Writing Workshop 02: Re-cap on submission details

Today's writing workshop was more of a re-cap on what is expected at the hand-in, how to submit and just ensuring all were fully aware. The below information relates to Unit 01: CRP and study plan.

Critical Research Paper:

500 word introduction - What is the project about and where are you to date. 

MY PROJECT IS ABOUT . . . what has been done, existing practitioners and precedents and what is going to be taken further. It is a dialogue with others knowledge and ideas. How do your ideas fit in with others?

where bibliography is mentioned, this should include a list of all sources read to date. The same with the research folder. The research folder should be critically annotated and shown how it has be used [sources should be relevant]

Study plan:

Parts 1-3 to be completed [Other sections may be part filled] there is no word count for the study plan and the document reads best as a series of bullet points.

Context: Outline theory - Architects/ Designers/ Writers/ Theorists/ Processes

Outline major issues - field of study - research methodology - timetable [ October - Jan]

Method: Drawing / 3D models / Site visits / Artist Books [All work to lend itself to the concept of walking]

Both document will hold similar information and overlap. Both will give an area of interest/ case studies / research - previous work made and explored. Ensure that a real clear statement about your area/ topic/ issue/ question is made.

All work to be submitted via turnitin [online system that looks at referencing %] Turnitin will also email recipients and receipt of proof and a calculation of references used.

Submission requirements - all work to submitted as a word/PDF and file titles should include name E.G.: FARDELL_SP and FARDELL_CRP

Deadline 11th January 2017 12:00pm

Open Lecture Series 07: Chris Welsby

Chris Welsby is a painter by educational class yet, moved into the field of video art and film making and in particular the use of early experimental video machines. Know as a "weather artist" Chris Welsby's work becomes part installation when exhibited within the gallery space, with an emphasis on the weather being a participant in how his films are made.

Tree Studies 2006

 Working across a long spanned career, his work has always stayed faithful to his practice in looking at how the weather changes environments and how the natural world can become such a vehicle to drive ideas and play a vital part in the experimental, unpredictable and performative.  Early work and ideas incorporated the use of strapping cameras to wind veins that were singular powered by the natural wind speed. The films some how show a divide between user control and the release of the natural environment, producing films that could only be produced by the natural. Chris mentioned during the lecture that when he was studying painting he considered and reflected upon that "nature" always seem to play a part in the background, and was only ever present to support human activity that was the forefront subject. His work has therefore swapped these two participants in making the weather the star of the show.

Lost Lake #2 2003

At Sea 2003

 Much of Chris Welby's work once brought into a gallery environment considered the use of multiple screens and projections [often with the equipment in full view] Repeated footage was a common trend with slight overlaps and delays where the projector plays its organic role. The projector also played a role in providing the sound track. Many films were produced over long periods of days and weeks. With each film there was only ever the consideration of the filming device, location and time; everything else that made the work final was in the hands of the weather.

Words

Trajectory / Trajectories [Noun]

The curve described by a projectile, rocket, or geometry. a curve or surface that cuts all the curves or surfaces of a given system at a constant angle. Linked to the Projected

Syntatical [Adjective] Syntax [Noun]:
Rules and formation of grammar

Paradigmatic [Adjective] Paradigm [noun]:

Grammar - a set of forms all of which contain a particular element

Psycho-geography - Geography that emphasizes play and drifting around urban environments.

Transient [Adjective]:
Not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory.

Lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary -Only a short time/ impermanent

Pecha Kucha Presentation

File on the system by the allocated time of 10am. Presentation order was based on order of files so "fardell" gave me a kind "third place" [most named their file PechaKucha.] Twenty seconds a slide seemed to very vanish imminently as if time just sped up. Just another day at the office. . .

