The last two weeks have been all about making and choosing work for assessment and the degree show, and boy has it been hard. I feel even in the last month my work has changed and progressed to more exciting pieces. My goal of having four canvases on the wall is becoming more of a reality than I had first thought and this is comforting.
I have continued to use a varying list of mediums in these newer works, always welcoming new textures to help show diversity in interests. The degree show, I hope, will show my relationship with the paint and the water and all the different aspects of my art and the joint journey we have taken. I’m still unsure as to a few things within this project…
…is there a strong enough consistency of work?
…and can the journey be seen in my work?
These are all questions I ask myself when working, and Grit, the top image here is a prime example of when I first started feeling confident with this show of work. I have worried that although I can feel that the changes in my work are present through my sketchbook and this blog, I hope others see it too. The mix of textures shows my exploration; the colours used show my personal choices, but the remains of bleeding paint and the shallow areas of faded colour, show the urgency of my work, of the paint, of the running coffee through the surface, and this is what I want to portray; the intimate relationship between me and the outcome.
Grit, was made to analyse the impact of layering materials and combining contrasting elements such as tea and coffee (both fine almost bitty substances) and running paint and water, and captured the narrative between them as they react with each other. The colours are very natural and almost plain, as to not distract from the earthy elements of the materials used. In fact this has been one of my favourite things about this piece, the sand coloured background has perfectly highlighted the delicate textures of the tea and coffee and chalk. Yippee.
In all honesty it was from this point onwards that I spurred into action and started making larger canvases for the degree show. Whereas I once believed that my work benefited from working on paper as the fluidity was more visible, the canvas had surprised me by holding the paint better than I thought!! It is because of this that I have decided to hang my canvas works but frame my paper works as to highlight the most important pieces in my anthology. I also think this shows my journey and progression well as I started off on small paper, moved to larger experiments and have ended up on large 3 foot canvases.
Technique and process make up the whole essence of my project and this is seen throughout my studio space every day. My work is erratic and fast moving, which is why I don’t spend a massive amount of time in one go making work, it doesn’t work for me. My attention span is smaller than that of a child which I’ve found to sometimes be a small hindrance in my work but mainly it has forced me to leave my studio at times when maybe I was overworking a piece just to feel like I was doing something.
This can be seen in White Space, where I unlike normally, had an idea of what I wanted to achieve; a large white space (hence the name) with minimal dripping and intense smaller areas of focus.
niki de saint phalle shooting paintings were a big influence for me here with there minimal subject yet sharp process and striking drips. Untitled from Edition MAT 64 as seen on the right is one of my favourites as it highlights the strength of single forms in an abstract pieces and the clever use of bright colour as a main focus.
With this being less time consuming than usual it was created pretty quickly which left me feeling unworthy of satisfaction; it was as though it was too quick to be good. Something I’m sure was an overreaction. I’m very happy with White Space, but I think it did unlock a few feelings I have towards my work and the way I work and maybe how others view it…
…quite a thought provoking day for me.
