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Liverpool/Sheffield, United Kingdom

Saturday 26 March 2011

Post assesment point 3

I felt very positive coming out of my assessment. It was the first time Ive come out of an assessment this year feeling that I really deserved a decent mark for all the work I'd put in. My presentation went really well and displaying the piece in a more realistic environment worked really well as it enabled me to gage my audiences responses in a more relative way.

The instant feed back I received from fellow students and Tutors was very useful. I was advised to think about the following;
  • Finding away to make the 3 projections more encompassing to create more of an enclosed feeling- my idea is to set up the 3 projections so that there is no space in between each screen.
  • working out a way of making sure the audience experiences the entirety of the piece from start to finish. I'm thinking of being present for the whole night so that I am available to make sure each projection starts at the correct time. I could possibly set specific viewing times every half an hour to make sure the night runs smoothly.
  • Showing the 'controlling the uncontrollable' film in contrast to the irrational thought process film-I will use headphones so that the sounds don't clash.

Monday 21 March 2011

assesment preperation

After discussing my options of places to show my installation with various members of technical staff, I made the decision to find a room in the Art and Design Academy rather than to build an environment. The idea of Building a viewing environment appealed initially, however I subsequently found out that due to fire risks your not allowed to build a room within a room. The room I chose to use belongs to a very hidden disused collection of changing rooms on the lower ground floor. Its perfect as it resembles the room I have been given at the SU in size and also in the way it is completely characterless. Over the past week I have been clearing out the room and have been working on different ways of showing my piece in order to get the best feeling of anxiety.

 As well as focusing on the placement of my piece I have also been working on the development and conclusion of the films. After looking through the multitude of film footage I have collected over the year, I came to the conclusion that the most successful pieces (in my opinion) are the piece I created at the very beginning titled 'Irrational thought process' and also the piece 'controlling the uncontrollable.' As the two pieces are very different I plan to exhibit them as two totally separate pieces. I plan to use the idea of narrative in my installation to simulate an anxiety attack by splitting it in to three separate layers. Each layer will take the form of a different aspect of anxiety. The first layer will show the reality of what its going on in my surroundings and how my reality is distorted when experiencing an anxiety attack. The second layer will how the physical aspect of anxiety ie the fluctuation of my heartbeat and the loss of breath and the third will show the subconscious and irrational thoughts pushing to the foreground of my imagination. All three layers will be edited so that they play in sync. The experience will last roughly 4 minutes and will gradually increase in intensity until it reaches a climax and then gradually slow down to its original pace. 

Friday 18 March 2011

Exhibition preperation

During our meeting yesterday we came up with a plan of action as follows;

All advertising posters etc must be complete and ready to be distributed by Monday the 18th April (the first Monday back after Easter) giving us a week of having them up etc. On the Monday were all gonna meet to put them up around uni/ the SU etc.

We've come up with the idea that everyone should do miniatures of their work eg postcards mini models etc with the intention to sell them/ give them away on the opening night.

Also we thing everyone should make a cake or buns or something that we can ask for donations for.

And everyone needs to prepare a title and blurb about their work that we plan to print on to foam board and put up next to our pieces.

April the 26th is our opening night and the previous weekend is Easter weekend meaning that were gonna have to start setting up on Thursday the 21st.

Thursday 10 March 2011

Post grad lecture

Two students form the Royal academy London gave a talk about their experiences of postgraduate study. The post grad program they are currently in the middle of is interesting in that it is government funded (much like a BA) and involves a a maintainance grant, a fantastic situation to be involved in, however out of the 2000 candidates that apply there are only 20 places. However inspiring the talk was, I constantly had the thought in the back of may head "would you have gone in to post grad education if it hadn't all been paid for?" I am currently considering post grad study however the thought of at least tripling the amount of debt that I am currently in is a cause for concern!

Amy and blues works were very different. Amy who had graduate from goldsmiths showed her portfolio of mental films that vaguely related to the theme of childhood memories and childrens TV programs in the 80's. I didn't particularly relate to or like her work. The majority of her films were based in Northumberland (the place where she had grown up.) To physically film her pieces she had been traveling all the way back up north from London. I found this interesting as I'd have thought that being based in a very prestigious art college in the middle of London would have provided enough inspiration in itself to create work. If I moved down to London to do an MA I can see that I'd find myself in a similar position. However busy and big and exiting London is, the place I find inspiration for my work is generally my home environment of the North.

Blue talked very enthusiastically about her very richly art career so far. She talked about the seemingly millions of art shows she had been involved in and also of the many skills she had acquired on the way, from thatching and dry stone walling to training as a professional medium and in the meantime holding down a part time job as a professional Chef. She appeared to be an absolute wonder woman and personified the meaning of the word 'resourceful.' I left the talk feeling both in ore of her and a wanting to be her and also a feeling of absolute despair that I never would be.     

