Intricate, time-consuming drawing. Using china markers, a grey/lilac colored pencil and some un-watered down water colour paint. I might say that this is the start of a project, I want to create a body of work to exhibit next year, possibly at one of the Bristol open studio events, or one of the Arts Trails. Every piece will be in the same vein as this one - an accumulation and a collection of hours, doing the drawings little and often, each piece will hold around ten hours of my time, spread over around a month. Little and often. Little and often.
Stone paintings: some stones left over from knocking down a massive wall. Like an attractive paper weight, and a good surface to work with. This one ain't done, I want to fill it with lots of lines, like a precise Davenport!
Poppies: after collecting them for years and years, I'm at stage one of experimenting with my collected poppy petals (thousands) but this trial looked a bit Ikea - not quite what I'm going for, but maybe people would purchase?
Inky shower door: Better than glass because it's got edges you see. Like my glue mould work from a couple of years back, I'm not working in ladles any more, but instead I'm using the flat surface. working with Drawing inks and clear glue (not pva!) I'm going to be adding lots to this. It takes a long long time to dry, so it's another ongoing thing.
Tax disks, another thing I've collected long-term. Scavenged from scrap yards, it's about time I got them out and made something with them. I'll start by plonking them on my desk.
Art
Sketchbook Scans: More
And not just collaging!
I've been sticking down all the torn poppies which aren't good enough to add to the 'master collection' (which is getting huge, and I still don't know what to do with it!)
Also: drawing naked men, enjoying pictures of excited/angry men, using a triangle template, using rainbow pencils, drawing ugly faces and finally, sticking down pictures I find exciting; the ones which I skip past then have to turn back the pages to look at again.
Romance Needed
Way back in 2003 I did a mini-project around Valentines day, asking people to send me a Valentines card.
That's it.
I got three and it was nice.
Big in Brighton
A weekend in Brighton with Angela Chick and Yannik Eilers. We had big ideas: making miniature underwater sets for Yannik to shoot using his new underwater camera. This didn't happen, but we thought of these ideas to go with the underwater theme:
putting milk in the water to make it cloudy
underwater treasure coral
an underwater butcher selling horses and man-meat
an underwater office
putting dye in the water
putting our faces in the water
I collaged a lot and here is what I made:
Men statues: “they made people feel quite uncomfortable” Made on old photographic paper – words scraped on with a pin (ouch) and head collage.
ALL these things are about to take off. Arrow found in the weekend papers, strange words: ‘sno-cats, majestic peaks, penguins and seals, fur seals and colorful markets’ found in the index page of an old encyclopedia.
I found some men with interesting expressions. (best faces found in Money and Sport sections)
Monsters 2011
Ah, old faithful. I've been drawing these monsters for ages. They've started singing now, and they have weird eyes too
What's she going to look like with a chimney on her?
The Tamperer ft Maya
SILLIEST LYRICS EVER!
The Tamperer ft Maya
SILLIEST LYRICS EVER!
You got it on the side
A little one night thing
I’ve thought it over and this time I will forgive you
Well I’m not letting go
But don’t forget I know
You made your bed and she was in it
No no no
What’s she gonna look like with a chimney on her?
What’s she gonna look like with a chimney on her?
What’s she gonna look like with a chimney on her?
What’s she gonna look like with a chimney on her?
Well I’m not blaming you
But she’s still hanging round
And she’s so crazy I’ll tell you now I just don’t trust her
She thinks she’s right on time
But I think she crossed the line
And I’m ready for the light
I’m ready if it’s fighting time
What’s she gonna look like with a chimney on her?
What’s she gonna look like with a chimney on her?
What’s she gonna look like with a chimney on her?
Thomas Forsyth's drawing tops
Thomas Forsyth is a genius AND a nice man. He creates these:
A spinning-top, that uses a pen as the spindle, represents many of the core ideas behind my current work. It is recognisable, un-intimidating, and invites people to interact with objects that can lead to unpredictable results, or an emergent property. Simply through indulging in the enjoyable process of spinning the top a bi-product is created. Where the pen marks the surface, a beautiful map of the experience and events that have occurred is produced. I am able to draw, but I am not particularly talented at it and yet found that, through the interaction with these objects, I have created drawings that I am more proud of than any I have done before.
Have a look at his video here which gives instruction on how to make your own drawing top using very simple materials. I want to use drawing tops in my art workshops for Light Box: The Happiness Project.
Here's my trial using a DIY drawing top:
Another submission to Things Organized Neatly
Time to submit again to Things Organized Neatly, that wonderful blog curated by Austin Radcliffe.
