Months ago I was setting up my first ever visual arts exhibition and I was going to cause a storm, explains George Longland.
In partnership with a local gallery we decided to select ten graduate artists and give them the space to let rip with their ideas and creativity. I began to get excited as talk turned to stacked pint glasses shimmering with lager and neon.
I got even more excited when one room began to fill with the carcasses of dead birds ? all with hand-knitted jumpers and made-to-measure coffins. This was going to mark my shocking arrival into the middle-class realms of Guildford, and was to form the basis of this article about ?managing controversy?. But ? they loved it. Hundreds of comments were left in the visitor book, and aside from a few vaguely sniffy remarks about a lack of watercolours, I couldn?t find a single hook upon which to hang this literary masterpiece.
Fast forward four months to January 2003 and you find me contemplating my first experience of temporary public art as part of Guildford?s International Women?s Festival in March. Guildford Mount is a vast and beautiful area overlooking most of the town. When you stand upon it you can gaze down to the cobbled High Street and along to the imposing Cathedral, made famous by the Omen films. Quite understandably it is an area fiercely protected by local residents. How on earth then was I ever going to sell a local artists? concept of a circle of illuminated red tents to be placed upon it for 3 days and nights? Not only this, these 28 full-size, hand-made, glowing red tents were to represent the menstrual cycle of womankind and were to be visible from most of Guildford. With the trepidation of someone about to knowingly run headlong into a brick wall, I decided that rather than trying to sell the concept to anyone I would give it to ?em straight and send the artists? proposal word-for-word to the two neighbourhood associations connected to the Mount. After all, if they decided they didn?t like it ? for whatever reason ? it wasn?t going to happen. So I might as well get the rejection over and done with early.
Within days I had heard from both groups and was stunned to learn that both approved of Red Tents (even liked the idea), as long as it was only for the clearly stated 3 days. A couple of concerns were raised about the potential numbers of people visiting the site and the safety of the installation itself, as well as the poor, potentially freezing, artist who had opted to camp alongside her piece for the full duration. The commission suddenly became very real for artist Mary Branson and me. I set about tackling some of the issues raised by the local groups.
Red Tents encourages one to think about the nature of art and consider the aesthetic power and beauty it contains, and if one contemplates the meaning behind the piece, the celebration of femininity might be an emerging theme. However, it?s quite possible that some among us may be alarmed at such a sight, immediately assume alien invasion, and telephone the police. With this in mind, I spoke to the local constabulary, who thought this to be an eminently sensible precaution given that every 5th November they are guaranteed to get at least one phone call informing them of UFOs over Guildford. I was also aware that some among us might view the trip up the Mount to the Red Tents as a kind of post-beer, pre-kebab pilgrimage, and this also needed to be addressed. Guildford Mount is more mountain than hill to anyone rolling out of a pub, so you?d have to pretty determined to succeed; but even so, to limit the numbers of site visits we needed to promote the viewing points, not the actual site itself.
The piece was due to be illuminated on March 6, but news releases and leaflets for the piece have only recently gone out. This is partly down to time-scales but it is also a way of limiting the potentially massive interest that could encourage much heavier footfall. That may sound peculiar. We do want people to see it, but we?d particularly like people to talk about it ? even if they don?t get to see it. The artist has designed the leaflets so that the viewing point is explicitly highlighted ? the text is even wrapped around a large pink map showing the best place to stand in the High Street. Some people will go up to view it we know, but I think we?ve limited that problem. In terms of safety, the tents are roped off (more deterrent than actual security) and have no openings to them. As well as having made friends with many watchful local residents, Mary will be accompanied on site at all times. She is also stacked up to the eyeballs with insurance, just in case a freak wind replaces a neighbour?s shed with a natty red tent?
Red Tents were due to be up from March 6-9, so by the time you read this they will sadly be gone. I can?t judge how controversial it is yet and we have been warned that not everyone will be happy, but sometimes that?s the point isn?t it? Not to piss everyone off, but to at least get them talking.
George Longland is Arts Development Officer for Guildford Borough Council.
e: longlandg@guildford.gov.uk