Dymaxion structures; 3D paper constructions formulated using a 2D geometric ‘Dymaxion’ net, using visual data collected by a third party travelling from Cornwall to Manchester. The transformation from 2D to 3D allows for a new composition to be formed from the existing image, and the open nature of the net means that each time a structure is made it can take on a completely different arrangement.
0 Comments
A lot of old themes have been reappearing through my latest experiments, and are taking my trails of thought back to last semester and unfinished lines of enquiry. Zooming in on my book transition photos has created an abstracted image of colour and movement, and put alongside one another visually replicate my series of small collograph prints. The discovery has led to the idea of potentially combining photos as a colour source with print to provide the added layer of texture to the images. This will also allow me to experiment between the clash of outer and inner environments, like I have attempted with these reactive drawings to my tinnitus over the top of selected shots. Outer and inner environments also appears in the inspection of the photocopies I made of my till receipt works; reminding me of some sort of internal scan like an X-ray or CT scan. This relates back to the work of Chris Drury whose work explores the visual and spiritual relationships between human and environment, in addition to the idea of scale; the clash of micro and macro. I have also made the orientation of these images ambiguous by using the circle to frame it; there is no ‘right’ way up. The same goes for the experiments that involved the cutting and rearranging of the image; the subject matter becomes abstracted and the orientation questionable. All of my recent experiments pose the question of scale, and how these pieces could be viewed. At the same time as being viewed on a very large scale, they could also be taken down to tiny proportions and be interpreted in a completely different way. Are you looking at an aerial photograph or a specimen under a microscope? The mention of a microscope has also brought to my attention the potential to use viewing devices to invite the viewer to look at my work in a particular way, say from a pair of binoculars on the other side of a room to a viewfinder or hole in the wall. This kind of disorientation adds another dimension to the work and its portrayal to an audience; having work that can be installed and viewed in a number of ways allows it to take on different meanings every time it is presented, upsetting the convention on how we view art.
Documentation of observed space; a series of works on till roll paper. Thoughts and ideas are stored here, just like continuous thoughts that run through a person’s head. As they are written, the paper unrolls and gathers in a heap. Visually; a mess. But in reality these are how thoughts inhabit our minds; they cannot be distinguished from one another. We cannot process ‘raw’ information; it needs to be cooked. Linear lines of thought become tangled with new information and ideas as they are processed to form an indistinguishable volume of data. Automatic writing systems; the first word of every line from my notebooks becomes data for the process. The result; a re-framed piece of text using my own words. This intervention in my written thoughts allows for the discovery of the unexpected.
As the end of the year approaches, I want to whittle down my ideas to focus on just a few, not to say that I won’t develop my other ideas, I will just look into developing a couple of key themes within my current practice for the time being. I am currently developing a piece of work which spans my journals, notes and sketchbooks. I am compiling text from these sources into a single document, at the same time abstracting the exact meaning of what was originally written. It will allow for new meanings to be extracted from the text. I have also gone back to look at the transition photographs I took of moving book pages. I want to abstract the image created from the original context of the book, and so I have begun to edit these photos to produce images showing only the transition between locations, with no other clue as to how the images were made. I want to experiment with the results in continuation with the theme of cartography vs. geometry. One piece that I have already created was accidental, but quite successful. Looking at some edited photographs on the computer screen, they were automatically stacked on top of one another, and so replicating this as a single image allowed for the photos to speak to one another in one coherent composition, where similarities can be identified where the pages open in the book in each image. Sara Wookey is an American choreographer and performance artist based in London. She often works within gallery contexts in relation to her dance practice. Her work explores inserting performance in public spaces, and interruption of the normality of moving/acting in a space. Following on from our previous session with Sara at the Porthmeor Studios in St. Ives, we decided to take these ideas forward into a research project conducted at the Tate Britain Gallery in London.