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Plan of Action

After feeling very unproductive and as though my project had become slightly stale I decided to bring up my concern in my Tutorial on Monday. The tutorial was very helpful in pushing me in the right direction and made me feel positive and exited about my project again.

I've realized that I have been solely concentrating on the technicality's of the films that I will be showing and have more or less bypassed the fact that my piece originally intended to be an experience. In my next assessment I plan to show my audience what I want the final exhibited piece to be. This will involve setting up the installation as it will be set up in the final exhibition. My main aim over the next couple of weeks is to create a dark viewing environment to show my films in and I plan to do this in one of two ways.

My first idea is to see if I can use the photography studio and find a way of showing my films in a pre-blacked out area.

My second idea is to create my own blacked out viewing box to show my films in. I like the idea of building my own space in a kind of child like, den building sort of way as this evokes memories of playing hide and seek as a child and being terrified of being found, in the same way that being chased up the stairs is terrifying.

My initial plans for the space are, to box off an area that feels slightly too small to feel comfortable in and cover up the ceiling with boards I will then use thick black fabric to prevent light coming through the entrance. During my assessment I will encourage people to enter the box both individually and in groups in order to see what makes people feel more anxious (the increased lack of space or the feeling of being alone.) There will be no seat available in the viewing box in order to increase a sense of unease. My concern is that positioning the projector/s in a way that allows the films to be seen will be difficult but I will deal with the technicality's as they arrive.         


 

Monday 7 March 2011

Exhibition preperation

 
My attempt at Designing a Poster for the exhibition

Kierans contribution-Defiantly far more eye catching and appropriate 

Sunday 6 March 2011

PDP review-Specific relevent questions

Describe a piece of architecture, art, design or music that has caught your attention recently and why?

Leonard Cohen-Song-Suzanne. I've grown up listening to Leonard Cohen. However after listening to the album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen' more recently (through choice) I realized how stunningly visual the lyrics are specifically in 'Suzanne'

“Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbor”

I think it's probably my favourite song ever.

Give a favourite example of each of the following that you've seen/read recently...

book / journal
The Biennial Reader- Referring to the Bergen Biennial conference

film / DVD / video / TV
louis theroux and the Ultra Zionists

exhibition
Nam June Paik

other / outside interests
North West University's Bouldering competition, (came 4th!)

What skills and attributes have you developed since your last review?
I am In the middle of a bit of a creative block. Since my last review although I've continued blog about all the lectures I have attended and everything that I have found interesting and relevant to my practice I feel like my actual piece has not developed. I am currently struggling to see how my piece could develop any further however I am completely aware that it needs to! Its as though the piece itself has started to feel slightly stale and I'm desperate to move forward as I'm starting to resent it in its current state.


Contemporary art and Globalization essay

Identify aspects of this project that you're pleased with...

I am thoroughly enjoying the process of reading around the topic of Globalization, and also the physical process of writing the essay. I'm finding that this module is a well needed and welcomed break from my actual creative practice. It has forced me to look at art in a broader sense and to be less self absorbed which is often very difficult to avoid as an artist. Its also made me remember how important it is to write.


Art practice and publication

Identify aspects of this project that you're pleased with...

I am pleased about how I have managed to adapt to group work. Although I'm finding it very unnatural to do so. I also feel I am using my blog in a very relevant and succinct way.

Following your review write down the skills and attributes you think you need to develop.

Pro activeness.
I need to be less intimidated by the prospect of creating work and developing my work.
I need to be more open-minded to change in my work

Wednesday 2 March 2011

James Iveson

On entering the lecture room I noticed a fresh faced young man pacing up and down nervously in front of the window. James Iveson, a post grad fine artist from Goldsmiths had come in to talk to us about his experience of being an 'emerging' artist fresh out of art school. The hour lecture James Iveson gave regarding his practice was very different to the previous weeks lecture, and I found it refreshing. Before us stood a young and slightly bewildered looking man who was obviously anxious about talking in front of an audience, all attributes that I could relate to.

He talked us through his journey since leaving university starting with his initial need for a studio space to enable him to continue his practice and also the importance of a studio space in relation to the artist. We were shown images of studios of the likes of Jackson Pollock and it was obvious how ones surroundings often dictate the art work created and how this was often as important as the art work itself. He illustrated this by explaining how his work had become more domesticated due to him moving in to 'live/work' accommodation where his art and his living situation became one thing.

The domesticated quality of his work became particularly apparent when he showed us his underpant paintings which had derived from his work space being constantly surrounded by clothes and fabric. It was interesting to see that, what he considers to be his most credible piece of art work, derived from a painting of a pair of pants.     
 
His main points of advice to us were to get experience collaborating with other artists or simply just helping other artists in order to form and maintain a network. To be resourceful in getting your work shown. And to set boundaries within your work, as this often encourages instant development.

   Red Boats