I’ve been away from here for over a week now, and it feels strange. I feel as if there is so much to write and catch up on, but I’m not sure where to start…
I’ll just say that I’ve been preparing some work for the auction we have coming up (a degree show fundraiser) and I didn’t think I would feel this nervous, what if nobody bids on my work? I’ve taken some photographs but forgotten my camera, so I’ll add them tomorrow…one piece is a simple layered drawing on gampi tissue, and the other is a burn drawing which was shown in Japan last year (I’m hoping that encourages people to bid!)
Either way, I think it should be an exciting night, we have a preview on 9th February and the actual event is 17th, you never know who might turn up and who’s work will be in a bidding war!
My other work isn’t going so well, we’ve had our feedback, but only on a written sheet of paper. This isn’t very helpful as you can’t pinpoint the exact positives and negatives of last semester. I’ve attempted to start some work by doing small “test pieces” but I don’t want to launch myself into anything for the fear that when I do have a tutorial I’ll be told that I’m moving in the wrong direction. I’ll have to hunt sombody down this week…
I’ve just had the most difficult tutorial yet. It was with visiting artist Christine Pybus, and although I found it hard to respond to her questions in a way that didn’t make me sound clueless, some key issues were brought up that I hadn’t really considered.
A big one was that from her perspective (as a viewer) she felt that I was putting a hierarchy on the importance of art work vs blog, and that it may seem that I’m being critical of new media, rather than seeing it on the same level as the physical work I produce. I think it will be essential to make it more obvious on the stance I take, I’m not sure how to incorporate it yet though…
A task for tomorrow!
So it’s the big one tomorrow….Semester Two, Year Three.
We’ve been told we’ll produce our best work yet, I hope this is true. We’ve also been told stories of tears and anxiety, not looking forward to that part so much. Howvever it turns out, I’ve just got to make sure I make the most of it as I’ll never have this period of time ever again. Exciting!
Some photos of the scrawling in one of my many notebooks…..
Stuart Haygarth “Found”….
Haunch of Venison, London…..
“Finished with that toothpaste? Throw it away. Got a new pair of glasses? Get rid of the old pair. Your Aunt gave you that awful porcelain dog? Send it to the Charity shop.”
Or give it to Stuart Haygarth.
In his first exhibition at Haunch of Venison, the artist presents us with a variety of new works created from found objects collected while beach combing. Coming from a design background, these works take the form of a range of unique furniture pieces that examine the relationship of abandoned objects and the beauty that is found in these everyday, discarded items. A fragile mirror ball made of broken car wing mirrors is set against an industrial black chest, displayed on a pedestal; throughout the small exhibition, there seems to be a shift in the objects which are pieces of useful furniture and those which turn into art objects.
The found items are sorted and graded, methodically stored by colour, material and subject. Often inspiring the final work through their form, previous use and tactile qualities, there is definitely something Darwinesque in how Haygarth operates. The artist obviously has a fascination with our relationship to light, as the majority of pieces are lamps and chandeliers, and through using lots of glasses, mirrors and opticians tools he also explores the idea of looking and perception. We must look around, into and underneath objects, as well as at the huge shadows they cast on the gallery walls in order to gain a full experience.
The show is relevant to our current behaviour and habits of recycling and reusing, and it also connects to the “Earth” exhibition at the Royal Academy next door. The artist is struck by the complex emotions and stories evoked by each object he finds.
