This year I was part of the Catalogue Committee for our end of year publication to accompany our Degree Show. Initially we started thinking about fundraising and how we might raise money through an auction, clothes sale or bake sale, but in the end we did not need as much money as we initially thought. We had already done one clothes sale however, so we decided to use the money for an opening night celebration for the students and staff etc.
One of our main jobs on the committee was to find, meet and work with a designer to develop the visual layout of the catalogue. We were recommended Andra Priboi as she was already working with other students and had a good variety of publications and work in her portfolio. We set up a brief meeting where we explained the job and the deadlines, we also gave her some initial ideas about colour layout etc. Later on she gave us samples of her own thoughts and ideas and we discussed them as a group and then again with Andra so she can realise the final product.
Our Initial Designs
Our Initial Designs
Our Initial Designs
Designer’s Response Designs
Designer’s Response Designs
Designer’s Response Designs
Another part of my role was to review statements from fellow students and format them for the catalogue design. This was a challenging task as they were all so different and needed different levels of editing. However, I never edited too much of the statement other than grammar, I wanted their statements to be true to how they reflect on their work and practice. After all it is everyone’s catalogue and should not represent just the committee’s preference.
There were many challenges throughout, mainly to do with the short amount of time we had and the difficulty of organising multiple people to a single schedule. It was also at times hard to have conversations around design and layout as some members had strong opinions and compromise was difficult, whereas others were sometimes not vocal or expressive enough.
In the end we worked through the issues together problem solving with meetings and using WhatsApp to stay in contact and on top of deadlines. This was also a useful resource, as well as OneDrive, for exchanging files and keeping information synchronised.
Doug Fishborn is an American artist who mainly works wish performance and video and seeks to open conversation around sensitive topics, Doug approaches this with humour and is not afraid of darker or taboo topics.
In his most recent work at Leicester Contemporary he tackles cancel culture, specifically the history of Jewish people in Leicester, and highlights details like the expulsion of Jewish communities in 1231 by Simon De Montfort, the Duke of Windsor’s visit to Nazi Germany in 1937, as well as the developing case around Prince Andrew.
In his discussion at his exhibition Doug spoke about these themes but also the technical challenges of installing exhibitions and the considerations needed for certain aspects, like holograms and inflatables. This makes the space noisy, which in the need required an artificial wall to be built, which the curator Andrew Birks added is not uncommon with most spaces and shows, some tweaking is always required to personalise the space the work.
The installation itself consisted of prints displayed around the environment encircling a giant inflatable of Simon De Montfort, there is also a hologram of Doug performing the role of an automated assistant offering and advertising useless or redundant products. For example a device that ‘collects your faecal waste so you never have to get up to go to the toilet’.
On reflection Doug’s work discusses topics I question and am interested in personally, though his approach differs from mine I think adding more nuance and humour into my issue-based work would be interesting. I also think the practical considerations were useful to hear, especially with my piece having multiple elements, such as a performative space and a viewing space with projection/video.
In discussion at the end Doug was asked ‘Is art impotent in the face of neo-liberalism’s progression?’. Doug answered by saying that he doesn’t understand a lot of art commodification anyway since its not his thing, but he did comment that he doesn’t think its hopeless especially if we can keep talking about these issues and reach a collective knowledge around things that ‘elites’ don’t want you to realise. It was comforting to hear a successful artist both acknowledge the problem but also state that it is not beyond change.
I was also able to speak with Andrew about invigilating at the gallery during Doug’s show, which he agreed to, this is a great opportunity to experience invigilating and get involved with the galleries’ workings. It it also a good chance to observe visitor interaction with a video and sound based installation in person, which may hep me develop my own presentation skills for Degree Show and beyond.
This performance was the first thing I watched about dirty electronics and even though some of the sounds at times were quite abrasive I still found the experience enjoyable and more than anything thought provoking. The way it acted as a traditional orchestra but constructed in an unconditional way was really interesting, I also like the balance between the ‘composers’ movements and dictations coupled with the musicians improvisation and response. It felt like the work was a conversation between them which formed this collective and strange sonic environment.
