Individual Tutorial:
In this first one to one tutorial this semester we started off by reflecting on my last project and how it went/what I would do differently. I recognise that I am good at sticking to a plan and executing it, but I know that when trying to think through making that can limit my options. I would like to be more experimental and more spontaneous with my projects in the beginning, but only to an extent that I’m happy with. I know I do make better work when I do have a bit of a plan or framework, I will just have to keep it looser this term. There were lots of things that came up in the tutorial that I will explore more and investigate during my current project. Things like effect theory, the politics of emotion and auto theory.
I do enjoy researching; however, I know I need to make things first. The main things I need to do for the next semester is to have a clear idea and creative direction and develop my thinking through making. I need to find links from my project to the theme of site specific and/or sound art. I need to also take two secondary sources to the tutorial and talk about how they have inspired or influenced the project. I think I am quite excited; I just need to find the right balance and find the best way to visualise emotions.
Seminar:
This week we had the start of some mini lectures about the theme for this semester. Today was the turn of all things sound art related. I haven’t worked with sound that much in my art practice or studied specific sound artists, so I learned a lot. The first task we had was to choose a technique of mediative listening to do in pairs. Cait and I decided to choose the walking version, We walked forward and then backwards with our eyes closed whilst spotting each other in turns. I found that I could hear more that was going on around me and further away with my eyes closed. I could tell how far away things were and where the sound was coming from. It was obviously a bit odd and unnerving not seeing where you are going, but it did feel quite freeing just listening and paying attention to sound. Walking backwards was even more disorientating though. At the end of class we recorded a short sound clip that evokes a particular feeling, which we will share next week.
My project:
I started by gathering lots of paper from past projects that I have kept that have bits of left over paint on and blocks of colour. I find it difficult to start with a blank sheet of paper, so I liked the texture and interest the underlay of colour brings. I started writing things without thinking using some different techniques. Some auto-writing, some repeated phrases and listing related words. I just wanted to get feelings on to the page. I am quite happy, I just need to work out how to knit this together and how to bring in the project theme to it.
My other courses:
I am very excited about the 3 modules that I have chosen this semester and how well they link together. As well as IP, I am doing creative documentary and adventures with poetry. Both modules are very creative and are practical courses. The poetry I am doing will link in nicely with the writing work I am doing in this project, I could even merge the two at times. The documentary filmmaking is useful as well to teach me different ways I can document peoples’ experiences through film through a range of techniques. The way that I am learning how to intertwine hidden meaning and personal narrative into poems. Learning how to create ambiguity at the right level so that the reader can still understand and relate is a valuable skill.
This is an example of a concrete poem I did in the poetry class, it is meant to have as much value on the artistic of it as the words itself.
Hi Janos, great to see your posts and reflection on learning and activities in class. You’re showing very good reflection and engagement with class and course material. Your textural and text based experiments with collage and writing are really interesting, and you recognise you need to make things first – to get going. Picking up on this thread, continue experimenting with concrete poetry, text as image and collage. How will you incorporate your interest in abstract paining, texture and ambiguity into your project? Your project mind maps are great – and show good creative ideation. As you progress, now is the time to really choose one idea and run with it. How does it link to the theme – site specific sound art? You are showing some very good research. To develop, cite your sources fully. Information on referencing can be found here https://aber.ac.uk/en/aberskills/referencing/#referencing—the-basics. Leave time to analyse your sources and the artists you reference. Why do they interest you? What do they bring to your work? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the sources you present? As you move forwards, think carefully about what you want to make and why. Will it be an installation? A print? A concrete poem? Or a collection of writing? Your interest in connecting with audiences is well articulated. How do you want to do this? How will you test your audience engagement methods and techniques? Looking forward to hearing more about your project next week. Keep up the good work and remember to post weekly!