University of Dundee

Blog *888****

Apologies for the late posting, this was written on Sunday 7 May but have been slightly preoccupied with a certain show.

In Chinese, 888 is the ultimate lucky combination of figures because eight is pronounced “ba” which rhymes with “fa”; meaning prosperity in life- both health and fortune. Chinese logic reveals when you repeat fa, prosperity and luck must proportionately triple. And you know how we Chinese are in spreading love in that area; just look in any chinatown shop window. Next to that white cat with rigormortis of the left paw you will find countless golden statue sets of long bearded old Chinese blokes with shiny bald heads and money slots in their back. Typically, there are three of them, one carrying an exotic oriental fruit to symbolise health, one a scroll displaying Chinese characters of fortune, and I can’t remember what the other guy did- just hung out. Anyhow, you get the picture that alongside casino culture and dim sum, lucky tidings of such nature play an important part in our culture.

The importance of 888? As follows.

Dearest blog, please excuse me if I make you nonsensical today. It is afterall, Sunday at 4:18 am. What? Yes, almost half four in the morning and I have been rudely awakened by the heating going off. That’s how sensitive I am at the moment, the past week I’ve been waking up at 6am… The heating then prompted me to recall my dream; a conversation I was having with my tutor about what I was going to do after uni. Can you believe it? I mean, I’d much rather be flying or running away from a grizzly panda with no arms. Ok, before I go into the conversation, (Freud said, never tell others your dreams- they may be interesting to you, but bore others to death. Ahh well.) Let’s deal with the waking up at six first. On Thursday 4 May I had a conversation that ran as follows (tweaked names and swearing to protect the innocent)

Me: tap tap (on keyboard, uploading blog 7)

Mary: Fick fick, let me check that computer. Fick, there’s no disc. Fick, let me check your desktop a sec.

Me: er, sure. Have you lost something?

Mary: Fick, stressed. Thank fick, it’s still on there. Fick.

Me: Good stuff

Mary: Are you going to be long?

Me: Well if you let me get on with what I am doing I shouldn’t be. (forced laughter)

Mary: forced laughter

Enter Mary five minutes later.

Me: All yours

We embrace, curtains fall.

Saturday,:

Studio ‘General Course’ next to Upper Foyer:

Me: hey Noah, Eve. You two are awfully quiet, usually I can hear hysterical laughter.

Noah: We’re absolutely shattered.

Me: Where’s Herod?

Eve: He had to go home because he’s feeling a bit ill and can’t physically do anymore.

Me: Fair enough

(We go out for a fag break. I don’t usually smoke, but have taken up taxing occasional rollies because it’s a break from the upper foyer and into daylight, so have others e.g Abraham/Moses join us)

Moses: A few of us went to the pub last night but all sat in silence because we were too tired to think

Me: great

And so on.

Read following aloud in Lloyd Grossman voice if desired. Clearly, degree show is taking its toll and turning us into irrational zombies. I hope its temporary.

Back to Freud. Waking up at six, in Freudian terms must symbolise a few things. I am really almost there now. Tech Pagoda is in place, all audio-visual is at the ready, suspended projector is suspending without risk of decapitating viewer (best delete that bit to avoid anti-888) and all that remains is the chess/stratego positioning of my blob pets- most crucial bit. Plus three days to go until assessment.

So,back to the dream conversation with my tutor; an extension of a real coversation that occured earlier in the week. He has just chosen me for a residency at Cove Park this summer.

I could not help but get a tad emotional….

Tutor: [THINKS: oh dear, the young one appears distressed]

[SPOKEN]: “What’s wrong?”

