[zara-garnett]

https://www.luhringaugustine.com/artists/roger-hiorns#tab:thumbnails

Hair is the most captivating piece of information of the human form. Hair is used for DNA testing and has the unique ability to capture long term- information about health and disease. Being an X-hairdresser of 24 years I began to study the conditions and changes of what hair goes though when a person is happily healthy or with underlying health conditions as the texture of the hair would change thinner, loss or a change of the density and coverage of grey. I also understood how radiation was impacting or health though hair as I would have clients that followed me for many years which give me the opportunity to observe how prescription drugs, bad food and deity would weaken the hair.   When Covid-19 was first announce I was very much scared at that time as I had no idea of what we were facing? I caught Covid-19 before any testing was offered and was left to defend on my own as my family in Wales refuse to help and was left to it on my own. My Nanny had passed a day before my 40th birthday, my dog was starting to get sick and I had no way of getting back to Wales due to restrictions. Deciding to find away to see if I was still contagious and safe to be around others, beginning an investigation of my own by sending my hair off to a Hair Analysis expert to find out more. Amazedly surprised to see  what the result were when I got my results back. I had no idea how bad my health was. For my years seeing GP all around UK I have always been fobbed off being told to take more prescription drugs, never finding the core of the real issues. Since doing hair testing I have found the right way of getting a healthy balance life back, physically and emotionally. 

Artist Roger Hiorns has become an inspiration to the idea of creating a new way of art. Hiorns works is centred on investigations interactions between organic and inorganic objects.  

In 2008 he created a sculpture and installation in South London where he materially claimed an entire ex-council flat, growing within it an industrialized scale of copper sulphate crystals. 75,000 litres of solution were pumped into the waterproofed council flat to create a crystalline growth on the walls, floor, ceiling and bath of this abandoned dwelling. Described as a 'Cult hit' and 'destined to be remembered as one of the truly worthwhile and significant moments of modern British art' by The Guardian, the project was called Seizure and was produced by Artangel.[2]

The work was a source of inspiration for the Icelandic recording artist Bjork, on the song Crystalline.[3]

Wanting to explore chemicals as a new experiment to my practice using the hair analysis to design the outcome piece. Which could be interesting, using the elements of what I am chemically made up off could lead into a different way of my practice 

[zara-garnett]

Emily Speed Artist

Emily Speed’s work includes drawing, sculpture, installation, photography, moving image and performance and especially looks at the interrelationship of the human form and architecture.

Emily Speed is the all-around talented female artist and a girl after my own heart, as both being from Liverpool, rather than London, making it in the art world. Speed understands the relationship between bodies and sociological space alongside the additional relationship with architecture and the power this can have. Speed’s practice of encompassing all manner of media and art forms gives me a sense of confidence and freedom to carry out my own exploration of all art medias as well as performance. This is beneficial for my practise as I believe in freedom of expression, we as human beings are a tool to ourselves and to the community, who can support each other in following our creative dreams and passions. After looking at Speed’s works, I could see the passion in her works and how they seem community-based where the houses she often uses which have a rough, makeshift quality with human limbs protruding out from door and windows, which looks at the way the body is a house of the mind. (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/aug/11/artist-emily-speed)

The works Innards (2018) is a breath-taking piece, with such delicate detailing and such beautiful meaning. The piece uses unique, personally created ready-made objects, to complete the sculptural form of the fountain structure. There is a dressing table and hand-made tiles, creating this is romantic story from her known friends, Victa Sackville-West, Josefa Duran (known as Pepita the famous flamenco- dancer) & Vita Sackville-West (her daughter) using the element of water alongside architecture, gardening, and brought together to make an intimate space to refence the importance of women’s lives. Like her house installations , there are body parts placed on the structure which again looks at a kind of disembodiment but also a unison between the line sf architecture and the human body giving the body elements more power and grace. The space is open to the public, the best part of the space it can be privately hired for rituals. This is mind blowing for me as it resonates with the Wiccan is part of my practice, as Wicca focusses on honouring of Mother Earth and our Father Heaven and God.

Speed’s craftsmanship and labour in her works is such an inspiration to me especially as a woman as I feel there is such empowerment and movement happening for female artists, changing history from the male dominant world of art. This fills me with hope of knowing it is not just mans world as women are here to take over power to the women and the men who stand up for women’s rights.

