Student Union Exhibition meeting tomorrow.
I'm hoping it will make me feel slightly better about everything. I just want to get all my stuff in the space and play around, see what works. Until its up properly i cant relax. That said, I probably won't really relax until its down again. Also, i showed Miguel the curtain thing I'd been making whilst it lay flat on the floor. He said he likes it on the floor, and i could use it as a rug if i frayed the edges, and it would act as a piece as itself. This has completely thrown my idea up in the air, and I'm not sure what to do anymore. The only way i will know is through trying it i guess. Finally ....
Feedback Comments; HER UPCOMING INSTALLATION IN THE GROUP SHOW WILL ALLOW HER TO UNDERSTAND THE APPROPIATION OF SPACE IN A MORE CRITICAL MANNER. SHE COULD CONSIDER SEEING HER EXHIBITION AREA AS
ANOTHER SPATIAL OBJECT, SUCH AS THE BOXES SHE EMPLOYS, IN ORDER TO CAPITALISE ON HER PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Note capital letters used to terrify me. I really want to take this advice on board when setting up.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Saturday, 16 April 2011
More Berlin.
Holocaust memorial.
Freya's head protruding there ....
When arriving at the Holocaust memorial, we were naively unsure as to whether we were in the right place. Me and a couple of mates began exploring the vast maze of concrete, taking tourist-like shots, pointing in no particular direction, until one person climbed up onto one of the cubes of concrete, and was told by some guard type officer to get down. We were in the right place, and felt instantly embarrassed, and concerned as to whether such antics could cause offence. Looking at the piece through newly learned eyes it had a completely different feel. A vast bleak area of grey and black. The stone was cold, and the edges hard. It was dark and morbid, it cast cold shadows and stood still and strong. It was designed by architect Peter Eisenman and consists of a 19,000 square metres (4.7 acres) site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or "stelae" , arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. According to Eisenman's project text, the stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. Some have said the piece memorial is too abstract, and some have pointed out that many thousands of non-jews died during the holocaust but are excluded from mention in the memorial. Im still undecided as to whether I deem it a fitting memorial. Its very bleak, i'll give it that, but it's also face-less. There is no sense of humanity or soul. I suppose due to the massive numbers of lives that were lost in the holocaust, it would be very difficult to create a memorial that encompasses, and illustrates individuals, rather than simply faceless numbers/figures. Aesthetically though, it's striking, and can't be over-looked, which could be all that really matters.
Holocaust memorial.
Freya's head protruding there ....
When arriving at the Holocaust memorial, we were naively unsure as to whether we were in the right place. Me and a couple of mates began exploring the vast maze of concrete, taking tourist-like shots, pointing in no particular direction, until one person climbed up onto one of the cubes of concrete, and was told by some guard type officer to get down. We were in the right place, and felt instantly embarrassed, and concerned as to whether such antics could cause offence. Looking at the piece through newly learned eyes it had a completely different feel. A vast bleak area of grey and black. The stone was cold, and the edges hard. It was dark and morbid, it cast cold shadows and stood still and strong. It was designed by architect Peter Eisenman and consists of a 19,000 square metres (4.7 acres) site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or "stelae" , arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. According to Eisenman's project text, the stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. Some have said the piece memorial is too abstract, and some have pointed out that many thousands of non-jews died during the holocaust but are excluded from mention in the memorial. Im still undecided as to whether I deem it a fitting memorial. Its very bleak, i'll give it that, but it's also face-less. There is no sense of humanity or soul. I suppose due to the massive numbers of lives that were lost in the holocaust, it would be very difficult to create a memorial that encompasses, and illustrates individuals, rather than simply faceless numbers/figures. Aesthetically though, it's striking, and can't be over-looked, which could be all that really matters.
Friday, 15 April 2011
Berlin. Whilst walking round Berlin i found myself saying 'i have masses to blog about' so here's my attempt at doing such. I'm going to start with the most memorable work i saw, which was actually the graffiti around the city. It was everywhere, some of it quite beautiful. I don't know if its legal in Berlin, but it really added something to this city. Few photos below...
In parts i felt as though i couldve easily been in Manchester, with the tram, the Starbucks/McDonald's/all saints etc, then you'd turn a corner and find grand architecture, or a mass of graffiti clad buildings. Globalisation hey? After finishing that bloody essay i stumbled across tonnes of things that linked to globalisation but hey ho. The exhibition at the Guggenheim was globalisation materialised. It consisted of a mass of colourful toys/pieces that were interactive and tactile. They illustrated many recognisable landmarks, Easter island or the Taj mahal for example, and were made out of foam/fur/plastic/glitter etc. Children happily played around us, touching and moving the work, occasionally being told off by a guard for getting too excited. If I'm honest, i expected more from the Guggenheim. After seeing photos of Bilbao's offerings, and Dubai's plans for a Guggenheim, i was underwhelmed by the pretty average looking exterior.
