Mapping the territory

Contextual Essay - Wk 1 - 18/02/2018-24/02/2018

  • Week 1 Feb 18th Complete Mapping the territory, print large scale mind-map to work in to, use to outline concepts, generate ideas and moving forward. Produce outline plan first draft, initial thoughts from current practice. 

I have worked further in to my 'mapping the territory' mind-map, see images below. I have yet to add these additions to the digital version. It has become apparent that I have far too many connections to context in my work. I will be honing in on what really anchors my approach to art making and developing my essay from those points.img_9043  img_9045img_9046  img_9047I also read through In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, translated by Thomas J. Harper and Edward G. Seidensticker, 1977.It's an essay that has some questionable opinions in it regarding Japanese life and decor and Western influence of aesthetics but the descriptions of objects, interiors and activities are quite delightful and insightful even if the discussion is very pessimistic.

12/02/2018 - Task 4 - Mapping the Territory presentations 2 (Mine) - Intro to Task 5

notes and observations from presentations and discussion

Thoughts sparked by other peoples presentations:

RT - accordion book - cutting pages - context of local artists - those she is interacting with - wish I had thought of that, but also know that I didn't because it's not how I work.

TB - maps - volume - height - mountains - this course feels like climbing a mountain - The wanderer Society by Keri Smith <3 - boundaries of scientific and human knowledge - walking, is that the work? or its relationship to the work? process as work itself EC - clothing - the space your in - walking in space

My presentation:

Katie VW Task 4 Mapping the Territory - presentation.jpg

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Les Bicknell notes and progress

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Mapping my everyday path - the urge to Frottage! A compulsion - to violate the paper before I write.

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The only space big enough to work horizontally

Whole body movement - mind-mapping is a physical process for me, music and movement are needed to create rhythm to facilitate order - I discovered this on foundation when we had to play ‘musical painting’ and dance around paper strapped to the floor - it is a practice I don’t use often due to space restrictions but it feels magical!

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Notes and layout notes to be processed - bare feet on the floor and tea are necessary!

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The path dissected and reordered again - transplanted to studio to be worked on

Messy and uncomfortable - disjointed

The reason I don’t like mind-maps

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Transplanted into a digital programme MindX - can save as pdf

White text on black background makes it simpler and clean/organised layout creates harmony

I feel more fulfilled by renegotiating the information in to this context - all processes are needed at this point

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Section of map - four key interests of practice - discovered through this process and the continual re-working

Interlinking is happening

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Artists and art history ‘timeline’ - my timeline not an actual one, how they relate in my thinking as per Elkin -

My personality requires permission to veer from rules and what I deem as expectations so these texts and activities are invaluable to me

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Theoretical and critical - starting to bring in research and reading - possible avenues to explore and also reading list - need to add the interlinks

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More on the headings under Critical and theoretical

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Additional branch - materiality - interesting as I am encountering a standstill in practice - almost a ‘to do’ list for stuck moments

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The comparison of a white background and black - I will be getting a version printed to pin to my studio wall and develop by hand further - a continuously growing and developing document.

Comments:

R: with actual territory - part of the place & movement

Learning a lot about the way you approach the task - travelling through the mindmap is like travelling through the work - a sense of where your ideas come from & what influences you alongside how it influences you and your interpretations of it.

From Chatbox:

E: a real sense of trying to get order to your thoughts in your task

K: I love the tiles, that looked beautiful.

E: you would also love the'cartographies of time - a history of the timeline' by rosenberg and grafton

K: My pleasure, it definitely shows how how your mind operates.

P: Your final slides made me think of electrical circuits.

R: I was hoping that I could see your mind map on the frottage...but maybe it will be too
confusing.

EC: it seemed you started out and moved in and then in your chart you moved from in to out

K: It is interesting that you and Jessie used your own territory in some way.

J: walking seems to be a theme today!

R: I'm going to add it to my map!

T: The process as ordeal is understandable. Well done for fitting so much in! I know I'll keep adding bits to my map as I figure more out.

Task 5 - Exploratory Project

Small group meetings throughout task.

undirected, vague, can be unnerving

  • Les Bicknell - Richard Serra - list of verbs - doing - discover - what you want to do.
  • Stewart Geddes - several pieces at once - moving - reflective
  • Scanlon & Grivell - how can we intervene? who with? how can we play? what form will it take? what form now? and now?....

mirror - what reflects back on yourself - Hassan Sharif notes - I made this comment

Keep it alive - not resolved work - quality of engagement. quality of exploration

personal risks - suspension of usual judgement - choose something that will challenge.

making work - carrying on your practice

Whats the question? whats the risk? whats the challenge?

If your struggle is to make something that may be the greatest risk

go back to mapping & feedback & comments - what keeps coming up? what are you 'itching' to do?

words - thoughts - research - digesting research - eating it up? - consuming - time, knowledge, etc.

PROCESS

what can I find? What can I explore?

foam - embroidery around, stitching to fabric - glass tubes embroidered - fragility & transparency  - fine fractures - life, time, consumptions - rice - candy - food stuffs that are glass like and delicate.

'research proposal' - outline - see questions - personal responses.

list of activities on brief sheet

GCC group for discussions

David Kefford for tutorial.

05/02/2018 - Task 4 - Mapping the territory Presentations 1 - Intro in to context - notes for reference

notes and observations from presentations and discussion

Thoughts sparked by other peoples presentations:

- a 'thought dump' - More questions than answers - 'Post Photography' after the photo, what you do with them - immigrant - emigrate - migrant - the right of voice - it is relevant but can you comment?

- Physicality - notes from presentation to feed in to context map - frustration due to lack of challenging critique - lovely that its supportive commentary, just backing up ideas - no challenge, no push back - how to move forward with a pat on the back?!

- Questions - De Certeau

foundation for the contextual study -

Purpose - VALIDATION - proving our work is relevant by providing context - context - companions - new perspective - context - your work in context - research & development, critical analysis - what are other people doing in the similar field (concept/material etc), why do you stand out and also fit in?

RT - an artist statement plus validation

KO - the way we work our mindmaps is similar to the way we work our practice - So valid - how I work- created the responses to questions - broke it up - reconfigured it - broke that up - reconfigured - then translated in to digital output

Workshop - bring ideas - get on with it

active bibliography - exhibition catalogues, journals, bookmarks

12 march - tutorials - draft title - enquiry, key points, quotes, images - 2 A4 side of 'research' or starting material