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Degree Show Piece Review

Throughout my time at NUA, there has always been the thought of the degree show in my mind and I could never quite envisage what I wanted to work toward so when the time came to prepare it was quite challenging to create a concept.

The Mondrian-esque simplicity of the skeletal bus shelter frame was a very deliberate choice, the focal point of the piece needed to be the illuminated billboard. Creating the light box in order to highlight the print proved more challenging than initially anticipated with multiple designs and alternatives being discussed with tutors and technicians, however it was decided upon that to get the best result and for the freedom of customisation that I would create my own light box. This meant that I had the liberty to measure exactly how big I wanted the print to be and to also chose how I wanted the light to look. The decision to use a pulsating/flickering light was an easy one in the end. The imperfection of not having a solid light shows the decay of the urban environment which it is supposed to artificially replicate. Imperfection is inevitable when viewing the outside world, and I quite enjoyed the juxtaposition of the unsure with the pristine space of the white gallery. The structure itself is quite interactive for in order to view both the bus times and the work one must first step into the shelter, this forcible movement is a shadow of what those who are trafficked feel the promise of something safe and beautiful only to be met with the true horror that is modern day slavery. I wanted to lure the viewer in and I believe that everything is set up to do so even the positioning of the piece as you walk into the room can be seen immediately placed perfectly in view between the pillar and the wall. It was important for me to impact the viewer immediately and grab there attention so that they were intrigued enough to enquire about the meaning of the work. The image itself still maintains its commercial appearance and is elevated by the sporadic illumination of the lights, almost in some ways mimicking that of passing traffic, perhaps a more literal interpretation of the way in which the outside world subconsciously consumes media. The bus times portion of the work had to mirror and reflect that same Mondrian minimalism and therefore the decision was made to use an elongated frame to represent that of the bus timetable but to also allow the text to have some breathing space, the gaps which were purposefully left run parallel to that of the main billboard opposite mirroring it and tying the piece together in a united and uniformed way. Once the piece was complete, I have to admit I was quite proud of what I have achieved and I believe that the work is clear enough and strong enough to portray the message intended. I look forward to seeing people interact with the work in the future.

FINAL PIECE

Final Degree Show Piece

The work presented for the degree show had to be the culmination of everything that had gone before and by definition had to push the boundaries of my practice. In order to create something that was new and elevated the work, and the subject matter, the piece had to be entirely fresh and different whilst remaining true to its origin and message. Studying artists such as Sarah Lucas really challenged and inspired me to explore the possibility of potentially creating a sculptural/installation piece. Instead of the very internalised nature of the work up until this point the decision was made to make the work very public, making it unavoidable, adding to the work’s true purpose as a statement against the injustice that is modern day slavery. The concept of creating an artificial public space for the exhibition came about quite quickly, however it was a challenge to decided on exactly what that would look like. The work had to have a certain familiarity with the viewer, something which they would initially feel comfortable viewing albeit out of context (in a gallery space). A bus stop seemed appropriate as often slick advertising campaigns are run alongside the shelter’s billboard. Through existing work and research into artists such as Faith Ringgold, Jenny Holzer and Alfredo Jaar I felt confident that imitating an advertising campaign was a strong and bold way to effectively communicate the message. By building a bus shelter from scratch I was able to customise and design it to suit the space and the concept. In truth however the actual building of the bus shelter was secondary to the billboard and the information that it would display. To decided exactly what imagery I would use, I researched widely. Throughout this unit I have used multiple books on successful artists such as Mondrian, Picasso and Matisse to understand the imagery and limitations that each respectively faced, on top of this I looked at high fashion magazines such as Vogue and Wonderland in order to see how effective advertising campaigns were carried out and the aesthetic that was on trend. This research proved critical in my understanding of how to create a work that showed distress but still represented form in a pure way. It was also really important to me that my work had some credibility, so I made the decision to contact the A21 Campaign and partner with them so that any profit from the sale of the work (apart from 25% commission for NUA) will go towards them in support of their anti slavery organisation and education schemes. The combination of the research and real world partnership truly made the work transcend what I had initially anticipated, it now had some serious weight and would impact more than just my grade at university but potentially could transform another person’s life. The work did undergo various changes initially the shelter was not included within the design and instead it was just an illuminated billboard, however as the billboard proved harder to obtain than initially thought I made the decision to create the bus shelter as a sort of prop, a reference point for the viewer to be able to relate to what they were seeing. An imitation of reality staged and slick but hiding in a not so subtle manner a deeper and darker meaning. Once the bus shelter was included within the design formally, I thought about the details and decided upon including ‘bus times’ but replacing the times with current slavery estimates. This was a call back to my first year work which I consider quite successful in presenting the viewer with an overwhelming load of facts and information impossible to comprehend. Once the design was finalised the building of the light box that would represent the billboard went through many iterations, even at some points considering pasting the imagery onto board and spotlighting it, before settling on the final design. Upon reflection, the work is very effective, however in order for the work to progress, a real bus shelter and billboard would be ideal as the juxtaposition of the urban and outdoors in a white cube gallery setting would have been more jarring. The imagery used, despite minimal, was really effective in mimicking a real world fashion advertising campaign, the design was slick and could easily pass as a of brand in of itself, and the added text also enhanced this. To further explore this element of design I would perhaps need to consult with a designer or perhaps even collaborate. Overall the work was ultimately a success due to the partnership with A21 and the extensive research despite the limitations it clearly discussed and raised the points that I intended and created the viewer to feel uncomfortable in a setting that should have been an everyday occurrence.

