Video Lecture 1 - ARVL1 – Reflexive Practitioner (Viewed on 20/09/2017)
Part 1- Looking at artists reflecting on work
Part 2 – Strategies of developing a reflexive practice
Personal notes
Research notes
Part 1- Looking at artists reflecting on work
Graham Sullivan – many facets of Contemporary art, in many environments.‘Art Practice has long been a critical and creative means of inquiry that encourages new ways to think about what it is to be human within the uncertain world in which we live.’ (Sullivan, 2010)
David Buckland – Cape Farewell project – artic. – climate change - using art to draw focus
Reflexivity = reflection. Thinking, pondering, meditating, reviewing.
Turning back to oneself – looking at own thinking – stepping back, taking stock, distance. Reflection can be too self-indulgent.
‘Donald Schon’ – learning @work,
Michael Eraut – professionals on job, most learning happens informally during normal working practices, i.e. conversation, problem solving, etc.
Reflexive – thinking about your thinking
A reflexive practitioner – a learning practitioner.
It’s all Research – being reflective is doing research on your own way of working, investigating & gathering data/observation etc
As a fine artist you need to be reflecting on:
The way you make work,
What influences you, - important for me
Knowing where to position your work in relation to other artists, - important for me
Being conscious of yourself in the wider context, - need to be more aware, who are my contemporaries?
Research – techniques, materials, influences. The research is intrinsic if you see it that way, as Sullivan says:
‘Reflexive practice is a kind of research activity that uses different methods to work against existing theories and practices and offers the possibility of seeing things from new perspectives.’ (Sullivan, 2010)
Pompidou center – 1970’s Rodgers etc, designing services outside creating an open/flexible interior – new way of looking at something.
Pompidou Centre, photo credit: INSADCO Photography / Alamy, https://www.cntraveler.com/activities/paris/centre-pompidou
James Aldridge – Cold Mouth Prayer – Tate 2007
James Aldridge, Cold Mouth Prayer, 2007, http://faariscar.blogspot.ae/2011/02/art-knowledge-news-keeping-you-in-touch_09.html
Royal college then scholarship – Rome.
Mundane and cliché work – painting of trees - as a child would draw trees with dad, copy birds from text books – inherited dads love of natural history.
Interests creep in from outside of art. – have I gone too far from this, one extreme to the other?
Personal experiences of art – ‘bringing these in was like allowing a part of myself in to the work. It was challenging to let them in, as they didn’t feel worthy of being included. Once they were allowed in, and then it allowed doors to be opened.’
‘His work came alive’ – THIS IS WHAT I NEED – Am I willing to find balance between personal motifs and research? – links to my work around routine and my struggle with the concept.
Research is past, things he already knew, became relevant. Don’t stop research or lose research as it may be come important, don’t dismiss past interests
Tracey Emin – confessional work, but does have distance? – is she too far involved?- living the drama of her story, biopic. Life as research
Tracey Emin, But I Never Stopped Loving You, 2002, http://www.traceyeminstudio.com/artworks/2002/01/but-i-never-stopped-loving-you/
Shaun McNiff – arts therapist/artist
How to handle tension between personal experience and making of art. Emphasize – art comes from within me, I nevertheless attempt to study the subject with as much objectivity as possible. I am intimately connected to my work but the work is still separate. – thinking of my personal schedule compared to the people I research. – starts within becomes objective – links to work on Professional Practice Programme at Tashkeel last year.
AR – Artwork has to come from somewhere subjective but to be able to make a valued judgement about work you need critical distance and objectivity.
Langlands and Bell – want things we do to be well done. – their work is opposite of Emin.
Highly research driven practice
The meanings of art – arise in the makings of it – not that everything is free to us as artists but that we do feel free to explore if appropriate.
House of Bin Ladin – 2003 - Post 2002 visit, Politically sensitive - is art anti establishment? Many think we have no place to work with the establishment.- they work with people - intervening in peoples lives, not participants - subjects.
The experience changed them, life was hard for people in Afghanistan. – question to myself - should the creation of your work change you?
