jm-asu1

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Referral Task

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Series of Stills Taken from Performance - Joshua Mutton - 2017

I wanted to document the performance in a variety of ways including shooting some stills. In some ways I think that the stills are a bit more cohesive in the way in which they relate to the original images of bacon. The fragment of frozen time creates an eerie and uncanny feel to the work where as when the performance was taking place it looked natural and fluid. These stills are move diverse and a bit more permanent than the original piece. The fact that I projected onto a wall relates back to the work I have previously done on tapestries, it seems my work has come full circle.

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Performance Piece - Joshua Mutton - 2017

Another, recording of the performance, I wanted to mimic the movements that as a consumers we are so often bombarded with. The elegance and the posed perfection that we are supposed to reach for is impossible. The aim of this performance was to couple that with the fluid form of the bacon in the milk-water.

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Performance Piece - Joshua Mutton - 2017

I thought doing a performance piece creatively displays my project and makes it feel more grounded in reality. It transcends the printed work as it becomes more tangible and fluid. The nature of performance work is ephemeral which adds a value to the work as it’s only shown for a specific time, and then gone, this temporality of the work gives it a delicacy that the printed pieces did not process. I directed my model to do fluid movements to resemble the bacon’s natural form. The bacon resembled a creature, an entity in of itself, which personified it, creating even more of a dramatic and thought provoking aura.

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Series - Untitled - Joshua Mutton - 2017

In an attempt to personify the bacon even more and to imitate the the objectification of the human form, I decided, for this shoot, to mould the bacon into a human facial shape. I also added false eye lashes to really emphasise the fact that this was a representation of a human face rather than an uncanny lump of bacon that just so happened to look like one. I wanted the viewer to know that this was an intentional decision. The more I looked at the face however the more human it became, it got to the point where I was physically uncomfortable looking at it. To create this reaction to my own work was a surreal and new experience for me, however I am happy that I have returned to a more media and fashioned based focus within my practice as I feel that is when my work is its strongest and most potent.

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Series - Untitled - Joshua Mutton - 2017

Form, the human form and personifying something inanimate is no new concept, harking back to early cave drawings. However this is the first time I feel as though the bacon has taken on more than just the grotesque nature of raw meat but actually looks appealing and almost sexual. When positioning the bacon, I aimed to make them look as though they were drifting in the milk-water almost weightless and once they gained that quality they suddenly transcended what they had been previously and became entities unto themselves. I think that perhaps this is the beginning of a new series of works based on and around these images. 

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In many style and fashion magazines there seems to be a trend emerging of the milk bath shoot, above pictured an example, it interested me the use of a dairy product to accentuate beauty, almost the opposite of what I have been previously trying to do. The hybrid of consumer and human is fascinating, where does one stop and the other begin, here the model is laid out as if she is some sort of exotic dessert ready to be devoured. The objectification and subsequent loss of human identity are themes than run deeply through my practice and I would like to take a turn in my project to explore this further.

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Due to my difficulty sewing onto actual bacon, I decided that I would attempt to sew onto a material that perhaps was more malleable. In this case I chose canvas paper, printing a high quality image that I took of bacon. I wanted this work to be more grounded in the real world as I found myself recently drifting further and further from my original inspiration. 

I heard of a story about someone who had brought something from Primark and when they looked in the lining of the product there was a sewn message asking for help from a sweatshop worker, a modern day slave. Its a stark reminder that this industry is still extremely prominent and as an artist it reminded me that I have a responsibility to use my platform to speak for those who aren't in a position to. 

After hearing this story I went on to thinking about how embroidery as a craft and practice is considered very high end and top of the range, its very process is painstakingly expensive both materially and timely. Yet out of something so beautiful comes something so hideous, this complete contrast is what my practice is built upon. The glamorous front of the fashion industry and the shady behind, the way that this epitomises the foundation of that concept means that I had to create a piece of work to at least experiment with the idea of embroidery on raw bacon. However as I previously stated that proved too technical so instead sewing on paper was a substitute, however this is definitely something I would like to explore further for future pieces.

