Seminar
This week we started the seminar by getting into pairs and trying a challenge on the sheet provided by Caitlin. Myself and Mason chose to sit down for 10 minutes and listen to other one talk about any topic and just listen without giving input. I found it relaxing to just listen to somebody without feeling the need to reply or talk about something related to the topic, I just had to listen and take in what he was saying. I think when people talk, we try to hard to focus on what we’re going to say next or show them that we’re listening, that we don’t actually process what they have said and forget about it as soon as the conversation is over.
For the next part of the seminar we looked at the power point made by Caitlin with artists to research and more insight into what site specific sound art is.
Research
Susan Philipsz was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1965. Philipsz’s work explores the psychological and sculptural dimensions of sound, with recordings of her voice and a variety of reworked musical compositions. Interested in the power of sound to trigger emotion, Philipsz responds to the architecture and history of the spaces in which her pieces are installed; her works prompt introspection and an examination of personal and collective memories, losses, and yearnings.
Over the past two decades, Susan Philipsz has explored the psychological and sculptural potential of sound. The artist’s immersive environments of architecture and song heighten the visitor’s engagement with their surroundings while inspiring thoughtful introspection. The music Philipsz selects – which has ranged from sixteenth century ballads and Irish folk tunes to David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust – responds specifically to the space in which the work is installed. While each piece is unique, the storylines and references are often recognizable, exploring familiar themes of loss, longing, hope, and return. These universal narratives trigger personal reactions while also temporarily bridging the gaps between the individual and the collective, as well as interior and exterior spaces.
Since the mid-1990s, Philipsz’s sound installations have been exhibited at many prestigious institutions and public venues around the world. The artist’s major commissions include Lowlands, her Turner Prize-winning work for Glasgow International in 2010, Surround Me: A Song Cycle for the City of London, a public project organized by Artangel in London (2010-11); Study for Strings for Documenta 13 (2012), subsequently shown at MoMA in New York (2013) and performed live by the St. Louis Symphony at the Pulitzer Art Foundation (2020) anda Day is Done, a permanent installation organized by the Trust for Governors Island in New York (2014).
Project
This term I’m not sure what I want to do for a project yet. After doing photography and sculptures in the first year, I want to go down a different route maybe.
I’ll start by reflecting on what went well last year with my projects.
Last term i made sculptures out of clay representing my Childhood for the theme time. I like that they looked childish and had a lot of fun making them. but getting the clay pieces to stay together was tricky.
My first project was a photo book representing my struggles with mental health in the everyday. this was a very vulnerable project for me but glad I shared it and captured some good photos.