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Artist: Firelei Báez

In her new series of paintings, Firelei Báez casts diasporic histories into an imaginative realm, re-working visual references drawn from the past to explore new possibilities for the future. With a goal to reclaim power, Báez overlays figuration, symbolic imagery, and abstract gesture onto large-scale reproductions of found maps and documents. She populates these historically-loaded representations of space with change-making creatures—whose hybrid forms incorporate folkloric and literary references, textile pattern, plantlife, and wide-ranging emblems of healing and resistance—to present fictional alternative universes. - Contemporary Art Daily 

Personal Notes:

- works with large scale old maps 

- Colourful exotic figures, shapes and plants 

What i like about the work:

I personally enjoy the contrast between the old parchment and the bright creatures that she has created through historical mythology

What i dislike about the work: 

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Week 8 - Written peer review

10th September: 

PEER REVIEW: 

Artist: Maisie Williams 

Maisie Williams has created three textured pieces. Fabricating two wooden frames she has emphasised the use of material in her pieces. The far right piece is intricately created through weaved string creating a weblike appearance using the correct lighting this was used to create a 3D effect with the shadows shown onto the wall behind. Maisie was inspired by the natural instinct of spiders to create such intricate patterns naturally. Williams far left piece was created to portray the similarity to human skin, Williams did this by using thick fabrics such as this canvas and stitching the stretchy material together while leaving visible gaps to invoke the feeling of  healing ripped skin. 

Works we saw 

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Project 4

BRAINSTORM:

Representation of the body.

- mandala

- Meditative video of me standing and painting freely on a large piece of paper on the wall. 

- burial grounds 

- The spiritual significance of a past life or representation of one. 

- significance of the use of flowers as offerings to past loved ones?

Love and respect. A tribute to a loved one. Honouring the memory of them.

The tradition of flowers being placed on graves is over 2,000 years old. This custom can be traced to the ancient Greeks. They performed rites over graves that were called "zoai.” Flowers were placed on the graves of Greek warriors. It was believed that if the flowers took root and blossomed on the graves, the souls of the warriors were sending a message that they had found happiness in the next world.

The ancient Romans also used flowers to honor soldiers who had died in battle.

https://www.neatorama.com/2016/05/30/Why-Are-Flowers-Placed-on-Graves/

Site-specific installation of the flowers in the ground 

Graveyard appearance

- Level and height the photographs are taken -- scale

appearance of trees - birds eye view

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Week 9 - Gallery Install

Project 3 - set up

Only displays project 1 as my project 2 was not presentable at the time. Starts around 0:15

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Week 6 - ACTING UP -Performance activity

ACTIVITY BREAKDOWN

Pre-activity introduction and discussion       = 5 mins

Part 1: Zones (warm up)                                   = 30 mins

Introduction and discussion for Part 2          = 5 mins

Part 2: Collaborative performance activity   = 50 mins

Group Review and discussion                        = 30 mins

TOTAL                                                                 = 120 mins

PART 1: ‘ZONES’

Find an open area with a concrete floor (e.g. Jacaranda area outside Z12)

Give a piece of chalk to each student

Have students distribute themselves around/across the space

Using the chalk, ask each student to mark out a circle around their feet

Collect the chalk and put to one side

Select one student and move them to a side of the playing area opposite their circle so that their circle is vacant.  They are the ‘zoneless’ player.

The rest of the students now need to prevent the zoneless player from occupying a vacant circle.

At a signal, the game commences with the zoneless player trying to return to a circle.

To prevent them from doing this, the rest of the players must move and occupy the vacant circle the zoneless player is heading for. However, as each player moves to fill the targeted circle, they naturally leave their circle unoccupied.

The game thus requires group coordination and logic.

The game ends when the zoneless player occupies a circle.

When this happens, the player left without a circle now becomes the zoneless player, and so on.

Please note that the zoneless player must walk only (no running).  (The other players can run, leap, et

PART 2: COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCE ACTIVITY

In pairs, students create a performance work that responds to a prompt term.

Organise students into pairs.

Allocate a term to each pair from the following list (e.g. lucky dip, or random allocation):

TENSION

CONCENTRATION

ESCAPE AVOIDANCE

CONNECTION

REJECTION

RECORD

FORCE

INFLUENCE

Students have 50 mins to devise a 1-2minute performance based on the term.

As always, students should try to embody the term through their actions.

To help them get started, they should brainstorm a list of actions that might be associated with their allocated noun.

The task is not a theatrical one – that performance art is, at its most simple, the process of performing an action (just like what’s done in the studio, the bus, etc.).

Students are welcome to use materials from the workshops to assist with their performance. (But they should aim to minimise waste!)

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How did each pair activate/use the body?

What types of contrast or correspondence were observable in the works?

What was the most surprising outcome and why?

My partner and i received the word ‘CONCENTRATION’.  We had first recorded a piece for about a minute. in the video we sat and stared at the ground, then recorded a voice over of both of us whispering ‘focus’ one after the other. We had then experimented with other techniques that communicated the word. We positioned our phones to balance against each other , we sat across from each other, our cameras placed in the middle recording the person it was facing. 