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I attempted to staple my work but I felt it became too clinical and took me further away from my original concept. I still have an interest in the manufacturing process and the details behind the fashion industry and what goes on behind the scenes. I explored further the idea of sewing as I feel it is more related to my concept, it is more logical in referring my work to sweatshops and the slave trade. I believe it makes my work more grounded to my original concept. However, the practicality of sewing bacon was challenging as it kept disintegrating therefor made it difficult to create the desired form. 

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It’s been really useful and constructive to display my piece in a gallery setting where people can interact individually with my work. I received a lot of feedback from people, it sparked many conversations regarding vegetarianism and the ethics of the piece. It was suggested to me to visit a slaughter house to see the brutality first hand and therefor bring a harsher reality and a deeper comprehension to my future pieces. However, this isn’t necessarily relevant as the pigs were just a representation of the objectification of humans. DNA was another topic that stemmed from displaying my piece, the viewers thought the bacon resembled the form of Chromosomes. Having received this feedback I went on to think about how DNA shapes not only our biological identity but also how one identifies themselves. The idea of ‘self’ and ‘others’ is so contrasting, we can never truly experience others and aspects of their life, we have only our self to experience and explore.  I find it so intriguing and mesmerising how each individual can take something completely different from the same piece of Art. I love creating something that stirs emotion and is thought provoking.

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Apoxy Resin, Varnish, PVA, Acrylic Binder; Experiments

After completing the bacon tapestry I was disappointed that it could not be physically preserved, but only remain in tact and untouched through means of the digital world, which so often desensitises us to the horrors of reality. I decided that I would experiment with methods of preservation, especially interested in the idea of coating the bacon in something that might prevent decomposition. 

Apoxy Resin- Although once solidified it looked impressive the cast was not airtight and the bacon decomposed naturally leaving a rather unimpressive empty shell.

Varnish- Varnish did prolong the life of the bacon briefly however it was not long enough for the work to displayed anywhere and the bacon was soon spoiled. 

PVA- Although not a traditional method I thought that perhaps by lathering on PVA I could make some sort of airtight seal however this too failed and the bacon was not preserved.

Acrylic Binder- After having experimented with the Acrylic Binder I concluded it was too aggressive and broke down the bacon therefor lost the effect I wanted to create. 

Overall I am disappointed after having experimented with the above and none of them turning out how I envisioned. I was hoping that at least one of these experiments would’ve lead to success but due to this misfortune I will move ahead and continue experimenting using other medias and forms.

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Tapestry - Joshua Mutton - 2017

In preparation for the WIP exhibition and in order to further explore this idea of a tapestry I decided to scale up from the miniature sample that I had previously done. I am still unsure how would be the best way to display this kind of work, I would like to further explore the way in which I could use real bacon in my practice, perhaps looking at casting it in resin or protecting and therefore prolonging the bacon by using a varnish or something equivalent. However for now I am looking into printing digitally and potentially stapling up on the wall, juxtaposing the digitally printed staples with real staples so that the viewer has to question what is real and want is just a print. I understand that this work is a bit more abstract in concept than my previous pieces and it is not apparent what the direct meaning is, however this work is purely experimental to see how far I can push myself and my practice.

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In an attempt to bring a more organic aura to my practice, I decided for now to leave the appropriation of fashion photography temporally behind. Introducing actual bacon rather than images, meant I was able to manipulate the meat into forms that I hadn't previously been able to. In order to ground my work in some sort of conceptual philosophy I decided to look at manufacturing processes, exploring how everyday items yet we have no guarantee about where ethically the product originated. In my RIPU project I have been looking at stately homes and the tapestries that they often have hanging from India, China and other foreign and far away lands and I was experimenting with the idea of using bacon as a tapestry. Unlike in that project I decided to use staples to fasten the streaks together, going off a more clinical and medicinal implication than I had initially intended. I would like to scale this up and see what it would look like in an exhibition setting, especially as we have our WIP exhibition coming up it will be a good opportunity to explore what my work looks like in a different sort of space.