On arrival at Tate Britain, it became apparent that we weren’t going to be looking at the work on the walls as we might have expected; we had an ulterior motive. Instead, our focus was based on the visitors of the gallery, and to explore their role within the institutional setting. We were particularly interested in how visitors would navigate around the gallery space; and the patterns and ‘instant choreographies’ that formed. We also had to adapt a mode of thinking to include ourselves within our research; after all we were also visitors to the gallery. We adopted the roles of observers, in order to unpack the behaviour surrounding the institutional stereotype. Our aim was to identify the rules of behaviours, and the codes of space, both visible and invisible. We are all familiar with rules within an institution such as a gallery; no running, do not touch, no photography. But does this signage prompt certain behaviours? Words are underestimated. They subconsciously construct our day to day life, whether it be through road signage or commands in the gallery space. People might choose to ignore them, but they are still aware of their presence, and this affects the way that they behave in the knowledge of them. What is the difference between rules, allowances and accidental encounters? Do we experience something differently when it is spontaneously presented to us, in comparison to the business of manufacturing an experience for visitors? Is it better to be instructed to look at something, or is it better to stumble upon it and face the experience with no prior knowledge? Floor and wall markings direct the flow of visitors. They act as two-dimensional boundaries despite there being no physical barrier for people to cross. Visitors are reluctant to encroach a distance of 1.5 metres to approach an artwork, so they find themselves leaning in to take a closer look, why not take a step forward? Their approach towards the space is dictated by the pace of other visitors, and the invigilators that observe them; are you judged for walking too quickly through a gallery? Furniture becomes a refuge; visitors feel the need to take a rest after prolonged amounts of time on their feet. Voices are in hushed tones, whispers scarcely pass between their lips before they seek out the approval of a nearby invigilator. Interactive work becomes an invitation for communication, and finally voices become pronounced to liven up the space. Children see the world as their playground; they are yet to be formally constructed for the expected behaviour of an institutional space, therefore are uneducated in the rules. To them, visible barriers such as tiles on the floor become irrelevant, only physical barriers are noticeable to them. It was refreshing to see the full potential of the gallery space being utilised. Through our research, we have compiled a typology of classic institutional stances and poses held by members of the public. Are these stances taken automatically or are they adopted to reflect the body language of others? Would you see these outside of the gallery walls? The role of the gallery is one of care; to take care of the visitors and to take care of the artwork that it houses. But which is more important? From our experiences in the Tate we have discovered an underlying approach of thinking towards visitors in the gallery space; by taking on a similar role to that of the observational invigilators, we have identified certain behaviours dictated by the invisible and unspoken rules of an institution. This text is a collaborated response from myself and Sophie, and can now be seen on the Tate Circuit Blog: https://circuit.tate.org.uk/2015/04/working-with-wookey-pt-1/ Today marked the first ever Drawing Forum held at the School of Art; a day full of talks from a number of different speakers all with their own unique backgrounds involving drawing.
For the first year Fine Art end of year show fast approaching in May, I have become part of the curatorial team, working with Sam Bassett and Saffi Wilson (who I had previously worked with during my Peer Leader training at Tate St. Ives in February). As one of my key interests and aspirations for the future it seemed obvious to put myself forward and help out in any way that I can.
We have a very short turn around between now and the opening of the show on Monday the 11th May. For now I am heading the social media and communications front. I didn't want to put myself forward as project manager as I know that I am not going to be in Falmouth for a majority of the hanging of the work, but as it happens I have a strong feeling I'm going to be doing a lot of work behind the scenes to help the team out, even when I am not there in person. At least I know that all of this work will be valuable experience which I can take forward with my current work with the Tate and other future projects. From the photographs sent to me by my boyfriend after his trip to Manchester, I selected a few to be turned into 3D structures by following the lines of the Dymaxion template. In the process of preparing the photos, I noticed how interesting the geometric shapes of the net and the bits of the photos remaining after cutting them out were. I moved away from 3D for a while as I began to play with the geometric shapes that I had created, and how different parts from different photos related to one another. Like I was imagining with the 3D structures, these collaged ensembles allow for a visual relationship to occur between the images, whilst at the same time bringing a number of textures, colours and shapes together for an unusual composition. I am not sure whether I like what I have created, but the links between mapping and geometry have always been very strong, so to build on that relationship is something that I would be interested on pursuing.
|
AuthorThird Year BA Hons Fine Art student studying at Falmouth University Archives
April 2017
|