Hereford College of Arts

In yesterday’s blog post I was recounting the threads of my ideas within my work to help put a proposal together for my last project at college – ‘resolution of practice’.

I have recalled a few more ideas I was thinking about yesterday.

Scale: I’m wondering if scales works as a metaphor ? If I make a drawing of a child which is far greater than life size and in fact as big as or larger than an adult what does this say – that childhood is more important than adulthood, that the child within us remains? I’m playing around with these ‘larger than life’ ideas.

Dismembering the figure: what happens when I paint a figure without the head – does it summon up ideas of lack of thought? Or a disassociation with the subconscious? Is the personal with needs and a voice overlooked?

Repetition: I have a need to repeatedly draw the figures – I have 5 drawings that I use. Why  am I doing this? To reinforce the idea of childhood? To be in a constant state of comforting recollection? What effect do this repetition have? I’ve been thinking about creating many figures in 3D _ how would this work?

And here are the other elements I was considering in the last post – just to have it all together

Negative Space: to suggest relationship dynamics;the spaces between us; as a way of shifting emphasis within the work.

Simplifying visual information and developing a system of signs and symbols : to develop a language and to work with the complexities of human relationships.

Creating ‘uncomfortable’ compositions that challenge the eye and help question the works’ content.

I’ve got to put  all this together in the form of a proposal for a tutorial next week – I wonder if there are too many elements to talk about – I always have loads of ideas going on – we’ll see.

Started back at college today and our tutor was talking to our year group about the importance of always having your journal to hand – to capture your thoughts as you think them! She pointed out that by the time you have got to a computer they may have disappeared.

On the way home I was thinking about my proposal for work for the coming year  – my thoughts were vivid and clear – but I was driving so couldn’t just jot them down.

I’m going to try and recall them here – it may be a little random – here goes –

I’ve made some large drawings/paintings recently which I originally constructed in the form of a frieze. I highlighted the negative spaces with the addition of black card. The dynamic between the black card, white background and the paint and pastel creates tensions and relationships; and  plays with the idea of concealing and revealing histories, of controlling the space/personal story.

This is in the light of my interest in my relationship with my own past, the recall of memories and the truth and lies within family histories – concealing and revealing.

I intend to make more work like this using the black card as a movable element capable of exacting change to the figures, representing the emotional space and  dynamics within relationships. I’m interested in the idea of blocking things out and of redirecting a personal narrative – which in turn adapts.

Through this work I’m attempting to pair down the visual information – and playing with the irony that surrounds the emotional power of a simple personal object. Almost like the trace of something being more significant than the object or person itself . Because the trace contains a response – a loss, a longing or perhaps a resentment.

I’m also trying to force my compositions  from flowing and pleasing to the eye to awkward and uncomfortable; as a reflection of elements of family relationships and of the difficulties of dealing with the past.

I have been looking at work by Peter Stilwell and Rose Wylie and notice how their use of negative space sits uncomfortably and how I try to re-arrange it in my head into a more flowing state. But their work is made so much more interesting because of this characteristic. I want to explore this idea in my own work.

My smaller collages with tracing paper allow me to play –  and make me realise that I need this tactile element in my practice – where I feel that I am ‘making’. Within these collages I want to continue with the theme of creating codes and signs through the repeated use of certain marks and colours. The use of thick pastel outlines, the sun ray halos and the use of highlighter to define certain areas of the body are all developing as ways in which I can express ideas about states of childhood.

All in all – I’m developing visual metaphors to deal with the complexities and intricacies of our relationships with others and   the perceptions of our pasts.

I’m working with collage and finding it really versatile and refreshing after a few months of intently painting. Seeing Matisse’s Cut Outs at Tate Modern motivated me to work with collage. The initial simplicity of his schemes reveals itself to be sophisticated and complex. Its that thing- people with  years of skill and experience ( in absolutely an field of work and life) make what they do look easy! I thought about how Matisse created a spontaneity and freedom which concealed the great consideration he put into his work (apparent when looking at all the archive material of his studio practices in the Cut Outs exhibition).

