reflective reflection...reflects.(balls)

Drawing on previous works and reflection on newer works for the dissertation. It feels clunky and a bit trite…it’s quite hard talking about the work…and I think it’s too prescriptive…

Stuck P&J to full stop

chapter 3 staarted (my Practice)

Started on chapter three – my work and practice, in relation to others…and it was all shite. I deleted 2000 words. I can see myself falling into the tarp of describing the work, and not the concepts and ideas that my work addresses. I start to get a bit worried…I know this is my weakness, my inability to speak about the work “ambiguously”, I feel the need to satisfy the lamen in me : “tell us how you made it” (not “why” you made it…) I think that’s the simple difference in my failing. It’s a case of talking about wy I made it…not how.

I stuck the daily mirror to the Full Stop, and started thinking about how the inky hands part of the work could function on its own…I have been formulating ideas about video work, based on “transference” – passing information from one place to another. The ramifications or implications of transfer - perhaps some comparison with disease? Or random acts of kindness…I like the idea of the indiscriminate neutrality of possibility, for good or bad, or “nothing”…

Stuck Daily Mirror to Full Stop

Ganahl reflection

Writing about Rainer Ganahl. One Annoying thing about Ganahl is…his website is down! Just when I need to collate images and texts from him. I’ve had to rely upon third party sources! (which are hard to find!). I fear Ganahl is in the throws of updating his site, for the Venice biennale…must keep checking.

I “completed” chapter two, and started writing conclusions about all the artists (Tyson, Du, Mik, Hirschhorn, Patterson…

Stuck the n*ws of the w*rld to the Full Stop

chapter 2 started

Started Chapter two – artists dealing with information / media criticality
Thomas Hirschhorn & Aernout Mik

Stuck the guardian to the Full Stop

full on writing - dissertation mode

I’ve been writing like a fury on the dissertation, so I’ve not had time to write my thoughts in blog form too…(should I just cut n paste?) Anyway…I’ve completed chapter one. (Identifying areas of interest in media criticism to create artistic activity within my own practice.)

I’m focusing entirely on the dissertation over the next few days, I need to get it finished by Wednesday, so I can show Iain, when he gets back. Hopefully it won’t be too late to change “much”. I have also identified I need to check the content with people, so I’ve ear marked Joan Ingram (fifth business) and Chloe Reith (studious ex student…and Gabi’s sister)

Stuck Daily record to Full Stop

Last crit with Steve Hollingsworth

It’s the last crit with Steve today…I am nervous, but also confident about talking about the work (well, more so than I have been in the past!). We start by looking at the trumpet, I try to refer back to what Jo and Tom had said (mostly disappointment of its obviousness), and Steve concurs. He thinks it is too obvious, too “that’s it”. A visual punch line. After painting it too (which I instantly thought derived form the relevance of the newspaper covers), Steve comments that even the black and red gave it the school kids joke, what’s black and white and re(a)d all over? – to which I completely agree. The tribalism, brutal broadcast and clunkiness of it just turns Steve off from it, but, the more I think about it, the more it’s true. It’s a “fun” work, but nothing more. If the MFA is here to eek out deeper meaning, considered thought and rigorous critical questioning of ideas and observations, this doesn’t do it. The more I think about it, the more I get the feeling that I couldn’t fit into this world…sometimes I get the feeling that I don’t belong, that I am not clever enough to operate at the level that Steve, Jo & Tom do…who knows what time can do. Susie and I have a discussion later, about that very point, what level do we want to operate on? I would be happy to create cutting edge, stimulating and intelligent art – a rigorous form of scientific questioning without the science. I know what is expected of me, but I just don’ think I am deep enough (yet?)…and that’s depressing.

Steve does think I have several interesting works, and he almost gets excited about certain elements (my inky hands from the “full stop” for instance)…but again, It’s my inability to see the potential of “fascinating” work (from Steve’s perspective) to my own simpler, basic excitement from engaging objects – which to him are vacuous and banal. It’s always going to be the struggle, think of the critics, or do it for myself…but, to know that I want to contribute stimulating, new thought through my developing practice. Perhaps doing the masters without a practice was foolish, but it is also flattering to know that I have operated at this level, with my peers (practitioners for 5 – 20 years) and been able to keep up, to contribute and raise awareness and new ideas, within the student context of the course…it is this “extra mile” that the tutors bring, this knowledge of the “outside world” – it’s not good enough to “just get a masters”, it’s that knowledge of taking my ideas and the execution of them, into the “big bad world” of conceptual art, and the delightful critics that inhabit it. Again, this all boils down to conviction and confidence in my own work…which I do have, I do know that it is what I am supposed to do, I make things to question my experience, and awareness of the world. The simplest answer to getting better…is to keep at it. Read more, become sophisticated with the use of language, refuse to describe and prescribe, explore the ambiguous language that is required to explain work, without shutting it down, restricting possible discourse and “out of the box” though the work can (or should) bring.

That was evident, when I showed Steve my “doublePaper” video. I started talking “literally” about its origin, the reaction to fixed phone competition. This in itself limits the scope of the exploration of the work – it can’t be anything else. I make a mental note to myself, when I see Iain next, I will show him this work, (not referring to Steve’s comments) and try and talk about it ambiguously, I will refuse to talk about its origins, I will only talk of the ideas – information, futility, unrealities, competition, repetition and stupidity. I should work on the themes, I should write a paragraph or two on each of the works, and re-assess my “obviousness”. I will send them to Steve (even though he has no obligation to reply (to which he never does anyway!) – but I will specifically ask him for feedback)…see where that takes me.

Anyway – back to the work. “My problem” and “reader” stimulate Steve. I can see that these works (because of their “honest” – or heartfelt roots) strike a chord with people. Steve does see the poetic in the form, and ambiguity. He asks what I am writing, and I say “are you sure you want to know?” (Knowing full well he’ll talk negatively of it!)…so, I show him the page, and he says (predictably) “Oh, that’s shut it down for me” (hence the reason why I would never show the lines next to the video). I pre-empt this reaction, so I feel better for it – knowing the “pitfalls” of shutting down a work, is always a good thing! I did say to Steve, “I knew you’d say that” and we laugh. The wonderful observation (it’s so obvious, once Steve says it), was that he liked the relationship between input and output (the writing and reading). It is this feedback loop which interests Steve so much, the poetry of introspection – why is he reading? What is he reading? What is he thinking when he is reading? Is he writing in reflection to the reading? Is he reading in reflection to the writing? The nakedness of “transmitting” is an interesting point Steve raises, the idea that when I write, I am giving something away of myself, I am exposing my thoughts to paper – whereas the act of reading other people’s words, is an absorption, a way of “clothing” my opinion, forming opinions form others words, is (metaphorically) like dressing my opinions with bought ideas. I like this observation and will explore that further.

The full stop takes a beating too…on seeing it, I don’t think the scale is impressive enough for steve, or the idea has been watered down, it’s turned into a pointless diary, the way I’d talked to Steve about it 3 weeks ago, was an impressive ball of papers – chaotic, massive and oppressive…here, we have a quaint little beachball size of one paper a day (so what). Again, I see his point about the singularity of it – that is, it’s singular “point” to make. It has become a chore, as I get nothing from it now (other than the opportunity to get black hands, to which steve is interested – the poetry of absorbed / transferred information – the idea that information can exist out with a format, but in a diluted, confused and chaotic state – the ink “used” to say something, now it’s “dirt” or something to clean up, remove. This rings true with my want to remove the ink from a paper, and re-use the ink to write my own messages. Perhaps this is the connection between Reading / Writing (video). The paper I read could then be removed of ink, and I re-draw / re-create the paper in my own hand, with the ink from the original, drawn back onto the blank paper…I think there is a lot of mileage in this.

To start thinking about the show, I need to strip out what is detritus, “sketches” as I aptly described some of the objects and works in the room (which Steve picks up on). I think about layouts, and content. The relationship between the possible works. So far, I can “see” that the video works will play a large part in the show. Outside / Inside (back to back /between the wall) will be the reading / writing video works. I like the relationship of “public and private” the work offers, the hall = public space, my room = private, “inner sanctum”. We talk about a sea of newspapers. I had noted that when I have newspapers strewn around, the sense that something is present within this form interests me. Steve talks of a way of linking the amount of papers with censorship, as well as a reduction of the participant (viewer) with my previously explored digital abstraction. The sense that we are all data, we are all information, relating to each other. (again, I need to fine tune the language / way I talk about the work). I think the remaining time at uni (after dissertation) is to create the show (quickly), but then rally work on the reflective / vocabulary. I should practice the “patter”, as this is by far the weakest aspect of me creating “fine art”. I can come up with the ideas, I can execute them technically, but I let it all down by describing it. I kill it by telling people what to think. I might as well be a columnist in the Sun.

