Translucent
How do you observe deeply?
Walk – draw – sit – film – listen – feel – curl up – eyes wide – dissolve
Until you forget about time
Getting lost
The shifting focus of nature, no focal point only the living expanse. To pick up a pebble and hold the mountain in your hand.
The living mountain – Nan Shepard
The environment we exist in and how we interact with it
Revealing what is underneath the surface to create ripple actions and affects
Focusing on the relationship between science and art. Exploring representation
Cathartic practice, how art can transform
About Me
Making the invisible visible. A journey through practice.
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SEMESTER 2 – ANIMAL
Semester 2: 2501
2021 Week 1
COLOUR KEY
Orange: Classes and workshops
Purple: Experimentation
Green: Research
Blue: Reflection
ANIMAL
EXPERIMENT RESEARCH REFLECT
WINTER SHOW – what went well/didn’t
Use of more texture and space
There was a cohesive theme
By week 3 clarity on how to do summer show MAY 5th. Arts centre is on board!
– How to reach a bigger audience?
Better promotion, people having a clearer idea of what they’re promoting
-How to use online livestream better?
Links to you tube videos to avoid there being lag
WELLNESS
With kindness care
ANIMAL
Definition: any of a kingdom (Animalia) of living things including many-celled organisms and often many of the single-celled ones (such as protozoans) that typically differ from plants in having cells without cellulose walls, in lacking chlorophyll and the capacity for photosynthesis, in requiring more complex food materials (such as proteins), in being organized to a greater degree of complexity, and in having the capacity for spontaneous movement and rapid motor responses to stimulation
Animal | Definition of Animal by Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com)
Etymology: early 14c., “any sentient living creature” (including humans), from Latin animale “living being, being which breathes,” noun use of neuter of animalis (adj.) “animate, living; of the air,” from anima “breath, soul; a current of air” (from PIE root *ane- “to breathe;” compare deer). A rare word in English before c. 1600, and not in KJV (1611). Commonly only of non-human creatures. It drove out the older beast in common usage. Used derisively of brutish humans (in which the “animal,” or non-rational, non-spiritual nature is ascendant) from 1580s.
animal | Origin and meaning of animal by Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com)
Ymchwydd / 220 // Surge / 220
Afon Hafren // Severn// Sabrina
At 220 miles is the longest river in Britain, historically a boundary it passes through Wales and England. Mapped out the Severn using locations of different polluters and corresponded these to different coloured pollutants – industrial waste discharge (yellow), farm runoff (green), raw sewage (brown), heavy metals (orange). In Wales and England 4 out of 5 rivers fail to achieve good ecological status – used this to structure the film, 80% footage coloured with pollutants, 20% natural. Film is intended to loop to be indicative of pollutants remaining in water cycle.
Soundwave of flood from 01/02/2020- 25/03/2020 along Severn using river levels from each day (high and low), measured at Llanidoes . Converted heights to hertz, used only this flood soundwave to create soundtrack where colours correspond to 5 different tracks – fading in and out getting more chaotic and corrupted as they gather pollutants and reach rivers mouth.
Water is life.
Primary research:
Carolee schneeman: meat joy (1964)
UbuWeb Film & Video: Carolee Schneemann “Meat Joy” (1964)
Visceral film that invokes senses of viewer- think on use of materiality in film to connect in body- water/ soil/ fungi/ waste materials (litter?)
Ukele- touch sanitation
Patterns of rivers are fractals!!
Pg. 38, To life! eco art in pursuit of a sustainable planet, Linda Weintraub
This could be an amazing link from micro to macro, showing interconnectedness of patterns within our environments.
Microsoft Word – Watersheds_Rivers.docx (fractalfoundation.org)
resource accessed from fractal foundation showing how you can make your own watershed and be shown the fractal patterns of a river.
Fractal Patterns: Mathematics & Nature Science Activity | Exploratorium Teacher Institute Project
resource showing how to make fractal pattern
Fractals of ripples
Richard Downing- fractal clock
The Fractal Clock – Aberystwyth University
Interconnectedness of nature, river links to habitat, to animal, to plant…
WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER
WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATERWATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATERWATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATERWATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATERWATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATERWATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER
Universal language of communication
Word association game
ANIMAL
mineral
plant
species
network
internet
connect
ANIMAL
raw
real
regardless
habitat
expulsion
pollution
distinction
WATER
free
communication
reveal
respite
wonder
long
awash
Reflection:
Looking in to associations with animals, what links with them and is important and relevant to my own practice? Thinking on habitats, like water. Do these frame an animal theme enough? Usefulness of games (like word association above) to create a space for play and ideas to be generated without concern.
0102
2021
Week 2
Were presented with a myriad of different artists in relation to theme animal. Interesting to see how has been interpreted over space and time, artists actually trying to mimic and ‘become’ animals. A lot on shamanism and crossing boundaries of what it means to exist in a whole. Really loved the move away from human centric view of the world, how to continue to break this viewpoint. To subvert the traditional focal points.
What stood out for me:
Watched ‘Becoming animal’, walking on by moose’s around, abound, just stare- glare. Meditation in patience, in moose. ENTANGLED. Feel its bark, feel it touching you back. Allow gaze to follow birds swoops and dives feel in muscle that d
i
v
e
Gush wash splash rush, sound water itself speaks.
Psyche- breath a gust of wind (etymology of belonging)MIND WIND. As though the air itself was aware.
LANGUAGE- letters speak to us like rocks and spiders used to. Human language began to abstract itself from the land (signifiers??)
Calligraphy of rivers
Animal meditation– very calming, imagining being a frozen frog warming up. helped me concentrate massively in next part.
Animal Meditations
Dawn chorus (2007) extracts– people having dawn chorus erupt from their mouths! Liked the absurdity of it.
Out of sync– finches perching on guitars laid horizontal. Really didn’t like this, felt like he was taking advantage of the birds. Wondered on their conditions and how it could just use them to make his art.
Meditations on the Sacramento river, the delta and bays of San Francisco- Helen and newton Harrison
Animals, soil, minerals, plants, governemnt, corporations, military were all implicated in this project as source of freshwater affects all of them.
Harrisons created 9 hand drawn maps showing the ill conceived plans of irrigation systems, drainage and ill managed farm run off. Creating a unique perspective on watersheds. ‘Mediations’ invited audience to meditate on constructive alternatives- natures reserves, forest, vegetative flood controls to name a few.
The work became a guiding metaphor, a lens through which many existing cultural landscapes in the process of being transformed into industrial landscapes could be dealt with by ourselves as artists, with the idea that new and different possible histories could become available and open for exploration and criticism.’
To life! Eco art in pursuit of a sustainable planet, Linda weintraub, pg 79
Allen Kaprow- performing a river
1968
No documentation other than activity booklet. A happening. Gave these instructions to art students who gathered in a dry riverbed:
(dry stream bed)
wetting a stone
carrying it downstream till dry
dropping it
choosing another stone there
wetting it
carrying it upstream till dry
dropping it
Exploring sensations, works simplicity allows mind to wander in to other things- wind, temperature…complex environmental factors that are often ignored as they’re largely unseen.