Pecha Kucha Planning

On Monday I will be required to deliver a Pecha Kucha presentation in the banqueting Hall. I know this space at Chelsea well, as I come here annually for the UAL conference. It is large and daunting and there will be a large screen, a microphone and a possible attendance of 57 people [2 tutors and 55 peers if it is a full house]. Traditionally a Pecha Kucha presentation is composed of 20 slides, each slide being presented for 20 seconds. I only have to present 10 slides "each at 20 seconds" so visual communication is essential. 3minutes and 20 seconds of stage presence is fine, I use to do more than that on a daily basis at work.

General rules being creating a Pecha kucha:
- Slides need to be have automatic timings
- Do not sure complex amounts of text
- Do not show big ideas of the first slide
- Organize information so that each slide connects with the previous and next
- Do not repeat content
- Each slide should communicate a clear topic, point or question


Elements to include within my Pecha kucha:
 - Mind map showing macro/micro context
- Theory
- Process of research
- Work made
- Precedents
- Development of work
- What next

My PechaKucha - The museum of the ordinary:

 

Tutorial Trauma

It has become highly apparent now that some of my peers are not interested in listening or contributing any form of supportive feedback or dialogue to anybody throughout tutorials. Some literally do not talk until they are asked to present their own work. With a little help form David Shrigley this is the impression I get.

This week led to new frustrations with the word "stuck" being thrown around a lot. Now I have had my moments of feeling lost and I am sure I have many more to come, but you overcome these, you discuss, research, question and filter what is and what isn't important to give yourself a new direction. What is annoying is that some of my peers are wanting to be told an answer in response to their "I'm stuck" question, and with a group of peers [a majority not really wishing to speak up] there is this pressure to contribute. there are probably five of us "including the tutor" who actually make an active contribution to every tutorial either by making a comment, asking a question, giving a reference or idea.

One of my peers [no names] after a rather awkward tutorial of which silence was the main component, came back into the studio on Friday to look for me; and wanted a tutorial. I do not mind for one second being as supportive as possible and with my existing role as a tutor outside of the course it is very easy for me to start to fall into that behaviors but if you want an effective peer tutorial then you have to bring something along!

Group tutorial 02:

Notes from tutorial:

Presented my over layed routes and started to discuss the making of the frame and how the body of work could start to come together. I was unsure with regards to unit 01: if the body of work submitted had to have some form of conclusive end point. Pete explained that Unit 01: was simply an inter-semester  submission that showed where you had come from, what you have done, what you are proposing to do next.

 

Discussion about systems and control

The Flanner - Walking as an art form

Go and visit White Chapel Archive [plan over x-mas break]

Read more about Mel Bochner

keep reading Peter Osbourne

"The walking book" not sure who the reference is?

Pete questioned my role within the project. Am I the curator, artists, architect?

Theory Lecture 06: The development of pictorial space

The space of paintings: The development of pictorial space

Byzantine: Figures occupy an anonymous space. the use of gold background [shown in dark reflecting spaces often lit by candle light in scared spaces]. The figures appear within an ambiguous space. The introduction of hatching is used to show garment folds and drapery. The paintings themselves hold an isometric projected view that were opposite to conventional standards of seeing. Styled representational figures towards the end of this period started to become more characterized showing personality.

Perspective and architecture used in painting started to give and promote different spaces. This was also supported and reflected by the characters painted and depicted a stronger presentation of the roles and narratives being communicated. The architecture started to play a significant role in understanding this 2Dimensional space.

Masaccio [1425] - Perspective and the painted frame is now introduced. the architecture now gives you levels of reality and non-reality. There is a shift in the co-existence of time realms being portrayed. paintings start to give the viewer two view points, those situated within the existing space and realm of the viewer and those beyond the unreachable. the viewer is shifted into the presence as if amongst the reality of those painted.

Bellini [1505] - the physical frame is replicated in the painting [through the architecture]. The figure are now painted at life scale to determine physical presence form the viewer.

Bellini [1513] - The painting is situated in a space by a window so that in one particular moment in time the real light mirrors up to the light project in the painting. Real time and space now has a greater connection to the ambiguity of the paining and the viewer can attempt to relate the the time of which the painting is depicting.

