Summary

Through the foundation course much of my work was based around the process and experimentation. Trying to attach meanings and preconceived ideas to my work before I made it only held back my progression. This was very similar to the work I was producing early on in the year.

In these pieces I was focused around completion not progression. I was attempting to include subtle meanings to the work by the choice of text (whether you could read it or not) and I was too conscious on how I was applying the paint in turn it made me over think about every slight detail and it created some very forced and flat work. Although I felt these pieces were unsuccessful, they did make me take a step back and bring my work back down the basics that made my previous work successful.  Once I had taken my work back to being very simplistic and I had removed all preconceptions towards what art I should be producing. My work began to move forward and develop. I started to focus on my process and the relationship between different components within my work.

 The work I've been producing in semester 2 is a commentary on my position as a painter and the position painting holds in contemporary art. Therefore I am creating paintings about painting. When I was producing work in a photo realistic style, there was no place for expression due to my technique. But, when talking about paintings in general, stereotypically you would expect the work to convey a sense of expression. However is there a place for purely expressionist art anymore?  For example if I started making work that was similar to Jackson Pollock my work would seem dated and unoriginal. So therefore it leaves my work and my position as a painter in a state of doubt and unease. Yet to make the pieces I need to paint them with conviction and confidence. So when looking at the brushstrokes/ mark making you are not looking at marks that represent my mental energy or my emotions, but the doubts I hold over the position of my painting in contemporary art. I have created a series of three canvases each being made with a similar formula of structure mixed with spontaneous elements. In each piece I increased the gaps between the shapes in an attempt to further fragment patterns that could be identified if the void between islands of colour were smaller. I have also chosen to keep the width of the white the same throughout each piece so that the pieces do contain a structure. This prevents the work from collapsing into a completely nonsensical bundle of shapes and colour. Now I have completed this series I intend on moving away from this method of working before my work becomes too gimmicky. However working in this way has helped me to convey my ideas and theories through abstraction.

Next year I would like to experiment with similar processes to Gert and Uwe Tobias. This is because when I visited their exhibition in the white chapel gallery, I had an instant appreciation for their work and the processes involved in creating their work. I became very interested in the way grids were used as a consistent foundation when it came to constructing the work. Also the quality of line was not dissimilar to printing which I will be very involved with next year.
I will also continue to strive to keep a fresh feeling about my work and prevent frustration from taking over. Continue the processes I have developed in and out of sketchbooks will be my main focus.

Fragmentation 3

I felt my third and final 5,7ft canvas wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as the previous two and the work became more visually problematic. This painting epitomises the doubt and uneasiness of my position as a painter, however this piece even raises new doubts and debates for myself. I feel this piece is on the cusp of starting to have a negative impact on people who are not educated about art. This raises the question to myself that should art be only enjoyed and understood by those who are knowledgeable about it. But then how do you create and cause the problems that can highlight your viewpoint as an artist without first making a piece that brings up these issues visually?  I feel that this piece is a good point to conclude my work in this area. But also it is the foundation for beginning to convey my own theories subtly through abstraction.

  

Gargosian, Rachel Whiteread: Detached

I was unconvinced by the Rachel Whiteread exhibition. It was very interesting to see her concrete filled negative space sculptures up close, however the exhibition wasn't something that excited me. The exhibition consisted of 3 concrete casts of sheds and resin cats of doors. Even though the pieces themselves didn't engage me, what became interesting were the way the works were displayed and they way the pieces reacted to the surrounding space. The doors were leaned in various positions which I found was a very simplistic but effective way of displaying the minimalist sculptures. The concrete sheds held a presence over the room and the relationship between the negative space sculptures and the surrounding negative space intrigued me. To me the irony of the way two types of negative space work off each other almost came across as humorous. Even though Whiteread's pieces haven't offered any avenues for exploration in my own practice it was still interesting to see at a simplistic level the relationships created by the work.

White Cube gallery London

I did attend a brilliant exhibition at the White Cube gallery. However I have lost the information about the artist I had collected and my tireless searches on the internet have been unsuccessful.
Nevertheless I found the space very dynamic and the exhibition itself was an eye opening collection of variation in abstract art. I found the way the work related to the space and the way the exhibition was composed was something that really engaged me. It was also pleasurable to walk around the gallery without the feeling of being observed yourself. Because I've found in smaller galleries like the Poppy Sebire gallery you are in such a confined and personal space that the feeling of being watched becomes an issue.

