To make the exhibition more mixed media, I took some photos to exhibit too. I asked friends if I could photograph their living rooms on my SLR film camera to show the sorts of spaces I would want to exhibit my sculptures. The whole idea of them by the end was that the parts they were made of had been discarded, but put together with other discarded objects and cast to make a statue that would be exhibited in a home. Useless objects transformed by a casting process, to serve a decorative function.
On a disposable camera I took snaps of interior decorating magazines, with pages turned, hands on them, so the viewer of the photograph feels as though they are the one browsing the magazine. I have referenced Sophie Calle in a number of my projects, most recently ‘Flow Around Town’ when I photographed strangers, but these photographs are more similar to hers despite not being the same subject matter. They are similar to ‘The Shadow’ (1987) and ‘The Sleepers’ (1979) as although they are not photographs of people, they show a hand flicking through a magazine – somewhat voyeuristic, and are grainy black and white film photographs.
I shot colour film and had it developed in an hour, though I digitally processed the images to black and white. The reason I didn’t shoot black and white film to begin with is that it takes a fortnight to get developed, and I was pushing it pretty near the deadline.
Having not yet referenced many artists – allow me to do so now. The sculptures themselves have been compared to works by Jeff Koons and Tony Cragg. Koons “Pre New” and “The New” works are the most similar – the former is made of domestic objects attached to lights, for example a kettle and a fluorescent bulb strip. They become part functional, part decorational, but almost like something you’d expect to see on a spaceship or in a warped nightmare about a domestic situation, rather than in real life! “The New” is a series of vacuum cleaners mounted in illuminated Perspex boxes. Had I not transformed my towers from ready-mades to sculptures, I would have had to consider presentation such as illumination and presentation cases; otherwise it could have looked incredibly half-assed.
Jeff Koons "The New" - photograph credit to www.artnet.com
Tony Cragg’s sculpture ‘Circles’ (1985) shows stacked circles of steel, wood and rubber and in this way is comparable to the tower-like formations of my stacks. Obviously the casts could be comparable to the work of Rachel Whiteread, although I have not looked at negative space. Whilst I can make many links to various contemporary artists with this project, I believe the work is completely my own rather than a copy of anybody else’s.
My statement of intent read - “It is likely that an outcome will be mixed media, or have qualities of installation.” I was correct, as I also added an audio component. I considered asking somebody else to read a reflection of the work which I would write, to play on ideas of art being collaborative and not necessarily one person’s vision and delivery. Other audio ideas included asking two retired antiques dealers to discuss value of objects nowadays, their views on waste and the IKEA market. In the end I read the IKEA catalogue in a flat monotone voice for 20 minutes. This was recorded on a Dictaphone, transferred to my computer and burned to a CD. A CD player is taped to the wall with headphones coming out, and a typed instruction informing viewers that they need to press play, as it isn’t a fancy enough CD player to play on a loop. There is irony in enthusiastic statements such as “transform your room with…” being read in such a dull and unexcited, almost robotic tone.
I noticed after assembling my exhibition that mine is the only entirely monochromatic work in that room. It’s very clean and unfussy looking, and I am glad I did not try to recreate some bright domestic IKEA-style living space. There is something clinical about the work too - a break from the patriarchal society where women rule the domestic sphere*. The materials are bleak, cold and hard rather than soft (fabric, cushions, bedding) or colourful, almost like statues that belong outdoors.
The voice on the record, whilst spoken by a woman, doesn’t sound feminine or enthusiastic and adds to the coldness of the entire show. Whilst I hadn’t considered mood within my planning, I am happy with what the mood does achieve: it reflects my own bleak phases of depression experienced during this project, and the unanswered questions about whether objects can truly be made worth something. Lastly, the work is also somewhat ghost-like, a purgatory between states, the casts froze those objects in time and the originals no longer remain in those formations, and the photographed hand flicking the pages of the magazine went on to do many other things of more importance. And then there is my own purgatory, between receiving a place on a University course, and finishing at college.
So that's it really, and I have already published a post about the similar work I exhibited at Bear on a Bicycle later in the month.
I hope anybody who read these instalments found them interesting!
The Extended Diploma in Art & Design at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College (which I just finished) has been full of ups and downs, but the tutors are absolutely fantastic and I recommend the 2 year course to anybody who, following GCSEs, knows that their future employment or education will be in an Art or Design field.
Personally, I thought when I began that I would be moving in to commercial photography, but I am far happier with the move I will be making.
I will find out my final grade tomorrow, so far two of my best friends received the highest possible grades (well done, ladies!) but I don't expect the same. Whatever I get though, I know my show must have been received well by the tutors, as when I went to take it down last week I found this note -
What a wonderful compliment.
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