It’s sad to think that just as I am starting to understand, and “play” with Steve, our time draws to an end together. I will miss him, for all the hard times and feeling small because of his cutting crits, I certainly have learned a lot from him – his ability to draw the best out of me, is encouraging and helpful.
Despite Steve’s comments on the ball, I feel I must complete what I had started – besides the opportunity to generate the hand / ink shots, I need to complete it for its own integrity -for my integrity. I get a P&J from Gabi, but didn’t stick it to the ball today…a cheat, two tomorrow. (Integrity?!)

Keith Tyson

I’ve completed the intro and “chapter one” (overview of media within art). I have also made a fair dent in writing about Keith Tyson and started on Simon Patterson’s works. I am exploring their methods of questioning – the areas in which they practice, I have taken the tack that they are exploring pre-conceived notions, whereas Tyson explores the preconception that we (as a general public) see science as impenetrable and presents us with ideas and illustrations of scientific endeavour, with an ambiguous and nondescript way. It is this exploration of information – conceptual, abstract and seemingly incomprehensible which rules our lives (unseen) but giving us “laypeople” a possible entry level, to start to comprehend quantum physics, the nature of atoms, to complexities of scale (micro to macro). I also explore his sense of play, a humorous touch to his works, which again strengthen his position as a conduit, an avatar for us to hold hands with – to take us to places where we never imagined going. His sense of ridicule (or the ridiculous) run in comparison with Hirschhorn, but Hirschhorn’s sense of humour is (how can I say this?) more serious. His sense of irony, or black humour is more evident than Tyson’s sense of Beano presentation. Cartoon style graphics, sculptures straight out of mad scientists lairs area all in Tyson’s vocabulary, but with the sense of humour comes a sense of responsibility – to tell the truth…well, be honest. His honesty shines through with conviction – listening to snippets of an interview on the BBC, he speaks with a down to earth style, a simplicity, but alluding to an understanding, or perception of the complexity he questions – yet juxtaposed with the sense of never being able to “fully know”. I love his sense of vastness; he openly admits to the open, unrestricted creation of work, not tying his practice down to one form, sculpture, or painting…
“I feel sorry for the person who has to put it down in one paragraph. I couldn’t. That’s why I’m making all these different things” and
“I want to find the right form to manifest the idea. It is purposeful to give them massive stylistic diversity”
Reading about Tyson gives me strength to be who I am, and make the work I do – as long as I do it with conviction, who’s to say “you are wrong” if you can convince people of your intentions? – there are no rights and wrongs in art, the only worries are, if the work is uninteresting, or dishonest, “taking the piss” (in lay speak).
I stick the Independent onto the Full Stop today…but forget to take a photo of the paper “before”…and I’ve found that buying one a day after, from them costs £5.99 (Bastards)

non eventful day - losing energy

Creaking this morning – intro slowing down…I need to “just be happy” about writing (forget about reviewing as I go, I think that’s counter productive) – just get stuff down, and move with it. I don’t have the time to piss around being moody. Susie takes me into uni, but it’s a distraction (I paste a sun onto the full stop) and try to think about writing some dissertation, but I’ve forgotten the power cable for the laptop (dong). And when I start to dip into programming the “speech bubble” stuff, Susie is up for going home (fair do’s). So, not such a good day for me today.

I was going to write some dissertation tonight, but I have to fix ADIL website and create illustrations (in Photoshop) for Gabi’s vignette’s for Elaine Manley’s book…so that’s today knocked on the head.

I have a chuckle, "stripey" (the local troll) has come back! he's posted a link to youTube - a nathan barley extract! (It's nice to know that I've rattled his cage so much, he's been scouring the web for a "retort" for 3 days now... ho ho. I am still playing (I should just ignore it), but the more he writes, the funnier I find it. It's interesting that someone who portains to be "an intellectual" has absolutly no time to expend thought, or even presume that I just make this "shit" up - and that I couldn't possibly have any research (or reason) as to why I should make anything that's "supposed to be art" (does he like still lives?)...it's all tongue in cheek, I send him a private mail saying "you love it really, don't you? I know you do! - I think you are funny, seriously!"...that should rattle his cage some more...gotta love the internet, and the fun it can provide. I was thinking of writing some reply like "I've stopped making art...because I am rubbish at it. Thanks to Stripey for pointing this out - I've been a fool...I am so ashamed" (and post a picture of me and a spotted knapp sack ....walking away..."boo hoo")... ho ho...but, that'd give him a hardon, as I'd be expending too much energy on his sad little mission to further trolling in Aberdeen Music dot com.

Writing...writing...

Full steam ahead with the dissertation. I’ve really started to fill in the blanks, when it comes to blocking in the previous dissertation structure. I’ve still been looking at internet sites for quotes from Hirschhorn & Ganahl and general facts / quotes about news / media stats.

I’ve started to know what is missing (quote / reference wise) from the intro, as I write, I know the areas I want to talk about, and find facts (quick searches on google / bbc etc) to justify my position – I’ve had these ideas bubbling in the back ground, formulating and distilling in my head over the last few weeks, but it is on;y now that I am “forming” them into words, do I see the areas which need backup and corroboration to back up my points.

One thing I am slightly worried about, is my intro rambles…even though I’ve structured it previously, I feel it’s getting a bit too “art history” in places, but, I’ll write it all (all three chapters, possibly the intro (again) based on the “total” writing, and a form of conclusion – edit and review (till I’ve run out of time!). I’ve got 17 “full days” to go, but I have to account for creating the “newspaper” layout and printing etc (if I do run out of time…it’ll be a boring old print out, and I’ll have to explain). I am planning on finishing the writing this week (Friday / Saturday) – review on Sunday / Monday (with Iain, if he’s back). I might send it to Joan Ingram, but It’s getting too tight to expect her to read, review and mark up, for me to then react and execute my idea of turning it into a newspaper format…(I still have to experiment with the newsprint through the printer….) so much to do! (I should put aside any “creative” treats and just get on with writing now). I’m aiming for a pass, but some form of “good mark” would be lovely, and make me believe more that I can work to a standard worthy of “good masters” level…

I stick the Daily Record to the Full Stop.

upload video ideas to youTube

More internet research to find specific media criticality in fine art : several gems, to which I have created a word doc of NAMES, URLS and QUOTES – all for inclusion and reflection within the dissertation. – I am thin on the ground with “general media criticism” (as a general area of interest AND fine art specific) – but find several excellent sites (http://www.transparencynow.com ) being one such site and (http://www.criticism.com) is another excellent, yet condensed site. Some excellent writing and major point to reflect upon.


I have also uploaded 2 of my video experiments to YouTube (www.youTube.com/lepeep) - I have also advertised their locations on Aberdeen music & myspace. I’ll keep you posted as to any comments / reactions. One “instant” feedback I got from a fellow AB music user was : “Woah, the double paper one played with my mind. Good stuff man!”. Another interesting comment, was from the local AB music troll “stripey” (I fear I give him some ego boosting airtime just mentioning him!), but –

“Any remnant of respect for you which I may have been harbouring has been destroyed, you're a worthless piece of trash and I'm not even going to bother making any nathan barley references because these bullshit videos speak for themselves.”

I like the fact he’s taken the time to look at them (!), and the last part : “…videos speak for themselves” (yip, cleverly taken out of context…I feel like a movie poster writer already!) is certainly what I am looking for – if an artistic video can function on its own “speak for itself”, I think that’s a strong piece of work! It’s disappointing, but also very interesting that he is a Chris Morris fan (referencing Charlie Brooker & Morris’s “Nathan Barley” – the bastion of art wank embodied in a channel 4 “watered down” version of the “tv go home” (ficticious episode) “cunt”. It seems that good old Stripey does not get the irony of media criticism in an artistic context (Brass Eye, the Day today) – perhaps it is because that these programs are a more obvious form of criticism, genius and subtle (and boldly brutal too) that “fine art” doesn’t cut the mustard with him, I should ask if he thinks any performance / installation / conceptual art is “any good” but – he is a “hater”, so I take everything he types with a pinch of salt, so I reply with “thanks for checking out the videos!” – Trolls are like annoying kids, I should just ignore them and they go away, but sometimes it’s fun to play with them.

