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Update 27th July 2018
So after graduating from university, I kind of took a year out of doing much art stuff. So starting now, I’m getting myself together, and I’m going to start more art projects and hopefully something good will come of it.
Exhibition Prep / Experimentation
In the run-up to the Degree Show Exhibition, I’m in the Shaun Project Space experimenting with how my work can look outside of a studio context.
My work, as always, is based on the idea of exploration of the situational space, and my interaction with that space. I decided to take my string installations and using plaster bandages, I created moulds/casts of the installations. This generated sculptures which gave the appearance of a sort of bone structure, the bone structure of some mythical creature, or as I interpreted it, the bone structure of the space itself. A physical representation of the room and how my interactions created a solid form.
Using these newly made sculptures, and as part of my course, I headed to the Shaun Project Space to see how these pieces would interact with each other in an exhibition context. A few different outcomes came from this experience, giving me a new look at my own work. The benefit of seeing the work outside a studio context is beyond words, it is recommended that all students and practicing artists should view and experiment with their work in an exhibition-like space, just to get an idea of how the work can evolve in a different context.
Below is a range of images showing how my work can be displayed in an exhibition format. This will probably not be how the work will be displayed come the exhibition.
Artist Quote – Henry David Thoreau
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see”
– Henry David Thoreau
This quote describes what I want people to think when they see my work. I don’t set out an idea when I make artworks, I create the piece and then set out a meaning, of why I made the piece. This is the typical standard of when you’re studying art though. But when I come to exhibit my work, I always value the viewers opinion over my own. I prefer the viewer to create their own view of the work, and I enjoy hearing what they think they see, it interests me to understand how other people think, rather than forcing my opinion onto them.
Artist Quote – Vincent Van Gogh
“I would rather die of passion than of boredom”
– Vincent Van Gogh
This is a phrase which I connect with with my everyday life. Most people when they get bored just sit on their phone, browse through the TV rubbish, or just twiddle their thumbs. But what I do in my spare time when I get bored, I’m more likely to start making artwork, to try a new idea, or to get an idea out my mind to bring it to life. When I get bored, I make art, a trait which even surprises me.
Artist Quote – Miles David
“Do not fear mistakes – there are none” – Miles David
Making mistakes is what many artists use to enhance their works; when you happen to make a mistake you are more likely to spark a solution or even a new project to work on. Fearing mistakes and not taking risks stops you from expanding your work, and can keep you stuck in a rut. When you realise that mistakes are what help you build your portfolio, you can start to think outside the box and build a strong portfolio of work.
This is a phrase which I’m only just starting to understand, and thus I’m starting to build a more broad and strong project.
Relevant Artist Research – 3D Glitch Exhibition
The 3D Glitch exhibit is a collection of digitally edited, digitally manipulated, and errors or mistakes of computerised functions, from art prints to 3D printed models. This collection is a gathering of artworks that were sent in from university students and artists. The part that interests me in this exhibit is the mass amount of data that would’ve gone into creating it. Something about creating my own 3D models peaks my interests, and this exhibition gives me the inspiration to design and create my own models, embracing any that fail or encounter errors during the making process.
Relevant Artist Research – Damián Ortega
Ortega’s Controller of the Universe piece includes a couple ideas which I desire to show in my work. The use of everyday materials being used in an unordinary fashion, and the creation of a space which gives an experience to the viewer. I always aspire to use common materials to create a greater experience for the audience, something that the audience will remember and not just forget.
Relevant Artist Research – Vito Acconci
Acconci’s work is mainly composed of digital renderings of architectural designs, but also includes constructed architectural buildings and a few design drawings. His architecture is the main reason that drew me in to his work, seeing how he uses the space and designs it around public interaction. This is a feature which I aim to include in my work, creating a structure which gives the viewer access to different areas of the installation. I do also admire his drawings and how he creates very detailed designs for his work.
Relevant Artist Research – Richard Wilson
I saw Wilson’s 20:50 piece in the Saatchi Gallery down in London a few years ago, ever since I’ve always had this urge to go big with my art. Knowing that Wilson’s 20:50 is only a few inches deep and is only an illusion to make the room look completely full of oil, I’m still in awe of how this piece hit me, showing me how such little can be used to make something so big. I’ve taken this concept and aimed to apply it to my own work, the whole “less is more”, but applying it to the materials in my work, trying to use as little material as I can to gain the affect I desire.