This performance was the first thing I watched about dirty electronics and even though some of the sounds at times were quite abrasive, I still found the experience enjoyable and more than anything thought provoking. The way it acted as a traditional orchestra but constructed in an unconditional way was really interesting, I also like the balance between the composer’s’ movements and dictations coupled with the musicians response and improvisation. It felt like the work was a conversation between them which formed this collective and strange sonic environment.
John Richards is the person composing the collective and he also created the Mute Synth, which is a way of using the body to make sound. this concept is intriguing and I am exploring a similar thing but in a more physical and analogue way. The mute synth concept is something I want to explore further, especially since it reacts to such a wide range of inputs, whereas most instruments only respond to specified inputs.
One of the most helpful things I got from this research is that music/sound art can be very broad and encompassing, experimentation should be encouraged and so should play. This was very helpful as I know that sometimes I can get too focused on success that I forget my normally wider perspective, I put too much emphasis on an abstract ‘success’ instead of focusing on the practice. Instead of stressing out I should take action, go to the studio then make and experiment with objects and sounds, recording parts to capture process.
This piece was really interesting because at one point the collective start making sounds from each other, not from created objects or instruments directly, I am very interested in trying to explore this further after university. I feel adding electronic and synthesised elements is interesting however, it may confuse and conflict with the current themes I have around objects, familiarity, interaction and acoustic sound.
The end of this performance (24:40 onwards) was the most interesting to me because of the way the snyth transformed into a more musical tone but was still varied through oscillation and pitch etc. it also became much more visually atmospheric, in that to me there was much more visual stimulation from the later sounds. The earlier sounds felt very disconnected and spatial and abstract which was enjoyable also, however I think the incorporation of perhaps more musical structure and voices elevated the sound.
To me it turned abstract into ephermal, where the playful approach leads to flashes of harmony and discord alike. It was not overtly structured and attached to reality, but not so far removed that I felt I was in a vacuum or disconnectedstate of mind almost.
This was a fascinating topic to research and it reminded me of a digital Stomp almost, the two together have been prominent influencers on my collective and physical approach to creating sound as opposed to a technical approach.
I will look to explore this further with a performance in a collective event called Weird Garden, on the 26th of May in the Leicester Gallery, this is an opportunity in collaboration with Raisa Watkiss from the MA and various other artists from around the country.
I am looking to perform with at least one other person and work on communicating through sound using my everyday orchestra/instruments. This is far out of my comfort zone but I am excited to see the results, the worst thing is I fail in some aspect and I learn what not to do for next time.
Below is my Artist CV with as much relevant information as possible, viewing myself like this really shows me where my gaps in knowledge and practice are. This will hopefully allow me to focus and develop these in the future.
Mixed media artist currently practicing painting, sculpture and installation to explore ideas like, subconscious expression, culture, sustainability, and memory.
Based now in Leicester, have lived and worked in Peterborough and Stoke-On-Trent
Education & Awards:
Winner of DMU Graduate award – LOVE Art 2021
Bachelors Degree in Fine Art – De Montfort University
Extended Diploma in Art & Design – Stamford College
Exhibitions:
Weird Garden in Leicester Gallery – 26th May 2022
World of Emotion in Atkins Gallery – February to March 2022
Ways of Seeing in De Montfort Shop Front – February to April 2022
SEED Grant Workshop in Leicester Gallery – February 26-27th 2022
LOVE Art Exhibition Open call in Leicester 11/2021
– Won the DMU Graduate Award
Ourwoods Independent Exhibition in Charnwoods -May 2021
Party in the Car Park in Stamford College – May 2018
One World Week in Stamford Arts Centre – October 2017
My Crit went well generally and I was happy with the feedback however I wanted slightly more input in terms of practical feedback around the objects and the installation display. I plan to set up another Crit with a few others to get feedback a second time, focusing on constructive criticisms.