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Untitled - Joshua Mutton - 2017

The Reintroduction of bacon into my practice seemed like a logical move, the purely digital seemed to clinical and cold and wasn't creating an impression that would last. It is important that the work I produce is a shocking piece and a conversation point, and whilst the digital, glitched, work was effective in the way it exposed the disjointed nature of the fashion industry, it did not display the ugliness and brutality that I aim to uncover. 

By specifically targeting the models face, I wanted to disrupt the way in which the viewer would read her face. Skewing and killing her identity, so that she is no longer identifiable. I chose to return to bacon specifically for two main reasons, firstly I like the danger that bacon represents, the rawness is inedible and therefore has a level of toxicity to it, secondly it is more of a practical meat as it photographs well and is varied in texture, colour and malleable.

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Digital Manipulation - Commercialisation; The damage it causes 

By digitally distorting this image I was able to be a bit more playful in my approach as the consequences of my actions could be easily undone. However I feel as though the image isn't all that different or enhanced, I have just made the image more commercialised, which is what was intended. The process although primarily experimental did lack focus and precision and therefore there isn't a clear narrative within the work. In order to move my practice forward I think I will have to look at more tangible ways in which i can manipulate images. Perhaps a reintroduction of bacon to create a more organic and graphic aura.

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Gathering Images

When gathering images to then go on to appropriate in some way it is important that the original image is in itself consistent and cohesive with my work. The main emphasis being on people and their identity. I look forward to seeing how I can manipulate these images further.

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From Community to Commodity: The Color of Money

The following are notes taken when studying the written work of Marilyn Halter in the book Shopping for Identity: The Marketing of Ethnicity followed by a brief reflection on the text.

Chapter 2 - From Community to Commodity: The Color of Money

- ‘Heart and Pockets’ consumerist nature has become so embedded its hard to differentiate between the two.

- They [the media] Specifically target how people self identify

- Aim their marketing campaigns at whoever will give them the most return - shift in focus

- Money follows statistics - wide appeal now necessary 

- After moving to the United States minorities now hold more power and affluence as they climb the career ladder.

- Companies need to feel personable and supportive - its in their best interest to appeal to the ‘New-Americans’ 

- Huge increase in market

- Companies stuck between strategies- a middle ground must be found to gain the largest footfall

- Creating a new field of expertise - study into demographics and ethics - how to create more brand recognition within a certain demographic

- In an effort to appeal to the whole world it forces globalisation - under the guise of unification

- The start of understanding the market fully in the 60s - Everyone can be a consumer - as people started earning more, so spending increased = representation.

- At some point forcing western ideals upon people - ethically insensitive standards of beauty on people - Cultural insensitivity, at the time not enough understanding of ethnic needs.

- The age of the teenager - Fashion - Celebrity - Trends, huge marketing potential, cosmopolitanism.

- Creating a joint heritage and relationship between consumer and corporate company- family tradition and nostalgia capitalising on affective labor.

- Allowing other cultures to experience western culture, accommodating specific requirements. 

- Branding products as ‘authentic’ building more trust between consumer and company - customer confidence.

- Regional and area specific marketing, supermarkets with a Polish aisle etc - Ethnic Solidarity - giving a taste of home - creating new communities with US ‘neighbourhoods’ shaping city industries

- Some products are specific to their culture - items become a collectable ‘authentic oriental rug etc’ synonymous with culture

- To appear culturally aware has become a trend in of itself.

- Celebration of difference - the diverse market has become the mass market. Diversity is a product to be invested in.

REFLECTION

This text allowed me to gain a greater insight into the history of marketing and media and how the campaigns we see today have come to be. It was critical that I could comprehend the marketing strategy used by not only the fashion industry but also the whole commercial front. In order to imitate it effectively a deep comprehension was imperative, understanding how these campaigns specifically target groups of people in order to build a relationship with them was fascinating. No longer are you selling a product but rather a feeling, emotion or experience, that is when affective labor comes into play. It raises ethical questions too, however, for example is it a form of emotional manipulation to play off nostalgia or a cultural heritage that then company itself had no part or relation to?