Printmakng - Week 9

Remembered to bring in my perspex today. Engraved both the wall surface and the oil painting surface from the Town Hall, my fingers and thumb on my right hand were really sore by the time i'd finished, worth it though.



Wow, combination of engraving and reflections, i'm very happy.

Wednesday PM Projections - Week 8

I finished off my second acetate tracing this afternoon and decided to try out projecting the images onto the walls in our Level 4 room. Started off with just straight projecting onto the walls . . .



Pleased with these results, but decided to try projecting onto work around the room . . . Audit Chaos' work.



My work.



Lewis' work.



Last, but definitely not least, Adam's work.



There was definitely an ooh factor with this and so much fun to project directly onto a person, sorry again Emily (I may grow up one day).

P.S.
I showed Adam my projections in week 9 and he told Robin about them, who cam into Print to have a look at the images on my IPad. Such a wonderful feeling when someone asks to look at what you're doing.

Lens Based/Installation - Week 8

Started working on the actual physical dimensions for my Library installation this morning. Drew out the space I have to work with in sketchbook and then worked out the maximum size I should build it. Marked these dimensions out on the floor with masking tape and then started working on the heights and widths etc. Decided the best way to sort sizings for the doorway was to tape across the room door, which I did.



David came by and thought it was something conceptual. Because of the height of the tape you had to duck underneath, decided to leave it up, possibly even to gradually lower it over the course of the day, got to have a bit of fun with it!



Ooh, columns I can use to help with marking it out, marvelous.



This says 'Level 4 Narnia . . . beware of lions! I'm absolutely loving this project, can you tell? Why? Because of the physicality and it's all mine, part of and about me!!!!

Jane W came by and I talked her through this and showed her the photographs from last week, taken in St Clement's Church. I love her enthusiasm, we can always rely on her and Sarah to support us in all ways, thank you.

Printmaking - Week 8

Having recently discovered John Cage, thank you Audit Chaos, I ordered John Cage's 'Silence: lecture and writings', as discovered at Kettle's Yard (25th March Week 6 blog), which arrived this morning.

The joys of printing with Acetone - reverse image prints using a laser print, dampen with acetone and rolled through the press onto paper, hey presto!



Whoops, I did say reverse, still never mind, experimental sheet.

So excited to really get into it and what better way than to make some prints and respond in my own way. I'm going to emboss my response, I know its very simple, but that's what I love and I have nothing more to say.

Town Hall, Recreate for Drawing - Week 7

Feeling very anxious this morning, not really sure why, perhaps there doesn't need to be a reason.

Start with free coffee and a blank sheet of paper, all I need is inspiration . . .

So I just start drawing, around a roll of tape, a pencil sharpener etc. I'm trying to mirror my feelings of anxiety, the relationship of items to open space and the journey you might make around them, stepping in, around, through until you find a safe space inside. I layer carbon paper between two pieces of paper, draw and then find I had placed the carbon paper upside down, obviously not my day.

Next I draw letters, ANXIETY, places around the page, I won't say randomly, because they're not. The placing isn't regimented in location, but there is a conscious decision in each one. The O is in black, with the other letters in red and its trying to hide in the shadow of its neighbour, it doesn't want to be noticed.

I pack my stuff and go upstairs to join Audit and Naomi, they're playing with last week's tablecloth, taking photos and videos. I try to join in, but can't get inspired. I crumple up the ANXIETY drawing and place on the floor in the light, but not direct sunlight, its very crumpled.

I smooth it down and place it in direct sunlight, so much happier.

I notice a piece of paper on the floor, it must have fallen out of the 'tablecloth' from last week.

Now i'm engaged:

Printmaking - Week 7

I had been absorbed in writing up notes and happened to glance to where Audit Chaos had prepared a pile of paper strips for her printing, they were piled next to me in the sun. I instantly lost interest in my writing . . .


Love the shadow created by the bubblewrap.

Here is a short video of the shadows I first noticed, coming and going as the clouds affected the strength of the sun.

If you're as taken with these as I was her is a longer video.

This is beautiful and so peaceful, so much can be seen, felt, heard and sensed when you take the time to see the beauty in the everyday, so much more precious and beautiful than money bought 'things'.

Town Hall, Recreate for Drawing - Week 6

After making the video response to Firstsite and really enjoying it, I decided to video my journey into and up the stairs at the Town Hall. Have you noticed the path traversed?

The Invisible Journey.

Historical Precedent visit to Kettle's Yard and Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge - Week 6

Second week travelling by train, such a treat, wish I could do it more.

We had a talk about the museum and its history and were then given a tour, but this was very short, due to them opening to the public and we had to come out, although were able to then go back in if we wished, which his completely spoilt the visit. There were several members of staff/volunteers on hand to give the tour and talk to us about the site, but they hovered right behind us as if we were untrustworthy and it was rushed.

Some of what we saw:





Felt completely fed-up when we came out, hadn't been able to engage with the site at all.



We had a look at the chapel next door, which was tiny, but beautiful.



Shadow's coming and going behind the chairs, affected by visitors stepping through the light coming from the doorway, as seen in this video.

A few of us then visited the Fitzwilliam Museum, to see the 'A world of private mystery: John Craxton, RA (1922-2009)' exhibition.

The best part of the day, apart from the train journey was finding this book:



And John Cage's 'Lecture on Nothing':


I could talk about how these words moved me etc etc etc, but instead I shall just say . . .

'I have nothing to say and I'm saying it'

Historical Precedent visit to Firstsite Colchester, Agnes Denes - Week 5

We arrived early, so Audit Chaos and I explore the area:


Agnes Denes: Work 1967 – 2013
23 November 2013 – 9 March 2014

Budapest born artist, Agnes Denes, hasn’t had a solo exhibition in the UK since 1979. The New York based octogenarian’s work has been presented in a retrospective exhibition at Colchester’s Firstsite gallery, showcasing prints, drawings and photographs of her interventions.

Agnes’ work is strongly influenced by mathematics, philosophy, psychology, linguistics, history, music, science and environmental issues. Her drawings wouldn’t look out of place in the office of an engineer or architect; such is the skill and detail of her work, but move in closer and they become even more remarkable. Instead of dots making up the pattern it is hundreds of tiny human forms and not all of uniform shape either.

As humans, we tend to categorise people as being in one camp or another, scientist, artist etc but quite obviously the mould was broken with Agnes, as her talents appear to be in all camps.

Her Wheatfield – A Confrontation (1982), was an inspirational project, particularly with the juxtaposition of commercial and environmental imagery and even stronger by the twin towers being central focal points.

Wheatfield – A Confrontation (1982)

For me, the highest impact was that of her Manifesto. Those previously written by past Art Movements, such as for Futurism, were usually political statements or statements of not being political. Agnes Denes’ Manifesto is as different as it is moving:

Agnes was born in Hungary in 1931, moving to New York in 1954, exhibiting in hundreds of exhibitions around the world. She is a concept-based artist, who emerged in the 1960s and 1970. Her last UK exhibition was solo at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. Her work also includes other written pieces such as Human Dust, proving her to be an all-round achiever and an inspiration to artists and scientists alike.

As we've moved around the gallery i've noticed the alternating light and shadows.

I want to create a response to Agnes' work, this I do in video format.