I stick the Scotland on Sunday to the Full Stop.

a structure I am happy with...for now

Definitive action on structuring and forming a refined and focused direction for my dissertation. : the plan (today):

Structure of Dissertation – paragraph by paragraph
By Philip Thompson – MFA 2007

Abstract
Overall approach and argument to special study in one paragraph.

Introduction / overview
Breakdown of all 3 chapters in condensed form. + Allusion to conclusion.
Chapter 1 – the Media in Art
(Sprinkle artistic relevant quotes / references throughout chapter 1 – make it pertinent to artistic questioning and practice)

Overview / intro to chapter (media in art)
The interest in the media, not the news stories.

Confused state when experiencing news – why?
Introduction to Questionnaire
Evidence from Questionnaires (various quotes)
My position (experience of watching / reading news)

Bias opinions – Left to right wing reportage
Spectrum of Bias (celebrated bias)
Neutral position, does it exist?

“Scope” of news – personal to global
Personal 1st hand experience
Levels of trust as scope grows
Bias shapes trust of facts (for and against)

Devices of dissemination – how information is spread
Newspaper
TV
Internet

Assimilation of media – turning the tables on disinformation (using it for artistic practice)
Newpaper [sic] art / reaction
TV art / reaction
Internet art / reaction

Conclusion to chapter 1

Artists Dealing in Truth / Politic / Information / Technology
1. General to the specific (artistic practices) overview

2. General questioning of information
2a Keith Tyson - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A3229373
2b Simon Patterson – the great bear
2c Adrian Piper – video installations – talking heads (racism)
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5DE1139F935A15753C1A966958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print
2d Rafael Lozano-Hemmer – Interactive Surveillance


3. Media Specific critical questioning in artistic practice
3a Wang Du – Time tunnel http://www.balticmill.com/whatsOn/past/ExhibitionDetail.php?exhibID=47
3b Thomas Hirschhorn - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsTn7CMS1aQ
3c Aernout Mik – Shifting Shifting
3d Rainer Ganahl – CNN / American position
3e Chris Morris / Armando Ianucci – http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/

Chapter 2 conclusions
1. Range of questioning pros and cons
2. General / non media specific questioning (reasons for inclusion / relfection)
a. Tyson – general observations
b. Patterson – graphical relevance
c. Adrian Piper – political but not media critical
d. Hemmer – Scope of “media”
3. An identification of a contextual rich community, critiquing the media within their artistic practice.
a. Wang Du – confusion and worldly scope
b. Hirschhorn – overload and confusion
c. Mik – realistic / unrealistic comparisons
d. Ganahl – internet savvy / conduit to USA and Iraq
e. Morris – humour and satire to question news / larger audience(?)
4. General observations - Confidence to ask, but not answer questions regarding news / media criticality

My Practice
(Each dissection of my work MUST include a contextual reference to other artists work.)
1. Reiteration of “confused” position – how & why this makes me question the media (and experience as a whole).

2. Exploration of design and fine art skills as “an arsenal” of techniques to question and convey my practice.

3. General works questioning data / fact / information
“Iterative digital decay ” – exploration of subtle change leading to drastic alteration of original input.
“You and I” – abstraction of data
“I don’t have a dream” – abstraction / simplification of language

4. Specific Media Critical works
“Full Stop” – Newspaper criticality
(reference “newpaper” background / relevance)
“speech bubbles” – Forced opinion / paper & internet (static & ephemeral)
“Herald” – Brutal simplicity / confusing overloaded inputs (news readers)
“newsFucks” – Clashing oversimplified oppositions

Chapter 3 conclusion
1. That confusion is an interesting breeding ground for ideas creation and work.
2. Crossover of skill sets – design and fine art practice gives my position strength.
3. Generalised approach to understanding leads to specificity in questioning through reflection of practice.
4. Medium and media can produce interesting crossovers and opportunities for investigation, specific to media criticism.

Overall Conclusion
(Each dissection of my work MUST include a contextual reference to other artists work.)

Overall 4 point assessment of “special study”

I stuck the daily mirror onto the Full Stop today.

Playing with paper

One last stand on “doing research” – I don’t think I had enough evidence (looking at internet media critiques), I’ve found several interesting leads in the “edge of art” book (Joline Blais & Jon Ippolito; Thames & Hudson). I’ve explored the following sites:
Adbusters, disinformation, indy media center, interactivists info exchange, mediachannel, subvertise, surveillance camera players and iSee. Some of the sites deal with wider issues than looking at the “media”, but are all intent on questioning how information is collected, and “potentially” used. I was particularly interested in the “hate mail” that the surveillance camera players got. It is a very USA specific defence / attack I encounter, citing “freedom of speech” (on both sides)…quite tiresome arguments (especially if both sides are blind to the Irony of ignoring or attacking the others POV, but quoting the 1st in defence. The whole argument of “trust” within the context of the use of the collated evidence, some people state that they don’t mind (as it has no impact on their lives (currently)) What would happen, when so many civil liberties have been eroded that suddenly the “innocent” finds themselves under suspicion for voting a certain way, or wearing a specific colour? (sounds “stupid” now, but the POTENTIAL is there). Again, the whole question of the “function of the art” comes into play – the general public don’t see art as “useful”, as it does not have to answer the questions it raises – I can see how that would be infuriating to the masses of people who want answers, but for someone else to give it to them – and this ties in with my questioning of trust in the media, essentially that people don’t either have the time or the access to “absolute” information (that is, first hand or 100% credible sources).

Within this space, of confusion, need for trust and the power relationships between disseminating and assimilating information, there lies swathes of scope for artistic interpretation and questioning – something I shall deal with in my dissertation. One of the other factors of the dissertation will be that level of scope – the distance from one person’s intake of “information” and the relevance, or “closeness” to that persons life. I am interested in the levels of where “care” of a story is lost to “interest” (eventually, sickly, turning into “entertainment”)

I also plugged into “google images” the random names of the “winners”, and I (not surprisingly) get quite a few hits back. The likelihood of these people having the same age and residency is miniscule, put putting a “real” face to an “imaginary” (conjured) name, is quite interesting. I think it’ll strengthen my case for creating imaginary dialogues, mixed in with real communications, a web of depict and half truths, the project could be quite exciting, and never ending! (This is where the execution is crucial – a web based, daily document of the project would be essential, but questions of “ethical conduct” (using “real people’s” photographs – in conjunction with an “unreal” person (name, age and town)) would cause problems. Perhaps I could make up “crimewatch-esque” photo-fits of names that have more than 3 images returned? (again, more offshoots, and possibilities).

I head into Gray’s at night (buy a Scotsman, and stick ot to the Full Stop), but I also re-shoot some “playful” footage of me throwing paper into the cone, I play with the code too, using it as a scoop etc. I also try projecting it (“in place” – that is, back at the exact same point it was filmed from), to create a strange ghostlike replay of my actions on the wall, I join in, scooping up paper alongside my projected self, and the mix of reality and projection blurs, I am quite mesmerised being involved in the footage, when “I” pick up papers form the floor, I do to, it’s like some narcissistic game of Simon says. I’ll upload the footage when I capture it.

real winners!