The Biosphere- William Pettigrew
The Biosphere by William Pettigrew – NFB
Nature reserve network
‘Nature needs to recover – for the
sake of wild plants and animals, and
for everything it brings us: better
health, climate control, flood
management, enjoyment,
employment and more.
To make this happen, we need to
change the way we look after our
land and seas. We need a Nature
Recovery Network to put space for
nature at the heart of our farming
and planning systems; to bring
nature into the places where most
people live their daily lives.
We need new laws, including an
Environment Act passed by the
Westminster government, to ensure
this happens. In it, local Nature
Recovery Maps would be produced
to achieve key Government targets
for increasing the extent and quality
of natural habitats, turning nature’s
recovery from an aspiration to a
reality.’
A report for the Westminster Government by The Wildlife Trusts
Have any allowances been made for Wales?? Or just England- the report says we need to rewild BRITAIN. Look in to this!!!!!
Irish Sea
Seas need networks too. The Wildlife Trusts propose a national Marine Strategy to provide an overarching plan, which is made concrete in Regional Sea Plans (RSPs) and a network of Marine Protected Areas. The Irish Sea, a complex ecosystem with many competing interests, is one such area that would benefit from an RSP.
the_wildlife_trusts_marine_strategy.pdf
Nature Recovery Network | The Wildlife Trusts
Nature_recovery_network_final.pdf (wildlifetrusts.org)
“Nature is in big trouble but we know how to bring it back. Local action is already making a real difference and now the government needs to play its part. We need a Nature Recovery Network established in law – one that is locally developed and nationally connected – this would help join up our last remaining wild places by creating vital new habitats. It’s time to make nature a normal part of childhood again and restore wildlife so it can recover and thrive across urban jungles and the countryside once more – where it can be part of people’s daily lives.”
Nikki Williams, Director of Campaigns and Policy at The Wildlife Trusts, says:
George Monibiot-Feral book
Exciting look for the potential of rewilding the landscape. A glossary in the middle show animals that have become extinct in certain areas. The catastrophic affects this can have on the interconnected web of life. There looks like there’s some interesting sea based chapters at the end which could be worth reviewing!
Back to earth exhibition: Serpentine gallery
A program about change, to incite change. weaving ecology
Back to Earth – Serpentine Galleries
Series of podcasts exploring links between art and science- creating in the anthropocene.
Back to Earth – Serpentine Galleries
What animals are locally here, animals through time in this location?
HABITAT- ISOLATION- NETWORKS- COMMUNICATION
Red kite
Ospreys
Sparrowhawks
Starlings
Goshawks
Peregrine
Raven
Cuckoo
Dolphins
porpoises
Buzzards
Heron
Dragonflies
Otters
Lapwings
Watervoles
Frogs
Salmon
Butterflies
Lesser horseshoe bats |
Seals
Wildlife to see in Wales | Flora and fauna | Visit Wales
Wildlife in mid Wales (naturalmidwales.co.uk)
What is crucial for habitat? Look into local fungi too. Local fishes.
A Green Recovery | Wildlife Trusts Wales (wtwales.org)
A brighter future for Welsh rivers | Wildlife Trusts Wales (wtwales.org)
The Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan also confirms new National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) will be created, as well as 10 Landscape Recovery projects. These initiatives take us closer to protecting 30% of UK land by 2030, extending protections by 1.5% in England towards our goal of an additional area of over 400,000ha and restoring the equivalent of over 30,000 football pitches of wildlife rich habitat.
In 2021 government will start the formal process of designation of the new National Parks and AONBs which will involve identifying the best candidates. This will look at how new sites contribute to our wider goals for nature, beauty, heritage and people.
£5.2 billion for flood defences will also help the country adapt to a changing climate, with an increased focus on nature-based solutions highlighted in the recent flood strategy.
£80 million fund for green jobs and new national parks to kick start green recovery – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
National library of Wales, map collection
Maps of Wales | The National Library of Wales
Welsh Tithe Maps – Home (library.wales)
Wildlife trust Wales reimagined Wind in the Willows as though it was now- reimagining landscapes is very important in highlighting issues and overcoming them. As part of their wilder futures project.
Just some of the declines we have seen in recent years include:
• 66% decline in the number of barn owls since the 1930s
• 95% decline in the number of basking shark in UK waters since 1950s
• 40% decline in the number of Atlantic salmon since the 1970s
• 90% decline in the number of common frogs since the 1980s
• 70% decline in toads since the 1990’s
• 90% decline in the number of water voles since the 1990s.
Campaign for a #WilderFuture with us | Wildlife Trusts Wales (wtwales.org)
small but deep
Scale
The wildlife around the rivers mouth, into the sea. Links to Irish sea recovery network- showing sea as map
Off the top of my head :
Dolphins, salmon, otter, birds (starlings, heron, cormorants, gulls), sea trout
OpenSeaMap: FAQ
Why does working with regional seas matter? | UNEP – UN Environment Programme
The Ocean Conference | 5-9 June 2017 Our Ocean, Our Future: Call for Action .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform
About | OSPAR Commission
Tutorial notes:
Reflection:
How space affects us, the importance of site. How can we link up these nature reserves. Can I tell a story in a cohesive way that has elements of abstraction whilst being accessible?
I think this would be a good challenge for me to bring together my third year of degree. Making use of experimental parts whilst getting across a message. Of connection and protection.
Miranda advised to think on scale – small but deep (like Walter de Marias land art sculpture of a 1km pole through the earth!! Small but big connotations)
Thought could use the harbour as the beginning of site as this the place where all the water meets in Aber. The two rivers joining to the sea. Must be an interesting habitat.
0802
2021
WEEK 3
Lost and found.
Have emailed the Wildlife trust about their nature reserve network plan and also about their living sea initiative.
Contacted JNCC the company supplying sea noise pollution data to the government to see if they’d give me any of their raw data.
Considering using 2 land animals, 2 sea animals, 2 sky animals to reimagine how habitat of harbour and its connectedness to Marine protected zones (MZN) and land nature reserves.
Experimenting with different ways to engage with site. Following on from last semesters practice of visiting the sea and reflecting through writing. Decided to initially record through photos and videos but make the primary objective at this time to be sitting. To really absorb and appreciate the space.
Should I concentrate on endangered ones?
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Imagination animal…
wanted to think of a powerful creature that could be a force in combatting the destruction of environments that are suitable for all. An ancient creature that could incite change.
ATLANTIC SALMON
(or dolphin or seal- salmon more connected to river and do a longer journey though)
KITTIWAKE
Reflections:
On sitting, on being in a place without expectation. Actively engage with your senses, to give the stories in your mind time to unwind.
WEEK 4:
1502
2021
Each presented the animal we’d imagined….