[zara-garnett]

Nick Basit

Bastis is a New York artist whose work focusses on human geography and architecture. The DJ Jeff Mills work inspired him to also work with representing sound in installations and architectural space. The work is very minimalist and has also worked in collaboration and created works which show his genre can be seen to be industrialist. Bastis talks about ‘phenomenal threads of interest’ where he explores the synchronicity of different aspects of life like the economy, politics and mimetic function, that is to say re-creating natural objects or elements to try to ‘beautify’ and create a fictional world where all representation requires mediation to be understood in reality.  

The exhibition Real Traps 2021 shows a series of supermarket conveyer belt dividers which are made to look like tools which could spirit levels, with very precise drill holes in a repetitive pattern. When they are moved a sound is made and this comes through the precise holes which makes it like a musical instrument or music score that the everyday object of shopping divider can play. This piece was for me was designed in a way that was so clean and simple which I liked as the colour choices gave a warehouse vibe but is also sleek and chic in a raw way. I like the simple repetition and references to music as he has been inspired by techno/rave music and its repetitive form which relates well to the repeated shapes in architecture. The repetitive aspect of his work and minimalist presentation is something I enjoy and create in my work, as even when something is simple, I like the idea of looking and re-looking to discover more potential and more meaning and references that the practise could take me. Exploring simple structures and repetitive design can be as inspiring as complex aesthetics and interiors.

There was an installation piece which involved one room and two corridors either side which represented the transition of the one tune merging not the next as a DJ does. At first, I felt this was pretentious, but it was a clever way to represent the way aspects of life converge and interact to create a new thing like the idea discussed about high art in run down areas of cities and mundane objects transformed into precise sound sculptures. 

In the main room there were jam jars and a speaker and smells to capture and re-create the ambiance of rave culture and events and this is something I like as involving all the sense to create a space ‘feel’ is powerful. I will explore this element in my own work as I want to keep my work tight and have a clear simple vision or statement shown in one piece rather than maybe a body of work that loses the focus or meaning. 

Bastis made community art with schools and local government to help engage the community with art. Bastis with the group made a full life size replica installation of a sculpture by Frank Gehry on a US street which is called

Forms of Spectacle and Solutions to Vacancy where he aims make the idea of high architecture easier to understand. I like this aspect of his work because it removes the divide between what is seen as high art and low art on a street level to explore the idea of bringing high architecture into an area to make it more socially and economically valuable but without the whole gentrification thing. 

The installation and looks at why some architecture become a sign of power in a social way which relates to people’s status as low class or high class. The work sees if the changes that Gehry’s original work is supposed to being to an area can still transform an area with a replica from non-permanent materials. I feel he is trying to make a reaction to involve the community and bring awareness of the poverty or social status in that area, but the structure made is completely bio-degradable and so is not even permanent but reflects environmental awareness. One piece was a video which I found hard to understand involved a range of voiceovers matched to a loop of a woman walking down the street passing soldiers. It was not easy to understand his meaning, and this is something that concerns me with art sometimes as although his supermarket dividers were in a sense boring, the colours and shapes and sound made them into objects of interest, and you could move them and interact with them which changed the meaning and brought in the idea of certainty and things that are uniform and ‘straight’ being able to be moved and put out of synch maybe. In my work I want to enable the audience to engage with the work and not need to question too much the meaning but also bring in the idea of that changing something that semes fixed is possible.

Artforum review of the Real Traps exhibition says that the supermarket dividers are used normally to separate our possessions from others and are not normally for sale but does not give any insight into the meaning they got from the work. They also say that the precise drill holes seemed “full of intent” but didn’t give across the meaning of why they were there. Also, the works could be touched but this wasn’t clear until the artist moved them himself. The review ends with the author saying they have no idea on the meaning but want to see more. This is how I feel as although I may not get the meaning the work is very seductive.  

Overall, the work Bastis talked about is inspiring in is simplicity and the way it is about the way aspects of life intersect. The music part is inspiring too as the work he did Jeff Mills takes the possibilities in art practise to another dimension.

[zara-garnett]

Janis Rafa

Janis Rafa- Artist/Filmmaker

 I have to say it…what a sexy female artist with such talent and eye for detail, fashion and art. I was inspired by her presentation held for our lecture group as she makes editorial works. She is a cinema/visualist artist who uses mostly picture imagery over verbal or text communication verbal text communication as well as documenting space and recording explorations of abandoned spaces.