From this list of made up names:
JOCELYN DIMAGGIO aged (24) from Bishopton
KRISTINA KRUSE aged (54) from Binfield
CLARE STOCKER aged (45) from Clacton-on-Sea
JUSTINE MOREHOUSE aged (56) from South Ormsby
CLARENCE CHAMBERS aged (14) from Altnaharra Hotel
LESSIE PATTON aged (71) from Dunamanagh
JACQUELINE ROSS aged (42) from Wareham
AMBER BAUGHMAN aged (57) from Tegryn
HENRIETTA JARMAN aged (16) from Brantham
DAVE HALLIDAY aged (34) from Maentwrog
KRISTI HARTSELL aged (77) from Mentmore
WILLARD COLBURN aged (35) from Croyde Bay
KELLY STOCK aged (16) from Gomshall
SANDRA DELANEY aged (87) from Wootton
JEWEL VILLARREAL aged (59) from Stoke Gabriel
VIVIAN NEW aged (71) from Bishop's Stortford
DEBBIE SAFFORD aged (74) from Sandown
ADRIAN WYATT aged (87) from Belford
LORETTA HARTSOCK aged (59) from Tarbolton
FRANCISCA DORRIS aged (24) from St Mellion
CLYDE SCHWAB aged (45) from Marazion
EMMA GRAVITT aged (20) from Buckland Monachorum
DEIDRE MANION aged (32) from Port Gaverne
RAUL PABON aged (51) from Bubbenhall
DANNY VASSAR aged (11) from Whitney-on-Wye
SUE CHIN aged (82) from Glentham
CHARMAINE AITKEN aged (89) from Fulstow
BILL KELLNER aged (25) from High Hoyland
EVA POSNER aged (57) from Bourton-on-the-Water
MILAGROS PITT aged (48) from Ardgay
MATHEW PRADO aged (16) from Sutton
SUZETTE POMEROY aged (63) from Ansty
TINA LUCIANO aged (81) from Low Lorton
EDUARDO MAXFIELD aged (75) from Lynsted
NORMA WALLS aged (87) from East Cowton
BETSY LUIS aged (84) from Heddon-on-the-Wall
DELLA HOM aged (54) from Port Bannatyne
ABBY OTOOLE aged (46) from East Anstey
LAURI MCLAREN aged (73) from Mealsgate
BRIDGETTE EKLUND aged (65) from Carleen
RAQUEL FARNSWORTH aged (52) from Higham-on-the-Hill
APRIL LAFLEUR aged (16) from Wanborough
JERRI LEFEBVRE aged (55) from Kirby Bellars
CODY MAIN aged (78) from Crowland
MARISSA BLAISDELL aged (42) from West Auckland
KATHLEEN BEJARANO aged (78) from Llandre
RICKY JEFFREY aged (55) from Ebley
FREDA LAROSE aged (67) from Horfield
CHASITY DEROSE aged (39) from Castlewellan
LEONA BARLEY aged (16) from St Monans
FRED WOOLF aged (49) from Trelawnyd
HAROLD GILLARD aged (41) from Ufford
ALTHEA SCAIFE aged (86) from Stanford Bishop

I found 14 "real people" online (google image search).
interesting...these are my new friends...I am going to write about them....when I've got the time, obviously. (after the tenth of August).

They are all winners

My mum and dad come round to baby-sit poppy, while I go into UNI to “write”…but I end up “making” – It’s something I find far more enjoyable and informative…but that’s by the by!

I project my “winners” experiment onto the wall, and let Jonathan, Susie and Mary have a look at it. Jonathan said something like “I wonder what they will spend the money on?…that’s assuming it is money they’ve won”. An interesting point, and probably a very accurate assessment of the expectancy of people these days – when we see “competition” or “winner”, we automatically assume – money. Why else would anyone enter a competition, if not to win money (or the avoidance of spending money (holiday of a life time etc)).We all have the discussion whether these people “could” exist (of course they “could”, the names are all plausible – census derived names = “real” data. Another interesting aspect of the work, is that several of the towns that appear, are automatically linked and talked about by people (Jonathan’s sister lived in one town displayed, Mary spots a town that she visited in her youth, Susie spots a town that was “”the next one down the road” to her villages, where she grew up in England)…This links into my observation of people looking at photographs of themselves in groups, people will most likely focus and comment on their own face – it’s the sense of self and personal reflection / comment that shines through. People feel comforted knowing that they are in this world – a reality check, and the more “cross referencing” and “self awareness” certainly distils the notion of being alive, being “here”. It might well be linked to a selfish drive, to see yourself, before any other possibility – to put everything you see into your own context, see it for your perspective. It is interesting watching Poppy grow, how she is fascinated by her own reflection, we’ve not taught her that – so it must be wired into our brains to “self recognise” before anything else. It also interesting to think that a babies face, is no the first that it sees, it is “mum and dad”, but the selfish drive, seems to override that impulse to “need to see” a parents face, more than its own reflection…Perhaps it is that fascination of seeing from your own eyes, to know that what you see is from your own, unique perspective – and to see a reflection or image of yourself in a different position strikes the brain as the ultimate dichotomy. The study of the self is a fascinating, but massive area – surely the very crux of philosophy!…I do like opening these cans of worms and fishing with them.

Anyway…Since projecting the “winners” on the wall, I place the trumpet against the corner, “upside-down” (small end on the ground) and see it as some sort of tombola. I video myself throwing newspaper sheets into the opening, filling it up with pages and pages of supplements, old news and adverts. The collection of information, like a rubbish heap or piles of protective wrapping paper holds resonance with my ideas of being overloaded with information, the idea that all that text, pictures, numbers, laid out on paper surrounds us, informs us and exposes us to the world, but is also never-ending, the layering of strata day by day – for what? Is this pile of information part of who we are? Not every word within a paper necessarily speaks for us – but when we buy the paper, we are buying into that editorial position, so how can we base our opinions on scantly read “fact” that is also based on a bias perspective.

The idea of “competition” presented in the “putting a name in a hat” (tombola) is evident – I reversing the footage, and the paper magically floats out (out of shot), as if these messages are flying off to their winning owners. Aesthetically, it’s quite mesmerising to watch, but I think that it also works on a conceptual level. I like the absurdity of the footage (reversed), a towering tombola, spitting out information, with “winners” displayed next to it certainly has got my fellow mfa students creating “imaginary people”, the stories these names create, the places and ages that support the developing narrative is quite exciting. I think I might write “thank you” letters from the “winners”. I should even search the names, to see if these people actually exist – perhaps even reducing the odds, to include the age or town of the randomly created “person”…the possibilities (again) are endless!

I buy and stick the times to the Full Stop today.

bbc tells lies...shock horror. (not really)

I set to work in dissecting and comparing my practice with other artists’ work (it’s the only area I’ve not really researched (compared to the area of news / newspaper / stories of trust / truth within the new (gold today, as all the stories about the BBC faking phone competitions and creatively editing footage of the queen and conservative MPs hanging out with Labour(!)))). I think of all the artists I’ve been looking at already, and then “flip” the assessment, what work am I producing, that works on some conceptual or visually comparative level? I’ve been thinking about the “tribal” (or primitive) aspect of the “horns” and the “war paint” (newsprint on hands after reading / sticking papers), and I’ve been thinking of Jake and Dinos Chapman’s McDonalds sculptures, “fake” African / primitive art deifying McDonalds imagery …I found a few reviews, and texts on the work, so that’s cool. I’d read too that Willie Doherty’s work critiques media / medium, using cinema / documentary to tell fictitious stories, and vice versa. I’ll need to read up more, to find the relevance, but some paragraphs might back up some research / ideas.

I also decide to write an email to Rainer Ganahl, just to see if I can get a reply, about his thoughts on “the media” (if he is interested in the way news portrays a story, or is he only interested in “the story” ?) lets hope I get a reply…but, he’s probably “affa busy” getting ready for the Venice Biennale. Watch this space.

As I’d said earlier, the BBC is in a spin today about all of the revelations of faking / lying to the public about competitions (phone ins) and clever editing of news footage (the queen “storming out” of a photography session, when actual fact, the “storm” was before the incident of the photographer asking her to take off her crown)… It’s fantastic for me, headline news, deep questioning and answers from the director general, Mark Thompson – “trust” and “truth” and “honesty” are banded around in the stories – it’s again, as if I’d predicted a major news story (remember the Scottish Election results fiasco?) I’ve noted all the URLs on the BBC, ITV and channel 4. It’s interesting watching the different “levels” of inquiry from Jon Snow (C4) to Huw Edwards (BBC). Jon Snow, unapologetic and difficult as ever (great stuff), and Huw, crawling, and almost apologetic (stuttering) when asking about “resignations” (to his “ultimate boss”)…it’s very interesting to see the BBC news “question” itself, technically. Impartiality, my arse.

One idea to come out of this story, was a “random winner generator”, to which I made in 1 hour. I think this would be great, projected somewhere in Gray’s on the night of the MfA opening…Perhaps some further inquiry, into the “random names” generated, actually exist. All of the first and last names were taken from Census information, so it is entirely possible…Some Tacita Dean-esque chasing ghosts might be interesting…perhaps even creating a small cash prize of £1 for each “winner” and sending them it, might lead to a line of work……..ah, so many ideas, so little time. It’s amazing to think that so many ideas can come out of (what appears to be) so little seeds.

I stuck the Daily Mirror onto the Full Stop Today.

