Buckinghamshire New University

Oddly, I stood around in the studio today, contemplating the fact that I think four of the larger canvases may be finished. It has taken me a little by surprise. The forward motion has stilled to idling, while I look, wonder and wait.

I am also working on the invite to the show, my website and the documentation, oh and my dissertation proposal.

Back in the studio today. Layering with Lemon and Permanent Rose. I valued having had a break from the paintings over Easter, the distance helped me have a fresh view

Photographs tomorrow.

During the Easter break I have been working on four smaller canvases. In a smaller studio, with smaller brushes in shorter bursts of time. A timely gear change, it will be interesting to see them together with the other paintings when college reopens next week.

Reading through the blogs I can feel the tension mounting as artists approach the end of their final projects. I am approaching the end of level 5 (part time) and quite apprehensive about showing only just recently completed work. Will there be enough time to reflect and evaluate before a public hanging? I suspect though, that this sense of pressure, deadlines and doubt are a continual part of the artist’s working life. I have been struck by the high level of output of some of the visiting artists who have given talks at college, working for future exhibitions, on new ideas, collaborating on projects. The current pace we are experiencing is probably necessary to be a part of what is happening out there. If I had not set myself the challenge of the exhibition for the Professional Practice module, I would have not experienced the scaling up my activities, and pushed myself out of the comfort of my college studio space, or maybe, even thought that I could.

Best wishes everyone.

My exhibition entry-Norden Farm Centre for the Arts

https://nordenfarm.org/?tmpl=event&e_id=8913&nfs=S…

http://twitter.com/marionpiper

Today I finished reading ‘The Shape of a Pocket’ by John Berger. I intend to re-read it straight away. There is something about Berger’s writing that enables me to catch sight of the edges of ideas. Can I leap frog from the edges of mine to his and back again?

In the final essay in the book, ‘Will It Be a Likeness? (For Juan Munoz)’ he writes about presence, absence and silence in painting, and how likeness is a presence. Berger states that, ‘With a painted or drawn portrait likeness is fundamental; if it’s not there, there’s an absence, a gaping absence.’ I am mulling this over with regard to the likeness of a place or the experience of a place. Something to think about over the weekend!

He writes:

‘A presence is always unexpected. However familiar. You don’t see it coming, it moves in sideways.’

‘A likeness is a gift and remains unmistakeable- even when hidden behind a mask.’

‘I’ll tell you the story of the best likeness ever made.’ Berger goes on to tell the story of Jesus arriving at the place where his friend Lazarus had died and been buried for four days.

‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked.

‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said: ‘See how much he loved him!’

But some of them said: ‘Could not he, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept him from dying?’

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone,’ he said.

So they took away the stone.

Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth round his face.

Jesus said to him: take off the grave cloths and let him go.’

This was the perfect likeness. And it provoked Caiaphas, the high priest, to lay the plot for the taking of Jesus’s own life.’

What I enjoy about Berger’s work is that I am left with more questions at the end of reading. There is much here I don’t understand and yet somehow his words draw me in and invite me to keep thinking.

So, back to chapter one, ‘Opening a Gate‘.

The Shape of a Pocket, John Berger, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2001