Barbican, Geoffrey Farmer: The Surgeon and the Photographer

Named after an essay written Walter Benjamin (1936) Geoffrey Farmer's exhibition of 365 mixed media sculptures that critique the position of photography. Farmer's inspiration was taken from a variety of different essays from several authors. At first I was unsure whether I would like Farmer's work as sculpture is a form that I am ignorant to. Despite this I could not help but overwhelmed by the amount of meticulously crafted figures. What became interesting to me is that it felt that it was not just the figures themselves that were a display of Farmer's collage technique but the composition of the figures felt as though they also, were a part of a three dimensional collage piece. However I felt as soon as the figures were displayed separately, either singularly or in smaller groups they became problematic to me. I felt the pieces held much more strength and visual impact as a group. Although placing a few of the figures on plinths did allow the audience to view all 360 degrees of the piece which was difficult with the grouped figures. The exhibition made me contemplate including collage and mixed media in my work and it was intriguing to see small sculptures control such a huge exhibition space.

Whitechapel Gallery: Gert & Uwe Tobias

Exhibiting at Whitechapel were Gert & Uwe Tobias. The Tobias brother's play with the relationship between geometric design and collage. Their playful use of paint attacks the eye visually while the collaged photo's of domestic objects or animals draw a sense of relation from it's audience. What I found interesting about the Tobias brother's pieces was the way they used a grid as the foundation of every painting. Sometimes it was hidden by layers of paint and in other's they made it clear of the grids functions in creating the work. This way of working comes across as a set formula used throughout their paintings. I feel this is similar to my practice as currently I am sticking to the same formula when creating work to try and obtain consistency within a series of works. Something else that appealed to me was the way the Tobias brothers manipulated the quality of certain lines within the piece. For example in this piece, both the grid and dots that frame the figurative images are fragmented slightly stopping the grid becoming too overpowering. This contrasted with the solid lines used to outline the figurative images produce a sense of depth in an otherwise very flat piece.

 Seeing these pieces has produced a clarity that will help me progress my work forward. The use of geometric abstraction along with the playful gesture of the work is something I wish to expand on more in my practice.

Fragmentation 2.

This second piece in a series of three 5,7ft canvases I felt became more developed than the first. I increased the white void between shapes and became more particular on the types of colour used in each. I analysed previous pieces I had made and took aspects from each that made them successful. However I still included the element of indecision within the work which accompanied with the larger space between shapes made the piece harder to read. I also feel the white plays a more dynamic role in this piece. This is because it starts to become more of a noticeable element in the piece but not so noticeable it renders the shapes inferior. In this piece I chose to exploit the use of vibrant colours much more than the previous piece. This gives the painting a much more vibrant and fresh feel. I wanted to try and keep the aspects of the piece the same but tweak them slightly. I am hoping this makes each piece unique but fit into the series of 3.
 

Initium, Kings Street Exhibition

The exhibition we held at King street was a fantastic way to display everyone's work especially as I personally hadn't been keeping up with the work everyone else was producing. So for that reason it was very interesting. I also found it a rewarding experience because I became involved with the thought processes involved in where to situate work around the gallery and all the decisions that come with it. At times it was incredibly challenging due to the wide variety of work. So in some cases it was difficult to carry out a harmonious flow to the exhibition.  Overall I thought the end product was a very professional one and that everyone's work was displayed in the best way possible.

Group Critique

I always find group critiques one of the most rewarding ways to step back and analyse yours and your peers work. It is also so helpful to receive very direct feedback which you may not receive another way. This helps form direction, try and work through doubts about your work and work out what is working well within your practice so your work can move forward.

An interesting topic that was raised in my group crit was my position as an artist/painter. Feedback has suggested that my work is misleading as it is made with such energy and assertion, yet underlying these very bold statement is the feeling of fatigue and doubt. I personally don't feel this is a bad position for me or my work to be in at this present time. This is because the direction and intentions are still becoming clear to me. Another point was not just my position but painters in general. This was because a painters position in contemporary art is becoming more and more ambiguous. This is also another element that injects a sense of doubt into my work.

There were some points raised that I didn't necessarily agree with but I still took on board and experimented with prior to the group crit. One of these points was to vary the thickness of tape used. I felt quite closed minded when first hearing the suggestion because the work I was creating was so unbalanced in so many ways I felt a consistency that ran through the piece helped ground the work and give it more substance. After trying to vary the thickness, it did make the piece even more nonsensical, however in some cases I had already been pushing the boundaries on how uneasy you can make a piece before it collapses and I felt not keeping the thickness consistence was one step too far.

