Author: Cathy

Core Studio Assessment 1.  Reflection – Open Studio

A Weight Off Your Mind

Making objects excites me, and the hands-on work in the Sculpture class studio has given me the encouragement to experiment, and the permission to play.  Thinking more about the visual language of materials and how to listen to the way each material speaks during the process of manipulation has been the focus of my learning.   

The sculptural brief A Weight Off Your Mind with the focus on weight has been an important element to start with, as often one only sees shape, form, line or colour when viewing an artwork.  I fully understand the value of weight within the art discipline of Dance, because dance is pattern making, filling the stage volume void with a mass of touching, close-knit bodies within three-dimensional shapes.  As a dancer, I had to control my body movements to appear either heavy or light, and had to display strength and skill effortlessly to lift or be lifted, to balance and to be suspended in the air.  Therefore, over the last four weeks, I have learnt to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects that focus on weight concepts, that feel light or heavy, that touch soft or rough, that view dark or light, and that show strength or weakness, or gravitational push/pull tensions, etc. 

Creating the taste of an object, rather than creating just a visual representation of how it looks, is an ideal goal to consider, and to reach in my art exploration.  I prefer light, long-in-length, elegant, graceful and beautiful looking objects, but I seem to have created very heavy, dark, ungraceful, and quite weird and ugly structures. 

Instructional Texts

I was fully engaged in the first brief, in the first week, in Covid 19 Lockdown, because interpreting and analysing words with no pictures is interesting to me.  Utilising creative writing was a useful starting point to generate ideas.  The Tricks: Warm-up Drawings and poetic text Drawing Grapefruit, by Yoko Ono, introduced by John Lennon, was exciting and very inspirational to me, in particular Ono’s sun and moon poems.  One idea led to another, and I found contentment being alone in Lockdown, just quietly drawing.  

After reading the instructional Tricks – Warm-up Drawings, I focused on making a set of small ink linear dashes for the text: Draw exactly the same line 1000 times.  My second drawing expanded on some of this instruction: Draw exactly the same line, by developing a graphite work of connecting circles.  Yet, my focus was to not draw 1000 circles, just the same size circle over and over, on top of each other, like a warped spiralling spring Slinky toy.  This circular sketch, A3 in size, started linear.  It developed into a dark, heavily shaded tonal work of tunnel-like structures like tin cans, but with the linear edges of the circles still defined.  

As I enjoyed creating the tin can tunnel effect, I chose next the instructional text: Make the largest drawing possible.  I created a 2.8 metre in length second circle drawing with soft, light lines.  After reading Ono’s poem: There are one thousand suns arising every day, and the Tuna-fish Sandwich Piece poem’s first line: Imagine one thousand suns in the sky at the same time, my light connected circles become rising suns.

If I had time to develop this third body of work, I would like to show a linear and tonal contrast by adding dark (heavy) tones to some of the interconnected circle suns, leaving some circle suns as soft (light) lines without any tone.  Changing the medium of graphite to paint, and introducing colour tonal effects is another developmental idea.  A three-dimensional cylinder tin can sculpture is another visualisation to extend my ideas of the text: Imagine One Thousand Suns. 

Whilst enjoying mark-making and blending graphite, a light invisible rubbed out space appeared, opening up between two shaded areas without any preconceived manipulation, for my fourth drawing of a chosen text instruction: Make an invisible line that everyone can see. 

For my fifth instructional text artwork, I chose a different medium.  As I like overlapping and layering materials, I invented a black on white card collage assemblage, and a narrative for Ono’s 1966 text: Shoot 100 Panes Of Glass.  

Then further research of Ono’s poetry about our satellite moon provided additional inspiration to interpret her texts in my own way.  I photographed the moon at evening and dawn from my house veranda, and observed the heavy sphere mass change shape and change colour.  As a crescent, the moon looked light and weightless in the dark, dense volume of sky, and there was no sight of its strong gravitational power and pull.  Mixing these moon photographs with some recent chrysalis photographs, I invented a Moon Metamorphosis narrative and video.

Connecting dot to dot points with lines, on specifically chosen letters in texts such as the Entopic Graphomania exercise, supported me to create original two-dimensional drawings.  If time had allowed, I would have liked to continue to explore this concept further, by making an enlarged linear drawing contrasting light, open criss-cross lines with heavy, close-knit criss-cross lines, that shift across the page.  Yet, we left Lockdown and started our learning in the studio.

