from process>>>>>>>>>>conceptual

Last night I could not sleep and spent hours dreaming and thinking about Conceptual Art.
I have already signalleda shift in my emphasis next term and now I have begun thinking about it. Round and round, names, titles, whole concepts that I can create and yet I haven't a clue as to how to make them happen. It's completely an opposite operation from 'process'.
In french we say...ca ma prise la tete! ( it has taken my head)
Reading about it today.

Analogues.

I present these as examples of some art that I did while doing the training in Wellington last week.
They are analogues for leadership, vision and self. ( at various stages of the training)

Andy Goldsworthy.

Something else that happened in Wellington, was getting access to books at the central library.
This book by Andy Goldsworthy was fantastic. It has opened up all sorts of new ideas of how I can work, something I will put into action next term.. Once again serving to contract my 'studio' space and make myself more flexible for being on the road and travelling.

I just love the description of the work and some process. These are two photographs I took from the book before I was accosted by the security guard. This type of work I visited with my rock scape at Cape Foulwind last year. I feel there is much to explore here.
The use of text to support the work also appeals. I looked at his work a year ago and felt nothing at all. And now I am completely enchanted and inspired.

Telecom Prospect 2007

Here begins the story of my love affair with et al.
Last week I went to Wellington, New Zealand, and at the end of a brilliant week doing Genuine Contact program ( Train the Trainers) I spent two days focused on art in the city, whats on, standing in front of pictures etc. I had my first experience of an installation by Et Al.
I had just come from doing work with GC and Open Space Technology both of which utilize the mythological and dynamic meaning of the circle to inform subsequent beliefs and processes. The relationship between this work and my art is centred on some ideas of Adults as Learners, Left Brain and Right Brain Thinking and so on. Read this from the book by Dan Pink, A Whole New Mind. (2005)
I realized when I saw the Et Al installation that I could completely recontextualize my Art Vision and align it with my work with Open Space Technology and Creativity. Perhaps it is simply a way of contracting my current art model in readiness for travelling to Canada in a couple of months.
Et Al used found materials, common objects, music, image, light boxes and paper, masking tape, felt markers......these are all the basic tools I use when I facillitate Open Space Technology events/meetings.
There are some common threads that I am trying to weave into my work.

here begins the recording of weeks 7, 8 & 9 term 2

I've been reading this book to keep in touch with some New Zealand art. And of course I have spent a number of hours looking at New Zealand in Welington during week seven.

triganometer

100cmx100cm liquid wax, dye and india ink

Finishing off these works before I set off for Wellington to do some Genuine Contact Training.
Very happy with this piece and the possibility to do more.
150 metres of line. The piece has a powerful pulse working. there are strong forces at play creating figure, landforms, valleys and perspective. The detail however reveals a much more calm process.
Too soon to write in great detail what I think is going on.

screen triptych (completed)

,
180cmx40cmx3
hot wax on thick tracing paper, water soluble dye.

I'm pleased with the restored and completed screen. Considering that I started with the bare wooden supports it has been a satisfying process, one that I want to develop. I thought that when I go somewhere new, I might look out for more screens like this, repaper them and paint onto the support. the effect of the light shining through the relative opacity and transparency/translucence is beautuful and engaging.
The proces was interesting in the way I had to tell myself over and over to 'keep going' and 'don't give up' I create or encounter probelms both technical and emotional. I think I am of an age now that I just doggedly keep going. It continues to be like the cooking experience.....one just can't give up on ones cooking 'creations'.
Yes it is clear that I am still working with this transpapency theme which I picked up nearly 9 months ago, with those early greaseproof paper samples. I think it's beautiful. One part of the process is that past a certain point ( second layer of dye) I loose touch with the overall shape/sense/idea of the image. By the time the final layer of dye goes on.....it is impossible to recall/visualize the whole.
I like that...always being prepared to be suprised!

metre square of archaeological data

nearing completion, some structural reworking necessary and more cleaning but am still working towards a coherent end.....it has weight, mass, density and an imposing third dimension. it presents itself as a metre square surface and much much more. I have incorporated the usual surfeit of data, information, content, passage etc ( as I do on a painted surface) but it works differently with the extra dimension.

next term

I spent time today melting and casting lead...........fascinating process.
My thoughts this morning for next term were that I would concentrate on 3D and photography.
The term coming will be a transitionary period before setting off overseas. So I thought to leave the drawing and painting alone and get familiar with some of the challenges with doing 3D and photography while on the move.

supports and time well spent

It surprises me how many hours I put into creating the support for the paintings and drawings.

The issue is that it is not proper time and something to be gotten over with, that it's somehow 'irrelevant' or superfluous.

I am planning to draw and paint onto transparent paper using wax and dyes. The support in this case being three wooden screens each being 40cmx180cm. It has required experimentation with the paper, glues and heat. All this takes time. The screens will then be mounted in a free standing partition. There have been set backs and restarts. All this takes time.

When I am preparing the supports for metre square works, this process sometimes takes forever.

I believe it is very important time spent, my finding it grounding, reassuring and practical.

At these times it feels like I am not doing art, which helps.