BronteHazel

[brontehazel-blog]

References (plus one extra video for fun) Juelskaer, 2013, 'Gendered Subjectivities of Spacetimematter', Gender & Education, Vol. 25 Barker, 2012, Issues of Subjectivity and Identity, 4th edition, pg.221 Mansfield, 2000, Subjectivity, pg.27 Mansfield, 2000, Subjectivity, pg. 184 Howes, 2005, The Book of Touch, pg.28 Bechtold, Buccafusco, Sprigman, 2016, Indianda Law Journal, Vol.91, pg.1251 Woolley, Niedderer, 2016, Craft Research, Vol.7, pg. 160 Hass, 2016, Psychology of aesthetics, creativity, and the arts, v.10 Martinez, Sawyer, Thoroughgood, Ruggs, Smith, 2017, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol.102, pg.215

[brontehazel-blog]

Social Identity

Our differences and similarities to those around us essentially determines our social identities (Martinez, Sawyer, Thoroughgood, Ruggs, Smith, 2017). It causes the artist to relate to their environment and those in it on the basis of their social identity, whether they would prefer it that way or not. People can manipulate this identity to an extent but unlike some other identities, this one is heavily reliant on the opinions of others rather than the artist themselves. The video shows the difficulties that can arise when attempting to connect to those with a vastly different social identity, largely due to factors beyond either party’s control.

[brontehazel-blog]

Fractured Identity

In more recent times the concept of people having more than one identity has gained interest. This idea of having an ever changing, fractured identity accommodates for the more varied roles that people must perform in today’s society (Mansfield, 2000). Growing up in this present day society and having played out these different roles or identities myself, this is the theory that aligns best with my perception of myself and others. The movie ‘Spear’ explores what it is like for young people who have connections in various cultures but an anchor in none and how this affects them and their shifting personas. The concepts explored in this movie also have a rather significant effect on my own creative practice.

[brontehazel-blog]

Creative Identity

The set of characteristics that sets the works of one artist apart from all other artist’s work is that artist’s creative identity (Hass, 2016). Sometimes an artist’s creative identity is an element so entrenched in their work that they themselves do not know what it is, yet it is always present and identifies their work as theirs. Other times an artist will very deliberately choose, manipulate and alter their creative identity however they see fit and that in its self could become a characteristic of their creative practice. The musician Skrillex creates music with a very distinctive feel that is unique to him and reflects his creative identity.

[brontehazel-blog]

Authenticity

As both artist and viewer we value originality and stewardship of artworks and concepts (Woolley, Niedderer, 2016). As art, technology and society continue to evolve we must continue redefining what is and what is not authentic. The shifting of the focus from the art to the artist over the years has also challenged the definition of authenticity in art. We now judge whether the artist themselves is authentic or not rather than their artwork and what that means to their creative practice. In the video Poppy is clearly a created persona and she draws on a variety of subject matter that was originally not hers, but this subject matter is presented in a new light leading me to believe that at the very least the team behind Poppy is authentic.

[brontehazel-blog]

Creative Influence

No art is completely original. Even the most ground breaking of ideas are based on what has come before hand (Bechtold, Buccafusco, Sprigman, 2016). As artists we are constantly influenced by all that surrounds us, and we use these external forces to build and develop our skills as creative practitioners. As someone who uses other artists works within mine – music when I dance, footage and software when I edit – I know that I am influenced not only on a conceptual level but also by someone else’s artwork. In the clip of the dancers you can see how the choreographer’s training and music selection are inseparable from the technical aspect of the dance while each dancer’s own artistic expression affects their presentation of the choreography.

[brontehazel-blog]

Sensory Knowledge

Sensory knowledge is the idea that certain parts of the human body, your senses, have their own internal intelligence unrelated to the brain (Howes, 2005). I enjoy looking at this from a conceptual and abstract perspective but I know that this is not how the nervous system functions scientifically. As a performer I am affected by sensory knowledge, especially on stage, because dancing is a very physical and sensory experience. However the audience of both my dance and digital presentations do not feel any physical imprint from my art. This means that my I must communicate using images and sound, resulting in my artistic practice generally focusing on visual and audio movement. ‘Amor Fati’ has beautiful visuals which when combined with the song create a mesmerising video.

[brontehazel-blog]

Overdetermination

Freud believed that every happening is caused by the unconscious mind and is therefore relevant in some way, even when he was unsure why it is so (Mansfield, 2000). Overdetermination is this concept that there are no coincidences and art, a relatable medium open to interpretation, welcomes it. Some people may think that a particular artwork holds the secrets of the universe while others will see the same artwork as a meaningless collection of colours. Certain artworks are more susceptible than others to overdetermination and make the viewer feel as though it contains many layers of meaning even if the individual does not understand the intention themselves. The images in ‘Coup d’etat’ exude this vibe and encourage the viewer to look for meaning in the video.

[brontehazel-blog]

Unconscious

The workings of the unconscious mind are responsible for everything from irrational Freudian slips to forbidden desires and terrifying nightmares (Mansfield, 2000). Of course, since the unconscious mind contains such expansive subject matter, artwork concerning it varies just as much in genre and medium. I have found that in my artistic practice, regardless if the medium is dance or digital media, the unconscious mind is often essential in the creation and concept of the artwork, yet I rarely allow intentionally undefined entities into the completed product. This reflects on my personal identity among other unknown factors. The many strange rooms and occupants of ‘Haunted’ are representational of the way the unconscious mind filters through and disrupts our rational perception of the world.

[brontehazel-blog]

Essentialism

Although considered to be an outdated approach, the idea that a person’s identity consists of timeless, unchangeable core values forms the basis of many Western concepts of self (Barker, 2012). Currently, identity is thought to have more fluidity than this essentialism view, however observing life through the essentialism lens is extremely useful in interpreting and creating art. However, it allows us to study how and why things are related to or distinguishable from each other. Often, both physical and non-physical elements and their properties are equivalent as the dance demonstrates. Using body paint, music, and movement to explore the essential properties of the mutton bird we are inevitably presented with the mutton bird itself.

[brontehazel-blog]

SUBJECTIVITY

The space time entanglement of both material and non-material phenomena is the course of relationships forming between objects and people (Juelskjær, 2013). Since each audience member viewing an artwork has their own personal space time experience each individual will interpret it through their own personalised context. The lyrics and images used in ‘1955’ hold greater significance to me personally because I grew up in a small town. A viewer without my life experience, while they might still enjoy the artwork, will have a weaker reaction to ‘1955’ than I do because of our subjective differences. Subjectivity is unavoidable and must be considered when practicing art.

