Some thoughts on experiments
Like many artists, I make lots of experimental work that never sees the light of day. Occasionally, I might show someone a picture to get their opinion and the experiments can sometimes develop into more ‘finished’ pieces which I’ll share on social media. By and large though, the work remains unseen.
There is an unease about the work not being seen but I’m unsure if the ‘no-shows’ are confidence related or simply that I want the work to be closer to finished when others view it. When you are studying, there is less of a barrier to your art being seen as it is constantly on show in your studio space or through more structured events like crits and assessments. Being a ‘real world’ artist requires you to seek out your audience yourself and learning to be more comfortable with what work you present to others is something that I have had to work on and get used to.
Here are a few of things i’ve been working on recently that I wanted to share, along with a few thoughts about the work itself.
Untitled, plaster & cardboard, 26.5cm x 21.7cm x 6cm.
(Weight: 2.9kg)
This piece is not exactly a new experiment since I have been making these graphic, strictly linear works for a while. I work into most of my other pieces after they have been cast but with these pieces I am trying to create something simpler, neater and more defined. I rarely think of my work in a domestic setting but I think the repetition of the lines and the way they react to light and shadow give the pieces a meditative and contemplative quality.
Untitled, jesmonite, cardboard & staples, 28.7cm x 23.7cm x 19.8cm.
(Weight: 3.4kg)
This series of work not only started out very small (fitting into the palm of my hand) but also began life as something else entirely. It has now combined with a different idea, based around producing work with no discernible front or back, something that the viewer can walk around and see from different angles. Compared to some of my other works made from plaster and cardboard, this piece is relatively light owing to a hollow interior with the jesmonite front and edges having a depth of around 1.5cm.
I am also posting the images here with propensity in mind. I’m going to work more on this piece which will hopefully make it more complete and not completely ruined.
Untitled, plaster & cardboard, 28.6cm x 23.4cm x 9cm.
(Weight: 3.5kg)
As with the 2nd piece shown in this post, I am working towards ‘double sided’ pieces where the work can be viewed as a whole. I have worked on several iterations of this using the ‘honeycomb’ cardboard (as shown above) but so far i’ve struggled to make a piece that feels balanced and coherent. In trying to make a material work I think I have ‘forced’ the piece rather than allowing the experimental element to guide the making process.