This semester has been very much about gathering & accumulating.
I have been gathering materials ... Raw Materials.
I have created my own world of "material culture".
The raw materials of the natural environment & the raw materials of the Self.
My process is cataloged here:
http://raw-material-journal.blogspot.com/2015/11/raw-material-project-chronology.html
There are multiple facets to the project & I am attempting to find a format to present the work-in-progress with as much clarity as possible.
This week I go to Knoxville TN to perform in Circle Modern Dance's annual winter concert "Modern Dance / Primitive Light"
It's the company's 25th Anniversary this year.
I was one of the founding directors of the company & am invited back for this event as a "special guest artist".
I will be performing a solo in-the-moment composition - a live performance of RAW-(Material) where my palette of ingredients will be all the material I have gathered, accumulated, explored & developed so far in this project.
It's been a difficult time for me recently.
Last year saw the dissolving of an intense four-year relationship & partnership in an art-space venture. Although it is somewhat of a relief to be clear of the stress.
However, a new stress has replaced the old - as my Mother is in bad health & is needing a lot of care.
Recently I've been doing my MFA project work late at night while the rest of the world sleeps, as it's the only time I am free to focus.
But this work gives me hope for the future - it is strong & positive & I feel I am building something solid in my practice.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
DECEMBER 1st 2015 - Advisor Meeting Report
Meeting with Studio Advisor Linda Montano.
As Linda's focus with me is about "Life" & Life-as-Art, she was concerned about my present life as care-giver for my Mother. Mum is 81 & her health has been deteriorating over the past year - just over a month ago she had a very bad fall & got concussion. Since then there has had to be some life-style changes & she needs constant assistance with pretty much everything. So since returning to North Carolina I have adopted the role of care-giver in collaboration with my Dad.
Linda has also had the experience of taking care of an elderly parent. She said she made a lot of work about her Dad during the time she was taking care of him.
She planted seeds in my mind of how to approach incorporating this new area of my life into my work.
As I am working in the context of a journal, this form is very allowing & encompassing.
My journal entries take the form of daily writing, moving, vocalizing, interactions with nature & the environment - both in the studio & out in nature locations. Linda & I discussed ways of utilizing this format - that I already have in place for the project - to include explorations into my new role of Self.
As Linda's focus with me is about "Life" & Life-as-Art, she was concerned about my present life as care-giver for my Mother. Mum is 81 & her health has been deteriorating over the past year - just over a month ago she had a very bad fall & got concussion. Since then there has had to be some life-style changes & she needs constant assistance with pretty much everything. So since returning to North Carolina I have adopted the role of care-giver in collaboration with my Dad.
Linda has also had the experience of taking care of an elderly parent. She said she made a lot of work about her Dad during the time she was taking care of him.
She planted seeds in my mind of how to approach incorporating this new area of my life into my work.
As I am working in the context of a journal, this form is very allowing & encompassing.
My journal entries take the form of daily writing, moving, vocalizing, interactions with nature & the environment - both in the studio & out in nature locations. Linda & I discussed ways of utilizing this format - that I already have in place for the project - to include explorations into my new role of Self.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
600 WORD CRIT GROUP RESPONSE - Oct 15 - Nov 15
600 WORD CRITIQUE GROUP RESPONSE – October 15 – November 15 2015
Crit Group D decided to present in two shifts so that there
wasn’t a situation where the first person doesn’t have the opportunity to
present much progress on their project – while the last person doesn’t have
much time to consider & apply any of the group member’s comments. So we
went in two groups of three people – first presenting an introduction to the
project & receiving feedback … then presenting again to show progress on
the work & receive feedback.
My Introduction post – October 15th
My Progress post – November 6th
Feedback on Introduction:
Michelle gave a very poetic response – pure poetry,
in fact! And commented that the idea of RAW is limitless & extreme. She
also suggested that I pursue more photography with an emotional/visceral use of
the camera -as she had seen hints
of it in some of my images. I did this & was pleased with the results.
Johannes detected a sense of pilgrimage & process
– with a hint of “Nordic Tropicana”. He also planted a seed to think in terms
of “experimental journalism”.
My Hay Bales made him think of Van Gough. He suggested I
look at Anselm Kiefer, Beuys writing & the film Chronos.
Asher had thoughts of Ana Mendieta & Herman de
Vries. He wants to see me exploring & discovering without the confidence of
an experienced performer.
He commented on the idea of “evidence” … some evidence of my
having interacted with the raw materials of nature – like the bottles of
elderberry wine, baskets of apples, gaps in the wheat-field.
Analia noted that RAW = potential for Transformation
– using raw material to make something. The transformation could be something
as simple as the “silhouettes” (gaps) in the wheat. She suggested looking at
Pina Bausch “Complaint of an Empress” – for the body repeatedly falling due to
surface of ground.
