Tracing breath

These are a few more works which I had recorded the process of, blowing the indian ink with my own breath in all directions. 

Breath on wall

                                                                              
This was an attempt at creating the little 'breaths' from my previous works but directly on the wall. I obviously did not think things through very well, seeing that as soon as the starch touched the wall it began to drip, creating an image hardly related to breath at all. As ineffective as this work is in regards to my intentions, I am attracted to it aesthetically (as a large amount of us are to colourful drips). Due to this, I kept doing the same thing with different colours in a row (just for some fun :). After briefly admiring it's aesthetic qualities, I moved on to the next work.

I had filmed the process of this work,  closely focusing on the starch passing thought the ink and hitting the wall. The video was in my stolen computer.  

Weak attempt at making the work depict 'breath' slightly better. 

Previous work - little 'breaths' 

Stolen computer

The name of this entry sums up nicely this devastating occurrence. The fact that it happened on my birthday, was also unfortunate, to say the least. Anyhow, after a few days of mourning I was able to get myself together, however, I am not able to recuperate countless hours of work.

Due to this little incident I find it appropriate to give a summary of what I had been working on the past week or so before it was stolen. 

After experimenting with different ways of using media and trying to metaphorically relate to breath, I decided to take a similar approach as I did in my drawing work. I began focusing on video works more than anything else, and literally depicting breath, making a few short clips that explored camera angles and imagery. 

This is one of the only works salvaged (saved in my phone) from before I began focusing on only moving image, it was also one the first ones which I filmed. The short clip featured me blowing on to the paper, blowing the indian ink across the page, in all directions and into the floor. In my opinion, the video was far more interesting and successful, specially in developing my ideas around breath. 

Indian ink on paper and floor (500x700mm) (07/2012)

Talk week report

What were the significant issues raised in the critique?

The presentation and format of the work were the two significant issues raised in the critique. The imagery’s chaotic nature inside the conventional painting was questioned, as well as why it had been placed on the wall, was it just to make it a painting? In addition, since the process was apparent in the work (made on the floor) a lot of the conversation surrounded it’s placement and why it couldn’t be presented the way it was made, did it need to defy gravity?

What issues surprised you or offered a reading that you had not previously considered?

The issue that surprised me and also interested me was the one mentioned in the question above, the format and presentation. I had not yet thought about taking the process and idea out of the painting convention, I was still developing and just exploring the media in search of a way to encapsulate the idea of breath, life and movement in an image. I was also using powdered pigment and spray starch, thus watercolour paper seemed the most appropriate surface to work on, since it did not warp as much as others. After the critique however, I definitely saw that I was unconsciously not letting my work take off and it was due to the restrictions the paper shape and size imposed, they simply added nothing to the intention.

What changes did it bring about immediately in your work?

It immediately made me think of other ways I could depict the idea of breath, rather than sticking to a singular form of format and materials. It helped me realize that I needed to perhaps move on from starch and pigments or simply use them in a different manner (as long as it relates to my idea).

Can you identify areas where you will have to develop further aspects of your practice in order to achieve your desired results (intent), eg. your skill base, further testing, research specific material, look at wider social, political and historical contexts. Describe what actions you are going to make to develop your work.

I will definitely need to either explore the use of pigments and starch further, or put them aside and move on. I also need to move away from paper/canvas on wall and experiment with perhaps more appropriate ways of getting the ideas across, something that works with it better. I need to research breath and movement to a much greater extent, as well as other ways of installing work.

Was there an aspect of another critique that you attended which raised issues pertinent to your own art making? What were those issues?

I felt that the way most of the works were installed was questioned or part of the dialogue. Which made it stand out even further as something I need to think about more carefully in my own practice, since it is just as important as the work itself. Also the issue of titling the work came up constantly, which I had not thought about too much, and it is something I think most of the students in year 2 hadn’t paid much attention too either. Many of the people from outside AUT were for it but I personally feel that at that particular stage my work was not entirely doing what I was intending it to, so by naming it I felt it would make the audience talk about how the work related to the name and vice versa, rather than simply what thoughts were stimulated thought the works.