From 1-14 December, the Mackintosh Museum became an open studio as part of Three Points of Contact for the following artists: Stuart Gurden, Hrafnhildur Halldorsdottir, Michelle Hannah, Rachel MacLean, TAaP, Mark Vernon, von Calhau! and Megan Wellington. Here, Glasgow based artist, Michelle Hannah takes us through her experience…

Three Points of Contact Residency (TPCR) Photo by Saule Zukaityte

Being asked to take part in the residency as a former student of GSA (undergrad/MFA) was a bizarre fantastic challenge. I don’t have a studio. I do performance. I don’t need one. I don’t really know what to do in them apart from making hippy tea and trying my best to annoy the crap out of other people. But the appeal to venture back into the Mac building and use that as a ‘studio’ was far too tempting not to of taken part. I’ll admit I never liked the Building as a 1st year student (red haired 18 year old, in black, mildly depressed). It was dark, oppressive and occasionally reminiscent of the Goblin King’s castle in Labyrinth… you know Bowie fiddling with balls… that bit with all the stairs.

TPCR Photo by Saule Zukaityte

With that in mind the first few days I done bloody nothing. It felt like being back at school. My mind as ever floats around like a cloud and as a result I took more notice of the building. The staff. The janitors. The students. The cleverness of Mackintosh. Clever bastard. Though indeed I was still going up the wrong flight of stairs as per usual and ending up in the backarse of an office I clearly shouldn’t of wandered into. But it was starting to be nice to wander about (annoy Jenny mostly) to see what the other (proper) artists were up to. I took Megan to the glory of the Savoy Centre. Great to chat to the coolest lady this side of Sleazys… Rafla about her work and secretly stare at the frightening wonderful talent that is Rachel Maclean. Not in a pervy way. I had never met Mark Vernon before but ended up performing a soundwork in his ‘lightsoutlisteninggroup’ thing. A revelation to perform in the dark. TAap of course tore right into it and exploded with ink, found books and lamp shades/sleeping bags as costume thingys. Stuart Gurden is a secret scientist I think and Von Calhau too are obviously from space and/or a Kenneth Anger film.

TPCR Photo by Saule Zukaityte

I realised that I might have to do something.

I do performances. I do sound. I make cosmic photographs of sexy statues, animals and most usually my face. Unlike a lot of artists in Glasgow I put myself in work. I’m not shying away from it. So I would aim for that during the Residency. Learn new songs. Paint my face golden & glitter, dress up in an evening gown, swan about and become the ‘other’… Its not an alter ego that I’m creating now as was the case in my past work. Its ‘self design’. A concept even, an anxiety that forces one—to confront the image of the self: to correct, to change, to adapt, to contradict this image. We all come under aesthetic evaluation. Of sorts. Movie stars, politicians, facebook profile pictures, bank managers, strippers, terrorists, call centre workers and even us… dear artists. Even those simple unknown tokens of untied shoelaces, tattoos, dirty nails, haircuts and the colour and form of shirts/pants/shoes and teeth signify to the world who and what we are.

TPCR Photo by Saule Zukaityte

A performative identity through the image of the self.

I have developed a strong discourse of Romanticism in my practice and over the past year this has revealed itself from the founding constructs of Cabaret -that is its original purpose to engage, entice and repulse equally in artifice, by using its theatrical beginnings to revolve around a feminized identity in terms of the ‘femme fatale’ or exotic other. Avoiding like hell the ‘live art’ area, dodgy office girl Burlesque and the nonsense of Suicide Girls and Agent Provocateur. They’ll be no getting them out in my work. No.Way.

I (try) to do this by means of vocal performances of appropriated, fragmented songs (chosen for their tokens of masculinity such as Black Hole Sun, Sympathy for the Devil, How Soon is Now etc… basically songs for depressed ostracised teenagers) I sing these with a soundtrack in electronic vein of Laurie Anderson with the sprinkling of the gender bending boundaries of Genesis P- Orridge, Linder and Kalup Linzy. I wear manga contacts, I paint my hair, I wear customised evening gowns in the most Twin Peakism format, I become metallic, ethereal, vocal and ultimately hopefully emotive.

Artspeak over. One day on the second week, I painted my face gold and glitter. It looked amazing. I felt cosmic. I thought I could be the Thin White Duke finally. (NO chance) I’ve started to experiment with stage spotlights. Simple and completely stolen from Lynch of course… so I set up the red light in the temporary darkspace and filmed.

SONNE film still by Michelle Hannah

This became SONNE. A distilled cover of How Soon is Now. My face golden as if staring into the last flickers of a dying star. I change lyrics for my own means. For some godly reason over the past year or so I have become obsessed by the omnipotent force of light. All light. Be it metaphysical, natural, artistic, man made or not. Instead of “Son and Heir” in Morrisey’s vocal pain, this is now ‘I am the Sun and Air”. Ironic really, that I am actually allergic to the Sun…

I made this in a day. It scared me how easy it was. It shouldn’t be that easy. But the wonderful thing about the challenge of this residency (2 weeks, 11-5 everyday) was that it forced me to open up and try things out that I usually would spend just 2 weeks thinking about. Worrying about if folk will accept it. Being on trend. I realise now, to hell with other folk… just embrace what you do and go and bloody do it.

HOW DOES IT FEEL performance photo by Saule Zukaityte

I also done another performance at the closing event. ‘HOW DOES IT FEEL’ In a blue blue electric blue of light. A simple blue spotlight going on and off. I in black costume lamenting… over the distilled New Order song. I liked doing that one. I think other people did too.

I showed Jenny the video. She said it was beautiful.

I think I done well.

Read more about the Residency from The Glasgow Schoool of Art Exhibitions Director, Jenny Brownrigg here.

Where to find out more:
Website

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