This was our first Group Crit and the emphasis was on being supportive but also being critical in a way that could offer support or potential ideas for direction. I personally found this a very positive way forward and from this session took on board much of the advice and have looked to develop my work by honing what I was doing and fine tuning elements.
The idea of instructions and getting others to draw from your description of an object is not a new thing but it does open up questions of ownership and the interpretation of the description.
Taking the idea of mono printing from the beginning of the unit, I decided to have a play at home with the equipment I have to see how I could bring together the technique alongside both the idea of instruction drawings but also some of the poetry created as part of our 2Faulty Collective (https://carldurban.wixsite.com/website/post/2-faulty-collective).
The discussion after I had presented my initial work was how as a conductor I could send out my instructions, could I use different language versions? Could I take the created drawings and turn them into 3D creations, something I had been considering. Could I also use technology to randomise the poems and therefore the drawings related to those outcomes more. Could the poem idea also be taken beyond the group and ask others to contribute. Lots of good positive discussion and ideas to take forward. The next step was to try creating these drawings as mono prints using oil based inks and then delivering to a group of fellow MA Fine Art students, who were all up for the challenge (https://carldurban.wixsite.com/website/post/being-a-bad-narrator).
Week 1
Above is a collection of images from the first week of the Group Crits. It was the first time we had actually seen what each artist was exploring and how they approached their work. There was a wide variety and even the students I was familiar with from my BA had moved their work on so much it was all fresh and exciting to see. So many approaches, from burying material and seeing how it dealt with the tides, to the documentation of the sky over a period of time, a photographic documentation of Great Yarmouth containing images of the people, the buildings and the environment to trying to someone trying to depict their subconscious and unravelling their thoughts whilst hypnotised. So many questions and directions. Both Desmond and Alex kept probing away to see why people were doing what they were doing and seeing where things could go. There was also the discussion about the failure of memory and how you can depict sound through images alongside how another artist was using all their childhood memories and using their kept birthday cards as a way of connecting to the past.
Week 2
The second week of Group Crits was equally enlightening and everyone was keen to see the second half of the year's work. The whole point of these sessions is to be open and show where you are with your work but to also bring the sort of questions you are having with your practice and discuss the struggles to see if by sharing a more focussed direction can be achieved or even a direction the individual had not even thought of. The idea of taking some of the smaller work and changing the scale or combining several smaller pieces was discussed for one artist, or do the smaller paintings become a series of works displayed in one room rather than keep creating test paintings and trying different approaches, accept that there may be more than one. Lots of food for thought.
We also had videos of work, some about the artist's hands creating the work and others more obscure but equally as fascinating as each other. So many of the individuals had deeply researched their subject and could back up their actions, whereas others worked more instinctively and this was an opportunity to reflect on where they were. So often the idea of working in isolation can potentially lead to frustration and blocks, these sessions are a great way to open up new possibilities and discussions.
There was also a certain degree of technical work and ideas of different materials and approaches was discussed and offered. I often find sometimes a new technique can lead to a new approach to working, it stops things being too familiar and similar in output. It can also quite often be about being outside one's comfort zone, which some struggle with. There is definite comfort in what you know rather than what you don't. Personally I like being out of my comfort zone, trying something new, losing control. I think it's a case of balance as sometimes you do need to use your knowledge and acquired skills to perform in a way you want to but by trying something different you will get different results.
I believe there was a lot to take out of these sessions, not just from those discussing their work but also those offering suggestions and questions about the work. It can be hard to take criticism but if it is presented in a positive way and genuinely offered as a different perspective it is something to take on board. Whether you choose to use it is up to you but be open, let the suggestions sink in and try something different.
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