ARTISTS TALKING

# 17 [11 May 2010]

The order for my Professional Practice proposal, and the documentation was: 

1-Organise an exhibition of my work

2-Make a website

3-Post on the a-n blog 

The order that I will present tomorrow at the assessment is:

1- A-n blog

2- Make a website

3- Organise an exhibition of my work

Writing on the blog (and reflecting about it more than I have actually written), is surprisingly helpful. The act of filtering and forming thoughts into sentences alongside the painting is enabling me to position my work in relation to the world outside the studio and its internal culture. 

During the process I have made several layouts for a website using Apple 'iweb'. Gradually changing it from one full of art speak towards one that is clear, open and more of a suggestion of my activity. It was rather tight and confusing before with too much unresolved information. http://www.my-piper.com

The exhibition plans seem to have been straight forward and the work is almost ready. Good news, since we clear the studios next week. I won't really get a proper idea of whether it is ready to exhibit until I decide how and which pieces to show on the installation day. Scary!     

# 16 [7 May 2010]

SUNDAY -Modern Times – Responding to Chaos exhibition at the De La Warr Pavillion, Bexhill on Sea. A  show curated by Lutz Becker, including works on paper by Richard Serra, Cy Twombly, Agnes Martin,Malevich, Lissitzky, Flavin,  Judd, and Pollock , film by Viking Eggling, too many pieces to mention. The work was not shown chronologically but relationally, which I found energising as you could move around the work and not feel you were coming to the end of a narrative. My lasting impression is of the drawings as evidence of the artists visual thinking. A sense of ideas in the making.

Preparations are underway for Professional Practice presentations and documentation, and dissertation proposals.

I  am working again on three of the canvases that are not yet resolved. I mixed, poured and glazed and feel much better. They have entered back into the dialogue.

http://www.dlwp.com/default.aspx

# 15 [1 May 2010]

Richard Taylor asks on the http://www.a-n.co.uk/students home page ‘What's the pace of a part-time student? Is the work more contemplative or do other commitments conflict with creativity? Marion Piper at Buckinghamshire New University takes us through her painting process: what do you have to exchange?’

Thank you Richard for asking these questions. I am just coming to the end of the third year of a part time course, which is spread over five years. Each semester seems to have whizzed by, and I am only now just beginning to reflect on some of work I did in the first level. The opportunity to take time in this process is, for me, a deeply valuable one. I can see there, the starting points of the ideas I am working with now. At the time I had no idea what I was doing or why. I have been able to spend all of level five working on one inquiry, that of pursuing my visual language in paint. Perhaps, I may have rushed with less time?

During the first level of the course I worked collage and print and have set myself the limit of paint only for this last 18months. I have a sense of all the things I want to investigate ranged up in front of me, delicious choices that lie in wait.

I have decided not to write about my other commitments in my blog, although they are immensely important to me. I want to focus on the development my critical thinking in relation to my work. I tend to keep this reflection separate, which minimises the conflict for me.

Our part time course is structured to allow us to research our dissertation over the coming semester, without any studio practice requirements, although we are allotted a studio space. We then return for three semesters to focus on our final work. I observe that the busier a part time student is, the harder they work. Focused time in the studio, for us has great value. 

# 14 [28 April 2010]

Oddly, I stood around in the studio today, contemplating the fact that I think four of the larger canvases may be finished. It has taken me a little by surprise. The forward motion has stilled to idling, while I look, wonder and wait. 

I am also working on the invite to the show, my website and the documentation, oh and my dissertation proposal. 

# 13 [21 April 2010]

Back in the studio today. Layering with Lemon and Permanent Rose. I valued having had a break from the paintings over Easter, the distance helped me have a fresh view

Photographs tomorrow.

# 12 [16 April 2010]

During the Easter break I have been working on four smaller canvases. In a smaller studio, with smaller brushes in shorter bursts of time. A timely gear change, it will be interesting to see them together with the other paintings when college reopens next week.