Installation in place for Crit
Feedback was positive regarding the layout and the feeling of the space, they were also interested in the video/sound piece and said it added an interesting element where you don’t know which object made which sound. The audience also stated that they liked the feel of the work, saying the domestic design/elements contrasted the more industrial/commercial elements like packaging and shopping trolley etc.
Developments that were pointed out were mainly based around the interactive element, the audience stated this was not overtly clear and that they felt hesitant about interacting with objects that seemed precarious. This is a true and fair criticism and something that didn’t occur to me until I made this installation, in the future I plan to have elements that make the interactive nature apparent.
Either instructions to guide the audience or overt clues and suggestions to prompt the audience, this was my intention with the video that displayed me in the installation playing the objects and instruments. I also plan to develop my making techniques to create more robust and sturdy objects that can clearly be played and interacted with.
I plan to research various sensory playgrounds and spaces for inspiration, abbey pumping museum was recommended to me, I also plan to go to some galleries/museums to research visitor experience in an effort to make it clear that interaction is an intended part of the work. Brian Catling’s performances were also recommended to me, particularly one where he was locked in a studio.
I mentioned making some wind/air based instruments and this idea was well received however it was pointed out that some audiences may not feel comfortable putting their mouths/lips/faces on public musical instruments, especially considering the recent pandemic etc. I will try to think of ways around this perhaps where direct contact is not needed but wind can be generated in another way
Statement:
My practice generally involves themes of environment, space, memory and experience; which inspire ideas I then experiment with and realise in any media including text-based, sculpture, painting, photography, video, installation and sound.
Currently my work focuses on sound shown via an installation featuring discarded waste, objects and interactive elements for the audience to investigate, there is also a performative element displayed as a video with a short music piece created only from the installation’s objects/sounds. I explore everyday and disused objects through sound experimenting with the type of noises each can make, as well as how these sounds can be enhanced or changed through making and combination.
I also ask what is sound? what is noise? what is music? and what is the difference? My work acts as an experiment by using unconventional materials to make ‘music’ however, the work is intended to explore these questions without giving an answer. The interactive nature of the work allows the audience to explore the objects themselves as well as their own relationship to the objects.
Through my own exploration I discovered that these sounds I was making and playing with were a mixture of connected and disconnected from their source. This became apparent when making my performance video; while playing I could clearly see the connection between the object and the sound. However, when editing the unspecified sounds some were clear and some were abstract, this lack of definition allows us to imagine what the source of the sound would be and then investigate it.
The broader intention of my work is also to encourage questioning, curiosity and re-examination; we are often told (even in the art setting) what a thing means or how it is meant to work. By removing these recognisable objects from their usual space and altering their function, while retaining their familiar properties, the audience is prompted to re-categorise the way they understand them through interaction. In the re-examination of objects through sound the audience has participated in the transformation of what is ‘waste’ or ‘disposable’ into something else, perhaps even of value.
My intention is also to record 5-10-minute performances with the audience in the installation on different days, and then compile each of these recordings into a short track that will be put online as an ‘album’. An accessible resource for the audience to remember their experience within the space, and for everyone to continue questioning the source of sounds in the space. By having this legacy resource available the wider meaning of the work can continue to be explored in different ways after the installation is no more.
‘Its About Sound’
Feedback I had on my statement was that generally it was a little long and repetitive, which I agree with having read it aloud. I will now refine the themes to be more general and communicate enough of the idea so it can be understood, instead of trying to justify every individual choice/facet in a single statement.
Recently I visited Two Queens in Leicester and was surprised by the exhibition that greeted me. It was a piece that was very deep contextually though initially I did not know any of this, I just walked into Two Queens and saw a corner shop.
This was a very surreal experience which became even more strange when entering the building, the open ceiling exposed the facade of the shop but all the right things were there, a lotto stand, newspapers, till, fridge, and the cadbury sign above the doorway all combined to confuse your perception.