Me: [THINKING ONLY- READ QUICKLY TO MIMIC REAL TIME] Well, I really don’t know how to express my thanks to you. It’s been a seriously amazing journey and the most important one I could embark upon, coming up here after Sheffield and London to do my art. You have told me when it’s crap and pushed me that bit further each time to make it ok again. I am going to miss your teachings terribly. I have decided to get over losing your superior mentoring skills with the following self-help strategy; I will imagine you as a Yoda type figure who appears whenever I am in times of art need. You will appear sat on a cloud in Chinese emperors clothes, and less green than Yoda. You will wave a Mac G5 at me and impart your greatest teaching: ‘Follow your instinct young Padowan’. Then you will fade away.

Me: [SPOKEN] Thanks for giving me the opportunity to live the dream. (or something even worse than this Whitney Houston blunder)

Hopefully nobody will read this. The relevance of 888? Choose your tutor wisely, they are a crucial part of your development and only internally mock you when you go all gooey. Oh, and lucky Cove park that’s why. I wonder how the blobs will grow here?

Speak soon

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Lucky Blog 7?  Hmmm… disputable…

Hello blog, I am glad you’re here.  Yesterday was not great; it was in fact the first day I almost disappeared into a big lumpy grump of unproductiveness- blurch.

Tuesday evening I came across a technical difficulty concerning the sponsored plasma screen sourced from a generous local small business.  I intended to display Fruit Loops; four animated shorts, positioned so that the plasma lay on the floor on its back, screen facing upwards. Having initially been given the go ahead, I especially built a wooden platform, but was informed early Tuesday that positioning the plasma in such a manner may lead to an uninvited firework display (gas fuelled apparently)… something I’d rather avoid cost wise.  Plus, I am not for melting people on the opening evening; takes synaesthesia a bit far. 

Ultimately the plasma’s tray display is now defunct and I don’t want to use it just because it’s there; though it is all so shiny and spangly, and I am sure it purred at me…  Nor do I want to stand it up in the corner just because it’s a bit woooo, a bit waaaa; it is important for me to retain the initial aesthetic- for the viewer to look down into the moving visuals.  The thematic context of the work and its relationship to the overall installation demands so.

So, having carefully considered the options; moving it’s location, employing a horizontal tv etc… I’ve decided to opt for a projection from the ceiling directly onto to the platform postioned below.  This of course has thrown up a multitude of new challenges involving sound and general logistical conundrums that could drive any final year student 5 days away from assessment into a knotted art ball. But, I would be more worried if everything went according to plan; hitches to be expected after working with video and technology for so long now.  Plus, installation is gymnastics; you have to be bendy.

So, what made me frown more than smile today then?  Well, having to deal with unhelpful people is not great, especially when you need it most.  This, plus a skiving third year assistant (actually said he forgot to bring his dentist note, bless), PLUS tiredness signals; flashing danger lights.  At this point, artist genius is easily irritated and slippage of tolerance levels means incoherent babbling and scribbles far from A Beautiful Mind.  It does not bode a well executed suspended projector shelf.  Forget artist’s block, by five o clock, I had a whole forest going on (ho ho). The urge to snort large measures of absinthe via the left eye had overwhelmed me. 

Luckily, my tutor and a superhero woodwork technician came to my rescue and made me see the wood from the trees.  (Sorry.)  Because of the physical nature of this crucial installation stage and aforementioned plasma spanner; seeking external help from the clear thinking is very necessary. 

Seeking help.  Yes. About time.  Remedy also arrived at nine pm, when I got together with others feeling the pressure and needing a good chin wag. Good old Droothy’s.

7 ain’t so bad.

I know I’ve done all I can today and I am still on track in the big scale of 5-day deadline.  Hello tomorrow, ya gonna be sunny coz I saw a glimpse of one of my videos projected alongside Wabbit! I thought, hey, I did that.

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Hi Blog,

It’s been a tumultuous week in art Labour politics for me and my Blobs, albeit without the jeering, two shags (not seen boyfriend for a while) and threat of deportation. Wednesday was the first day that I really began to spend time in the Upper Foyer Gallery- my allocated degree show space) to finish animating my Blobs and Wooden Skaletrix. This is the Photoshop/pull cake out of oven to decorate stage. However, the first day was also spent battling internally as I adapt to the practical limitations/health and safety stipulations of the site itself.