Reading through the blogs I can feel the tension mounting as artists approach the end of their final projects. I am approaching the end of level 5 (part time) and quite apprehensive about showing only just recently completed work. Will there be enough time to reflect and evaluate before a public hanging? I suspect though, that this sense of pressure, deadlines and doubt are a continual part of the artist's working life. I have been struck by the high level of output of some of the visiting artists who have given talks at college, working for future exhibitions, on new ideas, collaborating on projects. The current pace we are experiencing is probably necessary to be a part of what is happening out there. If I had not set myself the challenge of the exhibition for the Professional Practice module, I would have not experienced the scaling up my activities, and pushed myself out of the comfort of my college studio space, or maybe, even thought that I could.   

Best wishes everyone.

 My exhibition entry-Norden Farm Centre for the Arts 

https://nordenfarm.org/?tmpl=event&e_id=8913&nfs=S...

http://twitter.com/marionpiper

# 11 [3 April 2010]

Today I finished reading 'The Shape of a Pocket' by John Berger. I intend to re-read it straight away. There is something about Berger's writing that enables me to catch sight of the edges of ideas. Can I leap frog from the edges of mine to his and back again?

In the final essay in the book, 'Will It Be a Likeness? (For Juan Munoz)' he writes about presence, absence and silence in painting, and how likeness is a presence. Berger states that, 'With a painted or drawn portrait likeness is fundamental; if it's not there, there's an absence, a gaping absence.' I am mulling this over with regard to the likeness of a place or the experience of a place. Something to think about over the weekend! 

 He writes:

'A presence is always unexpected. However familiar. You don't see it coming, it moves in sideways.'

'A likeness is a gift and remains unmistakeable- even when hidden behind a mask.'

'I'll tell you the story of the best likeness ever made.' Berger goes on to tell the story of Jesus arriving at the place where his friend Lazarus had died and been buried for four days.

'Where have you laid him?' he asked.

'Come and see, Lord,' they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said: 'See how much he loved him!'

But some of them said: 'Could not he, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept him from dying?'

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.  'Take away the stone,' he said. 

So they took away the stone.

Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!' The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth round his face.

Jesus said to him: take off the grave cloths and let him go.'

This was the perfect likeness. And it provoked Caiaphas, the high priest, to lay the plot for the taking of Jesus's own life.'

What I enjoy about Berger's work is that I am left with more questions at the end of reading. There is much here I don't understand and yet somehow his words draw me in and invite me to keep thinking.

So, back to chapter one, 'Opening a Gate'.

The Shape of a Pocket, John Berger, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2001

# 10 [26 March 2010]

Underpainting is underway.

I suppose it will all be underpainting.

All under the surface.

"I get the impression your attitude to colour is much more complex than it seems!"

"People talk about colour, but what matters in a canvas is the light and space to which it gives rise and from which it it should not be separated."

 Pierre Soulages in conversation with Bernard Ceysson 1980

# 9 [20 March 2010]

The larger canvases are prepped and I have started to paint, such a relief, emotionally and physically. 

An interesting thing occurred this week and reminded me that this has happened before. I was looking at a sequential sketch book I made this time last year.  At the time I considered it to be fairly unsuccessful. I had been producing collage books and decided to make one using paint. A couple of months ago I painted over the whole thing in translucent Naphol red. This improved it for me it and unified the images. As I was looking through the book this week I realised how relevant it seems to me now. This is what and how I want to be painting just at this moment. So often I rescue work from the bin. There are elements in the work done unconsciously that are initially impossible to read and recognise. Only now are they coming into focus.

# 8 [14 March 2010]

On Wednesday artist Simon Periton gave the last in this years Thomas Lawrence lectures, organised by the Fine Art department. I appreciated hearing him talk about his influences and his repetitive use of imagery. His intuitive approach to exploring his ideas and his reflections on his outcomes was refreshing. His confidence about his subject matter and practice encouraged me to step out from under the weight of my research material and keep focussed on one small element of my current imagery, for this project.

I have made 6 stretchers 1.50cms x 57 cms, almost ready to paint on, sized and oil primed. I have been using a 'panoramic' format for a while, this seems to be linked to how I like to look at things; from a viewpoint, a slice, a window onto a stage.

 Things to do this coming week include; preparation for mid-semester tutorial on Wednesday, a decision on a title for the show, and pre-dissertation proposal reading.

http://www.sadiecoles.com/simon_periton/index.html