Have a look at the Twitter too.
Here is something I created whilst in New Zealand last year. Amazing coloured shells, found on the beach. Made in collaboration with Eleanor Gannon.
Linda Florence
"imaginative application of 'fugitive' materials - sugar, rust, iron filings, biscuits - recognising the floor a the most touched surface and yet the most overlooked and least inspiring of surfaces."
I read this in A-N magazine years ago, noted it down and now I don't remember what the specific piece of art was. The online Linda Florence seems to be into wallpaper, but I remember her art being much more interesting than that.
Art, color, Interesting and Inspiring, Process
Ian Davenport
One of my favourites! His use of colour / performance aspect / loss of control / control / huge size
Roger Hiorns
"He uses unusual materials to effect surprising transformations on found objects and urban situations. Fire emerges from storm drains, perfume permeates metal surfaces, and crystals colonise industrial objects. He is best known for his installation in South London where he transformed an entire ex-council flat, covering it in brilliant blue copper sulphate crystals. 75,000 litres of solution were pumped into the council flat to create a strangely beautiful and glittering crystalline growth on the walls, floor, ceiling and bath of this abandoned dwelling. The project was called SEIZURE"
Ai Weiwei at Tate Modern
A business trip to London. Lucy and I got the chance to see some art too. We spent the afternoon in the Tate Modern, after hearing much hype about the Ai Weiwei Sunflower installation in the Turbine Hall.
"Sunflower Seeds is made up of millions of small works, each apparently identical, but actually unique. However realistic they may seem, these life-sized sunflower seed husks are in fact intricately hand-crafted in porcelain.Each seed has been individually sculpted and painted by specialists working in small-scale workshops in the Chinese city of Jingdezhen. Far from being industrially produced, they are the effort of hundreds of skilled hands. Poured into the interior of the Turbine Hall’s vast industrial space, the 100 million seeds form a seemingly infinite landscape."
Screen shot 2010-12-09 at 08.41.14
This artwork satisfied me - my love of repetition, of process. The muted colors of the landscape and the understated accumulation - what I love most is when a huge amount of time is spent on something, but that's not realised - these look like real sunflowers, nothing special, but it's within the process that I am impressed.
The 15 minute film which accompanied the installation was more interesting to me than the completed piece.It's very interesting to me that Weiwei was made to alter the artwork; up until 22nd October, visitors were invited to walk on the sculpture.
Health and safety regulations came into play and a barrier was put up - the porcelain dust was too harmful when breathed in. It's this kind of 'mistake' and alteration to a life's work which is interesting - how does Weiwei feel about this huge alteration.
The whole work is changed - the viewer cannot interact or have an encounter with this tactile work. Something is lost. Why didn't he think about the issues around H&S before? Tate changed the work from an invitation to walk upon, to stating this:
"Sunflower Seeds is a total work made up of millions of individual pieces which together from a single unique surface. In order to maintain and preserve the landscape as a whole, Tate asks visitors not to touch or remove the sunflower seeds."
You could post video questions to Weiwei, he selects some to answer. Lucy and I asked him this: http://aiweiwei.tate.org.uk/content/701626778001
Collage inspiration
Claire Barrett3
Claire Barrett2
Claire Barrett
Jesse Draxler
Jesse Draxler
006
05
edward storm collage
Anthony Zinonos
parp1
sloth
What Still Applies?
I have here my 3rd year Fine Art learning proposal, which I have just read through and picked out the bits which are still relevant to my practice now.
CONSTRAINTS, AESTHETICS AND ENJOYMENT.
I have an addiction to experimenting. A compulsive need to make things. I am experimenting with the process of limiting the creation of artwork. As well as this, I place importance on two inner workings; pleasure in creating and simple aesthetics. Both are vital to my work.
I have no control over THE HAPPY ACCIDENT. I have an influence over my materials, but they are ultimately allowed to do what they want. I am only manipulating, having minimal involvement, such as dripping, pouring, filling, hanging. I am not always part of the work, it creates itself in the time when I am absent. Time and chance allow this to happen. I witness what the materials do, which is absorbing, a degree of immersion is involved – not just being a witness, but being the work; making a performance.
It is important for me to be excited, stimulated by what I’m making. I have a constant dialogue with myself whilst making, whilst still working fast to avoid being too self conscious. The thinking process is important – to keep changing my mind, thoughts evolving and changing.
I have an encounter with the work, my hands transforming the surface. There is a lot of time investment and use of multiples. The monotony of making and labor intensity is important. I appreciate the ENERGY TRANSFORMATION which is taking place, I create rituals of making.