Good day for research

I’ve really tapped into a seam of amazing contextual referencing to my practice today…After reading the Phiadon book on Thomas Hirschhorn cover to cover in one day, I’ve cross referenced, researched and gained more insight into his work, and from several page returns, have been linked to other artists:

Jim Hodges – “the Good news”, This is a fantastically subtle work, Hodges has taken the New York Times and covered it in gold leaf. I like the double (if not triple) edge to this work. First impressions are, that this is a celebration of “the right news”, a liberal open minded newspaper, worthy of dipping in gold, and regarding as a winning trophy, the sheer gusto and ostentatious objectification of a daily newspaper, who happens to “speak for the artist”…on deeper probing, the name “the Good News”, is also a biblical reference – the bible…this is where my thinking starts to creep into negative realms, is Hodges goading the publication into a false sense of heightened status (surely no publication could be worthy of higher praise than “the bible”? – don’t get me started, of course I disagree!) – but the biblical reference also carries further, the sense that “thou shalt not worship false idols”, it’s not in the shape of an ox – but it could certainly be seen as a some blasphemous golden totem, certainly fitting with the right wing politics criticism of the paper in the US. It’s also interesting to think that this idolisation of the paper, the adorning it in gold leaf, has actually rendered the paper worthless – that is you can’t read it, you can not gain information or fact, or even liberal opinion from it – mute. If I could experience this work in the flesh, I would see if any relief would be visible from the ink through the gold leaf…this is quite a poignant note, the internet certainly can open up new areas of information, but it still does not afford me the “full picture”. I am finding it very difficult to find anything about this work (text wise)…so I will have to base my opinions on only a handful of small images, and few lines of text describing the dimensions and materials…so you can’t take my word for it!

Eleanor Brown – newpaper. Speaking of gold, I struck it here. On an internet page, http://www.artvehicle.com/ArtvehicleMailer/issue12/index.html under a Hirschhorn article, I see “newpaper” (not Newspaper) a newspaper that critiques newspapers in an artistic context (http://www.thenewpaper.co.uk/ I was amazed too!). It’s even got an article in it by Rainer Ganahl…this is too good to be true! I frantically try and find an online shop that sells it…but fail (well, a Canadian website has one for $2 + $10 pnp…so I avoid that). But, I do find their “hard to find” website, with a contact email of Eleanor, so I write a mail to her, asking if I can have a copy (lets hope I am not too late). I’ve sent her this blog address, and told her about my lines of inquiry and how my practice is shaping up for the MfA…so, I’ll let you know when she gets back to me (like the positive thinking there?)

To top off my serendipity, I find an interview with Thomas Hirschhorn and Rainer Ganahl – the two artists I’d set out to explore fully when exploring the area of special study – information within the media in a fine art context. (both display an overpowering sense of confusion, bias and power within their works)…This has been a great day for my research. Now all I have to do is put it into some thoughtful writing!

I pasted the press and journal onto the Full Stop, as Gabi bought it for the house section.

daily record - delightful (where's the smiley to denote disgust? :7(

Today’s paper is the Daily Record (another delightful voice of the nation, with calm, measured reportage…only kidding). It’s a piffling 26 pages, full of spurious and typically tabloid tripe. (you see! It’s affecting the way I speak! (type Phil, type). Perhaps this could be something to think about – a performance where I only talk in puns and alliteration? – I like the sound of that. What is it with alliteration and puns in tabloid headlines? This is the very nub of my research, the way that information is presented to people, what is it that tabloids want to convey? To me, a pun, or alliteration in this context clearly devalues the validity, or even gravitas of a story. Up Yours Delores, is a classic sun Anti European headline…how grown up is it?! – the capacity to educate and intellectually instruct nearly 8 million readers and they always default to bullying, school yard, childish, puerile (enough with the adjectives) tactics. Is it any wonder that the UK has such piss poor communication, neighbourly and tactful skills. It’s an obvious area of criticism, but, I just dispair, and want it to change…chickens and eggs? (this is where my idea of swapping out the sun front cover, for an independent (with sneaky sun logo) would be great…just once…

prince CD....zzzzz

Sunday papers!….I am suckered into buying the Sunday mail…for the prince LP (and yes, it is dull as I expected). It’s a massive paper (let alone all the bumf magazines / leaflets and detritus that falls from it) . I add it to the Full Stop, photograph my hands and go home.

I am getting worried about my inability to start “properly” the dissertation…I’ve written about 700 words or so now, but they just don’t seem to cut the mustard. I to and fro from the real meat of my inquiry…it’s probably because I still don’t quite know how, or what it is I want to say. Another sleepless night mulling over the consequences of failing the MFA, all because “Phil the non writer” couldn’t write 10000 words on something interesting…so, I keep arguing with myself, if you can talk it, if you can converse in it…then why can’t you write it? (it must have some subconscious fear of school, and my inability to academically perform there, and the distinct lack of help from any teacher whilst there (other than the art teachers and techie drawing teachers!)…..anyway….I digress, “just fucking do it Phil, write something, and something will happen”…

Blah blah…this blog’s word count is around 16,000 so far….are any of these words worth more than “bordering pub philosophy” ? (thanks Jo, you certainly know how to keep your students weary of becoming competition).

Paint it black

Friday is a late start; Gabi and I decide to take poppy swimming at Westhill – but the timetable has changed. We head back home and have some dinner. I head in for 1pm. I buy a guardian for the “full stop” project. Once pasted onto ball, I think about the ink that is always deposited onto my hands. I think of it like war paint, a “tribal mark” from the specific paper I am touching. I think about photographic portraits, with ink marks on my face – I take photographs of my hands to start with. I need to ink up my face (perhaps paint my face, with newspaper colours – much like my old maple “black is back” photo shoot?)

Thinking about the newspaper “speech bubble” above my head, every time I walk into the room, I think about a digital version – that could be displaying “real-time” headlines…I like the idea that this projection could appear to be people’s thoughts or opinions, or even thoughts and opinions forced upon someone that walks under them…this makes me think of the possibility of tracking people with a web cam, and displaying the bubble above the person as they walk past the wall…I like the idea of visible opinions forced upon people, it’s a dictatorship of technology, another thing the viewer can’t escape from – other than “get out of its view” – I set up a very basic test of a bubble, moving back and forth, with “random” (from a list of 14 made up titles) headlines. I project it onto the wall and discover that the bubble is far too large, perhaps I need to shift the projector position (longer shot, bigger area). All of these Ideas need to be assessed, and I’ll discuss the merits with Steve next week about them, which one’s he feels are strong…and which ones are just a waste of time (none of them! As I’ve said, this to me is like a crash course of practice generation…A much needed splurge of creativity in such a wonderfully large space – something I’ve not been afforded all year). I’ve got the energy, I’ve just got to prove that I can do it all (dissertation, ideas generation, ideas editing & execution – to a finalised MFA standard). (Energy YES, Quality NO…thanks Thomas).

I paint the trumpet inside black…and I get the feeling that this object is now looking like a rather silly macho prop, a red and black phallic celebration of power…in a rather jovial, cartoon way (a cardboard floppy trumpet…) Perhaps it is “ridiculous”, I’ve heard Hirschhorn talk about feeling “ridiculous” in front of his art, and I can see how that works now, it’s the questioning of my own sense of taste, my own parameters of expectation. Perhaps making “stupid things” is a needed way forwards for me, to loosen my sense of aesthetics up, to remove the need to have a “beautiful object” as my “art”. The best thing about making sculptural forms out of cards, is it is cheap! – I need to save money, and this helps. I also like the lack of care I have for the objects (only time is “wasted”, but not when I learn something from this process). I can apply, remove, bend, kick, throw, paint, squash…do anything to these grand “sketches”. I like working in this material.

Questioning Practice

Susie and I head in for Uni at around 10.30. It’s a slow start to the day…coffee, cake, chat, more chat…so shuffling towards computers and switching them on… I need paint, I am going to paint the trumpet red today (because I was told to? – no, I was going to try “other things” anyway…bah!) – Red paint 1.99, Black paint, 1.99, invisible string 90p – being told that the computer tech can’t be arsed helping the MFA people sort out internet connections to their rooms, as he’s more focused on going on holiday, priceless.

I’ve got a few ideas to work on today; I am slowly building a visual vocabulary, and actually understanding it. I can see links and similarities in the exploration of themes, with some of my “tricks” I have acquired. I understand it’s why the tutors want to see me use things they know I am good at (graphics and computer skills), but, I also think I make interesting sculptural objects too – so I am going to use everything I feel I can – because I can.

