Lara Schnitger, Thrifty Art.

I was introduced to Lara Schnitger's work last term by my personal tutor Catrin Huber, 

RESEARCH: YAYOI KUSAMA

Posted by Emilie Gordon on October 9, 2010 ·

Yayoi Kusama,
born 1929, Japan


Accumulation No.1, 1968, Yayoi Kusama

In an interview with Grandy Turner for Bombsite in winter 1999, Yayoi explains how some of her work is produced from the experience of hallucinations brought on by her mental illness, the intrusion of the mind with obsessive thought becoming sculptures and paintings. Kusama goes on to explain how she used painting to help cure her disease. She left Japan and moved to New York to peruse art and escape her chilling family life, She became acquainted with Artist Georgia O’Keeffe and then Eva Hesse whose work I will go on to discuss later. Looking at craft being art and the use of textiles I first came across Kusama in Art Fabric Mainstream by Mildred Constantine. The work Couch and canvas and Accumulation No. 1, 1962, the idea that an object you may use throughout your life, a sofa or chair can be transformed into a beautifully bizarre textural sculpture, fascinated me. When I first saw the image I was reminded of the human body, arms and flesh and possibly a phallus symbol. ‘As an obsessional artist I fear everything I see. At one time, I dreaded everything I was making. The armchair thickly covered in phalluses was my psychosomatic work done when I had a fear of sexual vision’ kusama explains to Grandy Turner – From the images you do feel a sense of being overwhelmed by phalluses as if they are wriggling and swarming around the surface of the couch like a swarm of bees buzzing and moving in formation around the nest. There is the sensation of the feeling of a fear. It is a repetitive image consuming the shape or an object, which moves from the artists mind to reality. Kusama is an artist who works in many mediums and with many materials, however I chose to look at her fabric works, as I begin to explore the idea of craft as art and understand how craft started to become recognized as art.

NAIRY BAGHRAMIAN AND PHYLLIDA BARLOW

Posted by Emilie Gordon on October 9, 2010

Nairy Baghramian and Phyllida Barlow

Although both artists aren’t directly influential or similar to my current art practice, I had been told about Phyllida Barlow in a tutorial and when the exhibition popped up at the Serpentine Gallery I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to see her work. The Serpentine is a small Gallery in Kensington Garden’s; the exhibition space consists of three rooms. I first catch the reflection of my lower body in Nairy Baghramian’s minimalist sculpture before walking into a room full of modern architectural works, balanced and smooth then with a completely different approach to sculpture you have the work of Barlow which is rough, and large as if energetically produced in a fast frenzy.

I wrote the above on my first year at Wimbledon College of Art, Now into my second year Phyllida Barlow pop’s up again as a suggestion in my tutorial on Friday 8th 2010, and as my practice is beginning to find it’s footing I am able to relate my work to phyllida Barlow’s sculpture’s. It is her use of materials that are important in relation to my own art practice, the variety that she uses and the way in which it is applied. Materiality is my next exploration with my ideas formed on the basis of science and psychology.

 Phyllida Barlow and Nairy Baghramian. Press Pictures courtesy of the Serpentine Gallery. 

Jim Lambie

Written 28/10/10

Posted today on 04/11/10

Written by Emilie Gordon

Research on Materiality/ Material artists.

Whitechapel Gallery. (2002) Early One Morning. British Art Now. London: Whitechapel Gallery.

p. 110, Jim Lambie

"The emphasis was on the idea rather than on the medium or material, and how that worked conceptually. I could use anything, from a cigarette lighter to a 400-foot piece of plastic.'’

In an interview with Andrea Tarsia for the catalogue of the 2002 exhibition 'Early one morning' at Whitechapel Gallery Lambie explains why he works with a vast amount of materials and mediums, and doesn't limit the types of materials he uses to produce works. The idea is far more important to him.

With my own practice I want to begin to bring in a collection of materials to work with and experiment with the interaction of different materials. I want to look at exhibition displays and public art as ways of presenting the work. I need to find materials that are waterproof and will work in an outdoor environment, so I am currently looking into that. For my elective in Documentary I am taking my own studio work out into secret Garden’s in South East/ East London. With the current financial climate being unstable and being a student with very little funds I am finding that found materials are very helpful when making work, Lambie is right when he goes on to say

“Sculpturally you can really free yourself up if you’re not stuck on a specific material’’ as soon as you open yourself up to the possibility of different materials more ideas are allowed to breathe and come to life.

Jim Lambie

 Bed-head 2002, Mattress, buttons, thread.

Super Scope

So I am looking to collaborate with other Artists and or Scientists. I am looking to use Microscopy to produce an installation. Also I am focused on researching into Cancer and putting on a show that uses art to explore the dangers of cancer and the impact is has on the lives of those it affects, to try and place this disease in a place where it can be explored inside and out, to visually explain and analyze it.

I built a house

I sit crouched like a lion in front of the computer and wonder if there's something  bigger and greater at work here. There is so much extraordinary beauty in the world, I am in Love with the world, In love the the land and the animals, with life itself. I have had year's of struggle and year's of fighting for my life. I am not a religious woman but I can't help but feel a spiritual connection with all things in the world. I have learnt a lot about myself over the last year and I continue to learn. I only wish I could show the world how I see things, if you could just see the world through my eyes. There is so much one can learn from the people around us, it doesn't matter what ethnic background, religion or opinions they have. I have struggled to cope with my fathers illness but I know that whatever happens I cannot give up on living the life I set out to live, for I should know just how precious and fragile life is and how we should fight for what we want. When you have experienced the loss of a loved one or have a loved one that is terminally ill it makes you care a hell of a lot, I care about people and I may be slightly emotional at times but that is just who I am. For once in my life I can say I am happy with myself with who I am. Now you might wonder what this all has to do with my art practice, I believe in the truth, I believe in something that's pure and honest in it's delivery of subject. The reason I make work is, that I love it, and it keeps me sane. We have hands and minds putting them together we can make great things we can make a difference, we can believe it or not make a difference.

Organic Form

Documentation of Collaborative Work produced earlier in the year.

Memento Project

I am hopefully going to be involved with the Memento Project. It is an International educational exhibition in it's third year running with the theme being memory and recollection. I will be producing 10 multiples of my chosen work to be exhibited.

for more information the link is below:

http://mementoexhibition.blogspot.com/p/project-description.html

Artakt (Science and Art

Science and Art

Artakt is an innovative research centre at Central Saint Martin's who's misson is to cross over between the boundaries of art and science. They explore subjects rooted in art and science, Leonardo da Vinci being very influential a man who saw art as a means of research for science. They also look at neuroscience and psychology including 'Head on : Art with the brain in mind, 2002' organised by the Wellcome Trust at the Science Museum in London. Where artists join neuroscientists to collaborate.

http://www.artakt.co.uk/