NOTES
Back to earth- exhibit at the Serpetine gallery
Carolina Caycedo: From River Rights to Just Fair Energy Transition – Serpentine Galleries
Olafur Eliasson, Earth Perspectives – Serpentine Galleries
Recalibrate how people see earth, through mapping!!
Created ddraig coed as my creature, a tree dragon that has a symbiotic relationship between their tree wings and dragon body. Fungi and algae do this to create lichen, something that colonises spaces first and allows other things to grow. Imagined my tree dragon like this- bought together by the changing climate to adapt and help the environment.
Tried out some sculptural pieces using driftwood as a found resource
Experiment with using wood cutting tools to create more interesting, intricate shapes. Also could use a wood burner for finer details.
The wings were very hard to prop up with the stones, try look for more sandy areas in the future.
I then went back in the morning to see what remained of ddraig coed- everything! Except there wing had fallen down.
Have been in contact with the Wildlife trust to get further information on the marine wildlife reserves and potential coordinates for them
Marine Protected Areas | GOV.WALES
Natural Resources Wales / Marine protected areas
Also contacted the JNCC who record the sea noise pollution data for the government. Wanted to see if they had any raw sounds however they responded saying they only collect raw data. She advised me to look on youtube but obviously this would have copyright issue, am really hoping I will be able to borrow Miranda hyrdophone to create the sound of the harbour mouth where the two rivers converge and head to the sea.
The natural resource wales website that i was directed too by the wildlife trust has some amazing maps of special areas of conservation at land and sea. Look through these to find the relevant sections.
Marine Protected Area Mapper | JNCC – Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation
WEEK 5: 2202
2021
Presented our ideas for a workshop,
Reflections on idea from class,
keep the imaginative fun part of the tree dragon as it is accessible.
Try and present ideas with more succinct information, or make them less complicated
Exploring problems through imaginative solutions.
Ideas for taking Tims project forwards
-research in to found sound and behaviour
– Read the sound manual on UBU showing you how to make your own electric sound boxes
– Have pictures of our creatures as our backgrounds so it really seems like its the creatures communicating
– Potential to have creatures communicate with other animals in the world, see if theres any sounds of endangered creatures could use
– Try and imagine what different calls would be like- common calls in animals would perhaps be for mating, territory, pain, hunger, fear, sleeping….
Animal Sounds – Free Sound Effects | Free Sounds Library
List of animal sounds – Wikipedia
CLASSIFICATION : Kittiwakes
unranked: Biota
kingdom:Animalia
phylum:Chordata
superclass:Tetrapoda
class:Aves
order:Charadriiformes
family: Charadriidae
genus: Haematopus
species: Haematopus ostralegus
subspecies: Haematopus ostralegus ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758
Statistics
Length: 38-40cm
Wingspan: 1.1m
Weight: 410g
Average lifespan: 12 years
Conservation status
Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2015).
Sea loving gull, lives on cliffs and spends winter out on the Atlantic. Eats fish, shrimps and worms and does not scavenge at dumps like other gulls.
Quite a big range of space!
According to NBN there have been 32 recorded sightings of Kittiwakes in Aberystwyth. I am going to experiment with putting the coordinates of where they have been sighted into What3words and see if I can create a poem from there locations. (potentially to use as part of a soundtrack)
Aware engage sensibly
Thickened ratio lavender
Not all of them had exact coordinates unfortunately however they were all around the local area.
Try looking up the coordinates in the sea for the MZA’s! (marine protected zones)
(In doing this I figured how to put in the coordinates of the local animals I’m researching too!!)
Continued….
Unpleasantness underpinned unapproved
acclaim fenced headboard
Tested quilting informed
poses hometown otters
lizard consumes writhes … this location from what3words actually in Seachelles…Think I will try find some of my own coordinates for them too perhaps)
I will continue putting the coordinates of the Special marine conservation zone in to What3words though as I think a poem to accompany tree dragon exploring these waters and how the 3 creatures lives are affected it would be stronger if its grounded in the actual place.
OYSTERCATCHERS
SALMON
Can travel 1000km over the sea to reach there home breeding grounds!
Salmon sightings round local area
Record: 623260 | Occurrence record | NBN Atlas
Converted in to what3words locations:
Flagpole talked tripods
Barefoot goad regulator
Clarifies drop improving
Scorching qualifier gazes
Coordinates of marine protected sights in Welsh waters:
Found the memory map of the sea from the Livingseas Wales sight! A collection of peoples stories and memories of the coast!
Marine memories map | Living Seas Wales
Marine protection plan for Wales
WG41157 Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network Management: Action Plan for Wales (gov.wales)
Around Aberystwyth the Dyfi estuary is a special protected zone
Layout (naturalresources.wales)
Wales has another Special conservation zone stretching all across Cardigan bay and further – collect coordinates
sac-uk0030397-map001.pdf (naturalresources.wales)
Reflection:
Mapping is a really strong link between space and documentation. Potential to link to science without being too dyadic. Lots of interactive maps online being created- the living wales map is a really beautiful picture map. Having many public contributors!
Could be a way to get more wider engagement in space- help people figure out how to protect.
Been researching for a couple of weeks now, am honing in on what animals I think are the best to represent the harbour space in Cardigan bay.