I paint the trumpet red and I like the fact it’s got resonance with my “viewing a newspaper through a red light” idea (in sketch book). It’s great to see things turn out different to that which you expected it to (solid red, nope!).

I decide to film myself in the corridor reading the Independent newspaper – I want to merge the work of my paper exploration, with my recent “my problem” video. I think that this work could be the perfect way of “starting the show”, to have me projected outside the room, as if invigilating the show. I like the sense of time if conveys, the lack of clarity on “what paper” I am reading. I can envisage the projection next to the same chair I sit in, in the video, with a newspaper (of the day) on it, to create some weird “waiting line” – offering a sense of camaraderie – sit with the artist, in silence and contemplate the contents of the newspaper (dictated) on the seat. This “work” takes a matter of a half an hour to film, capture and project back into the space. I show the guys (Susie, Mary & Jonathan), and they all see to engage with it, a sense of awareness of the institution, this work is running on several parallels, the critique of the uni (waiting for news to happen), the sense of time wasting and the sense of gaining news (nee fact / opinion) from a single newspaper (the body of my questioning). I like the confusing sense of the work – you can’t see the paper, you don’t know what I am reading, why I am reading, am I reading? – it’s all coming together for me, I think…all my work seems to knit together to create a large body of varying informative practice. I am interested that some of the work, makes me think of “my practice”, and not the “obvious” sense of “questioning news”. This (I think) is the work that might seem obvious (in a practical sense), but is invaluable for me to question why I made it, is it helping me gain a deeper sense of visual vocabulary? Am I just “making something that looks like art?”

I also create a “speech bubble” out of the P&J, I mask (censor) names, genders and information I am not interested in (sport, mostly). It’s not as rigorous as It could be (I’d blank the whole sports page out), but it’s only a start, a sketch – I can see lots of speech bubbles, from many papers, all with lots or little “editing” on them, hanging as a work – It’s the deconstruction of the “overloaded” trumpet idea I have, disassemble the trumpet into parts that have more strength on their own. It’s funny to think that Joanne seemed to see things literally (or expect to see them) as paired down ideas, which are still open (it’s that hook that is required – to retain interest), but simplicity to allow the work to breath and not overpower, or unnecessarily confuse the viewer…certainly a difficult task, and I guess that’s where my practice needs to be, a removal of the need to “tell”, and let something “just exist”, which happens to also inform the viewer of my position (be that confusion of what / where news is, or anger at tabloids etc).

I keep thinking that it might be nice to have a large metal trumpet in the room, with all the video feeds of recorded news (ideally live sky / bbc / itv / channel 4 / fox / cnn / aljezeria etc (not all news progs are 24/7) – so recordings they will have to be. It’s that mechanical / over simplified broadcast, of a complex, turbulent, confusing cacophony with a metallic ring to it that would be quite powerful…. I need to make all the “possibilities” and then edit and compound my decisions to keep or discard.

I also decide to resurrect the “mind map” of my days, but to make them individual mind maps (more manageable sizes – the previous “14 day in one file” took ages to load in, and will be a nightmare to print). Anyway, I’ve decided to try and mind map all of the ideas I have (of merit) during the day, and to try and expand them from physical activities, as well as “fired off ideas” from developments…

At night, I head back in to paper the “full stop” with the Guardian.

jo and tom crit

Well, as imagined, the crit with Jo and Tom was helpful and damming at the same time. Criticality on “sketches” (works in progress) are quite damming, shutting down possibilities, before I’ve had a chance to let them come to anything on their own accord. It’s like showing someone a sketch – and telling them to imagine a finalised painting… Granted, I do talk about the work “as is”, and try to explain that it is “a first step”, a start, the very beginning of my practice in such an open space (something non of us have been afforded this year, till now). They stroll in asking about the final show, how all of the stuff they see in front of them (literally) will work in this space, how much, where, why etc. I don’t think this is the right time to talk about that – I am not ready to talk “final show” – I have several plates spinning, and I need to know which ones to let crash to the floor and which ones to deftly keep spinning…

The horn takes a beating from Jo, she finds it contrived, and “overloaded” with meanings – it’s not paired down enough (not rigorous), as I try to explain, this is THE first work in the space, and I so happened to “trap it in time” with ideas (putting tabloids on the outside, and broadsheets on the inside (close to my “voice”)), which creates only disappointment for them. Again, I see where they are coming from, but it’s interesting to think that they deal with things so literally (critically), without letting a possibility breath (these, again, I stress are not finished works). We talk of the use of the paper, Jo isn’t interested in the “obviousness” of the positions of the papers (pub philosophy was mentioned at one point, thanks!) – but these are things I want to discuss, just because they are not interested in them, am I wrong? (be strong, is the message I am getting). Tom likes the trumpet shape, the flower like qualities, the broadcastability – but he (more constructively) tells me it is “overloaded”, several ideas shoehorned into one sculpture. I will try to separate the concepts, to compartmentalise the elements. I think it’s fair to say that the “sun vs guardian” is un-necessary and I need to look at refining the use of the paper in the sculpture – “it looks like papier-mâché” – I need to think more about the covering – red & gray might be a possibility, I might also think about just using headlines – making tabloid and broadsheet indistinguishable.

They are more positive about the newspaper ball (“full stop”) – because of its paired down “it is what it is” appearance. They liked the idea of the layering of the paper (again, avoid stripping paper, use whole sheets). I can turn it into a layering diary, a calendar – turning the ball into a large strata documentation of daily opinion (nee news). The augmentation of documentation of a trail of what paper, when , what date etc would sit beautifully as a companion for the full stop – it’s the opportunity to create a static “tomb” alongside what appears to be a never-ending account of its content. It’s the simplicity and clarity of the work – self contained – and this is the nub of any artwork – it should “speak for itself” – no need for a statement, knowledge of historical development – the difference between a sketch and a realised work (not to say that it is “complete” – as these works SHOULD move on and live in other forms.) The only “problem” with the ball, is that it is too small “cheating” would be the only option at the moment – to create a larger skeleton underneath, to then apply a larger surface area of papers onto it. It would be interesting to see that over time, as the ball grows, not one paper would cover the surface, giving rise to the opportunity to see the past papers. I’d imagine that the ball would have to be enormous – that’s not going to happen in the next 6 weeks…but, these points must be considered.

I quickly show them “my problem” (me writing lines in the nude). It is incredible the response they have, where I see nudity as a form of honesty – vulnerability, they see it as voyeurism. It again becomes a sort of battle between who’s right and wrong (not literally, as that’s impossible in art), but the battle between who’s understanding of a concept (or direction it takes) is “more valid” – I get the “I didn’t think about that at all”, but I did, so am I “wrong”, and they have it down? This ties in with the need for a work to “stand on its own”. Again, I confuse myself (by not understanding the complex formalities and language “fine artists” operate within: the idea that an artwork must be contained that it speaks for itself, yet is ambiguous and creates discourse – the opportunity for the viewer to get out of the work what they will, to stimulate and titillate the senses. How is anyone supposed to be able to tick all of those boxes in one work ? Jo and Tom are very confident that their work operates perfectly in these ways – ambiguous but accurate, specific but open. Me and my logical brain just can’t take this level of (apparent) contradiction. They do agree that this back to back video work is “strong” – they appreciate that the history of it, how I came about making it (as a reaction to criticism from them) is enough to merit its life, and it is also “open” enough to be interesting and engage someone without knowing that I am writing, that I am chastising myself (“my problem”) The title suggests a two sided argument (or approach too), it’s my problem that I have to deal with these critiques as an adult and as a practicing artist (for it is my choice to present myself as so, choosing the MFA and not the Mdes) but also as an open statement : “my problem with….” I feel very strongly about this work, and I think it is that confidence that carries my talking about it – I understand the work, but it still gives me plenty to think about when I see it.