Artists have strange ways of working; some like to build fortresses and set up an electric fence to ward off social interaction, others begin a knitting committee and have the whole college round for tea. I try and nestle myself somewhere in between. This week I am happy with how I’ve been able to adapt and negotiate emotions of feeling slightly exposed, trusting my work will not be knocked over and damaged (happened in year two just before assessment), and also renegotiating my work in relation to the space.

To complete my blobs, I have converted the gallery temporarily into a studio, and have had to mentally knuckle down to block out distractions. My space holds a prime position, however, it is also the point of convergence for three surrounding degree show spaces, and has a glass front. It’s like being in an operating theatre and performing a face-lift on Orlan (again) but the theatre is situated so people must pass through for the pub, toilet, kitchen and nightclub. Ok, a slightly extreme analogy (and somewhat strange) but some might say, I have been experiencing such Green Wingness. I have worked round this and at this point; the beginning of the final week before assessment, I can say it’s almost been like performing a residency in such a shop window setting. In comparison to working in the open studio, I have noticed that the closeness between myself and my work has intensified, as I imagine to be the case when experiencing a residency environment.

Maybe a bit too close. On speaking to my friend, Friday, I looked down to see a piece of fabric stuck to my hand. I was also wearing a neon pink belt with my Ipod dangling round my neck. Today I have a spot on the end of my nose (more chocolate) which will no doubt become shiny and red. I am also pasty due to being in Scotland. Please take a look at the images, I guess you are what you art.

Back to it; today, Monday, I am adding final touches and removing all the tools and waterproof sheeting in preparation for the real test: installation begins tomorrow.

Hello, end of play Mon- am on track, have finished the last stage of animation and shifted all floor protection and tools. I look and feel like I have been mining, but have faith that I will see my natural skin tone soon without gloss polish. Onwards….

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Blog 5: Art to Art

Wow, it appears that I am actually keeping to the scheduled blog contents outlined in entry one. 

Seemingly, also I am on track for the multi-tasking extravaganza that awaits me as I move into my degree show space; Upper Foyer Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone College.  I am revving up for installation next week by slowing down; this is a crucial stage in the A-Team plan and to prevent it from all going BA Baracas (when on plane, otherwise goldie looking chains are ok), I have to be head-space ready.

I am ensuring this by finally spending some quality time with my Blobs and Skaletrix– the final stages of their animation. Finally…for me this is like scuba diving whilst eating pistachio ice cream; really good, but a bit tricky. 

It’s tricky because I can’t quite take a big deep breath just yet; but I can see in sight the one big massive knot into which I’ll soon be able to tie the tiny remaining lose ends.  Lose ends being factors like; co-ordinating the woodwork, electric guys and exhibitions assistant all in the same place to put a shlef up safely.  This is to avoid Momart style fire massacres that could destroy the sponsored plasma and consume my blobs before I do. 

Actually, Last Train to Artscentral could be good. But then, would I feel guilt from the knowledge that I could always have given the blobs, worth a million, to charity instead?

Do you want to see the Tech Pagoda that I’ve almost finished constructing? Here it is, a few bits and pieces left to attach and putting the a-v in place.  I recycled the wood that formed an interactive structure at Scrap, Intermedia 2005. For me, such re-use and exposure opens up the possibility for exchange; those familiar with my work will have already experienced a part of the material’s history.

I call it Tech Pagoda because it’s inspired by my travels to China and Thailand, I was struck by these awesome organic/man-made temples that supposedly offer connectiona to a higher state of being. Tech Pagoda will house three of my six video art pieces. I can’t wait for the SoniC Visual to collide into BooM.

Function over form, but it’s best to have a bit of both; Jade Gooding.  I rest my case.

