An installation of some photographic work and a conceptual colourfield video projection at Argentea Gallery in Birmingham.
A test image from my set up of the Graduate Residency exhibition Riotous Assembly at Artcore at the start of 2020 - again looking at video transmission and colour, this time with CCTV.
A large collaged photographic piece that I was testing. Here I was interested in the idea of an image as a backdrop in a theatrical performance. The intrigue that I was thinking about was that the image portrayed was in fact the fiction itself, so my hope was that the work would become self-referential. This is something I will be exploring more in this residency!
Another installation image from Riotous Assembly from early 2020. This is a good summary image for my practice in the sense that it combines photography, installation, sculpture, light, video and mirrors. Mirrors are also something that I will be considering in a lot more depth during this journey!
Had a great meeting today with David Gilbert, lots of fresh ideas and histories to look into!
A lot of the discussion circulated around Bill Drummond and mirrors!
During the final week at the Artcore graduate residency I spent my time choosing images that I wanted to show alongside my installation piece. I wanted to choose images which demonstrate the versatility of the material and range of textures which can be created through working into the material. Therefore I chose to select 8 images which evidence this.
While looking at my images I also considered using some of the pictures I had taken of the shadows the material created; they produced interesting shapes and also demonstrated the translucency of the material which I was experimenting with in my large work. I chose to have 8 of these images printed on acetate because the image is then translucent and emphasises the translucency of the material in the images as well, so the prints mirror the original material more effectively.
The final part of the week involved the set up of the exhibition and the opening night. For me the set up is a major part of my work as the way the work is installed contributes to the final piece as it is site specific. I wanted to use the height of the space, the shape of rooms, the lights inside the space and the light filtering through the windows to create effects upon the material. By having the work hanging from the high ceiling it creates the sense of scale, however I also wanted it to hang just off the floor to allow
During my third week at Artcore, I began to work on a much larger scale, fusing together the plastic bags to create one large piece of material. I aim to produce a large-scale work which will be suspended so that it interacts with the space, air and light levels. I worked into the material by layering more material in areas to create variations in the translucency as some areas become more opaque, which then alters how light interacts with the material. I also began to use my heat gun to create intricate textures on the work which are revealed on closer inspection, therefore the piece can interact with the viewer in multiple ways; there will be the initial viewing of the whole piece where the scale will be felt and then the more intimate viewing which requires the viewer to move closer to the material.
As I have been using the heat gun I have allowed the material to shrink, curl, rip and crumple as a result of the process. In these areas the light now interacts differently than before and there are new textures to explore. By permitting the material to move as it is heated I am allowing it to make its own statement about its material presence.
We also had another group critique in which we discussed the curation of the space and our works in relation to each other. Due to the nature of my work I want it interact
Salt and Water. Water and Salt.
Salt and Water. Water and Salt. One is born from the other. Each can be separated from the other. Once called White Gold, a currency, the rise of wealth, the cause of war and exploitation. Sacred, holy it wards of evil. Its spillage is sinful and can bring bad luck. A sign of hospitality, loyalty and treachery.
The more I research salt the more connections it seems to have with the human condition, culture and identity.
I wanted to use the residency as an opportunity to really consider the medium I work with. To explore its properties, to play with it, to learn about it, to understand its benefits and limitations. Playing with materials is such a vital part of my artistic process; it allows me to experiment and expand my thoughts, seeing the materials move, change and react allow me to visually transfer text-based research and ideas through symbolism. I will not adopt a masterly tone and bore you, rather allow me to take you on a visual journey
Both salt and water are essential and detrimental to our existence. The first part of this process was seeing what would happen to a chunk of Himalayan salt under a running tap within a few minutes the water created a hole within the salt. What was dry on the surface was now glistening and part translucent.
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