Nottingham Trent University   2008/2009

Peter Matthews

The opportunity to hook myself with the AA2A residency was an overall bright and positive experience, enabling me to immerse myself back into the fine art studios at NTU where a decade earlier I started my BA hons in fine art. To be honest, I was nervous in venturing back into the studios when it came down to it. Hard to say why exactly but definitely something to do with the electrical energy of so many ideas and creative fusions going on there on a daily basis, and how being back there took me down memory lane and elevated my perspectives regarding the journey I have taken since my MA days in 2002. I jumped into the studios at NTU, often walking around gingerly like a cat on a hot tin roof with eyes wide open looking critically at what the students are engaging with. This was one of the brightness and positive elements of the residency as working in the neutral zones in and around the studios within the matrix of spaces that the students use enabled me to work outside of my normal state of isolation. I chatted with the students frequently while at other times, being sensitive to the studio vibration, I found myself drifting off at a tangent, falling into the creative acts of knocking out and developing new sculptures.

Over the course of the residency I have produced four new sculptural works that openly question and toy with the shifting notions associated with the financial crisis. The residency has made it possible to realise and develop this new work, especially due to the amplified space and heightened initiative and drive to make new work and not just think about it. I would sincerely encourage anyone considering applying to a future AA2A residency – be open minded, flexible and have some new, ambitious ideas and it will all fall into place – great experience - seize the moment.