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Claire Prescott Art Blog 🦋
Ramblings of a Fine Art student 👩🎓
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Phyllida Barlow
Phyllida has a fabulous London based artist that also worked for years at Slade. I love the sense of humour and monumental scale of her work. There is something very other worldly about Barlows works. They seem to almost grow from the walls of the gallery before your very eyes. I can image her to be a material hoarder. Her works even evolve from old to new so no material could ever be considered wasteful.
Barlow seems a very settled about making her mark in the art world later in life. I can totally understand what she means about being a parent and being an artist. It is a difficult juggle. I find it very comforting not to worry about the when or if. Just to make and see what happens, although saying that to work large scale you have to have resource for storage space in-between exhibitions. Like Neil Morris says there is a extra responsibility when making large scale works is like owning a horse.
I loved this documentary and I find the precarious nature of her work both beautiful and humorous. I find it incredibly to hear that being a teacher could hinder an artists success! I find that very strange surely being a teacher should be respected how else do they expect artist to survive without being known other than supporting their practice in any way that they can. Being a teacher is a very valuable, respectable and important job for anyone and should be treated as such.
Its interesting to hear that she experienced jealousy after seeing her own students progress ahead of her. Although she is also very pleased and proud for them all.
Sadly I don’t find it shocking to hear that gender or motherhood could of stopped her earlier progress its so sad that we are still fighting these long battles of inequality especially artists of such exceptional calibre. I find it very upsetting to think we could continued without seeing Barlows work.
I feel Phyllida achieves her ultimate goal of creating the unnameable thing. I find it brilliant to hear her work is about mistakes and wanting those mistake the idea of sculpture being a humours escapade. This idea of wanting it to fall and collapse in front of the viewer or at least appear to be. It’s clear to see the influence of Buster Keating and Lorral and Hardy sets in her most recent works. The piles of wood are like fallen buildings that are the. becoming unnameable creatures.
Iv just started with materiality again myself and I am definitely finding humour in my inability to create anything properly, but Iv decided to embrace my weird. I would love to be able to create to this scale at some point in my career more and more it makes you realise to be able to work big you definitely need to work with a team and a good health and safety officer. 😜
NOTES:
Comedy in the way objects fail
I want things to collapes and become something else.
Survival artist : 5 kids on a teachers salary
Chosen to represent Britain at the Venice Biennially
Works with wood stereophome ignored for many years
I couldn’t of done the attention bit earlier I would of been over ridden by it. I needed a long time for it to work.
Went to art school in 1960s
Sense of materiality
Perplexed by what was seen as good or bad and right or wrong and basically told them where to go.
Worked nights to earn money it was a double act with artist husband.
Being an artist and having children are totally incompatible.
Surviving professional jealousy, complex feelings why one succeeds and others don’t.
Buster Keating and Laurel and Hardy are my inspiration
Sculpture is about mistakes.
Something about the endeavour of sculpture that’s comical to me.
I encourage the accidental
Has had sculptures fall apart during exhibition
Assistant says it may look precarious but they do have to follow health and safety measures to allow public to view her works.
Tate Devine show monumental
Gender, large family and teacher said to be part of the reason why she was ignored.
Love other artist even the shouty artist like Tracy Emin and Damien Hurst
Tougher for young artists now more than ever
Student at the Slade and taught at the Slade as a lecturer
Just because a works hit the gallery doesn’t always mean it’s the best work from that artist, I mean that is including my own work. its not about being the best its about being lucky.
Charles Darwin was her great great grandfather. Mother said not to use it to progress professionally.
My ambition is to make an unnamable thing.
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MASTERS STUDENTS
To be honest I wasn’t feeling well during this lecture. I found it hard to watch the work about Childhood Trauma. I really felt we should of been warned before watching some of this especially seen as so much of it was in the darker side of art. Saying that at least this means his work gave the desired affect it was definitely unsettling and unnerving for me as a viewer. It was very dark and foreboding. The artist said it was what’s going on in his head which after watching it is very concerning.
I don’t think I actually got that much from this lecture sadly although I did think the beetroot brick shoe were very dominatrix. Just watching the beetroots burst was a bit jarring when you think of it in that way. The artist is screaming was also a bit too close to the bone for me, but I appreciated the animation in its simplicity it allows the viewer to become embodied by the character which helps with connection and relatability. Especially right now I feel many of us will be that artist screaming.
I will have to add more to this post another day
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Keira Greene
I found it interesting the way Keira talked about the bodies familiar sounds this idea of what sound, life and movement make like the emergence from a rock or the movement of a joint. Keira talks about her love of movement about being inspired by a fossil and using movement of the human body to create the movement of the prehistoric creature.
I can see why Keira became obsessed with visiting the space this beautiful platform out amongst nature. Knowing that it was a space that witnessed so much talent and birthing new performances. Knowing that Kiera he had very little funding and just willingness and self belief is very inspiring.
I loved how she talked about the formalness of communication and the phases we go through on email or through letter writing and the way things relax when face to face, she talks about it almost feeling funny about the formality of the initial contact. I think that is a great lesson moving forward to remember that the people we ask for help with work or interviews are just people too so there is nothing for us to be scared of although we still do it we still have an initial apprehension and nerves especially when its someone we look up too.
I loved the close up of the wood the grain of the wood almost moves with its ageing state. This idea of a performance space deep in the forest is very romantic its almost like its allowed to breath in its space sharing years of performance and experience.
This idea of hating each run made me think of my own practice. I love each run of film but than hate the final piece until it has time to settle and make sense. I find beauty in each small snippet of footage. I tend to question the validity of each final piece until its had time to settle into its true meaning.
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Performance and moving images artist
Lux based in London, brilliant resource for artist whom use moving image
One piece of work a year range from 5 to 15 minutes
Anna Helprin in her late 90s still dancing and teaching.
House built within a landscape husband built dance platform in the forest.