Another point was to paint the work using something other than a sponge. I could understand that this was an obvious point to make as I had been using a sponge to paint more of the work I've made on the core project. But I chose not to try this idea out because I feel the mark making and paint application I had achieved with a sponge could be mistaken for a number of different painting tools. For example, brushes, fingers etc.

The group crit since has really benefited my work, perhaps not in the way I'm producing it but I am now holding much more importance over the theological ideas and motivations that I've used to make my work. 

The Lion and Lamb

Visiting the Lion and Lamb was a very surreal experience for me because it was a space that included two of my favourite things, a pub and an art gallery. Walking through the pub was interesting as it has the typical edgy London pub feel to it with 'cockney lads' swearing over a game of pool, then you walk through a door in the middle of the pub into a very neutral, light space which is not dissimilar to a space like the Poppy Sebire gallery. The art on show was interesting but unfortunately I didn't pay much attention as it was the end of a long day walking around London and the novelty of being able to sit and enjoy a pint at the bar whilst looking at some contemporary art hadn't worn off. However I admire what the land lord is doing and I think it's a brilliant way to bring in trade. Therefore I will be making it a pit stop for a well needed rest on my next trip to London.

  

Serpentine: Rosemarie Trockel

When walking around the Rosemarie Trockel exhibition I became overwhelmed with the variety and contents of the exhibition. I understand that Trockel could be criticised for not maintaining a set theme and style when looking at the work, however this variety and the fresh, interesting changes between each room made the exhibition flow with a assertive sense of movement. Also when looking at each of pieces all together every piece had an organic, gritty, handmade look to it. This made you notice the contrast between the materials and the variety of feelings that you picked up while walking around. For example Trockel's woolen pieces had a very vibrant, yet homely feel to them and then it was as if the rug was swept from beneath you when moving through to her sculptures which made me feel incredibly uneasy. 
I felt I could relate most to her woolen pieces as I noticed how the relationship between the colours and how one affected another. This is a relationship I have been looking at in my own work.

 Something else that caught my eye whilst walking around were Trockel's miniature sketchbooks. They had been so intricatelycrafted that they became a astoundingly beautiful object in their own entirety.

Rosemarie Trockel's work was very interesting for me to see first hand because the emotion her work emits is something that is lost through representations of the work. However I didn't like the majority of the work mainly because I'm so engrossed within painting and the issues I am stumbling upon I felt I couldn't relate to the work as much as I would've liked.

It was rewarding to also see the Serpentine gallery itself because as an exhibition space it's very interesting and unique. Which may be another factor to why Trockel's work maintained it's enegery throughout the exhibition

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Lichtenstein: A Retrospective.

 When first showing up to the Tate modern I was expecting to be looking around the exhibition 'A Bigger Splash', however both tutors agreed that the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition was the stronger show of the two. I had known of Lichtenstein's work for some time because of certain pieces such as 'Whaam!' Which was arguably one of the most iconic pieces of the pop art movement.

However as much as I appreciate the process, composition and idea of Lichtenstein's comic book pieces, I became much more engaged with Lichtenstein's seascapes. What made the seascapes stand out for me was the simplicity of the composition and as whole they raised more issues with me than any other pieces on display. Lichtenstein's repetitive style of using dots and lines in a very calculated sense only became undermined by the irregularities the occurred when he painted them. Although these irregularities are apparent in his other work, you begin to appreciate the way the paint has been applied due to the more simplistic composition.

 Noticing these small blemishes within Lichtenstein's work has also made me embrace when the paint may bleed in my pieces. I also feel that it makes the work feel more genuine and makes the process less ambiguous to the works audience. When having a discussion with one of peers whilst walking around the exhibition they criticised Lichtenstein's work due to the way it felt "too mass produced".  I had to disagree with this point due the fact there were these slight irregularities within the work. I feel this is the same when comparing a screen print to a mass produced print. There is a quality that would only be apparent in the screen print. For example, slightly raised ink and unplanned marks.

I was also very fond of Lichtenstein's studio studies. Humour always seems to be an important aspect to Lichtenstein's work and I felt this came through in very clever and subtle way in the studio studies. The way he depicted his own studio and own work in these pieces was a very interesting snap shot of the way he saw himself and his own work.

Some of the pieces I was less keen on were the Japanese landscapes. It was very difficult to put my finger on why I didn't like them but it felt almost as though his style had been exhausted. Even though the subject of his work had changed it didn't contain the same freshness that many of his early pieces had. Lichtenstein's female nudes had very much the same impact on me and I felt that overall the pieces were uninteresting.