Oliver noted my project statement & my fusing the
self with nature – he commented on how humans have separated ourselves from the
environment & my fusing with nature draws attention to this problem – but
does my poetic focus take away from the serious message?
Feedback on Progress:
Michelle gives another poetic poetry response &
comments that she sees much potential & possibilities in the footage I
presented.
Analia comments on the video footage saying that,
although the timing does need tightening up – not to pander to the modern
demand for fast pace – she thinks that contemplation & observation is
important for this work. She asks what is the difference between Raw &
Nature? & again emphasizes that Transformation is the key … taking the raw
& using it to create … & / or stripping everything down to the raw
material (as in my performance at somos)
She also comments that I have found an individual aesthetic
to avoid the potential clichés of my subject matter.
Oliver said the video of my performance at somos
caused him to reflect on body politics in art. Also on the dehumanization &
defeminization of women prisoners who had their hair shaved. He sees an
integration of my body Studies work with my Nature work in that it’s all raw
materials. He also comments on the fact that raw materials are for making
something (selling of hair, making apple jam)
Johannes sees my process in the context of art
history – he sees that it’s a very personal process, (which is why I’m not
repeating past historical tropes.)
Suggests: book – Andrea Fraser -Why does Fred Sandbacks work make me cry?”, Deleuze essay –
Body without Organs, Jan Svankmajer’s stop-motion.
He understands that the concept of Rawness unites all the
facets of my project.
Suggests careful editing to show material well.
Asher refers to the feeling of “gravitas” in my live
performance that he doesn’t sense so much in my videos. Comments on my use of
the word Interrogation & suggests I pursue that into self-scrutinization.
Likes the “radial” motion still images. Finds some of my video editing
distracting (in its current stage) – thinks of how to frame nature & body
in the same aesthetic.
The common thread I pick up on most in the commentary is the
idea of Raw Material becoming / transforming into something else – or being
affected. Whether it’s about “transformation” of a raw material … or “evidence”
of something having happened to the raw material – or the idea that the
material has a “purpose” to become.
This is GOOD … as Transformation is an underlying theme of
my work - & although I have not yet pursued this theme with great
deliberation to expose it yet, apparently it is coming through in the work
anyway!
Most of my peers also commented on how I have found a way to
avoid clichés of nature through my very personal approach of investigation via
the body-self.
Friday, November 13, 2015
NOVEMBER 15th 2015 - PROCESS / PROGRESS REPORT
Over the past month I have been creating new journal entries in the RAW-(Material) series, since returning to North Carolina - as well as working on editing the journal entries from my time in Nottinghamshire UK.
The editing process is gradual - I go from one piece to another, working a little at a time on each ... much in the same way that a painter might work on several pieces at once - each informing the other so that they remain consistent as a body of work.
I have also written a first draft of a project description.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION (first draft)
BODY STUDIES 1 2 3
http://transartcebtransart.blogspot.com/2015/11/body-studies-1-2-3-first-edits.html
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE
http://transartcebtransart.blogspot.com/2015/11/nottinghamshire-countryside.html
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN AUTUMN
http://transartcebtransart.blogspot.com/2015/11/southern-appalachian-autumn.html
Recent reading has included:
Subjectivity: Theories of the Self - Nick Mansfield
The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying - Sogyal Rinpoche
Angry Women - Andrea Juno
Against Interpretation & other essays - Susan Sontag
The editing process is gradual - I go from one piece to another, working a little at a time on each ... much in the same way that a painter might work on several pieces at once - each informing the other so that they remain consistent as a body of work.
I have also written a first draft of a project description.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION (first draft)
BODY STUDIES 1 2 3
http://transartcebtransart.blogspot.com/2015/11/body-studies-1-2-3-first-edits.html
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE
http://transartcebtransart.blogspot.com/2015/11/nottinghamshire-countryside.html
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN AUTUMN
http://transartcebtransart.blogspot.com/2015/11/southern-appalachian-autumn.html
Recent reading has included:
Subjectivity: Theories of the Self - Nick Mansfield
The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying - Sogyal Rinpoche
Angry Women - Andrea Juno
Against Interpretation & other essays - Susan Sontag
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE
During my stay in the UK, I was based in the rural agricultural Nottinghamshire countryside. It was harvest time & I was compelled to interact with the harvests of wheat, apples & elderberries. As well as artistic interaction, the use of these raw materials took on the practical aspects of making apple chutney & elderberry wine!
