The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy. As my residency was nearing the end, works needed to be completed, and the space cleared for the final show.
To start off, the brown paper form I had been making was now dry, and the fabric formwork was removed. I inverted it, and stood it on its new legs. I was happy with the way the downward folds of the material effectively became heavy arches.
outside the structure, was sealed with adhesive, giving the work a glossier finish. I liked this contrast in texture and working method which gave rise to the two forms.
Thinking about the pairing of structures between these new paper works, I then went on to create a pair for the smaller crocus-like notepaper cast I had made previously using the latex sheet. This I stretched and pulled around the legs of a stool, and secured it with rope. This provided a new formwork for my final work.
After I had finished this work, I scrubbed and swept, and moved works into position for the show. This process was useful for many reasons; it gave me the opportunity to reflect upon the work I had made throughout the residency, and to understand the development of works during the time. It also offered me a chance to use curation to establish new connections between works, and also the clear space to record the outcomes.
On the morning before the show, artist Frances Richardson came to the studio with our students from the art school we teach at. We had a great exchange of ideas using my artwork as both the focus and as a stimulus to talk about each others' practices.
In the evening the residency culminated in a one night show. It was a great turnout. The evening included a dialogue between myself and Emma Bowen, artist and curator. She is running GARAGE, a show as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival this summer, where I will be showing some new works.
With many thanks to Ted Sumner, Andrea Davidson, Yasmin Kauser and all at Chisenhale Studios.
A couple of weeks ago sculptor Anousha Payne came to visit me at the studio. I had spoken to Anousha several months back about her dissertation she was writing on post-internet art. It was a genre I didn't know much about, and she had told me about discourses concerned with visual art produced within this current context of an internet age, and by artists who had never known, and were thus working in a culture which did not know the non-existence of the internet, and how this impacted upon their work.
We chatted about her current research within her practice in which she is using new technology as part of her methodology for developing process. Beginning with her own made objects, semi-figurative busts and assemblages, she documents these works using a 3D scanning app on her phone. The visual information which is recorded by the app is often incomplete; sections of the artworks may be mis-registered or not recorded at all. Anousha then sculpts forms based upon the recorded digital information.
and translating them into a 3D scan, via an app, I have been pushed to reconsider the format of my sculptures. The visual fragility of the 3D scan against the 'real' and very solid physical sculptures, has initiated an interest in material and process. The 3D scan assumes the sculptures to be hollow, which creates an interesting architectural space within the screen. By emulating the 3D scan through slip-casting the original object, the material values of the original sculpture are completely reconsidered, creating a discordant sense of weight and texture.
The work brings to the fore issues such as the challenge to traditional, analogue ways of making that digital processes make, but also conversely how new technologies can offer something new to handmade forms of art. Within my own residency work, process has been an aspect I am trying to explore and to challenge within my current methodology. Looking at Anousha's work, what is so enlightening is the notion of giving over part of your process to a chance method of production, in order to challenge and shape your practice, and to see it being pulled in new, exciting and unexpected directions.
Recently I have been making some more works with paper. I have quite enjoyed thinking about surface and pushing the structural limitations of this material as far as I possibly can. Developing on from the white paper cast from the latex form I made the other week; I thought it would be interesting to try to capture the shape of folds of fabric, on a larger scale.
I started off by covering cotton fabric in a waterproof paint, which hardens the fabric to an extent, still leaving it flexible enough to create forms under its own weight.
Brown wrapping paper soaking in water in preparation to sculpting.
The fabric suspended in form in the studio.
I applied the torn pieces of paper in such a way as to capture as many of the folds and creases in the fabric as possible, as I want the resultant paper structure to echo the ripples and movement of its formwork.
Covering the interior of the form took several days of carefully attaching soggy pieces of paper together, in what turned out to be a delicate and time-consuming procedure. Not only did I have to flex myself into various positions to reach all the nooks of the form, it was a careful process of attaching the fragments together as they relied upon the fabric for structural support, which was forever changing shape as the fabric distorted under the increasing weight of paper. The interior took on the attributes of some geological cavity as it grew both upwards and downwards consecutively, with the constant sound of dripping water, and occasional landslides as sections of the paper collapsed under its own weight.