Use the opportunities to go/do something you haven’t, create something original, meaningful.- Research - things they are interested in - follow curiosity, this takes them to peoples lives in extreme circumstances.
Is there a moral or ethical dimension that they are not talking about? – this is what could make it personal, they leave opinion out, its data collection and presentation.
Do they have to much distance from their research? Does it make their artwork available to the viewer? Do they do to much research? Is that possible?
Baumgartner - Handmade prints/woodcuts, video source - Contemporary look but recognisably handmade. Speed, looking out of window, blur, view colour as horizontal lines, speed and standstill, together as a way of viewing our current condition, the faster we move the less we see.
Christiane Baumgartner, Allee II, 2008, Woodcut Diptych on Kozo, (right panel), http://www.christiane-baumgartner.com/allee2.html
Rose Wylie, Belgium painting: Cloven shoes. Diptych (slide, not shown here)
Rose Wylie in her studio, http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/blogs/cornelia-parker-why-rose-wylie-true-original
How do we prevent ourselves from becoming slick?
How do we stop ourselves from just going through the motions?
When are we just recycling our visual language because it has become our style?
What have we learnt?
Emily Ball - drawing and painting people - Looking at other peoples work is a good way to reflect on your own. – Do I have this book? Yes, read it again!
When EB saw RW’s Cloven Shoes, made her question own playfulness, ‘how much was she trying to rely on attractive gestured marks and colour to cover up the lack of a real connection to subject? If these were taken away, there wouldn’t be enough to make a striking memorable image. Was there any poetry or humour? Uncomfortable, because I felt exposed by recognizing something in her painting that was missing in my own.’
Frustration, difficulty - important, motivating - lead to letting go and make fresh connections with the work.
Helpful to recognize patterns and how habitually respond to them.
A research journal can help identify these unconstructive habits or dead end processes.
During MA - reflect on development of practice and theory that informs it.
Keep research journal
Support examination, scrutinize it and make changes. To take it in the direction you want, this takes time, attention and application. Using others work to informTranscriptions - copies, likenesses.
John Skinner – Scorn - Paulo Veronese– Moma podcast – Cezanne & Pissaro
Decided to paint it but too big to handle, chose a part to do - liked placement of heads, eroticism. Became ‘Two Scornful Women Watching As Their Lover Is Being Beaten To Death By Lust.’
And then ‘Vanitas: a homage to Helen Chadwick with nine roughly painted penises and two vaginas on strings.’
Considered Helen Chadwick a contemporary and envied her work
envy is important as it shows you what you want to be –
Transcription of one of her works – ‘Vanitas 1986’ - still life - Netherlands in 17th-century. Vanity of earthly life to repent, consider mortality
Skinner positioning himself in relation to art around him – this story makes me think of Turrell and Balka, can I create a small embroidered piece that is as engulfing as these large pieces – to feel safe, but isolated?
His research directly informed his work – it became work. It also comments on existing work – obviously he ‘owned’ it.Part 2 – Strategies of developing a reflexive practice
Studio –what is your studio or workplace for? – home office, Tashkeel, Surf House, hotels, coffee shops
All places of research whether theory or observation
Rachel Whiteread - Drawing studio in Berlin first-time important thinking place
Virginia Woolf - a room of one’s own. A place to be with oneself away from the rest of your life.
Or does your studio give you an identity as an artist? – Tashkeel gave me confidence, community gave me validation
Would you still be an artist without a studio? – motivation, inspiration & a voice.
Does it make you a member of a community? - yesDoes it put you in a social contact with other artists? - yes
Is it where you create stories that feed your work? – like this ideaIs it where you store tools, materials or finished work? - yes
Look at what you do in studio.- home office – budget for house, applications, writing, dictation, planning. Tashkeel – painting, printing, embroidery, DIALOGUE.
An audit!
What do you do in your studio?
Write down everything you do in your studio or the place where you usually work. Include drinking cups of tea (yes so much), dreaming, reading the paper (yes, mags at home), phoning friends etc. Be honest
Which of these things do you want to be doing and which do you not? – I’m okay with doing it all except distracting talk, discussion is welcome, but need more boundaries.
