Our MA show came down, and we had a week before the GNCCF, so time was tight to clear out a large quantity of work from university and get everything ready for Victoria Baths.
It was great to be part of this event and learn a lot about the process of setting up and exhibiting my work. There are so many things I would like to do better in the future, and there were many experienced exhibitors who provided inspiration. Our neighbour had displayed work in a home setting, and it looked fabulous. Other makers had achieved great effects with lighting, and that is something I can improve on in 2023.
The best part was talking to the visitors. As there were four of us in our room, it was interesting to watch visitors gravitate towards different makers. Most visitors had a quick glance around the room, and made a bee line to their preferred maker(s). Some looked at each persons work carefully, before returning to talk to their favourite. A few people talked to each of us at length, and asked us about our inspiration. There were quite a few visitors who were taking pottery courses, and who asked us about our course or our processes. There were also some professional makers and gallerists, who kindly gave us individual feedback and advice. This was really useful, as we go forward from here.
Family history and Memories
People who talked to me specifically about my own work were interested in different aspects. Some asked me about pathways, familiar places and favourite buildings, they were interested in architecture or the built environment. A lot of people were interested in the fact that I had explored my family history, by identifying and mapping pathways taken by my grandmother, mother and I. This led to conversations about immigration and settlement in a new place, as well as the impact of earlier generations on current generations.
Manchester and Chorlton - on - Medlock
Some visitors immediately said, 'this work is based on Manchester', so it was a great compliment that I got to speak to a lot of people born or living in the city. The fact that some of the pieces were based on Chorlton-On-Medlock, led to some really interesting conversations. There was not anything on my stand to explain this initially, so only people who spoke to me knew about this. The visitors with a connection to Chorlton-On-Medlock shared their own family stories, told me about their favourite buildings, and suggested locations for me to visit in the area that I had not included to date. There were quite a few people who worked at the university, or in one of the local hospitals who were familiar with the changes and regeneration of the area. Best of all, one lovely visitor who lived nearby invited me to her house for a cup of tea, and promised to show me some places in the area she was sure that my grandmother would have been familiar with.
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