Stranger still were the various cards dotted around the area, some explicitly talking to you the viewer of art while others advertised taxis or funeral homes. The unifying factor was a subtle piece of information, a number, which turned out to be a code for a hidden door in the rear of the shop.
Once inside this secret room things were truly peculiar, it looked as if people had just left the room but had been sat there playing games until we arrived. There were drinks, coats and even some illicit equipment for partaking was there. This was accompanied by a strange video of gameplay from a low poly simulation, in this simulation the characters interacted with one another in a way that mirrored street talk and other urban interactions in dark alleys.
After reading the contextual information I realised the finer points of the exhibition which was overall a great experience, it was brilliant to see such an ambitious project within a local setting pulled off so well by the artist and the gallery team. It has made me think of more large scale work but also work around transplanting environments, an idea i was already exploring and interested in pursuing.
This is the team that were part of the collective SEED Event in the Leicester Gallery at DMU. The event ran over the weekend of the 26th/27th of February and was dedicated to exploring creative applications of discarded waste from the fashion industry. It was an event to not just raise awareness, but examine practical skills and methods that could be used to develop future workshops for members of the community.
When we arrived we were met with 8-10 large bags of off-cut fabrics from a local warehouse, all of these would have ended in landfill or in expensive recycling processes (which are sometimes just as bad for the planet as landfill), we also had several large bags of collected donated and unusable clothing we gathered ourselves from the community and local charity shops.
We set out to explore various ideas but these were not collectively, each individual had their own approach and we allowed everyone to act on these ideas. Some were concerned with linking it to artistic practice such as painting, others wanted to make visual representations or link it to their own artistic practice. Others wanted to upcycle the clothes into improved garments, practical and experimental, or create more conceptual representations of the scale and effect of the waste.
For me this involved making an installation that displayed two things, the beauty of some of these discarded and unwanted clothes, as well as the scale and complex nature of this issue. There were many other thoughts and notions that governed me such as I wanted to make the display feel nostalgic and familiar but also uncanny and eerie. This was achieved by reflecting a wash line and classic notions of families hanging washing together, but also by sewing all of the clothes together and tying/pegging them down in unorthodox ways.
On the second day we set out to resolve outcomes which involved people finishing their individual pieces and refining the display of the installation generally, as well as documenting the outcomes. This was an enjoyable process and it was great to see the variety we had been able to achieve in a short and focused time period.
In the end the main installation featured the hung display of conjoined waste clothing, this domestic feeling was added to by the presence of duvet covers and cushions, some homemade, that were displayed as though in some sort of blanket fort or den. There were also several items of clothing and bags that were made by other students which were displayed on the wall and worn by other members of the team.
My reflection/assessment is that the project was overall a big success for its first event, we had a decent amount of interest from passersby so expanding this project is definitely a goal of mine. I think we succeeded well at exploring varied ideas and seeing what worked and what was less effective, we also managed to agree on this mostly and it was good to see the group connecting and working collectively.
In the future I would like to develop this into a recurring project that can be done anywhere, one that allows people to explore creativity with discarded waste but also learn practical skills of sewing and editing/repairing clothes. I would also like to transform this into an accessible resource to allow others to explore this idea beyond just myself and the team.
I would also like to see DMU embrace the ideas and notions raised by our project and look into how they can bring sustainability into the university community. For example a university exchange where leaving students can gift or sell items to arriving student to discourage everyone from buying brand new everything for no reason.
An immense thank you to Mary, Sam, Chloe, Isobelle, Nathan, Helen, Nico and Issy for modelling. Also to DMU and the SEED Grant committee for allowing us to realise this project.
Richard Wentworth is a British sculptor and artist who is well known for his work generally, but also for his photographs that capture ephemeral moments of chance and beauty. Richard began his talk by stating that really he is too old to care about formality, and that you should never compromise work you believe in. His talk featured a lot of this very frank communicating as well as wisdom that seemed effortless, in reality it has been earned through living and experiencing.
He first described his initial education and how he travelled as much as he could in an effort to investigate culture and understand systems humans create, as well as explore the phenomenology of being human.