I also went to an exhibition my Richard Long at the contemporary art museum Hamburger Bahnhof, which was impressive. Ive always been a fan of Longs' work, and the setting of his work just made his work 'pop' for lack of a better word. That's an awful word sorry. The building was so grand, and well lit, and the composition of his circular pieces worked beautifully within the space (couple of photos i took below). The circular floor pieces led to a giant wall at the back of the space which had another circle, painted in mud (i think) in which the hand prints of the artists remained. As i approached the piece it seemed remarkably flat. I was expecting to see some level of texture but i couldn't. As subtly as possible i touched the edge to see if it was in fact a print but got shouted at by a guard before i could register whether it was or not. I felt abit bitter about this. In the real world if there was mud on a wall no one would stop you touching it. Its just mud. it doesn't belong to anyone, but it belongs to everyone. the same applied to the circular rock formations on the floor. God forbid anyone to touch of kick a rock. but if you head out side you can kick rocks about to your hearts content. Art has the power to do this. I'm not sure i like this fact. Ive been considering doing my dissertation on ephemeral art next year, and potentially basing a project on it. Chances are this time next year I'll have a piece made from leaves that no one can breathe around, and i will have completely contradicted my last point.
In parts i felt as though i couldve easily been in Manchester, with the tram, the Starbucks/McDonald's/all saints etc, then you'd turn a corner and find grand architecture, or a mass of graffiti clad buildings. Globalisation hey? After finishing that bloody essay i stumbled across tonnes of things that linked to globalisation but hey ho. The exhibition at the Guggenheim was globalisation materialised. It consisted of a mass of colourful toys/pieces that were interactive and tactile. They illustrated many recognisable landmarks, Easter island or the Taj mahal for example, and were made out of foam/fur/plastic/glitter etc. Children happily played around us, touching and moving the work, occasionally being told off by a guard for getting too excited. If I'm honest, i expected more from the Guggenheim. After seeing photos of Bilbao's offerings, and Dubai's plans for a Guggenheim, i was underwhelmed by the pretty average looking exterior.
I also went to an exhibition my Richard Long at the contemporary art museum Hamburger Bahnhof, which was impressive. Ive always been a fan of Longs' work, and the setting of his work just made his work 'pop' for lack of a better word. That's an awful word sorry. The building was so grand, and well lit, and the composition of his circular pieces worked beautifully within the space (couple of photos i took below). The circular floor pieces led to a giant wall at the back of the space which had another circle, painted in mud (i think) in which the hand prints of the artists remained. As i approached the piece it seemed remarkably flat. I was expecting to see some level of texture but i couldn't. As subtly as possible i touched the edge to see if it was in fact a print but got shouted at by a guard before i could register whether it was or not. I felt abit bitter about this. In the real world if there was mud on a wall no one would stop you touching it. Its just mud. it doesn't belong to anyone, but it belongs to everyone. the same applied to the circular rock formations on the floor. God forbid anyone to touch of kick a rock. but if you head out side you can kick rocks about to your hearts content. Art has the power to do this. I'm not sure i like this fact. Ive been considering doing my dissertation on ephemeral art next year, and potentially basing a project on it. Chances are this time next year I'll have a piece made from leaves that no one can breathe around, and i will have completely contradicted my last point.
Monday, 11 April 2011
Mementos.
Matt Weir and Philippa Dye.
Probably the best exhibition i've seen so far by fellow fine art students. The free alcohol helped though.
I'm in Pips crit group so have seen her work develop up to the final stages of her exhibition, and her piece really worked. It was based around her grandmother, and consisted of a room set up with chair, blanket, slippers, ticking clock and cross-stitch pieces. It was very well put together and felt well thought through and considered. I saw her piece whilst completely sober, which i think was for the best, as it was a very still and contemplative piece that i think required a level of respect/sober-ness.
By the time i sat down to watch Matt's films the alcohol had been flowing, and i felt as though i was at a house party rather than an exhibition (which isn't a bad thing). His films were also really well put together. The first was of a journey down a road, that sped up with time, and had looping sections. I dont know alot about film pieces but, the fact that it kept my attention shows it did something right. It reminded me of being on long car journeys as a child, and feeling frustrated that i was trapped in the car for the foreseeable future. Also flashbacks of being horrifically travel sick, and to be honest by the end i felt a little bit nauseous, but to be fair i was drinking whiskey which didn't ease the situation. The second film was really beautiful. It was really mellow, and i didn't feel ill at any point! It was an almost surreal mix of colours and sounds that flowed in a dream-like way. It was as if you'd closed your eyes and the changing colours were from light falling on your eyelids. Im aware how cheesy that sounds.
All in all i was very impressed by the exhibition on a whole, although it fuels my anxiety to whether my own exhibition will go down as well. Time will tell.
Matt Weir and Philippa Dye.
Probably the best exhibition i've seen so far by fellow fine art students. The free alcohol helped though.
I'm in Pips crit group so have seen her work develop up to the final stages of her exhibition, and her piece really worked. It was based around her grandmother, and consisted of a room set up with chair, blanket, slippers, ticking clock and cross-stitch pieces. It was very well put together and felt well thought through and considered. I saw her piece whilst completely sober, which i think was for the best, as it was a very still and contemplative piece that i think required a level of respect/sober-ness.
