Too many unanticipated departures;
Too many unwanted separations;
Too many severed friendships;
Just one has been too many.
Sunday, June 16. 10.00 am: A Father’s Day late-breakfast treat, ably cooked by my loving sons:
At 1.30 pm, I waved them off on a journey to their respective cities. 2.00 pm: Work catch-up. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to take a Saturday off without consequences these days. There’re many gains to be had from working in a small department. But the deficits are many, also; too few people to do the many administrative tasks that are spread over a far larger staff compliment in bigger departments. Post-birthday, I now have enough new, potential ‘Black Booklets’ to last me to retirement and well beyond:
I worked on responses to the Head of School’s request for information on my research for the ‘Research Environment’ document, which will be submitted with many other declarations of staff activity in research for the REF 2021 evaluation, at the close of December 2020. There’re times when I feel like a complete misfit at the School. My interests are not well-aligned with either those of the other staff members or the core concerns of the School. The exercise gave me pause for thought.
Monday, June 17. 7.30 am: I replied to an email that was full of questions (stated and implied) that fell into by inbox yesterday evening. Two underlying principles were discerned:
- The creative impulse within us will find a ‘voice’. Whether it speaks through writing or imaging making or ‘musicking’ is, to a large extent, immaterial. Its principal objective is to be heard. Like lightening, the impulse will find a way to ground.
- What we’re committed to, presently, doesn’t fate us to continue in the same for the rest of our life. We need to be sensitive to changes in the nature of our commitment, the ideas and modes through which it’s expressed, and our sense of self.
8.00 am: A communion. 8.40 am: Off to School for a day of postgraduate teaching. On arrival, I perceived that a late birthday present had garlanded my pigeon hole. I enjoy surprises. And this one was special: deliberate, resonant, intelligent, and referential, like the giver:
Dr Forster commandeered my first PhD fine art tutee of the day for a period, in her capacity as second supervisor. I reviewed postgraduate applications and admin, in the meantime. 10.00 am: The beginning of an extended tutorial with said student. It’s useful to have an expansive period that ranges wide over the breadth of their interests and achievements. We pondered the accidental:
1.00 pm: Our discussion was continued over lunch at a local eatery.
2.15 pm: Off in the drizzle to Old College for the second PhD fine art tutorial of the day. One of the underlying discussions that I had with both students concerned conclusions:
3.30 pm: Back, then, to the mothership for two MA fine art tutorials with students who are moving towards their second and final exhibition.
Some principles and observations derived from today’s engagements:
- Chance and predetermination: the outcome of an artwork is often as foreseeable as that of a game of chess.
- A procedure cannot be, by definition, either random, accidental, or undetermined. Although the results produced by its application may be all of those things.
- What is the relationship between chance and order? And, what are the opposite of those concepts?
- Don’t over-think the PhD at the outset; permit intuition, instinct, and unknowing to guide you at the outset of the journey.
7.30 pm: An evening of postgraduate monitoring admin.
