Unpicking and Rebinding. Les Bicknell

Research, Process and Practice seminar
11th November 2013

http://lesbicknell.blogspot.co.uk/

http://unpickingandrebinding.blogspot.co.uk/

Anatomy of an artist project
Les Bicknell took us through an illustrated tour of his project, from initial ideas and influence through to all the processes in making it happen. What he noticed, was drawn to, linked together.

Commentary and writing on the subject can be a way in.
Funding - making new work in response to objects / archives / collections.
Process, mix of strategy and chance.
Key moments - threshold concepts, metaphors
Defining the project - making specific / diversions - which is the project?
At any moment a diversion can become the work
Connection - theory - categorisation
Working with archivists who think through categorisation - use their structures
When does an object become itself? diff methods
Each object has own unique story - changes with each view
Book changes according to reader
Categorising from '70's less archetypal -
Pitt Rivers - evolution of objects by similarity
Slowly evolving objects
Lessons - you don't know what you don't know -
time to discover, talk to experts, knowledgeable people
A thing is just a thing without a story
Change of materials informs practice
Shift between ways and materials
Conversation with makers of objects through time
Diff spaces - opportunities to show
Institutions may be interested in extending the possibilities
Large interventions
Objects informed by original - shown with new - feed off each other - not pastiche
Sense of order - objects measure lives
Depth of information relating to practice
Sometimes not the work but how artist thinks and works
Define in advance to attract funding - how not to know
Mapping of process through archives
Don't have to say what will be made
But whatever is made will be exhibited, etc
Also workshops, teaching prog etc
Can really do anything, as those working with are not artists

Creating an archive - think of the use of object
Alternative narratives
Step outside of self
Use random systems
Brian Eno Oblique Strategy cards
http://www.rtqe.net/ObliqueStrategies/
Finding text - searching libraries, librarians
Do you know anything about this
Who influenced?
Use bibliographies
There will be seminal text - wade through to find
Scan text - shorter versions to grasp concepts and ideas and for interest
what level of debate
Melvyn Bragg In Our Time - great accessible archive of science, ideas,etc, with experts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl
If you had to find your project on the internet - what 4 words?
Ernst van Alphen - research in visual arts
http://www.hum.leiden.edu/lucas/organisation/members/alphenejvan.html
Time Ingold - Lines, a brief history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Ingold

Transubstantiation - transforming
Belief in art / objects
Specific reading to a moment in time
Real object in moving image - eg a pixilated tree

The whole process if quite sculptural, like carving a giant block and leaving the interesting bits

Reflection

A very extensive and detailed lecture, specific to one project. Plenty of general principles to apply to others. At once revealing, encouraging and daunting. The process of funding and organising in order to be let free to discover and make work, still seems like a series of hoops.

15th November 2013