Coordinates:
West wales marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol
Special area of conservation
sac-uk0030397-map002.pdf (naturalresources.wales)
52.9392, -4.5777 – Loudness . bottom . cools
52.9335, -4.5824 – Servants . aquatics . nuzzled
52.9335, -4.5823 – Impact . prowl . ironic
52.9290, -4.5917 – steam . scratches . wiggly
52.9287, -4.5920 – brand . canoe . level
52.8899, -4.6657- opposite . smashes . perch
52.8899, -4.6658 – laying . thrashed . quietest
52.8777, -4.6726 – reclined . handsets . rebounder
52.8777, -4.6728 – doubt . party . vibes
52.8137 ,-4.7510 – steeped . unwraps . breakaway
52.8136, -4.7512 – blush . spellings . loafing
52.8154, -4.5701 – showrooms . lamplight . defensive
52.8152, -4.5692 – resurgent . landlords . blog
52.8114, -4.5607 – teach . buddy . riverside
52.8113, -4.5603 – dabbled . blast . nicely
52.8016, -4.5429 – downsize . funded . return
52.8014, -4.5418 – nation . sparkle . estuaries
52.7776, -4.5309 – empty . ushering . arrival
52.6067, -4.1290 – alternate . sulked . owner
52.6064, -4.1276 – tailors . musically . hidden
52.6060, -4.1273 – signified . standard . musically
52.5380, -4.0754 – shrub . figure . folders
52.5290, -4.0731 – breed . backhand . spends
52.5290, -4.0658 – bookshop . mercy . cassettes
52.5279, -4.0631 – announce . appraised . table
52.4071, -4.0905 – sulk . pursue . hike
52.4069, -4.0920 – stirs . photos . tagging
52.3080, -4.1615 – badminton . reported . nicknames
52.3078, -4.1624 – levels . replayed . birthing
52.2548, -4.2314 – dockers . liquids . corkscrew
52.2547, -4.2315 – laptop . harshest . vaccines
52.2442, -4.2656 – available . hooks . october
52.2439, -4.2660 – worlds . ruler . committee
52.2222, -4.3069 – dubbing . impose . sneezing
52.2222, -4.3070 – adverbs . dares . reference
52.2154, -4.3370 – onwards . dumps . applied
52.2153, -4.3372 – scans . dispenser . typhoon
52.1447, -4.4978 – coasted . accompany . tinkle
52.1446, -4.4980 – adventure . wiped . providing
52.1145, -4.6878 – texts . kindness . scooter
52.1124, -4.6919 – canine . doghouse . gadget
52.0778, -4.7594 – tastier . buddy . offshore
52.0778, -4.7594 – tastier . buddy . offshore
52.0777, -4.7597 – list . unsettled . drip
52.0777, -4.7598 – jump . beast . amplified
52.0232, -4.8502 – middle . though . unloaded
52.0230, -4.8512 – character . finds .stockpile
52.0199, -4.8687 – ironclad . seat . rots
52.0199, -4.8688 – thickens . fury . delivers
52.0196, -4.8785 – guru . smirking . fidget
52.0196, -4.8788 – chuck . rotation . caskets
51.9973, -4.9707 – cornfield . ringside . fillings
51.9973, -4.9709 – spring . defaults . engulfing
51.9970, -4.9714 – jubilant . hastened . rehearsed
51.9969, -4.9717 – tripled . saturate .visions
51.9491, -5.1826 – strapping . nags . called
51.9490, -5.1828 – mimes . rephrase . ripe
51.8679, -5.2810 – cuff . squeaking . sprayer
51.8679, -5.2808 – prices . waistcoat . corkscrew
51.8727, -5.2188 – encloses . caged . engrossed
51.8727, -5.2187 – honestly . turntable . lottery
51.8692, -5.1972 – bits . allowable . scrubbing
51.8694, -5.1968 – crackles . fork . trample
51.7105, -5.1175 – tearfully . throw . modes
51.6921, -5.1142 – giants . finishing . wolves
51.6242, -5.0629 – teachers . eyepieces . boss
51.4847, -5.1266 – vibrato . blooper . stargazes
51.5089, -5.4198 – nonathletic . elders . decently
51.6764, -5.5961 – chastising . volunteer . timeouts
51.8542, -5.6302 – suiting . unalterably . irises
52.2856, -5.2733- flexibly . prepositions . seascape
52.4636, -5.3069 – motioned . surveyed . perforations
52.9536, -4.7295 – lavished . broadly . trumpeted
52.9631, -4.5819 – replicating . truthfully . autoworkers
Experimented with turning all the coordinates of the Cardigan bay protected zone into whatwwords phrases (hence locations). Really strong way to ground in place as can look up exact coordinates of the zone much easier.
Exciting reimagining of space through words.
Have been regularly visiting the harbour and recording there in different ways, using the gopro, hydrophone to try out different perspectives of scaping. Am aiming to get the sound of some ships moving underwater.
WEEK 6 ;
Collected some pine resin to make glue from to stick together tree dragon model. Experimenting with different natural adhesives so the character could potentially be left in the landscape. Pine resin and charcol seem to be best option for things I can collect round this area. Pine resin is incredibly sticky!! It smells amazing too.
(was only gathering off tree’s that already had wounds- as this is where the sap pools)
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN
Communicate in frequency’s 0.2- 150Hz
Live 40-50 years
Spread worldwide
Eats fish, shrimps and squids
Troubles of bottlenose dolphins:
– entanglement
– toxic contamination (oil, sewage, nutrient run off)
– plastic
– oil and gas development (seismic surveys) –
– noise pollution
Contacted Scott Waby who has actual footage of a local dolphin! He said I could use it as long as he is credited at the end!
HYDROACOUSTICS
Used to measure depth of water, find about about plant and animal life underneath the sea!!!
What is SOFAR? (noaa.gov)
Email (noaa.gov)
Sound travels differently underwater! Lower frequencies travel much further (look up what frequencies seismic testing use)
Moves faster underwater 1500m per second as oppose to 340m per second in air.
Is affected by temperature, pressure and salinity also.
read and learn about specific zones – 139 protected water areas in Wales. See how they connect and the direct action they’re taking.
First draft of a song map of the sea, some hydrophone recordings accompanying, will get a more diverse range of these to give song depth. Thinking of using it as the backing soundtrack to the film in conjunction with hydrophone and tidal soundwave.
A mushroom log found at the harbour!! Exploration and experimentation with found objects at site (harbour).
WORKSHOP – Conversation pieces
For this workshop I learnt how to create a graphic score! Imagined how animals would sound which was a fun challenge. I distorted alot of the underwater recordings to achieve the affects.
Reflection: There is empty space in conversation! Worked quite well on zoom actually, we trialled using holding up our hands but eventually made it in to a natural flow.
WEEK 7
Originally planned to draw free hand but have realised is a very large area so have done a version on A4 and am scaling the map up.
Reflection:
By gathering actual objects from the harbour there will be a certain physicality to the film that cannot be replicated in purely digital filming . Creating a materiality that encompasses and portrays troubles (old nets and plastic) in a more visceral way.
Think the physical film strips work really well, by creating my own film strips I’ve ben able to experiment with lost of different materials. Laying down nets, plastic and drawing directly on to the acetate so far.
The netting and plastic works best in my opinion as sometimes the drawing can be not opqaue enough. Potentially think about using glue to stick down though and not cellatape as the celltape adds another layer of filter.
WEEK 8
Planet magazine submissions close 31st March!!!
XC26685 Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) :: xeno-canto (xeno-canto.org)
Kittiwake sounds!!!
Discovery of Sound in the Sea (dosits.org)
useful sea based sound research and noises – explore more into hydroacoustics. extremely useful for telling factors that affects sea
Bottlenose Dolphin – Discovery of Sound in the Sea (dosits.org)
Have contacted this site to see if it would be possible for me to use these sounds in the experimental film
‘Liquid Crystal Environment’, Gustav Metzger, 1965, remade 2005 | Tate
Gustav Metzgers auto creative and destructive works are very inspiring as could leave things to grow and decay on the film strips. To show the continual flux of the sea
Reflection :
Creation of an experimental film looking at different animals that live in the special area of conservation, through fantastical means to engage and inspire an audience to wonder about their local area and what they can do to continue its protection. Song of the sea and exploration of map to reinforce the locality and show that some areas are protected (although animals still face troubles here) but that not all the sea is.
WEEK 9
Relevant documentaries to watch
(64) The global fight over water | DW Documentary – YouTube
Seaspricary, just came out on netflix today!
Order or the song so it makes sense with where the local creaturse and tree dragon emerge on the map.
Backwards from teachers eyepieces ….
