Tutorial w/ Jessica Longmore 20/03

• Use workshops to learn how to size up images on illustrator - speak to technicians.
• Think of space - fill the space - space part of work.
• Interaction with work - create obstacles - negotiate ways of moving around the space.
• I have stepped forward a lot with work, with how I am exploring space - photographically and physically - interesting development - a lot of scope for future work.
• Pictures have potential.
• Scale up images to size of the wall and explore scattered pictures together.
• Sculptural quality of images - sense of space shown in images.
• Un-trimmed edged - highlighting that it is a photograph - my own images - try trimming the edges to see if it makes a difference.
• In test exhibition - the images sunk into the blackness of the room - not defined - seemed like they were appearing through the wall - the pile seems like a definite statement about photography.
• If I trimmed the edges - images may merge into a sculptural mass.
• Try ripping, and screwing into tighter balls.
• Display the items less staged.
• Try out 10 variations and record and document.
• Set tasks - not knowing outcome - beneficial.
• Illustrator sized up images - try out variations.
• Experiment with raw materials (images) - make notes as I am going along.
• "Free yourself up" - brings more ideas - make notes and reflect.
• If I "hit a brick wall" then set experimental tasks to work on.

________________________________________
This tutorial really gave me confidence with my work and how it is developing. Also confidence in how I can develop my work further. Jessica has helped me a lot with how to develop my work - in terms of giving me a sort of new way of working. I tend to just sit there thinking when I get stuck, and it is something that I need to get out of doing.

"Throw away" images.

After the feedback with Graham, I decided to try out what he had suggested with my images. As I described the images as "throw away" because I chose to print them on to photocopying paper, which has an ephemeral quality, I decided that this would be something interesting to do, and maybe what I need to develop my work further.

First of all, I printed out the 25 images which I took at the factory last time I went. I screwed the images up:

I made the decision to only screw up the images slightly, so you could still see what was printed. Although the images are quite dark, I think the way you can only see parts, because of them being screwed up, is quite interesting. I then decided to place the images in the corner of my studio space, to see what I could play about with:

 (There are around 25 images in this photograph)

 

I then went on to print out some more images from the same series, printing out multiples of the images, to see what would happen.

 

In the above picture, there are around another 30 images printed out, making just over 50 in total.

 

I definitely think that I should print out even more multiples of the photographs, to give the full effect which I am after. I have found this really interesting, as it is something that I would not usually do, but I can definitely see more scope for development within this work and how it is going!!

 

Feedback from Critical Analysis Draft 18/03

Paintings:

• Objectness - Robert Ryman - JSTOR (in October)
• Minimalism - Donald Judd and Frank Stella - interview with Bruce Glaser.

(The above was in relation to what I had wrote in my critical analysis about past work)


I got told quite a few artists to look at, who relate really well to my studio practice!

• Paintings of George Shaw
• Paul Seawright
• Paddy Jolley
• Rebecca Trost
• Inger Lise Hansen
• Edward Burtynsky
• Terence Koh

Comments & advice from Graham:

• "Throw away" material (paper) interesting - maybe crumple up and place on floor - print multiples - replication - mirrors technology - throw away represents "useless-ness" of outdated technology and machinery - post industrial.
• When talking about "darkness" in my work - don't be too literal with "meanings" of black and white.

_____________________________________

I definitely found this feedback with Graham really useful, as I am more confident about talking about my studio practice, as this is something that I was not really comfortable with before. (I will post my critical analysis when it is finished) Also as well as gaining confidence through feedback, I have got some more ideas of how to develop my work further, as I was struggling with the development process.

Post industrial society.

My work has now become more focused on the decline of institutions, rather than mental health, as I am more interested in the decline of the institution.
Graham suggested to look at post-industrial society and it's meaning, as I was not clear about my ideas toward my work in the critical analysis.

Meaning: Of or relating to a period in the development of an economy or nation in which the relative importance of manufacturing lessens and that of services, information and research grows.

