ADZ5999: Constellation 5: Critique

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
– Robert Swan, Author

This quote by Robert Swan is something that has stuck in my head throughout researching into sustainability. Researching and learning about sustainability for this dissertation proposal has really opened my eyes when it comes to how we affect the planet that we live on. I have really enjoyed throughout this process, finding out the damages we cause to the environment on a daily basis. How something as simple as buying a crate of bottled water instead of just drinking from the tap can have a negative effect on our planet. How the lack of policies for factories and industries lead to poor enforcements that allow them to bypass laws that are made to control the amount of pollution we are causing. Which then results in mass amounts of pollution to our planets. Throughout my journey for this essay I have found it very interesting learning and understanding what we can do as a community to help make out planet green again. Finding out how the choosing healthier choices in our diet can affect sustainability in a positive way is something that has really stuck with me also. How choosing a vegan diet is not necessarily the right path to a greener planet.

One of the most interesting things I’ve learnt during this time is about the work of Thomas Midgley Jr and his part in unintentionally polluting the planet and harming three generations of children. Midgley’s work with leaded gasoline has had a huge effect on the atmosphere of the planet. Not only was this gasoline damaging to the planet but also exposure to large amounts of lead is extremely harmful to humans especially children. As children are more likely to touch everything this then makes them more likely to digest it and pass through there bloodstream. What is more upsetting about this is the fact that Midgley and others knew of the effects this kind of pollution was having on the environment but could only focus and making money instead of doing the right thing for the environment and for the human race. This is a very good example of the consequences that come with pollution and when people don’t think about how this will affect us. Another example of this is the times before recycling. Generations before us have dumped around 2.2 billion tons of rubbish into the ocean without thinking of the consequences of this. Plastic never really goes away and covers around 40% of the world’s ocean surfaces. Generations before us never thought of how this would affect marine life and also affect us. If something is dumped into the ocean on one side of the world it will be washed up on the other side harming and killing sea life in the process. Many seabirds, turtle, seals and other marine life are affected by this. Recycling as much as possible is one of the many ways we can help to prevent this kind of water pollution. Instead of throwing things out donate and upcycle products and give them a new purpose.

What this essay has really made me think about is how I can use sustainability to influence my work? How can I use my power as an artist to send a message to whoever is looking at my work? Throughout my time at university I have learnt a lot about recycling at home and what we can do to have an impact on the environment. Very recently I stumbled across a community garden in Shoreditch, London called Nomadic Community Garden. In this community garden are a lot of old products that have been upcycled and put to good use to create a really lovely community area. Old tyres have been stacked and used as plant pots and even sculpted into sculptures of animals and of a nude lady. Huts and seating areas have been made out of old wood and other recyclable products have been used to create a good area to grow plants. This is a really good example of how you can upcycle products. By upcycling you are taking something old and completely useless to you, you are then remaking it and giving it a new purpose. This is a really good way of making sure that we aren’t being wasteful and just chucking things away. Donating items to charity is also another good way of recycling.

For my dissertation next year, I would really like to explore more of the affects that sustainability has on our bodies and how it can affect your mood and energy. The research I have done over the past few weeks has really sparked an interest for me in this field. The fresher you eat, the fresher you feel. Also looking more into why a vegetarian diet is more sustainable then vegan and meat-eating diets. Being more sustainable with our diets is really something that can benefit the planet. How growing our own fruit and veg at home can be a more sustainable way of living as they will be organic and pesticide free. Not only will this help the planet, but it can also save you money too. As there are 7.5 billion people in the world our food, water, land and fossil fuel demand are pushing other species into extinction and food waste is also a problem that needs to be brought into the light.

Summative Assessment

Makiko Kudo, Floating Island at the Saatchi Gallery October 2017

Personal Statement

Since seeing Makiko Kudo’s Floating Island at the Saatchi, I had began to look at nature and the effects we have on it. Kudo’s piece is naturally a very beautiful and colourful painting of nature it it’s glorious form. But when do we ever see such beautiful scenery in the real world without it being tainted by some kind of litter or debris. Littering and Pollution is something that we all contribute too in some way shape or form. And when doing this we never think of the negative effects this has on the environment. I know that art can be very powerful and can be good at sending a message to whoever views it. My final piece this year is a mixed media piece that I am hoping will make people stop and think before polluting so that we can live more sustainably.