52.9631, -4.5819 – replicating . truthfully . autoworkers
52.9536, -4.7295 – lavished . broadly . trumpeted
52.4636, -5.3069 – motioned . surveyed . perforations
52.2856, -5.2733- flexibly . prepositions . seascape
51.8542, -5.6302 – suiting . unalterably . irises
51.6764, -5.5961 – chastising . volunteer . timeouts
51.5089, -5.4198 – nonathletic . elders . decently
51.4847, -5.1266 – vibrato . blooper . stargazes
First draft of the film – initial title – Drift would
(95) Drift would – Tree dragon tale (first draft) – YouTube
Project proposal
Multimedia (stop motion animation, found footage, acetate film strips) pre – recorded film with underwater sounds and song map sound track
Map making workshop
The Project – Concept – 100 words
Engaging with the local environment (harbour) and exploring the creatures that live there. Interacting with animals through the viewpoint of a fantastical ‘Tree dragon’ (created from site specific, found materials)
to discover more about them and their troubles. A journey through the different water spaces of this area – highlighting the idea of protected spaces and their key role in the survival of wildlife, while understanding
their limits and potential for further connection with other protected zones. Created a song map of the Cardigan Bay special area of conservation to explore alternate mapping techniques and use as a soundtrack
along with other underwater recordings.
Describe how have you considered the ‘site and situation’ of the online live stream context?
Using the map making workshop of your local area to expand peoples awareness away from the computer and to where you exsist within the environment. To think on other creatures and break away from purely human centric perception.
Building up to the drift would film that encapsulates this local mapping.
Describe how does the project engages with an online live stream context?
Mapping workshop allows direct interaction with audience and a participtry act that they can engage with that promotes questioning on peoples personal local areas
Collective viewing of Drift would film after the workshop allows viewers to explore a film designed around this act of mapping and protection.
Describe therefore how the project is enhanced by the online live stream context?
Audience is engaged with a workshop that leads on to a film, allows for demonstration of mapping and direct engagement of peoples own locality.
Whilst also showing how I have imagined this exploration of site through a collective viewing from the comfort of ones own space.
Encouraging questioning on the importance of protected sites and where they are.
1204
2021
feedback from class after presenting proposal:
Overlay words on to what the animals eat so is clearer
Overlay words on to the troubles as showing visually means message gets lost –
Overfishing – plastic pollution – raw sewage, farm run off, industrial waste – entanglement – – – (Problems I identified all the animals share)
song should be on its own without the underwater sounds as it gets too lost. Perhaps very quietly. Song shouldn’t come in till the map at the end does. Thought about singing in harbour but might get lost to the sea.
When thank Cardigan bay special area of conservation at end add on that you turned the coordinates of all 66 points into what3words phrases – hence the song map that the tree dragon and local creatures explore
tree dragon in water was Mirandas favourite part, think about simplfiing the animation and adding more shots of tree dragon over water (could take tree dragon to sea and film over actual water too!
Think about mapping workshop structure, Miranda thought 10 minutes was too short so practice one 15 minutes long and see if this is better
TO DO :
Finish map animation
Troubles with text
What eat with text
Make stronger puppets from all models
Plan 15- 20 minute workshop
Re do audio soundtrack so song is on own
Add hydrophone sounds into rest of film more
WEEK 10
The rivers trust- have mapped where raw sewage is released into the river- happens on both the Ysywth and rheidol!!!
They have a map of it!!
Raw Sewage in our Rivers – The Rivers Trust
REFINE
REFLECT
- Listened to reflections from group crit and took them onboard with my final editing:
- The use of labels for pollutants made film much stronger as could understand what I was trying to represent
- Use of Welsh and English for text was very appropriate as the site I was investigating is in Wales.
- Creation of acetate film strips is innovative way to mix digital film with physical art. Plastic and net made strongest impression, drawn dragon at start could’ve been achieved through stop motion but was interesting to experiment with.
- Impressive that tree dragon managed to meet 3 creatures, am glad that I picked sky, land and sea so all these landscapes could be represented.
- Was strong choice to pick bottlenose dolphin as this is part of reason that the area is protected.
- Using local creatures, especially finding access to actual footage of those creatures in Aberysywth gave the film a strong cross dimensional element. Where animals were represented in multiple ways.
- Not too didactic representation of their troubles, also wasn’t reductive as is just a sample of some of the troubles these creatures all face.
CURATE
- Was engaging to read and be sent information about everyones projects.
- Team effort to organise
- Learnt that collating and gathering needs to be done far in advance as people find it hard to deliever to deadlines.
- Taking over the arrt centre via instagram was exciting, inspiring to try promote peoples work in an engaging way.
- Good experience of curating through social media platforms, this is a way a lot of people access art so was grateful to have an introduction of real experience of doing this.
SPRING SHOW
- Episode structure was engaging, good to have breaks between as gave peope a chance to absorb and refresh.
- Was worried over two days would be too long however think it worked well and made it feel like an online festival.
- Use of the showreel was an amazing improvement on the winter show as there was no lag.
- Live elements kept the audience questioning and active partipants.
- Created sense of online ‘site’. This combined with showreel made a dynamic representation of works.
- Amazing experience to be part of, engaged with whole thing and really felt like a collaborative effort. Really inspiring to be part of something with everyone after so much separation.
- Guests were a positive, interesting contribution that were well able to articulate their reflections on the show. Also came up with some interesting associations post show, like Harrys.
- Disscussion aspect was thoughtful as it allowed people to directly engage. Gave participants more chance to delve into their work while audience could also question and reflect.
I am going to send the film I created to the Cardigan bay SAC officer as they say on their website that
‘One of the most important ways that we take care of the site is to explain to people why the SAC is such a special place. ‘
What is the SAC? | Cardigan Bay SAC
SEMESTER 1 – NATURE
Using gathered materials and direct experience of the environment to create through :
Sounds
Film
Projection
Making immersion (sculptures)
Photography
Writing – invisible writing, mobius loop
Animation
Innovation
Relays our actions
It is us
Where the earth and sky meet
An engagement with the whole
MEMORY MAPS – LOST WORDS – REALISATION
Thinking on memory I made attempts to create maps of places that were no longer able to be accessed, a step away from water in to the mind. I enjoyed exlporing the places again in my head but representing them proved emotionally challeneging. This focus on loss.
I was reading Robert Macfarlanes Landmarks at the time, a book full of glossarys of words that are passing out of time. This localised, specialised language that creates stewardship of a place. He spoke of the Isle of Lewis, how people would create memory maps in their heads of the peat bogs to be able to pass through the expanse. This connection between lost language and place interested me more than my own memory maps of places special to me. I wanted to highlight spaces important to all.
His glossary of lost water words was specifically interesting to me :
Abbain- substantial river, often running to the sea, with numerous tributaries (Gaelic)
Aghlish- Crook or sharp curve of a river (Manx)
Aker – turbulent current (East Anglia)
Bala- outflow of a river from a lake (Welsh)
Beck – Stream (N. England)
I think this shift towards localistation is very important, to deeply observe and then be able to change what you can. Rachel Carsons silent spring really emphasised this as a neccesity to me, how can you know somethings wrong if you don’t know how it is?