Spatial Sketches

I enjoyed viewing and discussing early 20^th century Constructivist sculptors: Naum Gabo and Alexander Calder.  Their kinetic and spatial sculptures made of metal, wire, plastic and glass, still look contemporary today, and provided me with examples of weight qualities.  Rose Nolan’s use of light cardboard, and Kāryn Taylor’s use of soft luminous lit linear cast acrylic rods within hard-edge box frames, reveal female artists working today and their concepts of weight.  

At first, I found drawing 3-dimensional sculptural ideas difficult within my workbook, yet as soon as I started using my hands to play and manipulate the material of cardboard, wire and foam board, ideas flowed.  I further extended a foam spatial sculpture by trialling laser-cutting in the workshop.

During my first attempt, I questioned how could I represent lightness with a heavier material, and vice versa.  I also thought about how the thin, light laminated card could show planes, and linear edges towards the viewer as I folded through, connected and built a collaborative relationship between its long lengths.

I am aware of my visual, spatial and kinaesthetic abilities, and the qualities that I am attracted to.  Colour tones excite me, and I like linear curves, tonal shadows, and movement and mathematical concepts: in, out, over, under, through, around, beside, twist and turn, etc.  Geometrical shapes, and repetitive algebraic shape patterns, texture contrasts, dark against light contrasts, larger size objects rather than small, and solid forms rather than thin, are also important to me.

Wood Sculpture

I am inspired by the planar shapes and linear edges of both nature and man-made structures.  I started a spatial sketch by visualising an igloo’s straight oblong blocks of ice, layered to build height within a circular or arched ovoid form. 

Large sculptures excite me, and it was recommended to upscale a chosen spatial sketch.  I imagined a roughly sawn firewood timber pile, re-arranged in layers, yet, this involved too much cost, and weight.  Whilst scavenging for reusable materials out of local neighbourhood recycling Skips, I sourced a number of interesting shaped cardboard boxes, polystyrene, plastic and copper piping.  Also layered in piles, and free on footpath berms were Shipping Pallets which I was able to lift and put into my car-boot.  

As I had already begun an overly ambitious project of producing a large-scale cast plaster and concrete box sculpture in the studio, I deconstructed these collected pallets at home during the after-hour evenings and in a weekend.  After hammering off the pallet timber lengths and cutting with a circular saw into small, medium and larger rectangular pieces, I then drilled holes.  I imagined layering them unevenly, and twisting them in and out around a central form such as black grey steel, therefore I changed my igloo idea of white ice to black burnt timber. 

After bending a 1.8 metre steel rod into an oval shape at the studio workshop, I layered my painted black pallet pieces into an algebraic pattern from small to large, through the steel to make a spiky ovoid.  Originally, my plan was to make an approximately 2 metre sculpture by welding the two 1.8 steel pieces together that I had purchased from a metal factory.  Yet, because this was my first attempt at upscaling and changing one of my spatial sketches, I decided to start on a smaller scale with only 1 piece of steel.  Time was also not on my side, and my pallet resources were low.

As I worked with the pallet material, making my spiky ovoid, I noticed by accident a new artwork emerging from within my deconstruction.  I was visually inspired by the timber’s gaping holes and shapes, and I wanted to extend this found object with colour and paint.  The timber material was leading me into a new sculptural direction.  I enjoyed seeing through the continuous reflective shapes (like a picture frame, mirror reflection, or windows within windows) to the vista beyond.

Overall, my original concept remained, one of creating a curved sculpture in a geometric form such as an ovoid.  Yet, instead of foam board and wire, I utilised timber to cut the oblong spikes that could be pointed in different directions.  I could produce different effects such as shifting and moving each oblong to be angled in, or out, or rearranged by placing on top of each other in an exact alignment.

I also up-scaled the size of the sculpture, and changed the icy white colour to black to represent heaviness.  I like the Japanese tradition of Shou Sugi Ban, charring the surface of cedar board wood to clad traditional houses.  Therefore, I painted the pallets black to create a dark, heavier burnt feeling, linking also to my original firewood timber idea.  

My bent steel ends were not even, therefore I struggled to fit both sides into a base of correctly aligned drilled holes.  I overcame this barrier, by cutting a part off a pallet to make a box as a base to just sit the steel frame into.  Unfortunately, the finished sculpture silhouette feels slightly manufactured, even though hand-built.  Instead, I would have preferred rough timber edges with a burnt texture.  Perhaps, I need to make it feel more organic, natural, and raw, by scorching it, or burning it to death by the element of fire… as suggested (i.e., a type of ‘Performance Art’… construct, then deconstruct).  Or just leave it outside to disintegrate and age by the weather, algae and insects.

