Process And Enquiry

To respond to the Evolution and Unpredictability brief, I will explore the evolution, or the lack thereof, research of women’s healthcare, focusing on the gaps on knowledge on endometriosis, the repercussions of it, and the lack of unpredictability due to women’s healthcare never being prioritised in comparison to men’s. This will be investigated through manipulation of substrates, negative space, 3D vessels, and video/audio editing. I will take inspiration from artists who explore similar topics or media, such as Frida Kahlo and Jenny Holzer, as well as referring to articles on the issue. I will also be developing pieces from workshops and link back to those throughout the project.

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Final 10 images.

2D final - For this piece, I knew I wanted to continue with the negative space from my previous developments. I photocopied a section of one of my screen prints onto acetate and collaged that with the repeated flesh imagery with Posca, the lines reminiscent of Frida Kahlo’s use of like to indicate pain and hardship. I cut out sections of the design to create gaps to echo the gaps of knowledge and research. This allowed the thin strips to flex and warp, creating a 3D element to the piece which I believe creates further visual interest. I decided to layer wool lines, again continuing inspiration from the map workshop and flesh imagery as well as previous development work. The wool hangs off the warped paper, emphasising the contortion of the substrate, reflecting the menstrual pain that endometriosis can cause. It is reaching out for something that is not there.

3D final - I really enjoyed the physicality of the vessels workshop and decided I wanted to make another for my final. I had tried a few different types of folding to make various developments, but intimately decided that the original way of folding was going to be most successful for my piece as it was the most durable and easy to manipulate. I used cut up strips of text from a medical article on endometriosis to use as I wanted people to look and read about the problem to tackle the lack of evolution, taking inspiration from Jenny Holzers displays of text and my previous projections. I dyed the paper dark pinks and reds to replicate flesh and menstrual blood to combat the taboo topic among women which is part of the issue. I folded and wound the paper to create 3 bowl shapes before coating them in diluted glue to make sure they were solid before cutting them. Once dry, I cut wedges out to allow the other parts to fit together to create a vessel of information in the shape of an ovarian cyst. Deliberately on the smaller side of sculptures as I wanted to make it life size of actual documented cysts, which I believe makes it seem a lot larger once imagined in that context. An on the nose display of information.

Time based piece - For this video, I wanted to use overlaying and repetition of imagery and text to again convey the lack of evolution and unpredictability. I used a non-AI text to speech website to allow me to use text from the researched articles in the audio. I took previous videos of projections and layered them using blur, fade and opacity tools and overlayed text on top to highlight parts of the audio. I also took used a blank black screen throughout to again incorporate negative space to convey my concept. As well as using text by layering and changing the direction with my hands, inspired by the work of Joseph Kosuth.

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P&E Evaluation - Murronn Blackhall

For this Evolution and Unpredictability project, I decided to focus on the lack of evolution in women’s healthcare and the unpredictability thereof, due to healthcare research primarily focusing on men’s issues; specifically, the scarcity of research on endometriosis and ovarian cysts. I am interested in this topic as it affects my immediate family, so I wanted to express the gaps of knowledge and understanding surrounding women’s bodies through use of materials, text, and negative space. 

I began this project by tracing shapes from my work from the map workshop, the organic shapes of the hills reminding me of the preserved organs I saw in the Hunterian Museum. I developed these using tracing paper and acetate, layering and creating unpredictable patterns using the photocopier. These reminded me of Frida Kahlo's work on her experiences with infertility and reproductive issues, which inspired me to read more articles on the issue. 

Following the initial developments after the vessels workshop, I used dark pinks to mirror human flesh, represent compassion, and because it is a staple colour in activism for women’s causes. I used the text from articles on the topic to make further 3D work, including my final piece to reinforce this and tackle the issue. 

I explored negative space as the absence of colour or material conveyed the concept of lacking understanding effectively. I used this technique in screen prints on acetate, using quotes from articles that I felt poignantly expressed my concept. I also printed the text in multiple layers to create overwhelming imagery, which I particularly liked as it reflected the anger caused by the issue. This went on to be my final 2D piece, where I combined the text, negative space, and organic shapes. 

For my time-based work, I started with taking recordings while using the projector and playing with the focus and shadows that I could create. I am using found audio from interviews on the issue, as well as using further recordings and videos that I previously used during the workshops. I plan to use these honed skills in Premiere Pro to create a final audio track or video, using key elements such as silence and distortion to express the damage that the lack of research in women’s health has caused. 

