteder), in Trondheim, Norway. As part of this residency I will have a solo show at Babel gallery in February. I will be keeping a journal of my stay, with my thoughts, drawings, and photographs.

For more info on LKV visit LKV website and on Babel visit Babelkunst