Feedback discussion with tutor, Dr Michelle Whiting on Google Meet: Monday 12 July at 16h00, local time( South Africa)
General comments: I will make notes of the discussion and share them with my tutor, who will then share her comments. I understand this practice will give the tutor a good indication of my understanding of the tutorial session.
Overall Feedback:
Choice of materials I worked with: We had a discussion about my use of Japanese Rice Paper as well as the process I followed to make work on it.
The idea was inspired by my research on the work of Robert Motherwell as well as the fragility of the medium and the history of mark-making and gestural paintings found in the Asian traditions of painting. My tutor saw this discovery as a door which opened to develop the way I could explore, such as opportunities to upscale work – I can unite a series as one bigger work. I know how this process opened up my awareness of materiality and my part in the making. I should get into a way of working where I do research on the different papers in terms of how paint, ink, water as well as dry drawing media connect with the material: create smaller sample studies looking at differences in methods like staining and viscosity. I really like the idea to explore the materiality of this process and document my experience. I understand there is a bit of alchemy at play which I would like to investigate and explore in the making.
My process: I have not considered treating the paper and the idea of using water and flour will be explored., and explore more about other methods, such as using a type of glue, which Lee Ufan makes use of. I will continue to explore the types of brushes and line making. I will continue to look at the work of artist, Allison Churchill on Instagram, whom I have discovered earlier and understand her background as a Zen teacher/student The idea is to not appropriate, but to learn from other artists. Around gestural making, we discuss the use of the upper body and how we as females, being told to contain ourselves are learning from this making some undoing and giving ourselves the opportunity to discover our bodily reach. I am strongly aware of exploring opportunity in these explorations, another indication of how this ‘door’ open up in my practice.
Around the exercises done, we discussed a continued effort to build upon analyses of the relationship between work done and learning from research. I use literature effectively but should be wary to reflect on this consistently. A practical form of advice to retain this practice is to search for questions around, what, why and how are things happening through my practice.
My general writing is seen as clear and my voice is heard.
We discussed the reflective question within the exercises and my learning that map-making in a visual way showed me how one thing leads to another. I am motivated to use a process of documenting as a way of explaining interior thinking. Here my tutor used my Rhino explorative drawings as a link to this form of thinking.
I am encouraged to make what I find important, not what I think I ought to do. This resonates with my ideas about gestures which I feel I still have so much to explore. My tutor suggests a reading of Janet Bennet, Vibrant Matter. This is so appropriate after the session with OCA tutor Lydia Halcrow on Making with and collaborative agency. I also believe this is why they work of Lee Ufan and Tim Ingold also plays a big role in my current practice and thinking.
Actions:
I need to look at the layout of my blog, it seems the exercises are not easily navigated – I believe I need to look at how I categorised the different projects in Part One. I will address this before the next assignment.
We decide on the next date for the assignment: Thursday 23rd September 2021
The next date for tutorial feedback: is Monday 30 September at 11:30 pm.
Karen Stander
Riebeeck West
12 July 2021
Below is an image showing the details of the ink pigment and connection with the smaller (dry medium) paper, as a history of my gesture. I did not get this range of a history on the Sumi paper I used for the series for Assignment 1. I believe experience and knowledge within the process of making will show if I made the correct assumption with regards to how ink reacts to different paper surfaces.
REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT OF THE SERIES
Series of 10 drawings were made with Sumi and/or big brushes in ink on Hahnemuhle Sumi-e paper (80gsm) x 10 sheets. I had the work on the floor and focussed on gestural mark making with the brushes. I felt how the Sumi brush when loaded with ink would move over the paper and leave traces of my movement. I tried to move onto the next work without much thought about the outcome, but felt a sensation of connectedness to the materials, which I would name an event between me and the work being made. I felt free, but also strange to stay in the process without judgement. I tried to work with less ink, more diluted and liked the different mark-making. after a while I was turning and twisting the brush with ease. On deciding when to stop I found it was good to stop as soon as ideas of adding a mark felt like I was actually trying to think out the form or action, came to mind. Questions arose: Was I working on an automatic way? I am not so sure, but can report that the process was open and only ended when I ran put of paper of felt disconnected to continue. Is it a sustainable practice? I found it contemplative and relaxing. I did the works over three days. I enjoyed the drawing part throughout all the exercises, the different papers I worked with open ideas about preferences and learning techniques. Working with the Sumi brushes was a lovely tactical exercise, I ordered more brushes. I decided to continue with gestural drawings in ink with Sumi brushes as part of a daily practice, paper size will vary in this to be continued practice. I will date the works. I feel I can make use of any paper materials I have. In terms of developing the process I ordered a roll of wallpaper, the white under-paper and will work directly on the wall, as the paper will be connected onto a bracket which will hold it on the wall. For this I will explore the gestural marks of Cy Twombly in this work, add colour, words, and smaller gestures as well. I also consider to work on canvas with gestural marks, such as pouring and dripping.
Keane, Tim, 2014 Absolutely modern:Robert Motherwell on Paper, article in Hyperallergic.com https://hyperallergic.com/168139/absolutely-modern-robert-motherwell-on-paper/