For our performance we chose to continue with throwing the pebble to each other. We had chosen a pebble each, sat across from each other and threw our pebbles to each other at the same time. Concentrating on simultaneously catching and throwing each pebble. During our performance we had moments were the concentration was broken and disrupted, dropping the stones. With this it had shown the break of tension, making what we were doing alot more obvious. 

FINAL PERFORMANCE 

Other Group: 

How did each pair activate/use the body?

What types of contrast or correspondence were observable in the works?

What was the most surprising outcome and why?

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Week 4 - Repeat After Me

This activity requires you to prepare a non-art activity or skill that you can teach 2 others. If you think you don’t have a suitable skill, then do some research and learn something for this context. Keep it simple! And be aware you will have only 50 mins to teach & learn 3 activities. Bring in any materials your activity should require. This is not about showing off a skill - it’s an opportunity to create an unusual and stimulating foundation from which a group artwork can be made.

1. Time:  50 mins.

Form a group of 3 and teach each other the skill you have prepared.

2. Time:  50 mins.

The 2nd part of the exercise is to construct a short performance from the memory of learning the activities OR make a video/sound piece from video/sound clips you have taken of the activities.

Maximum time for the video or performance is 1 minute.

If you decide on producing a performance ask someone to video it for you when you present it.

If you decide to make a video work, consider time-based aesthetics (duration, gesture, rhythm, repetition, pace, angle etc.) when you film the activities. You can borrow visual or sound recording equipment from the ELC.

3. Time:  20 mins

Review. Play the video or perform your final work. Discuss.

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Caitlin Penman’s activity: Icing/decorating a cupcake

Tamara Davis: Theatre game

One or two people sat on a seat (pretending to be on a bus) with another standing and the aim for the person standing was to somehow get the person to give them their seat. Example: Some people pretended to be pregnant or old. At one point Tamara had started hitting on Naomi making her uncomfortable thus getting off the bus and leaving her seat. 

  Naomi had tried teaching us knots with pieces of string and because of personal circumstances i was unable to bring my guitar into studio to teach my skill so we substituted with air guitar noises for the background of the video. 

FINAL VIDEO 

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Week 3 - Embodied Camera

INSTRUCTIONS:

PART 1: RECORDING - 30 mins

Students are to work in pairs, using a mobile phone camera or a camera sourced from the ELC to record a short (30-60 second) piece of footage that explores the relation between camera and body. Ensure that one member of each pair has video editing software on their laptop or mobile device.

Keep the following questions in mind:

The camera is sometimes described as a ‘disembodied eye.’ What would an embodied relation to the camera look like? How does the camera operate as an extension of the body?

What are the specific characteristics of the camera you are using and what aspects of embodiment (perceptions, gestures, movements and actions) does it amplify? What aspects of embodiment does it reduce or constrain? How might you work with or against these amplifications/reductions, in the act of recording and/or in post-production?

Each pair of students will review their recordings and select one to be shared via their Group’s folder on OneDrive. File size should be no larger than 100MB. Please make sure your NAMES are in the file name (e.g. Smith and Jones.MP4).

PART 2: EDITING - 40 mins

Each pair of students will select at least five clips from their group’s recordings to download from OneDrive. Working with the same partner, edit these clips together into a sequence. In addition to the above provocations, students should keep in mind the following questions:

What are the range of approaches to embodiment displayed in the individual sequences? How does your own sequence relate to these other ‘readymade’ pieces of footage? How do they connect to or contrast with each other? How might their relationship be transformed through the editing process? How can the sequence be given a ‘surprising turn,’ either through the ordering of the clips or other post-production techniques?

Review and Reflection

The group will view and discuss of a selection of edited sequences.

All student pairs are to re-upload their edited sequence to their Group’s folder on OneDrive - make sure your NAME and “edit” is in the file name (e.g. Smith and Jones Edit.MP4). After class each individual student should review the edited sequences and write a reflection that considers the above questions, discussing at least 3 examples from the group. In addition, consider “what was the most surprising outcome and why?” Finally, how has the sense of embodiment that was part of the original recording process been transformed? How could the video be presented in order to create an experience of embodiment for the spectator?    

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FINAL 

PART 1: 

PART 2: 

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WEEK 1 - Deck the walls

STUDIO ACTIVITY WEEK 1

Choose from a broad selection of processes and make an individual (or paired) work to install on the Studio wall. It is expected the cohort will cover the entire length and height of the wall - think about scale and ways the work fits with the other works.

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Artists: Alicia Smedley & Naomi-Jon Redshaw 

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Attempt/Experiment on Project 1:

- Purchased a small black candle and a glass holder 

- Put phone on time lapse and lit the candle, adjusting the lighting in the room.

Start time around 1pm. Finish time 10:13pm

PROJECT 1: 

Took 9-10 hours to melt 

placement of candles in the spiritual body

Process:

10 hours candle to melt

Time-based - time lapse

Physically making the sound through tools

The sound is from a singing bowl, a type of idiophone, which creates sound through vibration. It is used as a tool to promote healing and meditation.

