University of Sunderland

Another busy day at Northern Print. I was working with some copper plates that I had etched using a soft ground. Tried some Spit Bite but didn’t get anything stronger so I applied hard ground and line etch and then aquatint. Because they have now had several processes the prints from the plates are starting to look a bit more interesting.

Nearly missed out on my corvid photo today as I was indoors quite a bit, but the rooks came to visit at dusk.

Assessment looming for post grad certificate stage next week. I spent yesterday and most of today editing video of performances into short enough but long enough pieces for consumption in the crit. It is difficult to get the video document to represent the essence of the performance. I need to consider how I want to document performances that has meaning for me.

I also produced a new cut of a video I made a few months ago but I have been working on production and improvements and think that it is much better. This is a work in itself rather than a piece of documentation.

Critical Studies lecture and seminar today was on Relational Aesthetics. Lecturer presented, amongst others, the work of Santiago Sierra. I would be interested to hear what other people think about his work as an example of Relational Aesthetics.

Since tutorials last week I have begun a journal which I am aiming to use daily to document my interactions with Corvids. I will choose a photograph each day, taken using my phone, and draw and write a few words to respond to these actions.

International Women’s Day Performance in University canteen. This was a rather hastily thought out event. I set up a bowl of soapy water and proceeded to wash a white cloth which had a red stain on it. My intention was to link the women at this institution with women from less privileged circumstances in developing countries. I used clothing to suggest a more primitive way of life.

There was quite a large audience and I did hope to engage people in discourse about the work. Unfortunately, people watched and talked to each other but not to me. Maybe it was too didactic or perhaps people are getting too acustomed to my interventions.

I will edit some video of it and upload it later.

Following that I took a walk in Backhouse Park to commune with Corvids. I was not disappointed as there were a group of them bathing in the stream. It was also great to hear the sound of them calling to each other from the trees.

One of them seemed quite willing to engage in tag (at a distance). Ted Hughes wrote about Crow as if it were the human soul, so I asked the Crow who it was. It told me that I knew the answer to that particular question, but I don’t remember that I do.

Travail

Spotted a tree full of Corvids on my way to my allotment today, so I took some photos using my phone. Interesting that they were hanging out right next to the cemetery. I am going to check out the Rooks in Backhouse Park tomorrow and find out who they are.

Don’t ask about the holiday. I am going to have to wait until April for that.

It is International Women’s Day tomorrow, so I am wondering what kind of event that should inspire.

Plate preparation all day yesterday. Also experimented with soft ground. The marks are very soft and indistinct. Need to work out a plan for moving forward, but going to have a few days off to rest as the past few weeks have been phrenetic.

I know I will not be able to switch off my brain, but watching some good movies might feed it without too much angst.