The process of building the bus shelter was quite simple however it was the light box that was the challenging, originally I had planned to borrow some however the week of installation the light boxes were double booked and therefore unavailable for me to use, this left me no option but to build one from scratch. I was also delayed in the process due to the floor not being painted in time. This meant that the whole process of building on location was delayed and as of yet is still incomplete. I am still awaiting the opportunity to install the light box. However as pictured above the bus shelter is now built and in place. I think that it looks really impressive in place. Against the white background and the geometric shape of the room a and the frame work really well together. I also think that Ryan Walkers work really compliments the urban theme. its interesting to see it contrasted against Bethan Kerridge’s very domestic work it almost feels as though you are leaving an indoor space and entering the outside world as you pass through the exhibition space.

Designs for the Light box and Bus shelter.

I wanted the bus shelter to be more of a prop than the focal point of the work and in order for this to be the case I didn't want to go into too much detail. I chose to design the shelter as a simple skeleton or silhouette a black minimal frame that would suggest the urban environment without actually being the urban environment. Due to limitations in printing sizes the light box could only accommodate A0 so had to be designed and measured to fit that size of print. I had to also consider the space that I was allocated and how the shelter and billboard would interact with the work around it and how then it might be viewed. I had to alter the designs multiple times and adjust measurements in order for it to fit appropriately in the space.

THE CAMPAIGN

I was curious to see how the older images would look in the real world so I asked a few assistants to go around the city and put up prints as posters and photograph them. Seeing the images in context I feel i was right to go for a more minimal look as I feel the busier images get lost amongst the background and the bustle. I really enjoyed however seeing my work in the real world, and the unknown factor is whether people interacted with the works or not. There is no telling how far these pieces will reach or how many people will view them, they are out in the public space and are free to be interacted with in a multitude of ways.

Death to Identity Volume no. 27124794

Bus Times

I decided to remove the imager in its entirety and leave subtle suggestions as to what the image should represent. Like Lucas’ work this piece relies on the viewers own digression and interpretation. However the caption itself raises questions and I think that the combination of the image and the text is rather potent. By cruddy cutting and splicing the image together, keeping some of the facial features and the hair enough is left to create a figure but not enough information is presented to inform the viewer who this mystery woman is. The way the bacon hands around the collar and neck gives the impression that the head has been severed from the body and the entrails are left exposed. Also due to the positioning of the head, there seems to be an element of motion, the image does not appear still. The head tossed away as if it were nothing. I think that this image is the perfect balance in order for it to work for the degree show. It upholds everything my work has thus far tried to achieve.

I also wanted to add an extra piece to the exhibition by adding Bus Times replacing bus numbers and locations with countries and there current slaver estimates. I think this is a small detail that adds to the overall piece but also grounds it in factual evidence. I now believe that this addition is vital for the work to maintain a maximum impact.

Experiment & Inspiration

Excuse the poor quality of the image, the image would not format properly.

In an attempt to create a work that was more striking I thought that reintroducing meat, I was inspired to spark this venture again when the image on the right came up in my suggest feed on Instagram. The image is extremely dark and disturbing, grotesque even. The rawness of the meet that has become a substitute for the flesh and the way in which it is cruddy sown together like a form of membrane leaves the viewers sickened by both the meat and the concept. Needless to say that the imagery is reminiscent of horror films such as the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and others. Although my work will not be this graphic I believe that meat is definitely a striking way to gain the viewers full attention and that is why i chose to use bacon to collage on the models face. Instead of the clean cut paper I had previously used to create a sense of censorship the bacon now did the work for me and very effectively too. I am however concerned that the image might be too crowded and I will explore more minimalistic approaches.

I HAVE A WEBSITE

I HAVE A WEBSITE!

As I am inevitably looking toward the future I felt it important to improve my professional image as an emerging artist. I felt it was time to design my own artist website and set up a business email. This is a first step into the real world and what life might be like after the relative shelter that NUA provides is no longer there. I am really happy with the design and I believe the sire is easy to navigate and interpret. I also uploaded my artist statement as a sort of mission statement and I believe having that on the home page will improve and inform more effectively than using multiple links.

A21 PARTNERSHIP

Over the course of the last few months I have been in correspondence with the A21 Campaign who fight for freedom of those currently entrapped in modern day slavery and offer support and legal care for human trafficking victims. I am really excited to announce that I will be able to partner with them for the degree show giving any profit made towards their organisation. It was really encouraging to hear back from them with such enthusiasm and I hope to work alongside them for many future projects. The partnership with A21 gives my work a real world weight and credibility, suddenly the work transcends itself and original purpose and has the ability to educate and potentially change someone life.

