I first initially began collecting my train tickets just as a habit throughout the summer as I was travelling backwards and forwards to work. I had no real plans to use these as work, however with the vast collection I was gathering and the researching I was doing for my literature review, the idea of actually using them for work became an option.
I realised I could in fact create work from these as they were quickly becoming a collection. After the summer, back in the studios, I decided to arrange these in what order was natural, not putting in any influence over why I did it. This created a large image of repetitive patterns, colours and shapes, which could be carried on for however many rows I decide, or depending on if I set a time limit from when these tickets were collected. It has a very regimental approach with this systematic ordering, similar to that of Hirst’s. This is an element I would like to push further in my work as I feel it has strong aesthetics when used in display.
Order is something I have been thinking about this morning in relation to the display of the collections in my space. My instinct was to arrange all the similar objects together neatly, this seemed like the most natural thing to do. Now i am thinking I need to actually explore other ways of displaying to see how this then affects the interpretation of these collections. What happens when objects aren’t displayed orderly how we expect? Do we automatically expect order? In a shop for example you would not expect a shelf to be muddled and untidy, you would expect order and consistency.
I then got thinking about how we order things in everyday life. For example in my room, I have all my shoes lined up with similar types together. It wouldn’t cross my mind to put a pair of heels in between two pairs of boots. I honestly do not know why I order things like this. Does it make me feel more organised or is it just a habit I have gotten into? I think order and system can be a big part of everyday life, we just act upon things tasks so naturally we do not realise.
Thinking about organisation and the process got me thinking about a quote I read a couple of weeks ago:
“Material culture and language have two important attributes in common. Both mean something to their own societies; words and objects are pointless if they do not carry intelligible meaning. Similarly, neither can carry meaning alone; a word only has meaning in relation to other words amongst which it will be embedded through socially meaningful organisation, and equally an object only has meaning in relation to, or in juxtaposition with, other objects. Objects are, therefore, socially meaningful, but their meaning is produced by arranging them in sets, both mentally and physically”.
(Pearce, S. (1995) On Collecting: An Investigation Into Collecting In The European Tradition. London: Routledge.)
I think this is a very interesting point. Is the object meaningless if separated from the others it belongs with? Is a collection then no longer a collection if something is missing?
Over the past couple of years collecting has become a main focus in my studies and has fascinated me more and more. I have been intrigued by how artists collect, what they collect, why and how these collections are then displayed.
Display is a topic within collecting I would like to explore further, as every individual artist has their own way of using display in their favour. The way in which collections are displayed can vary tremendously. How the artist displays their work will vary with what they are portraying. All factors of display within collecting can make a collection appear exciting or mundane, depending on the display. Damien Hirst is an artist who has inspired me a lot over the last few months after seeing his exhibition at The Tate Gallery in London. His strict way of displaying his collections is aesthetically pleasing through the consistency of the regimental style. I feel the true effect of this is not seen in a photo, you have to experience it in the flesh to really appreciate the aesthetics of it all.