First film called Gran
Meant to be shown in an intimate setting
Body movement
The film gave a great feeling is intimacy for Anna and the environment. Close up filming of trees vast landscapes with tweeting birds 🐦
The natural environment reminds us of our own breath. The movement of the sun moves us between shadow and light and how that moves within our psyche.
Structure and freedom closed scores and improvisation.
Really interested in nature. Really creative and healing place.
How can he translate those processes so that people can live well. Experience nature in the urban environment.
Wanted to build a narrative using the dance deck. Using the surface of the dance deck in a close up manner.
Ended up agreeing to an interview
Had a phone call and agreed whilst showing previous work
Very self
Made the film on a shoe string budget
Likes to work with dancers and performance 🎭
Idea of the somatic experience is the felt experience of the body.
Felt sense abs what gesture communicates
Plankton species graptolite. First living organisms. Anthropacy is the time we live in now.
The temperature 🤒 of the oceans killed the graptolitle.
See the extinction of these creatures as a dance 💃🏼 score.
Dancer is holding the rocks with the species fossil during the dance score.
Collaboration is really key in my work
Thinking about our relationship to surface.
The tension of the unfolding became the piece as it felt right.
Sending letters to collaborators help her work.
Cello is the noise used
The sounds inside the body
Cracking sounds from something emerging from rock and the sounds within the body.
Relationship of inside and outside I’m often working with.
Correspondence - Correspondencia
Continued theme is surface the body connection with landscape and history.
Cringy as overformalised the original letter then the conversation cut through that.
Social experiment- dance deck
So much more to this once I got there.
Each person had a best form of address
What informs the movement of the camera in relation to what your filming.
All deck are still SLR they start as research but they end up in film. Concentrated on small movements to break the stillness.
Always hate the film first time I see it. Kind of normal for me. It takes time for the material to sink in.
Image before audio, lay it all on and work on layering.
Worked with collaborator for the sound.
Soma - Relationship of self and other
Thinking of the index formal. Analysing our own letter structure. Always come back to the object.
Why choose film and dance. I do work with sculpture from time to time. Video excites me and that’s why.
Subtitles or spoken - does there need to be voice.
With Grain intimacy of her voice makes the piece.
With Grapotlite not much is know so subtitle made more sense. ask it what you want the voice to do and be helps make the decision.
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David Blandy
David works talks about a dystopian future where humans have evolved into different creatures. I found this really interesting the idea of working solidly on digital is not for me but I appreciate the idea and the shear dedication David has for his work.
I love fantasy films and books, but I’m not a gamer in anyway. I really love the sense of connection, community and creativity this type of work brings. I feel this is a great opportunity for someone to work on such a fascinating project for someone really into fantasy character or otherworld creations.
NOTES:
Investigating collaborative story telling form for rethinking who we are and what society could be.
Zoom product recently The Tower of Babel - A pack of cards, block tower, Journal, smart phone, letter tiles, 6 sided dice.
Solo Game of language and reality
If the tower collapses than the game is over because the Babel Tower has fallen.
Complete lost name or collect all 24 letters
The booklet follows the index of the playing cards in which you read inserts from the leaflet Babel which also gives out instruction.
Story to allow you to get lost in your imagination.
Interesting idea and way to pass the time helps bring people together and relax about our reality. Encourage collaborative thinking.
Been into Comics and games since 12. That’s were inspiration came from. Fascinated with Popular Culture and the fact it can help in a greater way.
Grandfather saved by the Hirashima Bomb 💣 world war 2.
Loved story games like Zelda.
Multiplayer spaces fascinated online gaming.
Ending game lead to a work about grief.
Virtual grief
Reads alot of SyFy
Thinking of beginnings
Started thinking About Pop Culture and identity and relate to one another
Dungeons and Dragons 🐉
Fighting for a new future
After the oil crash the island was abandoned one of the most bio diverse pieces of land in UK.
Little wriggly things
The game is a metaphor of what could happen to us.
Created a stream of Characters
Self healing through a substance call essence.
Asking for artist to take part in creating worlds game design or character design.
The world has been created like it’s the beginning for us all. It’s a hopeful climate disaster game.
Inspired by fantasy like Tolkien, world of war craft humanoid characters. Get rid of the racist element of Tolkien.
A way of making a shared mental spaces
Imaginary shared single space in your mind instead of a table it’s helped create new friendships. Final Fantasy inspired.
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Sophie Calle
Sophie Calle is a fabulous french artist whom is famous for her artwork based around the death of her beloved cat.
I have yet to add more information about the documentary as I couldn't access the video. Ill have to try again and Ill be back with an update.
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Works In Progress
‘Schrödingers Cat’ 2020 by Claire Prescott
This piece is a sneak peak and part of a collaboration art exhibition created by Clay Hackman called ‘The Mail Box Exhibition’ A collaboration by a group of my fabulous fellow LJMU artist and will be coming real soon.
This is my first time curating something that involved other artists work. This is a sneak preview of my curated work documentation for this exhibition that I now feel for me has become a neoconceptualist art work in its own right. The exhibition involves each participant adding a piece of work and sending to Clay. Each piece was then posted and put in the box which was then posted to each participant. Each participating artist then have to display its content in any way they want, document and pass on.
After racking my brain I decided to call my section ‘Schrödinger Cat’ which is also in a way a collaborative piece, the box is Clays, the tape is Helens and the contents belongs to all its participants. It became a collaborative exhibition contained in several realities of exhibition. Ultimately this work was initially made as a tongue in cheek play on the interpretation of the exhibition.
With exhibitions closing the exhibition as we know it is changing dying and becoming something else. I also feel we are the contents feeling tapped inside restricted to our homes with a sense of dread and frustration. I hope that if anything it is see as my attempt to creating something fun in a time where there didn't seem to be much of it about.