Concrete Sculpture

I seem to have an affinity with concrete, I like the heavy, solid feel.  Living in a house made of layers of concrete blocks, smothered with rough textured plaster, reddish brown and golden coloured polished concrete floors, and a concrete flat roof makes me aware of concrete’s qualities.  To me, concrete is not cold or brutal, but cool in summer and warm in winter.  I like how other materials such as timber boards are now used in architecture to create textured patterns on the wall surfaces of buildings, perhaps to provide interest, and light and shadow upon the dense mass.  

English sculptor Rachel Whiteread’s concrete work, titled House, 1993, presented at the start of our Week 3 class, and Substitution, Displacement Brief harnessed my curiosity. I was drawn to her inside, outside concepts, and solid, identifiable cast forms (i.e. domestic objects on a large scale ranging from an inspirational staircase, a room, and a bookcase).

Many houses are constructed utilising concrete frames and inner and outer walls.  Yet Whiteread’s idea to show the inside of a house on the outside was quite disorientating, because some interior features like inner window frames were shown, and others like the staircase were not.  Before destroying a normal building’s exterior, (and interior), the window and door light pathways were solidified and covered up to pump the house with a heavy mass of concrete.  This displacement of the normal interior’s space, and substitution of the exterior, reminded me of a prison cell or underground bunker, where there is no escape.  This leads me to question what does a house or building represent, both inside or outside? 

Week 3’s Brief focused upon the mass and surrounding space of heavy materials, such as plaster and cement.  I started the process with the bag of cement, rather than the plaster powder.  Both mediums looked exciting, after working with lighter materials such as paper and cardboard.

I tried to not purposely visualise a shape to make.  Instead, after viewing my fabric scraps, I chose an already ripped up, cut out T-shape of thick material.  Instantly, I saw I could fold two parts to make shorter arm-like sleeves, and I hand sewed to each triangular point.  The other length I tied into a knot and sewed the outer edges together.  It became a strange baggy 3 armed star-type pattern ready to insert my chosen wet material of cement. 

It took awhile for me to mix the concrete and, as I am very tactile, I put my gloved hands in.  No wonder I got blisters, raw skin and cuts, as my rubber gloves disintegrated!  Inserting the wet mixture through and down towards the three knotted pointed arms and draping it over a large cylinder pipe was the next step.  It stretched at least half a metre, becoming quite heavy filled with wet cement. 

For some reason I am attracted to creating large, not small objects.  So it was hard to lift, and settle over the support material, but I enjoyed manipulating the points and body, by curling, twisting and smoothing the wet fabric covered slug into a starfish position.

After less than a week, I carefully cut the clothes away from the dried body.  Two corners broke as I cut, but was able to reglue the horn shape.  Instead of smoothing the concrete with a polishing tool, I decided to just rub the textured sandy surface clean to expose its natural raw look.  The soft, light grey colour and thin points made it look lighter, yet the mass was solid, and heavy to pick up.  A black fabric growth, like algae, was unbudging, so it was left as a soft, light contrast emerging from a hard crevasse. 

Previously, I have only used cement around garden edges, this has been my first attempt at mixing and creating an object using cement.  I like how the object has evolved from a pebbly powder to a wet, roughly textured form, then changed again like metamorphosis into a raw, organic, heavy and hard rock formation.  I kind of like how it is weird, and ugly.  Also, I was surprised to see the sculpture look like an animal fossil bone, with spiral points like horns of a ram.  It wouldn’t look out of place slowly weathering and decomposing on a beach landscape.  My next step was to trial plaster, then combine plaster and cement with my planar and linear box design.

Box, Fabric, Plaster and Concrete Sculpture

“Whoa!”  “What a mess!”  It was hard work, fun and a great learning curve creating a large sculpture.  It was easier, taking about 20 minutes to push, pull and rearrange my found objects: (cardboard boxes and a metal rod) into a planar and linear form.  I inserted the rod on an appropriate diagonal angle, and taped together the four large boxes together before our class started on our 3^rd week’s brief: Substitution and Displacement.  (See Oblong Box DESIGN below).