What else do you want to do that you don’t? And why aren’t you doing these things? – DRAWING – lack of confidence, time management
Is your studio set up for you to do the things you want to do? – reasonably. Do you have a comfortable chair to sit in to contemplate work? Is the light adequate? Are there enough in electrical sockets? Is there a good enough Internet connection? – yes
Where else do you make work, or think about work, or carry out research? – surf house, coffee shops – in the car – podcasts, to do lists, thoughts. What else do you do in these places? – socialize, quiet time, eat, commute
Are those serving and supporting or holding you back? Make some changes, - if needed.
In the studio - going round in circlesFine - okay and important, often a constructive way to work. Think about it in cycles of activity.
Similar to Kolbs learning cycle, familiar to research, learning and studio practice.
VL1 Activity cycle
- Thoughts – separate – go through body of existing work, use apartment in Nov when moving? Or possibly LB’s spare room or space @ Tashkeel? Is that possible? Lounge? Evaluate own work in existence – feeling stuck.
Cycles - reflection, new cycle, repetition = iterations
Reflection allows to review process, perhaps moving into practice too quickly, perhaps more drawing – review current process using this cycle.
- This section should be printed out and placed in view of studio space.
Observe and reflect –Contemplate from different perspectives, sit with it. Draw from observation, draw a schematic diagram. Photograph, video, print and photocopy, draw on photocopies. Use different media to explore.
– go back to statement, take it apart, how has it evolved? What is important now? How does it effect you?
Write about what you see, touch, feel, smell etc. Describe using metaphor i.e. if it was a holiday or something. Record your description. Emotional response – important as influences created this.
Ask questions as if you know nothing about what it is or how it was made.
Put in a different environment, take it outside, place it next to other work. Give it a persona and interview it - Sean McNiff - Imaginary dialogue. Invite comment from a colleague. – Tashkeel is uninvited, ha! But I love it!
Evaluate –
How do you know when it is finished?
How do you know if it works?
What would be different if it didn’t work?
Intuition? Sense of rightness?
Intentionally executed? – run out of time? Deadline? Fulfils criteria?
Reflective outside the studio –
Understand the field you are working in - Fine art? Modern/western concept - only recently has fine arts taken an interest in non-western cultures and not defining it as exotic. – Moma Podcast – Global/World Art symposia 2009 (?) Defining fine art becomes difficult as artist appropriate methods and practices from other areas and disciplines. The purpose of art could be to critique, communicate, explore, evoke emotions, reveal.
Cultural, social, political, educational, philosophical.
James Elkin - value judgements rather than a definitive definition.
Theodor Adorno - Aesthetic Theory 1970 – “It’s taken for granted that nothing which, concerns art is taken for granted” – read this book, its on your desk
Who does it? What are its products? Where and when are they experienced or consumed?
- Artists, Assistants, experts, technical experts, participants, educators and collaborators.
- Experiences, events, object
- Physical or virtual manifestations, Commentary on art too.
- Galleries, cinemas, public spaces, TV, web, books, films, tea towels etc ‘merchandise’
How is it evaluated?
By art world commentary, critics and reviews, specialist magazines and journals, general publications, media commentary, auctions, celebrity endorsement, gallery sales, adverts, education. – what is relevant here in Gulf? Closed dialogue, lack of critique due to censorship and cultural values
How is fine art different from other fields such as craft, art history, arts theory, design, medicine, anthropology?
Craft - lines are blurring, markets and audience different.
Historically art has been about making now about history and theory.
Design - doesn’t solve real-world problem, is not for distribution or retail.
Medicine - Similar concerns - intention to do good. Aspect of artistry to medicine. Fields are different.
Anthropology - similar concerns regarding artefacts and the roles of individuals making cultural meaning in societies.
Sullivan: Be open to new and multiple interpretations of artworks – allow others to offer what they see and that you may see something different.
