I don’t use any digital post processing tools in my photographic work, no, by digital tools I’m talking about my website – yes, this website I’m currently writing this blog on.
Of course it’s a key part of my overall presentational strategy as an artist. Somewhere to present what I choose to show to the world – or at least that small part of the world who has a look. And of course I encourage that, the looking that is, through more digital means – social media tools, particularly my active Twitter and Facebook accounts but also through loads of other sites and applications – it’s a long list.
Even so of course this particular target audience for my work is already segmented, notably by whether of not you’re an internet and social media user.
However it has another more practice-based use for me as an artist. It has forced me to think carefully about my artist statement (more on that here) and to ensure it’s always up to date.
Most excitingly though, preparing the portfolio section meant I had to carefully pick through and decide on what I wanted to present from over 6000 images. All sorts of reflection ensued. Who am I as an artist? How do I organise and categorise my work? What do I call it? How do I describe it?
But that’s not all. Of course I make new work all the time. And the portfolio set up I have in place allows me to upload and change what I present at will, in a matter of minutes. I can direct an audience to a particular piece or type of work. I can have private galleries of work in progress for select viewers only. I can change the emphasis as my practice changes.
I haven’t even mentioned the blog embedded in my website yet – that’s in another blog post (of course!)
So it really is a tool. An artist tool I use for planning, articulating, organising, reflecting, presenting, updating…
I’ve been thinking hard, maybe too hard, about presentational strategies. This is the title of my current Masters module to be assessed in a couple of seemingly short weeks’ time.
And I’m wavering. Is what I want to present really a sort of an exhibition? I thought it was but now I’m not so sure. Is it more like an open studios scenario? Well it is and it isn’t.
What I’m really interested in is being open about the fact what I have to present is work in process. In fact a lot of the work is really all about process. So I’m thinking about how I communicate those facts in a subtle and appropriate way and I’m not sure I’ve cracked it yet.
I’m presenting work in progress made in a particular space back in that space, so that’s another very definite consideration on how I present it. And it’s not just any space – it’s my studio space and building.
So the thinking, the questioning, the wracking of brains and searching of heart continues full steam ahead! Any thoughts as usual gratefully received.
Last week I was thinking about sketchbooks as saviours, but this week I’m thinking about artist statements.
I can get a measure of how the process of crafting an artist statement is dear to all artists’ hearts by the call I put out on Twitter a few weeks ago asking for any examples of great or interesting statements. A sparse few replies pinged back simply bemoaning the difficulty of getting it right.
I had a pressing deadline to draft a new one I could live with for a little while for my new website launch. Desperate times – pulling teeth comes to mind.
So why is it so hard? Maybe because if we could express what we’re doing, what we’re striving for, what our concerns and passions are in words we’d be writers rather than visual artists?
In any case the thinking is good, the head scratching, the heart searching, the questioning – and as I mentioned, I’m all about the questioning at the moment…
Anyway, my artist statement is absolutely a work in progress, a first draft, a starting point and will get an overhaul as soon as this MA module is over and I’m thinking a monthly health check there onwards.
How does your artist statement look? Does it do the job for you?
So this week I’ve been engrossed in ideas for my next MA module assessment – Presentational Strategies.
Poring through my sketchbooks I realised as I do every time I do this in a focussed way, what an absolutely amazing resource they are.
I have a serious sketchbook habit. Those things are heaving under the weight of all types of research and thinking. And my sketchbook pile is less a pile, more a mountain.
And in them are answers, experiments, journeys, tests, ideas aplenty, but perhaps most important of all – more questions. Since I’m all about the questions at the moment – this really appeals.
I now have huge lists of ideas and thoughts to chew over. And next week I’ll be taking these into the studio and I’m excited. More on that, er, next week!
We Are Here? is a piece I made specifically for our interim MA group show in April. I took very quick secretive shots of everyone’s individual university studio spaces early one morning and used these to make a 3D piece bringing a piece of each of us and our shared MA studios into the gallery space in a quite quiet and subtle way.
This piece and the presentational strategy for it went hand in hand including consideration of audience, purpose and presentational context since the invited audience for the work mostly consisted of family, friends and personal contacts of the group of artists showing.
I wanted to present work that would include us all as a group and reflect a moment in time when we are all still together. The materials, title and installation strategy used reinforced my presentational strategy of subtlety and inclusion since each photograph was printed on acetate, allowing other work to be seen through and reflected in my piece. In addition each image was literally tied together and the whole piece was purposely hung as high up as possible.
The work was successful in starting to more closely marry form and content within my practice as a whole and the planning and articulation of and post reflection on the work helped shape the first draft of my new artist statement.
Well it’s done. The shiny new website, the one where I dare to call myself an artist (really) is out and about.
I’m all about the questions at the moment:
So am I an artist, really?
What does writing about my practice mean and how does it impact on my work?
How will I be doing in ten months time when my Masters final show will be happening?
What work will I make next week?
Why so many questions?
When will there be some good juicy answers?
I’ll keep you posted…
(And if you have thoughts I’m on Twitter at http://twitter.com/hollyrowan – do say hi!)
I’m excited to have some of my photographic work in the forthcoming Northern Lights exhibition at Snug Gallery in Hebden Bridge. The launch is on Saturday 25 February and the exhibition runs until 6 May.
I recently put one of my paintings outdoors to experiment with how it would fare against the elements and how I would feel about it in a new and more dishevelled state. I expected it to be battered and bruised, and at the very least soaked through after a couple of days of our great British summer (!) However, the oil paint is so far really doing its job – it seems pretty indestructible! But at least I have got something out of the test, even it wasn’t what I originally set out to achieve - some great photos! Next time, an acrylic…
These early morning shots have given me all sorts of ideas for some further development, photography-wise - watch this space!