Field Experience

Documentation

A post that evidences the material and conceptual exploration and thinking that initiated and led to the development of your own original artwork(s).

A post that documents some of the key aspects of the Site Venue project that you participated in.

A post that documents some of the technical skills you have learnt and developed over the course this year with regards to the production of your artworks.

A key post of your own choosing that illuminates your studio practise (Photography)

A key post of your own choosing that illuminates your studio practise (Still Life)

Contextualisation

A post that demonstrates the most influential concepts you have gained from the Key Concept Lecture series with a brief, but specific description of how this has influenced your practise.

A post that demonstrates a key contextual contemporary reference you found through your continued research with your studio practice.

A post that indicates your contextual research and thinking about how artists display and disseminate their work with regards to your final work presented for site venue project or your final exhibition.

A contextual post of your own choosing (Picasso Exhibition, Tate Modern)

A contextual post of your own choosing.

Displaying my work for the end of year Exhibition

 

Kirstine Roepstorff – Exercise, Version 2 (2007), Saatchi Gallery 2018

After seeing Kirstine Roepstorff’s mixed media collage pieces displayed in Saatchi, I really want my work to come out to the audience. Her collage pieces are flat from far away but when you come up close you can see that parts of the collage are peeling off towards you. I really like the effect this has on the piece, this little detail made it very interesting to look at. As a collage piece in general this technique gives it a more unique and memorable look as most collage pieces are very flat and 2D.

For my final piece this year I am going to be using recyclable products as part of my canvas. I really want to capture how I see the world in a way that can be displayed in a child like humorous way. Some of the items that I plan to use could be seen as too graphic for children as there will be a tampon and a condom used. To some people this could be seen as too graphic for children to see but then these products are things that have been seen laying in the street as litter.

 

Nnena Kalu – Untitled, Saatchi Gallery 2018

After seeing Nnena Kalu’s mixed media sculpture piece I want to incoperate something that isn’t just hung up on the wall. I wanted incoperate bringing the landfill site you you as part of my exhabition. After visiting the local Recycle/Landfill centre in Cardiff I was able to see the amount of rubbish people through away from their homes. In all honesty most of the things people seemed to be throwing away looked to be reusable if given to local charities. Kalu’s piece itself looks like bags of rubbish. I want to create a small installation like this piece by Kalu but of rubbish falling out of bags. I want create a life like representation of a ‘the perfect bin day’. Were people are able to separate general waste, recycling and food waste as its not something that is promoted everywhere. Where I live in Plymouth we just have recycling, general and garden waste. Only since moving to Cardiff have I ever had to separate my food waste but since doing this it has made me more aware of how much I’m throwing away. Lessening the amount the throw away will lead to living a more sustainable life.

Collection of Artists that use litter in their work

Cepillos 005

Alejandro Durán, Washed Up

-I really like that the artwork are in the setting of the beach.

-I like that in some of the pieces the colours are bright and stand out but also in the bottom photo the colours of the green plastic are blended into the setting.

– The bright colours around the rocks look aesthetically pleasing which draws you into the piece but also I find to be a little off putting as you know they aren’t meant to be there.

– The toothbrushes in the ground are quite a haunting; bright toothbrushes look like headstones almost and the background is quite dull in comparison.

 

Judith and Richar Lang, One Beach Plastic

– I enjoy the use of colour again is interesting to look at. (Ombré effect in bottom photo and colour mixture in top left)

– I really like the top right piece where the beach plastic is the same colour as the plate. This reminds me of the Plastic Suprise, Surfrided Foundation quote ‘What goes in the ocean, goes in you.’

-Like that the plastic in these pieces are more organised and placed around each other as it is easier on the eye and looks more like an ‘orgainsed chaos’

 

 

John Dahlsen, Environmental Wellworks

-I like that the litter is making an abstract representation of litter filled areas.

-Colours are bright and are orgainsed in colour groups in some aspects.

-I like the three-dimensional textured effects.

 

 

Steve McPherson, Marine Plastic

-I really love the colour wheel look in the left picture.

-I like that all pieces of plastic are orgainsed around each other

-Eye catching.

 

Michelle Reader

 

Rodney McCoubrey

(Both Reader and McCoubrey’s work)

-I like that these pieces are like children’s book characters.

-Look quite humorous.

-Mixed audience which get the attention of both adults and children.

