I wonder how many conversations go on behind the Artists Talking curtain so to speak?
I occasionally have e-mail conversations with artists who having read my blog e-mail me rather than post…maybe if you know someone well it seems oddly impersonal to post. I don’t know.
Anyway, I have spent the day wondering about a response to this one:
‘ You’re right, I think the wasps can be read as defenders or aggressors. How do you feel about appropriating other things to make work as opposed to making it all yourself? I’ve always used found items in mine, and find it quite tricky and a bit lonely when i don’t. but I’ve only just started thinking about this recently ….. I know you do both, so I’m interested to know if you feel different about work that has found objects as key ingredients?’
In between doing stuff I have wondered about this all day. How come I haven’t given this proper thought before? In this time of eclectic materials does it matter?
Why do I do it? How does it fit with my work?
I came easily to the first conclusion -that the materials I use do have great resonance for me.
They have to be absolutely right. They have to say what I am saying. They have to be perfect for the moment, but made, bought or found is truly immaterial.
Why do I continually mix them? I tried to work out why. I have no agenda or political or eco reasoning for using found objects.
It appears it is the age or emotional content of the found object that allows me to expand it into a full blown work. I spin the narrative from the objects – goose bones, leather suitcases, dress pattern tissue, dead insects……the starter material must match my ‘voice’ for the piece and everything must be right – colour, texture, age, size…
Objects either offer me a narrative or they don’t. My work always deals with memory and memorial in some way. I seem to be looking for my found objects to contain something ethereal, some homeopathic memory that still flutters in the world that will allow me to spin the story……….
I don’t seem to be able to get any further than that. I hope it will suffice for my friend.