Titian [1519] - Paintings start to take the existing viewpoint aimed at the spectator and rotate it 90 degrees. There is now a new presence of the internal spectator. The columns painted in the space are a continuation of the physical architecture. Paintings become in many ways specific to their environment in which they are displayed. The paintings 90 degree orientation related to our own entrance and the way we enter into the church in which the painting presents itself.

Vermeer [1665] - The viewpoint shifts to capture the internal spectators. there is now the spectator of the painting and the internal spectator that has shifted form early narrative where figures are in direct relationship to the viewer. The figures are now focusing at someone who exist outside of the frame. Verneer removes the external spectator. The alied subject - the subject that has been removed.

Narrative Spaces Lecture 08: Dayanita Singh

"Go away Closer" exhibition at the Hayward.

Context about Hayward Gallery: Archigram-future vision, speculative architecture. A series of concrete volumes, a sculptured landscape of windowless planes. Play between concrete as a material and its texture and that of the question "what happens inside?" The architecture constantly changes through light and texture and natural light bounces off of each building making up the landscape. The complex of which the Hayward gallery sits upon is considered "Marmite". The remodeling of the landscape and site has meant a break up of the mass, giving each site its own identification as well as still being viewed as a landscape. The interior os the Hayward is very prescribe and it is a difficult space to exhibit within.

Dayanita Singh: Creates architectural structures and furniture that have embedded photographs and texts within. Photography by trade the term "photo architecture" tends to become more of a summary of her work. There is a direct relationship between image and structure - not just looking but interacting with objects. the art of book making is introduced into the work. The photographic frame in how the work is collectively presented presents new and diverse opportunities to add meaning and communicative value. Book making slowly transcribes into museum making. The production of archival units that hold and contain the artwork.

Museum of chance: Within the exhibition content is flexible and can be adapted and changed. Spaces are photographed as a context for the work but the spatial arrangement of the work question how one is presented in space and how space exists on a human scale. Certain images are presented at human scale questioning boundaries between photographic and real space. The space in the picture becomes filled by the viewer because of the relationship to the scale.

The book produced alongside the exhibition provides a fixed narrative and a physical object. The artist become fully in control in how the reader now has to read a sequence of events an images as oppose to the sometimes empty positioned frames with the presented collection.

Museum of shredding: Current exhibition on at Frith Street Gallery, the architectural structures and furniture that so often contain the archival work are now naked.  The artwork starts to blur the boundary and questions the role of the curator, director and artist in making up the gallery space.

Metonymy noun: metonymy; plural noun: metonymies 

The substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the turf for horse racing. [Not called by its own name, but rather the name of something associated with it.]

Vitruvian Dan

As my gallery work has been documented through the act of stepping and that my "step" has been used as a form of measurement to navigate around the space I have considered integrate other measurements "again taken form my own body" that can start to support me with turn this into a frame. The Vitruvian man is an iconic piece of works that relates itself to proportion, geometry and scale. I am not considering myself the new "Vitruvian Dan" but I have considered a host of measurements that could be used in conjunction with my frame.

Step = 750mm

Heel to Toe = 570mm

Feet width [wide stance] = 780mm

Floor to Knee = 560mm

Floor to waist = 1060mm

Floor to Shoulder = 1525mm

Floor to Head = 1830mm

Floor to reach = 2340mm

Arm reach [tip-tip] = 1910mm

Shoulder width = 460mm

The book of "Gallery Conduct"

Since reading about Ashers work and considering the phrase "Museum conduct" I have started to plan out one of my many monographs/books that I intend on producing and presenting as part of of unit 01 submission. The idea behind this book "Gallery conduct" is to simple identify some of the characteristics and practical elements through my own observations and actions of how I have encountered a gallery space and to design a series guidelines "up for consideration" for when next visiting an art gallery. It starts to fuse together my reading of Grayson Perry and my own thoughts and actions. I want each book to only focus on one area/topic. I am considering learning how to build and bind my own books [little bit of practice perhaps for unit 01, but it would certainly give my work an additional characteristic.]

