4 minute video with transcript. Content warning: None.
chatGPT Summary: Kay reflects on using the term “artist residency,” especially as they sign on social media using the initialized sign for home with the handshape R, and how that doesn’t accurately match how artist residencies – not living space – exist in Vancouver within contemporary artist culture.
Video transcript:
Visual description: Kay stands in front of a wall-mounted piece of brown Kraft paper, covered in white marks and measurements. They wear a sleeveless tank top, and distressed jeans. Their greying back-length hair is braided to one side, the sides otherwise shaved. They sign using an ASL that is more English or pigin sign than formal or capital D-Deaf ASL. )
Kay: What does the English term “artist residency” mean? It’s a temporary space for artists.
Visual description: Kay signs TEMPORARY, HOME using the handshape R, and then ARTIST + STAY. Temporary is signed with the fingers of both hands in U-handshapes (index finger and middle finger are upright together with the palm facing outward while the thumb and other fingers are closed) the right hand fingers placed on top of the left extended ones in a x and rubbing back and forth. HOME is normally signed with a flat O-handshape, the ends of the fingers tapping the chin and then up just under the bottom of the ear, however, for this sign, Kay uses the handshape R (upright forefinger and middle finger are crossed while the other fingers and thumb are closed with its palm facing outward.). ARTIST uses a flat upturned palm of their left hand, like a painter’s easel, and the pinky finger of their right hand in a flourish from the top of the palm canvas down towards the bottom. STAY uses the Y handshape, where the thumb and the pinkie extended while the three fingers are folded on the palm, on both hands with the left hand positioned in front of the body and palm facing down, and the right hand starting parallel but moving away in an upward arc, returning to a similar plane as the left but a few inches away from the body. )
Kay: Unlike some other countries, Canada has cultural programs or grants to support artists. However, there are different kinds of artists to support.
Consider two larger categories of artists. We have artists who make physical things – for example, people who make paintings, clothing or sculptures for sale.
However, there are also artists who make physical things that are not for sale. This could include artists who make things for a program, a service, not-for-profit public art shows, or special events. There are also commission projects where an artist is paid to come up with an idea. They might make something, but they are paid for a concept.
But consider artists who don’t make physical things: dancers, performers, writers, or those with a social practice. Sure, dancers and performers make things so that they may have a performance in the future, and writers may be working on a book, writing an article to sell, or researching a project. A social practice may include a workshop or educational program that needs planning and development time.
All of these artists need time to practice, make, and try, but Vancouver is a costly city. Homes may be small (or non-existent), and paying for external studio space is challenging. So artists with viable practices can apply for residencies. Some residency programs have money to pay the artist during their time, but many residencies are about a space with occupancy periods typical of 1-3 months.
What am I doing at this “FLEET” residency? My practice involves exhibition design and setup, and so I am focused on how to work in this space accessibility. What will future artists need? If visitors want to come to this space, how will they find it? Are the paths for mobility and cane users accessible? That’s my focus during this time.
So residency basically means temporary residency or a place to stay for artists. Can we live here? Nope, that’s not allowed—it’s a borrowed work studio. Ok, folks. See you later!!
Transcript ends.
Technology note:
I continue to test the use of AI within my writing and artistic practice. I used chatGPT to create a summary and reading estimate and to recommend some content warnings for this blog. Grammarly also assisted me with spelling and grammar.
While I uploaded a sped up version of this video on my instagram, I decided to keep a slower version here. This time, I did not use a voice-over, and the transcript prioritizes a visual description of the signs I used to translate “Artist Residency”. In the instagram video, I use ElevenLabs for my voice-clone and do not include a visual description for the sake of speed and to upload it within the 90s limit of the Reels format. I used my iPhone to shoot the video.
In my visual description, I describe some handshapes. I mostly wrote this myself, but for clarity, I used the U, R, and Y handshape descriptions from handspeak.com which you should use and also sign-up for their patron account (it’s easy and cheap). It’s an excellent reference and we MUST pay Deaf online content creators.