Keith Arnatt- Notes from Jo Research

I have chosen to research Keith Arnatt’s Notes from Jo, as it links to my project of
moments after a routine. One reason it does this is because Arnatt published these
notes his wife had written, once she had died. Although his wife’s death wasn’t part
of a routine, he reflects their routine and looks back at it in a nostalgic manner, which
I found very interesting and I wanted to look into. The notes themselves also makes
their routine seem very present, as the audience read them in Jo’s perspective. In
some ways I think Jo’s voice and representation is slightly similar to the way Clare
Gallagher is represented, known as ‘the women who photographs housework’ as
similarly hear Jo’s notes represent what it is like
being a women who does lots of work within
the domestic household. The first not I will be
looking at is this one that says, ‘Hot Pot in
Oven- Mushy Peas in Saucepan’. It reflects
both Keith Arnatt’s and Jo’s routine, and
highlights the contrast in their working days,
their personalities and also gives the audience
a representation of their daily lives. Jo often
came across as exasperated, swearing and
using exclamation marks, however this also
reflects how they were used to speaking to one
another, making their relationship appear close
and personal to them. The notes represent
daily life, and the daily routine, as the notes were something that Jo would write to
communicate with Keith Arnatt, showing a consistent patterns and routines that they
used within their lives. The yellow note highlights that Jo is telling Keith where his
dinner is, reflecting that she has cooked it for him, reinforcing that she was the more
domestic one in their relationship, it also reflects normal households across the
world, and reflects the moments after a routine, in this sense reflecting the moments
after Jo has eaten and Keith hasn’t, and also reflecting the moments before writing
this note, and the moments before he got home from work. This links to my project
as it highlights the relationship between the person doing the majority of the
housework, and noticing the small untidy elements such as orange peel, and empty
bottles, compared to the people who just let it pass them by, which I find very
interesting, and I want to look at highlighting the relationships between people within
moments after a routine as I continue with my project.