Theme Open : Reality / Integrating fields of Practice
Prep ex 01: Recording – Documentation – Reflection
This is year 3 of my deep dive into WordPress. I heard last term we had to reconfigure how we were posting photos and videos onto it. The site kept crashing from so much data. This exercise is about creating a video and posting it onto a Youtube channel. Next, copy the link and imbed into your WordPress site. Being a luddite, I find this techno stuff frustrating. I remind myself ‘The best learning comes from outside your comfort zone’. I made this moonfaced down flow incense burner last term in pottery. Here is a quick vid of him in action:
I haven’t learned how to pair with music yet. I just had some background music playing while filming. I see how shaky things look. A tripod in the future would help. Also a thing to be aware of is the sizing of things. What fits nicely in my iPad frame might look too cramped when playing on a different platform such a s Youtube.
Incubator Space Development
Tuesday Jan 17– Class was down at the Art gallery. Two large cotton sheets were laid down in an adjoining room. We all unboxed our art and put it on the sheets. This gave a visual of the amount of work there was to go in. Once the room was configured the art could then be brought in.
We prepared the room first by sweeping and vacuuming. Plinths and shelves for display were brought up from the basement. There are guidelines for where things can be placed in relationship to the walls, doorways, and each other.
Once I brought in all my heads and placed them onto the round black table, I realized I had a situation. Being the Maximalist that I am, my work takes up a lot of space. I had 3 different things going here. How to make this work? A shelf was granted to hang on the wall above the round table for some of the heads to sit.
Also that day we spent some time in the main gallery interacting with the exhibits.
Wednesday Jan 18th– Went down to the CVAG to install art piece in the incubator space. The room had been spackled/painted and the fumes were noxious. Nixed that idea, so I made a little stop motion video while I was there instead.
Prep ex 02: Responsive Art Improvisations
It is amazing how many frames it takes to make a 15 second video clip. I used a plastic brochure stand to prop my iPad up on the green screen table. I do not have a tripod for it. The one at the gallery only fits a phone size object. Propped up on the very edge of the table, it still gave me a short space to work in. As this was exploration, I allowed myself to relax and go with the flow. To see what I could create with what I had to work with at the gallery. The background sound is Erica selling something from the shop to some customers.
Friday January 20– Went to the Gallery in the morning. Shelf was installed on the wall. I put all the white baby heads in a line onto the shelf. Will have to get some wood to put onto the shelf to prop the heads up due to a lip on the front edge of the shelf and the head size.
I still had 2 projects on the round table. What to do? I needed more space. But where to add? Where to add? Did I have to make a decision and cut one out over the other?
Saturday January 21 – Back down this morning to try to make sense of the remains of yesterday. I separated the remaining two groups. Kept the tarot cards heads on the round table. arranged them in a nice spread using the whole table. That left the last bunch. Angela brought a black plinth from home and set it into the corner. I stacked the rest of the heads onto it. Angela also suggested and brought in a little stool to tuck under the table for viewers to use. I also took the tarot book home with me to re do the cover so it opens properly. It will sit on the round table and is missing in the picture. Okay…sorted!
Now to get the didactics written!
Karen Day Tarot Of My Mind 2022 Porcelain Slip Casting Glaze Printed Card stock This interactive piece provides a snapshot of my mind. Memories and Moments are distilled down into tarot cards. Each head holds an 8 card spread. A companion book explains each card as it pertains to the reading.
Karen Day The Noises in my Head 2022 – Ongoing Series Porcelain Slip Casting Glaze This series explores life with Mental Illness. To have a brain full of noise and everyone is talking at once. How to make sense of that internal self talk and how to turn down the volume (or turn it right off!)
Karen Day The Remains of the Day 2023 Porcelain Slip Casting Glaze Found Objects What is left behind at the end of the day? Does it even matter? A collection of castings from the Two Halves Make A Whole 2022 instillation.
Tuesday Jan 24 -Drop off the revised Tarot Of My Mind book to the Art Gallery to be put back with my instalation
Prep ex 03: Casting and Documentating (generative workshop in collaboration with visiting guest artist)
Tuesday Jan 24– Artist Nina Wedberg Thulin from Stockholm Sweden came to class today. She is a visiting artist who is displaying at the Comox Valley Art Gallery. Her work involves the casting and stacking of peoples hands. She explained how she got her idea while visiting a former silk factory in Manchester
First clay was rolled out into 1/2 inch thick slabs and put onto a prepared board. Then a rolled tube of rigid plastic was seated down into the middle of the clay. The clay was then banked up around the outside bottom to create a good seal. Next a small amount of coconut oil was applied to the hand. We decided on the stacking of the hands. who would go first, then the alternating left or right hand players. You place your hand on the persons before you hand and hold that shape. You then place your hand (still in that first shape) down into the tube. Alginate is then mixed and poured into the tube. You then lift your hand out to release any air bubbles off the surface of your skin. This will ensure a nice smooth pour. Hand is re submersed, and alginate is poured in to top off the mould to the wrist. Then, the waiting begins. When the alginate was fully cured, a slight wiggle of the fingers and hand were enough to release and pull the hand out. Next, plaster was mixed and poured into the moulds. These were left to dry. Nina would take these casts and un mould them later for cleaning.
