I had a phone call from my youngest daughter a week or so ago. She is at Glasgow College of Art and she had got stuck writing an essay and wanted to talk to me about it. Apart from feeling quite honored that she wanted to discuss it with me I felt quite inadequate in that I have not gone to art college and my knowledge of other artists both historically and contemporary is very limited.
She had to look at three sculptors of her choice. The first she had chosen was Sara Lucas. A young artist that emerged during the 1990s. What she does with meat and fruit you would not believe. Then when you start looking at her as a person, being as she describes a "tomboy" as she grew up, mixing mostly with boys, hearing a lot of the things they talked about, understanding comes to her work.

Another sculptor she looked at was Piero Manzoni. An Italian sculptor who produced sculptures using live bodies and signing them. He also produced "Tins of shit" as works of art and I think sold a few. We talked about how he was challenging the art world, challenging the idea of what people thought of as art and were prepared to pay for what they thought was art.

The third sculptor she looked at was Marc Quinn who made the "Alison Lapper" sculpture that was put onto the fourth plinth in Trafalgar square. Again , another artist that challenged this time the whole idea of beauty and putting disability firmly on the map.

I so enjoyed talking to her. Talking about her ideas and reasons for choosing these artists. The fact they all through their work challenge society and challenge the art world itself was no coincidence because this is what she is. And it makes me feel so proud I have a daughter that does not accept the norm and is not afraid to challenge what is presented to her. And I found out abit more about art, abit more about her and abit more about myself.

A phone call from my daughter ......