Degree Final Year Blog

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Here are some pieces of work I felt inspired by to develop elements of my work in new directions.

1: Judy Pfaff. There is a Field, I Will Meet You There [Rumi] 2014. Steel, Plexiglas, fluorescent, lights, plastic, expanding foam, dimensions variable. Page 210. Art Forum Jan 2015. Vol 53. No5.
I was drawn to the combination of textures in this piece and the scale of the work, creating an immersive experience for the viewer. Something I would like to experiment with. I will also look at combining different materials/ patterns I have already used rather than creating separate pieces.

2: Jacob Hashimoto. Skyfarm Fortress. 2014. acrylic, paper, wood, dimensions variable. Page 211. Art Forum Jan 2015. Vol 53. No5.
I was drawn to the use of patterns in this piece, which had been grouped by colour and design. These had been layered so look overwhelming and complex. Hashimoto described his work was a complex environment for the spectator to explore.

Here is an image from an exhibition I visited on the Isle of Anglesey. Photographs were not permitted therefore my images are poor quality. This piece is called ‘Glacier Cast’ (Sterling Silver and Alloy) by Sevan Garo. It is a cast from the surface of a glacier in the French Alps, which has now melted and disappeared. The sculpture was created to demonstrate the brief lifespan of a glacier, which is now gone forever.
What attracted me to this piece of work originally were the textures of the work. Reading into the work, it intrigued me how the artist had used the casting method on location in an environment which has now disappeared. The work has raised awareness of the effect of global warming on the planet.

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Here I have been starting on a new piece, using recycled newspaper and trees. I have taken more images to show more of the process of creating these patterned paper pieces, rolling newspaper and cutting them. It’s a fairly straightforward process, however it is a long repetitive process. I enjoy this process though, as it is a simple type of ritual process, and by taking part in it I am immersing myself into the actual artwork. I am really pleased with the progress of this piece and like the fact it is different to my other pieces. The pattern making was inspired by a previous piece of work I did on the beach a couple of months ago, however this is a much larger scale. I like the fact that I don’t have a final image of how the piece will look, the process finishes unexpectedly, therefore I have no pre conceived images of how this piece will look at the end.

Following a tutorial regarding my recent work, my tutor suggested I follow the route of using my work without the natural materials. Therefore taking away the trees etc and having just my sculptural work. I disagreed with this as what I am trying to convey is how the natural materials are being consumed by order, man made materials and obsessions. However I am hoping to experiment with painting the trees a plain white colour so they appear “invisible”, and more emphasis is drawn to my work.

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I recently came across the genre of Latin Art. What drew my to this genre were the geometric patterns of a piece of work that was discussed in an interview I found in Art Review (Vol 66. No3. April 2014. Pge 61), it reminded me of my own my work. The piece of art work I discovered in the book had significant similarities to my recent creation where I used wire and wool (images above). The work is called Esfera, 1960 by the artist Gego (from Venezuela). In the interview, art collector Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, describes how “being in the presence of (geometric) abstract works gives me a sense of calm, of harmony”. This is something I can relate to and is the reason I feel I obsessively create these patterns and shapes in my work, it brings a sense of calm and control to the hectic everyday life that I lead. It is my way of creating order in natural landscapes, or any type of environment, where there I feel I have no control of the order.

I hadn’t previously looked at Latin Art, however I was surprised to see the vast amount of geometric influence found in the work, also influences from nature and life. Theme’s I am exploring in my work.
I did some further research, reading a book called ‘Inverted Utopias- Avant Garde Art Latin America‘ by Mari Carmen Ramirez.
In it, the artist Torres Garcia describes the nature of Latin American art
“each work is an idea that has a development and it’s life, like the different forms of life found in nature”. (pge 193).

The book describes how this genre of art has a ritualistic structure, the act of doing in the now. The work is forever evolving through taking on different connotations, either therapeutic or environmental (pge. 197). This is very relevant to my own work, which seems to constantly evolving by combining the environmental and therapeutic connotations. The work comes to a stops when I feel I cannot physically carry on.

On Page 198, theorist Clark explains how the “artist vanishes within the world, spirit melds with collective, self persists, for the type of vital structure that was contingent upon the hyper activation of the artist’s senses. Thrust into a labyrinth… work produces stimuli that can be satisfied only through individual’s direct experience”. This quote demonstrates the importance of my process of working, I like to work alone, with no interruptions. If I am interrupted I feel I become frustrated and the work doesn’t feel like an actual piece of work because I haven’t fully immersed myself into the process.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it opened my mind to a whole new genre of art which I had never come across due to presumptions about this genre. I look forward to discovering more information regarding this.

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Here is a piece I have been working on in the studio. It began on the tree, I was trying to combine nature and my creativity. However I felt the piece was more effective on it’s own, without the constraints of the tree and the branches. I find this idea interesting, in my own space I enjoy creating my own sculptures without any interruption from the outside world. This process is like creating my own landscape without any barriers or influences. The sculpture base was made using wire, I then used wool to wrap around the metal. The delicacy of wool reminds me of the comforting feel it can bring to a person. This whole process was a comforting experience for me, and I eel I am gaining more knowledge and understanding of my practice. I cannot create work if there are other people around who interrupt my process, during my creativity I enter my own world. My creativity come’s round in what I call “creativity spurts”, I find I cannot create anything for a couple of weeks, I become increasingly frustrated with everything and everyone around me. I then spend time escaping to a landscape setting where there are no interruptions, and I am at one with nature. In a way it is like recharging my batteries, being re-inspired, and then I come back to my practice full of ideas and raring to go.

I have been giving some more thought to my degree show and would like to create my own landscape, however I feel I would need to a do a week’s uninterrupted residency to be able to build this landscape. I will have to give this some more thought to see if it is possible

This piece is in process, more images to follow.