Connectivity

The short animation titled Creative Abstracts is my artist’s response to numerous virtual art workshops carried during the COVID Pandemic at the mental health hospital. The abstract visionaries with no references are inspired by the fluid environment offered by ‘The Person from the iPad’, it was my nickname at the ward. The online workshops offered creative space, only slightly guided by the facilitator, by providing the main theme through inspirational videos. With no physical presence of the art teacher atmosphere provided total creative freedom for artistic expression and the ephemeral quality of artworks. There are no names of artists because those days shall be forgotten by participants to recover and start a new life. My work at the mental health hospital will be forgotten by participants but will remain stored somewhere on the dusty shelf as a sample of artist effort.

Animation on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQD_WxCoN7h/

CONNECTIVITY IV Clay, Words and Fragility

Artist response to the online art workshops. The fragility of words and connection, emotions and creativity. How I see the online relationship with participants through technology often stops at the middle of an important message. During workshops, the space created over the internet connection offers a state of trust but also freedom. Usually, participants wait for the theme to start their creative thinking to come up with ideas for the artwork. The general theme is embedded in the inspirational videos followed by a short explanation of the technique and then additional conversation on artists who work in the same way.

There is a fragile state in a relationship where every word shall be carefully chosen. Encouragement, positiveness, friendly attitude, conversation about participants’ art ideas.

My perception shifted from instruction-based hours towards acceptance of what is taken from my words as little as only the color scheme sometimes. My natural search for metaphorical materials falls on unfired clay. There is a fragility even in a well-designed and executed piece, the atmospheric conditions can ruin the piece, the same feeling I have during the workshop. Every time is uncertain what will be at the end of the hour.

Here is a link to the Instagram post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHv540XJpbb/

The project goes slow, other factors have powers over workshops: sickness, planned activities, sometimes blues on the other side.
It seems that art projects are a fluid matter which adapts and changes along with their development. Especially, now, when some activities might be interrupted with sudden announcements of lockdowns.

During the last session, we discussed the materiality of art techniques, which one is preferable and brings more excitement to the group. All agreed that work on art processes involving tactile senses and the three-dimensional thinking lead to satisfaction at a higher level.

Thoughts about the paper. Staying at home during the second lockdown, I have started thinking about how paper acts during centuries as a bearer of a source of chronicle, knowledge, historical and economic facts, medical records, stories, fraud, betrail, truth. I come to terms that the everyday life before the pandemic was surrounded by paper products, which were not appreciated properly. Now, the touch and smell of the newspaper during a morning underground journey seems a distant luxury. The same is valid for our sensory experiences at work, in groups, during meeting with friends. A simple eye contact is different on a zoom call. Relationships build during online workshops are based on other qualities, body language is missed, true eye to eye exposure is gone too.

The online workshops bring excitement but there are no physical experiences, no visual absorption of relationships. The one hour turned into intense efforts in braking distance by using proper words, appropriate techniques, the conversation about art and nature. It all simplified.

So, making the connection between the paper value and relationships, I experimented with waxing paper on which I drew lines representing connections. The process is tangible, physical and real, in contrast with the online life.

‘Immortal connections’ that human race experience through captured facts on paper bring to surface acts of empathy, understanding, sacrificing, acceptance of inevitable changes, love as well the horror. However, the current time as a river brings ideas that the state of new order might stay for longer. Few images capture my visual thought on above writing.

The opportunity provided by a-n funding helped tremendously to develop my art practice into a new direction which I haven’t expected before COVID19. Working on my art practice development and giving art workshops online changed my understanding of the role of artist in society when situation asks for the brand new approach to professional and personal life.

My art residency changed its location to the virtual space and shrined lots of valuable relations existed in real clinical space. Now, my group is at the low-security unit with the online access only.  Situation puts lots of demand on special requirements for art materials and tools, plus clear instructions without physical presence. Challenges for learning elements are at every corner.

If there are artists catalogues and art books to show in person, now, other ways shall replace the actual presentation.  I decided to create inspirational videos for each online workshop which is a beneficial tool to ignite participants’ imagination in current situation. My working week starts on Friday with developing  a mind map, art session plan, a storyboard, suitable art techniques and an actual recording.

I found that it is useful to incorporate scenery from nature, especially, if there are green leaves, natural sounds of rivers, birds songs, signets, ducklings, and other animals. These ideas were explored and developed  during the toughest summer of my life, the pandemic one.

Here is my artist’s response to the second week. The Paper Art workshop was a small success. Creating paper birds, mobiles and ornaments provoked thinking in three dimensional way. Artworks were placed on doorways and windowsills to celebrate colour, forms and air movement. Lightness of the form make association with falling leaves and feathers.