I have just benefited from having feedback from fellow students in our scheduled conversations session. This has given me some new thoughts to process over the Christmas holidays which include the conviction that my work is on the right track.
I presented five sculptures all of which refer directly to, or hint at, some utilitarian use. It was fun for the group to try to imagine their potentially useful possibilities. One observation was that there was an element of humour in the work, which I was pleased about because I do not want it to have any issues attached to it other than the exploration of material, craft and an element of possible functionality.
For this reason I think it was important to show the sculptures as a collection. If one had been shown on its own it may have led to speculation that I had other underlying agendas, which I do not. For example, one piece, had it been shown on its own, could have inferred that there were feminist issues within the work. This led to questions about whether, without prior knowledge, it could be determined whether the work had been made by a man or a woman.
There was an observation that I had combined hard and soft material as in concrete or resin combined with sewn cloth. This is a theme that has been reflected in my drawing for some time. It was also noted that the pieces had been well made and that the polish on the concrete (achieved by casting against parcel tape) made an ordinary material into something more special.
The plan now is to continue with this exploration. There will be a necessary trip to the British Museum and another to the Victoria and Albert for research into objects. I will also make a trip to see the Sherrie Levine exhibition because there is a small element of appropriation and re-presentation to my work. I want to see where this leads.