My work relies upon structure and good planning. I figure things out. It is casual, but has beauty and order. It has an intimacy to it, a sensual appeal.
Within this, I regularly work with creating objects which are natural but manmade, I am making things artificial, sometimes influencing the longevity of there natural things, preserving them. I am very drawn to using candy colors. This color selection is important. It is what’s first seen, catching the eye and drawing you in. “what is this”.
I place importance on two inner workings; pleasure in creating and simple aesthetics. Both are vital to my work. this simple aesthetic is shifting to become ECONOMY AND LIGHTNESS. I see that this is contained in each of my pieces, drawings and ideas. I embrace this and feel like I have found out what my art is about.
Colour has become more important, something to think about rather than to pick at random. Great efforts are going to be made in finding the perfect colour for my sprayed apples. The optic effects of this colour when applied to many units of the same shape will be immense. This links to my sensuality and the enticement of senses. The sickly smell of fermenting apples will increase this optical dazed effect.
The encounter with my work is extremely important at this stage. I am a factory worker and the monotomy of these tasks I make myself complete have an effect on me. The balance of control is off-kilter as I feel like I am being controlled by my objects.
AIMS AND THOUGHTS
I am thinking about titling work, what that could bring to my work, or if it would detract from it.
Read more Bachelard
Advocating the work, speaking about it with authority and care. Having discussions.
I want to use the camera more thinking of the idea of video art, playing with time. Attempting to capture something – a moment when something strange and beautiful happens.
INSPIRATION
Susie Brandt – “A compulsive need to make things.”
Javier Peres – “I think people try to overemphasise the analytical and intellectual aspect of contemporary art. The reality is when contemporary art is being made, the people who are making it are just making it.”
Helen Chadwick – “Gorgeously repulsive, exquisitely fun, dangerously beautiful”
Joseph Havel – “Even though I make discreet works, I like to consider the way in which everything works together as an ensemble so that there is an accumulative effect, so that not only the work will have a specific intention or construction or some specificity, but the whole group of things will build to one kind of idea.
Anne Bean
Richard long
Richard tuttle
Yayoi kusama
Susan Stockwell, Spencer Fitch, Ian Davenport, Anya Gallaccio, Phillida Barlow, Mona Hatoum, Fischli & Weiss, Anish Kapoor, Cornelia Parker, Eva Hesse, Jessica Stockholder, Susan Hillier, Christian Boltanski, Joseph Havel, Permindar Kaur, Halen Chadwick, Matthew Barney
contingent: 1 subject to chance
New intricate ink drawings
Can't stop making these at the moment. Working on a large one, it's very absorbing
Apple Process
For my final degree work at uni, I hired a spraybooth and sprayed 1,300 Gala apples a specific pink color of car lacquer. The process took a whole two weeks - three layers, and it was important to keep the stalks unpainted - so the applying and peeling off of masking tape was the most laborious part.
Chat Roulette with props
+ friends + props = fun
Also, very interesting. Rosemary Kirton is exploring this in her final major project on her Fine Art Degree at the University College for the Creative Arts at Farnham. Her blog's really interesting, and these two entries describe a bit about her work:
Asking herself questions about what she's doing
Rosemary is interested in the work of artist Marina Abramovic, who has just broken a Performance Art record by sitting for 700 hours. The audience is invited to sit opposite to her at a table, Abramovic looking into their eyes. Some last days, some last minutes.
Here's an article by the Telegraph
about the work.
about Abramovic
Apples, two years old
I have kept the Apples from my degree show piece - 'Sense' which was exhibited in the following shows:
Barcode, University College for the Creative Arts, Farnham, May 2008
Free Range, Truman Brewery, London, June 2008
Lucy Barfoot, Room 212, Bristol, January 2009
New Contemporaries, Fairfields Arts Centre, Basingstoke, January 2009
They are like tiny little rocks, and they don't smell any more. They are turning powdery - I wonder if one day they will just disappear? The blue and baby pink apples are three years old now. Older, but bigger. Must be something to do with the lacquer? I just spray painted those two and the others were covered in car lacquer, two coats.
Jessica Stockholder
Jessica Stockholder
Growing Rock Candy Mountain Grasses in Canned Sand 1992
Confused man sculpture
My fingers made this silly little man out of clay, i don't know where he came from, but he obviously had to get out! I like his teeth the best.
And this is a bit of fluff i made from bits of fluff.
It reminds me of everlasting gob stoppers and my friend Jack Warren Meeks.