From top to bottom: Fig. 45, Fig. 46, Fig. 33, Fig. 34, Fig. 48 and Fig. 38

Using the same model and different location I wanted to capture a more urban aura. I also chose to wait until dusk in order for the lighting to be most effective. I dressed the model in a silk elegant dress in order for the flash to reflect and illuminate her figure. Fig 45 and 46 are in my opinion the best images however I do not feel as though they will be appropriate for the type of editing that I want to do due the fact the face is entirely concealed and I would like to be able to manually censor the face when editing and collaging therefore the images I will continue with are Fig. 48 and 38 as I believe that they are still striking and imitate high fashion very well, to the point of believability.

Fig.23 Edit

Looking over old works I wanted to see what had been most successful in portraying the dark and twisted. I chose to reintroduce the meat imagery that had been so striking previously. However I do feel as though this was a highly experimental piece and ultimately failed in achieving what I wanted it to, which was a striking and bold image that showed a death to identity in contrast with the high gloss fashion. I couldn't seem to escape the domesticity of the images either and I think that is ultimately problematic as I have started making plans for the degree show and the work is looking as though it will be more urban. However I believe that this was an important and necessary experiment in order to gain a clearer understanding of what type of imagery I need to be using.

From top to bottom: Fig.2, Fig.7, Fig. 10, Fig.15, Fig.16 and Fig. 23

Whilst using appropriated imagery does fit within my practice and in some respects suits the work, I felt it was time to stage my own photos in order to manufacture images that were specific for the pieces of work that I wanted to create. Using props and locations I found I was able to create a series of images that used the same techniques as those found in fashion magazines, striking poses, black and white imagery (which up until this point had proven effective when manipulating the images later). Although Fig.23 I felt should remain in colour due to its already distorted foreground, the image was taken through a reflection of an old mirror that I found. Using flash photography, I was able to take an image that had a ‘dirty’ quality to it, removing the colour would only detract from that messy aesthetic. I am however concerned that instead of portraying slavery these images might be seen as a commentary on domestic abuse due to the obviously domesticated background. I will continue to edit these image to see whether it is possible to make the images more about slavery rather than be misconstrued as anything else.

A3- Digital Print, Acrylic Paint and Collage

Obvious links with the work of Matisse can be seen throughout my latest work, specifically the cut out portions and collage. I chose to explore this comparative nature further by attempting to create my own version of figured drawing using paint. I chose to use primary and simplistic colours in order to help layer the image. Ultimately this piece is successful in censorship and the addition of red seems to only make the imager darker and link better with the corruption that I would like my work to begin to expose.

A4- Digital print, Collage, Distorted Using Photocopier

After resisting the old work I realised I could perhaps distort the image further using the photocopier, the result is almost comical. Due to the cartoonist nature of the end result it is hard to take the work seriously anymore. However despite the apparent comedy after looking at the piece for a longer period of time it starts to change from comical to uncanny and disturbed. The bloated eye now instead of being funny looks pained and tortured. The effect is really quite potent and perhaps I should revisit some other works in order to see what a second round of photocopying can do.

34cmx25cm Digital Print, Collage, Photocopier Distortion, Mounted on Pink Card

I decided to revisit some of my earlier works in order to crop and mount them to see what them might look like in a more professional setting. I really enjoyed view finding and zooming and focusing on the face really makes the image more warped and surreal, almost Dali sequel in the way in which the collage and the image underneath melt away and drip downwards. The pink off centre mount makes the piece look more like its original form and serve its original function. The piece is still too pure despite the face being complete distorted cropped and collaged over.

A4, Digital Print, Acrylic Paint and Collage

After considering the male form, it seemed right to then attempt to replicate the effect with the female form. Once an image with a similar composition and colour was found, the distortion process began using paint and collage. Once again defacing the ‘product’ that the magazine was trying so hard to sell. Censoring the face once more in order for the persons identity to not distract from the not so hidden mess. Perhaps it was just the wrong image but I do not feel that this image was as successful as the male before, I will attempt this again with another image, however I would like to perhaps experiment with introducing more colour in both the original image and in the palette of paint that I have been using.

Digital Print, Paint, Collage, Distorted Using Photocopier

Based on the reasonable success of the previous photocopier distortions, the decision was made to return but this time use more extreme movements in order for the image to be distorted beyond recognition. The image [LEFT] is my preferred image due to the fact that it is no longer legible, one can make out a human form but apart from that there is no one pictured in the image, the humanity has been completely removed, instead something far more sinister and monstrous looks as hough it has taken up residence. Removing both the identity and the humanity might be a step to far into the ambiguous, however,as the work for the show has to convey a clear message that will hit the viewer personally and in order for the work to do that it has to have a level of relatable humanity.

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