Spent Monday working in the studio and chatting to Hammam. He told me where he thought my work was week and how he would like to see it change and take new challenges on, I could not argue with him. We discussed the many pittfalls of my project and also the artists already doing simelar things that I may want to look at. This was some very useful time and I came out of the day knoiwing more and realising I need to work harder.

Home to eat and research some of the things we spoke about and then around to Rhainnons to watch a bit of tele and chat with her and Emmy. Good day.

wednesday 13th June

Spent he weekend in Liverpool after drinks with alex on Friday night. As always Rob and Linda were wonderful hosts, lovely BBQ and the evening and following morning spent in the shade of their sunny garden which has just recieved a huge make over.

Sunday and Monday were completely forgetable. Filling time and waiting for somthing to happen, I need to get out of the rut I am quickly falling into. Did visit St johns on Tuesday night in Roundhay at the back of the park. Stunning building with a graveyard that is slowly slipping off the hill, hence the small congregation having left. Peter mojsa informs me this church may well be open for me to use a s a studio if i put the right plan to him.

Tuesday saw a massive change in my mood. I had to meet Dave of Gateway at 2 to open up the church for some reason or another, recieved a reminder text at 7.30 in the morning, out of bed into the library and then into the computer room in old mining building. Spent the morning downloading info on St Johns church and info on english heritage and The Church Comission as well as gorvernment guidlines on graveyards.

Left old mining and went to St marks where the door was already open, a moment of panic was followed by the realisation David Calder was already inside. We had a godd catch up chat and then peter mojsa arrived. I had another chat with Peter about St johns and he then had to break and wait for a "Coach" outside. I got on with collecting up my work and storing it in the chapel.
All of a sudden the church began to fill with a veriety of well healed gentlemen, all sat down after a brief look around and then David began to give them a brief history of the builkding since it clossed. Must be due to the purchase by Gateway (who were also now in attendance) Peter Mojsa then spoke then so too dave from Gateway, i sat at the back listening. when all was done Peter pointed everyone in my direction. All of a sudden these men were introducing themselves handing over business cards and asking for photos of me infront of my work.

One particular man, the team manger of all the disuesed churches in england said how delighted he was with my work and how he would love to see me use other spaces, he then introduced me around and in particular to the chief executive of the churches commision who said "go on our website, we have over 300 disuesed churches around England that our organisation are responsible for, we would love you to fill them all, get in touch."

Shit the bed!

It turns out these gents are all spending 3 days away from there city offices in London having there annual visit to the provinces. each year they pick a dioces and visit the empty church stock there in. This year they Chose Ripon and Leeds. As Rob tells me every time I beat him at anything what so ever.

"The sun shines even on a dogs ars every now and again".

What now? much more research, planning and proposals. 2 options open a place in Leeds possible ~St johns a project to establish a studio/ gallery and also save the cemetary and tie all in to the Roundhay parc and local community. Or take the work on tour to some of the urban churches thatare empty, emials proposals and funding applications pending.

i am now busy and happy once more, no excusses for driffting aimlessly.

Friday 8th June

Final day of the degree show today, may have to open next week for the external examinar though.

Yesterday had the parents drop by, Hammam, James, Rona and kate all looked after the church for me, having said that they actually just set up on the alter and played chess. Very theatrical.

Clossed early at 3 and went for a walk with Rona to see the Briggate gallery space. For two months this summer the gallery will be free for use and we have been invited to take it up for one week each. We looked at the work and watched the Marcus Coates video (hysterical) before heading back up the hill. We said our goodbyes at the Met gallery where i cought a quick glimps before it clossed. A much more mature show than our own. i probably shouldnt even think that never mind put it in writting. If you really want to know what i think then here goes.

To many fucking rich/upper middleclass children using this course as either a finishing school or a three year party in a hip northern city. Few of them bringing anything to the course, no life experience, no strong ideas or beliefs except that they are here becuase they are the best, right? So concerned about art that the first thing they do when they graduate is either travel the world or get a job as a recruitment consultant. This is of course all jelousy. OK not everyone on the course is like this, there are some truly quality students/ people more talented and naturally capable than I could ever hope to be, i just wish that there were more of them. The Hamams, Evas, Ronas, Helens, Lauras and Alsias. Maybe I just dont know enough people, but then I barely know some of those mentioned. When i floated the idea that maybe more talented people never got the opertunity to participate on this course because of a lack of opertunity/ education/ luck i was roundly dismissed. No we are here because we are the best, everyone else agreed, slightly disturbed that anything other than this could have been suggested. I still plan on leaving a plack over the entrance to Old minning that says somthing like.

"And so all the truly talented artists were forced to work in Call Centres"

Christ I have a chip on my shoulder. Im actually in a very good mood, the sooner i start my next work the better for everyone.

Thursday 7th june

A long week spent in the church, ok thats an exageration. Yesterday Julius did another performance and the tutors all came down to see him and also mark my work. I let Julius down by not stopping some of the lecturers at the door, they were however rather inssistant that they were to enter.

Emmy (from my access course 3 years ago) popped in and was full of praise, a little bit worrying. today the parents come by and I will give them a guided tour of the shows, they arrive at 12.30. I dont think they understand just how much there is to see. I wouldnt mind getting to the Met show at some point, today would be a good call.