Relevant Artist Research – Sarah Sze
Sze’s work is a great example of the use of everyday materials, from bottles, to sand, to straws, most of what Sze uses can be found in the typical household. The use of household materials is what I taking from Sze, to then use within my own practice. I won’t be attempting to recreate Sze’s work, however I do want to try and emulate the aura of amazement her work emits, the amazement which I felt when I saw her work. I will also only be using a handful of accessible materials, not an assortment from the home improvement store.
Relevant Artist Research – Martin Pfeifle
Pfeifle is another artist who inspired me to pursue Installation art. With Pfeifle’s work, I tend to enjoy the structure, design and layout of the piece, this being what I engage with from his work. The simplicity of the piece, the semi-organised, semi-random layout of the work is what draws me in. Within my work, I try to recreate this kind of half planned rule of how the piece will be made/laid out, which I see in Pfeifle’s work. I always start with a plan of what I’ll use and the space it’ll occupy, but I’ll let the piece define itself and tell me where it needs to go.
Relevant Artist Research – Tomas Saraceno
Saraceno has been a constant help with my projects. 14 Billions has been the most inspirational piece I have encountered, and I’d say it’s what started my interest in Installation art. This piece encourages me to created installations which can be approached and interacted with; an art piece which focuses more on the experience, rather than the concept behind it. Saying this, 14 Billions was designed and built over years of research, however it expresses the concept upfront, allowing the viewer to indulge in the experience of the space.
End of Project Statement – ‘Press Release’
This project has been about how my work relates to the outside world, and the context with which it stands. During this project, I discovered that my work fits better in a gallery context; all white walls, big open space, large enough to walk around in and for there to be an artwork. But I also discovered that my work isn’t just about the exploration of the spatial environment, it’s also about exploring the mind, my mind, and how I see spaces and how I interact with them.
In this piece I used fishing line to create a support structure for the piece, and then laid out the string throughout the space. This created this beautiful architectural drawing within the space, among all the translucent wire. Creating landscapes within spaces is what I’m best at, and in the future I will be exploring my ‘true’ reason as to what my work is based on, the theme in other words. I shall also explore other materials and incorporate more of my imaginative landscapes within my installations.
Jennifer Halvorson – Artist Talk
Jennifer Halvorson is a glass artist and an assistant professor at the Marilyn K. Glick Centre for Glass at Ball State University. Halvorson’s sculptures revolve around objects that are manipulated and collaged to express emotions that occur within the individual.
I’m really taken by her piece Provision, and other similar pieces; the glass is kilncast and creates a fragile look. The emotion you receive from this piece is one of fragility, almost fear, but also strength with the use of glass. I find it the art of creating replicas of everyday items in glass fascinating, how someone would even start to think to create it. It’s inspiring to see that anything can be done in the art world, and gives me hope for what my abilities can become with gaining more experience.
NGCA – Baldock Pope Zahle
The NGCA is currently exhibiting Baldock Pope Zahle, showing the artists Jonathan Baldock, Nicholas Pope, and Maria Zahle. The artists have been chosen because of their inquisitive relationship to materials, and to also bring together artists of different generations. Although the artworks are diverse, each artist has used their abilities with materials to express their own circumstances and experiences into exuberant and highly emotive work.
Out of all the artworks, I’m more drawn to Maria Zahle’s piece. Her work traverses the 30 metre expanse of the main gallery, using rip-stop nylon. The sculpture zig-zags from the floor to the ceiling across the gallery, separating the space into two sections.
I find Zahle’s piece more interesting as it’s a piece which the audience can interact with, the viewer can walk around and through the piece, allowing you to take your own path, and guides you through the gallery space. I find her use of material unusual, why use a specific/expensive piece of material instead of a cheaper alternative? But the way she has used the material has amplified it’s properties of strength and lightness, showing how the way materials are used and exhibited can enhance their abilities.
Railston Artworks 