I am studying the BA (Hons) Fine Art course at BIAD, at the fabulous Margaret street art shool.
The course is a very open and broad one, allowing students to work over all areas of fine art or choose to concentrate on one area if they wish.
not updated for a while…
not long to go util show time now! oh the stress.
today wasnt very productive, it was one of those days where you get up and go in early, enthusiastic about finally getting some work copleted and progression towards the show only to have everything go wrong. In my case the final prits were not big enough for my frames and then I broke the glass in one of the 6 frames…lets hope the glassless look is in!
can't get much done until the build is complete and we get into the show space, as it is an installation…this adds to the worry of whether everything will work or not.
hmmmm….
I thought that by posting my statement from earlier this year it may help me think about how to revise it before the show (it is not the best piece of writing, it was merely for assessment purposes);
My personal practice focuses on the use of photography, along with certain elements of a performative nature to explore, investigate and work with the areas and themes of the female body and its representation in the areas of fetish, erotica, pin-up and burlesque. I am interested in the way in which the female body and sexuality are used in contemporary art and culture, and what effect this has on the model, the artist and the audience it is intended for.My inspiration and ideas for the work are drawn from looking at areas such as vintage Victorian erotica right through to contemporary fetish photography and bodyscapes. Also the vintage 50s pin-up queens and the glamorous vintage burlesque starlets, leading up to today’s neo-burlesque revival and its new wave of performers. The use and portrayal of the female form and sexuality can clearly be seen in each of these areas, and I am trying to recreate such ideas, but with my own twist and style to it. Through often using myself, and not just other females, as the subject within my images, and by using photography as the main media I am able to create realistic images that concentrate on the body and sexuality. By using myself as the subject so it allows me to start understanding and developing the psychological relationship that I have with my own body. Through exploring this psychological relationship that I have with my own body I am able to explore and push my own boundaries and determine where my comfort lies, and how far I am willing to go. Through using myself as the subject I am able to place myself in the poses and situations, and later on be viewed by an audience. I am therefore able to understand firsthand how this actually makes me feel as a female under both male and female scrutiny.The photographic images bear elements of erotica, fetish and voyeurism. I am interested in the way in which the images are perceived by both male and female viewers, as this is often very different and plays an important and valuable part in the works. The images examine the differences between the sensual and the sexual, the empowering and the degrading and the borderline where art becomes pornographic. The bodyscape images have the anticipation of seeing everything, but in fact seeing nothing. I am aware of the feminist undertones and issues with the work, and as always, with using the female body, but I do not class the work as anti-feminist nor pro-feminist, but more of an exploration of my own opinions on the subject and where I place myself in regards to feminist practice.
So here I am….what do I say?
Well, over the 3 years of the course I have not "found" myself or my practice until now, which is infact probably a little too late! I seem to have wavered from photography, to performance, installation and sculpture and now back to photography with the added bane of my life….video work!
After having done the dissertation (which they then lovingly tell you doesnt mae a scrap of difference to your degree as it doesnt count) back in January, and spending far too much time reading feminist texts which make me sit on the fence over feminism and feminist practice even more I have had to start the final work.
My current, and final work involves feminism in a big way, and sadly it lumbers me in the "feminist artist" band. I have decided to work with Burlesque and once again the female body and it's use in performance. Erotica, voyeurism and sexuality all play a vital part in this. However I chose to take the body and distort and abstract it, giving it whole new enchanting elements and meanings.
Lets see how it all pans out over the next 4 weeks that are left…