This brief stated we needed to use a light material such as fabric, and hard materials such as plaster and/or cement to further extend our planar and linear designs.  Therefore, I added fabric on top of the two large boxes, and draped and gathered folds, sewing rosettes here and there.  I then turned my two box project upside down to add volume: (heavy plaster and cement) into the boxes.  The plaster and concrete mass pushed down against the fabric to imprint my sewn rosette and folded fabric pattern. 

As I am a colourist, I added an extra component of coloured dye to the plaster work.  One needs a lot of dye to make a strong colour, therefore I knew my colours may not be particularly strong.  After the plaster and cement dried, I was excited to rip off the fabric to reveal the brown dyed plaster had become a faded fawn colour, the vermillion came out orangey salmon, the violet turned icy blue, and the violet mixed with vermillion turned icy pink, like cake icing.  My favourite parts of my grungy sculpture are the geological landscapes of fabric plaster folds, and ice shelf plaster oblongs displaying an Antarctica ice white blue cave colour.

My Box, Fabric, Plaster and Concrete Sculpture was an ambitious, very dusty and messy project!  (See below).  I completed the sculpture to my best of ability in the timeframe of four and half days (Week 3: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Week 4: Tuesday, and half of Wednesday).  I do not mind not achieving my original vision: Oblong Box design, because I enjoyed every moment of the making process.  I learnt how to manipulate and combine light materials such as fabric, reinforcing wire mesh and cardboard boxes, and then mix materials of mass such as a metal rod, cement and plaster!

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have been extremely dedicated, focused and hard-working in my first Core Studio class of Sculpture.  I have kept my blog up-to-date, continuously documented my work, participated and contributed within each class, and worked in the studio for full, whole days, plus many extra hours at home. 

In the future, I would like to further extend the Instructional Text art ideas in a variety of mediums, and continue to invent sculptures with both light and heavy qualities.  I am interested in materials with mass and volume, such as wood, concrete, plaster, and metals, in particular the alloy bronze.  I enjoyed each task, and have gained new understandings of the overall brief: A Weight Off Your Mind.  Cathy 27.03.2021

‘SUBSTITUTION, DISPLACEMENT’ (MATERIALS, MASS AND SPACE)

“MIX MATERIALS TO LEARN, EXPERIMENT TO LEARN”

Week 4, 23rd – 25th March , 2021 Inspirations: ‘SUBSTITUTION, DISPLACEMENT’ (Materials, Mass and Space)  Continue Week 3’s Brief – 1. Explore pouring PLASTER and CEMENT. 2. Introduce PLASTER and CEMENT – CONCRETE forms into your planar and linear constructions by developing new works.

‘SUBSTITUTION, DISPLACEMENT’ (Materials, Mass and Space)

“OBSERVE TO LEARN, MAKE & TRIAL TO LEARN”

Week 3, 16th – 18th March, 2021 Inspirations: ‘SUBSTITUTION, DISPLACEMENT’ (Materials, Mass and Space) Brief – 1. Exercise: explore pouring PLASTER or CONCRETE. 2. Introduce Plaster and Cement forms into your planar and linear constructions by developing new works.

Week 2: ‘By Implication – After ‘Atapō’ (Tuesday 9th March). ‘A Weight Off Your Mind’

‘Atapō’  (Personification of Dawn), 2020 Work by Mata Aho Collective & Maureen Lander Toi Tu Toi Ora Exhibition – Auckland Art Gallery

Even though this was my third visit to the ‘Toi Tu Toi Ora’ Exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery, I found myself still overwhelmed and humbled by the talent, technical skills, beauty and power of the variety of artworks on display.  The spotlight lighting is effective beaming on certain objects, like a dancer on the stage, enhancing these contemporary taonga to an almost spiritual realm.                                                                                 

As I arrive in the lower floor of the gallery space, ‘Atapō’ (personification of Dawn) sits bounded between night and day, like a mysterious forest in the distance.  My eyes sink into the dark denseness, but then, become distracted and drawn to other powerful objects in the room such as Michael Parekowhai’s large Elephant bookends, and the huge photographs of Lisa Reihana.  When I look back at ‘Atapō’ (personification of Dawn), I am drawn forward to explore the mysterious geometric opening, a diamond centrally placed.

From further back, I see a colour contrast between the dark rectangular mass under the gallery’s tent of white wooden archways.  Is it a night-time scene of a block of trees?  Or the misty black infinite sky of Te Ranginui-e-tū-nei?  Perhaps, the volume represents a massive gate or entrance way to an ancient cathedral.                                 

