I had a video tutorial with my tutor for my feedback.
It’s interesting to focus on the dichotomies of the subject (order and chaos, dark and light, winter and summer, and love/hate relationship with water). This goes further because through this dichotomy there are the cyclical elements. Therefore, the subject is always in a state of flux.
Rivers and the surrounding banks as prints show this movement, flow or rather the disruption of the flow. There is a sense of debris and residue occurring with the textures and the surface manipulation. The circular shape suggests a petri dish or a microscopic cells so there is a sense of scientific investigation. Is this forensic?
Then there are the more distinctive imagery of the organic subjects. Is this too pre-determined and does it take the attention away from the residue and the mixture of what is washed up from the river beds?
‘Recording the moments in time’ is a good strategy to formulate the imagery because again, it links in with the forever changing landscape and materiality of the river banks.
Also, the unpredictability of the eradication of the banks has been captured well with the printing methods. There are traces and residues occurring on the surface.
- Be careful you don’t run away from what is working at the moment. E.g. the fake money- how does this fit in with your current investigations?
- Keep rolling out the work with the three strands- 1- printing, 2- cyanotypes, 3- maps. Don’t be afraid to combine the techniques and allow them to cross-over. You can refine later. Generate work for now.
- 20 experiments for each is a goal to work towards.
- Start to gather artists which can feed into your critical review. Think about what you want to explore in your practice. Is it about the climate constantly being unpredictable and in a state of flux?
- Have a look at Olifur Eliasson and his iceberg installation. An interesting article here
- Also, Emma Stibbon works with erosion. A lovely talk by her about how she gathers materials in her sketchbook. She is also a printmaker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxPg5N30bbA
- From our discussion-
- It would be good to document the process (video/ photographic) of how you are making the work as it is investigative. Show your investment in forensic investigations. This will allow you to gather the date collection. You can decide later how much you present and also expose the systems the council are doing or not doing.
Written element:-
- Define ‘environmental artists’ when it comes to the written element.
- ‘Shifting perspectives’ is a good starting point for the dissertation. How do the artists bring the issues into the public sphere?
- Make your stance first, your opinions then let the artists support your POV.
My thoughts and reflection
We talked about the work I had done to date and I have progressed to three successful areas to move forward with. The collagraph printing, using the circle as representative of a petri dish, the maps, working with oil, coarse salt and inks and cyanotypes. Experiment with all three and not necessarily individually. My tutor felt the printing was successful however keep to the mixed elements, combining the natural with the rubbish and water, and not so much purely organic.
Aim for 20 pieces per project which includes experimental work. This is a good guide line as we agreed I was perhaps producing more on the heavy side.
We talked about my CR and for our next meet ideally I should have a rough proposal. These are my thoughts so far:
Research three artists, I will add Tiffany Chung, Emma Stibbon and maybe Colleen Flanagan to the two firm artists, Jason deCaires Taylor and Olafur Ellison.
The title isn’t firm and will come later. I made some brief notes to start me on my way.
How do Environmental Artists educate, inform, influence us?
What is an Environmental Artist?
Raising awareness. Visual story telling. Shifting perspectives. Highlighting natural beauty. Threats we face as an individual, locally, globally.
Can the art work more effectively in an artistic form rather than a scientific report? Does that add a different interest?
Do the artists always use sustainable practices within their work. Recycling waste. Up cycling can illustrate natures fragility.
Is the work inspiring? For all generations? Tactile? Immersive? An experience?
Raising awareness of environmental policies. Some of the artists have a direct impact on the environment. DeCaires Taylor by restoring ecosystems and generating marine habitat’s.
Continue with the experimentation, things are tightening up well.
Viv King. Level 3. BA Fine Art 