elminks

[elminks]

quack, qUaCK, QUACK!

George Rippon

Rippon was very open about life as an artist living through a pandemic with no social media presence and no upcoming gigs. He uses his practice to explore past events from his life and the emotions tied to them. This use of art to express oneself is something I've at once shied away from but at the same time actively seek to show. I express myself through my art but tend to keep my inner emotions hidden - though they may unconsciously be a part of my work. You can see in Rippon's work that he uses art as a way to explore his life and decipher key moments from it. By literally representing occurrences from his life, it makes Rippon's work more open to viewers. In a way, due to its honesty, people will connect with Rippon's art and relate to the experiences it portrays. The possible downside to such candour is that an audience may not be very receptive due to an inability to recognise Rippon's characterisation of events. Personally, if I were to see Rippon's art without a prior explanation of the symbolism he uses (specifically in his later work), I would not be able to decipher the meaning behind his work. As I may have mentioned before though I like to create such work, I'm not very knowledgeable about contemporary abstract art. I struggle to analyse the many connotations. So it is helpful when the artist explains the concept behind their work.

Installation view of Now Panic (2015) exhibited at Vilma Gold, London.

artist exhibition

[elminks]

the armpit of the new age

Batsheva Ross

Substituting religion for her own practice, Ross' art looks at authority figures found in religious places and the irony of their exemption from the rules of religious practice. Finding a fresh perspective in the overlap between holiness and dirtiness, Ross uses a recurring image of a flock in her art.

Though I can appreciate Ross' rejection of religion and her way of calling out hypocritical rules enforced in religions, it's not a topic I would ever create work about. Ross sees her art as religious (not denoting a religion). I can say that sometimes the creation of artwork can seem very intuitive, but I wouldn't compare art to religion. Historically, art has been used to promote various religions, explaining stories through the use of pictures. It has also been used to show the owner's intellectual prowess by depicting narratives only well-educated people might comprehend. However, I don't see the need to still use art in this way. This is most likely because religion (or its lack) doesn't play a vital role in my life like it does in Ross'.

I did like Ross' paintings of Rabbi's; I thought they were well painted and appreciated her technique. Painting is not a key part of my practice anymore. I have always loved painting people (I am biased towards landscape paintings), so I admire portrait painters. Additionally, I quite liked the repeated use of specific symbols (like a flock). I have recently noticed that I also repeat themes in my work and revisit older concepts - like lines in art (lately using minimalist techniques to depict mountain ranges).

From this exposure to Ross' practice, I think I will continue to explore older concepts. I would also like to educate myself about the impact of religion on art, as though I know basic info, I'm yet to truly understand its history. I should also learn about various artistic practices from cultures outside of what I'm taught. When presented with new artists, I'll be able to value their creative contribution more and how it's been impacted by their culture.

https://batshevaross.net/

[elminks]

does commercialisation ruin art?

Seen in a dual light, the commercialisation of art began to dominate the art world with the rise of consumerism in the mid-1900s. Due to the decrease in the cost of manufacturing methods, block prints of famous works by popular artists became commonplace in the early 20th century. The rise of modern art contributed significantly to this.

After the second world war, the US middle class was thriving and having disposable money; they began to acquire art pieces. This increase in sales led to the greater monetisation of the art sector. Pairing the greater focus on the art world and the rising prominence of capitalist values, artists like Andy Warhol gained fame and fortune. Also leading to the creation of an art movement that combined these two factors: pop art. Seeing the success of such artists, new creators began to produce art, striving to become dominant figures in the art world.

The commercialisation of art is often viewed as a bad thing. Many less successful artists see the monetisation of work as selling out by supplementing the morals behind an artwork with money. However, this is not necessarily the case. Many artists aim to become self-sufficient by selling their art. When art becomes a good, it is clear that its monetisation needs to be dialled back. Because the sale of the artwork is no longer benefiting the artist. The sale of the artwork is making it a commodity. The transition from artwork to commodity is something the artist Jean Michel Basquiat discussed in his life, stating that commercialisation is equivalent to cannibalizing art. An artist's success usually peaks after their death, as the demand for their work increases, yet the supply of the work is stagnant.

With the advancement of social media in the 2000s, many artists turn to social platforms to promote and monetise their work. This progress of artists has shifted the career aspirations of many young people who now hope to work in the creative sector.