As I get closer I wonder if I can enter the gates through a light filled diamond doorway, and take a downward spiral staircase on a path to the realm of Hine-nui-te-po (Goddess of Death/Souls).  I want to feel these sheer, translucent walls and discover the sculptured space beyond the entrance.  But the density of the metal-like blind material has fine holes, and appears heavy, because of the repetitive number hanging close-knit in a row.  The opening is not a doorway, but a window of repeated diamonds, that reflects like a mirror.  It looks like no living soul cannot enter.

On closer inspection, I see that the material used has a fine woven pattern, not too dissimilar to my factory machine-made black mesh blinds that hang in my home to block out the sun.  These large vertical planes (perhaps 6 metres in length, and 3 metres wide) imply a narrative, or layers of concepts, hanging behind each other like trees in a planted forest.  The gap between them is too narrow to venture, so you are unable to go into the forest.  Instead this transparent castle is too precious to touch, and seems encased inside a glass, black box.                             

From the front, the straight linear edges block visitors from entering.  I examined the centimetre size cross shape detail of fine thread, hand sewn to the mesh in vertical lines.  Also, there are soft thread ends dangling from each blind-like frame corner.  An intermittent sound of a bird call startles visitors, and I wonder if these small, unwoven coloured threads represent Tane’s birds and insects that will not venture into Hine-nui-te-po’s death forest.  Instead they just sit lightly on the edges, in direct contrast with the heaviness of the mass of black mesh hangings. 

After viewing the installation work from the front and side, I discovered there were other related forms (on the lower gallery space, and another repeated on the higher gallery space) behind the main structure.  Thus, the ‘Atapō’ (personification of Dawn) installation comprises of three separate structures. They connect to the major hanging work, by the same use of materials.  Differences include height, width size, depth of layers and colour (the mesh was grey, not black).  Perhaps these house-like enclosed structures represent the Goddess of Death’s spiritual altar rooms or look-out towers to survey the world of the living through her diamond windows.

I like how the layers of transparent materials hang with gaps, but seem closed off to living souls.  The diamond void could be a window of light, and thus emblematic of the Christian view of God’s light, and the sound of a bird call symbolises Tane: God of the Forest.  Hine-titama represented ‘Atapō’ (personification of Dawn), but fled to the underworld and became Hine-nui-te-po (Death / Custodian of souls) after discovering Tane was both her father and husband. 

Overall, ‘Atapō’ (personification of Dawn) is an intriguing, collaborative artwork.  There are many weighty, heavy and challenging topics and connections, such as Hine-nui-te-po’s myth of incest, which adds a deeper layer of meaning to the purpose of the artwork.  A juxtaposition has occurred where the light, transparent materials such as insect mesh, wool, muka and cotton thread have been placed in close proximity to then create a very dense volume of mass.  I also saw other layered elemental contrasts such as lines and planes of patterned shapes reflecting and dancing sculptural shadows on the mesh, like flying birds and insects, which created a powerful light quality in comparison to the heavy, dark and apprehensive artwork.   Cathy 12.03.21

‘A Weight Off Your Mind’  –  Choose an Artist that Challenges In the second gallery room, I was particularly attracted to a very traditional artwork by Maureen Lander, yet it was presented in a creative and contemporary fashion as a representation of Marama the moon.                             

It was challenging to actually see the exact detail, and the real colours of the woven korowai (cloak), as it was placed high up on the wall, out of reach, like the moon.                                

There was a soft lightweight falling feeling emerging from it, because of the finely delicate weaving that hung vertically.  The strong spotlight of fluorescent purply-blue gave the korowai (cloak) a life-force, luminously lighting intricate visual patterns.  In contrast, it was a weighty, dense 3-dimensional mass, thick with overlapping strands. 

This work may challenge the viewer, because weaving and woven textiles have traditionally been regarded as a craft, and a lower art form from the more traditional fine art disciplines of painting, sculpture and photography.  The female craft of raranga (weaving) is now more appreciated.  I am pleased that this exhibition (even though it is a showcase for Contemporary Maori art, has been able to share Lander’s traditional woven handiwork.  It stretches out on the wall displaying beauty, history, female strength, great mana and prestige.  Cathy 12.03.21

‘A Weight Off Your Mind’  –  Choose another Artist that Challenges ‘Waitangi Rosary’ 2007 By Robert Jahnke

The rosary in Catholicism signifies the remembrance of an important religious or historical event.  The rosary beads represent a set of prayers, and the string of beads or knots are touched, and the prayers counted.  Robert Jahnke’s artwork titled ‘Waitangi Rosary’ refers to the importance of remembering Aotearoa’s founding document: Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and how significant this historical event is for future race-relations.  

