University Campus Suffolk

Jane Watt suggested looking at Donald Judd to research his use of colour, especially the more subtle use of colour with his vertical stacks of metal or wood combined with the perspex panels which changes the dynamics of the piece; of each object as a singular item in comparison with the work as a whole.

I’ve really taken an interest in his work, where before, I didn’t see too much in it. I suppose that’s what happens when your work develops.

Really, a lot of my work now revolves around the process of arranging things, or ordering them, and seeing how the singular pieces (wood panels) work with each other, and how they need to be presented alongside each other and ultimately, how they will be presented in a space.

The first picture shows some of my work in “the white space.” I had this space for a good couple of weeks, and at first I was arranging the works I’d already done to fit here, but towards the end of the time I had there, I found I was influenced more by the space than by anything else. I ended up making work that was destined for that space only. And I actually liked the work, which hadn’t been happening previously. The colours became pared down, the surfaces were blocked in, I became a minimalist.

And I started liking Judd.

“He was drawn to space. Defining space became a main interest, which to him meant creating the delineation of volume..A great number of sophisticated works were designed and fabricated, mostly in metal, whose properties were tested with works of large dimensions or works that incorporated a considerable projection from the wall. He also made these works’ materials appearances both a subject and an object of perception.” (Stockebrand, 2011:4)

Although I’m not delineating volume or space quite as much as Judd has achieved, my work is definitely taking that course. They’re no longer paintings that belong on the wall, but are sliding off the wall and into the walkable space of the viewer.
Furthermore, the tactile quality of the reclaimed wood is the secondary element I would like perceived. I want people to look closely at the surface and to touch the tar stains and bumpy, old nails. The texture is just as important as the colour and projection into space. The texture and projection make these, I hope, intimate pieces which one takes the time to consider.

“In his essay he discussed the historical development of colour and how it became independent of the subject matter to become subject matter itself, as well as its development from two to three dimensions, but he never expanded his intention to extend colour to architecture, only saying that it would. He was certainly in the midst of providing colour expansion, diversity and immediacy that are singular.” (Stockebrand, 2011:5)

Stockebrand, M, (2011) Donald Judd, The Pace Gallery

Approaching works in a different way now; am actively considering the types of space that the works will be shown in, which influences what the work actually looks like or how it is put together.

Will talk more about this in my next blog.

Have been reading about Allan Graham’s work who I found in an Art in America magazine. He is not a really well know artist, and the works I’ve seen I cannot find from the internet to use, so I’ve scanned an image from the magazine to show you what I’m talking about. It’s not great quality but it shows why I’ve started to place works on the floor using just some old wood for a support.

Although some of Allan Graham’s work deals with different aspects, such as words and poetry, his installations of canvases react and engage with the space that they are situated in, and his use of wooden steps that lead up to the paintings connect the floor space with the works positioned against the wall.

I had some old wooden blocks in the garden which I brought in, and with some of my works, these work, however with others, they don’t. The one pictured, is one I think that benefits from this addition.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Recently been entertaining a more sculptural mindset. I had some wood cut a few weeks ago, and just so happened to place them in my space in such a way that was compositionally very fluent and easy to read. They are all randomly cut pieces which are all various shapes and sizes. (Picture attached) Although tempted to leave them like this and find a way of fixing them in place, I didn’t quite think that that would have been complete enough. I had initially intended to paint them in order to hang them, but that’s now changed.

So I’ve now painted a few of these pieces, again, I had a different intention for them once I started painting them, which was to hang them in order to form a square, based on some windows viewed from my space. However, once I’d painted each one and had placed them in a position to dry, their composition and colours just seemed to work magically together in the way I’d randomly placed them.

The smallest panel is a medium grey colour, the next one ultramarine, and the tallest one is a mix of vermillion and burnt umber and paynes grey. Initially I placed the ultramarine and grey together, with the blue panel behind the grey, (as pictured) sitting on a block. What was intriguing about that placement was the thin edge of unpainted wood on the grey piece which broke up the plane of painted surface and added a lighter tone. Then I added the vermillion stretch of wood behind the blue, which brightened the piece and added a lengthening dimension, combining the wall with the piece in a more flowing way.