It is the little details that take so long! At the studio today we were very lucky to have a beautiful bright sunny day, so work could be carried out outside. I have been trying to smooth out two large plinth structures-these form part of a sculpture, but I have been very unhappy about the finish. I am hoping for a sunny day tomorrow to continue on this.There have been lots of discussions around the studio about what type of artist one is, and again the reasons for studying art, when the studio is busy it can seem obvious, again as I said before, because you can share ideas, get inspiration and this can help creative development. It can also help with professional development, as this can be the basis of networking, which is vital for working collaboratally. I must admit it can be great working in a near empty studio as well, when you are concentrating on a specific aspect-you can get loads done. Tomorrow we work on cataloque for show, that should be fun!
It is now time to get down to the nitty gritty part of the preparations of the degree show itself. Painting of boards and ensuring fixings are in place. Then there is all the supporting evidence that has to be assembled, tidied up or even created! We had a photohoot today of our work, done by AmyMacGlashan, these will go into our catalogue. Our studio space is a very large space shared by the three years of students, and two fellows. It was really buzzing and busy today, as other years are having assessments soon as well. You could feel the ideas and energy bouncing off the walls. The great thing about a buzzing studio is the variety of work that one sees, and the experimentation that takes place, this can help develop one’s own practice. had a bit of a disaster with one of my favourite chess pieces just after the photoshoot. Luckily I have a couple of spares that can can be used, but blutac on bases is beginning to appeal. We had a great session on “life after art school” from Emma Sumner.
Time seems to be flying now. I am delighted to have handed in some of my written work for assessment, another item to be crossed off the list. There is bizarrely something great about having to do written assignments as the research opens up more artists and more pieces to get excited about, and inspiration for ones own work. There is a moment when you are nearly ready, and working on completing pieces when you seem to get a rush of ideas. This can be both good and bad. It is possibly a subconcious distraction or it might be something worth pursuing. But the difficulty is in in knowing which!
I have spend some time working on the base for my chess pieces, as chess is often used to represent the game of life, and falls into my remit of power, manipulation and powerlessness. I still have to make my final decision, as i have two options and each have something different to say.
There is a sense of a chapter closing as we near the end of the course. I imagine this will create mixed emotions after I have finished, but now it is all positive. I am surprised that somethings are working out better than I had hoped in terms of art for degree show.
The debate between art versus craft continues, and it is a never ending one. It is the absolutes that bother me. There can be a dictatorial quality to those who make such decisions and statements. The cereamics and tapastries of Greyson Perry has greatly enhanced the idea of craft as art, and hopefully will help to widen peoples minds on this subject
At last I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I have hopefully resolved some technical problems with one of my pieces, and have managed to print out my assignment. That doesnt sound like a huge feat, but it was. Working on the assignment – Art: proganda and social commentary was great. I discovered and revisited wonderful artists, and that was inspiring. I have clarified some of my ideas again.The Wirral Spring Open Show is on at the moment in the Williamson gallery. The wealth of talen here is amazing. Anna Clark’s painting in particular has a wonderful sympathetic voyeristic quality, a moment captured in time.The Chancellor of the Exchequer has just annouced he is in tune with the ordinary people of this country! Oh Vonnegut where are you when we need you.
