Performing
Make sure you have all the equipment you think you will need for a live performance (and more!) and most importantly, make sure it all works. A four-way multi-plug will not take up a lot of room in your bag, but is invaluable. Again, a small set of headphones need not take up a lot of room in your bag, but could prove invaluable, particularly in situations where you cannot get amplification before sound-check. Take more leads than you think you will need and make sure they all work. DO contact venues and galleries well ahead of time to find out what equipment is available to you, and ask if they have a technical specification of the space.
DO let the venue know in advance of any particular technical requirements to make sure that they can accommodate you. Remember that sound technicians and engineers are there to work for the venue and therefore (for the duration of your performance) for you. Don’t be afraid to tell engineers what you need and how you would like your work to sound. Do this during set-up, installation and sound-check, not just before your performance is due to start (unless you want to make the engineer very cross and possibly make you sound horrible!). Don’t pretend to be a diva! You aren’t. If you’re not happy with the sound, speak to the engineer politely and clearly – remember that engineers have the power to make you sound dreadful if they so wish.
DO ask about fees and expenses before agreeing to anything.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Be sensible. The last thing you want to do is hurt someone or yourself. Never work at height alone. When drilling/hammering into a wall, check first to see if the electric cables are surface mounted. If they are not, that means you don’t know where they are. Get yourself a Voltage Detector. They are not expensive. If in doubt….. Don’t. NEVER drill directly above or below a socket or switch. Get your electrical equipment PAT tested. Check all cables to see if they have been cut or squashed. Don’t leave extension cords rolled up or bundled – they can get hot when current is running through them. Try to use an extension lead of the right length. What trip-hazards are in the space? If cables come out into the space, use cable-matting to cover them.
You can use black gaffer tape if you don’t have matting. Is your work heavy? Can it fall over and hurt someone? Can you secure it (drill it into the floor / brace it against a wall)? Make sure all fixings are secure. Don’t block/obstruct fire escapes and escape routes.
I know that many will call this useless work. Leonardo da Vinci
Finishing
At some point you have to finish and start tidying up for the private view. Appoint someone/remind yourself to get this started with enough time to spare. Sweeping: It is best to sweep regularly during the install. This saves on dust and makes the job much easier at the end – it also stops too much build-up of dust. It may seem mad to say it but there is a way to use a broom properly:
- Outdoor brooms are coarse and work better if pushed.
- Indoor brooms have a finer bristle and work better if pulled.
- If you have a lot of dust which you cannot afford to go swooping about the room, use a misting bottle (like a window cleaner bottle) to spray water near to the floor. When you sweep, the water droplets will pick up the dust. This does, however create ‘mud’ so you will need to mop afterward.
General tips
Get your own tape measure! (Have I said this before?) Always clear away tools and bits-and-pieces at the end of the day. Have a good sweep up and empty the bin if you can. You can use a large (10-12mm) drill bit to countersink a hole if you don’t have a special bit. Use a metal bit ideally but be careful not to go too far in! Never open a paint tin with a good chisel (you will go to carpentry hell). Always carry at least one sharp wood chisel for wood ONLY and carry a blunt old knackered chisel for everything else. Do not rely on power tools (drill/driver for example). Always keep a selection of hand screwdrivers about your person – you never know!
Hold (or get someone to hold) a vacuum cleaner hose next to the drill bit while drilling in the space – NO dust! If on your own and drilling into masonry: lick (the corners will do) and stick an envelope to the wall below the drill point, fold open a little, and catch all the dust.
Rolling a cable – please try to learn this one: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-74OEVUOKOw A ‘rawl plug’ is a ‘wall plug’ – Rawl is just a brand name that has caught on. If drilling to a specific depth, wrap a piece of masking tape around your drill bit at the relevant spot so you know when you have got to that depth. If you use a cheap paint-brush, some bristles will fall out during painting and attach to the painted surface. They are easily removed by approaching perpendicular to the offending bristle while the paint is still wet and ‘scooping’ at it with the brush. The loose bristle will usually stick to the brush and come away from the surface – remove by hand from brush and wipe on back of trousers.
It’s then easy to make a couple of little clean-up strokes to make good. Use art college to meet like-minded people – a supportive network is going to be a massive thing outside and inside the studio. If you are new to a city, get a job/volunteer at a good contemporary art institution – this is a great way to meet other artists and art professionals, to get to know how the city works, and the galleries or project spaces that are interesting. Take responsibility for your work. The media you choose to work with are your responsibility. You can expect a measure of support from any institution you are working with, but it is up to you to know what needs to be done, and how to do it.
The art world kind of works on recommendations. The best people trust the recommendations of good artists – they are on the ground doing the essential work. You wouldn’t ask a jeweller where to mine for gold, would you?
Further reading: Pete Smithson’s: Installing Exhibitions – A Practical Guide (A&C Black)