London Agenda: Gretchen Andrew. HOW TO Write your first novel using YouTube

Tuesday 6 December, 19:00 – 21:00

Burley Fisher Books
400 Kingsland Road
London E8 4AA

On the occasion of her solo show at Arebyte, artist Gretchen Andrew presents a book launch with a difference, where she explains the process of writing her first novel, using YouTube as her only guide.

Gretchen Andrew, HOW TO HOW TO HOW TO, courtesy @Gretchen Andrew

“During the course of her residency at Arebyte artist Gretchen Andrew deployed the looping GIF medium to explore what you can and cannot learn, and by way of learning become, by following “how to” videos on YouTube. HOW TO HOW TO HOW TO Write your first novel using YouTube (And why you should) applies this process to a work of fiction. Over seven months Gretchen Andrew watched instructional YouTube videos returned for the query “how to write a novel.” She then recorded herself endeavouring to apply the advice into a mysterious text, a novel of unknown length, theme, format, and merit. We see only the artist’s earnest face, recorded using her laptop’s webcam. The footage was then converted into endlessly looping GIFs, the medium echoing the advice of persistence and steady work. The process becomes the outcome as the act of creation obscures the result.”

– words by Gretchen Andrew, artist