In sociology: Characteristics of, or relating to, or denoting work or a society that is no longer based on heavy industry.

_____________________________________

I definitely think that I will carry on focusing on the decline of the institution and the post-industrial society within my studio practice, as I feel that it has more scope and relates to my subjects better.

Pak Sheung Chuen & Kohei Yoshiyuki

As I have been looking at ways to develop my work in the dark space. I have decided to start looking more into the ways which I could light the room, or using minimal lighting. I am also interested in the experience of the viewer.
I remember going to the Liverpool biennial in 2012 and seeing the work of Pak Sheung Chuen. The work was set in a completely darkened room, and you could only see the content of the room by the flash of your camera going off, revealing a room filled with framed photographs on flowered wallpaper. The whole time you were in the room, a recording of the Muezzin was playing. When you look at the pictures in the room, thry are nothing particularly special, they just resemble typical holiday snapshots. It was for me, the explaination of the piece which really made it come to life. Chuen went on a holiday to Malaysia and the whole time he was there he wore a blindfold, relying on his other senses to take over and experience another country in a whole different way, he took numerous photographs to view when he came back from his visit, so is the experience the viewer has when walking into the exhibition directly related to his time in Malaysia, with the viewer also being 'blind' and not being able to view properly what was in the room until they walk out of it. Also is the viewer's experience also more relevant than the images shown in the darkened room.

I also remember seeing the work of Kohei Yoshiyuki's "Park" series, which was also shown in the Liverpool Biennial. It is also shown in a darkened room, and as you are entering you are given a torch to view the images of people having "relations" with one and other which Yoshiyuki took around several parks in Tokyo. 

The experience of the viewer in both of the above pieces are key to the work. Maybe because of the involvement they have with the work i.e. walking around Pak Sheung Chuen's exhibition with a camera and Kohei Yoshiyuki's with a torch.
This is definitely something that I could try out with my exhibition piece before the end of the year show on how to develop the viewer experience.

Test exhibition Feedback

Today, we received some feedback from Michael Day for the test exhibition and presentation. It was as follows:

"Reasonable account of the work. Nervous at first but made it through the start of the presentation and began to talk confidently one you got in to your flow. Trajectory of the development of the work was described but not analysed in great detail: the reasons for working on or with photos could be explaimed in more depth (photos as evidence, vs histories that are subjective and malleable). The working through of trauma wasn't mentioned, but thr relationship of the work to institutions was. Much potential in the new work, all arising from the confident staging of the work in the space. Consider the space as part of the work: scale up, , scale to match the bricks, light differently (torches, flashes, interittent light sources). Stage in constructed space  that's like a corridor but doesn't go anywhere. Consider focal points of the space. Choose specific strongest images to work with. Image + space = user experience."

I have highlighted what I think are the most important points from my feedback. I am really happy with the feedback I received as I felt that I did not do so good. This has made me feel definitely more confident with my work and how to take it further.

Again - lots of things to experiment with!!

Developing work further after feedback crit

I have became more interested in the experience of the viewer since my feedback crit. It is something relatively new to me, so I will be taking out some books on installation art, as some comments I received were on about installation.

I quickly tested out some more work after the feedback crit. I went along with the idea of using objects on the floor of the dark room, however I only used a very small amount of bark on the floor - bit of a mistake, as I didn't really receive any comments on that part. When I test the work out further I will buy some gravel to lay out on the floor in the space - in attempt to reflect the textures on the photographs/images shown.

I also removed all source of light from the room, something which Michael suggested, and just had a gap in the curtain. I received comments that the photographs look even more "eerie". Also comments that you have to look even closer into the images to see what they are - as I used the images with altered contrasts and brightness, and you could not really tell what they were in the dark.

_________________________

I feel like I didn't do as well in the student-led crit group. I feel like I did not develop my work enough and feel quite let down by myself. When I get the opportunity to use the gallery space again, I will try out even more possibilities for further work. And there is a lot that I can try out in my own studio space whilst I am waiting. Hopefully I will be able to sign myself up for a tutorial soon.