Disrupted third week with electrical issues and positive similarities with Margate 2011 intervention as local artists begin to find Portal B.
Solving The Electrical Issues
As with Monday, Thursday was closed to the public for most of the day as electricians made good the old lighting outside pub and and sockets front of house. There are at least a further two days of works, maybe more requiring further closing.
Old lamp (not first edition Batman design) and very old mosaic with even older light fitting (probably!) outside Portal B
Wednesday had a very wet late afternoon and storms in the evening. The morning saw the return of now regular couple who are really liking developments. A daughter of one half of the couple has an interview at the James Paget hospital next week and 'would probably love the Paget garden idea' her mother believes, as I explained what is developing. A customer came in just after the electricians had left having cycled from the other end of town. He liked the beer (Wildcraft Pineapple IPA), the clean environment and understood the challenges but could not stop shaking his head as I explained the concept and how it will change. He was polite in his assessment that it will not work.
Margate Prototype and Importance of Artists
Thursday also saw the first visits of visual artists, an important milestone and indicator whether a project will work.
One of the prototypes to Fourth Portal took place in a derelict cafe in Cliftonville, Margate in 2011, as the new Turner Contemporary was opening. Then, as now, the space was empty most of the time with just the odd person wandering in a little confused and generally not convinced by the concept. One of the most difficult aspects of interventions is holding the line and not shouting about what is happening while sitting alone all day after day with no customers or visitors. People just discovering the space is an important element of interventions, and I would claim the same for business, as it is essential for deeper engagement. People need to find their own avenue into a space or reason to visit in a world that bombards us with advertising. In Margate it was the arrival of artists Paul Hazelton and Mo Black, who both wandered in separately around week three. Their early enthusiasm and engagement provided the needed confidence that there was potential in Moonbow Margate. Professional established artists who truly understand their craft swiftly exit or do not become involved in anywhere that does not have integrity. Mo and Paul soon brought others and within weeks the place was busy.
Moonbow Margate 2011 began as quiet as Fourth Portal is beginning
Thursday I had two artist visitors, Peter Rodulfo who I missed because I was out collecting something for the electricians and Bruer Tidman, whose excellent exhibition I visited last week at the local Skippings Gallery. We sat in the Paget garden chatting, I explaining the concept of the garden, while attempting to strong arm him into providing some of his early pre-RCA (1961) etchings to create a Paris Salon type exhibition in Portal B, and he recounted numerous anecdotes of Great Yarmouth over his 81 years. Bruer's reaction, and that of his accompanying nephew was very positive to ideas behind Fourth Portal and bodes well for Portal B.
Local artist Bruer Tidman recounting tale how he almost had a fight in St John's 30 years ago, all ended well with hugs
Beans Sorted
While the electricians worked away I spent a few pleasant hours in the lovely sunshine untangling the green and purple beans in the garden creating more bamboo trellis for them to climb and creep across. More people about today and more people noticing the emerging garden. Accompanying blog almost ready.
Creating further trellis for beans and social distancing in the emerging Paget garden
New Books
The James Paget biography by Hugh Sturzaker arrived for the pub and one Peter Rodulfo books, From Trinidad to Great Yarmouth he kindly dropped-off.
Hurricane Yarmouth
Friday very quiet and, although sunny the super strong winds brought some destruction to Portal B and few visitors.
John M