Using Indesign for printing books: Bleed/ Edge/ Margin/ Crop Marks. Bleed normally ranges between 3-5mm. Remember to export file as "Adobe PDF print". Use crop marks and bleed settings. Need to decide of binding method and paper stock.

Theory Lecture 05: Minimalism / Post-Minimalism

Parts of the lecture were taken from Ken's own PHD thesis.

Post-minimalism - 1970's/80's - shifting from objects placed in the gallery to the gallery itself. Immersive video installations [introduction of this technology used within an arts based platform]. Situation! Situational artwork where art vs the art space [Merleau-Ponty]. The engagement of the body within space. We engage in space through our own body.

"No difference between art object and art subject" sculpture traditionally remains the definition of an art object [a self contained entity] yet sculpture now starts to stand for something outside of this [Dan Graham]

Minimalist object were now situated in space. Spaces were to become devoid of object - the language of art and architecture starts to emerge with architecture becoming the art. The gallery becomes a subject of debate around its role as an institution and as an art object in itself [Michael Asher]

Case study 01: Michael Ashers installation [1970] at the Pomona Collage Museum of art where he reconfigured the internal space of the gallery and then removed the door giving access for 24hours. the shift in light and removal of a closed threshold played with the boundaries of inside and outside but with a "political" stance. 

 Case study 02: James Turrells' "sky space" works create similar junctures between inside and outside but from a more experience based stance. Interested in natural observatory the physical viewing of the frame removed from visitors, again marking this unknown threshold starts to frame reality although given the appearance of a light or painting.

Case study 03: Dan Flavin used industry standard strip lights to create an environment that engages simultaneous contrast. His works play on the eyes inability. situated in a gallery space his work "frames" space.

Situation Aesthetics - The work of Michael Asher PT2

Continued extracts from book to support research. . .

"Museum conduct" how one should behave and conduct themselves within the context of viewing works of art. - How I could create a book of gallery conduct based upon the actions I have carried out throughout active research?

Participatory approaches to art [referenced Claire Bishop] "the collective dimension of social experience" That is what my evolved structures would create. The works of Asher requires participants to acquire personal accountability within the artists designed framework.

The reconfiguration of the museums professional role capable of changing and transforming singular systems into internally conflicting domains. This allows for distinct forms of spectatorial agency.

Definition: Participatory art is an approach to making art in which the audience is engaged directly in the creative process, allowing them to become co-authors, editors, and observers of the work. Therefore,this type of art is incomplete without the viewers physical interaction.

 1970's "Participatory Art" [artists]: Vito Acconci, Bruce Nauman, Dan Graham, Hans Haacke

Narrative Spaces Lecture 07: Ritual

The following lecture was split into two parts: The work of Peter Zumthor [Architect] and the work of Wolfgang Laib [Artist].

Ritual: Noun A series of actions of types of behavior prescribed/action/activity/repetition.

Context: Laib and Zumthor have a particular synergy - the art and architecture comes together as a complete work. An exhibition of Laibs limited works took place at the the Kunsthaus bregenz [Designed by Zumthor] where all gallery spaces were reduced to their basic elements. Laibs working methodology has a connection to the mythology of material and connects to Jospeh beuys in his selection of working with particular materials that evoked perception and the senses.

The Architecture: Peter Zumthor [known for his "Thinking Architecture" book]. The facade becomes a lantern, all etched glass [not cut] - and is mirrored on all four sides. The outer skin is a secondary skin - natural light plays a significant role in how the building works. The skin is non-supportive and does not relate or impact on the construction. The glass is angled and provides a sloped tray in which natural light pours down into the internal spaces. All doors and stairs correspond to the simple minimalism and modernist grid replicated on each floor plate.

The internal spaces create an inner space with its secondary glass skin that is etched situated within a prefabricated concrete grid. this allows light to come through but with no view out. The fabric of the internal spaces remains that of the ideology of a gallery space, concrete floors [highly polished] and white walls. The introduction of glazed ceilings mirror the facades and shifts the light around the internal volumes. Each floor plate is supported by only three walls creating a large open plane in which artwork is situated within.