Tom talks on the whole about the space, the knowledge of what will be in the space (again, a bit early to talk definitively about it), but I hear him – minimal and focused is the order of the day. They are concerned that I am attacking too many things and that I am not fully focused on the creation and critiquing of the work, but I still feel within me that I need to explore lots, to know where I need to go. Tom does point out that it is great to see such a level of activity, the engagement of action – making, testing a practice – but it is the level of my criticality that is the apparent problem. Jo says it is apparent that I am capeable of creating interesting ideas, and can easily sketch ideas that might address my questioning, but she advises that I need to slow down, and focus on one thing at a time – to really extract and assess the options a work can afford me. This is all good advice, but I felt I tried to be “critical” last semester, but was noted that “you seemed to do more work last semester” (sem 1). So I am going for LOTS of stuff to show that I can create ideas, and then hone them (perhaps, again, Jo and Tom are talking to me on a Doctorate level, and forgetting that this is coming to the end of an MFA?). At the moment, I still want to create to critique, to have an arsenal of visual language to play, edit and react to. I don’t think that this is the time for me to pair down so much, it’s like tring to put a lid on something I should be celebrating. I’ll leave that for the last 2 weeks after the dissertation hand in…ah…that’s right, I need to write a dissertation…best get on with that too…(shite).

I again go back into Gray’s at night, to make a start on the “Full Stop” ball, I’ve created a mock newspaper – to document the paper, day, headline(s) and sub headings. It’s such a laborious task, sticking sheets of paper do a deflating ball…perhaps that’s a metaphor in itself! – I also need to mix up some paints to start playing with colour on the horns… I need to start thinking about morphing the horn idea into a paired down focused execution. I have sketched in my book, that I’d like to have several inputs into the horn, newsreaders from channels, me reading newspaper, all blasting through to one cacophony. I’ll need some more pipes, and some more cones. I’d also like to try and create some very small metal horns, perfectly made, as opposed to the shoddy (but interesting) card models. I need to phone Barkley Maitheson’s steel merchants to get my large sheets of steel, for the hearing aid for a shed…so much to do!…….

more cardboard horns.

I head to the Library to check if the book I ordered is in (Trust in Technology). It is! and it’s not too scary a book, It mostly (from a quick scan) talks about the trust of computer systems (vis-à-vis Nuclear Power Plants, Air Traffic Control etc). But, there are some interesting quotes I can see coming out of it already.
“Through learning to trust others, we learn, one way or another, to trust things and likewise, through learning to trust material things, we learn to trust abstract things…” (Silverstone)

I also pick up a gutter from B&Q, to hopefully turn into my waterfall for projecting onto (see sketchbook). More of that later, but I also pick up masking tape, to replace the stuff I “borrowed” from Susie. I have also picked up some new cardboard from Costco, and set about creating a new model for the “Hearing aid for a shed”. This time, I make the template less fluted, as the previous experiment folded back on itself. This one is more “functional” and simple – I could afford to put a little more fluting on it, but as it stands, it looks very commendable as a sculpture. I also set about covering it with newspaper too, like the previous model. I like to see it as recycling – or should I say “re-contextualising”. It is interesting the opportunities these unforeseen situations throw up. The ease and quickness of creating these models is helpful, I can create many different sizes, and play with them, I will endeavour to make several smaller ones and try connecting spaces, as I had talked about before, to create an anonymous “confessional”, or simple, lo tech “eavesdropping” device. The culmination of all of these ideas based on the theme of this one trumpet have spiralled into some new forms, I have been thinking about putting several “inputs” into the horn, videos of me reading newspapers (sun, guardian, times, mail etc). The resulting cacophony would be interesting to hear…much like Bruce Nauman! – work work work…it’s my new mantra.

I've uploaded a few of the videos I have shot (studio testing) over the last few days, but I noticed that there was no sound...I'll fix that tomorrow.

Jo an Tom tomorrow, I’ve got a lot to show and tell, I just hope that my “language” (and contextual awareness) is up to scratch.

Finding Artists info

Again, trawling sites for info on varying views and extremes in opinions on news sites. I’ve also started trying to find research material on several artists which I think are working within the same realms of my work. Thomas Hirschhorn is a big influence on me, It’s funny, when I first saw his work, I thought it was “ a load of rubbish” (which it is!), but I failed to see the relevancy of his work. It is in direct comparison to the direction I am moving in, a questioning of media / culture / politics and religious communication. Since seeing him talk about his work on the Tate shorts (podcasts) I have begun to appreciate his work far more. I have also looked at his history (on wikipedia) and found that he was once a graphic designer, with the group “Grapus”, which: “which sought to combine excellence of design with a social conscience”…
His use of “rubbish” to make installations to question the turbulent, confusing presentation of opinion, fact, truth, fiction within today’s media outlets has strong overtones of the very media he is critiquing is itself “rubbish”. To me, it is a simple, obvious (and very needed) point to create discourse with such throwaway materials. The simplicity of the material vocabulary certainly clashes and fights with the often overly complex and multifarious elements within his installations. The sheer scale of the work often engulfs the viewer in a tsunami of references – it is this immersion of the senses, bombarding them with a myriad of cultural, political and social codes, bastardised and gruesomely rubbished, that create the very idea of all the “information” to exist in guttural forms - trash tabloids, overly opinionated websites, gratuitously bias television stations etc. It is sheer coincidence that my current work (cardboard trumpets, plastered in newspapers) is like Hirschhorn’s work, the experimental construction of cardboard sculptures – to test how they “might” work as steel sculptures has resulted in a new avenue of exploration for me. The use of low grade materials and less care of “production” and more care of the ideas within the work have risen to the surface. Like Hirschhorn says in the podcast: “energy yes, quality no”. I could not agree more in these last few weeks of the MFA…I need to be energetic, I need to create work, in order to react to it, and learn from it. I can not sit on my arse and expect a “brilliant idea” to pop in there – I must create to critique, and critique to create. If I slow down, my momentum and direction will suffer – work work work, as Bruce Nauman would say.

Steve also recommended the other day that I look at "the road to war" - Rainer Ganahls. Now this is also another excellent artist, who is looking at media representation of news and especially the Iraq war. He has been learning languages and repeating statements like “I am not a terrorist” (in Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Spanish etc). His site is a massive repository for his past works, with simple pages of photographs of tv news shows, historical works (lecture theatre series) etc. I have to spend more time checking it out, to get a full handle on it, but I do believe that this work will help me inform my practice, a great deal.

It’s scorchio today, so we take the boat down the Dee, and leave Poppy at Gabi’s mum’s place. Gabi’s dad comes with us today too, he’s testing out his inflatable kayak, which turns out to be quite good! Needless to say, the first “boating of the summer” is just what I needed, some clarity and calm, before my writing storm. Procrastination, but with style.

getting naked

I collect several large boxes from Costco, so I can make the mock-up of my “hearing aid for a shed”. I had a brainwave in getting the template onto the card…I designed the template for one section on the computer, and projected it onto the card, and drew round it – perfect! I then created 6 panels and set to work taping them together. I found that the “flute” of the trumpet, if flared, makes it curve back round on itself (see photo). It’s very helpful to see this in card and 3d, before making the “real thing” out of steel (which I still need to buy).

I also filmed my idea from yesterday about my reaction to “it looks like you are trying to make something that looks like art”. I made sure that there was a sign on the door “do not enter” (stating the time (17.42)) I took off all my clothes and set up the cameras and equipment, and filmed me writing lines of “I must not make something that looks like art” for 10 minutes, until the A3 sketch book page was filled. The idea of the work is based on chastising, “naught boy” – academic (school scenario) and vulnerability. The technical aspect (aesthetic) I am also thinking about, in the execution of the work, is the double projection. It’s a filtration of the idea I had for “seeing a subject at one time from many angles” ( the sixteen camera request that was so deftfully ignored by Iain). Once I had executed this, it made me think about the application of the technique to some of the ideas I had about bias in newspapers. In my sketchbook, I had drawn an idea for the “combat” of left and right political positions in newspapers (sun Vs guardian) : back to back projections, set against a wall, so people can not walk round it, to make the relative positions “ambivalent” - I will augment the two ideas, so I could vide myself reading news papers from left (the guardian) and right (the sun). I have also thought about the inclusion of costume, to dress as one would expect a stereotype to dress (white van man vs suit / casual liberal) (?)…

I try to quickly play the two videos back through the two projectors, but I don’t have all the right cables, I will bring them in tomorrow and test it, to see what it looks like in the space.

boogerall

I’ve been searching more news pages and copying the screen dumps into the director program. Not much more today…trying to have at least one relaxing day.

Special Study - coming together

Today I really get to grips with my Special Study.
I’ve been humming and haring about what it actually is I want to talk about, I’ve been swaying between truth, trust, technology, implementation, interpretation and media…but I am now solidifying my thoughts, and aiming for the questioning of media (how it is delivered, the extremes in bias, the ambiguity of so much information, how and who can “we” trust to tell us factual, neutral information…)

I’ve started to formulate a plan of attack; I’ve created a skeletal template for the dissertation. I have also spoken to Chloe (Gabi’s wee sister), and she’s recently finished an MA in Edinburgh, so she has a good idea of the sort of structure and planning I should be implementing…very helpful.