The photo imagery she gathers is turned into filmic narratives. This is captured by the piece ‘Mascarilla’ 19-codes of violence. Mascarilla is a Spanish word in code which women experiencing domestic violence can use to report that they are victims of abuse. This piece gave a voice to all women who didn’t know how to speak out about their tragic experiences. As a child who grew up in domestic violence words can not express the fear you witness and feeling helpless in trying to save your parents for hurting each other from a young age. This work therefore triggered my desire to explore my own experiences in my work and being unafraid to so this. My own recent work began to explore this after the lecture, but all the work was lost in the recent floods. This was in a sense like letting go of some of the experiences described within the work. http://inbetweenartfilm.com/en/mascarilla-19/

 Rafa works have helped my practice in waiting to carry on being curious in filmmaking and digital art even though I am apprehensious of and am not a fan of technology as we live in a society where our digital and electronic gadgets have become almost merged with our organic selves and we are forced into an online movement causing social divide.

The film Kala Azar (2020) is a highly impowering piece where the bodies of the protaganists’ become one. You feel the passion between the couple which is so beautiful as we are human beings are design to love. This opens doors for me in terms of my artistic and spiritual mind, the ‘performance’ bringing intimacy and sensory creativeness that I want to convey in my work so that it can reach out to an d ‘touch’ people.

[zara-garnett]

Tuesday lecture with Adam Carr

Felix Gonzalez-Torres

"Untitled" (USA Today)1990

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/81073

 Curator and writer, and an artist whose visual thinking has left me feeling motivated and inspired.

 https://kadist.org/program/adam-carr/

Attending the Tuesday lectures has been a bit of an unconsciousness discovery with the artist referencing and untapping the visual imagination of spell-binding words of knowledge in each of every presentation weekly.

Each presentation is a performance of enchanting tales bringing in information about artists where there is a real presence of each artist felt through a tragic/romantic lens. Every artist development is described through their experiences; trauma, pain, heartbreaks, loss of loved ones, addictions and wanting to help bring a difference to the world for the good of humanity, which I can heavily relate to. Being able to just listen, I notice a new experience of another person’s journey in art can expand by practice visually which moves me into a new space from my usual physical preoccupations within art. I have always been stubborn when it comes to looking at other artist works as I felt it would have a negative impact on my own, as when I compare myself, I feel I lack the ability and skills. Since I have attended the Tuesday Lectures, I have found that Adam Carr knows exactly who would be inspiring to research as I love editorial works, fashion, and politics, and all these things when rolled up within art speaks to me on a deep level. As someone who has always feared written work of any sort and dodges it like a bullet, I have delightfully found myself wanting to expand myself verbally as well as academically to further my professional practice. In the past I have allowed my fear of showing my writing in public due to Dyslexia. The high standard of sophisticated demonstrations of information help further my sense of well-being and trust in myself as an artist and be more self-assured in my practices.

The lectures have helped bring a theory element to my practice, which I cannot express enough, is totally new to me, as I have always worked practically with my hands. I have found a new way of encouraging my willingness to research other artists, visit galleries, and extend my practice and exhibition-making. The lectures break down ways to look at your practice from all angles which has given me the permission to feel encouraged to explore a wider range of materials and media, performance and how to present your work. Carr has a wide range of knowledge about art and the importance of the relationship between the two, including the benefits of recontextualization, ‘mashing up’ the academic side with a contemporary vibe. I was at one time dismissive of contemporary art but have learnt it enables an artist to understand the importance of many areas of life such as community, history of politics, and music, which can allow me to be open-minded in all subjects. This has enhanced my curiosity, leading my practices to be more confident and explorative on a deeper level. I have gone from painting to construction of mixed media and writing to express meaning and take me from audience-pleasing to infusing the personal element more strongly.

All this brings a difference and exciting freedom to how I want to approach my practice. As an essay and blog dodger, this freedom allows me to learn and explore new words, and get focus on reading as it like a new-found poetry, now more amalgamated with my mixed media practice

 https://www.adammcarr.com/exhibitions/post-notes-midway/ith words

Post-IT Notes is my work which are like mini canvases for me. These little colourful bad boys of elegance and delicate in size are something I have used since my early 20s for creating written affirmations. This also encouraged the introduction of the written word as a new form of media to my practice as I find at times, I can get vocally stuck in self-expression and how I am feeling, by using these snippets of thought, I have found it liberating, self-healing and a reminder that I am on the right path in life.