The Art: The exhibition was composed of a body of work with no more than 5-6 pieces. The show was an opportunity to showcase how the gallery has been designed and built with art in mind and want about celebrity architecture which is so apparent today. In the 1980s architects were not being considerate of the buildings inner function and that of the showcasing of artworks. This however was a piece of architecture that is rich in both appearance and function yet does not impact on the space where art is being exhibited. Just like the artwork of Laib the Kunthaus engaged with the process and material and was disengaged with the fashion and trends of surrounding architecture.

On the ground floor a bees wax sculpture becomes the almost supporting like foundation of the show, much in the way that architecture is built form the ground upwards. The process of hand craft was a significant characteristic of the show with the artwork shown in its most natural state. "Pollen from hazelnut" and two rice houses are examples of the relationship between art, architecture and founded by a process. The exhibition had a limited material palette and the work was of a highly considered scale with some work responding to the scale of architecture itself  and others of micro proportion compared to the sinner floor pace available [often due to the limitation in material collected]. This in itself creates a significant impact on and a relationship with the viewer. It is clear that Wolfgang Laib celebrates his practice of collecting material and the process of making as his ritual. His background in medicine and working in hospitals surrounded by death has become juxtaposed and flipped with his work streaming with the welcoming of birth and life.

Critique 01: Reflection

If I am completely honest with myself [And I know others brought this up both before and after the crit] I am slightly confused as to the difference in format between the tutorial, seminar and critique?? 

Each time although this felt slightly more formal and that Ken was involved in seeing our practice for the first time, I didn't see any real change in the format. I thought my critique went OK,  I received a different variety of references from Ken and there were aspects that he felt made sense and most importantly it is a sustainable project I can continue. As for my peers, well it was the usual few who contributed to the critique in either adding on feedback or supporting what I was saying. It is really starting to become noticeable that people are not participating in group discussions and language barrier or not we are on an MA together! [To get onto an MA you must be able to speak English?] I wouldn't even mind an attempt but it is just starting to appear selfish and that peers are not supporting one another outside nor during structured conversations. 

The relationship between Tschumi's transcripts and my conscious selection of this style of presenting wasn't picked up, which I felt disappointed about as I feel I was one of very few who actually considered how their work was presented in a way that fitted the context [taking into account Petes feedback]. I suppose I entered the critique knowing what I had done, what I had read and what I wanted to do next . . .with this in mind what more do I want from my tutors at this stage? 

The idea of a critique was discussed during the afternoon and I completely agree [Being a lecturer myself] that a critiques have become at some institutions yet should not be an opportunity for the tutors to just become egotistic and belittle students. Maybe having three years of critiques at Ravensbourne [on my BA] where work was sometimes just starred at with awkward silences or the noise of tutors brain ticking over was all you could hear, leaving you feeling more lost than when you started. These are very much more informal and relaxed and it was picked up that we are treated as professionals and not 'students'. I would though perhaps appreciate a change in the structures so that there were clear differences in expectations as to support the work load. I would like to propose the following:

Tutorial: a 1:1 timed slot with your personal tutor that is an informal conversation about what your working on and how is it all going. 

Seminar: a group discussion with peers alongside a tutor where each of us has an opportunity to discuss issues [not discussing the entire project] an opportunity to ask peers questions and get a range of feedback.

Critique: a formal presentation of work where each student is required to pin-up and present in a professional way [timed] discussing a body of work in front of both tutors and peers.

Situation Aesthetics - The work of Michael Asher PT1

The work of Michael Asher has become of considerate importance recently, and flagged by many of my tutors throughout the tutorials and critiques. Asher's work begun throughout the 1960's, a time when the museum and gallery was being questioned in relation to its own context and the work that was situated within this space "art". This area of research has fueled much of my project and reference collection to date. The following extracts and text has been noted from Asher's 'Situation Aesthetics' book by Kirsti Peltomaki. 