Not much else to reprot really, apart from that i am happy and content for the time being. Im sorry if thats a little self congratulatory (Roger) but thats just how it is. Give me time and that will change.

PS: Dave Marks and Mark Oliver ive lost my old mobile and your number with it. email me at stevenallbutt@yahoo.com

3rd June

So much has happened over the last few days. The opening was good, I got to see everyone Else's work with James whom i had picked up from London that Morning. Having my phone stolen in the afternoon was a minor irritant and Julius being disorganised and not conveying his instructions to people very clearly was also a minor worry but in general the evening was enjoyable. Richard was worried he may miss his train and I don't think he was impressed by James winning a bet against his grandmother, Roger Palmer walked out half way through the performance and did not stay to see my work, not that that was the point of the hour we opened for (Ive already had my show and the work has only remained in situ so as to be accessible to the tutors when they come to grade. Walking out in the middle of the performance is a egotistical and arrogant statement no matter what he thought of the performance.

Great weekend with James was spent walking in Shropshire and playing football in Cheshire. Sunday back to the church to invigilate.

This morning I arrived at the church after a moaning session at old mining, (the techs were the recipients, they listened patiently) to find the church had been burgled. The seven deadly sins had been taken. All of the electrical equipment remained, and there was a lot, all of the bullets were intact and there were enough, just the seven deadly sins, gone.
Dave came down to check on me and said this was all very interesting, my sins were gone, was this the absolution I was looking for? I could work with this Dave said, always the optimist.


Stayed in the church all day waiting for the police to arrive, had a couple of courtesy calls saying sorry for the delay but still no show. At 3 I decided to put the lock on the side door and shut the main door, turn off the lights and make like no one was home. If these kids were anything like i was at their age they would be back after school.






Rather alarmingly I was right. At 4 i was distracted from my book (generation X) by the sound of little bastards climbing up a pile of headstones (an improvised ladder) and into the broken window, they sat and talked big talk for a few minutes, half climbed in and then left quickly. two minutes later they were back having checked the lock was on the door and therefor no one was in (wrong) the first boy landed on the floor of the vestry after kicking out more glass and I grabbed him issuing some movie bollocks about him being "mine", his body jolted with shock and his mate smacked his head on the window as he recoiled in a panic. I took the boy to a pew sat him down and phoned 999. This time the police arrived in ten minutes and questioned the boy before taking him away. ten minutes later I received a call to say the boy had spilt his guts and they had searched two houses retrieving the seven sins and arresting two others. All boys and the seven sins are now down at the police station, i may be called for a statement.

This is the last time I do a site specific work in a disused building. Still kind of ironic and rather funny really. As long as they don't come back? I wonder what Dave thinks of the bats being returned and what this means for my absolution?

Photos on their way.

30th May

Spoke to her this morning to arrange things for the holiday. I need to get a load of football stickers for her friend’s son in India, apparently the grandson of the head of the secret service. You never know when you might need some assistance getting yourself out of a jail in Mumbai or some such place.

Went to the church last night and arranged the bullets around the font. I think they may well crush themselves under their own weight, still that would be interesting in itself. maybe they will fall in the middle or at the end of Julius performance?

Will spend the rest of the day working on the show and printing off a couple of things for the tutor’s info point.

PS: Rob if you’re reading this I spell checked the entire blog this morning and there weren’t that many glaring errors, so fuck you!

Spent yesterday helping out different students with the show preparations. Must admit I'm at a bit of loss after dedicating all my time to my own show which is now all but over. I have now found myself with far to much time on my hands. I have been drunk on several occasions due to all of the situation Leeds events. if nothing else this entire project has enabled me to learn more about the Leeds art scene.

Had a few to many with Alex in the Imperial last night followed by an Ipod session back at mine until 1. Felt like shit this morning but managed to get into school at 10 because Pete was kind enough to open up for the students on a Saturday.
Had coffee with Hammam spoke with Pete and then disappeared to Artist house in Holbeck. Andy and the Black Dogs were in attendance and so were the usual faces from the Leeds art scene. I went on a tour of Holbeck stopping at one of the shows in the old conservative club just down from my house. I have to question the artist’s involvement in the neighbourhood and weather it actually benefits any one except the artist?

Funny being with all these gallereaners walking through Holbeck like it was a trip to the safari park where they were trying to save the distressed creatures through art. I made the mistake of telling the artist I lived around the corner. I should have kept my big mouth shut and just let him dig his own hole before jumping all over him. That would not have been very nice though would it. But it may have entertained me for 5 minutes and taken my mind of my blazing hangover.

Walked back to Andy's show in the company of A lady from the council and who was responsible in some capacity for the regeneration of Holbeck. I exchanged details and she said she would be in touch. I think this is what they call networking.

Oh yes there was an open forum yesterday afternoon, I said my piece albeit toned down somewhat, I have to build some bridges before I have any to burn. After the debate had a quick drink with the Black Dogs and then went to the Art market. Became engaged in conversation with the Guys from Static in Liverpool and some of the other artists who had been at the forum earlier. Interesting times. Static liked my work and said it was not that of a student. There are some benefits to being old fat n crap I thought. Had to leave when the phone wouldn't stop ringing. Alex was waiting in the imperial and was not amused. Some guy had just put 10 Meatloaf tracks onto the juke box and he didn't have anyone to talk to, to distract him from the noise.

we still don't know what the Meat wouldn't do for love.