Almost finished. As the paper dries, it moves off the fabric structure. I like the way that the paper both echoes the form of the fabric, and also takes on its own shape as it shrinks and ripples as it dries. It should take a few days to fully harden. I will then remove the fabric, and start working with the form I am left with.
I have also begun taking another copy from the latex structure I was working with the other week. This time I have been using tissue paper, which has been quite tricky to work with. In water, it dissolves and tears easily, and tends to gather, rather than lie in flat sections like the more sturdy papers I have been using. However I am interested to see how this turns out, as when it is paired up with the copy I made previously, it should then provide a contrast in both material and technique.
To finish for this week, an overall studio photo.
Over the past week I have started a few projects all with the common theme of the material I work with acting as both surface and structure. In biological terms, I would probably think of these works as being exoskeletal, in contrast to other works which take a 'skin and bones' approach to construction, where the form relies upon an internal support network.
One project I am working on is making a series of thin paper casts from a flexible latex formwork. After creating the latex sheet I wrote about earlier, I wrapped it around a cardboard box, and using a g-clamp I suspended this from the ceiling.
For this project, I am interested in capturing in paper, the forms of the pull and stretch which as a material latex can offer. Using a papier mâché technique, with writing paper as my material, I captured the form the latex had taken. This process gave the paper drawn and elongated forms which, as a material, it does not usually embody. Once dried, I then removed the paper shell, and re-assembled it.
I like the conical form the work has taken, drawing links to other works I've made, such as the large diamond form, the three cardboard cones, and the yarn installation I created at the beginning. I am very keen on its fragility, and how stable the structure is for such a fine material. I plan to make a series of these, each one taking a slightly different form.
After several unsuccessful attempts to take a quick resin cast of the large cardboard diamond I made a few weeks ago, I returned to my favourite tool of the moment, my trusty glue-gun. Using acetate sheeting I've begun making a copy of the form, which when finished will become a pair to the original upon which it is based.
The last project I have started of late has taken the circular line drawings I made at the beginning of the residency as their starting point. Using brass fencing, a lacquered brass foil traditionally used in plaster casting processes, I have started to transfer some parts of these drawings onto the brass surface using a sharp metal point. So far, the effect has been interesting, and I have been intrigued by the relationship between drawing and sculpture which the process has exposed. My initial aim was to copy the drawings to the brass, and use the lines as guides for folding, developing my drawings from 2D to 3D. However, something more interesting started to happen as I worked through his process. Due to the soft material nature of the brass, the action of scoring alone caused the brass to take on a form, as it continued to curl and change shape as made more impressions. For me this process is really interesting, as it was not drawing for sculpture (where I would create a separate drawing as a plan for a sculpture) or drawing as method for sculpture (where drawn lines would indicate points to be cut or folded) this was drawing which in itself made sculpture. Furthermore, in this method, each mark made appears to be affected by all of the previous marks made, making the results quite unpredictable and also an enjoyable journey. Here are the first few of my experiments.
A couple of weeks ago artist Thomas Qualmann came to visit. I first saw Tom's work as it formed the graphic backdrop to Franko B's most recent performance Because of Love. A stand-alone piece in its own right, the film, Reconfigured Cube - Phase II, a hand-drawn stop frame animation, tracked the journey of a cube seen from three viewpoints rotating through different angles as they progressed through space. The film has a mesmeric and beautiful quality, a serene and satisfying repetition combined with a delicate elegance as the forms traverse the screen. Tom discussing his practice: My practice focuses on the intersection between graphic systems and visual information. I use drawing to explore the visual logics of architecture and information science, each image being part of a larger thought process on form modelling and simulation. I am fascinated by the vast potential in reconstructing or reorganising the conventions of a given system, and the different perspectives that may be discovered therein.
What was interesting for me from our discussion was to hear Tom elaborate upon the themes within his practice. The drawings he creates appear as pattern-making, but ultimately they are much more than that. Using drawing as a way of representing his own self-created formula, a set of rules which he follows to create his works, the drawings become the physical embodiment or indeed the answer to the mathematical sequence he follows. For me, I enjoy the tension he establishes between the soft delicacy of the hand drawn line and the strict, precise mathematical methodology he adheres to. We discussed notions of obsession within practice, and our shared interest in geometry and technical drawings.
