Group Seminar Working Practices

Conversation Alexa, James. Sarah, Eleanor, with Emma, about working practices, tutors' responses.
18th June 2012

I found with the Asynchronous Seminar where we are discussing our working practices, that although I write down an approach, and define my working practice, it is one of those things where I hear myself speak, or read what I have written, and then consider that it may not necessarily be so. It's quite hard to define methods and practice because they vary so much, and I find myself relating to what other people have written, even if I have declared myself somewhat opposite.

These discussions and seminars are different to all the blogging and reflective writing we do - it is that chance to really hear what you are saying, and to just say, without necessarily being so considered, positions which can change

The audience experience. It's an interesting viewpoint to make work with the end desired effect in mind, and to work backwards. And yes, I guess I have made work like that, when I have specific requirements to fulfil, especially if it is an interactive piece. I like the idea of trying that completely, of imagining a particular encounter with the audience first, and then working backwards. As to effect, I don't really want the audience to entirely know what they are experiencing. I will put all of myself and everything I can do into a work, in the hope that a viewer will enter, get some references and so on, yes, but mainly have their own abstracted experience. I'm sure I said this better in the conversation.

Talking about process always sounds more definitive and confident than the messy reality.

We discussed whether work has changed because of audience response.It's difficult to say. It's such a different experience showing work to making it, and it's hard to define what happens when, as an artist, you see someone you don't know looking at your work, getting something from it that has nothing to do with you, conversing with your work without you mediating or joining in. It's fantastic. You don't always get feedback, and in some ways the aim of making art is so that it can go out there and have a life of it's own. So yes, as an artist you respond to that, and it must feed in to further making. Perhaps more obviously, you glean better practice from what does or does not get more notice or attention in a gallery, and install it to best advantage, but I have no problem in making quiet or more unnoticeable work that not all the audience will see.

We discussed ideals in art, what effect it can and should have. That's also something to consider, because of course art can be extremely powerful. However, I think most of us on the MA are not used to much exposure, or feeling that our art or messages transmit much further than our own studios. We talk and study and read about the effect of art in our lives, on life, and it's good to apply all that to our own work outside of our own internal thoughts.

What I think art is is metaphor. In my degree catalogue we all had an image and sentence of text. I said - Life is like a metaphor. I go with that. Art is a metaphor for things in life, and my art is consciously metaphorical, if that can be so.

18th June 2012