"Designed work to facilitate human interaction. Site specific installation connect people with meticulously organized museum and gallery situations. The work engaged with the existing environments. Ashers installation tend to disable the day-to-day functions of the host institution and therefore have been barred from permanent material existence."

"Experiential approach to museum or gallery presentation, which addresses the viewers epistemological and emotional faculties. The ideological debates that surround and influence current museum practices. The removal of the gallery wall but more important that the gallery cut is the social and psychological situation. The installation offered viewers opportunities to immense themselves in sensory experiences.

Art that seemed attuned to viewer reactions was often called "situational" " Situation aesthetics" 

Victor Burgin [another artist writer in the 1960's]

Some recent art, evolving through attention both to the conditions under which objects are perceived and to the processes by which aesthetic status is attributed to certain of these, has tended to take its essential form in message rather than in materials. In its logical extremity this tendency has resulted in a placing of art entirely within the linguistic infrastructure, which previously served merely to support art. In its less hermetic manifestations art as message, as “software,” consists of sets of conditions, more or less closely defined, according to which particular concepts may be demonstrated. This is to say, aesthetic systems are designed, capable of generating objects, rather than individual objects themselves. Two consequences of this work process are: the specific nature of any object formed is largely contingent upon the details of the situation for which it is designed; through attention to time, objects formed are intentionally located partly in real, exterior space and partly in psychological, interior space. http://www.ubu.com/papers/burgin_situational.html

This work wasn't about manipulating perception.

There are some key ties and relational words form the above text that start to really impose on me what my project is doing. the fact that mine to if situated "for real" within the gallery space would provide the experience of almost sectioning the gallery space and creating a division of planes and frame but realistically couldn't last. I suppose I have considered these as short term architectural interventions that would follow the de-installation of one exhibition [of which the intervention would be based upon] and would be removed ahead of the new exhibit.

Critique 01: Action

09:30 - Pin up work for critique
09:45 - Drink Coffee
10:00 - Start Critique
13:50 - Lunch
14:40 - Start Critique
16:45 - Finish Critique, de-mount work, home

Special collections: Artists books

I was formerly introduced to the specials collections held at Chelsea library today which totals a collection of over 4000 artists books, multiples and exhibition catalogues. This is something that I had been looking forward to as "the book" as a way of presenting my ideas and work is something that lends itself to those working within the conceptual field. Stanley Brouwn in particular who inspired me to use the method of step counting to support the recording of my spaces. Although we only had an hour as a group and was introduced to a small range of material I did manage to notice an archive box with "Brouwn" on it. 

I have requested these and shall get the opportunity having known about his ideas and work for the past four years to finally look at his collection of books that document his processes. There are rules [rather strict rules] when being introduced to the spacial collections at Chelsea: No photography, clean fingers and you cannot use pen when making notes. These artists books are an invaluable resources and are rare to say the least.

Open Lecture Series 06: Katy Marks [Citizens Design Bureau]

Note from Lecture:

CDB Themes within work were participation, people, conservation. During university carried out a project in South Africa working with a community in reclaiming space. used a construction technique called "SOMOHO" which is a combination of rammed earth, papercrete, bags and tyres [all of which was available as waste within the landscape] proposed and designed a series of cafe spaces where the community had opportunities to socialize and connect [rebuilding of the community]  

Worked on the redesigned of the Everyman Theatre [located in Liverpool] that was focused on designing for people. People within the city cared about how their landscape and building look and therefore the project wasn't about an architectural stamp or ego being presented. The building facades connects to those who use the space with the incorporation of an updated version of the original 1970/80's neon typeface and photographs of people who make up the surrounding community.

The use of highly industrious materials made up the palette reflecting the industrial action and heritage of Liverpool. the re-use of existing materials was used as a way to showcase that level of community care and appreciation for the space that once stood. Much of the practice supports building on a 1:1 level looking at details and "zooming in zooming out". Katy mentioned that if you are stuck on a project and looking/drawing/presenting it at the same scale then there is a problem.