WHEAT
APPLES
WHEAT
IMAGES
#2 – Wheat
date – August 27 2015
location – Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire
VIDEO
#2: Wheat
date – August 27 2015
location – wheat field, Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire
camera – Ana MacArthur
first edit: https://youtu.be/VpTvkOQggFU
TEXT
Wheat – journal entry
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4cHBYnXHpXzQzZQc1BXbGVIRFE/view?usp=sharingAPPLES
IMAGES
#3 – Apples
date – September 3 2015
location – Osmanthorpe Orchard Nature Reserve,
Nottinghamshire
VIDEO
#3: Apples
date – September 3 2015
location – Osmanthorpe Orchard Nature Reserve,
Nottinghamshire
camera – tied to tree branches
first edit: https://youtu.be/1B_7lAsJVu0
TEXT
Apples – journal entry
HAY BALE
IMAGES
#4 - Haybale
date – September 11 2015
location – Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire
VIDEO
#4 - Haybale
date – September 11 2015
location – Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire
camera – held by wheat-stalks
first edit: https://youtu.be/lecYtYuoLCU
TEXT
Hay Bale – journal entry
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4cHBYnXHpXzRVB0b3E4UHpMcDQ/view?usp=sharing
ELDERBERRIES
IMAGES
#5 - Elderberries
date – September 6 to September 30 2015 (picking fruit to
bottling wine)
location – Southwell Trail, Nottinghamshire
VIDEO
#5 – Elderberries
date – September 21 2015
location – Southwell Trail, Nottinghamshire
camera - tripod set-up
first edit: https://youtu.be/QGa56Spg_aU
TEXT
Elderberries – journal entry
Sunday, November 8, 2015
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN AUTUMN
On returning to the states in time for the beautiful Southern
Appalachian Autumn season, I was compelled to respond. How to do this
without producing a cliche? One of the most renowned beauty spots in the
world in the height of “leaf” season – where tourists from all over the
world come to take pictures & videos – along with National
Geographic & everyone else!
The only way was to respond to the raw material of “mountains” & of “leaves” with the raw material of “self”.
MOUNTAINS
In Mountains, my response is tri-fold … to embrace, to salute & simply to be present:
In Lake Eden, this place calms my spirit - my response is to drift with the leaves in the water.
In Autumn Leaves, my response is to dance with the leaves … to swirl & spin:
The only way was to respond to the raw material of “mountains” & of “leaves” with the raw material of “self”.
MOUNTAINS
In Mountains, my response is tri-fold … to embrace, to salute & simply to be present:
VIDEO:
Mountains
date – October 28 2015
location – Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville NC
camera – tripod set-up
first edit: https://youtu.be/9lLF-yByY2c
Mountains
date – October 28 2015
location – Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville NC
camera – tripod set-up
first edit: https://youtu.be/9lLF-yByY2c
LAKE EDEN
In Lake Eden, this place calms my spirit - my response is to drift with the leaves in the water.
The former site of Black Mountain College, I feel it grounding me in the deep roots of creativity.
IMAGES:
Lake Eden
date – October 30 2015
location – Lake Eden (former BMC) Black Mountain NC
https://www.flickr.com/photos/114531261@N02/albums/72157660694277211
Lake Eden
date – October 30 2015
location – Lake Eden (former BMC) Black Mountain NC
https://www.flickr.com/photos/114531261@N02/albums/72157660694277211
VIDEO:
Lake Eden
date – October 30 2015
location – Lake Eden (former BMC) Black Mountain NC
camera – hand-held & tripod set-up
first edit: https://youtu.be/_S4gOlowlzw
Lake Eden
date – October 30 2015
location – Lake Eden (former BMC) Black Mountain NC
camera – hand-held & tripod set-up
first edit: https://youtu.be/_S4gOlowlzw
AUTUMN LEAVES - dancing
In Autumn Leaves, my response is to dance with the leaves … to swirl & spin:
IMAGES:
Autumn Leaves – dancing
date – October 31 2015
location – Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville NC
https://www.flickr.com/photos/114531261@N02/albums/72157658358090543
Autumn Leaves – dancing
date – October 31 2015
location – Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville NC
https://www.flickr.com/photos/114531261@N02/albums/72157658358090543
VIDEO:
Autumn Leaves
date - October 31 2015
location – Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville NC
camera – hand held & hung from tree
first edit: https://youtu.be/EVSBkyDPNaY
Autumn Leaves
date - October 31 2015
location – Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville NC
camera – hand held & hung from tree
first edit: https://youtu.be/EVSBkyDPNaY
PLEASE NOTE: The videos are all first edits - meaning that the footage has been narrowed down to clips I am considering using. The order, length & sound are all yet to be set.
Friday, November 6, 2015
BODY STUDIES 1 2 3 (first edits)
These three Body Studies show a process that continues directly on from my ritual "stripping down" performance at Somos gallery in Berlin.
... Once stripped of superfluous baggage (or at least, as much of it as that ritual helped me to strip) - what was I left with? What do I consist of?
The questioning felt like an interrogation.
The following three videos show the process of my response.
They are first edits containing the footage I have narrowed down to use from the original recording.