By the time i sat down to watch Matt's films the alcohol had been flowing, and i felt as though i was at a house party rather than an exhibition (which isn't a bad thing). His films were also really well put together. The first was of a journey down a road, that sped up with time, and had looping sections. I dont know alot about film pieces but, the fact that it kept my attention shows it did something right. It reminded me of being on long car journeys as a child, and feeling frustrated that i was trapped in the car for the foreseeable future. Also flashbacks of being horrifically travel sick, and to be honest by the end i felt a little bit nauseous, but to be fair i was drinking whiskey which didn't ease the situation. The second film was really beautiful. It was really mellow, and i didn't feel ill at any point! It was an almost surreal mix of colours and sounds that flowed in a dream-like way. It was as if you'd closed your eyes and the changing colours were from light falling on your eyelids. Im aware how cheesy that sounds.
All in all i was very impressed by the exhibition on a whole, although it fuels my anxiety to whether my own exhibition will go down as well. Time will tell.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Ive also been trying to get hold of a curtain to hang, in order to create a room within a room. Anyway i couldn't find one that i liked so Ive made my own from old newspapers, bought from Jim in Quiggins. Id like to take this opportunity to thank Jim for all the crap he's sold me recently. He goes on 'digs' and uncovers all kinds of great stuff. I bought some ancient kid shoes that he'd dug up yesterday for 10p. Bargain. I think he sells stuff to Elizabeth Willow too, who's work i really love. The papers are from 1957, and are pretty interesting as objects in themselves. Ive stuck them together (probably should have sewn them but it was too time consuming for a mock-up) and plan to fold the large piece in a concertina fashion. Ive also bought/made a lamp. Ive attempted to make an existing lamp look old fashioned and worn , and bought a tacky old lamp shade to put on top. Hopefully the dim light will suffice, and shine through the newspaper and look inviting. Fingers crossed. I have another assessment tomorrow so I'll have to set up something that could potentially look like the final piece. Keeping it vague.
Monday, 21 March 2011
Contemporary Art and Globalisation Essay- Finished Thank. God.
Anyway I've been trying to look up artists who wrap/conceal things, to further develop the work I've been doing recently- the string stuff. There are obviously people like Christo, but I'm struggling to find others. Ive began wrapping clusters of objects in black lace and hanging them from the wall. It actually looks quite ominous, I'll take some photos tomorrow and stick them on here. I also went to a charity shop today in search of a tacky old fashioned lamp to potentially use to light my work. No joy there. I'm going to have to track something down before assessment though...
Anyway I've been trying to look up artists who wrap/conceal things, to further develop the work I've been doing recently- the string stuff. There are obviously people like Christo, but I'm struggling to find others. Ive began wrapping clusters of objects in black lace and hanging them from the wall. It actually looks quite ominous, I'll take some photos tomorrow and stick them on here. I also went to a charity shop today in search of a tacky old fashioned lamp to potentially use to light my work. No joy there. I'm going to have to track something down before assessment though...
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Wolstenholme exhibition. Re:Action
Last night I went to see 3 fellow fine art students' work in the wolstenhome space. Our group had originally wanted this space but it fell through due to lack of communication. As I entered the space for the first time I was immediately jealous and dissapointed that i wasnt showing my work there. It would have been a perfect space. It was damp and cold, and falling apart a little. The walls were crumbly and the floor boards were worn. Quite a contrast to the union space, office-like and corporate. But, hey ho. Im going to try to make the most of what i have. Seeing this exhibition has made me question how i would light my own work. I think i'd like to keep the lighting dim in an attempt to disguise the business like environment. This could potentially be done using an old fashioned table lamp or maybe candles (though health and safety wouldn't be happy, and i'd probably have to stand in a corner with a fire extinguisher, which may lessen the experience as a whole).
The exhibition was pretty good. All of the students involved did performance art, a realm i've never dabbled in (probably due to lack of confidence) but enjoy none the less. Each were very different, and as i havn't heard any of the students speak about their work in uni, i was forced to come to my own conclusions as to what their work was about. All in all, it felt well put together... and the free food was nice.
Last night I went to see 3 fellow fine art students' work in the wolstenhome space. Our group had originally wanted this space but it fell through due to lack of communication. As I entered the space for the first time I was immediately jealous and dissapointed that i wasnt showing my work there. It would have been a perfect space. It was damp and cold, and falling apart a little. The walls were crumbly and the floor boards were worn. Quite a contrast to the union space, office-like and corporate. But, hey ho. Im going to try to make the most of what i have. Seeing this exhibition has made me question how i would light my own work. I think i'd like to keep the lighting dim in an attempt to disguise the business like environment. This could potentially be done using an old fashioned table lamp or maybe candles (though health and safety wouldn't be happy, and i'd probably have to stand in a corner with a fire extinguisher, which may lessen the experience as a whole).
The exhibition was pretty good. All of the students involved did performance art, a realm i've never dabbled in (probably due to lack of confidence) but enjoy none the less. Each were very different, and as i havn't heard any of the students speak about their work in uni, i was forced to come to my own conclusions as to what their work was about. All in all, it felt well put together... and the free food was nice.
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