Another set of work that really appealed to me were Lichtenstein's black and white pieces. These pieces showed every day objects in Lichtenstein's unique style. This was one of the things Lichtenstein carried out so well throughout his entire career; making the normal, average, mundane things that we barely glance at in day to day life captivating. The effect these pieces had on me was really quite extraordinary. One piece in particular (Tyre) stood out more than the others. This piece made my mind sway between recognising the everyday tyre and getting dragged into the pattern which made up the painting. I feel the black and white aided this effect very well due the marriage of these two components it acted upon your mind like an optical illusion.

Overall Lichtenstein has been one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century and epitomises the metaphor of milking a cow dry with his consistent use of the same style over his 40 year career. Although it may be the case that some of his pieces may be similar and lose the freshness Lichtenstein's work craves to be successful, I can appreciate the avenues of exploration and experimentation he took within his practice. This show has made a lasting impression on me and my own practice and has given me a new found appreciation for Licthenstein's work.

Viva and Tutorial - BIG Canvas.

It was brilliant to receive feed back on the work I had been creating and I came to a few realisations on what work actually was successful and which pieces I juts thought were successful.
After creating a variety of work using text, computer imagery and different techniques in painting, my masking tape drawings had shown to have become the most successful. What I found strange about this is how I had discontinued using masking tape as a way of working very early on in the course and moved away from it, only to now find it is the main thing I am concentrating on. What stood out to the tutors was how the indecision in mark making and what colours I had chosen gave the piece energy and movement. Another aspect of the work was how when the colours were placed next to the purity of the white the became much more vivid and noticeable. This had quite an interesting effect because due to the amount of white in the work it was surprising to see how the white didn't overwhelm and consume the work.

 I had created one piece on three canvases that didn't represent any of the good points about the masking tape paintings. I had tried to stick and create a formula to create work and this had an incredibly negative effect when it came to the end product of the work. The piece lacked any kind of movement and it looked too forced. What makes my other pieces work was the look of a preconceived idea mixed with chance and spontaneity.
After the Viva my idea's progressed further in the way that I wanted to have an intentional meaning as well as holding a high importance in the process of creating the work. I felt with previous pieces that had been unsuccessful I had made them too even, too polite. So this is the area I had to change. I began trying to make the pieces deliberately problematic to the eye by creating a sense of unease and off balance. After experimenting more with this idea I felt increasing the scale would increase the direct interaction with the viewer. This would make it unavoidable to become baffled on whether the piece worked or not.
I began making a 5ft by 7ft canvas. Making the canvas bigger than a person was intentional to again try and carry off the overwhelming feel of unease.
Building the stretcher and stretching the canvas was fairly straight forward, however it was time consuming and when it came to priming the canvas it took 4 layers of primer and sanding to get the intended effect. I had to make sure the canvas was as white and smooth as possible so the white could highlight the surrounding colours as much as possible.

 
 I began to question if it was worth it. Because preparing the canvas ready to paint on was taking 3 times longer than it was going to take me to tape it up and paint it. I spoke to my tutor about this who made me understand the preparation for the work is a vital part of the process and part of the work itself. For example the majority of the time Damien Hirst's work relies on the preparation and planning before putting the work together.

 
Masking the piece was relatively simple. It was just a challenge to envision what the end piece was going to look like because of the scale of the canvas. It was also very difficult when choosing how thick to have the masking tape lines. Too thin and the piece would become too intricate and complicated. Too thick and the piece would become too disjointed which is an effect I have yet to decide if I like or not.

When it came to painting the canvas the scale became problematic again. This was because on the smaller scales it was quite easy to keep up the energy and aggression while painting. This took a lot more effort to put forward to same movement throughout the piece. It was also challenging when applying the paint, as on a small scale several blobs of paint would suffice to fill the whole page, whereas on the large scale it took much more thought when placing the paint down onto the canvas. (Mainly to try to prevent much wastage.)
 Once I'd finished the piece it was clear the scale had helped the effect the work had dramatically. Because of the scale the painting became much more a statement, something that could not be ignored. It became apparent as well at this point how effective the hand made canvas was. The choice to prime it as many layers as I did created a much more clean cut finish than if I'd just gone a bought one. It was also good to see how my choice not to prime the edges of the canvas became part of the work too. I did this as I knew when painting the shapes I would not paint up to the edge of the canvas anyway. Therefore when looking at the side of the canvas you can see a decent into purity. This also clearly shows another process within the piece. Overall I thought the piece had worked well, however in future I need to try and be less vigorous when applying the paint. This was because I did rip some of the masking tape off which meant paint bleed into the white space. This did add a feeling of imperfection to the work. It is up for the viewer to decide whether that is a positive outcome or not.

