David Spurring: artist in residence

Great to see Dave again today, in his sprawling little boheimian island in the middle of the hustle and bustle of London’s East End.

The meet was to pick up footage shot by a colleciton of people of his two installations (two of perhaps 8 in a full series, but already amounting to 9 years work), but I was instantly lost in the worlds he’d created.

Whilst the original intention that I would be mechanically repairing footage that already existed, it was all to easy to work out how to shoot more footage using a better selection of glass. I almost had to physically restrain myself.

Dave picked up on a number of things - he saw that I was a little more ‘unsteady’ than he remembered, respectfully ensuring that I didn’t knock anything over whilst gesticulating. He also noticed the scar. So, on the way to lunch, when he heard an important phone conversation between me and Lisa O’Sullivan, my Oncology Key Contact at the Royal Berkshire, he’d put two and two together. Sadly, he’d nursed a friend through the last stages of a similar cancer, and of course he’d witnessed Darren Filkins’ partner Helen and her passing from a similar tumour.

I reminded him that my interest in David’s project extended to a time before my diagnosis, and that my new condition simply means that I had more resources to devote to it.

We continued a to-and-fro of ideas and cinematic approaches over a lovely lunch in a particularly unique pub that was straight out of the early 1980s - untouched by time or advances in cuisine, though the salad was absolutely fine. Such a popular place, we were moved out, so we retired to a trendy coffee house full of bright young things (there must be model agencies and graphic design shops nearby). We seemed to be a fine couple of old farts - made most welcome but at odds with the usual clientele.

Managed to enjoy not only my English Breakfast tea, but also a 750l bottle of water and all three slices of lemon (originally intended for Earl Grey) and even the milk.

Big hugs upon departure - and a promise to do this again, possibly with Michael and Ruby in tow.