Having said that- my first blog was on the 9th– it’s now the 15thFebruary! Time just slips away and before you know it a whole week has gone by and the blog still awaits its next post!
So, I think I should begin by briefly summarising my journey up until this point, and then hopefully I will be in a more advantageous position to clarify my current thought processes and ideas.
Ever since I was young, I have been increasingly interested in objects and collecting things for their various literal, aesthetic or semiotic qualities. I find myself specifically drawn to the repeated object or an assemblage of things that collectively communicate a concept. The first installation I ever attempted in 2008 consisted of a whole room of red onions suspended from the ceiling- even this early on in the course I knew I wanted to experiment with multiples. Although I am certain about continuing with the use of a repeated object or image, I am yet to wholly understand exactly why I am attracted to this element of multiplicity.
Jitish Kallat’s photographic installation The Cry of the Glandcomes to mind. When at The Haunch of Venison back in 2009 I remember being particularly captivated by the wall of 108 colourful images. Each photograph theoretically displays the same thing- ‘a shirt pocket’- but the large number of differing visual complexities-(the shirt fabric- plain, striped, patterned, the pocket size, its varying contents, etc.) mean that the personal narrative of each image shines through. So, I wonder… is it the intricacies displayed within the work’s variation that interests me? Or is it the possibility of reading into each image and seeing a multitude of lives and personalities? As well as both of these contributing factors, the appeal (for me) lies within the work’s visual diversity- collectively there are so many elements to appreciate within the ordinary margins of a single everyday image. All of this variety results in a multi-layered aesthetic- the viewer’s eyes skip from picture to picture in a kind of ‘spot the difference’ type motion- there is something in this process I would like to adopt within my own working practice.
Another weird example of a repetitive series of images that taps into this elusive element of interest for me is the Heinz Baked Beans advert on TV at the moment. Random I know, but the way it emphasizes the contrast between people’s personalities through the diversity of each fridge scene is genius! The 30 second clip successfully depicts each individual, personal narrative and I love the fact that the beans and the everyday context of the fridge act as sort of a common denominator throughout.
In attempt to relate this back to my own working practice, through deliberately adhering to an autobiographical approach within my artwork I’m trying to using collections of objects (or archives of text and photographs) to portray elements of my own personality, opinions or ideas. It is apparent that from the very beginning most of my work has been self-referential, it is only now that I am consciously working with it in mind.
One day late last year, I was aimlessly rummaging through my handbag and began to notice the amount of old, disregarded receipts that were inside. I started to pull them out, and after smoothing the crumpled surface I studied the text. I become aware of the amount of information displayed on each little ephemeral, flimsy piece of paper- the location of where I spent my money, the item bought, how much it was, the time and the date- even the type of payment used. As I removed more and more, a story developed before my eyes- a map of where I’d been and when. I was surprised at how many I found- some dated back to 2009- perhaps stored away in a safe place because the item bought was a gift or something I intended to take back. After lining the receipts on the wall in the studio, I stepped back and noticed that in front of me was a documented time line; a snippet of my consumer propelled life.
Heinz Beanz ‘Fridge Pack’ TV Advert, 2010