I’ve also started to formulate a plan of research, now I know the direction I am headed in. I have been trawling websites looking at some of the basic search words – conservative, liberal, news, watchdogs, rightwing, leftwing, racist, Christian and Muslim. I have been using google as the main portal for searching sites, but when I reach a site with many more external links, I can often wander off and get lost in the myriad of interconnections.

I have also found YouTube a fascinating source of material. It is incredible the networking feature of the site, searches can return interesting videos to watch, but the list of “associated” videos in a menu on the right hand side of the site is a very rich research seam to mine. I am also interested in the criteria for search returns (in YouTube and google). When searching for “liberal”, it is interesting to note that there are returns for “conservative truth” (citing “the real truth, not that liberal hogwash”) – so as I can see, the knowledge that these bias sites have of the opposition, ensures that they can fight for their voice to be heard, even if a search word is entered that is the direct opposite of their content.

I have created a director program that I save my visited sites as screen dumps, and I will use these in some animated form (I am thinking a blizzard of screens, flickering at an unreadable pace – this (I feel) sums up the magnitude of my task, I’ve been overwhelmed by the countless sites, offering opinion (“fact” to most of the sites), and I certainly do feel lost and confused as to what I can believe and what I have to take as propaganda. This very notion makes me think of the cultural, historical and opinions we all face in our lives, which shape us into who we are, and what we stand for. How can two 11-year-old kids sing race-hate songs, and not question the moral and ethical implications of their actions? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcB03eD8c30) - Muslim kids being brainwashed too, into hating people, ideas and ways of life (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw2EisVqKZ4)

trumpet part 3

I finished pasting the newspapers (broadsheets) onto the trumpet’s interior today, I also created an extension to fit onto the end of the horn (a mouthpiece), which is slightly too big, so I insert it from the inside and jam it into position (the extension is now about 30 cm inside the funnel, but in the final steel structure, I’d ensure that the extension was the same size as the end of the trumpet structure, so I could weld it in place flush. I have also inserted a large blue tube (that Mary supplied), and I played it like a didgeridoo whilst videoing it. When playing the “instrument” I started experimenting with the didg techniques I know – one of which worked particularly well, “talking” down the pipe while droning sounded great. I spoke “read all about it” as the drone carried on, the distortion and illegibility adds to the confusion. When I showed Gabi the video, she said it reminded her of a tribal war cry (I’d been thinking of the “horns of Helms deep” in lord of the rings (http://www.tuckborough.net/fortress.html#Helm's)) – the use of tribal instruments to “rally troops” – to spread a message to a specific set of people, “music” to some, terror and impending conflict to some. It’s the tribal nature of these simple forms (drums might be an option too – created from “newspaper skins”) adds to my feelings of a “base nature” in all these newspapers – gangs of “types” thinking that their paper is “the truth” and defence of their position is paramount to the survival of the doctrine.

Crit with Steve H

I have a crit with Steve Hollingsworth today. He seems to be far more relaxed and positive when dealing with us (the MFA students) now. I start my usual bumbling, nervous chat about my work, without a solid plan to talk about (I thought I did, but when I sit with him, it’s always quite a nervy thing to do)…I talk about the trumpet for a shed, and how I’d like to use these as conduits for discourse between rooms, I’d like to link up the others work, to a central “hub”, so people can listen in to criticisms and comments about work etc – the removed, eavesdropping enabling the participate to question their thoughts on what they have already seen, or are about to see, swayed by opinions from others… I start to talk of collating data from various inputs, and re-interpreting them “from the hub”…All of these ideas based on “truth and trust” – within a technological context, which steve seems interested in, offering suggestions of how and where inputs could come from.

I then show him the ideas in my sketch book I had the day after I last spoke to him, all reactions to news and information (not specifically a critique on technology, but that of media) – This seems to stimulate him far more than the previous conversation, he even drops in that the previous ideas were “limited” and “parochial” (why didn’t he say that before? – again, more evidence he’s promoting, and positive about our directions). I get through about 4 of the pages (there are 10 in total) of my sketches for possible installations – all of which Steve nods and approves. His comments are that I seem to have all the raw materials to start working with, I need to solidify and form these sketches into a reality, so I can them react to them (I couldn’t agree more). He is particularly keen to see the juxtaposition of old Vs new forms of media delivery (newspapers Vs internet). I have talked about the change in scope of how people expect to see news, how people are far more reliant on the web for “up to the minute news”, whereas newspapers have become almost obsolete (in the capacity to tell the news), they have become organs for opinion and advertisement, lifestyle and trivia (the mirror is “the official paper to the big brother house”). Steve picks up on 2 of the works I have shown, the “carcass” inspired (Steve’s crushed car) ball of newspapers: a dead weight of redundant news. He likes the idea of a massive solid ball of “old news”, juxtaposed with my other installation of data projections from up to the minute news sites, onto “ethereal” surfaces (water, smoke etc). I also need to explore the use of raw data, within a programming context – experimentation with live, unknown data would lead to several experiments to which I wouldn’t have a clue what the outcome would be. Problem is, there are no internet connections in my room (I speak to John Welsh later about installing a live port). All in all, Steve is happy with the direction of my work, he just wants to see it solidifying. I talk briefly (and show my few words) for the dissertation, he doesn’t offer much criticism, but does warn me to keep the discourse within a fine art context. He does say “note the historical and philosophical influences, but stick to fine art” – sound advice I thought. A good day with Steve is worth its weight in gold...no, make that platinum. I also give steve a CD comp...see what he thinks of:

beauty pill - mule on the plane
mr bungle - pink cigarette
scorn - sleep when home
techno animal - monophobic
porch - bulbous head
shellac - wingwalker
iain ballamy - julienne
mike patton - insect hororscopes
jamie lidell - game for fools
bjork - innocence
faxed head - bring the dead boy peace
fret - bike
elliot smith - LA
boom bip & doseone - art saved my life
burial - night bus
dead brothers - entre chein et loup
chris clarke - indigo optimus
1 speed bike - the day that mauro ran over el
battles - tras

I started pasting the newspapers I bought the other day onto the trumpet. I have decided to paste the tabloids on the outside of the cone – I’ve been thinking of my position in regards to tabloids Vs “broadsheets”, and I feel that tabloids are loud, brash and far from “my voice”, so they go on the outside of the cone – highly visible and on the other side of where my voice will be broadcast (when talking / speaking through the trumpet). I will paste the broadsheets inside the trumpet (tomorrow).

I have also set up the two video projections of me writing in the nude to show the other MFA students. I have some very flattering comments about the honesty and integrity of the work, Susie and Mary seemed quite moved by my openness and presentation of my feelings. When I look at this work I feel confident about it. This work has come from a reaction to the debilitating criticism that has haunted me for a while now : “It looks like you are trying to make something that looks like art”. I have constantly had this ringing in my ears, whenever I think about “making something”. After several conversations with tutors, I get the feeling they are “expecting me” to create some form of graphics, and use them within a fine art context – that’s fine, I aim to do work like this – the exploration of information conveyance in a graphic format (in news etc)…but there is also a side of me that wants to “make”, that wants to create installations, sculptures and other forms of art that do not include “my graphic skills” – and It is was the simple mistake of me proclaiming that I “am not a practicing artist” (at the start of the year, when I had no confidence to call myself “an artist”) that has given the tutors this idea that I am “fraudulent” if I attempt to create a sculpture: I get the feeling that If I’d proclaimed myself as a sculpture, creating anything that “looks sculptural” would have been less critically scrutinised with the knowledge that “this is what he does, therefore it must be art” – and not “oh, it looks like he’s trying to make art”. Needless to say, I needed to get my head out of my arse, and just start making things, ensure that the forms I create inform my language, my artistic vocabulary. It is my responsibility to add credibility to the work – and to do this, I need to “just create” – once something exists, I can then discount or accept this (“create to critique”). I will embrace everything I do as “my artistic practice” and will refuse to stick to someone else’s preconception of what they expect from me. From my inaction and fear of creating work – I have created a strong and powerful reaction. I have noted that this work is “audience specific”, in that it is a direct response to (what I feel) is unfair (or badly put) criticism to my developing practice.