I have come to discover another reason why I found it so important to extend my professional vocabulary of words was thanks to my father Norman Garnett who was such a brilliant, smart, intelligence and genius of a man, who used a language of brilliance, which was so endearing and expanded my mind. So, when I attended Tuesday lectures, this opened up a new ‘home’ for my affirmation post-it expressions and the memory of a wordsmith grandfather, to explore my past and a sense of nostalgia in my present works.

 Carr’s coverage of a range of artists has given me the confidence to explore the performance aspect of myself. Previously, I used to create ‘How to Hair’ videos online, which I had put to one side as felt it was all about the ‘sale of the soul’, whereas now, I find if I document my works I have much more fun in doing so as there is no pressure or need to enter the world of consumerism. When I am presented with a wide range of artists to examine, I automatically resonate with a side of myself as a lover of the curious and unfamiliar. I feel the cutting-edge iconic artists showcased in the lectures shows how all areas of space and opportunities can be utilised and exhibited.

 My overall view the Tuesday lectures is that they are a magical experience. I am extremely grateful to see the effort that goes behind each prestation weekly, and this inspires my own work ethic to be conscientious and motivated.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL1B3K-SusQ&list=PLG6QejE1y9HxM5k9X8M-RNy8sWd6311pa&index=92&ab_channel=WORKPLACEFOUNDATION

Simeon Barclay in conversation with Adam Carr was most motivating to watch, hearing a men’s point of view of life experience of fitting in with society using fashion as part of your ‘armour’ and how this can impact your statement of self with the world. I enjoy how education was presented as a fun, learning experience but can socially impact you if you feel different to others. I found this video when I was at a place of confusion and had the lost the willingness to continue my studies feeling somewhat of an outsider. I have always felt that way from a child, and seeing this video made me feel a place of acceptance and to own my self-worth, knowing it’s okay to not care for what others think of you if your heart is in the right place.

[zara-garnett]

Goodbye 3 months project 😢

Had to say goodbye to a 3 month wallpaper project .

For the last 3 months I have been working towards making wallpaper for a painting aswell along side for an exbition show.

Walking along the Liverpool Docks by where I live, heading towards my art studio space at the Northern Lights Liverpool to go paint the 24 pieces that had been delicately put together with blood sweat and tears. I was so excited to know I was so close in finishing up the final touches, ready to kick back and relax ready to show case the works for a exbition held. I was greatly greeted by a force of wind that nearly knocked me out, blowing of my cap, which then made me lose grip of my art folder which contain the pieces of works. The wind blew the folder straight into the water centre water we're I had to helpless watch it sink. It was like watch a child going over board, I was so close to jumping in I was that much in shock in not knowing what to do. I was then blasted with a wave of all emotions of horror, sickness, and a fit of giggles.

Luckly I can still reproduce the works as I still have the original lino cut out. It was more about the fact I had to let go off control with my practice. Though out the day I found my self going though the emotions, it felt like some had die to if you don't laugh you will cry. Managing to go get myself a full body message allowing me to go deeper into relaxation, allowing myself to relase and surrender.

What I feel has come from this experience is that I can not control everything I do, letting go of things I have been holding on tightly as I am controlling when it come to my study and my practice as I have always been very independent.

I strongly feel a sense of my old self again, it has put in me in a fit of giggles as I was starting to forget what it was like to laugh I have been so uptight of a late.

The art for me has now been the documention of losing the works and the experience of letting go.

[zara-garnett]

Goodbye to losing your best friend.

They say “a dog is a man’s best friend”, more like “a dog is your fur baby for life” 

After losing my beautiful baby girl Kara I have found it hard within my practice to carry on the same. Kara and I would go on adventures were I would find stuff on the streets for recycling or turning into ready made projects. I would get chatting to all walks of life as I found myself after leaving hairdressing industry I found it hard to feel like I fit into society. Having the dog it gave me a sense of wellbeing and could give love and be loved back. Though out the Lockdown of Covid, Kara was denied treatment, and was left to suffer with a burst Tumour in her tummy, this caused me great uproar and want to stand for the rights for animals. I hope this can be expressed though my practice and bring politic awareness to how unlawful and unjustified society we live in today. 

As now living in the city it not a life for a dog so I have found myself wanting to wait until I finish my study, which I now I go high jacking my neighbours dogs to get me out and about as I no longer live that party life I need something to keep me out of trouble. Who needs a dog walker?? 