What started out with me thinking about how I was going to show the post cards, ended up with me thinking how lovely the package looked. I have been slightly obsessed with cubes and geometric shape during lock down so when it arrived covered the red tape that the lovely Helen Lydon had added on to it. I started thinking about the idea of the exhibition as a living breath thing changing with placement light and the space in which it exists. Also causing a sense of anticipation, but then I thought it reminded me of homework just like my kids school project called ‘Take Home Ted’ in it’s size and strange beauty in its innocent box exhibition full of collective, creativity, possibilities, expression and imagination like Jorgge Menna Barreto said to me once that an exhibition like a baby waiting to be born. So in a way the box is also like a stomach digesting its contents or a collective brain invading the landscape like the weeds in my recent participation in Jorgge’s Mauvais Alphabet Project.
The box is also eventually discarded like the weeds sadly unwanted. This idea of giving an object life I find so interesting, but in a way everything an artist creates is a way of creating a form of life In something inanimate. That lives on after we let go of it. It lives on through each viewer and its discussion.
I still haven't seen its contents, apart from my own work, so the works anticipation still exists for me too. I love the play on imagination of hiding something I suppose being a mother of three imagination is something I try and encourage trying to encourage my kids to use their creative brains as much as possible.
There is often this misconception by people believing that they can't draw or can't paint, but we can all make expressive marks, but imagination and creativity is a gift we are all born with but often neglect. Allowing the mind to wonder and be bored is so important for the creative process. So maybe seeing the box as frustrating is maybe a sign your brain needs a bit of exercise.
This paradoxical work to me talks about innocents, humour, life, death, imagination, dimensions, possibilities and equality. I embrace its literal narrative the box almost being human as it contains being full of creative thought and emotion. For me the box has also gained a serious side too. It also talks of the under representation of marginalised groups who are often lost in the ether, but soon to come light. Luckily we are now in a world that I feel is at the beginning of something positive, change is happening, change that is desperately needed. I feel we are finally seeing so much more positive change within the artworld although there still is so much work to do.
The box to me also relates to my previous works just like my last piece ‘Increasing and Decreasing’ both create connection and disconnection with these multiple worlds within worlds. I know works can be individual works, but I can't seem to help finding links within all the works that I create, just like so many artists do. There is no right or wrong way to look at this as part of any artist practice. This is a personal choice to either consciously acknowledge or purposely ignore. Although as Rory MacBeth says no matter what you do there will always be links because the work was created by the same person. Finding those links was something that I used to find quite difficult, but now its all becoming quite clear to me especially after conversation with some of our recent guest artist Hardeep Pandhal and Melissa Gordon.
Sections of this piece has also been filmed. The piece will be passed on as documentation to Clay Hackman very soon. I really look forward to actually finally seeing the boxes contents and how everyone else has displayed the works inside. It has been suggested to me by Hardeep that maybe there is a sense of control in the work. I suppose there is a sense of control not to take away from Clays main exhibition but maybe a draw or sense to create control in a world where there is none but that was definitely not an initial intention just a revealed element.
Although there have been so many element of this work that unfolded after it's creation because I always work initially intuitively, this always makes it so clear to me how much of our works are actually created on a subconscious level but it is no surprise seen as our subconscious is at work 100% of the time.
I was also asked if I wanted to control the narrative. I seem to have this complete inability when it comes to staying quiet about my work it juts seems to burst out of me, only after quite a long period of simmering.
I also don't have any control over whether a viewer adds their own interpretation to the work. I think other peoples views are interesting and often just self reflective, but that being said it depends if I show it with explanation and in what context and even how many images I show what I do withe image and footage etc, but seen as its my natural impulse to talk I don't really see why talking is so bad.
As Melissa Gordon told me, talking about a work is art form in itself. If I can't stop talking through interest, pure passion and excitement then I may as well embrace it. Iv decide that I need to stop apologising for it too. As a compulsive apologiser, it will be interesting to see how long that last :)
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Melissa Gordon 👏🏻💕 (I still have a few names to add to this post and images)
Melissa’s is an American painter currently working in Berlin. Her work is really interesting and thought provoking it concentrates on the idea of gesture and what a gesture is. Melissa explains that gestures is the thing that exists between the index and the icon, the moment of transition between the idea and the finished painting.
Gesture is the back bone of Melissa’s practice. She talks about her work in such a poetic and articulate way. The icon also made me think of movie icons. In someways paintings become icon’s they almost have their own personality like film actors they become encapsulated and etched into history. Film is a running thread throughout Melissa’s work. Melissa talks about painting coming into existing it is almost a catalogue of its birth.
Melissa talks about the gesture being the space between the poet and the actor. In which she explains that the poet creates, but often does not perform, whereas the actor performs, but does not create, meaning that the gesture is the bit that exists in the space between, which she describes as a look or the movement of a hand that allows the narrative to come alive.
Melissa uses a mixture of methods, mediums and disciplines her painting are creates using photography, silk screen print, painting, found objects, surfaces, architectural structures these structures then become part of the spaces that they inhabit, the structures themselves are almost sculptural.
Melissa paintings stretch beyond the canvas to installations. She talks about the structures dissecting the room, some parts seem to create a kind of negative or positive visualisation of a maze. An internal or external reflection. Almost existing and becoming part of the architectural space itself, bleeding from one to the other like the fluidity of the paint.
Melissa sees the paint as a metaphor for water and the water is a metaphor for women. She talks about how women throughout history are often described as leaky vessels or cracked pot unable to be contained often clogging up machinery and causing disruption. Melissa’s work is allowing the painting to break free from the canvas and the reach out into the atmosphere without the limits of their containers.
She talks about her earlier photography work existing on imaginary surface of glossy paint, which causes the images to seem disembodied or floating on the surface. They are disconnected, but still contained by the canvas, which in turn is contained by the architectural structures, which is contained within the room so really her current work is also about reaching out and expanding, but this also reminds me of my work bursts out into the space around me. Melissa talks about containers and layers, which is a very similar language that I apply to my own work. Layering ideas, collaging images and footage, multiple contexts, containers and meanings. It’s why Im drawn to a multidisciplinary practice.