1) Body Parts
First of all, I asked myself …. “so now what are you?” ….. The answer seemed to be “I am nothing” – then looking at my assemblage of body-parts … “I am my hands” … “I am my feet” … “I am my legs” … “I am my back” … “I am my head” … “I am my breasts” …. etc etc
Here is the first edit of this interrogation:
Body Study #1 – Body Parts / date – September 30 2015 & October 9 2015 / location – Tozer Dance Studios, Hockerwood Farm, Nottinghamshire / camera – tripod set-up
https://youtu.be/hSpELyiKw04
2) Body Folding
After this interrogation, my initial response was to “fold in” on myself – a hiding or disappearing by becoming smaller in space, covering my body parts ….. however, the only thing available to cover body parts with were other body parts – thus exposing them …….. for every folding that closes & hides – something else is revealed, left open & vulnerable:
Body Study #2 – Body Folding / date – September 30 2015 / location – Tozer Dance Studios, Hockerwood Farm, Nottinghamshire / camera – tripod set-up
https://youtu.be/Crkb1hSYZdE
3) Body Dashing
From here comes the urge to escape …. but there is nowhere to go besides dashing around within the confinement of the self:
Body Study #3 – Body Dashing / date – October 9 2015 / location – Tozer Dance Studios, Hockerwood Farm, / Nottinghamshire / camera – tripod set-up
https://youtu.be/nWq_s6RIZYo
These three studies feel extremely vulnerable - they are part of a necessary process for this stage of my life & art.
Monday, November 2, 2015
NOVEMBER 2nd - Problems & Images
I am having MAJOR problems with video editing software at the moment ..........
exactly at the most inconvenient time - just when I'm preparing work to show for my Crit Group presentation ...... also trying to start putting together a proposal to exhibit the work in the Spring.
GREAT!
Anyway ........
I do have some recent images up-loaded onto flickr:
The image from Lake Eden is the old Black Mountain College dining hall where all the legendary BMC Happenings occurred!
exactly at the most inconvenient time - just when I'm preparing work to show for my Crit Group presentation ...... also trying to start putting together a proposal to exhibit the work in the Spring.
GREAT!
Anyway ........
I do have some recent images up-loaded onto flickr:
Lake Eden
date – October 30 2015
location – Lake Eden (former BMC) Black Mountain NC
Autumn Leaves – dancing
date – October 31 2015
location – Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville NC
The image from Lake Eden is the old Black Mountain College dining hall where all the legendary BMC Happenings occurred!
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
OCTOBER 15th 2015 - ADVISOR MEETING REPORT
I consider myself as extremely blessed to have the opportunity of having Linda M Montano as my Studio Advisor for this year.
As my current project & process is very much in the realm of Life-As-Art / Art-As-Life, Linda suggested - & we have both agreed - that we approach the work as "Life".
We have been conducting our correspondence in an on-going series of meetings & communications.
Linda's comments & observations have been personally challenging to me.
She has been noting aspects of the (my) Self coming through in the work - my body / actions - my interactions with materials (mainly in nature) - dealing with issues of aggression & anger, questioning if my motives are transgressive.
This has caused me to examine my motives & intentions - also to create arguments in their defence & of the resulting work. Also to find context for my arguments within the world of body-art & performance.
She has also noted that my recent trial-&-error experimentations with text come across to her as being true to myself - so I will continue to pursue this aspect of the work with honesty.
Another observation Linda made is that my photography of nature seems to ground & center me .... which, on considering this point, is very accurate.
..... In terms of creating a "piece" - very little has been discussed so far in terms of thinking towards any kind of finished product (due to the exploratory nature of this stage of the project & our agreed approach towards it) .... however, Linda did echo my thoughts on combining text, video & images in an installation format.
As my current project & process is very much in the realm of Life-As-Art / Art-As-Life, Linda suggested - & we have both agreed - that we approach the work as "Life".
We have been conducting our correspondence in an on-going series of meetings & communications.
Linda's comments & observations have been personally challenging to me.
She has been noting aspects of the (my) Self coming through in the work - my body / actions - my interactions with materials (mainly in nature) - dealing with issues of aggression & anger, questioning if my motives are transgressive.
This has caused me to examine my motives & intentions - also to create arguments in their defence & of the resulting work. Also to find context for my arguments within the world of body-art & performance.
She has also noted that my recent trial-&-error experimentations with text come across to her as being true to myself - so I will continue to pursue this aspect of the work with honesty.
Another observation Linda made is that my photography of nature seems to ground & center me .... which, on considering this point, is very accurate.
..... In terms of creating a "piece" - very little has been discussed so far in terms of thinking towards any kind of finished product (due to the exploratory nature of this stage of the project & our agreed approach towards it) .... however, Linda did echo my thoughts on combining text, video & images in an installation format.
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