Tutorial reflection

After a brief discussion with my tutor about my work I then had another tutorial with my second tutor - I took some very negatives things from the response at first. My second tutor (Janet) outlined some areas which I needed to improve - one point being that I had not researched enough around the subject of photography and the different techniques used and artists' work. Basically she said that the photographic pieces I had done were very simple to do and did not require much consideration - this was not entirely true as I had to plan out a lot of pieces:
 - Working with altering colours/tones
 - Changing the sizes
-  Reducing the noise/brightness/contrast/sharpness (which was difficult)
- Deciding what layering effect to work with
-  Deciding on the different material to print onto and experiment with

 I was a little crushed but I had to admit that she was partially right - in the sense that I had not looked in depth at photography artists and theire techniques/exhibitions/inspirations etc. Although I do have some information on photography pieces by artists that influenced my choices in my photography editing, also pieces that inspired me and captured aspects of organic materials and nostalgic atmospheres.
She also spoke about how I had lost myself in the subject matter - I am a nature person so I believe I got a little distracted by the facts/literal sense of nature rather than focusing on the art. However, as an artist I like to have a broad spectrum of a subjectm - it helps me focus on specific aspects further down the line. I wanted to delve into nature to see which areas I wanted to portray.

Anyway, I have decided to take her advice and research more - I am in the library looking at photography books that touch on organic subjects yet I am also looking at photography in general. The techniques and effects; the visual aspects of some of the pieces are very interesting and give me ideas for my practice. Trying to get excited about an artist's work - so far it is exhilerating to just flick through  massive books full of photography and reading about the artists' work.

I have also decided to look more at the method of collage - using layering still but also working manually with different mediums on top of my photographic images. I want to explore materials a lot of more and what effects I can portray - hence the discoveries in the library. Janet suggested that I try not get too hung up on the subject of my project (life cycles, transitions, natural elements) and see that my work in itself is exemplifying transition - a change from one thing to another.

Metamorphosis; a documentary

Metamorphosis

Work in progress (3)

These are my most current pieces (a selection of them). I am working on several things:
- Adding textures to my pieces
- Representing specific stages of life cycles
- Linking human life stages in with the natural cycles
- Creating a sense of surrealism combined with organic elements
- Developing my photographs on different materials
- Representing atmospheric features with my portrayal of particular organisms
- Expanding my knowledge on mediums to use and editing processes

Here are just some examples of the work I have recently done (a lot more of my work is in my sketchbook and annotated):

Work in progress (2)

I began looking at textures/ up-close imagery and the surfaces of different natural elements, e.g. tree bark, fungi, plants/petals etc. I wanted to capture features of different life process, looking at growth, decay, destruction and reproduction. Of course I could only begin simply - until I visit botanical gardens and wildlife reserves - but I could easily find examples of all stages of the natural life cycles all around me. It is not so hard to find them if you look closely.

Then I began looking more at the natural world around - looking for signs that I felt reflected natural elements such as water and growth. I wanted to explore the elements and represent aspects of them so I began working with my new fish-eye lens to express the idea of captured elements sealed within a frame (the lens warps the edges of the image slightly so they appear to be within a sphere - contained).

Work in progress (1)

I decided to post some images of my work that I am currently working on. I have created more image edits - both digitally and manual edits. I wanted to recap on what I have recently done so that it can help me develop the next stages of my practice.
The following are the first developments in my photoshop editing, since then I have worked more into the pieces themselves by using glass paint, thread, craft knives and also printed onto tracing paper. I wanted to create a sense of surrealism as well as looking at the organic elements of each piece - at the same time keeping in mind the transition of life cycles and the different elements that morph and alter through the stages/seasonal changes.

Mat Collishaw (continued)

I also found some images of more works by Collishaw. These images were of great interest to me - I did not fully understand the concept behind but in relation to my practice they served as an important connection between natural elements.

"Central to Mat Collishaw’s work are the themes of illusion and desire, which he uses to draw us into an arena where every-day conventions are broken down and questioned." (From link below).

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/artpages/mat_collishaw_burning_flowers_1.htm

 

 

 

The vibrancy of colours is something that simply brings the pieces to life - makes them more vivid even if they appear unnatual you are still in the belief that they are tropical flowers - it seems as though burst into flames on their own accord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Collishaw

I have previously looked at this artist but I always find myself returning to view his work because of the vast amount of pieces he has that look at intriging and contraversal subjects.
I have recently looked at his video installation piece 'I Like To Get My Loving' but I after viewing his indepth and extensive collection of work on his website I discovered other pieces that are relevant and provide ideas for the next stages of my practice.