Artist Robert Jahnke has laid out in a straight, horizontal line, a set of large oval MDF timber artworks.  Moulded and cast in the dangerous metal material of lead that can harm, they seem to lie back on an angle, and float, staring back at the viewer.  Covered in a mass of dark, thickly applied black lacquer, their heavy bodies are like enlarged, flattened out rosary beads.  

This artwork challenges me, because I find the theme of remembrance, unsolved treaty settlements, and the Principles of the Principles Treaty of Waitangi Deletion Bill, alongside the actual physical plaque-like objects unsettling.  Instead of a lighter colour showing an optimistic approach for the future, the objects are shiny, thick, dark and dense, weighted down like paperweights.  Their black colour, and rose symbols are solemn, ceremonial, and death-like.  They could represent a 17^th, 18^th or 19^th century funeral brooch that is centrally placed on a black mourning dress.   Within the volume of each oval piece, black roses project forward like a reverse paper embossment. 

I acknowledge Jahnke’s work has a number of meanings, and a play on words.  These oval objects are powerful with their visual language, symbols and text, leaving me slightly sombre, instead of a peaceful and contemplative state of remembrance.   Cathy 12.03.21

‘BY IMPLICATION – AFTER ATAP0’

‘LISTEN TO LEARN, PLAY AND EXPERIMENT TO LEARN‘

Week 2, 9th – 11th March, 2021 Inspirations: ‘BY IMPLICATION – AFTER ATAPO’ (Line, Planes, Space, and Implied concepts.) Brief – Explore how visual language can be used to infer concepts without being representational by making drawings-in-space using planar and linear elements.

SPATIAL SKETCHES ‘TAKE A WEIGHT OFF YOUR MIND’ At the beginning of the lesson, I started to draw 3-dimensional ideas (i.e. a group of tall to small columns, nudged up together in a circular design like a spiral staircase). But, then realised, that I may still be making graphite marks by the end of the day.  It was best to just experiment with the materials, and touch and play. These sensory sensations suddenly provided me with ideas, and I became creative, engaged and excited!

SPATIAL SKETCH: 1. ‘In and Out, Under and Over’ 09.03.21 On my first attempt at creating a spatial sketch, I thought of my drawn circular column idea, strong and thick, and heavy with mass and volume.  So, I measured and cut out strips of cardboard, but then decided not to curl them inward like a column.  

One surface side of the card was dull, and the other shone with a thin film of laminate, which was pleasing to the eye.  Therefore, I faced this shininess outward towards the viewer, and I cut a number of lengths, and taped them together to extend them.  Being very tactile, visual and kinaesthetic, the material manipulation of gently bending, curling, twisting and turning, and sticking together was the most rewarding part of the process.  Beauty, to me, is an elegant object, like a ribbon river with winding veins seen from above like a bird’s eye view. So, I tried to create balance in the sculpture by pulling it about, after viewing it from different angles.  

Next, I cut slices within some lengths, and pushed parts through, weaving under and over, and in and out.  I could see this sculpture becoming an ovoid of snakes, with certain body parts causing curved tensions because once woven through slots, they are taped stuck. 

Contrast is important to me and my work. I made the positive linear cardboard shapes invade the negative empty spaces, trying to make the air shapes to be just as important as the cardboard planes.

I realised that my first spatial sketch could be greatly improved, such as enlarging, repeating the pattern, or adding a plinth, or turning the snakes into neon lights, exploding with bright colour!   Another extension to the concept could be to add an inner entanglement to fit inside, it could even hang, or kinaesthetically float and move.  Yet, I stopped.  It was okay for my first attempt.  It had evolved to become a light weight object with titled linear planes criss-crossing through air-filled shapes and spaces.

SPATIAL SKETCH: Second attempt: 2. ‘Growth Opening and Closing’ – Cardboard, 09.03.21 My second attempt was possibly my most engaged because my ideas developed easily, flowing with the touch and handling of the material.    

Once again, I followed a recommendation that shaping materials by tearing and ripping was an alternative to using scissors.  Tools can produce perfect linear edges, therefore ripping and tearing by hand produces the opposite effect.  It was great fun, free-feeling and tactile! Having a ripped edge to my paper, and pulling back the outer layers of thick corrugated cardboard, exposing the crinkly effect beneath was liberating.  

