Still thinking and mapping so no images of new experiments yet, busy winding up to start a new series. There’s such a lot to consider, materials, techniques, process and influences
I went to the ‘The Shape of Things to Come: New Sculpture’ at Saatchi last Friday and found it fascinating, particularly the amalgam of materials used by most artists in the show. I particularly liked Matthew Monagan’s work the mix of drawing and sculpture, often pieces looked like they had been dug up and were ancient artefacts. Also Thomas Houseago for the drawing onto and form of his sculptures
Although I haven’t often worked with ceramic usually preferring the hardness of metal, I explored porcelain paper clay on the AA2A Scheme and I do have an unfired clay vessel in the loft, I was intrigued by Rebecca Warren’s sculptures of the female nude in unfired clay. The scale reminded me of the work of Nikki Saint Phalle and I just had to draw ‘She:Untitled’ 2003 straight into the exhibition guide so that I could capture it’s heaviness
So this show has been very helpful in thinking about contemporary artists and their choice of material and the effect that choice has on the final sculptures or installations. Also my response to those materials will help in deciding what to use in my next experimental series
I’ve begun to read ‘The Philosophy of the Body’ edited by Mike Proudfoot, Blackwell Publishing, 2003, to help gain a better understanding of the body in relation to space. Also I’m looking at Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes, again I’m fascinated by the simplicity of the materials she uses and yet for me there is often a great strength in her installations. I’m also still searching for an explanation for my motivation to work with suspended pieces…