Firstly would be his series 'Infectious Flowers' which was inspired by collector JK Huysman who became obsessed with rare flowers and even went as far to collect flowers that were infected with tropical diseases. Collishaw then created a series of flowers where he digitally merged images of skin infections onto the petals and stems. I believe it was to illustrate the infection of the collector's mind as well as show that there is a thin line between repulsion and beauty.

 

 

These works relate to my practice because of the combination between two themes - flowers meaning growth; infection meaning decay and decline. The pieces relate to my theme of life cycles as the beauty of the flowers are destroyed by the hideous infections upon them, similar to the rotting of trees and carcasses during the final stages of life cycles. However, the diseases upon the flowers do not repel you so much that you wish not to view them - out of morbid curiousity and an intrigue with the repulsive we seem to be drawn to the images. The interesting shapes of the swollen infections are something we feel compelled to study and explore even if a part of us is revolted. I am interested in this concept as I believe there is beauty in all stages of life cycles - even in decay can nature offer sights that we are drawn to such as the vivid colours/patterns of fungi, the almost infectious way it consumes dying trees is fascinating.

I want to explore ways I can show the beauty in the decline of a organism as well as exposing the repulsive features of the growth of organism - I am interested in possibly using anatomy images to illustrate connections with different life stages. In my Statement of Intent I expressed the need to connect with the human perspective of nature as well as exploring the general cycles of life - I want to look at the despondency of the separation from nature but also the similarities with it's life and death - both which might reveal both beautiful and disgusting images/aspects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comparisons and ideas

Michael Porter

 

 

 Mine

Michael Porter

Mine     

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Porter

 

 

Mine         

 

 

 

 

 

I feel that there is a similarity between my work and the work of Michael Porter - mainly because of the organic themes but also the colours and illustrative quality of my pieces.

 

However, I do not wish to recreate work in the style of Porter but I do want to take inspiration from the delicate organic forms that he paints amongst the semi-abstract background of his pieces. I want to use the method of collage combined with mix media - glass paint, ink, acrylic and possibly oil although that can overpower the rest of the work due to the thickness of consistency and the vibrancy of colours.

The question is - will I do this on a canvas? It might be an idea to experiement with a canvas or even perhaps on acetate. Acetate would present a problem because by applying more mediums the transparency would decrease. Perhaps experimenting with lumnious colours would create a sense of transparency and layers - also the tracing paper images I have been working on would serve well to preserve some of the transparency by only using other mediums on certain sections of the image. Experimentation is needed as always!

 

 

 

 

 

Artists I found

I collected several artists from the Level 6 pitch >
http://www.angelaspalmer.com/gallery/nggallery/new/additional-work/

ANGELA PALMER

 

 

 

Although this artist's work is very different from my practice, I was inspired by the structure of the works, the formations of tiny particles and the display of the pieces. During my previous project, I was interested in using light boxes and using acetate/transparent materials to display and print onto. I want to bring this into my current project but expand more on what I can do with it. The layers of transparent materials in the pieces above are really usual, they almost create a sense of the cosmos - but to me they represent the construction of organisms, how tiny particles make up larger forms which can deform and mutate into different shapes through growth and decline. I am considering using sheets of glass and mirrors to create an '"eternal" illusion - making the piece seem like it is continuing indefinately.

 

 

 

MICHAEL PORTER

http://www.michael-porter.co.uk/About/Bio

 

 

 

I can completely love this artist's work! I looked at him breifly during my previous project but it was only really to pick up techniques - but now that I have revisited his work I am completely overwhelmed by the delicacy, the details, the organic elements, the colours and textures that make up his paintings.



Although my practice is focusing more on photography at present, I am working with mix media materials and wanting to form photographs with textures/colours and images applied over the top. This artist is perfect for inspiration because of his detail with organic forms - all which are painted although I shall include collage elements of my own photographs as well as painted over the photograph images themselves.

Porter's work has an element of time and the transition of nature through seasons, in particular images depicting typical representations of different seasons such as fungi being associated with autumn, spring with flowers, winter as death/decline. There are even paintings entitled 'Death of Nature' which emphaises a particular stage in life cycles that I want to illustrate with mix media but also looking at the regrowth/rebirth within the dying transition. The work also shows elements of transparency - a method I want to achieve using collage and working over my photographs - however different from this artist's work, I am to work with transparent/semi-transparent materials inwhich to work on/print on to exemplify the levels of cycles and the change from one into the other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflection

After watching the some level 6 students do their pitch I was inspired by many of the things they spoke of and illustrated in their presentations, namely:
- The depth inwhich they spoke about their practice.
- References to their own inspirations and interests that fuelled the concepts and processes of their practice.
- The displays of their practice in the slideshow.
- The amount of indepth research around their subject(s) of interest (mainly due to the dissertation research they underwent).
- The expansion of their basis of work.