Perhaps this spatial sketch could be made into an enlarged outdoor corrugated iron or Corten steel sculpture.  Instead of rips, rusty holes, moss and algae could form, and provide the organic feel I envisaged.  

I am interested in constructing and deconstructing, and having gaps between forms and shapes.  This is a contradictory sculpture full of opposites, exposing both growth and stunted breakage, pull and push, climb and fall. It also has a strong heavy wall mass, in comparison to the smaller lightweight ripped edges, and the separated pieces.  

This spatial sketch is an organic growth on the move like a vigorous creeping vine.  Flowing behind diagonally downwards and  backwards is a wedding dress train.  It grew out of the first tall, wall-like structure (the highest part, at the front), then a part broke off and climbed onto the wall, thus extending the sculpture’s form. 

My second attempt at a sculpture sketch is an improvement.  Perhaps clay or wax could be the material to use to make this sculpture, but I can also visualise it as a very large Corten steel, or corrugated iron work.

SPATIAL SKETCH: Third attempt: 3. ‘Follow the Leader Hovers’ – Cardboard, 09.03.21. My third attempt at a spatial sketch displays a collaboration of three straight arrow-type forms, like a family.  

I thought about its size and weight, and wondered whether recreating it by carving into such hard materials as clay or wax, stone or bronze would give a heaviness to it.  I am attracted to both light and heavy masses. I think small works can very powerful, but larger forms from artists such as: Henry Moore, Tony Cragg, Andy Goldsworthy, Paul Dibble, Chris Booth, Terry Stringer, David McCracken and Brett Graham appeal to me because of their size impact.

There is a light quality to this spatial sketch, perhaps it is the thin cardboard or the pointy triangular wings half-opened, or the way it is placed up on the wall… hovering like a bird or plane.

I have tried to create a sculpture that represents relationships by connecting the body sizes: (big, medium and small), and linking the forms together in a line behind each other, like the game of ‘Follow the Leader’.

After creating the repetitive formation and shape pattern three times, I stopped. Even though I had extension ideas, I realised I had produced the quickest spatial sketch so far.  My efficiency seems to be slightly improving with practice.

SPATIAL SKETCH: Seventh attempt: 7. ‘Spiky Growth’, Foam Card, 11.03.21 I am interested in geology, and the planet Earth’s natural flora, fauna, mineral and rock formations.    

I like layers.  Rearranging, decorating, plus grouping sets of objects together is an enjoyable way to make new layers.  Layers can be textured or coloured, and show the weight, volume and mass of an object.  I particularly like the layered heaviness, colour and texture of the Punakāiki pancake rock formations of the South Island’s West coast.  

This spatial sketch evolved from thinking about plant and mineral matter that grows, and displays layers such as coloured sands, soil deposits, or the inner rings of a tree.  Nature’s layered patterns and formations can change quickly or slowly, depending on the natural cycles of climatic and ocean current conditions.  To me, this work represents the layered growth of rock and mineral deposits built-up over time, still growing very slowing, twisting towards the light.  

My sculpture has developed into a curving, slightly twisted mass that feels light in white.  As I like contrast, perhaps I could further change or extend the colouring to give a light/dark effect, or make two, one dark, one light. If I create these shapes and forms in a darker shade the sculpture may take on a heavier feeling, and the mass may be silhouetted. I quite like the feeling that my spatial sketch’s light, white look produces. 

The next step could include deconstruction of the base, as this exercise has made me think about the destructive elements that cause erosion or eruptions. I need to rework and add a more simplified base structure, as I dislike what I have done.

Overall, I like my twisted, shiny white rock crystals; oblong, uneven layers, that can be rearranged and shifted in and out. Perhaps this spatial sketch has potential to expand, and provide me with an opportunity to understand sculpture more.  

Kia Ora, Welcome To My Visual Blog. As an artist, I am continually learning, developing, reworking and refining my artistic and aesthetic beliefs. Reflection is a recurrent process that unifies my art theory and practice.
Cathy, 2021

‘SEEING SO CLEARLY’ “LISTEN TO LEARN, PLAY TO LEARN”

Week 1, 2nd March, 2021 ‘A Weight Off Your Mind’ – ‘Treading Lightly with a Heavy Hand’

Tricks – Warm up Drawings.

