I made some drawings today. I was trying to figure out what element of my work was the work. The act, the photographs, the chewed objects, the drawings all contribute to the work but what is the artwork?
Making the drawings in my studio gave me the chance to observe and to reflect on the paper eating. Having spent this time I believe that the act of eating is the work and the other elements are contributors. I had no spectators for my act just my home-made camera. Although I set out on this process keeping documentation as a priority the subject/object that I am documenting is still the most important aspect.
I left the film into the Kodak shop this morning, it’s due back on Wednesday. Shooting film is always a risk but the flip-side is that you create an object as well as an image. You can hold the image in your hands. In it’s physicality it becomes exclusive.
I had a call from a sculptor friend this afternoon. She’s been working on something and after many hours of work it broke. She is making optical illusions and photographing them. Making the objects to create the images takes time and expensive resources. The artwork is a photograph of the placed mirrored object. She was concerned about uploading them to websites because they can be viewed, downloaded and printed by anyone. Is this a problem? Does it help promote your work or does it devalue it?
In my work, how does documenting it change what it is, especially if it is a live event? What happens when the spectator is the camera? Is the documentation the work? Can you just dismiss the presence of spectators who add their own presence to the outcome of the work?
I had a chat with Demeter who has a space next to mine in the studio. She too works with paper. In response to my questions which were asked in relation to how I present what I am doing to the university she suggested that all of the elements could be individual works. She suggested I took advantage of a group of people and use them as spectators. Eat paper with them. It’s probably the best way to explain what I am doing rather than to show them documentation, which I can also do. I expect it will be uncomfortable as the next presentation is a group crit with Leigh Clarke. I’ve not been to a group crit as yet so I don’t know the protocols. Maybe I will reherse it at the studio.