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Missed Disease - Time based final

YouTube link:

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Jenny Holzer

Jenny Holzier, born 1950 is an American artist most recognised for her projection work using text and vivid neon colours. I became interested in Holzer’s work as I appreciated the combination of impactful text and impactful presentation. Many of her pieces are projected onto buildings and other structures, using text to express issues such as feminism, sexual identity and mortality. Her use of text heavily influenced me on this project as i am also using text from articles relating to these issues.  

references:

"Abuse of Power Comes As No Surprise" (1980) Jenny Holzer. Available at: https://media.tate.org.uk/aztate-prd-ew-dg-wgtail-st1-ctr-data/images/dc821cf8b57c44c27ffaa13ce46d42dc_1_ZRmFiH0.width-840.jpg

"Survival" (1985) Jenny Holzer. Available at: https://media.tate.org.uk/aztate-prd-ew-dg-wgtail-st1-ctr-data/images/jenny-holzer-protect-me-times-square_saTEXqg.width-1440_9pvRHLS.jpg

Tate (2018). 5 ways Jenny Holzer brought art to the streets – List | Tate. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jenny-holzer-1307/5-ways-jenny-holzer-brought-art-streets.

Tate (2018). 5 ways Jenny Holzer brought art to the streets – List | Tate. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jenny-holzer-1307/5-ways-jenny-holzer-brought-art-streets.

Art and Politics. (n.d.). Jenny Holzer. [online] Available at: https://artaspoliticalvoice.weebly.com/jenny-holzer.html.

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Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo, born 1907 was a Mexican painter most recognised for her self-portrait paintings as well as her work focusing on exploring women’s issues, the sense of identity, and post colonialism. Many of her paintings illustrate her chronic pain she suffered after being in an accident. She sustained many injuries in the accident such as a broken back, fractured pelvis and a punctured uterus, cuasing her exteme chronic pain and infertility. I wanted to reference her work and research her as many of her paintings depict her openly suffering and experiencing pain. This is important as due to the lack of funding and research on women’s issues causing people to go unnoticed when struggling and not taken seriously in healthcare.

Many of her pieces explore these issues, such as “Henry Ford Hospital” (1932), depicting the artist alone and nude in a hospital bed in the middle of a deserted plain, laying in her own blood and surrounded by objects relating to fertility and the struggles of it, such as a snail and a wilted flower, as well as her unborn child that she longs for. Another impactful piece exploring her struggles with infertility is “My Birth” (1932) depicting a covered figure giving birth to a head recognisable as Kahlo herself, the figure being covered with a sheet may indicate she is dead. This piece suggests she is going through copious turmoil as she mourns the death of her mother as well as her miscarried son.

These powerfully sad pieces motivated me to read more articles and papers on womens healthcare issues. The impacful literal imagery also inspired me to create more literal bodies of work, such as the ovarian cysts, endometriosis tissue, and placenta imagery used throughout my project. 

References:

"Henry Ford Hospital" (1932) Frida Kahlo. Available at: https://raffia-magazine.com/2022/11/06/how-frida-kahlos-representation-of-miscarriage-challenges-cultural-expectations-of-womens-bodies-an-analysis-of-my-birth-1932/

"My Birth" (1932) Frida Kahlo. Available at: https://raffia-magazine.com/2022/11/06/how-frida-kahlos-representation-of-miscarriage-challenges-cultural-expectations-of-womens-bodies-an-analysis-of-my-birth-1932/

O’Clair, S. (2021). Frida Kahlo & The Broken Barriers of Modern Menstruation Empowerment. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@sophie.oclair16/frida-kahlo-the-broken-barriers-of-modern-menstruation-empowerment-893708117530.

(Unfortunately I cannot post the images as Tumblr flags it as mature content.)

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Joseph Kosuth

Born 1945, Ohio USA, Joseph Kosuth is a conceptual artist based in New York and Venice. He has been exploring language and text-based art and installations since the 1960s.

Some of his more notable works include “Mondrians Work XII” (2016) which depicts boxes of text printed on to a neon illuminated box, clearly inspired by the abstract piece “Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow.” (1930) by Peit Mondrian, shown through the composition of the boxes and the chosen colours. The use of teext to fill the boxes is interesting due to the content of the text being hopeful and spontaneous in nature, a key element of Abstract art, this is shown in “Like play, art must continue.” The direction of the text changing also adds to the idea of playfulness, echoing abstract movement again. The direction of the text guides the viewer around the print, stopping them in their tracks to take in the information in front of them. This is taken further by the neon lights illuminating the text, creating a sense of importance.

This exploration of direction is also shown in “Text (waiting for-) for nothing’ Samuel Beckett, in play” (2011), an installation of neon lights wrapping the corner of a room, again pulling the viewer into the centre and almost forcing them to read the information in front of them. I wanted to incorporate this playful sense of direction that is simultaneously flippant in composition, but serious in context in my work to convey the severity of the issue by pulling people into the imagery in order to learn about it. 

