E X H I B I T I O N 5th-7th December.

A fabulous week of setting up, cleaning, adjusting and drinking. Level 5 group exhibitions allowed us to find our feet with the presentation of our practices in a group situation, the most rewarding aspect was working with a variety of artists and their practices...I found I learnt more about my methods and making through the presentation with others. The variation of art was both alluring and exciting, the mix between wall based photography and floor 3D work challenged the concept of the course and engaged a wide audience...My own work took on a completely different concept on the opening night that is going to give me lots to work with in the production of my ideas.

Seducer or Seducee?

A moment of clarity in an otherwise mind boggling degree, I have really enjoyed looking at the vast array of artists and their interpretation of the object. Laura Gonzales, a fabulous lecturer and artist who explores the seduction of objects with psychoanalysis in her practice.

Photograph

Draw

Animate

Sculpt

her interests in the relation of our relationships with people in the world and objects, psychoanalysis investigations HOW and WHY we change our relationship towards an object. 

A functionally illegitamate piece of jewelery...her work makes us question the context of the object. What makes an object seductive and the viewer seduced? Obselete of function...well, it depends how brave the cosumer is willing to be. The matter of the fact is, the artist is not trying to sell the objects she is sculpting, more assesing our material relationship with the world and in how we cosume to express our own sexuality.

Foam Flex

Experimenting with more materials in the workshop allowed me to see the difference in context when the material was altered. Layering with a glue gun different colours of foam flex, was a fun way for me to sculpturally explore the form. I used this to also experiment with scale. Even though I feel this may not need lead to a final piece it definitely helped me in exploring the appropriate avenues for my practice.

I am beginning to experiment with drawing after seeing Rachel Goodyears exhibition at the Bothy Gallery. After a quick view around the humble gallery, the depth of Rachels observation was truly evident, I was drawn to her delicate handling of materials, not only pencil, but porcelain and animation had been moulded into her questioning of the material and subject matter. 

Her portrayal of animal and human characteristics leads the viewer to question the vulnerability of our existence. Her drawings in process appear very physical describing the existence of the animal whilst addressing the boundaries of the paper, she carefully creates constructed coincidences that express a delicate and intriguing nature.

 In particular, there seems to have been a huge amount of interest in the mythology of certain animals, such as wolves, bears and crows. Her mixed media approach has encouraged me to keep using different materials in order to keep avenues open. I believe that this source of curiosity in medium and context will create strong work for myself.

Trips week

Ceramics Biennial

The delicate use of porcelain is a material I would love to work with and I will suggest it in our next set of workshop options. Its translucent and strong properties sculpturally give a lot to a piece containing emotional context. 

Viewing this work at the ceramics biennial helped me to see that it is possible, getting to talk to people on residencies breathed a breath of fresh life on the disused factory in which the show was set. 

Sculpture-Clay & Fine Bone China.

From a visit to Ainsley China I wanted to experience the same making process that my Father and thousands of now redundant workers used to make in my hometown of Stoke-on-Trent. 

Not only was I humbled to meet the people who created the skillful fine bone flowers I also got to have a go myself...using a little bit of oil,  a wooden board and the fine bone china clay, a number of 8 petals were rolled, pinched and moulded to create a beautiful rose with a little help from gravity and your own hands. 

I have also continued to use these techniques in the workshop, using just the original clay had differing effects in terms of malleability and softness, it was considerably harder and I did not experience the same theraputic effects from the fine bone china. I do however love the fact that I have picked up the skills in ceramics, recoverd hometown skills and has allowed me to find innate connections with my Families casting skills.

I am awaiting to see the two flowers I have made in the workshop after they have been fired in the kiln, I am intuitively interested in the object and its change of state once it has been put through a new process... A key word seems to be Transformation.

Rubber Mould Casting-Wax & Plaster.

I found I received some very exciting results from the Rubber mould casting session. After learning the basics, I found i became hooked and my curiosity led me down to the workshop for the next couple of weeks or so.

Previously working with silk material i wanted to experiment with the use of casting, I had a little bit of knowledge but i wanted to extend my idea into the preserved notions of the object. Using wax and plaster I began to enjoy manipulating and experimenting with narrative. I believe it will allow me to explore symbolism in a much more wider context and allow me to achieve more exciting results. 

A little bit of Drama.

Over the late October period, The Reperatory Theatre (Stoke-on-Trent) and Newcastle Players opened its door to a hub of theatre goers...

One of the main things that I love about the set is its power to transform the viewer to a completely different environment, narrative and atmosphere. Becoming curious about the function of design I have learnt basic skills that created the set of Newcastle Players newest release 'Caught in the Net'.


Engaging in these materials has helped me to view the active role that Fine Art takes in the Theatrical industry. It has allowed me to gain knowledge about entering the industry and building to set briefs. How problems are overcome and the overall sense of Team spirit that is carried from set up to the execution of the play.

Karla Black

Her beautiful exploration of material and its physical properties reflects the versatility of her practice, the rigorous experimentation with paper, chalk and thread reflects the presence of the human in the sculpture. The artist reacts initially to the materials, mixed, ground or splashed they contrast the delicate properties. What inspires me the most is Black's experimentation with materials, bound together they perform in a course of expression allowing our unconscious to run.

• Materiality-that which pertains to matter or body, formed or consisting of matter.

Costume Design for NutCrack Night

                                                             Nutcrack Night

Pif-Paf Arts allowed me to gain skills in which I was interested but not necessarily had the confidence to pursue. They have given me the confidence to venture into areas such as sculpture, performance and engineering. I have always challenged myself with unfamiliar aspects of my practice and felt it would develop my interest into the properties and manipulation of material. 

Working from a narrative,  I created a costume which was a challenging jump but very rewarding. I really enjoyed the process of creating a costume for a performance piece, allowing the viewer to be transformed with the story of the character to their unconscious. Exploring objects and our relational understanding is what I enjoy the most. I feel my practice thrives at its best when observing and experimenting with form, to experience the creative property of the material but for the object to also have a function. 

First Year Work

                                          'Sink within the Sands'

In reflection, my first year work compromised of a lot of up and downs but in the end I attained a gorgeous set of work that I was truly proud of. Hand embroidered handkerchieves, roses and forgotten photographs formed as part of my first installation, I chose to move away from this practice in order to progress in the enjoyment of my making in the material process and narrative that we attach to symbolic items. This focus upon narrative, formed the basis to my end of year assessment; objects, photography and video work led to the unpicking of threads which I felt removed the threads but unconsciously the narrative of memory was still present. My work deals with the transformation of memory and the personal psyche, the stages of grief to acceptance and how we have use objects as an expression of our outer self.


 I wanted to explore the concept of memory and how we attach those to objects, as well as exploring my own narrative, the Dovedale shoot used the river to add a concept of forced time around these objects I created, I believe the following images to be successful in recreating the fragile formation of these memories in the natural environment.