University Campus Suffolk

New Works

Well over the past couple of weeks, my work has altered its look, again.

I quite like it, and it came to me quite quickly and I impulsively started making the objects, without stopping to think too much.

It started off from initially finding this really old tin of lead white paint from the metal sheds at the back of the college, which I then started to use on pieces of wood after skimmng the oil off the top.

It is such a nice, old tin. It’s called Ibex, and its got drops of paint running down the side, and is slightly rusting, and the words are obscured, but really, it is aesthetically quite nice, and I really didn’t want to waste that aspect by just chucking away the empty tin.

So once I started looking at Donald Judd, I was inspired by his way of presenting works, specifically his stacks (pictured Untitled 1966, 1979, 1993.) And I really like that way of comprising the positioning of the works, thinking that this would work really well if I displayed the paint cans in their own self contained unit, and spreading them along the wall, either vertically or horizontally, in either one row or column or two or three.

I’ve attached an image of a sketch I made imaging the layout of this piece.

I was also lucky enough to find a really intriguing can from an illegal tip which I can use, and two friends subsequently gave me various pots of paint in various stages of decay, some are more interesting than others, but I have a nice enough collection to make a composition of these, what I refer to as “paint boxes.”

I’ve so far made eight, two of which are pictured.

For the first box, I covered the inside in a thin sheet of metal aluminium which I had spare, wanting this material to reflect the material of the can, which it does nicely. I have run out of this sheet metal, so the rest of the boxes are purely made of wood.

With the addition of corner braces, some on the outside, some on the inside, the boxes themselves are very basic and, kind of rubbish really, thanks to my bad handiwork, but actually, I don’t know that a perfectly made box would really compliment the context of the piece. I believe the difference between box and paint can, if the box were perfect, would be a bit jarring.

I’ve also started painting the inside of the boxes the contents of the paint cans, if any, which sometimes adds more colour, or not, as I have mainly neutral colours or no paint at all. But I think that kind of randomness adds an unexpected element, there’s no pattern to it, there’s no symmetry, and why should there be? Does that matter? I don’t think so. I like random, it’s quirky.

This move is bringing my work to a new layer. By doing this, I am literally presenting paint as the object, the painting literally becoming the sculpture/installation.

Later, I will question more the motives behind this work, and how it works in a space etc.

“One of Judd’s main interests was space. Once he had discovered, in the early 1960’s that space provided him with more possibilities than the two-dimensional canvas, he made it a central subject of his work.” (Stockebrand, 2011:6)

-Am becoming more aware of the space that I occupy and how I can create works that exist in a particular space; how the works develop based on the space they will occupy.

“This is where Judd was adamant: space has to be understood and therefore open in some fashion. It should not be concealed. Space has to have clarity. With clarity it can be simple.” (Stockebrand, 2011:6)

“Here the wood’s grain constitutes the “decorative” surface (as galvanised iron does in metal). Judd had begun his career as a painter and colour remained a profound interest throughout his life. An object (e.g., a work of art) without colour was not conceivable for him. However, over the course of the years the relationship of material and colour changed. Initially paint was applied onto the surface of the support material, but once he began using metals their inherent hues were the colour. Colour wasn’t added, it was integral.” (Stockebrand, 2011:8)

Untitled, 1978, Douglas Fir Plywood, (pictured)

-Slowly realising that this is somewhat reminiscent of my progress and journey throughout the third year. That surface has become as important as what is applied to the surface, and sometimes, the simpler the application, the more the surface is able to talk for itself.

“The floor piece illustrated here is constructed with such a slanted divider; it runs from the centre (at top) to the corner (at bottom). It cuts the space into one and three quarters, resulting in a smaller triangular space on one side, and a larger trapezoidal volume on the other. But this mathematical approach is barely an explanation of what the division does to the space; as in real architecture this space, too, has to be perceived from more than one standpoint and at more than one time of day. The fascination largely results from the impact of light, which – depending on its angle- may be captured more fully in the smaller area, making the larger one appear darker, or vice versa. Of even greater fascination is the fact that while the configuration is entirely understandable, the interior is not entirely perceivable at once, or from any one standpoint. Some areas remain obscure. Nevertheless, while looked at from various angles the interior does open up in beautifully different ways.” (Stockebrand, 2011:8)

Untitled, 1978, Douglas Fir Plywood

“”Colour and space occur together,” was his statement, adding that it had never occurred to him to make sculpture without colour.” (Stockebrand, 2011:16)

“While Albers noticed a visual movement forward and backward between certain combinations, Judd was looking for their actual expansion in space.” (Stockebrand, 2011:16)

– The presence of a colour in its surrounding space

“There is an impression of movement, suggested by the different positions of the dividers, creating zones that are wider or narrower and lighter or darker, while the entire interior remains completely open and transparent.” (Stockebrand, 2011:28)

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.