Refernces:

‘Texts (Waiting for-) for Nothing’, Samuel Beckett, in play' (2011) Joseph Kosuth. Available at: https://static-assets.artlogic.net/w_1600,h_960,c_limit/exhibit-e/62f52bf90af321abff00fe82/431cec33e5e276b291353c6e40a7e36f.jpg

‘Mondrian’s Work XII’ (2016) Joseph Kosuth. Available at: https://static-assets.artlogic.net/w_1800,h_1800,c_limit/exhibit-e/62f52bf90af321abff00fe82/2aef3c7a6e7f440cc158000f574b1954.jpeg

Skny.com. (2022). Joseph Kosuth - Artists - Sean Kelly Gallery. [online] Available at: https://www.skny.com/artists/joseph-kosuth/featured-works?view=slider#3.

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Endometriosis is an inflammatory chronic pain condition caused by uterine tissue growing outside of the uterus that afflicts at least 11% of

I researched articles on the issue surrounding the lack of research on endometriosis. I did this to expand my knowledge on the issue as well as find text and quotes that I could use in my project.

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Understanding endometriosis underfunding and its detrimental impact on awareness and research - npj Women's Health

Endometriosis affects approximately 190 million women globally. Many individuals with endometriosis face complex journeys through the health

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Endometriosis is a chronic gynaecological condition which has been referred to as the ‘missed disease’ due to its unclear aetiology and inco

"The missed disease" became a key quote that I used throughout my work as well as being a main element in my final video. Partially because it is poignant and conveys the issue of my concept, but also because it is ridiculous. Endometriosis was not "missed" but was in fact ignored and not taken seriously, which has clearly been largely accepted unfortunately.

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Repetition - I wanted to continue using repetition in further development as it conveyed the lack of unpredictability. Women have been suffering for decades and not enough research has been done despite asking again and again, so it’s no longer surprising. We have gotten used to the lack of evolution.

I continue to use line and illustration to depict flesh and cysts, using acetate and tracing paper to incorporate negative space. The lack of material and/or colour displaying the lack of knowledge and research on the issue.

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Using wool - I decided to create line with something that would also create texture. The pink wool was easy to manipulate and allowed me to have material hang from my work, I liked this technique as it echoed the damage that had been inflicted due to the lack of research in women’s healthcare. I was inspired by the use of direction and composition of Jenny Holzer’s projections, the geometric text against contrast against my organic use of line. I decided to take this forward and use in many developments and my final.

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Screen print

I took the most impactful quotes from the researched articles and exposed them before screen printing them on different materials. I believe the repeated black and grey print was the most successful. It illustrates the amount of times those impacted by the lack of research in women’s healthcare were not listened to, and creates a sense of frustration which I believe conveys the mood of my project effectively.

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Projection

I used one of my vessel developments to create shapes similar to ovarian cysts that I have researched. I recorded myself holding and moving the vessel near the lamp to create this blurred and misshapen object, conveying the concept of minimal understanding through unclear imagery. This is emphasised by blocking the displayed text with the misshaped blurred image.

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Playing with projecting acetate vessel.

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https://cityofglasgowcollegeac-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/30438389_cityofglacol_ac_uk/IQBPzWQllNszRY977AbWGD41ASMCiiPZN6jj4a2DgCj5InU?e=FZZa33

https://cityofglasgowcollegeac-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/30438389_cityofglacol_ac_uk/IQDQk9Moe6bnRoFshoKkrFq8AQwKWfDbf40AHCvPfdgH5Yw?e=1PMv0f

Video developments

Playing with blurring effects and opacity to express the gaps and lack of understanding if endometriosis. As well as using text from an article discussing the issue of a lack of research into women's healthcare. I enjoy making videos and playing with audio and plan to make one for my time based final.

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Visit Original Link

Audio workshop - using repeated speech to demonstrate the limitations or advantages of distorting audio, inspired by the sound art piece “I am sitting in a room” (1969) by Alvin Lucier.

Video workshop - learning skills in premier pro to use tools such as opacity, change speeds and colours, as well as overlap videos. I enjoyed this workshop as I have been previously interested in video work, so learning premier pro is fundamental. I plan to make a video for my time based final.

(Unfortunately I could not find my videos on my OneDrive or USB, so instead included one of the raw clips of footage I used in the video piece instead. Apologies.)

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Vessels development - playing with different materials to see which works best. I found the cartridge was the most durable, but the acetate and tracing paper was the most visually interesting due to their transparent and translucent qualities. Also investigating round and organic shaped vessels in relation to the photographs of cysts in order to express my concept.