Where is here? Massey (2008) in her book ‘Space’ suggests that it can be hard to know where we are when everything is moving. We move in a moving world. We discover where we are through an ongoing process of negotiating boundaries (given and constructed in relation) that continue to define and redefine the space we inhabit.
How might drawing investigate these processes? Making marks as my feet touch the ground offers an opportunity to notice surface boundaries of pavement and paper, and cognitive boundaries as I notice how I am employing my attention. In these ways I am exploring drawing as a process for experiencing and articulating how and what I continue to notice.
This work is in its early stages, I am experimenting with marking in different contexts – here I am marking a familiar walked journey. The images shown are marks made while walking to college each day. I am interested in how I negotiate the physical and cognitive boundaries that present themselves as I walk and draw – and how my experiences emerge into marks. I see gestural marks as as being able to convey the embodied and temporal nature of these explorations.
Jan 26th 2016
What makes for a good MFA research session?
Two sessions at the beginning of the term have set the bar quite high – Cath Davies – Material Girl – offered a really explicit insight into her research process. Even if the topic wasn’t central to your concerns you would come away inspired to think about how you were tackling your research dilemmas. The second session was chaired by Clive Cazeaux and Martin Wooward. This session slot had foundered last term and and people dropped out as it lost its momentum; many of us were disappointed not to have a lively discussion forum across the MA group. However Martin and Clive posed us with some challenging questions that caught our imagination and in my group we found some concerns in common. The three of us had experience outside of an arts context in facilitating groups – and had began to wonder – if we engaged with projects that involved participation – how we might know if we were ‘doing our old job’ as it were – or our new one. When does a participation project become art? Is it mainly context – intention – participants expectations set up ?? The other groups considered issue relating to PDP and more widely how to (or not to ) engage with this aspect of their studies. The group agreed this was a good session with everyone contributing and energy in the room – we wondered how this had happened and how we ( staff and students) could keep it buzzing for next time.
The themes emerging from the lecture from Cath Davies helped me find some new ways in to talking about my work. My main theme and question for the coming term is – What is space – How do we construct / inhabit / experience space – if as social geographer Doreen Massey suggests ( see her book for space ) everything is moving – where is here?.
The other theme I had wanted to bring forward is my relationship with the land – the physical bodyiness of walking together with the space that walking can bring to imagination and thinking.
Treading with feet and exploring both surface and experience through drawing
After my feedback discussion from my viva I read about Morgan O Hara’s work and was really taken with the way she had in some way shared the ‘ness’ of her observations in her drawings – in an indirect way – more reading about hyperdrawing followed and the idea that I would draw in some way as I walked my usual route to college – this proved to be magical experience and one I shall be repeating. Used concertina notebook – plan a series. Plan to spread them out as I do them and also to write notes immediately after each completion.
Used some of the drawings from my walking in a painting in workshop – in the same way as I love the drawing while walking I loved working with the physicality of wax and thick paint – will think more about how working with these materials can add to my explorations.
Key themes are Movement and Joy – and journeys that have been the fabric of my life. Daily walks to and from – Annual walks for pleasure.
