Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The University Years - 2009 (Honours)
In 2009 I undertook my Honours project. It was an intense year as the BVA Honours program commanded major written assessment pieces (one of which was a 10 000 word thesis no less) and cohesive/resolved studio based outcomes. My practical work split into two planes. One side of my practice was based around stop-motion, the shadowy silhouette figure and storytelling. On the other hand I also focused on the visual/conceptual possibilities of the two-dimensional format through the combination of collage and drawing. The result was two bodies of work that in retrospect, taught me a lot about trial and error in the studio - especially when employing a medium that is part low-tech/handmade and part digital (stop-motion animation).
The Dream Sequences video has been shown at a number of different shows/events and I have the parts and props ready to produce a sequel. It is just a matter of having an extra pair of hands! As for the two-dimensional works, my Honours project was the catalyst to an ongoing engagement with collage/assemblage methodology. It is a medium that is not restricted to the flat plane (see Christian Marclay for instance) and in the future I hope to push these ideas into new disciplines.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The University Years - 2008
Pencil Bandit (Southern Belle) - #2 in the She Renegades series
2008
Paint pen on canvas
This series played on the idea of turning the 'innocent girl' character archetype (inherent across numerous fictional texts) on its head. My research covered everything from folklore and fairy tales through to unsung real life heroines, criminals and martyrs. The series consisted of four large canvas banners, each profiling a different Renegade character. The Pencil Bandit (Southern Belle) was partly appropriated from a turn of the century photograph (sourced from National Geographic) of a child dressed up in costume, masked and armed for the New Orleans Mardi Gras. I'm not sure what child in the photograph was meant to be dressed as, but I changed the weapon from spike to a spear sized pencil. Thus her 'weapon' that the character holds became more of a 'tool as weapon' or 'weapon as tool'. Although the pencil is a writing tool and object synonymous with early education and written literacy...it is also sharp to a point and a little bit dangerous. Then again in another light, in regards to free speech, inscribing your signature or posting a message in public space - any writing tool could be considered a weapon of knowledge.
Friday, November 25, 2011
The University Years - 2007
St Kilda Pier
Collage
2007
*Sadly I lost this piece or dismantled it. Probably because I stole Scrabble tiles out of the family Scrabble set...sacrilege (pffft never play Scrabble anyway). A lesson learnt in keeping up a good standard of creative record and image based documentation.
Title unknown (one off installation of silhouetted black cotton cut-outs)
Installation
2007
Studio experiment (projecting over silhouette wall cut-outs)
Installation
2007
Continuing process work for 2012 project
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Hitchcock retrospective at GOMA >>> VERTIGO
A lesser known but bang on the money Hitchcock film. Vertigo has some beautiful, timeless shots of the San Francisco bay area and also delivers a script whereby the key female characters induce heaving gaffaws in the audience. By that I mean that it was a product of it's era, especially in regard to the social norms of 'the romantic pursuit' in 1950s America. Vertigo is also hailed as Hitchcock's most poetic work according to some sources. It was also the last instance in which James Stewart acted under his direction. Check how orange he is in it errrr!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
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