Melissa talking about containers and water reminded me of a quote by Yoko Ono. I became obsessed with this quote last year. The quote ended up become part of my prints: ‘We are all water in different containers, so let's evaporate together.’ We are after all are one race the human race. We all consist of over 80% water we are all ruled by the moon. Weather we like it or not we are all one with the world around us. It always try to remember that the more detached we are from our environment the more broken we become. We are everything and everything is us and our reality is merely perception.
Melissa prints are silk screen prints, which she calls Female Readymades. They consist of sections of work surfaces and found objects. The objects themselves are printed true to life. The prints depict cleaned surfaces, work spaces, floors and brush bristles. Melissa describes them as reminiscent of crime scene photography. They almost look like they are back lite like an X-ray or a film negative which once again ties in the subject of film and documentation.
Melissa used fencing, warning tape, signs, clothing, chains, ropes, which to me all talk of boundaries limits and restrictions. Representative of women's constant struggle to be accepted in a male dominated world. A women with something to say is often cast aside. Labelled as emotional, sensitive (although emotional and sensitivity are positives in my eyes) crazy, bossy, bolshy, aggressive, controlling, loud, manipulative. Where as a man would be described as strong minded, ambitious, forthright, knowledgeable, a leader, confident etc etc. This toxicity is engrained in every facet of our society so no wonder women crack. Theres no wonder we feel trapped and contained. As Melissa says let's become the water and break free. Any form of oppression will create a inevitable response.
There is a constant daily feeling of being misinterpreted and misjudged. I know I deal with this struggle. Societies expectation of what a women is allowed to be has lead women (including myself) to constantly apologise and constantly edit and doubt what we are allowed to say, which in turn leads to low self esteem, low confidence and self doubt. We are capable of doing anything if we just allow ourselves to believe in our own ability to be ourselves.
Melissa uses space is such an interesting way, she talks about the space between or the gaps between, which funnily enough is also the name of a piece of work I made during lockdown and is the way I see my observational videos and photos as spaces in time, the gaps where Im most in connection with the world around me. Like the gestures the moments I capture are of chance observation where the lines of existence are blurred and interruption from reality I feel like those are gaps that connect everything. Like the gaps that connect Melissa painting. I find it interesting that she sees these painting like sections of film which are records of reality. I also find so much beauty in unintended marks that are permanently recorded her work is such a beautiful visual interpretation.
Melissa’s work is a tongue in cheek take on an abstract painting not intended to be merely decorative like most Abstract painting could be perceived. Melissa’s work explores documentation of the unintentional. Her prints remind me of the ghost prints I use the get from my lino cuts or press prints. I actually used to layer them too. Strangely enough I also collect marks and stains from paint like records of matter creating patterns. I love the look of organically formed impression. I also created a slippage piece during the first lockdown that ended up moving from painting to photography. The work itself no longer exists in the same form it was photographed in because initially it was juts a record of the process. Like Melissa says it is a gesture that I see as site specific. It's a gesture to me that could not be truly replicated again unless photographed so I suppose it could be seem as a way of preserving or containing its creation.
Melissa also talks about her interest in film being linked to her paintings and prints. The painting themselves resemble stills or negative with the gaps on the wall being the places where gestures lives.
Melissa’s Female Readymades were inspired by the under representation of female artist and the speculation about the authorship of Marcel Duchamps ‘Fountain’ by Elsa Von Freytag - Loringhoven and xxxxxxxx. Her works talks about this idea that many female artist authorship for their work was stolen. It’s still happening to this day. Funnily enough, I did an essay on Duchamp's work Estant Donnes, in which I discussed the speculation surrounding the fountain and it’s authorship. I think it is really important for female artist and artists in general to keep writing about these things.
I though it was really interesting that Melissa used a photograph taken in Marcel Duchamp’s studio, which depicts the fountain being hung. Melissa saw this as a rather aggressive thing for Marcel to do. She disgust its disappearance and that fact that Marcel did not calm authorship for many year. Melissa didn't seem to think there was any evidence, but after my research during my essay I actually think there is quite a lot of information out there and I don't think its merely speculative either, there are some really interesting detailed published papers that really made me think.
Melissa said something really interesting. she said that was should let the history speak for itself and I completely agree. The more people research these works and others like them the more these artists will be recognised and come to light within the wider community.
Melissa was really helpful in both the Q&A and the one to one. She suggested some really I nteresting artists and books for me to read. As well as a feminist discussion and reading group.
Recently been suggested that maybe I should concentrate on one thing, which I appreciate the advice very much, but I really don't work like that. I don't think like that either. My work may be perceived as a globular house by some or confusing and unclear by others. Melissa even said it doesn't have to be tidied up, which I thought was a good analogy, we digest and tidy up what we are thinking and what we want to portray. I don't like to be put in a box or contained so why start now. I just have to share what I want to share in a thoughtful way. I was thinking about this in the context of my instagram account. To me is not a collection of works, but more a display of progress and documentation so maybe that is also the work?
Why should any artist drop things that interest them. In my opinion it all adds to their practice. To become more palatable to a viewer is to become a product designer not a fine artist. If my work appears confusing it is probably because Im still simmering. As Rory always says it will all make sense in the end and I think it finally is. The Meaning and connections take time. I like my grainy over saturated photographs. I feel they are fitting in our existential world. I also enjoy blurry distorted close up images and videos. Reality isn't perfect.
I also spoke with Melissa about water being a running theme in my work and talked about Hydro Feminism. I looked this up straight after the one to one and I was blown away. The movement of solidarity for people across bodies of water. I will have to add this as a separate Tumblr entry. I have far too much to add about it. This subject is so interesting and so apt to my practice.
It was an absolute pleasure to meet Melissa. Im really looking forward to following her work. She has an exciting installation planned where she will be recreating the interior wall of both Elsa Von Freytag - Loringhoven and Jenny xxxx apartment walls. The viewer can walk through their passed living space. As an installation artist this really speaks to me. The floating walls are like a ghost of their passed and viewer is almost existing between dimensions of reality become part of the past and the present, which is a running theme in my work too. Its absolutely brilliant. I really look forward to seeing it coming to fruition.
