Archives for category: constellation

Original drawing

Mixed media on black recycled card, A1

Star chart 8

Digital manipulation:

Star chart 8 remix

I’ve been continuing this series of drawings that started in March as the Covid-19 lockdown began in Belfast. The process harks back to an earlier method of working, where marks are added and erased until a precarious, fragile balance is achieved. Lately I’ve felt the process becoming repetitive, the early excitement burning out. Digital manipulation or ‘remixing’ of the work presents a new avenue of possible development, extremely intricate and unexpected new configurations are possible. These may suggest organic growth, the infinite complexity inherent in nature from the structure of cells to galaxies. The next step may be to attempt to replicate these through drawing, or acquiring a plotter and learning how to program it to draw.

Star Chart Series VII

Mixed media on black recycled card

A1

Continually trying to add depth and intensity to these drawings. Composing with forms, densely worked areas need sparsity. There is a constant play of revisions; ghostly marks remain, distant remnants.

Detail:

Star Chart Series VII detail

Star Chart Series V

Star Chart Series Drawing V

Mixed media on black recycled card

A1

I’m moving between composed drawings and ones where a pre-determined process determines the outcome. This style is composed; working on it felt like the way I used to approach paintings and collages, where each part would effect the whole and many revisions take place before a fragile balance is achieved.

iii

I’m continuing this lockdown series, accumulating shapes in ordered and chaotic formations.

A0

Mixed media on black recycled card.

Detail:

detail of burst

circle 24 3

Wall drawing is becoming more focussed and minimal, though I hesitate to use that word. Something is activated when multiple layers of chalk are built up, the form appears more solid and sculptural.

d r a w i n g

The plug socket is included to give a sense of scale.

I talked about a need for new approaches to the ongoing wall piece in my last post. Since then I have been conducting experiments with new forms:

new forms

Responding to criticism, I have chosen an indentation in the studio to trace and repeat in the above rhomboid form. Care was taken to ensure the chosen mark’s shape could not be easily read as animal like, or to evoke many associations beyond it’s own pure form.

shape of itself

I am preparing for our MFA mid term show this Thursday night in the art college. Rather than try to seek a resolution, where the whole wall coheres as a piece, I have decided to heed one of my tutors advice and set up an experimental drawing ‘lab’ for the duration of the show. This will free me up, the idea of having to produce a ‘resolved’ piece fills me with anxiety. In my experience anxiety is a perrenial enemy of creativity.

One possible idea would be to use black as a framing device, perhaps with the repeated blob shape, as in this hastily mocked up photoshop picture:

mock

This would heighten the impact of the central band of marks. Another idea for potential development is sanding the wall. I like the looking through tracing paper effect of this, as seen in this small section:

sandy

The piece will continue to evolve in the coming days, over the duration of the show. I will be performing in a time based work. I’ll update this blog with what happens.

The Orpheus building wall piece has continued to grow over the last few weeks. I have employed the same rational, measured and almost ritualistic process of tracing and transferring marks in it’s creation.

wall1912b

wall1

wallc

Marks congregate around my eye level, the natural and most comfortable place to work. In this way I leave a trace of the mass of my own self on the space.

walle

Several sections occur where where marks are most layered and concentrated.

walld

A photograph of one wall inverted. I think it resembles a constellation.

wallg

I could continue this approach until the end of the academic year, but I want to interrupt it and set new rules.

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