Studio Journal- Entry # 5

Blah-dow

I did it. I did it.  Yay, I did it.

   (I submited work into the BFA open)

Its kinda not my style.  Not in some punk ass kid kinda reject the establishment way.  But, in a I am not sure whats successful and not kinda way.  And thats becase, as I discussed in a crit today, I don't set up a sort of measure for my work.  And I mean this measure to have a physical manifestation in the work.  A hook, a nudge, a clue or a hint that harks back to the Big Idea about painting that I asking my work to make an exception to. If done successfully, I would know its done or something I'd like to put my name on if the internal conversation of the work is twirling in and around itself.  You know, keeping you interested in its revalations.

So, in the floppy fabric pieces- irregular shaped or almost rectangular- I tried out some gromets. The plan was to have the gromets function as a sort of stretcher bar, as a sort of line in the dirt for me to butt my head up against.  Seems ok for now... but hopeful the more I make, the more considered the decision will be. 

Studio Journal- Entry #4

Although brief, the last crit with my thesis group proved very helpful.  I've really picked up some steam

I guess hearing that it just wasn't working got me thinking.  The work was missing the awkwardness and droopy character of the more successful work in the same material.  So the big, sprawling piece I was stuck on was kinda lifeless, void of all the charge  that drew me to the material.  I needed to find a way to bring the animal/human presence of the skin turned to leather turned into clothing back.  Because the presentation of the work as it was during crit was saying nothing to the nature of the material other than calling attention to the fact that it was disassembled clothing.  Boooorrrriiiinnnggg.

So, yea, I think I found a pretty acceptable solution.  I guess I'll find out in my next crit.

Here are some pictures of what's going on now.

Studio Journal- Entry #3

Well, I thought I was busy busy busy in the studio this past weekend and early this week- but there isn't that much work to show for it.  Oh man oh man.
It's hours... minutes... seconds that I need to spend physically in the studio, at school, working hard to make my art.  These are hours, minutes, seconds that are insanely precious right now.  With not one- but two- little ones at home, I need my time management skills to be extra sharp.  Every chance I get to be in the studio, I need to be making the most of it.
Although this do or die, work my ass off the moment I walk into the studio mentality is ensuring production, that pressure of create, and create now is kinda freaking me out.  Only because eventually, somewhere in the next couple of weeks, I want to start thinking about my thesis exhibition.  And I don't think I want to think about that until I really get into the creative groove.



My Work- So far.....

This past week I have been thinking about the BFA open.

The one painting that I have completed embraces chance in the found material.  The leather jackets are deconstructed along the seams.  I was left with a collection of fabric forms that then suggested how they might be reassembled.  The shapes that appear in the painting are thus arrived at by chance.  In this particular artwork, instead of trying to force these shapes together to form a rectangle, I would let the process of destruction and reconstruction of found shapes dictate the highly irregular shape of the painting.
I'll have a photo of it later this week....