First the loss.
RIP Mark Pitman.
My friend and partner to one of my five best friends was taken by the sea in Brunswick Heads.
Mark was a solid person who never should have died suddenly.
It was uncharacteristic.
He was someone who was always there.
Someone who helped out.
Someone who stood in the background and never seemed to mind not being in the centre.
He had a generous heart and kind eyes.
He taught me final cut pro. He saved my bacon many times with a deadline.
He was a good man.
I was privileged to be able to write and read the eulogy at his funeral. It was an amazing event held in the garden at their house in Brunswick Heads, close by the the sea where he lost his life. Many people spoke, sang and grieved together. My friend Claire Eliza was amazing in her heartbreak.
I understood a little bit. It was only two days after the 21st anniversary of Les's death.
Sudden death takes a huge toll, but it makes us remember how precious life is and how important the people in our lives are. No point of view is worth the pain of an unresolved grief for something unsaid or unforgiven. I have yet to assimilate this loss in my life, to understand it or accept it. I daily prepare myself for more loss. Life is full of it and I resist it at my peril.
Sad, sad, sad.
Love.
Only love.
I received this message from my World Vision sponsor child today. It was in a Christmas card.
I had canceled my 18 year continuous sponsorship last month thinking I couldn't afford it anymore on my three days a week wage. I justified this by all of the usual critiques of major orgs doing 'good work'. I think now I will have to continue my $47 a month as even though it may not be the best thing I can do, it is something rather than nothing.
Thanks Prince Arthur from Ghana for your Christmas message. It was the best card I could have received.
The good news.
I have been accepted into a residency at the Slade School of Art in London for the month of August.
I will be exposed to other international artists and Slade staff who will explore my work with me. I hope to expand my practice and produce some new and exciting work. There will be a group exhibition at the Cambden Centre at the end of the residency.
AND in the middle of all the sadness and loss in NSW I received an unprompted email from an academic in Italy who invited me to participate in a group exhibition in Venice during the Biennale.
I was too occupied with funeral arrangements to respond and only when I came home did I look into it. I have accepted and am working on a new video work for the show as well as some photographs.
I also have a solo show coming up at Trocadero in July. A busy year.
New work in Progress - 'Gloved'
