PART 2 FROM STUDIO TO SITUATION post 3
EXERCISE
Using the space of the garden for an exhibition
Following post 1 in which I set out several alternatives for an exhibition of my work, I have spent time evaluating more thoroughly the concept of my garden as the space.
- The space has been the inspiration for the body of work. Since my interest is ‘sound’ has developed over the years, starting in Level I Painting, I have spent many hours exploring this aspect of my practice in the garden. It seems a logical progression to exhibit the work in this environment.
- The garden is a large natural space in which we encourage the natural world. There are many private spaces to exhibit particular images and to encourage a ‘listening’ sense.
- My aim in the work at this moment is to raise awareness of the immense beauty and uniqueness of the natural world and so the hope would be that , after experiencing the work, the viewers will feel a oneness with nature. Being in the garden with the work will strengthen the impact of this aim.
- In parallel with the physical space of the garden, I am thinking of exploring the production of a movie/ ideas on how to ‘listen’ to the earth in catalogue format.
- I want to include my poetry in some way.
- There are difficulties for access to my garden. Attending the exhibition would probably have to be by invitation in order to keep parking under control.
- The exhibition would have to be season dependent.
STUDIO PRACTICE
Part 2 work has been interrupted by the amount of time having to be spent in digitalizing my submission for MP and CS for resubmission from the March assessment. Added to the actual physical time needed to do this work, there were other factors. Firstly, there was the technical skills level. My computer skills are reasonable but, as in all technical knowledge and understanding, we are only proficient in those aspects which we actually use. It’s always a question of ‘need to know’. The digitalising of the work threw up several areas which I had no clue about and the time taken to work it out and the frustration that ensued, made this requirement very time consuming and stressful. This is a statement of fact, not a criticism, as Covid is making high demands on everyone.
The other quite unforeseen element of this exercise of resubmitting work for assessment, was the effect of re-evaluating work which I had moved on from. When I opened the portfolio I was surprised by my reaction. I realised that the creative process is constantly moving forward and that I am never in the same place from week to week. I found it enormously difficult to re-submit the work because it wasn’t an expression of where I am now. However it had to be done and I had to get myself into a positive mental place about the work.
Another challenge followed on from this. I then had to find my way back to the creative work I had progressed to before breaking off for the resubmission. This has taken more time that I would have thought. Consequently, at this point, there is not the usual amount of studio work to post about.
However, creatively, thought has been moving!
The most important development recently has been with my research. I have for a while been struggling to see where I could go with the concept of ‘Listening’ rather than seeing. Just as ‘seeing’ is a limitation of only one sense, ‘’listening’ too can be seen as limiting. The book, ‘The Spell of the Sensuous’ by David Abram was recommended reading for an ‘Art and Ecology discussion group’ and I found it was just what I needed for gaining an enlarged sense of my work. In essence, the book propels us beyond just seeing and hearing and stirs the reader into a total engagement in the natural world. On page 68, he writes, “We can experience things – can touch, hear and taste things – only because….we are ourselves included in the sensible field, and have our own textures, sounds and tastes. We can perceive things at all only because we ourselves are entirely a part of the sensible world that we perceive! We might as well say that we are organs of this world, flesh of its flesh and that the world is perceiving itself through us.” While there are many things I cannot agree with in the book, its basic premise that we are at one with the natural world and such a closeness allows for special forms of expression in art. It made me begin to adopt a more expanded viewpoint, a deeper bond with the earth, as part of my own being.
At this stage, I am not able to draw up any plan as to how these new ideas will develop. I’m taking tentative steps in the sketchbook, working with colour shapes and the written word, still focused on listening, to see where this leads.