To create art through being, an integral link for my daily life and practice.
I began writing a sea diary in August. Being restricted from the sea during lockdown made me appreciate it even more so I began swimming every day. To be able to float soothed my head and kindled my creativity so I thought to try and sustain swimming in the sea everyday while the sea still roars to my west.
An on going and organic process I began thinking what to observe from my time in the sea, initially I began with:
Who I was with
Where I was
When
What the sea looked like
What it felt like
Information gathering from the sea, this has now progressed to thinking much more deeply. Adjusting and creating paramenters to hold the sea in awareness
How the stones sound
What I felt before and after
Quality of the water (contact science department and see if there potential for testing)
Experimenting with photo sensitive paper in sea
Sky (photo)
AMY SHARROCK – Muesum of water
Begun in 2013 in London this collection of publicly donated water allows people to be active participants in the museum. Accompanied by stories of where the water is from it allows us to revaluate our connection with water and the impact it has on our lives.
Making seen something many take for granted.
Funded by Artangel and LSHTM the collection can be viewed online as well as touring a variety of different locations including Somerset house ,Europe and Australia.
This work was inspiring as it highlights our relationship with water, allowing us to become curators and purveyors in its importance. Making the invisible visible.
The Collection – Museum of Water by Amy Sharrocks, London UK
05102020
Thinking on nature we explored a variety of artists who explore this, we experimented taking notes using an automatic technique. Where we just responded directly to what was going on with a pen and paper- drawing, direct writing.
Interesting to see engagement and vastly different responses
MOST IMPORTANT OBSERVATION: Nature has no focal point
The artists work that most stuck with me and that I would like to further research are:
Ludwig Berger – Melting landscapes (Field Recordings, 2016 – 2018)
Jan Svankmajer – Faust, 1994
Simone Kenyon and Lucy Cash – How the Earth Must See Itself, 2019
READINGS (notes):
Gerhard Richter– Atlas- Lynne ccoke anylysis
Physical collage, diversity of clippings as artwork in itself
The studio of the street- Jeffery Deitch
Basquait emergence, no distinction between art and life environments
Marcus Boon and Gabriel Levine- Introduction/the promise of practice
TO DO– REVOLUTION — OPEN ENDED ACTIONS
A nebula named practice – dematerialization of art object
Praxis in Greek- to Aristotelian philosophy meant an action that is valuable in itself (had an ethical dimension as how to live and political concerned with how people live with others )
Marx invested practice with collective transformative wordly action
Henry LefeBreve- transforming of everyday life
Lydia Clark ‘structuring the self’ Art move in to art therapy
0410
2020
Big rolling waves, cautious. Sun shining hot bands of grey feel little wound up, somewhat sad. Sun sparkles on.
IN>> Grey turquois POWER stones smash waves devour murky churned froth bubbling underskirts collapsing peaks travel backwards through time shoreline divide flickered
Warming feet stumped on stones to the obliterated sun. She shone 2.45pm when i swam
On own, bottom of north
More in depth sea observations from the storm:
(contemplating whether to go in)
0510
2020
It is windswept. The sea looks browny and grey, there are mysterious shadows of seaweed. Unenticing. Little roolly waves. Giant seaweed scum. The wind chides me. Makes me forget the allure of the sea. What tempers. I feel uncertain, the sea looks matt. 6PM. On own. Small starling party. By jetty north beach.
AT LEAST Y NOT >> BIG scary clumps of seaweed, what lurks within?? Jellfishes. My hands are cold. I see you and I don’t.
On deciding not to swim, you have to be sensible with the sea as it powerful far beyond us and indiffernt. To be held.
We had meditated at the start of class and it inspired me to just sit with the sea if I thought it was too much to go in safely and reflect.
0610
2020
Waves as big as horses roaring up sky aghast with clouds rising above horizon giants laying back on sunrays. Peeping island amongst grey gutteral touch the sea iron rain blue above wind wilts and decays under clothes rampage. Scum on sea churned up dirty seafoam beige bethrothal to the white waves seagulls glide skirting the peaks
Common Ground- 1983
Founded by Richard Deakin, Sue Clifford and Angela Price
This organisation is intended to encourage people to engage with they’re local area, to specilise they’re interest. to fall in love so they have a reason to protect. Three of my favourite projects from them are:
Tree trails: A series of maps of diferent trees
https://www.commonground.org.uk/tree-trails/
Arcadia:
Watch for free on BFI player
https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-it-never-really-happened-1930-online
Ty Unnos- Owen Griffiths
Owen Griffiths
Social practice artist, read interview with him from the centre for artistic activism . Welsh based artist
Actipedia
Amazing collection of different artists projects that help bring about change!!
https://actipedia.org/
09102020 Tutorial reflection
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
On setting up a practice, art as a reflection of your life – what you’re exploring, questioning, engaged in? How you respond to this in whatever framework you set for yourself. For me this works in relation to the sea, visiting the sea as a practice. A body of water that relays actions and draws parallels and remembering s of deeper forces.
This importance of specilisation, not getting lost in trying to portray something totally- becoming consumed generally. Allowing a deep look in to something (in this point in time a locality for me) to resonate.
Exploring water, time, memory (mapping), lost places, lost words, lost stewardship
Really inspired by Rachel Carsons knowing of a place so well you want to protect it. As for recording, not sure where I’ll go- get lost in process.
Environmental question, am trying to hold lightly and not force. Interested in some film and visual artists and temporary- BILL VIOLA.(Tom Creed also looked at video sculpturally)
Swim diary. Quality of water?? Who ask?
OBSERVE RESPOND REFLECT
Socially distanced project room visit- Flashing cube, fluxus imposition
ETOMOLOGY OF WATER WORDS
Spray : water blown by waves 1620
Billow : To rise or roll in big waves 1590
Undulate : to move in waves 1660s
Fluctuant : moving like a wave
https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=waves
Liminology- Richard Skelton
Arranging over 1000 ‘water words’ from the local dialetic of his area in Cumbria, Skelton creates poems and words that tumble across the page. Flowing like water!
This is really inspiring as it reminds me of the waves I am trying to create in the sea diary. Should try buy this book to see some of the techniques he’s used in creating a watery atmosphere through shape and language. He has also set up his own printing press ‘Corble stone press’ . The book also is accompanied by a music soundtrack that builds and swells in relation to tracking the course of a river from the mountain rill to the sea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDEVgy9cUfg&t=321s
Waterlogged by Richard Deakin > Wild swimming around the UK, looking at space in a differnt way. Allowing people to engage with places through water.