Richard spoke at length about how he tried to understand things, to trace the signals of ownership as well as trace what things are and why things are that way. This description felt incredibly familiar to me since, from my perspective, a lot of what I do is trying to understand the vast complexity of the world and universe around me. This has also been commented on by tutors, when discussing my context they stated that there was a sense of being lost or disconnected, but also a curious searching and tentative investigation.
For Richard he likened this to any animal investigating its environment, like a fox or cat that will sniff and poke at things to understand the world around it. He also stated that a lot of other people are oblivious and behave as workers more than animals, since we live in this most modern society where nature and ourselves have become distant.
He then proceeded to display a PowerPoint of archived photographs from the evolving London area in which he lives now, he also explains how the city has changed and how he perceives time through it. Richard sees time as a small window as we perceive it but as a long stream in reality, he also describes it as constant change, the new city of tomorrow is built over the old city of yesterday.
In this way Richard sees his photographs as captures, of what he doesn’t know or specify, but he explains that most people who really look can see what he sees in that moment. He also emphasised how none of the photos are staged or set up and are all found or seen, which illustrates the interesting but absurd ways in which we live/interact at times.
He also spoke a lot about how he is interested in the imprint humans leave, in any way, on the world and how they shape the world, the environment and even people around them to their preference. He is also interested in how humans are incapable of not interpreting things, through pattern, shape, meaning etc. No matter what we see most people are trying to understand that, which is why he states the dark or the ocean or space are so terrifying and also intriguing.
I was fortunate enough to speak to Richard afterwards and he even came up to view my installation briefly, before rushing off to catch a train. He made comments about the way I space things and how I test the hanging, leaning or propping of objects, he recommended a book by Hans Ulrict (I think that is how it is spelled) as well as his own book Making Do and Getting By. He also told me to look at Tom Sachs and Morandi, both of who i will look into in the future.
I recently visited Nottingham to see a separate show by Honey Williams in the evening, whilst there we were lucky enough to go to Nottingham Contemporary to see the Silver City Show that had taken over the gallery. ‘Our Silver City travels to the end of this century, featuring works from the last 400 million years. It is an exhibition-as-sci-fi-novel, or vice-versa.’ Promotional Info
I initially did not read any of the exhibitions flavour text or written content, this was so I could go in blank using my senses and observation skills to try and pick apart a meaning, context or communication. This was a very enjoyable experience and the contexts of time, innovation and a new city/reality were clear, especially when experiencing the weather and temple areas. Both these areas had a sort of kit-bash feeling in their construction or approach, containing a mixture of recognisable and newly imagined forms.
The sense of the work I got before knowing anything about it was of community and connection but also of a makeshift/edited reality, familiar in some aspects, visionary in others. I found myself immersed in this environment particularly the ‘Time to Understand’ area, the arrangement of the high quality fabrics and low lighting gave it a museum feel but one filled with new archaeology not old, this was enhanced by the audio visual elements, the levitating sculpture and very futuristic display/layout.
The show is a journey across the Silver City, formerly known as Nottingham. In this city the people have embraced new ways of communication, production and understanding the world, which is expressed through the galleries four spaces as directions, North, South, East and West. Each space had its own contextual arena to tackle separately, however the collective narrative of the Silver City unified the whole show into a coherent story and an intriguing sci-fi vision of the future.
I enjoyed my experience and it really excited me to see narrative based installations that were closely linked to sci-fi and the contemporary art world. I also enjoyed seeing community based ideas and practices being approached, this helped me develop new ways of displaying my own work and encouraged me to pursue more ambitious ways of expressing ideas through installation.
It was also really good to see a varied exhibition that was diverse but curated in a way that unified all of the areas of the imagined Silver City. By this I mean each space felt like its own exhibition but whilst together they also felt cohesive. This kind of unity and modularity, where the component parts are equally as important as the overall display/effect, was done successfully through use of atmosphere and audio visual elements. Each space had a sort of low hum of sound or ambience noise, even in the quieter rooms you could still hear the soft beat of the other areas.
