Thursday 12th September
Attendees: Michele Whiting, Nikolas Head
- Tutorial began with questioning of the visual work produced, how it doesn’t seem to match standards set by previous work
- There was an obvious discordance between the thinking evidenced in the writing and the shallowness (my words) of the visual output
- Michele also discussed sensing frustration in the written work and asked me to elaborate
- I explained in some detail, difficulties and frustrations I am currently experiencing, not just with the immediate module, but the shift in the structure and expectations of the wider degree, which I feel that I have not been adequately prepared for.
- I am becoming disengaged and disinterested in the course, and am very confused and undirected in what I want to do now
- I’ve been asked to document these issues in more detail separately.
- We discussed how the depth of research and thinking is very good, but wasn’t manifested in the creative work
- There was an over-reliance on Wiki which I need to avoid: I was using it both for alacrity and also in relation to aspects that I felt need less qualification from an academic perspective e.g. definitions of words. I will look to use it only as an entry point into research, not as an evidentiary point of reference
- I recognise the importance of developing some form of archive or repository of content/ knowledge/ information/ work that I can easily – and intuitively – access
- I prefer the ‘repository’ to ‘archive’: archive has connotations of ‘being put away’, ‘stored and not looked at’
- This ‘repository’ should work not just to store information, but create connections between information, themes and work: the creative output should be considered an important part of this system
- Sketchbooks need to play a more important part in this repository – they may be the repository!
- We discussed the mapping connections exercise and its relative importance, despite its contrivance: my questioning of its practice and usefulness was discussed
- I feel that it’s very important to question the course requirements: questioning is the core activity of an artist. It would be remiss of me not to question what I am being asked to do, to not explore alternative ways of doing things. Isn’t developing our critical thinking and voice one of the main aims of this degree?
- I need to engage with more critical questioning of the materials in relation to subject – which materials are suitable to explore a subject? I need to experiment with different materials in relation to subject, especially when the material’s quality, haptics, tactility, nature, process of application is an important part of the overall creative process in relation to the subject
- We discussed the difficulties and frustrations I had with collage. I admit I’m not interested in it. I understand how it can be used, its importance as an entry point to painting, how it helps with considerations of form and content, different visual viewpoints – I just can’t make it work for me at the moment
- Michele recommended looking at the work of Kerry James Marshall, Michael Stubbs and Paula Rego’s work from the 1970’s. All used collage in a more painterly way
- I need to consider collage as a process – ‘skirmish with it from time to time’
- I recognise there are a lot (an awful lot) of iconic themes, big thoughts that have surfaced from the mapping connections and influences exercise: I think the overwhelm that I was unconsciously experiencing during the rest of the project as the result of surfacing that wealth was confusing, frustrating and disorientating me
- Michele and I discussed how I could simplify things down. She asked what immediately sprung to mind if I was asked to focus on one thing.
- For me that is the human figure, particularly the face, portraits. The figure and the face have always held a magnetic fascination for me
- Aside; I have discussed this fascination with my partner tonight, post tutorial, and she has asked me to consider why I have this fascination, why I keep emotionally and intellectually returning to this subject matter – these questions need examining
- Based on Michele’s suggestion, I am going to place this fascination with portraiture and the figure at the centre of my exploration throughout this module – along with an exploration of materials – and let all else orbit around it
- We discussed how to be more selective of the research material, so it aligns with this interest, and digest it with the intent of then exploring learnings from it in relation to portraiture and the figure.
- We spoke about how Project 2 is focused towards finding a voice and how ‘voices make portraits’
- Michele recommended tracking down and reading ‘Boom for Real’, the Basquiat exhibition catalogue 2017: I have ordered this!
- I have, tangentially, begun thinking about the evidentiary and diagrammatic art exercise as I work with a lot of diagrams and evidencing in my professional work. I have begun to think (too early, I know) about how a self-portrait could be realised as a wireframe
- We also discussed the confessional writing exercise – Emin came up in conversation. I have started to loosely think about how I become more vulnerable in my work.
- Work quickly, use the sketchbook to synthesise ideas – I am not good at keeping a sketchbook. It needs to be more than a sketchbook, it needs to be a journal, a diary, a map, an archive, a repository – I think back to the Small Moments work I did for UPM 1 (https://spaces.oca.ac.uk/nikolasheadpainting/category/assignments/assignment-5-a-diary-of-an-everyday-life/) – but bring that into sketchbook format
- Final thoughts: I need to find a way to shape the course material to meet my needs and goals – I don’t want to just be responding to a course!