Hi Blogspot ...
So, we've just had our first proper week at school (uni) and I'm still struggling with ideas.
I'm going off the two ideas I had over the summer holidays ... I'm not sure they're enough to stretch me - I think they might be 'safe' ideas. Is now the time to play safe or should I stretch and explore? I think the latter would score more points - and points is what I want. I WANT to come out of this degree with a First. I'm not going to get another chance to do a degree again, so I want to push myself as hard as possible and get a top grade. I'm willing to put the work in ... but do I have enough talent and academic ability to achive my goal? I'm not sure, but I hope so.
Anyway, back to now. I've been to the library, I've raided my bookshelves and I have about 15 books to look through for ideas. I'm interested in crazy textiles/fashion, mixed media with textiles, tailoring, metals, nature ... all sorts of things really.
I've done giant flowers in the past which got a mixed reaction from the tutors but the public love them ... and I do have a fascination with all things giant - sea creatures, vegetables - there's nothing better than a giant fish or marrow or cabbage!!! Perhaps I should go down the giant route again and make something huge that dwarfs the public as they look around it - something like a giant acquarium or vegetable patch in textiles?
Another idea would be something to do with crazy fashion. I used to hate the weird stuff that came down the catwalks as a teenage but now I love it! And it might tie in nicely with what I want to do after this degree ... I would like to teach fashion and textiles to age 18+ students. I have loads of experience with textiles but only my own dressmaking skills for the fashion part. Perhaps I should stretch and push that part of my ability? Will it be useful? Will it be relevant?
What I don't want to do is continue on down the path I have been going down which has been focused on my husband's schizophrenia and my role as his carer. I started doing work relating to that because I needed to get it out of my system - to release it. But I've done that now and I don't want to continue with it ... (a) because I'm no longer inspired to, and (b) because I find it quite depressing. Having dealt with it for the last 2 years, I need a break from it and want to do something more humourous this time. I love putting humour in my work - I've done it before and REALLY want to do it again.
However ... and I'm not sure if I'm being manouvered back towards the mental health arena by the tutors or if I'm subconsciously manouvering myself back there (the more likely answer) ... but I'm feeling pressure to stick with it because it's always given me high marks and the public like it. AND I've already been asked by my tutor WHY I want to explore say, giant fish or shells or whatever. A question I couldn't answer. With a personal piece - like my mental health work - it's easy to answer that question and I can make a political statement about it. With something like giant stuff, what is the reasoning behind me doing it and is there a statement there that I can make?
This then leads me to the question, do I have to make a statement or have a reason behind my work at all? Has every well known artist always had a reason behind their work or have they all made statements in their work? I don't think they have - I've got a picture of Monet's waterlillies in my head at the moment ... so if they haven't in the past, why do I need to now? Is this perhaps a good theme for my 4,000 word essay which I need to do in conjunction with my exhibition piece?
What I don't want to do is pigeonhole myself into one area or one medium - I have a very short attention span - always have had. I flit from one thing to the next - one minute I spend my time knitting, the next I do patchwork, then I have a love affair with the internet, then books ... I flit. I always will. It's who I am. That's why I have skills in most areas of textiles ... not just tapestry or cross-stitch or dress-making or embroidery. I do something for a while, get bored of it and move on to something else. Why can't I do this with my artwork? Where does it say that we have to stick to one thing?, that we have to have a personal message behind our work?, that we have to make political statements in our work in order for it to be fully appreciated? This is sounding like quite a good essay question to me ... ... !
Maybe this confliction (is that a word?) I'm having should be expressed in my artwork? Maybe I should question, within my artwork, what is art? Who decides? Why should my art always have a reason behind it? Does all art have a reason behind it? Do all artists only do work with reasons behind it?
So, dear readers ... this is where you start to see the reason behind my blogspot. All this stuff is jumbling around in my brain, day in, day out, like a mini tumbledryer. I need to get it down on paper (ok, screen). I'm not moaning about anyone in particular, anything in particular - in fact I'm not moaning at all ... I'm loving it. I'm using this blogspot as a sounding board. By the tutors questioning what I do, I then question myself about what I'm doing which then ends up in a right two and eight (state) in my head. By getting it out into the open, I can then look back at this and sort through what I'm trying to say and hopefully come to some sort of conclusion which will then result in a piece of artwork that is exhibitable ... and hopefully a decent essay question which I can ramble on about for 4,000 words!!!
Anyway, my head's fairly empty now which is a good thing and means that this blogspot has worked. I'll come back soon and ramble on about something else!!!
:o)
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4 comments:
Once I got over the shock of your blog showing up in my bloglines (I actually JUMPED!) and started to read what you said I think you've kind of answered a lot of your own questions. Also I think that this blog can act like a journal in just the same way a sketchbook would do- so you must remember to include it in your final handing in of stuff- either printed out or on a disc or something...Claire Platt used a blog for her studio journal at UWE although she had to explain to tutors why it was valid.
Also...how about starting with some of those ideas you had over the summer (which sounded cool) and then working with them to see where they take you- how about making a GIANT version of the patchwork? I can see lots of ways this could work, incorporating all kinds of techniques.
Or you could just make a giant cabbage.
... but do I have enough talent and academic ability to achieve my goal?
In a word? YES!!.
I wouldn't be surprised if your suspicions of being 'herded' back to last year's subject by certain tutors are very well founded. There was a suggestion last year from another student that certain tutors might try to make my art about my disability when in fact that bores the crap out of me and I want to talk about other things I find far more inspiring!
Sometimes the answer to why you want to explore something is just 'because I can' and that's enough. You don't need to justify your motives to anyone else in any way if YOU are getting a kick out of what you're creating. I think that's part of my problem, not giving a 'you know what' if anyone else 'gets my message' as long as I'm having fun with it and feel fulfilled as an artist.
Seriously, if you don't think it would be good for your 'head space' dwell on the mental health angle then don't. If you want to inject some fun and humour into your work this year, then go for it.
You've got the essay question sorted, I think (you're way ahead of me on that one! haha).
And I love the idea of a BIG knitted tumble dryer! You could also print these blogs out and incorperate them in your art :).
Milla ... that was my intention of starting up my blog again ... to add it as part of my Evidence of Study ... didn't I add that in my introduction bit? I meant to if I didn't.
Thanks though. You sound like a teacher rather than a fellow student mind!!!!
:o)
Art for art's sake. But I hope you find a balance between what you want and what the tutors like. Good luck.
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