Pictures from that day January 24, 2023
I found mine in the group.
Digital Media and Artwork
Tuesday Jan 31– Today we talked about digital media and art. I must produce some form of digital productions for next class. My mind was having trouble grasping what the Instructor wanted. Everything is so open to interpretation that my brain cannot focus. Renee says ”Get out of your head.” My brain goes into OverDrive: ”Who’s head shall I get into? I don’t want to leave my head empty. Who is going to get in my head while I am not there? Will I be able to find my head and get back in? Do they even want me back in?” Quick intake of breath, I look around and see my classmates and Instructor looking back at me. Smiling, encouraging, expecting. My brain is now stuck on a 1980’s radio station playing ”Video killed the radio star” Looping over and over…
Mental Illness at it’s finest.
Later that day up in my studio of chaos, still inside my head, I started playing with some friends on my desk. They are little wire sculptures in different stages of creation. I talk to them when I am stressed. I move them around my work area and if I cannot focus I might take one and build on it. They never seem to get finished. When they are finished they usually leave me for another home. So… I keep my creations unfinished for my own enjoyment. ”FOR I AM A JEALOUS GOD.” True story! And none of it documented. That’s my video! Okay friends, help me out. Animate…
Looking on the Apps store, I downloaded a program called Videoleap. It was not too complicated and I had fun shooting video clips and mixing and adding effect
Thursday Feb 2– Borrowed a mini projector from the Digital Program. I want to debut my video BIG on the wall. I was planning to use my Ipad to run the video. I needed to go buy a converter for the projector to plug into my Ipad.
Friday Feb 3- Can’t get the sound to play. I am frustrated. Just walk away and go see Gordon on Monday to figure it out.
Friday Feb 3– Youtube says I am violating a copyright due to the music I have playing in the background of my video.
Saturday Feb 4, Sunday Feb 5– Spent all weekend figuring out how to remove music from my video and add new royalty free music in its place. This must be what producers feel like. Do they get tired of watching their own content too as they obsess over every frame? Is it ever really done? Sometimes you just have to walk away, sometimes you have to run!
Monday Feb 6– Went up to the college to see digital tech guru Gordon Ross and find out why sound will not come out from my ipad while attached to the projector. He does not know why. On Tuesday we will project our WordPress site from the instructors laptop. I asked Gordon if the projector would work off that with sound. He said it should, and would be around tomorrow if I needed any help.
Tuesday Feb 7- Presentation Day. A projector was set up with a laptop so everyone could project big onto the wall. I brought my “friends” to watch their debut. In the end, after so much stress it went just fine. I enjoyed seeing what everyone else in class produced.
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And Now for the Feature Presentation!
*WARNING – Video contains strobing lights that may produce seizures in some individuals.
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Looking at new ways of giving and getting feedback about Art.
Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process
This form of critique involves 3 groups:
- The Artist: They are there to hear specific comments about their work.
- The Responders: A group of people who want the Artist to succeed in their work.
- The Facilitator: A designated person who helps translate, coach, and monitor the conversation.
4 Steps are used to guide the critique.
- Statement of Meaning- Responders: What has meaning for you. How did you connect with this piece as the viewer?
- Artist as Questioner- Artist(s) can ask the Responders general or specific questions about their work.
- Neutral Questions- The Responders ask neutral questions about the work to the artist.
- Permisioned Opinions- The Facilitator Invites the Responder to ask the Artist if they would like an opinion about any area of the work. The Artist can say Yes or No.
The Facilitator is always there guiding the dialogue in a positive way and keeping track of the whole experience so it doesn’t go sideways.
The Mater Of Origins (2010) Liz Lerman
This work involves 2 different stages. the first part the audience are seated in an auditorium and the dance unfolds in front of them on a big stage. Large projected images are cast on the back stage wall while dancers move to sounds.
The next stage involves everyone getting up and moving to another room. Inside that room are tables set up for serving tea. At each table sits a “Provocateur” who will help facilitate the conversation. As tea is being served, the dance continues around the room. All the servers are dancers and they join in.
I found this production to be full of layers. Even the chocolate cake served was made from the original recipe of Edith Warner. She was hired to serve meals in the past to the physicists who developed the Atom Bomb.
I can see how the structure of her productions have built in her Critical Response Process.
My takeaway? I like that it allows the artist to be in control of what is being discussed. It is always good to have a Facilitator role built in to help keep the process moving.