Worked hard last week concentrating on completing 3 series of work to consider for final exhibition. Six repetitive mixed media images produced in print using silk screen and then overlaying with line worked in oil. These worked well, simple, contemplative, showing good use of repetition. Negative is that edges are poor, they were produced on different sizes of paper so difficult to present professionally and I definitely do not want to cut them to size and mount them.
I also worked three oil on paper using very similar imagery but with more concentration on repetition of shape of bracelet links with different configuration. The colour was muted greys, velvety, blended abstract landscapes with line introduced in the foreground. A white strip had been left at top of work and on reviewing these with my tutor it was suggested rather than remove this I paint it over with white oil and make it part of the work. This seemed a good way forward as, again, I did not wish to cut into the work and destroy the purity of the process and materiality.
The largest works were on mdf and measuring 120cm x 70cm landscape. I began by creating a background using oils which took a long time to dry. As my time is limited and the exhibition is to be hung on the 14th May I decided to work in quick drying household paints. It was fortunate that the oil had soaked into the board thus providing a surface that could be approached using this media. This proved to be very satisfactory and I worked quickly and quite spontaneously employing a dry brush technique to achieve a chalky texture depicting a semi abstracted landscape in monochrome. The landscape was too prominent and needed 'knocking back' so as to create a ghost image. This was achieved by laying two washes over each board. They now resembled blackboard/slate which created a juxtoposition in relation to the unknown history of what is written on a blackboard and the unknown, uncertain history in relation to my father. The next process was to draw the 'journeys' and relationship with our father and mother of myself and my two brothers. The lines were strong and placed in the foreground thus representing the present/the tangible. The bracelet link shapes were repeated but in different formats to indicate each individual and the birthdate was included.
Yet another process developed and because of the blackboard type surface I felt compelled to write The Story of the Silver Bracelet which I had originally written in my sketch book. I used mycut and paste version, emphasizing the 'unknown - the ambiguity - history invented'. All the information told me secondhand/selected by mum. This cut up method was used by William Burroughs and I wrote in chalk on My Panel THE STORY - created and shared between us two and therefore appropriate to my panel only. Writing over the entire panel and then rubbing out so as to create a ghost text.
Overall the work satisfies me. It is contemplative, I have kept it simple and made it my own.
I have found a lot of my monochrome work very difficult to photograph and need some advice as to how to achieve better contrast and detail when photographing this type of image.
Should I achieve some better quality photographs of the completed works I will upload them soon. Here they are:
The above four images were all generated in the print room using various techniques. The Print Tutor felt these reflected my area of investigation in a more free, expressive way and urged me to continue to investigate and work over some images which I felt were already resolved. I could relate to this but felt that these were just some work was exploratory and just astarting point and needed time to develop on an individual basis. Time is not what I have at this stage in the course.
This three images are worked in oil on paper.
My senior tutor responded to the above three images in a very positive way. My aim was to produce more contemplative imagery, simple, personal, limiting my palette, reflecting the Eastern Model and making it my own - the tutor felt this met my intent - as did I. The form, shapes relate on a vey personal level and have been considered. The silver bracelet has provided a stability and focus to a very personal line of enquiry which has been of great value to my practice. Although this series of work was not chosen as my final exhibition pieces there remains a close link with shape, form, palette and line. The final three boards can be viewed as a triptych or separate - this decision will be made on the final day of hanging. Yet again, I will attempt to photograph them and upload onto my blog - watch this space.
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