[zara-garnett]

Artist Felix Gonzalez- Torres Visual artist, Contemporary art, minimalism, conceptual artist.  

“Time is something that scares me. . . or used to. This piece I made with the two clocks was the scariest thing I have ever done. I wanted to face it. I wanted those two clocks right in front of me, ticking.” Quote Gonzalez- Torres

Art has a form of poetry behind what ever the meaning being. This romantic love story will have you in tears. Gonzalez-Torres used two identical battery-powered clocks to track and measure the inevitable flow of time. Knowing that the time will stop in synchronicity as the batteries will die out or if when one of the clocks stops or breaks, they can both be reset, thereby resuming perfect synchrony.

The artist Gonzalez-Torres partner Ross was Diagnose with AIDS most have been the most devastating news to undertake, to then face the fear of watching your soul mate die daily in front of your eyes, counting down the minutes and days you have left together.. wow just even putting that in writing makes you feel the pain that was under taking. Using the ready made objects can be a mystery in the making as to why they would be classed as art as it has all ready had it use and was already a belonging to some else idea. Until you put down your own stamp or interpretation in recreating the object which then has been set to create a different story and that is were the hidden magic underlies. 

Gonzalez-Torres was a openly sexual orientation was influential in his works as an artist, his works transmits of a language of love, poetry, pain and a reason to remember to live.  González-Torres said, “Love gives you a reason to live, but it also brings panic: the fear of losing that love.”

https://zirartmag.com/2021/06/09/art-and-relation-the-poetry-of-objects-felix-gonzalez-torres/

[zara-garnett]

Peace Of Dove installation- Sculptor & Artist Peter Walker 

Compliments to Liverpool Cathedral for the audacious breath taking display leaving you free in a state of equilibrium. 

These images were taking after Lockdown had been lifted and the Cathedral was reopened. Thank God as this was so needed to keep the faith and hope that we as a community have all been hit with some sort of pain, misery and isolation in the pandemic.   

Peace of Dove is a mass participation art project made up of thousands of paper doves, with messages of hope, peace and love. Accomplished with sound composed by David Harper to accompany the installation. 23,000 doves were sent to school to participate in the project. along side with the interplay of buttons. You could take a button from the alter and place it in the dove that was centred in the room. This insertion of works represent unity, peace, & hope moving forward as a community. 

Thought out history the dove has been viewed as a symbol of peace in many different cultures. In Greek Mythology the dove is a symbol of the renewal of life. In the Bible the dove appears at the Baptism of Jesus and the teaching of Noah and the Ark as a symbol of the holy spirit. Amen. 

[zara-garnett]

Who is a massive fan of Bob Dylan? Castle Art Gallery Liverpool is show casing his collection of lyrics and drawing which he did on tour. Music and art going hand in hand. Ecstatic to witness the illustration of works gives you an inside the mind of the artist. Beautifully displayed with-in the cosy part of the gallery space were you can take a seat, relax and feel part of a exclusive experience. 

[zara-garnett]

Getting back in action at the studio.. Partyyyyy time with paint (at Northern Lights Liverpool) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP5pMoMscaH/?utm_medium=tumblr

[zara-garnett]

Finally got one of my old unfished paintings back. Been stuck in my poors mums room for years. I decide to rip off the cavans of its would and so I could rolled up to fit in my cousins car 😂🚙 Going to use my new @posca_uk pen to go in the details to finish (at Northern Lights Liverpool) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMKWQF2gB8X/?igshid=pie8zh6snlkm

[zara-garnett]

[zara-garnett]

Finished the last touches last night. I painted this whole inPie Records Bar to the band playing #expressyourself #expressionism #acrylicpainting #colours #musicartist #studentlife (at Liverpool) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_PBFrCg-ri/?igshid=149cwhvlz6pnd

[zara-garnett]

My latest #pencildrawing #pencilsketch #totum #expressyourself #artistsoninstagram #artstudentlife (at Liverpool) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-rlIbiAl1v/?igshid=aqrm7ym1wy3u

[gnosticinitiation-deactivated20]

Inside each of the varied egos that personify our psychological errors, there is substance, spiritual Essence.

Just as when the atom is split, it liberates energy, so the total disintegration of egos liberates Essence, light…

We must then make light, create light...

[philosophyofcoexistence]

All human beings can validate the fact that their understanding and sensory abilities go beyond the five physical senses.