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Blog intro and pics from cross crit.
Cheryl Blackburn
ID: 808143
Blog; an introduction
I have been casually writing a blog during my studies in which I have written down thoughts and ideas. Summarising events such as tutorials, visiting lecturers and contextual lectures.
The blog is useful, in that I can better recall events and ideas I’d have forgotten about before. During a time of confusion and absence, I have intermittently sketched outlines of concepts and seemingly separate themes. Placing them in one area has made it easier to compare and then reconcile.
When re-reading blog entries from earlier on I can see that I have answered questions I then go on to ask myself again. All the information was already there, especially within the tutorials with Neil. This brings me to realise that I must keep recording these interactions and most importantly; I must re-read the blog and see it as a living growing yeast and not as an archive.
I find that I am still analysing lecturing styles of visiting lecturers as much as I am of their content. I don’t feel the need to write detailed notes and turn my blog entry into the artists’ website. I feel as performance and framing are important to me, that is what I want to absorb and process.
Artists who are comfortable with their subject and do not need a script are more engaging, (I have incorporated this into my practice, relaying my thoughts to others or recording myself giving fake talks) as are artists who use a range of media. I value concepts over final pieces, so I prefer lecturers to explain their work than to show it. Sound and video work well in the space. One luminary lecture (Peter McLeish) revealed an ilk of artist I hadn’t encountered, and I found trivial things such as his clothing impactful. Framing is almost everything it would seem.
As I am overwhelmed by ideas I find it more difficult to attend visiting lectures as they tend to be inspiring and increase my workload. Artists can reinforce your ideas, for example; Morton Norbye Halvorsen and his use of sound within a space, how he problem solves continuously in the physical world. His creation of a new world within a sweet pocket is everything I want to achieve. This lecture came at a time when the masterclass with Bedwyr was still swirling around in my head. I was thinking about language and the senses, it’s short comings and possibilities in aiding visualisation. Morton represented shape through the voice of the hypnotist, this made me better able to articulate ideas of senses overlapping.
Although absent from the blog Laura Yuile’s work is interesting as it is in and of the real world, not the gallery. She collaborates with people, even down to sourcing materials. As this year has progressed I can see how I prefer to work with others when possible. Often work I’d like to do doesn’t involve the permission of others and I struggle with what is appropriate. I am easily dissuaded, I took photos in a shopping centre and a security guard followed me and told me to delete all images of the centre while he looked on. The pictures were of light fittings, but these places are privately owned, and they can make up their own rules. Laura collected dust from a shopping centre and used estate agents without their knowledge. I realise that Artists have taken greater risks, particularly political artists, their work has weight and cannot fail to impart perspective.
Heath Bunting a political artist who has taken huge risks and has had to live with serious consequences as a result. His integrity is unerring. His presentation style was the most effective as it was incredibly personal. Heath’s lecture was the polar opposite of Peter McLeish’s in every way. He included examples of his work but I appreciated his candour most, he had stories to tell and they were well paced. Obviously, incredible but true stories are engaging but the level of honesty removed barriers between the artist and ourselves. It reminds me of Johns contextual lectures, where he often likes to remove the otherness/mysticism/pretention from the Artists and question autonomy within art. I attended the Q&A afterwards and Heath expanded on his non-formal background. When I admire an Artist, I try to dissect the possible reasons why I’m such a fan. I try then to adopt some of their methods, viewpoints etc. Often it reinforces my perspective or gives me confidence in following a route I’d like to go down. Heath seems to lack a certain amount of ego; his work is an organic reaction to bigger issues. At the time I was still struggling to concentrate, I was making a blanket to keep my hands busy and here’s an artist, not desperately searching for a ‘theme’ like it’s a game and not the all-encompassing, living, vehicle art is. Heath’s acts are art of course but by recording them he can further relay them- whether that is through telling stories or drawing charts, making physical objects or creating a server to protect his online presence and communications. This is something I have been struggling with. I must make a mark, or everything is only alive in my head. So, I experimented with paint.
The feedback from my cross-year critique was interesting but puzzling. I had been painting and assembling to address my lack of activity and yet that wasn’t what received the best response and therefore the most useful feedback. My presentation was formal, I thought. I had written a speech of sorts including contextual resources, cultural references etc. But I found, as I always do- that I cannot read from these things. I spoke about my dreams and ideas, this gave people the impression it was a performance. I’d, unfortunately, stood under a spotlight which didn’t help the distinction.
Going forward I’ll continue to use my blog to untangle ideas and as a live resource. I will continue to write uninhibitedly and make marks, therefore allowing ideas to exist.
would have been better much bigger and with a more dramatic grey light.
IDEAS FOR 4K ESSAY
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon; colonial fetishism
Francis Nnaggenda.. has stated, “People tell me my work looks like Picasso, but they have it wrong. It is Picasso who looks like me, like Africa.”. Primitivism by definition is offensive. Every definition for this word includes images of ‘otherness’ and non-western peoples. Primitivism is often written in quotes,
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