[elminks]

floating on the underside

Keira Greene Greene's art practice relates to my own art through the common use of film as a medium. Greene approached this medium as a way of storytelling, using montages of images to explain a narrative often without words. In the Q+A, Greene expressed that video was the medium that excited her the most. She stated that she preferred to use organic processes when filming to reflect more humane subjects (biographical interviews). A significant aspect of Greene's practice is exploring the somatic experience - sometimes engaging with this release of past trauma through poetry. Moreover, the key to the relative success of Greene's career is her openness to collaboration and easily understandable concepts.

One reason I can connect with her practice is her well-explained videos containing explicit messages/meanings that lack a more conceptual spark. As I find it hard to engage with more conceptual approaches to artmaking, I respected Greene's simplification of more complex ideas to create films that are easy to digest. Further, Greene looks into well being and ideas of living by translating the principles of nature into urban environments. I relate to this as my practice revolves around responses to an environment, usually incorporating hints to the natural world. One aspect of Greene's work that I am curious about is her inclusion of movement (in the form of dance). Though I have explored moving image, I have never explored a moving form. It was insightful to see how a digital practice incorporated external movements to develop installation pieces.

The overall impact of Greene's art practice on my own was an easing of pressure on my creative output. In this term especially, I have been unable to create as much as I thought an art student/ artist should. This self-imposed creative goal created a lot of duress, chiefly because I could not create and produced very little art. However, when Greene explained that it usually takes her around a year to make one 5-15min film, this expectation alleviated somewhat. It was beneficial to see a professional artist producing high-quality work in a low quantity.

Going forward, though I will still attempt to create on a regular basis, I will not be as concerned with the quantitative output of my art practice.

http://keiragreene.com/

[elminks]

not JUST, that's belittling - brain-eating alien - what's a turf? - undeniable - nom nom - are all these people witches?! - third psychedelic renaissance

snippets of thoughts from tai shani lecture

[elminks]

what is art?

From work produced by the latest crop of MA students, a couple of questions arose. 

To what extent can you create something abstract/mundane and still call it art due to its conceptual basis? 

Abstract art was initially conceived to transcend language/class/culture barriers and be a universal art form understood by the masses. In this case, it's done just the opposite becoming one of the more confusing art forms. My limited understanding of these students' art practice and my relatively little experience and exposure to contemporary art have left me baffled by this presentation. 

Are two people walking on/ wrapped in bubble wrap bonking their heads together considered art? 

The simple answer is yes. Though formality and aesthetics have seemingly been thoroughly abandoned by some modern artists in place of absurd abstract art, which I, for one, often fail to understand. One could argue that there is no obvious point to this work. However, these performances/artwork strongly rely on concept and theories, exploring ideas rather than fitting into the box of traditional art. My practice doesn't conform to the norms of classic art, though it's heavily reliant on aesthetics. Therefore, my failure to understand a piece of art does not mean it's not a quote on quote good piece of art. It means that the work is probably the first of its type of art that I've seen. 

What have I learnt?

I appreciated the MA students seeing the evolution of their practices and their ever-expanding exploration of various ideas and materials. The courage it took to show their work was encouraging as they fully exposed the inner workings of their minds through their displays. I've learned that people will always have various opinions on your art. You don't need to worry about that - express yourself the best you can. 

SHOUTOUT to the MA artists: Garry Finnegan, LINDA JANE JAMES, https://www.cosahmet.com/, Abbie Bradshaw, https://www.bradsane.com/, KAREN HALEWOOD, Vincent Quirk, Joshua Cook.

[elminks]

tower of jenga

David Blandy

Beginning this new semester, one change I made was actively researching and engaging with an artists work before attending their lecture. This approach really paid off. It allowed me to easily follow the talk and not get confused, which usually leads to me switching off from the presentation entirely. 

One aspect of Blandy's practice stood out for me; his use of his imagination. This may sound slightly silly that someone who studies and creates within the art world was surprised and intrigued by the use of creativity to inform art. I have almost fallen out of practice with this, creating new realities from my imagination. Blandy builds these worlds/narratives around real-life circumstances but set well into the future as a form of escapism. (Who could say no to a bit of escapism atm?)

