Q-Art Crit Wimbledon

I am showing some work at this crit event:

http://q-art.org.uk/portfolio/crit-42-wimbleton-college-of-arts-28th-november-2013/

After the event day at the V&A examining the possibilities of critique, I was keen to participate:

http://eleanormacfarlane.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/q-art-questioning-crit.html

I realise it's really been a while since I got the chance to show work to strangers - the unknown. Within the MA, our critique is increasingly constructive I think, but there's something to be said for showing work outside such a safe and sympathetic environment.

21st November 2013

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I showed Construction and The Future Past Tense at the Q-Art crit at Wimbledon. Firstly, it was great for me to see both works projected large and with full sound. After the Q-Art day at the V&A, exploring different models and possibilities of the art crit,
http://eleanormacfarlane.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/q-art-questioning-crit.html
I was keen to try showing work with less mediation and explanation, almost showing it blind in order to see what kind of response I would get. At these crits artists are free to model the crit as they would like.

There were not particularly surprising or unexpected responses, and in other words, people picked up on what the pieces were about and how I hope and intend them to be read.

Comments from the group:

The Future Past Tense
Layered shadows
Visually painterly
Endless - scary
Freedom, flight

Construction
Underground
Working it out - garage, walls, hole
Implied narrative
Sound muffled - social elite, dinner party, private view
Closing in
Something happening behind you
Like being in a computer game
A tight space, but with hope

Overall - endless and scary
A confusion between sound and vision

We talked about installation, and how Construction could be shown anywhere as an inbuilt installation. Mention of Pipilotti Rist, but also appreciating the difference. Explained my process just a little, and how I make the visual and sound in a similar manner. The sound/ vision confusion was discussed. The person who mentioned it said it was a pleasant confusion.

Reflection

This was a great experience to show work to a room full of strange artists and art students.It was a bit of an experiment to present without explanation - usually I'd say the title and statement are part of the work, but it's an opportunity to check initial response. I would have liked more time to explore the sound and vision confusion, because that is an area of intent which intrigues me.

It was great to spend time talking about art with other artists - I really like the whole crit experience, even though we are all aware that occasionally it can be downright uncomfortable or confrontational. The others presenting work made it a diverse evening.

One painter is about to graduate and feeling her work reflects the house style too much - she wants to break free. Her work is interesting but does not really reflect what she says - a desire to have no references or narrative - they are earthy and colourful. Her statement is very wordy, admittedly a shield. Really, she just needs to graduate.

Another artist had quite a hard time in the crit - she is a new graduate who got a residency in her home county, basically repeating her art foundation as her project. Even talking to a roomful of artists the intent is unclear, as she is being less careful with the actual work - the overall feeling of the group is that it is arrogant. She's quite torn on what to do. Her other work is much more interesting - making a positive out of being a swift-moving responsive jack of all trades. She set up a little battery fans piece which is a more authentic reflection of her practice.

Film maker showing double screen - one a "normal" person the other, the same person acting disabled. Very powerful and effective, but I was still struck by the artifice of it all. It was being discussed in the group as if it was real, whereas it is acted - another layer altogether. Discussed the possible exploitative elements.

Discussed overall the right artists have to make work about something they are not directly involved in - disability, schizophrenia, etc, and how some tutors have given people a hard time about that, say it is invalid. General agreement that if an artist is moved to make work they have a right - otherwise art gets marginalised.

I couldn't help thinking about the response to the sound, and the recent assessment comments about Construction.

http://eleanormacfarlane.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/reflective-practice-21-assessment.html

Everyone else apart from the OCA has found the sound deliberately disorientating and out of synch with the vision, giving a feeling of things shifting and destabilising, and happening elsewhere. Frustrating!

2nd December 2013