As a student about to commence the final semester of my degree in Art, Philosophy and Contemporary Practices, the fear has most definitely set in. As I am deeming it: the decent into the void of uncertainty.
As a student at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee, I have sent my last 3 years developing my art practice, essentially learning about myself, my relation to the world and how I choose to act up these reflections. Within my final year I have established the three main factors of my interests that have been prevalent within my previous projects.
Philosophy, politics and activism have brought my art practice to a level where I can reflect upon the socio-political construct of the world and how it makes up our being.
How does this translate into a future exactly?
It is arguable that within the art college, we should be advised on this. As true as this may be, there are so many different routes you can choose to take to attempt to make a living as an artist. For instance, the construct of my projects will not sell in the same manner as a landscape painting will.
The very existence and sheer joy of art is in it’s subjectivity. However, this freedom of expression that engages in the diversity of art practice is becoming restricted. The fragility of funding within Scotland is narrowing the ‘art world’ to a niche market that endangers emerging artist’s.
I fear that in the Degree Show this May, artist’s who are granted the RSA award will be the only students to be guaranteed some form of future, no matter how short lived the project may be.
This fear became evident to me upon finishing my dissertation, I had no conscious idea of stress nor did I dread the very idea of writing. My experience was quite the opposite, which brings me to the penultimate question, with the decline in funds in Scotland, should I resort to writing?
Post-referendum, it is undeniable the consciousness of politics within Scotland has escalated beyond any campaigners expectation. The decline in creative funding will restrict funds to the major organisations across the country. An artistic response to the world would surely make light of Scotland’s bleak future that is full of anger and spite.
On lighter note, this does not mean I will be giving up just yet, I long for something to ignite within me to continue and fight for the stability of making art for a community as without us, the world would be a colourless, with no innovation.
