Thursday 22 September 2011

First Week Back

The third year has started and it seems like it will be a snowball tumbling down a mountain. This year is going to come and go quickly.
Currently I am preparing to display my work at the Ruby Lounge in Manchester as part of an event named "Munkispanner: Xpose Yourself (XY Event)'s 1st Birthday".
I will be displaying four canvas's as part of their multimedia event night. Whilst there I intend to talk to the art curator about hosting an event at the Antwerp Mansion for the CT: Creative Transit group where I already have various other issues to sort out such as music. This however, is all work in progress.
Whilst doing this I am researching for my dissertation based on Russian art in the 1920-1940's focusing on propaganda through posters, animation and motion picture.
At some point very soon I will be editing a new reel of photographs in a similar style to the work I created for the CT event, Chinese Whispers a month prior to this. My aim to develop new images through new material and move the work onto a new level, with some initial ideas already forming.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

2nd Year

After discussing ideas based on the key word SHELTER myself and my group created a video piece. Whilst were generating ideas and creating the video, I myself began upon a solo project.

Group Project (Masks):

Myself and my group designed a video piece based upon how human beings hide their true feelings behind fake facial expressions. We represented this in the form of a masked character on a stereotypical day to day routine and how his facial expressions (represented by a mask) were the opposite of his physical actions expressed by the movement of the body.


Review of "Mask" video:


The original idea and first few minutes of the video represented what the group aim and themes were for. However I felt that in the rest of the video, the storyboard was slightly dismissed resulting in both the mask and physical movements complimenting each other, rather than contrasting each other, thereby negating the point of the film


Solo Project (Sleep):


My personal project looked in to the opposite of shelter with a theme of vulnerability. I began to take photographs of a sleeping subject to present my theme of vulnerability. The sleeping subject when shown through photographs is no longer safe and secure in their solitary environment but at the mercy of whom ever views the images. I presented these images onto a bed sheet draped over a bed frame.


Review of "Sleep" project:
After displaying my ideas for the sleep project, I met some criticism, though it was constructive and helped me to think a little bit more about how i display work rather than just the work itself. Issues I met were based on the consistency of the project. I had not used the same bed sheets or bed as seen in the images to the display, this was commented on for having lack of consistency which i noted and agreed with. The difference in the display and the images raised questions as to if there were specific meanings behind this inconsistency, which there were not. So as to avoid these question and issues I noted to make sure I think further about the display.


Solo Project (Site):


The I-Arts group were briefed with developing a piece of worked based upon a site chosen by us. The work had to relate to the site were displaying it on. I chose a damaged looking patch of earth behind foliage outside the main entrance to the building of my I-Arts group. I developed a piece using mainly found materials to create a "dog basket" like piece intended for the homeless. The thought ands ideas came from my observations of the public to those that were homeless. I focused on how they were ignored and how little people would give or do to help them and based my piece around this. The location was chosen upon how i was allowed to display my piece due it being considered a project rather than something of actual use for those that were without shelter. The found and cheap materials were based upon the idea of how little people are willing to give. The form of the piece was meant to represent a human like dog basket, a representation of how much love and money someone would give to a dog, but not to that of a human being.


Review of "Site" project:


Overall i think when discussed the project delivered the purpose and intentions I had, though i think the idea could have been developed and is an idea i remain thinking about, though I currently am not working with these ideas. Given more time i believe i could have developed the piece in terms of themes and ideas and its visual aspects, however the brief was given with a limited time constraint.


Group Project (Masks):


The group came up with a second idea of a narrative using the masked character from the first video to created another video based on human emotion and shelter. This video consisted of two masked characters interacting in a conversation, using masks and sound effects, as opposed to physical actions to contrast each other, there by emphasising the contrast between the emotions one shows and hides.


Review of "Mask" video:


On this second attempt at a video piece based on shelter, i felt the themes of the video were a lot more abstract for the audience who would watch the video. However I do not believe it detracted away from the point and intentions of the group aim. Though more abstract than our previous video, the piece was a lot more consistent and I felt there were less anomalies in the narrative and the visual aspects of the work.


Solo Project (Sleep):


After displaying photographs of a sleeping subject I moved on to creating a film of my sleeping subject. This is currently one of the ideas i am working on and with. Besides this I am currently attempting to develop new ideas whilst experimenting with skills in video editing. after reviewing my film of my sleeping subject i became interested in experimenting and working with the idea of "things being out of my control". I had no control of the movements of the sleeping subject and so attempted to document and work with other things that would react with out my control such as light and water. I began to focus on how to manipulate this substances and still gain a result not completely formulated by me and how I can use that to my advantage in further developing my ideas and work. Currently, besides working with materials and subject matter that I have little or no real control over, I have experimenting with video editing. With the abilities and skills growing in video editing, I find myself regain control of my original experiments. I am continuing to experiment in this way, both utilizing substance and my sleeping subject.