Theme

Negative is my chosen theme for this project.  I’m keen to explore this in the senses of erasure and of the spaces that exists in, around and in place of things (things being objects, words, thoughts, concepts).  A general interest in this has surfaced in previous projects but this has become more focused by reading Ian Cobain’s, The History Thieves: Secrets, Lies and the Shaping of a Modern Nation, Akala’s Natives and the research for Natasha Ruwona’s new video work, Umbilic (2021).  I would like to explore the term negative through its interrelated historical and aesthetic contexts – the absence of history, the erasure of history, the absence of material, the existence of space, the absence of space.

Processes and Approaches

To generate early responses, I will continue to draw, collage and produce sound sketches.  I am particularly keen to incorporate sound as I feel it has great potential for 2-D, audio and installation, and have been inspired by writings on the memory-triggering function of the version, a subgenre of Reggae.

I will venture into public spaces to locate physical reference points for the work, which will allow me to more directly place my chosen theme in a civic/national frame.  I also think it is worth acknowledging the affect Coronavirus restrictions will have on my process and approach, and so having a dialogue between domestic and public spaces might benefit the project in that sense.

I will take a wide research approach to this project, with key aims being to learn and to uncover connections between strands of visual and contextual research.  I expect that this will produce a diverse body of work, some of which may combine, while others may stand alone.

Evaluation

I will make regular use of my sketchbooks, notepads and WordPress blog to process and evaluate ideas as I work.  This can be tied in with documentation and will be most useful before and after tutorials and crits.

Sources and Resources

In the context of the sources mentioned above, Negative would refer to absent or forgotten histories; as occupying space around or beneath dominant, biased and inevitably false ones.  Natasha Ruwona’s Umbilic and the availability of their relevant research offers ways of learning and imagining alternative histories and mythologies, while Akala’s Natives interrogates negative identities (pride rooted in prejudice).

From early research I identified a number of artists who have considered negative form in various ways.  Of particular interest are Art + Language for their involvement of text, secrecy and imagination, Glenn Ligon for his appropriation of existing material, and Ignasi Aballí for his investigation of what exists in perceived absence.

I will conduct further contextual research into artists who work with sound, space and cultural memory, sourcing websites, articles, books I own and potentially the Edinburgh College library (Covid allowing).  I am excited to take part in the CAP AIR collage workshops with Shareen Sorour, particularly as collage has been helping me develop early responses and ideas.

I will use my bedroom and an as-of-yet unknown outdoor location as my primary spaces for making and responding.  Resources, materials and media available to me include laptop, printer, found-objects, paper, paint, charcoal, oil, mobile phone (camera, sound recorder), social media, space and light.

Possible and likely resources for the development of artworks will include but not necessarily be limited to drawing, collage, sound recording, sound editing (Adobe), photography, found objects, text, printing and scanning.

SWOT Analysis

I would say my strengths lie in a diverse approach to art-making, an eagerness to connect visual responses to contextual research and a critically reflective eye when it comes to my own work.  Weaknesses may lie in poor time planning and an inability at times to organise workspace and materials.  Additionally, I tend to disengage from my project at various stages and fail at those points either to continue making work or to push myself out of zones of comfort.

I can see a number of opportunities for my own artistic development through this project.  I am keen to explore ways of making research and resources more accessible and potentially incorporate them into audio or visual work, while I would like to push further the multi-stranded research approach I took with the previous WAWWA project.  I am relatively happy with the quantity and quality of work produced but feel I stopped short of tying strands together.

I can’t see any significant threats to the success of this project, but I will need to effectively balance course engagement with employment, HUBCAP commitments and application deadlines.  This will be particularly crucial around dates for group crits.  I will also need to make sure I set aside time to store and document work correctly, using good light and clean surfaces, and upload evaluation notes to my blog regularly.

Timescale and Evaluation

Using a calendar, I have identified which days and evenings I am able to commit.  Mon, Tue, Wed will be used primarily for art-making, while the Saturday and Sunday evenings after work are more suitable for updating the blog at the end of a week’s work.  If I can I would like to organise my time by the light of day: early morning for preparation and planning, daylight hours for making work, late afternoon/evening for reflection. 

Reflection and evaluation is a stage of the process I really enjoy and will be key to the progression of this project.  It is therefore important that I set aside regular time for doing this: end of the day on daily timescale and end of the week on weekly timescale.  For evaluation I will make written notes and then type them up to my blog along with documentation, which I will complete as I work.  I will also make an effort to present and explain my artwork to classmates, friends and family to get a better sense of the project’s clarity and coherence.