I began to think of other ways I could create collections – still being personal to me, which perhaps would not involve objects directly like my work seems to be doing, but something that would portray me somehow.
My first initial idea was to take a photograph of something relating to me on each day, such as my breakfast every morning or my view at every hour. I thought about the idea of using photography initially, but then thought why don’t I draw instead as I enjoy drawing and it would give my own personal touch this way of how I record those images with mark makings. I decided I would do a drawing of my view point of every hour of the day I was awake (except weekends due to work commitments).
Therefore I began with these small A5 drawings at every hour of the day I was awake no matter where I was I would take a sketch of what I saw. Depending on the time limit I had, of what I was doing at the time of drawing, would therefore reflect the mark makings made and the expressive marks shown.
I had been doing this for about a week when I had a tutorial with Sam. We talked about my series of drawings I was creating. We spoke about how my drawings changed from the first day I did started, up until the most recent. We found they were beginning to lose the energy they had when I first started. The mark makings became less and less, the objects were beginning to become just shapes, and the view points weren’t as interesting as I had previously captured. Why I hadn’t I noticed this before? I feel it is due to me becoming so involved in a piece of work and carrying it out to the fullest that I do in fact forget to stop and take time just to look and reflect at what is going on with my work.
As much as I like the idea of having this collection of drawings that show my view point of every hour of every day, the reality is, it soon becomes tedious. I knew it had as I wasn’t enjoying the drawing as much as I was. I should have took this as an indication. I mentioned about how I now want my work to mirror me as much as possible and how I want to portray myself through my work. Did I actually need this strict routine that I had set myself like previously when collecting those shoes?
Although I was drawing my view at every hour, none of my drawings show people – obviously I would see people throughout my days. I just avoided drawing them as I do not enjoy drawing them. Therefore this meant that my view at every hour theory was not actually as accurate as it should have been, indicating that my work relates more to the everyday. Perhaps just more tailored to what suits me at times, like for example, the excluding of people.
The everyday and ready-mades are more what my work is about through my collections, rather than this strict routine I had put upon myself. With taking away this strict routine it will hopefully allow me to go back to enjoy the mark makings I am creating and explore the ready-made and everyday more. I plan to do this from the still lives I see on a day to day basis, without it needing to be such a chore. Scale would therefore be something I could explore with my expressive mark makings, still exploring my view but not as controlled and exploring the medium as well.