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Gina Czarnecki
Gina’s lecturer was so interesting it great to hear that it’s a female artist who has received the highest art award. Iv also already seen the garden she created at the hospital once or twice before.
The hospital sculpture which looked like an insect entwined in a spine was very apt as remnants of disease are stored in the spine. I also felt this linked with Gina’s digital dancers artwork which from a distance also reminded me of a human spine or even small insects. It must of taken so long to create this piece cutting out each slide by hand. The dancers close up reminded my of fairies dancing together its a really beautiful and etherial art work.
I loved to see Gina's love of composing movement within her work.
It was great to hear that Gina will be having a piece of her work put in the building as one of it supporting columns. I love the way she decided to embrace the imperfections of the 3D printed column as part of the piece instead of being disappointed by its flaws.
It was really interesting listen to her talk about her interest in science and art. She works with many other professionals from varied disciplines to help create her work. She says that approaching other professional can also help further their practice as well as your own.
Science is definitely something that has always been of great interest to me especially biology and psychology. Iv recently been planning a cross discipline project that will sadly have to wait until we have access to the building.
Gina worked with human tissue to create some of her artworks, which is something that has not been done before. This drive to create something both scientific and artistic seem to be be a running theme throughout her work.
She created a tooth fairy castle made of resin and children’s teeth it resembles a fairytale princess ice castle. I loved how when getting permission to ask children to donate their teeth she also made sure she did not destroy the illusion of the tooth fairy which is so important for young children to keep their imagination and belief in the fanciful as long as possible.
(I attended the Q&A, but I wasn't feeling great that day if I'm honest. I'm going to go back to this post and add more soon. 😊)
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Ryan Gander ‘Me Myself and I’ Documentary
Ryan Gander is contemporary fine artist who see his artwork as neoconceptual. His varied styles of mix media art installations even though very thoughtful and complex have a distinct playful innocents and humour about them often centred around imagination, materiality, architectural space, sculpture and performance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary, everything Iv seem or read about Ryan Gander just shows without a doubt what such a down to earth and passionate person he is.
He does say that he finds fine arts easy, because to Ryan art can be about anything and made of anything. I find this fact so freeing knowing anything is possible and anything is acceptable as long as it comes from a thoughtful and honest place it can’t fail to be successful.
Ryan works with a group of artists and assistants that help create his work with him. He seems it really enjoy working with a team as it’s essential to his practice.
Ryan also paints, but never exhibits them or charges the earth for them. He seem to really enjoy the fact that some of his paintings are owned by students.
He even talks about how the further away a viewer is from guessing what his work is about the happier it makes him.
In this documentary he talks about our obsession with sharing an edited version of ourselves online which has been exacerbated by social media becoming such an integrated part of modern life.
As Iv mentioned before I have create artworks on this subject matter before. This topic to me is very close to home. As a mother of 3 I can’t help but worry about the toxic nature of this false projection. We can no longer be anonymous in our lives virtually everything we do is recorded and shared beyond our control lost in the ether of the AI.
I feel so much of our lives are taken away by screen time. It is definitely something Iv been trying to cut down myself when you count up the hours it can be really shocking how much time is wasted.
Although I don’t know whether Ryan has became concerned with this issue after becoming a father or whether it was more to do with his own addiction, maybe it was both?
I definitely don't fancy being frozen, not just my head or whole, it sounds absolutely hideous.I remembered Walt Disney had his head frozen years ago and I remember thinking he was bonkers, I think it turned out to just be a rumour.... I suppose I can see why some people would do it, maybe to takes away some of the fear of death a bit for people to believe they will be brought back....
My favourite bit from this documentary was the brave influencer who had a tragic accident and bravely shared her story. She has managed to take a terrible accident and become a role model for her followers by being genuine instead of just sharing the good side of her life. Just shows that people prefer the bare truth to the filtered edited version.
My other favourite section is where Ryan spoke with the gentle man who wanted to become bionic and have himself uploaded into a computer. Ryans answers was brilliant, he saids some thing like ‘I don’t want to run as fast a cheetah, I don't meet many cheetah.’ just shows how presumptuous it was of the man to believe that Ryan would want to improve himself physically just because he was in a wheelchair. Ryan seems perfectly happy being just the way he is and there are so many people out there including myself at times who don’t appreciate who they are or what they have.
This subject of being your genuine self is definitely something that you learn to embrace when becoming a fine artist. I also feel writing this blog is actually starting to give me the confidence to share what and how I feel about artworks and other important world issue close to my heart.
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Kevin Gallagher
Kevin is an American artist who's family is originally from Norway whom is now living and working in Berlin. I absolutely loved this lecture. it was so interesting the way Kevin talks about his practice and his love of materials. His work seem to be centred around his nationality, his families origin and his own bodies functions, in particular his digestion and the foods linked to where he lived. Kevin explained that digestive problem is something he has always struggled with, which I can believe coming from America and the way food is produced and preserved is even less regulated than British produce.
Kevin has worked with some really unconventional substances like gelatine, which he placed in cylinders with dyed in layers creating these cylindrical posable sculptures. The sculptures themselves have wire running through the middle, which both acts like an armiture and strengthens the structure but allows for manual manipulation for positioning. He then placed the sculptures in the installation space. I felt he used the space well, displaying the sculptures in varying positions giving the sculptures a familiar and figurative appearance. They also have a child like innocents about them due their bight colourful layers and resemblance to sweets. As a viewer I would definitely be drawn to wanting to touch the sculptures. I can imagine their texture to be quite malluable.
Kevin also mentions that he was apparent highly criticised for his inability to create ‘professional’ looking sculptures with certain skill and techniques, but he felt this sculptures had an innocent DIY element to them which added to the work so he decided to embrace their crudeness. Also maybe these days that idea of art and artist needing to be skilful is now out dated order to be viable art? The sculptures also had socks attached, which gave them a sexual appearance like disembodied orifices or glory holes, as Kevin called them.
