Live Application
Documents:
Artist Statement
My artwork is often found within a collaborative project, focusing on people within a specific place. I find people fascinating in the way they interact with others and their surroundings; it is truly impossible to know why someone is acting a certain way. There are so many contextual factors altering a person's mood, and therefore expression. Often I focus on particular areas in order to study a group of people, and many patterns of behaviour are revealed. I particularly enjoy the challenge of creating abstract work in attempts to emulate an emotion. Recently I have completed several 3d installations and workshops that draw people in, and allows me to experiment with the concept of interaction within a piece.
As I often focus on installations and workshops my work would be beneficial in a gallery or museum setting. I thrive when making art for a public setting, as they allow an audience of any age, a challenge in itself. As people are my subject I have studied people in many varying social interactions, especially focusing on expressive gestures and body language. When researching a new subject I will create first hand sketches as well as second hand texts. I find it interesting and important to understand as much as possible about a situation, dissecting it, in order to put across the message you want to.
My current project is the last of my degree. I am working with Emma DeCruz, as a part of Curb Illustration, together we have been looking at gestures that could be interpreted as offensive. Offensive is a term coined with the belief that a gesture may be meant or understood as offensive, even if the other person hadn’t of meant it in such a way. By observing people we soon came to realise that language and environment formed a vital context, which would change how the gesture was understood.
Using illustration as a form of understanding will always be present, but currently I think these boundaries can be pushed. Creating abstract but understandable work is a welcome challenge. I believe in people with their curiosity and ability to learn, which also applies to myself. I am experimental with material and format, I have some experience in 3d, 2d and film work, with a creative desire to explore further.
Live Mural Brief
Emma and I came across the Norwich BID mural brief, but unfortunately we found it less than a day before the deadline. We decided to use the application process as a practise, and to dissect how we would work together on such an application in the future.
Individually we worked on the application, however we had a previous brief conversation about how we expected the design to look. We both had the same idea, but addressed the application separately.
If i’m honest I wasn’t particularly interested in this opportunity, it wasn’t a priority of mine at the time. And this was the first realisation I had when Emma and I sat down to discuss our applications; she had spent many more hours on her images than I had, and it showed. We had predicted that Emma would create a higher quality of sketches, and I would be stronger in the text and this turned out right.
Emma had spent a long time creating detailed exact, images of her design. Whereas I had used sketches with tiny examples and notes. I didn’t exhibit the design as I would have if we were truly applying. I’d have spent longer thinking about the presentation. However I believe Emma spent too long creating an image that was incorrect in composition; her image wasn’t supposed to be covering the entire wall, however this was the scale she’d shown it at. Giving the employer a completely wrong view of how she wanted it to look.
In the future I think we will need sketches, such as the sketches Emma did within the Degree Show Proposal, with highlights of information to explain exactly what we mean. This will help the person who receives the application to fully understand the design and that we would welcome any changes or criticism.
As we’d expected I was stronger with the writing, however there were a couple of facts I could have included where Emma had done the research. Again if I had spent a little longer looking into the project I would have created a better outcome. My writing was concise and clear, so it was understandable. As I write for these types of applications I am aware we do not know the person who will be reading it, I assume they will not know certain artistic terms and try to stay away from anything that sounds too pompous. We do not want to give Mr Blackwell the wrong impression of us, as people he may potentially hire.
This process was good for Emma and I to understand how we fit together in writing applications. We are best when we can talk to one another and compare ideas, not only in the design but it the application presentation as well. It was also interesting to see the ways we approach something, I assume Emma was more interested in the project than I was. However this is bound to be different in the future.