Furthermore we found parallels in a tendency towards time-consuming projects, and in what we both see as a magical relationship between the 2D and the 3D through the use of line to delineate and ultimately create tangible space.
methodology within their practices, and it offered such a great opportunity to see and understand how other artists approach and deal with the relationship between process and practice. And the students seemed to enjoy it too.
are made from helps to give the forms some strength. I've hooked them up with fishing wire, and I like the way they dominate the space.
I've started two casting projects this week; the first is using the large cardboard diamond I finished a while back. Each time I look at this sculpture, I keep seeing an opportunity to explore something more within its form. I like its crusty texture, and its gimmicky shape, and it continually makes me think of traditional hanging shop signs, where each trade displayed an overly-large model of an object representing their line of business. The boot for the cobbler, the spectacles for the optometrist, and so on. So my plan is to make a thin glass-like clear cast of the surface of the diamond form, which will hopefully look like some sort of illuminated advertising display.
The second work-in-progress has just begun. I'm currently building up a large latex sheet from liquid latex. I am planning to stretch and pull this into various forms, and use paper pulp to capture the shapes I make. More to follow!
For the past couple of weeks I've been working on several different sculptures simultaneously, which has been interesting as it has allowed me the opportunity to explore the different approaches to construction through a similar material palette.
I would guess that folding and fixings have been the theme of this period, and understanding how various methods held within these subjects can alter the language within the completed work.
To start off here are a few more process shots of the folded fabriano and graphite work, in progressing stages of completion.
Whilst I was making this work, it was interesting to consider each stage of the folding and making process as having the potential to develop into a different outcome. From a creased paper work, to a drawing with facets lightly scored into the paper surface, to a physically responsive work which could alter its form within a given situation.
Below are images of the large diamond I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. It has been hanging in the centre of the studio so I can work on both sides as it grew bigger and bigger.
I've covered different facets in varying thicknesses and patterns of silicone, giving it a rubbery texture. I was interested in achieving a sense of layering in this application, with areas being thin and almost transparent, and others being thick and opaque, hiding or revealing the cardboard substructure. Some edges have been delineated in black, and the perimeter has a thin gold boundary line.
Considering the idea of finish within the application of the silicone led to a similar conclusion that arose in the use of graphite in the folded sculpture. In both works, the silicone and graphite were applied to alter the material nature of the structure, the cardboard and paper, however whilst making the works I realised that maybe to completely cover the structure was not necessary, as it would be more interesting to see the two elements, the structure and its covering, to be working in conjunction with each other.
To further this theme, the way I wish to display this work is as shown below, balanced against a wall, with both sides being visible, creating dialogue between the front and back.
I've started experimenting with the type of folding used in pop-up greetings cards. Below is the cuts and folds, then folded, underneath. The pattern is based on fractals. I'm not sure where this trial will lead yet.
Last week my friend and artist Anja von Kalinowski dropped by the studio.
these images - as objects of power and as affective objects - into a translation of obsessively worked objects of art. The main thread running through her work is the notion of an intense communication. It can be found in every aspect of her work and is visually expressed in the choice of material and technique. Science and religion, as languages of power, stand as references for the iconography of this particular choice of photography and the devotional art of the Baroque period with its elaborate ornamentation and ability to create emotional proximity with the viewer of her work. Their specific languages are displaced by her translation into small-scale objects using the techniques of embroidery and oil painting. Thus she is creating a relationship as well as a paradox between the languages of power and art.
and enjoying the etymological link in this relationship as the word 'line' derived from 'linen'.
It was also interesting to draw out further correlations between our practices. We both share an interest in utilising the subject of excess, both creating works with several agendas existing concurrently to an overwhelming effect, both using various traditional crafts as material proces and as a counterpoint to the lack of craft discourses within contemporary art, and the idea of creating work which deals with the notion of the spectacle. When developing new sculpture, one of my aims is to create works which appear as objects of veneration, not within an art context but as pseudo-religious relics or artefacts which suggest they have an important, if unknown role. Similarly Anja's reference to the Christian icon is evident however brought anew through deft skill and touching imagery for a contemporary audience.
