Experience, Create, Review, Repeat

Direction might have changed slightly over the past months, perhaps more varied

different media i.e. performance is now a possibility and the idea of bringing in models to use in my imagery instead of focusing solely on myself and my body.  Using a model might allow me to  portray a stronger image of the message I am trying to get out.

multi-dimensional

I feel that I want to mimic the abundance of ideas, concepts and experiences I’ve begun to have of feminism in western society in the work I show for assessment.  One thing that I’ve been so fascinated by is how much material there is for contemplation and use in this area of study.  I’ve begun to notice connections to my subject matter in so many places, every day, and I feel that it’s right for me to try and express that abundance in the exhibition of my work.

Discovered new artists, new materials to work with, new ways of working, new ways of allowing myself to work.

All that feeds into my working process and influences the direction my projects move in.

I know I want to show several pieces but I think that, because of the organic nature of how new ideas for work come to me from so many experiences that happen every day, I will know for sure what to exhibit when the time comes.  At the moment I have several projects evolving and when I reach the point for decision making some will suit the show better than others.  I’m also very aware that the allocated space will play a big role in making those decisions and that hasn’t yet been confirmed.

I don’t feel short of work to choose from so am happy to keep working in the same way I have been and continue with the creative processes I’m exploring.

Moving on from my project in neon The Perfect 10, and influenced by discovering the work of Rebecca Horn, I am excited to be exploring the idea of a performance piece.

Aim:
– demonstrate the restrictions of ideals imposed on women by patriarchal culture (‘if you aren’t this, you aren’t woman)
– create powerful images and explore performance work
– use neon lights as restrictive ‘harnesses’ on my body

Notebook Page
On Friday I go to Cyprus for a week and I’d like to try and explore this concept while out there.  Perhaps try some night photography on the coast.

Does the site of the photos/performance matter??

I’d like to experiment with this.  My feeling is I might be likely to get a more powerful image if the background was just plain black.  But then, Horn developed her performance in wheat fields so I guess I’ll see what comes out in the experiments.

Rebecca Horn is another artist whose work I have come across recently.
She made a number of body sculptures and performance pieces in which she created harnesses that strapped up her body and attached other large forms to her.

I Like:
– The look of the strappings
– The restrictive quality
– In Einhorn, the clear references to opposite genders

Arm Extensions, 1968, Rebecca Horn (fabric, wood and metal, 600x1230x510mm)

Although (as I understand it at this early stage of familiarity with her work) the concepts she is working with are more to do with a person and their connection to their surroundings, there are definite elements of these sculptures and performance pieces that I feel I would like to explore in my own work:

– the binding element of the sculptures
– restricting the body in this way

Einhorn, 1970-2, Rebecca Horn (wood, fabric and metal)

When I first saw these images, I was instantly reminded of my 10 PRJCT works, demonstrating the dimensions of a ‘perfect 10’ in women’s dress sizes.

The Perfect 10, 2015, Hannah Maynard (neon strip lighting, metal wire, fishing wire)

This discovery of Rebecca Horn’s sculptural and performance works has sparked an interest in me to work more with these neon strip lights but in a different format.

Why not apply the ‘perfect body dimensions’ element of The Perfect 10 project to a new way of working for me?
 
Why not try performance?

I’ve touched on it slightly in previous ideas, the Allen Jones Table parody, my On Show piece and newer ideas that I’m still experimenting with like I Am Woman.  Perhaps this is my chance to push myself even further and explore new things.  Eventually, I feel like I would like to end up with a photographic image but following the performance idea will be an exciting new venture.

At first I wanted to show the difference between masculine and feminine views of woman and tried to work through my thoughts in my noteboook (pictured below).

Notebook Page
 
I pictured two images facing each other, perhaps on opposite walls in a space, one a simple smear of vaginal fluid, crudely shown.  The other would be a microscopic image of vaginal fluid, showing the complexity of the organisms that exist on a microscopic level in this part of the human system.

However, again it felt like I was trying to make things more difficult and complicated than they needed to be.  I suppose I need to trust that one element of an idea is enough and have confidence that somebody might get it.

Microscopic Image of Vaginal Fluid
Available at: http://drjacki-atyourcervix.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/rip-roaring-vaginitis.html

LESS IS MORE……again

I have to keep repeating it, hopefully I’ll manage to remember automatically!

After a quick google search, I found some microscopic imagery of vaginal fluids and they’re actually quite beautiful.  This is just what I was hoping for.

Aim:
– to capture the complexity of femininity in a beautiful image

So, how do I go about getting my own microscopic imagery of vaginal fluids in a format of good enough quality to be able to enlarge to display as a solo photographic image?

Science technicians here I come.

The main thought that keeps coming into my head as new ideas are arising and older ones are developing is to keep things as simple as possible.  I get the feeling from the research I’ve been doing on artists like Helen Chadwick and Sarah Lucas, that their works are all made stronger by a simplicity which encourages a confidence in the message.

In the group crit session I had with Reika from the RCA she made an interesting point:  I have approached the ideas of a masculine view of woman.  I’ve also touched on my own view of myself as a woman.  How about a more generalised feminine view of woman.

This got me thinking

How do women view woman ?

– I’ve addressed the generalised, misogynistic, masculine view
– I’ve begun to look inward at myself
– Do women view woman in the same way as men, through a patriarchal lens?

Men have defined the parameters of every subject. All feminist arguments, however radical in intent or consequence, are with or against assertions or premises implicit in the male system, which is made credible or authentic by the power of men to name.
Andrea Dworkin
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/andreadwor154462.html

While I was considering ways in which women view woman, the quote above that I found while researching the works of Andrea Dworkin for my dissertation about misogynistic language, came to mind.
Theoretically it means that no matter how women express their femininity, they do so wholly within the parameters of language which, is a fundamentally masculine tool.

So, what tool can I use that is fundamentally female, untainted by masculinity?
 
I feel like the answer to this question is almost nothing.
I’ve been contemplating the idea of using vaginal fluid as a tool.  Despite there being all manner of abusive language that references it, I am drawn to the idea that it is inherently feminine.  I’m struggling with the idea but I feel like there is something in there for me to find that could make a really interesting piece of work.  Initially I was imaging some kind imagery, one as a masculine view of woman and one as a feminine.

I, as a woman believe that a feminine view of woman would be radically more complex than just a single purpose sex object.  So:

How to demonstrate a complex view of woman, using vaginal fluid, and keeping it simple?

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