CRITICAL APPRAISAL

Research, Methods, and Outcomes Throughout this project, I have continually researched the work and writings of other artists and visited galleries. Through doing this I have been able to explore different avenues of art making and how to think conceptually. One artist who has continuously inspired me throughout my methods of working and how I conceptualize my work is Jonas Burgert. The context to Burgert’s work always fuels further research into other artists, stumbling across the works of Claire Barrow has bought me ideas of shapeshifting, duality and childhood. Allowing me to explore the notions of mutation and duality within the arts.  My process has developed into a DIY method of working, in which my personal experiences and the materials I come into contact with in the everyday fuel my work. This has enabled me to better understand how I can interact with me work in the every day having materials around me constantly which inspire my process. An example of a work that showcases my experimental process is a piece from the start of the Module, a 3D piece where I have sewn and hot glued two rabbits together. These rabbits were toys of my Rabbit so had personal meaning to them, they had also been partially destroyed by my rabbit, I felt these were perfect materials to use in response to the written piece “I am for an Art” by Claes Oldenburg, specifically to the quote “I am for an art of slightly rotten funeral flowers, hung bloody rabbits”. From the inspiration of this quote, I wished to create a piece fuelled with a contrast of duality between an image of hung bloody rabbits whilst conflicting it with innocent plush toys, evoking thoughts of childhood.  Throughout my art-making process, I found certain materials to have properties that successfully translated my concepts. Hot glue, different materials, burning and melting things, bleaching, and sewing things together helped me mutate objects and mediums into unforgiving unaesthetic pieces, rebelling against a highly polished outcome. 

Reflection and Evaluation Throughout this module, I have always found it of benefit to research my own ideas to better understand my thoughts and how to translate this to an audience. If I leave myself to produce work without research I lose track of my initial concept which I feel I have had times where I have done throughout this module. I have found it hard to stay engaged with my own work, so having other artists inspire me has helped a huge amount.  I feel that through this module I have not been able to fully explore and experiment with the work I actually want to produce. I feel that as I digress the works became unsuccessful in translating specific concepts. I think it would help to keep my ideas simple to begin with and build off of them throughout the course.  This module has proven difficult for me to stay on top of everything as another module runs alongside. To improve I need to plan ahead better and keep a time plan of personal deadlines to stay on track and so more work in my free time at University and attend all lessons for practical work. 

DEVELOPING PRACTICE | FINAL PIECE

WORKING WITH 3D FOUND OBJECTS

FINAL PIECE DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPING PRACTICE

VIDEO IMAGERY | YEULE- PRETTY BONES

ART TERM: VANITAS

" A still life artwork which includes various symbolic objects designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the worthlessness of worldly goods and pleasures. The term originally comes from the opening lines of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible: 'Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity Vanitas are closely related to memento mori still life which are artworks that remind the viewer of the shortness and fragility of life (memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning 'remember you must die' ) and includes symbols such as skulls and extinguished candles. However, vanitas still-lifes also include other symbols such as musical instruments, wine, and books to remind us explicitly of the vanity (in the sense of worthlessness) of worldly pleasures and goods." The 'fragility and shortness of life is something that I want to allude to within my works, that societal concepts don't hold as much value as we may believe as life is short and fleeting. As we see a growth in expressed individuality complexes in the rise of social media platforms, creating the perception of measured individual worth holding influence on the actions in the every day of individuals. When faced with death we are reminded of life, everything that we experience through life creates who we are, the contrast of growth, and the interaction between the artificial and organic. The expression of the online vs the natural world.

DEVELOPING PRACTICE | PLASTIC EXPERIMENTATION

PRIMARY PHOTOS DEVELOPMENT | TRACE

PRIMARY PHOTOGRAPHS | EARLY CHILDHOOD | TRACE

ELECTRONIC SUPERHIGHWAY | Omar Kholeif

THOMAS HIRSCHHORN - DOING ART POLITICALLY: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? (2008) – [ENG]

http://www.thomashirschhorn.com/doing-art-politically-what-does-this-mean/#:~:text=%E2%80%93%20Doing%20art%20politically%20means%20creating%20something&text=It%20is%20a%20matter%20of%20never%20allowing%20the%20pleasure%2C%20the,means%20to%20always%20be%20active.

“It is a matter of never allowing the pleasure, the happiness, the enjoyment of work, the positive in creation, the beauty of working, to be asphyxiated by criticism. This doesn’t mean to react, but it means to always be active.”

GITTE MARIA

BENJAMIN REICHWALD @ THE RESIDENCE GALLERY | LONDON

DEVELOPING PRACTICE | FABRIC, STICH, BLEACH, ACETATE

DEVELOPING PRACTICE | SEWN FABRIC, CLOWN IMAGERY

DEVELOPING PRACTIC | FABRIC STITCH, MELTING PLASTIC EXPERIMENTATION

ALBERTO BURI