These bowls are often used in religious and spiritual, along with candles being a tool in other spiritual practices and symbolism within each religion.

the black candle is associated with power, sophistication and formality, or mystery, evil and fear. Burn a black candle when you need to clear the air. In religion, a burning black candle symbolizes mourning for a passed loved one or friend

In witchcraft it is symbolised as a use of banishment in manifestation.

Christianity - light of God or, specifically, the light of Christ.

(Physical piece) before and after - the hard piece turns to be mouldable, shaping into a different form

shaping into a different form —— and I personally think that is my own interpretation of the shapement of spiritual development

creation of wax, I would have liked to reuse the wax for a sculpture of some sort.

FINAL 

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Project 1 “for the body” // Brainstorm and notes

- a powerful objected linked to the body or idea of the body

• ritualistic and spell jars - for the body’s energy

• tattoos

• space - industrialisation, land development,

CANDLES: - Element of fire

http://spiritualarts.org/blog/meditative-prayers/the-power-of-candles/ 

- Candles have been used since time immemorial for a variety of reasons from the practical, religious and ceremonial, to the decorative and romantic.

> Time-lapse of burning candle/candles --- alot of time 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ1RzqRC3-A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqw72F-SKOk

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Semester 2 - 2019 / BRAINSTORM “BODY”

PROJECT 2 

Old witchcraft: The slaughter of livestock on Samhain to reduce the drain on feed in the coming season of decline. “The idea that blood carries the life force is found in the rite of spilling blood onto the soil, which we find in the ancient slaughtering of the hers at this season.” (Witchcraft: A Mystery Tradition by Raven Grimassi) 

Pagan Rituals

BLOOD = BODY 

blood = life force of the body 

BLOOD - pain, health 

Christianity - followers of Jesus consume his “flesh and blood” in order to unite with the sacrificed Christ figure. 

Heritage,

// Blood is associated with such powerful concepts that some people can’t stand the sight of it, and might faint away if presented with too much. Blood is associated with death: the slain warriors on the field, the victim of violence, the hunter’s prey all lay bloody in their final state. Blood is also associated with life: it’s part of the cycle of fertility that perpetuates life. If you lost too much blood, you would grow weak and die. If your blood is tainted, you will wither. Blood is associated with pain: you see it when you stumble and fall, have an accident, or fight. Blood is also associated with passion: when you love doing something, when you are good at it, it’s ‘in your blood’. Someone you love, particularly family members, are your ‘blood’. Blood connects you to things, or others. Even if you don’t know someone, you can empathize with them, your ‘heart bleeds for them’. Blood is passion, it’s connection, it’s raw emotion. Blood is life. It courses through your body delivering oxygen and nutrients to every part of you. Blood is energy—when you push yourself, your heart pounds and your pulse races as your blood flows even faster. A woman bleeds during her menstrual cycle, she bleeds when her hymen breaks, there’s blood at childbirth. If you donate blood you might be saving someone’s life. \\   https://exemplore.com/wicca-witchcraft/Witchcraft-for-Beginners-What-You-Should-Know-about-Blood-Magic 

Art practices that involve human blood have a long and controversial history. Blood has often been considered shocking, despite the ubiquity and frequently benign presence of blood in everyday life. Since at least the 1970s, artists have used blood to open up debates about gender identity, disease, racism and violence. These works draw upon blood’s potency as both metaphor and physical matter. A resolutely liminal substance, blood can convey life and death, masculinity and femininity, nutrition and threat. Blood has also been used by artists to explore issues of inheritance, memory and history in relation to racial, class and national identities. Blood can be seen as separating and demarcating communities but also as erupting across and disrupting boundaries. -- https://forarthistory.org.uk/our-work/conference/2019-annual-conference/blood-in-modern-and-contemporary-art/

- video of pricking finger

—-> painting with finger

——> painting on face - rubbing red paint on face

-- Smearing blood onto the face

- dropping a drop of blood onto a candle flame 

the process is shown 

- smearing black soot, or coal onto face.

- smearing blood onto interactive mirror (on the face of the viewer

Incense ash, charcoal from a fire,

First Attempt: From these ideas i took the idea of using ash and coal on the body as it still has a ritualistic process. I had rested my phone on a small table with the camera visible and layed underneath it and started to slowly smear the ash onto my face. Laying in a meditative state.

At the time of filming my first attempt i was feeling rushed and un-relaxed so i decided to come back to project 2 when i felt inspired and in a better state.

FINAL:

-  ritualistic 

Through trial and error i had stuck with this as my final. If i had dabbled in more extensive film editing, and possibly researched ways to have access to editing software with the techniques and tools free of charge than my project may have tilted in another direction. 

The meditative time-based piece combines ritual and process together. Natural sound being played in synchronisation along with the juxtaposition of the videos. Sounds such as wind chimes, birds, the organic sounds of me breaking apart the coal with a rock and using the water to help break it down. 

Reflection: