Recent Interviews

Picture: Franny working on a recent installation.

Franny – as you are retiring from the Chairmanship we thought it was your turn to sit in the interview chair. We are here to talk about your work with SEOS. When did you first hear about and volunteer to help with SEOS?

Hi. Well, I first heard about SEOS when I was doing an adult education course at Sevenoaks. Like many artists it took a while to persuade me I should do it. I was at the end of a two year HND course before I finally felt ready to give it a go and knew I had enough work.
We borrowed a long tent and put it up in the garden. It turned into a week long party and I sold more work then than I have done since and of course I was hooked!
As to volunteering I was asked in 2005 if I would be Area Co Ordinating Officer and I joined the committee.
That meant I got to know lots of Kent artists and from that I got invited to join my first group exhibition.

What drew you to the group and the idea of the Open Studios?
It was the constant nagging of various artist friends who were in SEOS that made me join. I didn’t of course have any idea at that point where it would end up.
I didn’t have a studio then but we sorted that out with the tent.
SEOS offers more to its artists now than when I joined but I soon realized that I was making useful contacts with local artists. I also was getting very honest and genuine feedback on my work from the public. It was quite scary but ultimately invaluable to listen to people talk about my work. I’ve since learned to really value that and I seek it out when visitors come.

What have you most enjoyed about being Chairman of SEOS?
I’ve loved it, really loved it. I’ve had a fantastic committee. Most members don’t have a clue how much work goes into SEOS; I don’t expect they even think about it. We do have fun though and it’s a very creative thing to do in its own way.
I love meeting people so that’s been a great joy. I can walk up to people at an exhibition, forum or meeting and say’ I am Chairman of SEOS and we’ve got 270 artists.’ It’s opened up some terrific conversations. I shall really miss that. Perhaps I’ll have to start a fictitious organization to be chairman of!

How did you come to be Chairman? What qualities do you think you have for this?
I don’t think they could find anyone else!
I had no idea what qualities I would need when I started. I was terrified. I found working out what job needed to be done at what time of the year hard to work out and was afraid we’d reach the end and have no posters or something. Of course the committee knew and kept me on the straight and narrow.
Now I think you need to be a steadying hand on the tiller really. Maybe being a creative thinker- able to think round problems to a new solution would help. You have to learn that something you feel passionately about may be decided against by the committee but you still have to take it forward. I think that’s been the hardest lesson to learn.

You have always had a busy working life apart from your family. What skills do you draw on from your past work that have best helped you as Chairman?
Gosh. I’ve had quite a few different personas! I did a History of Art degree and went on to be Asprey’s jewelry buyer. I was the first woman buyer in London at that point. I suppose I learnt how to deal with ticklish situations. All the men in the department were older than me and it was occasionally a little difficult.
My work as a chairman on the magistrate’s bench meant I was used to conducting meetings, evaluating facts and reaching a conclusion while making sure everyone felt they’d had a chance to speak.
I don’t think you realize the skills you have sometimes – life skills from bringing up a family and just being the age you are.

What skills does being a practicing artist bring?
I suppose being a practicing artist allows me to evaluate if something will be valuable to our artists and appreciate their problems so I can ask the right questions.

What is your legacy from your time at SEOS?
Legacy! I’m not sure I do Legacy....In the last two years a huge amount of work has gone into updating SEOS. We updated the website, bought in online applications and started the newsletter. The database has been modernized, we can e-mail all our members in one go, and the Guide distribution has been streamlined. The tube logo has been updated as has the way we print the Guide. We started the post of Development Officer to see if we could get sponsorship and have a professional look at where we should be going.
When I took over some professional artists and makers were very sniffy about us and we had very few conceptual artists. By allowing members to advertise their degrees we gave some the confidence that we welcomed everybody and we now have some very fine young artists and makers wanting to join which is obviously key to the future. Recently we have bought back the Group Studios so that we can welcome the big managed studios who had been asking to join. Of course none have applied this year, but I am sure word will get round. This will be the third year Greenwich University has taken part on the West Kent campus. It would be great to extend that to other universities.

Presumably you are going to continue to involve yourself in SEOS. I know everyone has valued your contribution enormously. How will you do this?
I intend to stay around! I am hoping for some ‘think time’ in my own practice. I finished a Fine Art degree two years ago and I am feeling the need to research again.

Is that why you feel the need to pass on the baton as Chairman?
Time for some quite contemplation and taking stock I think. My husband has retired and life needs to rebalance itself. We have things we want to do and we are great travelers.
Anyway, I think change in organizations is healthy. The next Chairman will see new things that need to be looked at.

What themes from your BA course do you plan to explore?
My practice has always been project driven. I work best if I am looking at a cause or a project. I worked on Extraordinary Rendition at college before anyone knew what it was. Last year I did an installation at Eynsford Castle supported by English Heritage. Presently I am collecting memories of Dartford Park for a group exhibition on the regeneration of the Park. Yesterday I was discussing with an optician the possibility of putting together a proposal for a project on Surveillance. Getting funding is of course another matter, so I shan’t be bored!

What cause would you like to fight for if you were taking SEOS forward?
The primary function of SEOS is to organize the two week event best possible for our artists. Everything else like the newsletter is outside of that remit and has to be handled with care. I don’t think it’s our place to fight battles for artists but we can use the fact that we represent so many Kent artists to have a voice. I have asked about the lack of studio spaces, the fact that money is poured into regions and then withdrawn as the next area is regenerated leaving little lasting legacy for the artists, and how little funding is available to the solo artist unless they set themselves up as a company.
As an artist I dislike the way those who want to access funding have to fit their work into the current themes of the moment- Regeneration, Youth, Legacy etc. It skews your practice but if you don’t fit the project into the current criteria you can’t access the funding.

You are responsible for collating the newsletter and interviewing. So, what is it like to be interviewed?
Ah, yes, a little known fact- that the Chairman moonlights as the Roving Reporter! I think the newsletter is very important. It has turned what was a two week event into an organization artists belong to throughout the year. I love the interviewing. Maybe I can remain interviewer; we shall see.
It’s been very strange being interviewed. It has given me a chance to look back and I’m quite surprised to see how much we have done in a short time especially as we don’t tend to meet from August to January. I think SEOS should be proud of itself. It’s a truly welcoming, democratic, vibrant organization that offers its artists and makers the best and it can only get better.