It got me thinking about what my own practice was about and what things I would talk about during my own pitch presentation. It came clear to me that at this point I would not be able to present or sum up my practice as I am still in the process of developing it and discovering more about myself as an artist.

One interesting and useful thing about watching the pitches was that the level 6 students spoke of their own artist research and the way that that research had helped further their ideas - some of the examples of the artists they showed in the slideshows caught my eye and I decided to research more about them - thinking they could be useful and relevant to my current practice.

One artist mentioned was Louise Bourgeois; this artist works mainly with sculpture but she caught my attention because of the organic structures she produces and also the indepth concepts regarding her pieces. When I researched her work online I found some pieces that were of great interest to me - organism structures and unusual abstract forms. I found this relevant to my work on life cycles and natural elements (I believe more research and background context is needed to make the project more successful).
http://www.artslant.com/la/articles/show/2710
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bourgeois-maman-t12625/text-summary

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bourgeois-cell-eyes-and-mirrors-t06899/text-summary  (links to info about the artist)

 

 

 

 

 

The precise structure and almost "cruel" twist of wire or bend of the insect legs reminds me of stages in life cycles - the transition through stages and also the timeless suspension within certain stages. The insect piece reminds me of a menacing beast yet also it serves as a protector, "Spider (1997); a giant spider, reaching over 12 feet tall, straddling a cage in which there is a worn chair, among other objects. This piece in conjunction to the Femme Maison print, places the spider as a mother and protector of a home instead of as an aggressor." The construction of the thing itself is simply organic because of the reference to insect life and also the rust and decay of the cage it protects links in with the theme of cycles as everything has a life span - a duration of time before it declines and is destroyed.

 

The other piece - the anatomy piece - appears to be a representation of a body form which the sex is difficult to determine.To me it displays features both of reproduction (as the shape of the sculpture reminds me of the vulver/internal reproduction) but also decay as the "deformaties" seem to reflect a decline in structure just as plants wither and die. " The artist is interested in the mixtures of male and female aspects - the andronous features that make the sex in her body works hard to distinguish, "...her interest in the vague lines between the masculine and the feminine, and the male body and the female body. She points to the fragility of the difference between man and woman, even though society tells everyone it is unmistakable. Her use of heavy, soft, tough, domestic, ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ touch on this just as much as the content of her pieces."

 

The final piece just reminds me of a cage simply - but a sinister entrapment, something unaturally formed but also representing some features of something natural e.g. the spheres remind me of insect eyes, the curves of metal pieces remind me of bodily structures. The piece itself is titled 'Cell' so it refers to a prison of some sort, and yet it seems almost as if it is an internal prison like the barriers of emotional/mental pain or something to that nature. "The subject of pain is the business I am in. To give meaning and shape to frustration and suffering ... The Cells represent different types of pain: the
physical, the emotional and psychological, and the mental and intellectual. When does the emotional become physical? When does the physical become emotional: It’s a circle going around and around. Pain can begin at any point and turn in any direction. (Quoted in The Secret of the Cells, p.81.)."

 

Personally, in relation to my practice, it reminds me of a greenhouse structure but the skeletal remains of it. Instruments used to cultivate or to reshape something natural. If I were working on a similar piece I would want to create more of connection with the audience as the artist seems to want to create a distance as well as helping the audience to identify with the work (the cage keeps people out as well as locking a victim within). I would include colours  - still trying to represent an element of neglect but also bringing a more vivid aspect to the piece to exemplify the concept of their being something organic contained within.

 

 

 

NATURAL STUDY

 

 

http://www.1stdibs.com/introspective/gallery_books/cheim__read_louise_bourgeois_nature_study/

I also researched the artist's work on 'Nature Study' and the main works I found were illustrative/semi abstract paintings that reflect organic, fertility forms. There is still the theme of mixed sexes - combination of andronous features as well as combining the structure of forms to be representative of both so to reflect a reproductive theme as a whole. This links with my theme of cycles - the portrayal of the rebirthing/reproduction stages in life cycles (one that is shared by all organisms). I feel I should create almost a timeline of cycles to help me understand the processes and transitions that occur during cycles of different organisms, from plantation to humans.

The pieces are interesting to me because of the watercolour process used - I want to create ink/watercolour sketches that represent different stages in cycles for reference as well individual pieces that can be used as singular pieces as well as combined with photography.