Work Experience or Exhibition??

So next term I need to think about a placement or professional practice element to my study! 

Unlike most of my peers I am not inspired by becoming the next big artist. I don't see this as a bad thing as my main focus of my work is me... Not in a selfish way! 

For now my work I about getting myself to a place where I inspire and help future students.

A lot of my friends went to University straight from school and then straight into teaching, so at the tender age of 21 they were in a position to guide and mould children's lives! I never understood this as how can you help, guide or give emphasise with children and their parents if you have no life experience yourself!

I feel that as a person I am now better placed to do this as at 29... Although still young I have gained so much life experience through living rather than following the society norms! 

Now is about me getting my practice up to scratch! 

I have approached my current tutors as I would love to gain some insight into the world of teaching! The idea sounds amazing so now I need to see if te experience fits the image I have created in my mind. 

To be continuted....... 

State of Mind

Watching "im a celebrity" I started to question myself!? What am I hoping to find from watching such a programme? Entertainment? 

Entertainment watching other people suffer, go through pain and find sollace by the most ridiculous rewards!? Do we watch this programme to view the "celebrity" suffer, go without their luxuries and live like us "common" people? 

Is that what the metaphor is? Is it really a programme highlighting the issues of class?? The rich and poor?! 

I find it fascinating to watch how as humans we react to confinement, survival, facing fears! Some of us become strong and look after the weaker members, come hide in the shadows and kind of go into a state if denial, then there's the ones who turn on others... Whether to narrow the completion or to entertain themselves I'm not sure!!? 

I guess this is what everyone does everyday in life...  

The Art Society: "Untitled"

One of the first things I noticed when I started at Coventry University was the non existent Society for anything related to the creative industries. Well not a generic one at least, everything was specific to one medium: photography for example. What I wanted to do was create a forum where students from ALL areas could meet, network and work together! And so came the Art Society "Untitled" So far it has been a huge success with the society being able to hold events which have previously been non existent, for example I have set up life drawing classes, workshops, Artists talks and group critics. For me this is such a motivation for what I'd like to do in the future, I love that the art society is bringing people together from all backgrounds, including students who aren't even studying "Art" or any related subject. I also feel inspired that the Art Society is able to support the Art and Design faculty in areas which perhaps only students can through a Union ran Society, for example: networking, liaising with different faculties to hold events, special workshops etc. I'm not how I will incorporate what I am doing into what I do in the future but I have definitely found a way that my practice can work efficiently and effectively along side my background in recruitment and sales.

Trials and Tribulations

So far this year I have thoroughly enjoyed my practice as it has been more hands on allowing me to be more creative and less restricted.

However by making my practice more hands on I leave myself subject to new challenges which I have not experienced before that I now need to overcome and perfect.

My first challenge has been that of the casts:

Latex: uneven layer and not allowing latex to dry between layers creates a very poor mould. However I have found that by using a cold room the latex drys as you apply meaning you have more control over application! 

Alginate: now I am trying to use the alginate to create a finished piece as opposed to using it for just a mould means I now have to perfect the mix! As I have found it extremely hard to create a smooth mix with no lumps. Lumps for me mean that when my cast drys the lumps start to show!! Again I have foun my mixing it little bit at a time I have more control over the lumps. Also creating a watery mix means I can slowly add more alginate an mix as I go along.

Dodecahedrons: blimey beautiful shape, impossible to get right! The smallest error in creating these shapes results in 12 pieces of pointless materials! Lazer cutting has helped significantly as it allows me to create a perfect shape. Perfect if I get the data import correct, which I have now found rhino to be helpful! 

On a personal level my biggest challenge, has been to stop thinking about a "final peice" as a student you're always pushed to a finished product, exam or project! Learning to loosen myself up and to not think in this way has been hard but my tutorials with Craig have been invaluable! 

Discovering my mind: In more ways than one

Looking at phenology, the study where people mapped the skull to try and find some way of discovering and understanding peoples personalities.

In doing so not only have I unveiled a new way to try and unveil secrets of the mind but also discovered a few of my own! 

I have realised that I am fascinated in the mind, how it works and peoples interpretations of this. I being so interested I bring an enthusiasm to my work which enables me to explore, play and experiment with my work!

This enables me to to discover not only my mind but new avenues in my practice. Like anything I guess, when you enjoy something it is no longer work but more of a game! 

I need to now try to focus this energy as mentioned in my tutorial with Vanda, rather than throwing bits of energy in lots of directions I need to now try to put this enthused energy into one area enabling not only me but my work to become focused.

Photography Quote

Saw a beautiful quote which capture how I feel about photography

"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know."

Diane Arbus

This is why I love my camera as I can show the viewer as much or as little as I want... The more my photos reveal the less you really know about it! 

I can instantly capture how I feel, what I see without it always making sense to anyone else! I not only capture moments but the moments within a moment! The process, the journey that as a single cell makes no sense but is as beautiful as what could beckon the final piece!!! 

Year 2 : Term 1.... So far

So with my study Proposal done and project started I thought it was time to have a little look back at how I'm getting on!? 

So far I have made good progress with my practice! I initially was trying to come up with some unbelievable, deep concept which would change the art world! Whilst I had some good ideas I soon realised that by doing so I had completely restricted my mind, work flow and ideas! 

I have now gone back to the beginning (again) playing, researching an experimenting! It's such a freer way to work, I have found that by removing all boundaries that I am free in both my mind and practice allowing me to do whatever I want! 

I definitely work better without restriction, being able to bounce if others and my own ideas. This is odd as I always thought freedom was scary and I preferred a few rules/ a brief or guidelines so I could go wrong - and knew what I was doing! 

Turns out I the them as te envied panic if I start to deviate from the path set for me!