This made me think about how we embrace imperfections as artist. The wabi sabi aspects of each individuals work makes them unique to that person. A mistake in any works created that can not entirely be replicated even when the artist try’s, it’s like unique finger print or a momentary slip of a paint brush, unique and beautiful in its inperfection.
Kevin seems to be drawn to using every day and found objects, which I felt gave me the impression that he has a concern not just with his own body, but also with waste and the immanent climate crisis. One of the questions I asked Kevin in the Q&A was this approach of using up all the material for his carrot installation work space, not only to gave his work a sense of absence and activity, but also allowed him to justify his over accumulation of materials, especially in a world increasingly concerned with the reduction of waste. Kevin seemed to agreed that this could also be a reason as to why he was drawn to creating this work or at least something he could think about.
This use of waste material also applied to his use of left over flowers from the markets. Initially the idea came to Kevin due to his pollen allergies, which I thought was quite intriguing to intentionally work with something that gave him so much discomfort. Kevin explained that the flowers were representative of Norways abundance of left over in flower markets that were often given to passers by to avoid waste. I think this is a lovely idea. You often see this happening in movies. I always think this is such a romantic way to dispose of unsold flowers, giving a stranger a free gift of natural beauty. Flowers are just like artworks it seem pointless to grow and then pick them especially if no one is going to enjoy them. They are picked to be shared and enjoyed.
He mounted the flowers and added extra pigment onto a shopping cart and used a fan to blow the pigment onto the canvas that was placed on the wall in front, which in turn created an inverted galaxy effect or a negative painting. In a way I though it was like creating an anti matter art work, almost felt like you would expect to see a room full a dramatic paintings in an adjoining room.
Kevin also used carrots in his installations. The carrot is a national vegetable of significance in Norway. He explained that sadly the carrot is purposely manipulated and grown to be the perfectly shape and it’s distinct shade of orange. This is something that sadly happened in all mass produced mono farming in the world. Which is so sad to think that in a world were there is so much starvation exist that this sickening practice is still happening. So much perfectly nutritious produce is throw away just because of how it looks to the consumer. A consumer that has only been taught this expectation or preference through years of mass manipulation of product. This is something that desperately need to change.
To Kevin he also sees the carrots as figurative forms. I though this could also be seen as a hint about the way we treat people in western society and in the world as a whole. Our constant obsession with looks, and manipulation of nature, a drive to remove individualism, the capitalist drive to create superiority through the manipulation of nature into something more sellable for profit, creating something unrealistic and uniformed, something that lacks diversity and taste a practice driven by pure greed and control. Instead of allowing something much more beautiful and easily digestible to grow, something better for out planet allowed to grow freely from the earth, we as humans always have this need to interfere with things that need no input.
Kevin also seems drawn to preserving things, like the carrots preserved in their life system stacked in their plastic containers, which Kevin sees as model apartment blocks. In later work he then replaced the real carrots’ with clay models. Kevin said this was also for practicality and ease, but maybe also it could be seen as a strive to create something more lasting. I loved how he used corn and created sculpture too, which then transformed in stages from corn to pure pigment, all mounted on steel parallel tracks, that to me resembled train tracks almost suggestive of transportation maybe hinting at the movement of farmed products around the world.
Kevin Also started a cafe/gallery space in Berlin called the Kantena, which Ive started following online. It become a really important space for artists in the Berlin art scene. The contents that Iv seen look really interesting I look forward to seeing what shows they have coming up next and how they will adapt during this time.
Kevins work has made me think about using materials again. It something I have been considering again. I feel that seen as I'm currently unable to use large spaces and projectors. So concentrating on what I can do from home in these uncertain times could take my work in an unusual direction that I may not of otherwise explored had this pandemic never happened. I know that I will continue to make installation art works using video, photography and light refection, I certainly have plans and ideas to, but I would also like to start looking into creating sculptures again to see where that takes me within my practice.
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Rumi Selected Poems
(Recommended to me by Rick Creed)
Im really enjoying this book. I have seen some inspirational quotes online by Rumi before, but Iv not read his work fully. I love the way each poem seems like its was written yesterday and not the 12th Century, such an insightful man. I have only managed to read half way through, but its almost like reading a conversation with a close friend.
Some of my favourite lines so far ‘Like counting leaves in the garden’ ‘Sometimes even organisation and computation become absurd’ I feel we often organise our way out of really living to much structure can be disabling.
Rumi’s poems are timeless, they speak right to the soul of a person. Its definitely a book I will treasure.
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Update on my participation in the Mauvais Alphabet for the Liverpool Biennial a works created by Jorgge Menna Barreto in conjunction with LJMU
I decided to go for it and email Jorgge and Aimee Harrison at the Liverpool Biennial for their call for 20 participating fine art students from LJMU to collaborate with Jorgge in his latest work.
I’m so glad I did. I decided this year I wasn't going to self reject and actually apply to exhibitions and call outs. It is definitely progress for me not to let the self-doubt creep in and persuade me otherwise.
Jorgge’s project Mauvais Alphabet is not just beautiful, but also so relevant for our world today. The Biennial is about Liverpool being the mouth (the port) and the county as the stomach. I actually attended 2 lectures on the Liverpool Biennial last year. the lectures introduced the carrier bag theory and the view of water as a body of connectivity. Each participating artist views their body as an important part of their art practice.
Jorgge has asked us to spontaneously spend time with plants and observing them by drawing them either in situ or from memory. working from the premise that you can not truly observe something unless you draw it. We were encouraged to engage in any medium or discipline we liked, but we have to consider the linear connection to each other.
Below I thought Id share some of my sketches, I have a love of dandelions, budliha, mushrooms and knot weed. All these plants are vitally impossible to keep from regrowing they are the punk rock version of weeds. I love to compose movement in my art work. I decided to draw from memory after observing them and also connect the way I normally draw with the observations combining the artworks. I literally became part of the collective brain, the all seeing eye. Like the inter-connective system of plants that exist beneath our feet. It has been such a fabulous experience so far, I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.