 

Ideas behind my final outcome

 Using Recyling

Above is my site venue piece and a mixed media sculpture piece by Nnena Kalu (Untitled)

For my final outcome I knew I wanted to use recyclable products in my work. After completeting site venue I wanted to incoperate recycling in a way that could be hung up instead of being layed on the floor. My first idea of producing something that could be walked around was after seeing a piece by Nnena Kalu in the Saatchi Gallery. My thoughts based around what I want to produce for my final outcome is to create a painting in the abstract style of Picasso but also find a way to incoperate recycling in a way where it looks like a pile of rubbish when you step back.

Using Colour

Photos above are pieces by Pablo Picasso from the Tate Modern

After going to the Tate Modern to see the Picasso exhabition I wanted to play around with abstract shapes for my final piece. Looking at some of his pieces made me think of the drawings of masks I had made for my Magical Objects field project with James. I really like the abstract shapes of the faces he creates. For my final outcome I wanted to do something like this but wanted to find ways to incoperate recycling with in.

Using your sense

Before creating my final outcome I went to Caridff’s local recycling centre. This is where people take items like electronics, big bunks of cardboard and plastic and also things like general waste. This used to be a landfill site but after speaking to a worker there who was directing me, he said that it had been changed to recycling centre  because their aim is to make recycling easier. When driving up the ramps there are several large skips which are sign posted for different materials. A lot of the recycling skips were quite full but still the general waste skip was the fullest and seemed to be filled with products that could be recycled. There was also a very off putting smell coming from the general waste bin. This could possible be from hidden food in the rubbish bags. For my final outcome I wanted to create something that you could not only look at but something you could also smell without it being too unhygienic. I’m thinking of putting together my own general waste with a few things I have picked up from the recycling centre in hopes that after being sat together for a while it will make a similar smell.

Field Experience

 

What have I learnt through these field project?

During field this year I feel as if I have learnt how to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. In the past I have never been one to step out of their comfort zone and usually just stick to the things that I know I can do. This year I took a big risk and decided to work more with clay.  I have worked with clay in the past but this was on a more abstract level of working. During the first part of field I did a variety of clay pieces that were both three dimensional and two dimensional. I have experimented with different medias in clay and looked at what materials could work well with slip and we talked about the kinds of results you would get from this. A lot of my field work has been based around texture and three dimensional thinking when it comes to creating my own pieces. This is something that I have stayed away from doing for some time. During the second part of field I was able to look into different cultures and how they create art through making masks and hand carving. I found this extremely interesting to look at as I had never seen a wooden mask be hand carved and the amount of skill and time that goes into making these kinds of things are incredible. I was able to carve shapes into soap which is a lot softer then the wood work we had watched but it was a lot more difficult then I had thought it would be. I have also looked at mixing three dimensional and two dimensional work together when making masks.

Challanges

What I found to be the most challenging through field was the hand carving and also hand moulding we did. Carving the soap was a lot more trickier then I thought it would be and really tested my patience when it came to making mistakes. After making a mistake when carving into the soap it would be very hard to fix. When doing the hand modelling of the foot it was very successful for me in some aspects. Doing this exercise took me a very long time and was quite temperamental but when sticking to it I was able to produce a ceramic piece that looked very much like a child’s foot. Whenever doing things like this in the past I had always used casting mounds so actually being able to do this by hand was an achievement for me.

Links to my final outcome?

For my final outcome I had stayed away from doing clay but I did go more down the route of using 3D with 2D.  After completing my field projects I had taken away a more open minded look on taking risks and stepping out of my comfort zone a bit more then I would have.

Key Concepts that have inspired me this year

An Artist and their Studio

The key concept Lecture which spoke about a studio I found very intriguing. What makes a studio space and what is in it that helps an artist to express their self? Every artist is different and will thrive better in different environments. This lecture made me think about what I need to surround myself with to promote a positive space that I feel will help me create work to the best of my ability. Through my journey so far being an artist I have worked ina few different environments and created a variety of work some good and some bad. I find for myself I need to be in a space where I can zone out and not think about what’s going on around me. I need to be in a quite area where I can create and just listen to myself think or listen to music.

During this second year at uni I have displayed more of my work in my studio then I did during first year. I think doing this has given a positive me a positive look on my work through out the year as I am able to see what I have experimented with and what I’ve enjoyed doing. I have also been able to see the things I haven’t enjoyed as much and discover what I can do to inspire me and my work. I have learnt the importance of the relationship between an artist and their studio.

