DEGREES UNEDITED

# 1 [5 January 2010]

Today is the first day of the final course module. This module carries 50% of the final year marks and 35.5% of the entire B.A. marks. So it is important!

Today, after 3.5 years of work, through Foundation and B.A., I have to put my work on-the-final-line and begin preparations for that - now all important - degree show in June.

Today, as is usual, I start with a blank slate.

Of course I have my life experience, but now I need a trigger to start this leg of my journey.

# 2 [6 January 2010]

There is one potential source of interference - the dissertation.

For my course, this is 6,000 words and is due for submission at the beginning of March. So in truth January will be 70% dissertation and 30% final show project. If all goes well then this balance should flip to become 30% dissertation and 70% final show project in February and then 100% final show project from March to the beginning of June.

At least that is the current plan, but like all plans it is only a best estimate based on what is currently known.

# 3 [6 January 2010]

Another interference is today's weather. Heavy snow forces work to continue in the home studio rather than the college studio. Some tasks are better done in peace and quiet, so this is no great hardship.

Time to rework chapter 2 of the dissertation I think.

# 4 [7 January 2010]

How did I get to this point in my journey?

No I'm not going to fill this blog with the past. http://blog.codedimages.com has been going for the past year and contains a (slightly random) sample of were my journey has been. Please visit if you want to know more.

What I will do is attach the occasional image of work I consider important.

Here I have attached two such works, one installation and a triptych as yet undisplayed.

PS. We are still snowed out of college, so home is where the studio is for this week.

# 5 [8 January 2010]

We have a different tutor for the final show project. We last crossed paths, as official tutor / student, in the first year. So my first task is to bring her up-to-speed on the many developments in-between.

A short period of reflection is required and I might as well record the key-points here.

Yesterday I posted some images from a line of enquiry that was all about a gestural code. Today I have a couple of pictures of a coded work made using graph paper and self adhesive office labels.

You should begin to see a theme of codes and coded messages, (typically) made using office materials. Although I do use other materials from time-to-time. The criteria is usually what works best.

PS. Travel report. Travel is possible today, but as Friday is a studio day I will continue in the home studio.

# 6 [9 January 2010]

Continuing my look back - in order to decide where to take the next step.

Working with self adhesive office labels (last year) I became interested in circle and square.

I made a series of images that combined circle and square with logic truth tables. The truth tables come from my first career as a systems engineer.

Researching circle and square art I - of course - found Victor Vasarely.

Circles and squares have since become key components. And the idea of component and reuse are also now strong influences.

# 7 [10 January 2010]

Three more images to share. These represent a coincidence of lines of enquiry exploring: circle, square, phi, colour, random, logic, code, and uncertainty.

These images are all digital. There is a continuing tension between analogue and digital production.

Other dialogues (maybe tensions) that might prove important are:

positive - negative;

reflective- transmissive;

monochrome - colour;

circle - square.

These pairs seem to align well with my dissertation which begins with Aristotle's Pythagorean table of opposites.

# 8 [11 January 2010]

I'll finish this reflective start (to the blog) with an up-to-date artist statement. If you have visited my personal web or blog you will notice this has not changed. I wrote this version in December, at the end of our Studio Practice 3 module, and this recent period of reflection has only served to strengthen my belief in its accuracy. Of course it will continue to develop over the coming months, but that is the nature of such a statement. Like a plan it can only be a best estimate (for the now).

Artist Statement for David Riley
(as of 10th January 2010)

My art requires a trigger point, some life event, an ongoing interest, or an idea discovered while exploring another avenue - serendipity is important. It involves researching the idea and the techniques that can be applied. It can involve learning a new way of doing, a new way of thinking, or some form of exploration along a familiar line of enquiry, but beyond territory previously covered. It is influenced by my life experience, and my first career as a systems engineer. Code, mathematics, diagrams and organisation are important. Components and reuse are often present; consequently the outcome is often a series rather than a single work.

My process involves a starting point which I work away from. Each step taken is recorded (in a journal) to ensure no thought is lost and to protect the possibility of returning later to an idea or discovery. I cannot predict what comes next. If I could, it is very likely I would stop and take the next step in an entirely different direction.

The materials used are chosen to suit the enquiry, but often include: marker pen, paper, self adhesive office labels, tracing paper, artist board and acrylic paint. A digital camera, scanner, inkjet printer, computer and software (including: office, raster graphic, vector graphic, video and bespoke self designed applications) are considered important. I use these tools in much the same way another artist might use assistants.

An enjoyable consequence of research is finding artists who have crossed the same path. When this happens I will take time to consider their motivation, process and outcomes. In doing so I benefit from their experience, increased confidence in my own decision making and a clearer idea of what must be done next.

I consider the journey as fundamental. The journey must please me. The outcome must please me and have an aesthetic that others might consider interesting.

There is always a strong desire to share what is discovered.

# 9 [13 January 2010]

This week CIRCUARE has moved from monochrome to colour. That is, the recording of this line of enquiry in my journal has reached the stage when colour becomes a component. I did a lot of unrecorded (1) work over the seasonal break that is only now finding its way into the journal. This sometimes happens when I am chasing a line of thought in the digital domain. The forensic record is all on the computers and I use the need to transfer this to the first-world journal as a trigger for reflection. (puting this in the journal allows my tutors easy access for assesment purposes too)

I am happy with both the monochrome and colour symbol sets and enjoyed the process of development. The initial clinical digital aesthetic is interesting, but now is the time to explore different ways of presenting and using these basic components.

There is a growing tension between analogue and digital production. A tension I need to explore further.

There is also more uncertainty to explore by applying the ideas and techniques from the monochrome three planes of uncertainty series to the colour symbol set.

Also, there is a second draft of the dissertation to write following useful constructive feedback on the first draft.

So lots to do.

(1) by 'unrecorded' I mean with no formal recording of the processes or outcomes other than the computer files generated at the time.

# 10 [15 January 2010]

Today has been all about the dissertation.

After some excellent feedback [on my first draft] I have been working on the next revision. Hopefully this one will hang together and be better balanced in terms of: primary research, secondary, research, the opinions of others, and my own input.

Unfortunately formal writing is [as usual] taking a dissproportionate amount of time when compared to the assesment marks on offer. But I guess that is just the way life is when doing something we find hard.