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Sonia Boyce Documentary ‘Whoever Heard of a Black Artist? Britain’s Hidden Art History’
What an absolutely amazing documentary, this is the kind of thing that needs to be shared within our schools across the country as part of the curriculum. Highlighting these truly amazing unsung artist of our time. These trail blazing black and Asian artist that have been literally swept under the rug and discarded by art history and the art world.
Sonia Boyce has done an amazing job bringing this to light once more. I just hope this time they will stay and that this is the beginning and not another foot note.
The subject of marginalisation is something I feel so strongly about as a female artist from a working class background growing up in the 80s and 90s. Iv known discrimination in the form of sexism, class discrimination and disability discrimination and is recent years ageism. It’s partly because of these experiences that I can not stand to see people harmed in anyway shape or form, I will always stand with the oppressed and never the oppressor!
I can't say I know how it feels at all when it comes to racism, I can only deeply empathise and try and understand how that must feel for people. To have to suffer all those things and to be solely excluded for the colour of your skin! Regardless of their contribution, skill and merit. It makes me sick that this has happened and is still happening within our society today. Our society owes these communities a great debt for the pain and injustice they have had to endure for far too long.
It was so sad to see when happened to Li Yuan-chai his contribution to the art world was so great and yet he did not live to see his work finally being appreciated and displayed in all its glory. It makes me happy that he is now being celebrated as The Father of Abstraction.
I loved hearing how he created his art centre out in the countryside in such a beautiful and secluded place for families to enjoy making art. This is something I wanted to do eventually myself, create a centre for families to enjoy being creative. Its heart breaking that he worked so tirelessly to feel so unappreciated for trying to do something good for others to help the local community and give back.
If I remember rightly award winning artist Lubaina Himids work was show not that long ago in the Walker Art Gallery highlighting the forgot history of black people and black artists throughout art history and within its museums by placing cut outs of black figures and placing them around the museum literally filling in the gaps where they so rightly belong. It is wonderful news that Lubaina has finally been rewarded the Turner Prize for all her contributions to the art world, but so very sad that it has taken this long.
(Photos I took of Rasheed Himids work in The Walker Art Gallery earlier this year)
I had the pleasure of seeing Rasheed Araeen’s works a few times in the Walker, I absolutely love his work, he uses lattice to create these geometric form, his use of bright contrasting colours and sculptural approach to his artwork is transformative. The shadows from the geometric form cast against the canvas give the work a sense of cross dimensions and depth enlarging the structure of the works itself. Learning more about him was so inspiring.
I so saddened that he had to endure this treatment, but I so glad that he was brave enough and didn't take it lying down. He stood up for what was right and just. Forming the Thin Black Line making waves in the history books that so rightly place him as an important part of our art history.
It was so brave of Rasheed to do the performance pictures above. I actually can't write its name because the racist phrase makes me so angry. He literally stood up in front of a large crowd of people and called himself racist names because the anger and injustice of how he had been treated by racist groups had hurt him so much, he bravely took a stand. I would like to say things have changed, but sadly as we have seen recently, it is still happening there is still so much that needs to be done to evoke much needed change.
I lived in London when Muslim women were having acid thrown in their faces. I can't imagine the pain and the fear that this must cause these communities. To still have the courage to stand up to this vile sickening, evil, behaviour is true bravery. The people that carry out these crimes are ignorant, evil, monsters.
Im not sure how I feel about artist damping their message to be more acceptable in the art world because the subject of racism makes me really angry and I don't even have to suffer it.
Chris Ofili’s work even if a toned down message is still so very powerful with hidden faces of his lost friend in the tears of a women in his art piece ‘No Woman, No Cry’.
I see why artists have made their work like this because now they are gaining more recognition and selling more artworks, but it must be so hard to produce art work on something that causes so much pain and anguish and approach it in a more humorous or more muted level, but I suppose if you want to say something that has impact maybe anger fighting anger isn't the right way? so maybe the subtle approach with hidden message could have more impactful?
Like a very wise artist said to me recently, you can't fight the oppressor with the oppressors tools.
With regards to my practice, Im going to make it my mission to high light these fabulous artist especially in my essays. One of the artist in this documentary Frank Bowlin was actually recommended to me in relation to my recent paintings. He works intuitively and with texture and colour in such a gorgeous way. He is definitely another artist I want to learn more about and I think its so sad that he felt he had to move to America to gain recognition. News York is so lucky to have him, it is definitely a sad loss for Britain to lose such an artistic talent.
It still shocks me to think that the artworks we learnt about in this documentary are just a fraction of the artwork thats out there its literally just the contents from the archives of a few museums. You can only image what beautiful and transformative works are still be be unvailed.
(I have so much more to talk about with this documentary and will add more later.)
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Claire Prescott - Increasing or Decreasing 2020
First outcome for my first 2nd year Cross Year Crit.
This piece talks to me about multiverse or multiplicity, the duality of both bringing us together and pull us apart through windows of AI existence. As a multimedia installation artist crossing disciplines is always part of my work. In lockdown in isolation Im not able to involve the viewer in a more literal and physical way. This has been a challenge, but after struggling with a computer that wasn't working I showed Rory MacBeth my work from my mobile through zoom.
We discussed the interesting affect that showing work this way actually has. This prospect of having to show my work on my phone through instagram started to really interest me, this fake addictive world we are all so draw to sharing an edited version of ourselves. I had also seen the documentary Social Dilemma about algerythms and the boxes they create for us. I realised that these windows on our phone acted as realms of existence. I was also inspired by Yayoi Kusama’s infinity mirror series and Keith Haring’s TV installation which lead to this artworks physicality.
I feel it links directly with my previous works this idea of cross dimensions in time and space. This idea of things co existing, but also so separation. I know I will take this piece further. I want to display this work periodically over a period of time in order to increased or decreased the image creating stages of movement inside allowing the distorted images to create a feeling of movement and imbalance. When viewed on instagram the viewers own phone even becomes part of the the work and in turn so does their hand. Its allowed me to extend the work beyond the screen into reality allowing the viewer to become a physical part of the work itself.
