We (the AA2A artists) are not getting paid in money but are getting paid in kind through use of facilities and studio space. So if your practice spans a range of techniques and you have a choice of projects to pursue; the sensible way to plan the remaining 5 months of this scheme is to work on that which utilises the resources that are not available to you outside of your residency.

Speaking generally, I reckon the piece of equipment that has been used as bait most often across this scheme is the deeply desirable laser cutter [Comment if the lure of a laser cutter was a deal-breaker, or at least a factor in your decision?]

In the past week I have realised that for me, the casting and fibreglassing facilities are the most precious tool at my disposal during my short time as Artist in residence at Plymouth University. For an artist these resources seem to be the most physically and financially demanding. Because I can animate and produce computer graphics from my desk in my flat, I can paint and manipulate wood in my garden (at least on sunny days) and I can outsource various printing needs to local companies at miner cost. But the one studio environment I cannot easily synthesise is casting. It requires bulk purchasing of materials and elaborate control of the environment. So therefore, I have made the decision to use this time to produce 4 new sculptures. [Comment if you have found your Universities/Colleges fascilities influencing your creative/logistical decisions]

The poster that I designed to promote "BEER AND SKETCH BOOKS" has been chosen as AA2A's pic of the week. The campaign that bore the poster is my drive to encourage students and staff at Plymouth University to end more of their working days by meeting in the pubs that surround campus, to chat and draw for a bit, instead of immediately commuting home. I believe the process of sketching in pubs is key for an artist and one which I regularly employ to hone a variety of skills and engage with my community. 

But why did a simple poster, with no organic form or illustrative qualities become raised to such a status?Well as Wendell Phillips once said: "If you want to be an orator, first get your great cause". The status of "Pic of the week" does not applaud my slick - if a little cliche - graphic design decision to use helvetica as the typeface. Nor does it commend my striking composition in black and white. What it does celebrate is my cause! The creators of the AA2A scheme believe in my idea and want to put it on a plinth to demonstrate how this man, this genius, this God they call Martin has managed to typify in one succinct A4 page everything that the AA2A scheme embodies!  Or, they just like the sex joke on the poster. 

From my observations of Plymouth University (and other campuses), there is an important element missing from the environment as it currently stands. In my role as one of the artists in residence I would like to re-introduce the time-honoured tradition of regularly sketching in pubs and encourage students, tutors, techs, AA2As and the public to see it as normal to have a pint and a chat in the bar at the end of the day.

These events (for want of a less formal term) are really important to me because I do honestly believe that sketching in the pub is a valuable method for simultaneously connecting with the public and learning about your peers in a way that feels natural. It's the informal side of a creative practice, the decompression period after intense cultural research. It's essential and I want to teach it to students. 

* PLEASE COMMENT IF YOU ARE AN AA2A ARTIST WHO IS DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR *

(On a side note: It came to my attention earlier this week that the term "Sketch book" can mean research material to many students, thinking of one as containing pages of magazine snippets, photocopied images and hand-written academic notes. This was quite a surprise to me! My idea of a sketch book is sketched ideas, diagrams, illustrations from observation and early proposals for future works.)

I moved my sculpture (entitled "How women work according to men") into The Fine Art studio in the Roland Lavinsky building (Plymouth University) yesterday. The interactive work's most recent addition is the red, block capital wording on the front of the plinth which reads "PUSH BUTTON TO TURN ON"; a necessary amendment I felt as despite the sculpture being interactive, it is often observed tentatively from a distance with the viewer keeping hands firmly by side. This sense of a lack of permision to touch is inspite of the sculpture boasting a prominent and highly tactile arcade button, positioned at easy-to-reach level.

I distanced myself from the sculpture, reveling in the anonymity that comes with being the new guy on campus, and observed reactions as the students discovered the new addition to their shared space. Much to my relief the work continued to invoke the 50:50 mix of offence and entertainment that it always has. 

I am doing a presentation of my work and practice next Wednesday at 12:00 in Babbage 411.