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Hi Blog,  

I’ve had a lovely day in the sun on Sun (no, Scotland is not constantly in a state of eclipse) and I am treating myself to a roast; in oven. I went for a stroll on Law Hill today (once volcano, lush views of the river Tay) Unfortunately, The Law caught fire due to dastardly kids. Luckily, there was an old war veteran to distract me from the fumes with tales of bayonets and small Chinese children on the end of them.  

So, art-wise I am in my degree show space now.  Before I go into details (next entry) I just wanted to introduce my wooden sculptures; known as Wooden Skaletrix.  I started to assemble and construct these last summer.  Initially, I intended them to be simple hardboard stretchers to be painted on in the style of Base One and 2.  (See image below, Blog 1.) However, having exhibited The Opium Room exhibition, 2004, two particular site-specific installations influenced their development. 

Odd Rite Out, entailed mimicking and extending the patterning on the gallery floor with my clay Buddha incense burners and wax coated wooden chopstick like figures; a comment on absurd spirituality.  Meanwhile, SinOpsis was a wooden structure revealing the advance of mighty China into the west and our perception of Eastern myths and identity.  The central wooden structure was hollow at its core, it splintered into a myriad of wall paintings and small post-it collage doodles that opened up endless viewing possibilities. 

So, in terms of Wooden Skaletrix, I see these as an extension of these ideas.  Immediately, once in the workshop, I did not want to stop at a flat canvas.  I call them Skaletrix because of the simple notion of freedom a child has when constructing in his fantasy land, without constraint and imbued with wonder- pieces of plastic could lead to a whole new inhabitable dimension.   Wooden Skaletrix have grown in this way, becoming 3-d objects that have odd, redundant attachments, some with plaster bodies, and collage tinted with day-glo glory.

The technique behind Wooden Skaletrix reflects this idea of assemblage, they are between the aesthetics and implementation of factory automation.  The streamlined, functional, engineered, efficiency of factory product, Skaletrix is blocked by my hob-nobbled creative individual touch, much in the spirit of West or Fischli and Weiss.   

Here is some background info on my wooden sculptures, still in transition of becoming.

Base 1 and Two, Gloss and acrylic on hardboard. Base 1:  110x110cm Base Two: 112x82cm, 12/2004

Base 1 and Two form a diptych most explicitly dealing with my rupture with flat canvas surface and its limits in a Murray/Dunham sculptural/cartoon horror revolt.  Both canvases, biomorphic in shape, have morphed one from other. Dimension and canvas limits are treated with opposing techniques; Base 1 oozes primordial chemistry, paint is visceral, glossy, so good you want to lick it.

Base Two’s language is a mobile dream, the luscious colour spectrum encircles order; linear progression of a-b-z-s logic.  Space is given utmost importance; logical formatting and sculptural doodles tightly process gender and multiplicity.  Social and political aggression is denigrated beneath the surface, but one can sense chaotic id vibrating beneath candy artifice.

Wooden Skaletrix

Part of an ongoing series; Wooden Skaletrix are the genderless complements of the plaster blobs; hybrid forms that have morphed from the molecules of scrap around us, attempting to complete their half-baked journey into almost something. 

Work in progress; these naked structures are raw, both in the choice of materials- mdf, hardboard, wood filler- cheap, accessible, and conducive to exposing their making process.  Some will have plaster growths protruding from their sides, or found neon cabling, or other such objects embedded into or extending from them.  Their biomorphic history will be mapped onto them through hints of collaged doodles, (pencil, pen, gloss). 

Falling short of useful, assertive identity they sit at differing heights, levels and dimensions, taunting the viewer to adjust their own physical position to fathom their puzzling characteristics.  They goad possible ingenious function, yet ultimately reside in useless states of being; a modern day reinterpretation of urinal aesthetic.

I hope this is slowly beginning to give you some understanding of what my art is about.  Let me know when you find out. Blog soon.

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