Blandy's art practice investigates the impact of pop culture by attempting to look into ideas surrounding race, politics and gender through the creation of independent comic books. He tries to disperse racial alignment present in fantasy storytelling by collaborating with local schools to generate fresh ideas. I enjoyed learning about Blandy's practice as he presents a farce to his viewers of comforting familiarity, then breaks this by highlighting more uncomfortable topics. For example, one of his more recent games explores a distant future where the world has dramatically changed due to the devastating impact of humans on the earth. Though heavily discussed and now occasionally at the forefront of media, the topic of climate change still presents itself as an imminent threat to our planet and society at large. 

Due to the collaborative nature of Blandy's work, his art encompasses multiple voices presented through a mainly virtual format. Despite the limitations of a virtual design, it can't share a physical space. Creating these imagined spaces does allow people to come together. I like that Blandy recognises the limits of his practice whilst producing art meant to connect people with people. 

Seeing how an artist can successfully create art virtual is very inspiring as it shows the benefits of digital media in a time where there are restrictions on the production of art if you don't have access to the right resources. Luckily you can still share your art and show your practice online. 

http://davidblandy.co.uk 

[elminks]

oh how the turns have tabled!

inedible breakfast (2021)

[elminks]

Mauvaise Alphabet

Documenting 'spontaneous plants' around the city for the Liverpool Biennial (2021), this mural celebrates its environment.

Created by Jorgge Menna Barreto in collaboration with muralist Anne jane Houghton and students from Liverpool John Moores University.

[elminks]

expressions of joy

[elminks]

digital paintings

[elminks]

living daydream

[elminks]

inedible breakfast - oh how the turns have tabled!

[elminks]

i have no idea what to call this

[elminks]

female readymades

Melissa Gordon

A painter and a writer, Melissa Gordon, creates paintings around the theme of feminism introducing photography, silk screening and text to form her final work. From a distance, these look like collages but up close the mediums that she has used become apparent. This combination of mediums alongside Gordon’s signature suggestion of gesture is what she discussed in the Q+A.

Gordon defines the aspects of her paintings into two categories: index and icon. An index records information as a notation (i.e. a photograph), an icon discusses the contextual dialogue of a painting (i.e. a recurring motif). When asked about her use of gesture, Gordon said: lots of paintings have these voids for our brains to imagine the actions that created the mark-making. This type of mark-making is reminiscent of work by Jackson Pollock, where you could almost see him slapping the paint onto the canvas. 

I did not strongly engage with the artists work, though I did like her combination of media to create a final result. I am attempting this in my practice by combining 2D mediums and moving image.

http://melissagordon.info/

[elminks]

im sorry, there’s no photography allowed in here

Olafur Eliasson

Every colour influences us in different ways. What you see in a piece of art is up to you. Olafur Eliasson's work is dependent on the relationship between the spectator and the ideas in his art. By creating immersive spaces and experiences that help the audience to interact with their environment, he changes the way people experience the world. He displays his creations on digital/social media platforms.

Eliasson's practise is open to uncommon materials and structures which ensure his works evolve naturally. His references to nature in his elude to a childhood surrounded by it, which led to him developing a nature-based language to convey his thoughts. I somewhat relate to this as initially my practice was landscape based and has since evolved into responses to an environment or situation. However, sometimes unconsciously, I still reference natural forms in my art. To break from this, I think I will let my work develop gradually, but analyse what I have created and attempt to find similarities between my art as well as recurrent themes. 

When he presents his work, he hands over the responsibility for experiencing his ideas to the participant who then co-produces the narrative of the piece with him. I find that I want to explore more about this approach to displaying artwork, as I would like to incorporate some audience participation in my practice (even if it is not physically possible at the moment). Looking back at the films I have made this semester, it does seem as though I have incorporated unsuspecting audience members into my works. I want to further this by actively including other viewers in my art, and create collaboratively. 

https://olafureliasson.net/

[elminks]

daydreams

Last year I produced a piece of work that involved shapes passing across a CD. I liked the pattern and explored what I could generate with it. I ended up creating large stickers for walls, small drawings and Lino prints. I then wanted to combine these 2D works with a digital medium. I am still working on this, but here is my progress so far.

I have become interested in the cross over between 2D and moving image when they are combined. I think Olafur Eliasson’s Reality Projector helped to further this interest. I have already incorporated sound into my previous short films, so I would like to explore the relationship between light and shadow instead. Hopefully, this will all connect and result in a piece involving projections.