With this in mind I’m using about 5 elements – multiples of the figure; black and white card; sugar paper; photocopied patterns taken from original wax rubbings; highlighter pens and pastel lines.

I move these elements about until I begin to find a composition forming. This process is very liberating- it feels like the play-state we are most relaxed and yet focused in. I then start to stick paper on paper , layering up; and respond to these moves with the addition of pastel marks. Everything seems to wonder about for a while and then comes together when my eye is happy with the balance of the composition.

Its almost something that works best if you don’t think about it too much. And its very enjoyable. I’m learning about how colours work together- how marks coupled with figures begin to take on a sense of sign and symbol that can suggest meaning.

I’m hoping to do some collaborative collage / drawing work later in the week with a fellow artist. Watch this space.

A couple of years ago I rediscovered a letter sent to me many years ago by my late father. This ‘happening’ initiated  a line of inquiry about objects of personal value  –  if and how they can retain their importance a midst  the mass of ‘new’objects that enter our lives on a near daily basis.
This inquiry formed the basis of my recent dissertation – see an extract below. I’m very interested in continuing with these questions  both through research and my practice; and through discussions with others.
Extract:
Looking For Home – Locating a Cultural Place for Objects of Personal Significance
 ‘Whilst comforted to find this tangible link to my father the experience made question whether we acknowledge the value of such objects. Do we instead place too much importance on aspirational objects to assert who we are?  Consequently do we overlook the value of things, like my letter, to reflect ‘who I am’ and ‘what motivates me’ far more accurately than any object I could buy.

We appreciate the value of aspirational objects – such as mobile phones; objects that reflect social standing like clothes and jewellery and objects that create security like houses. I consider there to be a lack of acknowledgment for the value of ‘evocative’ objects within the day to day culture of belongings.  I want to suggest that the value of objects goes much deeper than pure aspiration and that it reflects our past just as much as the present and future.

I will be taking my father’s letter on a cultural journey in search of a social and emotional place from where I can experience its true value. (It would be impossible to discuss all aspects of culture here so I have gravitated towards areas that I am particularly interested in.)I am going to challenge the idea that objects have value only through function and as aspirational tools. I will also take a wary look at how our relationship with objects is manipulated by lifestyle marketing and will question the survival of my significant object in the face of persuasive consumption.’

Artists need a balance, well several balances – no matter which aspect of creative life I think about there is always a point at which a balance has to be found.  Between reading/researching and actual making;  paid work and studio time for example.

Yesterday I stumbled upon an uplifting element of my current balancing act  –  which makes me realise that I have always got to be on the look out for the moment when things just come together –  and nurture it.

I am helping to organise a group show with college friends taking place in London this October. Because most of the group have just graduated and its holiday time it makes coordinating things difficult –  getting the ACE application done, agreeing on publicity etc via Facebook has its problems!

So after a meeting with just three of us yesterday I came home with my mind bursting – pleased with our progress but aware that its really tricky trying to pull things together like this! And its a constant concern – will we get this grant? will we get a good invite list together? will everyone turn up?!

At the meeting Daisy suggested making a new FaceBook page as a promotional thing where we show out work and ideas and progress as we run up to the show.

I made the page last night and invited the group members to starting posting their current work. And within minutes images started appearing and conversations started happening. And there was a balance – the new page has created a space where we can share our enjoyment of our work not the stresses of the organisational side and it feels like a rush of freedom.

This is what we all do it for isn’t it – to make work and share with like minded people the experience,  to align ourselves and to move our work on. Hopefully the rest of the group will feel supported by this page too  – it feels like a really good addition to the whole project. This rush of freedom has given me fresh energy and I’m feeling excited again.

Our page is called PaperFields  www.facebook.com/PaperFieldsatBurts

and our exhibition runs from 15th – 22nd October at R.K.Burts Gallery London SE1 1SG