meanwhile in the workshop...

I've been busy constructing parts of my degree show,

10ft doorways :\ oh dear! 

No really this *will * look good and be worth it in the end.

Really would be all kinds of lost without Malcolm keeping me straight. Here we are using the Angle Grinder to rescue the narrower part of an old lamppost. I'll use this as two beams that will go between the wooden frames.

And today I turned the quad into my personal workshop so I could work on my tan as well as finish stitching and taping the velcro to my PVC. 

Then I got inside it and melted with the heat :/

A few smaller parts to arrive and hopefully by the end of the week I'll have all construction done and dusted and ready for testing. 

coming soon

Well not so much soon as... now! Been editing my website live but still a lot to do in terms of content. Like photos form shows and collating information for other archive ideas. I'm pretty happy with the new design though.

I'd like to link up to more people though to connect local artists and organisations, so if anyone wants a link then I'm happy to add it, just didn't want to presume. Still so much more to add but its getting there slowly in between construction and filming and editing and the rest of it. Please mind daft spelling mistakes, I"m rubbish with things like that.

You can visit it here: www.alaurazane.com

Feedback greatly needed.

Super super can't wait for tomorrow to come! We're off to Edinburgh to see the New Contemporaries exhibition at RSA:

aaaaand also check in over at Judy's affordable vintage sale:

Which is for one day only in Edinburgh and then Glasgow on Sunday. Our friend Rachel over at Cute Vintage has been taking part down south but unfortunately wont have a stall in Edinburgh. However she has great affordable vintage over at her website. 

Interlude.

Today I'm taking a time out at home. I'm physically exhausted, entirely.

Except I know its, by no means, a time out.

I can't seem to switch off at the moment. In one sense I'm thrilled I have the mentality but in another, being in over drive hurts.

I don't want to burn out so I know I'm doing the right thing, not only with staying at home, but cutting out the dramatics of letting it happen. I've also made a decision to cut some ties. be it dead end projects, commitments or (dare I say) people. It's sad but with tensions high and a lot at stake I really need to focus on whats important:

Came across this in my workbook. Very apt.

So today I am organising and recollecting. Starting with the 120GB of video that I shot last week (with the huuuge aid of Stu).

I've had my new macbook about a month and it already look like this:

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

I've made a first attempt in FCP and it looks like this:

Quite a bit to get through and by no means is this everything.

I'm also planning on finishing my CV today and getting a bunch of applications finished and sent off. As well as redesigning my website as my current one really really really doesn't represent me at all. Major changes needed.

Also kaatrillions of photos to come from last weeks International women's day events. Well maybe just a few of those.

Coming up on This Morning: Three women who are scared of sex and/or have never had an orgasm! :O It's like being at home was meant to be. I wish I could help all women who feel like this. And yes I did just watch The Jeremy Kyle show.

International Women's Day.

As part of women's week, Aberdeen university's students association are holding a week of events including the Reclaim the Night march (poster above)

A list of their events can be found here and also on facebook (which is linked from their site). 

The Reclaim the night event which is on Thursday the 8th of March includes a day of banner making, a talk about the history of the march and then the evening event itself which starts at 7pm at St Nicholas Square. This is an international event and I'm really thrilled to see it happen in Aberdeen, despite the lack of support from the council. As well as taking part I will be interviewing those involved, in the hope to spread further awareness of the issues that are still current and relevant today.

On the saturday there is an extra special day of events:

International Women's Day: screening of "Women Art Revolution"

screening of "Women Art Revolution" (2010) by Lynn Hershman-Leeson, at 2pm on Saturday March 10th at the Belmont Picturehouse

Hosted by: Belmont Picture House

To celebrate International Women’s Day in Aberdeen this year we will be screening ‘Women Art Revolution’, the 2010 film by Lynn Hershman-Leeson, at 2pm on Saturday March 10^th at theBelmont Picturehouse. This will be followed by a series of academic talks, live debate, burlesque dance, and comedy performances from 4pm at the Bar Below in the Belmont.

This event is in collaboration with the local artist Merlyn Riggs, who will be staging a separate performance to celebrate the Day. The event will be Participatory Art piece based on the theme of Fairy Tales.

Merlyn’s event will be on Saturday 10^th March from 10 am until 12 mid-day in The Golden Zone (outside Marks and Spencer).

Myself and Naomi will be doing a performance at the after screening event in the Belmont bar, We'll also be doing a Q&A about the performance and specifically my thoughts on post-feminist/post-gender theory. Really excited to be part of it all. I'll also be filming the event (along with the others in the week) as part of my equality documentary based here in Aberdeen.

All pretty exciting things happening this week. and I have every faith that we're making the right steps.

On a personal, internal note, this; these experiences are really shaping my ... uhm... studies? No, It's more than that... perhaps I'll just think about that for a while.

I'm very happy anyway with all thats currently involved within my practice.

spill.

and now onto something I little more pleasant. Recently I've done millions of things, which is great but oh so tiring. I've stopped for a couple of days before things get hella busy again with filming. Here are some photos from the past few weeks:

Some footage stills that I quite like. Adding some text over the top with a typewriter and seeing what works and what doesn't.

I've been working with a blow up doll a lot this year, a short video piece is the first of things to come that I've shown some people. I've done some photos too, and used some stills to give an overview of the work. The video will be converted back onto tape to be exhibited in a handheld camera.

 I've also been spending quite a bit of time planning and experimenting with vacuum packing. The general idea is to vacuum pack myself and become the actual living art. I think I've made some progress this month with this so fingers crossed it all goes well

I made a large sealable bag that was fitted with two tubes - one for the vacuum and one for air. initial testing involved a hospital mask to make sure that I could breathe within the bag. After a short while I braved it without and it actually felt better. I think the trick is to create a good pressure balance for the air to naturally come in but without the vacuum losing any suction. it went rather well I think without to much hassle.

I've been trolling the net for the best possible materials, both for construction and for the actual sheeting. After a rather tormenting time I found the perfect PVC for the job. It arrived on Friday - Hurrah! So i've been able to look at that. I wont be working on it until the framing is ready just incase I make size mistakes or puncture it. I did lie inside it today though :)

 It felt rather nice and I love that it is actually glass clear. Now to just find a way of removing some of the folds.


I've been spending quite a bit of my time in the studio. I've been setting myself times to be in by and stay until. It's nothing to do with not working hard really, it's more about not losing myself again. I'm kinda making up for the lost studio/interaction time my brain has made me suffer over the winter period. Truth be told I think I'm also aware we only have a few months left to actually work in the school. At times it can be quite nice as well as busy and I think I'll miss that.

Here are some photos from up top.

and down below.

oh la la an Original Sarah J Stanley "Does art make you cum". 

This is my space in all its glory, its actually strange how quickly spaces change. Already over the last two days its changed.

We also had the pleasure of some outdoor music in the quad the other day. It was very nice and we had a wee dance. Then the sun set and it looked like this. 

Steph has also been working very hard (after work hours) on some Jewellery. She is currently using cameos and the typewriter and some resin and some glass to great some lovely necklaces and bracelets

We've also had some down time where we mostly eat pancakes;

have cocktails at vintage sales;

 nap with the cats;

and go see the singing kettle with small people.