Failure

‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ – Samuel Beckett

The key concept Lecture based on failure was probably one of the most inspiring for me. It made me think is failure in art really failure? Even though something may have not turned out the right way or the expected way why does this make it a fail? If something isn’t how you’ve imagine but you’ve learnt from the ‘mistake’ have you really failed?

In art I always find things most of the the time for me never turn out how I think it will. But this does not mean I have failed. When things haven’t gone right for me I always take something away for it. Whether this is how to improve or what not to do next time I think as long as your learning your not failing. When I think of failure I just think of a bump in the road or an unexpected turn. In art there are always ways to develop and learn from things that don’t always go to plan. At times it can be very infuriating and disheartening but failing is not something I think needs to be looked at as embarrassing and as something that should be hated. I think that it’s a big part in learning and if you aren’t failing every now and then are you still learning?

This year I spent quite a bit of my time experimenting with different medias to spark an inspiring idea for my final outcome. During this stage I have learnt that ‘failing’ is a part of the process and can help you to discover something your passionate about or something that is not for me as an artist. I think both of these are a positive.

F.N. Souza

F.N. Souza – Crucifixion (1959)

-I really like the colours in this piece

-Abstract but still able to have an idea of what the piece is about

-Mix of colours with each other creates a textured look

-Really liked the scale of this piece

-I like that the people look to be quite dark and destressed characters which could be a representation of their character

-Really like the detail on the clothes

 

F.N. Souza – Citadel (1961)

-I really like the bright colours which are the houses, I think this is a good represntaion of looking at a building in the dark with the lights on.

-Dark lines help to separate shapes.

-Mixture of light and dark blue in the top left corner is a great abstract representation of the light from the moon pushing between the clouds.

The Ey Exhabition, Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy

Left to Right:

‘Reading’ (Saturday 9th January 1932)

‘Bust of a Woman’ (1931, Boisgeloup)

‘The Sculptor’ (Monday 7th December 1931)

Plaster Sculptures in Studio at Boisgeloup (1899-1984)

‘Village in the Rain. Rainbow’ (Friday 6th May 1932, Boisgeloup)

When visiting London recently, I was very fortunate to be gifted tickets to see the Picasso exhabition which was being shown at Tate Modern. One of the reasons I was excited to see this exhabition was because was because I really enjoy Picasso’s abstract style and create use of colour.

This exhabition called ‘Love Fame Tragedy’ exploded a lot of the pieces that Picasso created in 1932, which was a big year for him. Critics began to openly discuss wether they thought Picasso was an artist of the past rather then an artist of the future. This then pushed Picasso into being more ambitious with his work.

 

Left: ‘Girl before a Mirror’ (Monday 14th March 1932, Paris)

Right: ‘Nude in front of a Mirror’ (Sunday 26th June 1932, Boisgeloup)

Above are two painting in the exhabition that were my favourite. What I really enjoy about these pieces by Picasso is his use of line and shape. I like that the shapes are defined by thick black lines as I think this excentuates the shape of the subject. It also really like that the curve’s of the black lines capture the movement of the brush strokes. Within the shapes created in these pieces of work I really enjoy the bright colours incoperated in Picasso’s work. I find the colours to contrast well with each other to create  very eye catching pieces of work. His continuous abstract theme I find is also very athletically pleasing as you are able to see what the subject is.

What am I taking away from this for my own work:

– incoperste bright colours.

– experiment with shapes to create abstract pieces.

– define shapes with harsh edges.

-experiment with the scale of my work, try something bigger instead of creating small pieces.

Photography

Below are photographs I have taken in Roath Park and also at a local beach in my home town called Jennycliff Beach. These photos I think really help to capture the beauty of nature. What I really love about the photos I had taken in Roath Park is the sense of movement in the photographs. What was happening at the time was a little girl was feeding the swans in the lake and because of the food this grabbed a lot of the birds attention. In  the photo you are able to see the birds swooping into the shot which leaves a blur of where their wings are flapping. I really like the effect that this has left.

The other photos from my beach trip to Jennycliff also capture movement but in a different way. Where the ocean is crashing against the rock in some of the photographs o think this leave a very beautiful and delicate effect.