USEFUL WATER RELATED SITES
Dwr Cymru
Elan valley trust
Water footprint
WATERLOGGED PHOTOS
SEA DIARY:
1010
2020
gentle lap small roll dripping orange essence iridescent pools that hover over peaks rippling mountains aglow green grey trilobite sky memories of binoculars pinpoint vision obtuse to the parameters zoom in to all
on own. South beach 6pm
Amazement at sunset, wind feels warm in my nose, daydreamy
After- relaxed
cold hands. Muscle man got in after me with just trunks
1110
2020
Crumpled red behind purple amorphous shapes fractured waves shiver asunder blink shift change quarterize the heart and barely bleeding reply in tounges too heavy to hold unspun your passing shallow condenses to rot
Some sallow grace hallowed peaks of haggard joy old spun lace lamenting lost journeys
1210
2020
Amongst boulders, placed sea defenses traveled from unknown to stand protectors behind sunset rust bars chewed in dereliction sober yellow eyes squint flashing sequence stumbling silhouettes twirl against the sky all bleeds grey dirty dusk sea lap jittering juddering TOO DARK MOVE ON scorched orange dragons tail
REFLECTION:
am glad to be doing some things grounded in materiality, the sea diary- the direct charcoal drawings. The practice of going to the sea, of being. I found this process of setting up a practice incredibly inspiring, looking in to artists who contemplate time, memory and the documentation (mapping) of things lost, to be held.
Keep wanting to work with temporal materials, maybe try make more colours than just the black charcoal. Am enjoying the use of film and photographs as documentation at the moment, perhaps try refine some water soundtrack as well with my sound producer online friend.
CHARCOAL
Need to do it on bigger rocks though as I couldn’t find these ones again.
IDEAS TO TRY:
– Leaving photos of sea in the sea, see how this degrades them
– Putting photo sensitive paper in the sea, at day and night. See if this leaves any imprints .
Artist Megan Ripenhoff does this!
– Cyantype chemicals
– TEMPORARY TIME
ARTISTS LOOKED AT THIS WEEK:
– Bill Viola
Born in 1951 he is a pioneering artist of our time (especially for video art). His work is charactised by symbolism and questioning universal truths. His close relationship with water especially interested me, his work ‘Reflecting pool’ 1977-79 involves someone diving in to a pool in a forest. Exploring actions that happen below the surface. Water hides, reflects, relays, receives. Made me think more on the symbolic qualities water inherently has.
–Nikki Lindt – soil sounds
‘Beneath the forest floor’
Consisting of sound recordings made underground in the Hubbard experimental forest in 2019. This piece was done in collaboration with scientist Lindsey Rustad who is exploring the possibility that underground sounds can inform us of the health of the forest.
Inspiring as the collaboration with art has inspired a largely unknown line of scientific enquiry.
Beneath the Forest Floor, Nikki Lindt on Vimeo
Workshop 1: 14/10/2020
Moments in time and space. Hunter gatherer. Getting lost> searching>growth and decay.
We went out in search of acorns, rummaging through the forest. Was a long hunt to find them, as we got closer the ground darkened with dried out husks. Trying to spy the green unbroken shells to plant. When you are looking specifically it reframes the space, you notice new things in relation to what you search for.
Ritualistic practice of watering…of care
HYPER FOCUS
Lost language of nature, people not being able to recognise. NOT SEEN NOT SPOKEN
Time span- slow and fast, memory within. Small time of planting now, big positive time frame affects. Ripple affects of actions.
For next week:
Come with an idea to plan to create a collaborative project from…
LOST LANGUAGE TIME
Potential spaces _ Creative arts studio, project room and outside
Materials could use: Compost, watering can, spoons, plant pots, gloves
WEEK 3
SEA DIARY IN PROGRESS
Decided to make a physical sea diary by binding my own book and hand painting the paper. To touch down in a materiality while so much is online. I was taking notes at the sea and transposing them which was creating mix ups anyway. I wanted to create a beautiful object where even the way the text is structured is reminiscent of the sea. I took inspiration from the original sea posters I made earlier on and created waves of text.
Seaweed dye research
Am also very interested in the potential of natural materials to dye and change the paper. There are so many different colours of seaweed round here I will look up the local varieties and see if any can be used.
Bootlace weed Chorda filum
Red seaweed Furcellaria lumbricalis
Red seaweed Griffithsia flosculosa
(information sourced form Seasearch an underwater volunteer sea survey organisation)
Seaweed research, photograph
SUNSET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jMRwQUG_50
MORE CHARCOL PHOTOS
Ask School of Art the potential for having assistance setting up own darkroom and potentially getting some cyantype chemicals to try this aswell. The growth and changing pattern is really exciting, especially compared to the waterlogged- water degradation photographs.
WATERLOG ANIMATION (above)
CHARCOL STOP MOTION IDEAS
– Creating quick animations of washeed away drawings-
– Experiment with different natural pigmenst, see how long they take to disappear
-look in to passing time
– could draw the local area on the stones??
– Wave patterns
– Something we’re losing and finding??
ARTISTS LOOKED AT:
WVLENGTH FILM:
structural look in to filmaking, exploring time within film and space created from slow change. The same image of a wave. A repeation. A questioning on how some images we will gaze at unendingly, a sunset, a fire, the sea. Mesmorizing. Boring.
MARIE MENKEN:
B. 1910 New york, abstract painter and experimental film maker
DWIGHTIANIA_- filmed in Dwight Ripleys studio (she also filmed in Amdy Warhol, Piet Mondrian and Noguchis studios). This piece uses stop motion to frame the artwork in new ways and engage the viewer differntly with the pieces.
WANDERLUST- REBECCA SOLNIT
Still reading Wanderlust and am inspired by the way she shows how dynamic and layered the history of walking can be. The branches and twists it shows you reveals that even simple acts can have far reaching affects.
REFLECTION:
From this week I’ve become interested in how water can portray the elements of time and memory.
With the washing charcoal, dissolving photographs and stop motion animation it creates a look in to time within this practice.
The free motion wave based documentation in the sea diary is exciting aswell in relation to a free form free written look in to the sea.
WORKSHOP 2: 19102020
John Cage: Pioneer of avant garde music in 20th century he created soundscapes and unconventional modes of creating sounds
U B U W E B :: John Cage
Fluxus,
Macianas said ‘promote a revolutionary flood and tide in art, promote living art, anti art’
Happenings
– events that often involved the audience as well , creating alternative spaces for art to exist and different ways of viewing it
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/f/fluxus
Miranda, spoke to about making more cohesive and simplified. The idea of taking capsules to some local tress and getting pepole to follow directions with a sound audio.
Thought of creating a sound audio full of lost words with the direction’s interspersed so you had to concentrate on the whole thing to do the finding. THEN ASSEMBLING THE CLUES AS A GROUP TO FIND THE KEY WORD. PLAY WITH A LOST WORD/ Like A C O R N . Removed from the childrens Oxford English dictionary in 2015
Refine initial.