The poor weather of late has kept me quite focussed in the studio. I plan to take the three cardboard cones outside to photograph in different locations, but looking at the forecast I think it will be quite a few weeks until I do this. For now, I've kept indoors to try out different ideas.
I have also been making another work, from folded Fabriano paper, onto which I layered graphite until I achieved a uniform dull grey sheen to the surface. I was interested in creating a metal-like quality for the work, but after six hours of frantic scribbling (with a graphite stick in each hand, nonetheless!) I decided my aim of covering over two square metres might take longer than I anticipated. Aching arms and boredom with this tedious process, it takes over 20 layers of pressured marks to achieve an even surface, led me to consider the relationship between my aim and what the material quality of the work would actually say. My initial idea was to make the paper look like metal, however when I thought about this aim, I realised that however much I tried, the paper would always speak of its own material quality. By altering style and quality of mark, instead I could draw in response to the form I was creating, rather than working irrespective of it.
I documented the work as a drawing, a part-sculpture and as a floor standing work.
small movements and gestures. The dynamism is contained, with the use of colour and found pigments to express a particular mood. We had a good conversation concerning aspects of the way we each perceive our own process of making work and also the idea of gesture within the handmade mark.
residency I see this becoming evident in the way my recent sculptures still manage to convey ideas fundamental to my practice, however rendered in a more instantaneous response. We also spoke about the way in which gesture can be controlled, in that it can be both an invitation to understanding the artists' relationship with materials, and also how it can be used to create an anonymity of personality within works too.
Our conversation also compared our own ideas to the degree which artwork and the personality of the artist are interlinked. One thing Polly said which I love was that the artist is a filter which forms and references pass through and they come out anew and refined.
You can see more of Polly's work here.
After the studio visit, Polly sent me a lovely response to the work I've been making during the residency.
The work in David's studio space is intricately and carefully made. True to form, the geometric shapes are intentionally a bit skew-whiff. Space age and futuristic, with foreshortened perspectives, they give a sense of speed, but the material, cardboard and yarn, or their off-kilter shapes, allude to a more human touch which endears me to them.
On May 10th and 11th 2014, Polly, Ali Tomlin and I will be showing together as part of Dulwich Artists' Open House, Dulwich Festival, 3 Pond Cottages, SE21 7LE.
The continuation of the diamond structure this week, and the beginning of another work too. The diamond form, which over the coming week I will continue to construct, is based upon one of my drawings from the beginning of the residency. Both the inside and outside will be painted, and the outside covered in a white silicone rubber. The way I am planning to display it will show both the outside and inside, the finished surface and the internal structure. I've been thinking recently about a scrap yard I see on a train journey I occasionally take, where you can glimpse the fibreglass structures of figures and forms from old amusement parks, shiny and colourful to one side, the decaying grey structure to the other. Duality within artworks has always interested me, and I'll try and explore this further in the coming weeks.
The second work is a set of asymmetrical cones of varying sizes and shapes. As a group of three I want them to allude to the familial unit. I made the smallest structure as I intended, however the other two I left with partially open sides. Although I had planned to complete these too, I liked the way the light came through the open sides and also I have wondering how completion of an idea often deadens the energy of the original intention. I will tape up the joins this week and also I need to have a go at trying out various compositions.
After a week of tying bits of string to nails in the wall my sculpture is finished. Below are its statistics, 1389 yarns and nails, 2778 knots, 1690 drawn points and 3389 cross lines. It was a great experiment to do, to find out how my drawing (see further down this page) could be translated into sculpture. Recently I've been quite interested in points where lines converge, and I think this theme could sustain me for the next couple of weeks. I've kicked off this week with a new work which will look something like a large cardboard half of a diamond. See below for for its outset.
Moved into the new studio, so exciting! Below is a shot of my tools laid out in a neat and orderly fashion. I've started off with a series of drawings of the forms I've been thinking about over the past couple of months, and one of these has started to develop into a sculpture on the studio wall. After a whole day of hammering tiny nails (I still have to count them but there are at least a thousand...) the yarn has started to go up and it is taking shape.