17 October. Methodology and studio time

 

• This mornings Personal Project Development & Professional Practice session made me really consider what conversation I'm trying to have and how.  
• I think I know what I don't want to do.
• I want to create sensitive and candid art that records female roles now, but makes people question how we got here. I'm slowly delving into deep rooted patriarchal religious influences but feel I need to understand more about contemporary responses to motherhood.
• After the ethics session I'd put some questions together to prompt conversations and now I'm not sure if I want to go down this route. I enjoy the discussion but I don't know what my objective is. I don't share the same experience of many in relation to motherhood and my own roles and relationships and I don't think I want to examine that. I prefer the broader areas of investigation but am questioning what these are without any personal reflection.  
• After the Leanardo Cartoon (Saville essay) really helped me -  so I think I need to step out of the studio to look at what Kiki Smith and Cindy Sherman were really saying in their work before adding any further contribution to the conversation.
• I need to avoid some pitfalls which will just send my practice sideways so will do a mind map.

• Joy popped over and said that my work was illustrative - which I recognise.  I'm not sure what I'm trying to achieve so I don't know how I feel about it but, she did also comment that she's not sure if the painting depicts someone malevolent  or cheeky- this was my intention, as I'm trying to combine the idea of a modern gran being labelled as a witch with a current understanding to reflect the - " It wasn't witches we burned it was women" statement.

 

Details from where I left off in the studio on Friday and (large main image) progress today. I wanted depth in the shadows to sink her into her surroundings but I'm questioning if the hair was better before and may all it back.

I like the textures and am enjoying making these but I don't like that I don't know where there're going so the methodology is coming at a good time for me. 

• Progress - This was a response to a Cindy Sherman work but I feel the context is lost now that I'm not looking at the work as a reference or reading any reviews. I'm just being led by the materials and creating another fairytale image,  I've not looked far enough into what Sherman was attempting with the waxy arms, obvious mask and "suggestion" of a broom. I need to stand on the shoulders of Sherman. 
• While working on this I did consider how we've reinvented the image of an old witch.  When women were persecuted and killed for being a witch, the average life expectancy was steadily rising from 24.7 in the 1600s to 49.4 in the 1700's so essentially, young mothers, grandmothers and daughters were persecuted.  The historical reality is given a fairytale effect. 
• Without a reference I've leaned into a kind old lady face but I'm considering the question "what if granny floats?" as a behavioural trigger in relaxed modern language.
• What if mum floats.....?

I have an ongoing conversation with myself around how much of my personal experience do I want to bring to my practice.

I don't necessarily want to create autobiographical work

What does honestly matter to me?

• I am definately interested in the female experience, identity, domestic relationships, social norms and behaviours.
• I do love a good fairytale... but I like dinosaurs too...and don't expect that these will find their way into my work. 
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