My work of this year aims to explore fascinations with light and colour that surrounds a body in its environment. By photographing the body, whether it’s a living body or the bodies of art, feelings of intrigue and mystery surface. My work operates within a few key themes. My first project focused on the idea of turning objects into things (Brown 2001) by means of artistic intervention.
The artist adds value to the object by exposing it’s invisible life and destroying it’s materiality. My first component titled Photofile explores the painting medium through photography. The brush strokes and textures become intricate plays of colour and shadow. I was heavily inspired by Olafur Eliason’s work especially the Weather Project of 2003 and the marks of Franz Kline in Blueberry eyes 1960. Photography is the next thread that I discovered while experimenting in the first few weeks of 2020. My photographs aim to freeze the fascination and limit it to a still image to only show a selection of the truth (Morra & Smith, 2006). Through my second project the photos became more focussed on the temptations of looking at stilled images (Spiegel, 2009). I came upon the works of Matthew Willman and Jacki Bruniguel inspired my photography technique. This project focused still on the fascinations of looking but turned it against itself as I started to notice my changing routine during the lockdown time. I realized that increased time in front of the computer without any restrictions and access to a professional camera almost gave me too little restrictions.
I am fortunate in this regard, but my work was lacking an element of personalization. I came upon a note in my Visual diary about the “2000-year-old space problem” (Senn, 2001), described as being the problems of representing a window as an everyday object and later a motif. The window has significant implication in that it divides the ‘inside’ and the ‘outside’ world. This was an interesting thought to consider especially in a time where “looking through” is for many the only source of entertainment or stimulation during this pandemic. The idea of looking through and looking at raises concerns of ethics especially when coupled with photography. Where are we allowed to look or find stimulation? What if you look to your neighbors for entertainment? What if they look at you? The abstracted photos forcefully pushes the audience into looking at the images. The shadows, reflections, motion blurs and manipulations make it difficult for the viewer to comprehend of inside or outside, reflection or truth, even right or wrong.
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My theme for 2020 was centered around relationships. Not only those we have with each other , but the ones we have with objects, that objects have to each other and then in turn how those relationships effect our environments. Through researching my theme during this project I had a chance to incubate my ideas from their initial stages through research and activities.This lead me to discovering my own environment, other bodies and the value of togetherness.
Photophile- someone fascinated with light
Through this series of photographs, I invite the viewer to participate in the exploration of a painting and not in the conventional sense. You are invited to explore paint through light, shadows and colour. These photographs allow you to take in the medium of the artwork in a different perspective. You recognize the brush stokes, the colours and even the surface that was painted on by analysing their basic properties. The combination of the basics create an intoxicating fascination with the paint itself and its environment. You can’t help but recognize shapes within the photos. Your brain convinces you that you are seeing clouds or water and you can’t help your own curiosity! Therein lies the mystery, complexity and the beauty of looking at a photo of a painting.
This series of photos is in addition to Project 1. This series focusses on transforming the “everyday object” into an “art thing”. This is done by exposing and destroying the objects’ original purpose. This is achieved through artistic intervention that includes gluing, burning, folding and biting. These file organizer underwent the full transformation into becoming ‘art’ and by photographing it in an aesthetically pleasing way, the audience is encouraged to only uncover the truth through exploration. The objects are transformed in such a way to almost look like they were defiled by the body and it’s fluids. The title and mysterious photography begs you to ask questions like: is it still a file organizer if it doesn’t organize anymore? Is it broken just because it was bit into? Is it art because I said so? Is it art because I intervened? All these questions are valid and worth asking. What do you think?
Titled Wings, fire and a Chips Packet this audio work aims to deceive the viewer through seemingly accurate auditory knowledge. The sounds described in the title is in actual fact the sounds of paper ripping, Sellotape being used, Flipping through a book and biting the plastic. This deception allows you to uncover the mystery but only if you are attentive enough to recognize the deception. This encourages you to think with a sceptical mind when using your senses.
Listen nowIn this project I explore my own bodily experience within my environment. I noticed a change in my daily routine and a boredom never before experienced. I started looking out my window for entertainment and stimulation. This go me thinking about the window itself. Used as a division between “inside” and “outside”, the window has become a powerful motif and certainly not only something we look through. I compiled my explorative photographs in a book titled “Closed until Noticed”. The book explores the notions of looking, looking through and inside or outside. By staging scenes where the window itself became the medium and whatever is reflected or seen through the window becomes the image. This almost forces you into looking at scenes not knowing the difference between inside and outside or even day or night.