Debate and discuss processes and meanings that come out of these interpretations
Find a group to engage with, critical friends, reading group, studio group for reviews of work, uni where you can look at talks by artists, theorists, art historians, opportunities online. – Critical Dialogues @Tashkeel starts Wed 27th Sep w/Kevin Jones, Art Talks 101 @Alserkal, Global Art Forum @ Art Dubai, Sharjah Art Foundation talks & events, NYUAD talks & events
Question the contexts in which art is made
Impact etc – langlands & Bell. What statement is made? Who does it affect? Is it relevant?
Be aware of the potential artistic, social, political, educational or cultural impacts.(Sullivan, 2010)
Appropriation of other artists work - Gilllian Weiss, advert
Richard Serra – The Terminal - 1977. - Implicit and clear, art awkward and overpowering, resistance of community, 1930s repression, political alibi etc. Sculpture scapegoat.
Cape farewell project-explore on website.
To Reiterate:
Recognise and acknowledge whose work you are building on – have clear influences – nothing is original & that is okay as long as you’re honest.
Being transparent in your methods and open about your methodology – its okay to get help etc.
Be rigorous in your recording – note everything and transcribe to journal
Be prepared to justify your methods – know what you are doing and why
Don’t confuse effort and quantity with quality – valid
Be careful of using theory to justify artwork – valid, slipped in to this and away from personal, need to find balance.
Being modest in your claims – clarify
Be honest with yourself – yes!
Most importantly, don’t lose curiosity or your courage.
After listening/watching the lecture, I went back through my notes with the pink pen and annotated my own thoughts. Something I wish I had done on previous courses, perhaps this is where learning fails/hinders some students, present them with 30mins after a lecture to annotate, later on encourage them to discuss their notes with a classmate, allow them to absorb and digest the information instead of telling them it in a short time, closing books and moving on.
Still to Do:
Revisit questionnaire
Type notes on to blog - done 23/09
Add images if relevant - done 23/09
Consider revisiting sketchbooks this week or going through body of existing work.
Other themes:
Participant Involvement
Research
Art & other disciplines
Artists & issues
Life/art integration
The studio
References:
Cape Farewell Project: www.capefarewell.com
Christiane Baumgartner video: www.moma.org/explore/multimedia/audios/32/771
Emily Ball on Rose Wylie: Ball, E. (2009) Drawing and Painting People. Marlborough, Crowood Press.
James Aldridge, Christiane Baumgartner, and Langlands and Bell interviews: James, N. (2010) Interviews – Artists Volume 2: Recordings 2010. London, CV.John Skinner on Paulo Veronese and Helen Chadwick: Ball, E. as above.
Langlands and Bell video: www.langlandsandbell.com/new/the-house-og-osama-bin-laden-video.html
Richard Serra: Stiles, K. and Selz, P. (1996, republished April 2011) Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art: A Sourcebook of Artists Writings. London, University of California Press.
Shaun McNiff: McNiff, S. (2008) Art-based Research in Knowles and Cole (2008) Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Research, SAGE.
Sullivan, G. (2010) Art Practice as Research: Inquiry in the Visual Arts. London and Thousand Oaks, CA, SAGE.
Schon, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York, Basic Books.
Eraut, M. (2004) Informal Learning in the Workplace.
Image source links:
Pompidou Centre, photo credit: INSADCO Photography / Alamy, https://www.cntraveler.com/activities/paris/centre-pompidou
James Aldridge, Cold Mouth Prayer, 2007, http://faariscar.blogspot.ae/2011/02/art-knowledge-news-keeping-you-in-touch_09.html
Tracey Emin, But I Never Stopped Loving You, 2002, http://www.traceyeminstudio.com/artworks/2002/01/but-i-never-stopped-loving-you/
Christiane Baumgartner, Allee II, 2008, Woodcut Diptych on Kozo, (right panel), http://www.christiane-baumgartner.com/allee2.html
Rose Wylie in her studio, http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/blogs/cornelia-parker-why-rose-wylie-true-originalWord count: 2714
not for citation or circulation