Decided that it would be better if people had their own individual riddles (logogriphs) to solve. These would then direct them to a certain tree or space that has a lost word for it, for instance Aghlish. They would then go to a place like this they know, thinking on the lost word that came with it. Sit in the place, make a note of the sounds, smells, senses they experience. Take a 360 degree film of space. Bring back these to room. Share them. make collaborative reflection
Uncommon ground Land Art in Britain 1966- 1979 education pack from London Southbank centre
Good educational pack, detailing the history of Land Art and the artists featured in this exhibition
Roger Ackling – Born 1947 London
Sun Pyrography, concentrated time. Strong sense of time, in relation to weather conditions and the intensity of the marks!! Focus on the microscopic.
Ian Hamilton Finlay, Born 1925 Bahamas
Became known for poetry carving words in to stones. From 1967 started turning his own garden Stonypath in to a work of art. Adding headstones and carved peices. Alot of focus with the sea, carving inscriptions related to sea.
The Monteviot Proposal 1979
Anthony McCall- Born 1946 Kent
Light and projection, Landscape for fire
Garry Fabian Miller, Born 1947 Bristol
Fine art photographer, Sections of sea: Sea Horizons – focus, exposure, viewpoint and arc all fixed. Timing of shots was random and not recorded. 1974 studied Shetland Islands which has given him a strong sense of place in their work.
Others of interest to look in to , Keith Arnatt, Barry Flanagan, Derek Jarman
‘Most of England has had its shape changed – practically the whole place, because it has
been ploughed over for centuries – rounded off.’
Our impact on the land
32
Richard Long, speaking at Earth symposium, Cornell University, New York 1969
CHARCOL ANIMATION-
Using stop motion as a technique for the charcol is not very effective as the tide washes it off too fast to take many photos. For that reason I have ben compiling short films instead.
Would still like to experiment with the effectivenness of different pigments on stones to see if they last longer.
Still want to make some sort of sea based animation, am very inspired by the animated snake from Marie Menkens animated short film ‘Dwightiania’
SEA DIARY –
Potential of sea diary to be in a scroll structure, be more fluid and like the rolling sea?
DARK ROOM –
First attempts to set up our own darkroom at home. Want to do this so am able to fix the sea printed pictures and experiment more with solorizaration cans as a means for collecting time and cyantypes for more defined wave patterns.
This process involved measuring
354ml water (room temp)
5 tsp coffee (must be caffinated)
3 and 1/2 tsp washing soda (we made this by baking baking soda in the oven for 30 minutes)
3/4 tsp Vitimin C powder
Mix well so crystals dissolve. This is the Caffenol alternat8ive developing process that I found out on
https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/how-to-develop-film-with-coffee-caffenol-guide
However after trying to follow that link again the page seems to be dead. I will hence write about my experience on here.
Add mix to film cannister, agitate constantly for first minute, then three times a minute for 11 minutes.
Wash with running water (as close to room temp as possible)
Pour in fixer 2oz of fixer to 6oz water , agitate 3 minutes
Pour in water with a drop of washing soap, do this 12 times- agitating as go
Although my first experiment of this process yielded totally void film I can still use this to scratch in to or on top of to make an animation – nothings truly wasted. An interesting process to try in the cupboard!!
Listen to shipping forecast everyday!! Record in sea diary, then will know tide times and sea predictions
will keep me safer and have some factual response to the sea
Useful for checking safest time of day to swim, liked the pattern created. Reminded me of sound waves.
WORKSHOP 3 : 26102020
Ended up picking a project based on the local tree’s in the area, creating prints from the leaves using natural pigments which we will make our selves. Animation elemnt to this as it will be filmed from above with a go pro . I offered to help research in to making natural pigments as I’m really interested in making art from the local, specilised space.
Charcoal dissolution. The sound on this works much more effectively and gives the film more motion. Need to adjust the levels so is less crackly though.
Darkroom – development and further experimentation:
Emailed the School of Art asking about taking my home darkroom further as it is hard for me to access the art departments darkroom with lockdown restrictions. Accommodatingly they leant me an old disused enlarger! Having access to this means I can actually reverse my negatives, make actual photos and play around with the capacity of using it in flicker films and animations! Learning about the material of making.
Photosensitive paper – continuing to put this material in the sea created some interesting colours. Most of the patterns come from the small rocks scraping i think. It is hard to not let them be pulled out by tide. maybe I should fasten them to string instead. To get the flow of water. These were done in daytime.
Liquid light – potential of this as can be painted on to other objects, could try painting on to stones. Should look how harmful for the environment it is also. (Liquid light is a chemical that turns any surface photosensitive when applied)
Richard Skelton:
Continued resaerching this artist, he is very concerned with locality and stewardship.
https://atlasarts.org.uk/artists/richard-skelton/
Wrote another book called ‘Landings’ which maps an area of the northern moors, looking at its history, the language used to describe it that’s getting lost. A crucial bit of landscape writing it deeply evokes place
Reliquiae – biannual poetry journal
Ecologically aware writing, ethnological to philosophical, landscapes , nature and mythology. Most interested in esoteric , visionary and mythopoeic. Anyone can submit!!
New frontier project
http://www.frontiersinretreat.org/about
Art atlas collaboration (singing to the sea in response!!)
https://atlasarts.org.uk/projects/a-work-for-the-north-atlantic-singing-for-the-sea/
Binocular vision:
‘The peregrine lives in a pouring away world of no attachemnt . Finding his way in remembered symmeteries.’ – The peregrine – J.A Baker
Peculiar form of looking high focus- shut out rest. End of tunnel .
Potential good way of showing specilisation – try filming through binoculars, the sea, the water.
Observing how can emphasise the constant movement and dissolution of focal point in nature
Pigment research :
Soils
Plant matter
Rocks
Heavy metals
Seaweed
https://parideazafarmart.wordpress.com/workshop-on-making-paint-from-soil/
Relics- Richard skelton and autumn richardson
https://richardskelton.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/relics/
Book documenting all the trees on the Cumbria fells from 12,000 years ago to present. A poem and travel through time and memory. Thought this could be relevant to our class collaboration project and also my own work.
Documenting, remembering, saving.
Also found out about the ‘Ash project’ through researching this book, a cultural response to ash dieback in the kent downs. Collaborating with a variety of differnt artists inclusing Ackroyd they are creating a collective memory to combat ash dieback which will likely destroy 90% of the species.
Autumn Richardson & Richard Skelton: Relics (Fraxinus)
WEEK 6
How to read water- Tristian Gooley (notes)
Interesting look in to the signs and signifiers water has that we are just not aware of. The maps of the sea, that water makes up most of the world and there are ways to read the waves like maps.
Good change of perspective on water and how can approach it.
Visiting the studio:
Important to still make use of the space while reading week is on, very grateful to have access to these areas while lockdown is still in place. Went in to check on the oak forest we have planted, some very budding sprouts shooting. The creative arts compost is placed on a plinth, we all add our food waste in and this in turn nourishes our plants. Feeding in to this observation of the interconnectedness of nature.
Also discovered a sound book
