One of the drawbacks of studying part time is that we are not entitled to a studio space in the university – I don’t make large work thank goodness but it would be useful to have a large white space to try out my projections – my intention is to project slide transparencies on to a hanging moveable screen placed so that you can move around it – my studio space at home is small at the moment and has no way of hanging anything – so the assessment process we are going through next Wednesday will be a valuable experience – I hope it works but as it is not a marked assessment then I am not too worried – and as I am also dealing with FAILURE in the other project then I am going to learn lots one way or another!
last week we had a group crit – this is even more crucial when you have not got a space where other students will see your work and is the only chance to receive any feedback about what I’m up to at home! One of the aspects of my practice over the last few months has been printmaking – experimenting with etching and aquatint which has been challenging. I haven’t felt at ease with the process. Now I have discovered collagraphs and I love the process!
I am using one of my family slide transparencies as a starting point
I created a collagraph plate using mounting card as the base to create the image
I printed first in relief and then intaglio
I then experimented printing onto acid free tissue, tracing paper and onion skin paper – I really loved the onion skin as it has a slight sheen and is semi transparent giving it an aged look – but impossible to photograph or scan!
The prints on somerset paper will be framed and entered for an exhibition at the Limekiln Gallery in Calstock next February.
Back to the group crit – I took 20 slide transparencies and showed them on an old slide projector along with the collagraphs – the feedback was positive – everyone particularly enjoyed the clicking of the projector which evokes certain past memories depending on your age of course! Those endless hours of watching friend and family holiday slides!
My practice is concerned with the fragility of memory and the passing of time so my images are sometimes blurred, sometimes out of focus, sometimes with an unreal clarity – they are memories that have a uncertain relationship with reality. The materials I use are also fragile or translucent – decay, disintegration and discoloration also play an important part as does failure!