I know I often feel misunderstood and unable to put myself across well verbally and in a world of fake news and quick misjudgements I feel this work speaks volumes for our current state of existential dystopian existence.
The full footage can be seen on my instagram page.
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Jorgge Menna Barreto
Jorgge is an award winning artist who specialises in sight specificity exploring a new way of seeing sculpture. It was an absolute pleasure seeing Jorgge again. I absolutely loved his lecture last year. I knew he was returning, but sadly not in person due to the pandemic.
Hearing about his up and coming project Mauvais Alphabet for the Biennial was so exciting. It is something I will definitely be applying to be part of. As well as it being a brilliant opportunity Jorgge’s works subject matter means so much to me personally and as an artist. Our planet needs our help and Jorgge’s work helps shed light on these important world issues.
I attended two of the Biennial meetings last year when it was still in its discussion making stage. I feel that only after seeing Jorgge’s work did I truly understand the concept behind The Liverpool Biennial 2021.
The Biennal itself is talking about how our bodies sculpting the landscape through what we eat. The city of Liverpool (The Port) is seen as the mouth and the country as the stomach. Sadly our consumption is shaping our landscape beyond the point of no return, but as Jorgge pointed out in his last lecture. There is enough food out there, we just have to farm in a way that nurture our planet as well as ourselves. We desperately need to start looking at how and what we farm. We have lost so many of our natural food forests and have ignored important and nutritious naturally occurring plants for decades declaring them weeds and pests.
Our consumption is putting demand and pressure on countries all over the world, stripping their land of its nutrients through our colonialism and monoculture approach which has raped the landscape filling it with pesticide and poisons.
We waste so much produce that we deem as imperfect because of its shape and colour but disregard its nutritional value. This always upsets me to think that so much food is wasted in a world where there is so much poverty and starvation. In 2020 this should not be happening.
Jorgge lives in Brazil where the deforestation of the rainforest ‘the lungs of the world’ in increasing everyday so that farmers can grow soy for cattle in the west vast areas are burned killing all sorts of endangered species from insects to orangutang. The heart breaking scenes that we have witness over the last few decades instead of provoking change seem to be being ignored in the name of greed. This is something that I personally lose sleep over what planet will be left for our children? Through ignorance and greed we are destroying so many lives and ultimately destroying ourselves.
Thankfully recently there seem to be more engagement with the tribes that live within the rainforest and respect the land they have so much knowledge to pass on to us that we have ignore for too long. We call ourselves an advanced race, but in so many ways we are so very ignorant. Let’s hope these small steps turn into large strides.
Jorgge’ current project Manvais Alphabet is looking at how the world is connected by all these ignored planets like a beautiful network growing under our feet. Jorgge works very spontaneously wanting people to engage without being forced, to spontaneously spend time with the plants, this idea that people should naturally gravitate towards things I find this apporach really beautiful an education for the ones who want to listen is a good place to start.
I have always loved weeds, I love how they fight for presents and light. I always let them grow in my garden they have such beautiful flowers. They are also the first pollen for our beloved bees.
Seeing Jorgge use Dandelions to create ice cream in Liverpool last year made me happy. They are such and important plant and we spend so much of our time trying to kill them in our gardens. Waging war on a plant that had so many hidden health benefits, its roots have been recently suspected to have a possible cure for some types of cancer. Even if this isn't proven to be true I find the idea fascinating that plant that is so revered by gardeners could be the one thing to save so many lives. Especially the way they grow under any circumstances they are virtually impossible to remove. It is almost like Mother Earth is screaming for us to take notice.
Sadly recent I have heard so many people calling climate change fake news, it sad that they don't realise that this agenda of creating fake news is actually a tool to make it easier for the ones in power to get away with destroying our planet in the name of profit.
Once again the Q&A was really engaging I will definitely be applying to participate as I feel my work often talks about my connection with the world around me both emotionally and physically. This idea of going back to basics and observing is something I very much drawn to do within my own practice. Im looking forward to getting started.
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Golds Maria Akanbi Solo Exhibition - Open Eye Gallery
We had a fabulous day trip with my girls after lockdown to see Golds first solo exhibition in The Open Eye Gallery. Gold is a Multi disciplinary artist who is currently studying at LJMU. Im so glad we got the chance to see it before it closed so proud of her managing to work so hard during this very difficult time.
I loved how the immersive artwork on paper that paints beyond the frame seemed to start with the pink innocents poetry of childhood realisation and experiences then fading like her innocents as the mural wrapped around until it burst into this fabulous blue and gold voyage of self discovery, embracing her body, sexuality and her cultural background both British and Nigerian.
I loved her mark making the use of traditional marks like spirals, swirls, zigzags and dots, interwoven with words of empowerment and questions put to the viewer. The walls gave me a strong sense of Gold’s personal journey and awakening. I think Gold’s artwork is a powerful statement of the ownership of her own body and a respect for the journey of past generations. Not being defeated but being brave, strong and beautiful always remembering her connection with the earth, nature, her heritage embracing healthier landscapes.
The gold also made me think of all the precious metals that the likes of the UK and other European countries has taken from the African nations often under paying them or just declaring ownership of so much that wasn't theirs to take.
Using the shells to surround her portrait, which I know where once used as currency in Nigeria. It’s interesting that Gold placed them round her portrait maybe talking about how black body’s were sold and broken to create the land we now live on. The lives lost are still very much in our mind and very much part of our city this should never be forgotten. Such a powerful installation and thought provoking piece.
With regards to my own practice, self discovery is been on the top of my list this last year. Learning more our heritage and who we are is really important and always ends up becoming an import part of so many artists art work. I would love to try an immersive wall installation one day, but knowing me it would not stop at paintings and murals.
Once again I so glad I got to see this exhibition especially after being isolated for so long actually seeing artwork in person was an even more emotional and personal experience.
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