This has informed my practice in terms of lighting and audio elements as well as curation of visitor experience, I am realising now that engaging with interactive performative installations requires a lot of wide consideration. I also realise now that expecting to be able to resolve a topic as broad as sound or interaction or waste (or any topic) by May is not realistic.
I should instead aim to explore it experiment with different approaches, whilst seeking to try and retain the core elements that interest me such as sound, object, community engagement, reassessing our environment and immersive experience.
Alice Aycock is an American artist known for her sculptures and installations, she has had many international shows and completed multiple commissions across America and the world.
Accelerations
Strange Attractor
Strange Attractor
Her incorporation of light within her sculptures is also intriguing to me and gives them a very futuristic feeling, which comes from the elaborate chrome structures, neon glow and contrast between these creations and their mundane surroundings. This otherworldly feeling is contributed to by the use of non traditional materials which are arranged to express something, perhaps a feeling or perhaps a quality of the materials itself.
Aycock also has a good understanding of surrounding space and site-specificity, while she may not engage in the same issue based way she engages instead in a purely material and physical sense, complimenting the surrounding space, seeking to understand the lines and shapes that are there and how to best highlight and enhance the space with her work.
This is shown in Strange Attractor which echoes the Kansas Airport it is located in, it mirrors the streams of neon as planes, signalers and trolleys light the night. It also represents the sounds of the environment with the giant double-ended horn shape, this could represent announcing speakers of terminals or the large turbines of the immense aircraft.
‘Clay’ – Clay mixed with water in wood frame 48” x 48” x 6” each
This piece of work, Clay, explores the materials properties and the way it behaves when used unconventionally, instead of making a clay object Aycock makes clay slabs as experiments in how time affects the material. When I saw this piece I found it inspiring as it is such a simple but effective idea, it also reminds me of patterns I have seen elsewhere like chess, synth pads, concrete slabs, petri dishes, hopscotch and Foley floors.
I now plan to make a similar construction but with the hopscotch layout, this frame will then be filled with various materials, similar to a piece of Foley equipment. This structure mimics familiar school games but also intrigues the audience with the variety of the materials, hopefully this coupled with ambient sound and video will encourage the audience to bridge the gap between instrument and artist, creating music.
This links to a thought I had around musicians and instruments, the music doesn’t exist in either of one of them individually, it exists in the space created by their union. This is the same to me as audience members and interactive objects, the art is not solely in the individual or the object, it is in the outcome of their collision and communion. This is an idea I will continue to develop and realise through my planned performances.
I find Aycock’s work interesting because of the way she approaches industrialism and the industrial process from an artist’s perspective; seeing and using manufacturer’s objects as art objects. I am also intrigued by how she draws, there is a clear influence from architectural/construction drawings which are explicit in how they demonstrate form and space. This is likely linked to Aycock’s confident use of space and large scale objects within them, her fundamental understanding of space through drawing (along with her team who aid in the industrial process) allows her to realise projects on an immense scale.
“The City of the Walls: A Narrow City: A Thin City”. 1978. Pencil on vellum paper (107.5 x 183 cm).
Despite the apparent emphasis on structure uniformity geometry and symmetry Aycock also has and demonstrates the opposite, a playful and asymmetrical approach to ways of imagining objects
I also enjoyed watching this video linked below during which Alice discusses various aspects of her practice and her journey and how this influenced her artistic career. She explains how much of her inspiration comes from a variety of places and how generally she explores the space between magic and science. She also discussed how when she was taught about art history one teacher said ‘Art develops as a system to reflect culture’ which she thought was profound.
I agree with this statement and many of her assertions around what art is and how it can function in modern times, I find her honesty and the freedom with which she seems to communicate and express herself to be inspiring. I also hope to carry forward her sense of structure, construction and space (since I need to develop these things) and incorporate more of this into my own practice, perhaps helping me to realise larger/more stable artworks.