      

No Furniture - Private View

No Furniture was a exhibition put on by some 2nd and 3rd year student from the University and was held in King Street Cambridge. It was advised that I went down to see the exhibition space as that was where the first years exhibition that I was a part of was taking place. The space itself is very spacious and with the front side of the area just being windows throughout the day the source of natural light would be amazing. It was also interesting to see what work was being created by students who were further along in the course. I found some pieces incredibly interesting like the bricks made from food, several small geometric prints and a large canvas that was overwhelmed with colour and energy. These pieces may have interested me simply because these pieces (other than the food bricks) highlight the direction my work is taking at the moment. However I felt the large portrait/self portrait and charcoal/ pencil sketches were amateurish and something you would be more likely to see at an A-level exhibition. I did find it strange that these pieces were on display, however I did not ask or speak to the artists who made the work so I didn't quite grasp the intent of the pieces in question.  
It was rewarding going to the private view as I gained inspiration on how to present my work in the exhibition.

Bernard Frize

Bernard Frize is an artist who's working process is not dissimilar to my own. Frize's work focuses on the use of pattern and colour. However chance plays a big dynamic influence in his work. Frize uses a a brush with four colours next to one another or in other cases for separate brushes tied together making sure either the brush contains a lot of moisture or the surface he paints on is wet. This is so the colours can bleed and blend together to create a new aspect in the piece. Frize also held high importance in finishing a piece in one go. This is so the movement and energy in the piece is kept. In and interview with David Ryan, Frize said: 'To me, a painting has to be done quickly to be able to show it's process, to be clear, without tricks. I don't like the mess of painting; it has to be done most of the time in one go - otherwise I get bored. Ironically, working out the process and figuring out all the preparations for a painting take longer than the actual act itself.'
Recently it has become more clear to me that the processes involved in creating a piece of work can hold more importance than the finished piece itself. Also when creating a series of pieces maintaining the same process is important to get a reliable and consistent result.

  Frize gained inspiration from Morris Louis, however Frize felt Louis' work fitted in too much with Clement Greenberg's ideology. Both artists work hold similarities in the way that a predetermined outcome has been perceived crossed with the working process of automatism and spontaneity.  

Morris Louis

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery: No Borders.

I recently spent some time in Bristol, and while there I went in search of some exhibitions. This proved to be quite a struggle as most Art Spaces and Museums such as the Arnolfini and Spike Island were between exhibitions. So I ended up walking up to the Bristol Museum where the 'No Borders' exhibition was taking place.

'No Borders considers how we are all linked internationally and politically, through our histories and the economic system that increasingly dominates the world. Using the traditional damask walls of the art galleries as a backdrop, the exhibition is an intervention in the museum building. No Borders reflects on global stories from local perspectives.' - Taken from the No Border exhibition programme.

The No Borders exhbition mainly consisted of artists from Asia and Africa. This was incredibly interesting to see as I had never seen Art before from places like Pakistan and Iran. A quote from Imran Qureshi (one of the artists exhibiting) summed up this strange realisation: 'I think that in the West you have a false idea about [Pakistan]. It's believed and wrongly so, that we are gagged and limited in our artistic production.'
This may be true, however it raises the argument of how many people in Pakistan actually have the liberty to practice art or express themselves at all. Due to what we could see as a cultural moral oppression where there is still a very strict line of what can and cannot be said. Something that in Western Society has been almost completely eliminated.
I cannot say for sure either way because I neither know many Pakistani people and I have never been to Pakistan.

Imran Qureshi's pieces were the most powerful there in my opinion. Qureshi had meticulously painted floral patterns and presented them amongst a splatter effect. This and the incredibly vivid red that he used portrayed the innocent blood of two boys who were murdered in Pakistan and the corruption of the Pakistani police which was to blame. When looking at Qureshi's work you can become bewildered with the beauty and intricacy of the work but then when it becomes apparent the meaning and gesture behind the work it creates an even more powerful effect.

The main themes which became apparent to me throughout the exhibition were the references to civil wars, political corruption, work force oppression and poverty. This added meaning to the idea that an artist can only respond this his or her personal landscape. Although it was interesting to see that each artist in the exhibition shared similarities in the meaning and intentions of their work. This also lead me on to thinking how my work would change and develop if I changed my surroundings.