So I've continued working on large scale drawings with some success and some failure. Sunday night I was not in the right frame of mind for the studio but pushed myself to work anyways. It turns out it was not worth it, what I came up with was just a mess. A mess I later tried to fix, this of course only made it worse. So for now I have abandoned it and moved on.
On a positive note, I am finding out tricks to working with the projector, the biggest and simplest discovery is to keep turning the lights on! My big mistake with the failed drawing was I kept the lights off and just kept drawing, I did not stop and look up to see how dense the lines were becoming. I think my latest drawing is more successful because I kept turing the lights on.
Research wise, I have been reading Lucy Lippard's From the Center: Feminist Essays on Women's Art and I am finding it fascinating. It is encouraging me, for the first time, to view my work in terms of being a woman Artist. In the past I never wanted my work to be viewed as Feminine. I guess I felt perhaps this would make my work appear weak, or that it (or I) would not be taken seriously if my work was too delicate or fragile looking. But by the same token, I never strove to make my work masculine. I strove (I believe) for androgony. This book is making me reolize that to dig into myself and to make the best most honest work I can, I need to own being a woman artist and not try to hide it.
What does it mean to be a woman and an artist? Is there really distinct feminine imagery? How do femininity and feminism coexist in art work? Or can they? These are a few of the questions I am thinking through currently.
I am not sure yet how my research and changing interests fit in with my studio work. I am still working mailinly with childrens images although these images have changed as well. I am no longer using a "vintage estetic" but have updated the childrens cartoons. I am using those from my own childhood. I am hoping that as I continue with my work and research that the two will eventualy converge, but as of now things seem quite separate.
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| The drawing that taught me to turn the lights on! |
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| Attempt to fix said drawing |
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| Continued attempts to fix drawing |
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| Giving up on fixing drawing/ pouring paint all over it because it just can not be fixed. |
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| The details don't look bad though . . . |
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| During the residency some one asked what this (then small drawing) would look like if it were BIG, how would it change? Well it is now 4ft by 4ft and it has definitely changed! |
Latest drawing, and its process . . .
Seeing how you pushed and pulled the "fix" for this project, I'm inclined to think of William Kentridge, who purposefully leaves traces and layers of erased segments visible in his work. In fact, if you've ever seen any of his animations, he literally animates drawing and erasure, addition and reduction. I love the idea that the repairs remain visible here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ren, in my older work I did a lot of "erasing" (whiting parts out) I have't done that yet in any of these but I think it may help. I will definitely try it as I move forward with my work, also I love the idea addition and reduction.
DeleteHope all is well!
Love these! I feel like there is something inappropriate happening in these drawing. As I look closer nothing like that is frankly depicted and that's exciting.
ReplyDeleteI've also been doing a lot of research on feminist artists. Its opened my eyes to how many barriers have been broken for all artists,not just females, and how many cultural expectations and structures still control the reading of our work. I guess for me the question is how do I transcend them to find my own voice.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that cultural expectations and structures remain in control of the reading of our work. It seems that if the artists is present with the work it may be read and judged one way and if the work is seen with out the artists presence it may be considered in an entirely different light. This is something that I have been thinking about a lot, how does the presence of the artists effect the work?
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