Task: Choose an instruction 3. Draw exactly the same line 1000 times.

‘A Thousand Lines’ This is not a defining drawing, instead, this exercise has supported my art practice, and made me more aware of possibilities. By being focused, and in the moment, my energy was in the zone. Rather than overanalysing when problem-solving, then stalling, I was able to make decisions about my art without too much prior thought. 

Instead of my usual seated position, I changed my stance to stand. Then I was able to move quickly with the ink pen, ruler and paper materials.  Learning from mistakes, and working hard within the structured time limit, I didn’t have time to worry.  To complete the instructional brief as efficiently as possible, I counted and made centimetre marks in hundreds, and I enjoyed every moment.  

Another goal was to focus on weight, mass, measurement, size and force, and I questioned how to produce a weightless artwork. Thinking about my relationship with the materials, and the feeling of weightlessness as I worked, was another aim.  I tried to have a lightness of touch whilst listening to the paint brush nib. It flicked ink outwards, and I watched where it wanted to go.  By placing pressure on the ruler it grasped and smudged lines, rubbing them together, like river currents over rocks.

Reflection Poem: ‘A Thousand Lines’ By Cathy

An empty volume of white, weightless negative space, Counting the beat, dashing dashes across the page, Measure methodically and mechanically, swipe and drag ink… Smudge!

Messy and inaccurate, though instructions seek precision, Do I criss-cross and connect cliffs, or leave an empty space? 3 ribbon paths, 2 ribbon paths, 1 ribbon… need a second piece… Rip!

Falling vertically, like floating light-weight feathers, Counting in hundreds, finally, a thousand centimetres reached! Little grey lines against an empty volume of white… Phew!

Task: Choose another instruction 6. Make an invisible line that everyone can see.

‘An Invisible Line’ I drew a variety of graphite lines in three different areas of the paper, and somehow a landscape emerged by accident. Then a thick invisible line cut through, also magically appearing as a shaft of bright angular light.  

Task: Choose another instruction. 7. Make the largest drawing possible.

In contrast, I used a roll of masking tape (a material aid) to support my chosen line. The controlling effect of circling and joining a set of lines around an object felt different compared to the centimetre line drawing where I had the freedom to flick. In the example below, I imagined weight and mass within the circular ovals, therefore I emphasised depth by drawing tonal qualities.

I have further extended this circular drawing on a large scale utilising an unusual art paper medium: wallpaper.  Through play, the overlapping circles have become ovals, turning and twisting like hollow metal cans.  This exercise (below) is a large, ambitious task to complete this week, but I am excited to discover numerous connections (i.e. Monism theory / Agnes Martin and Larry Poon drawings, and Yoko Ono’s ‘Grapefruit’ Instructional task about the sun).  My ideas keep expanding from the original prompt (masking tape), and the instructional task of using an exact line size.  Geometrical shapes, and Kowhaiwhai patterns provide length and distance on the large wallpaper.

Poetry Inspiration: ‘There are one thousand suns arising every day. We only see one of them because of our fixation on monistic thinking’ Yoko Ono’s ‘GRAPEFRUIT’ Book of Instructions

Reflection: Artists I admire Maureen Lander’s work, and am excited to study and learn more about her, (and our team is named after her)! Her finely woven hanging DNA structures in the ‘Flat-packed Whakapapa’ exhibition (Dowse Gallery / Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery) are memorable. Lander’s cloak lit in moonlit blue, and a large mysterious installation at Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art exhibition (Auckland Art Gallery) show her sculptural and raranga talents.

Kate McDonnell’s Spendthrift, One Kilometre Drawing, 2020 artwork is a striking bed of ribbon like eels on a flimsy table. Representing consumerism, and the acquisition of ‘things’, their mound of lifeless bodies appear motionless, waiting to be hung out to dry. Not unlike the many purchased consumer goods that were once valued, and used, but then dumped.  Utilising just the biro pen McDonnell covers and camouflages these throw-away receipt items. By rearranging and placing them in a new context, she breathes life into a new sculptural form.  I am interested in the concept of change, and how every day, readymade, inanimate objects can be reformed.  

Cutting and pasting collage is calming, and I am curious to use unusual materials to make art. Thus, I found Christine Hiebert’s drawing with tape interesting.  The flat plains of the 2-dimensional blue tape reminded me of the blue aesthetic boldness of Henri Matisse’s paper cut-outs. 

Experimental playing with a range of drawing materials and surfaces on a daily basis is my Semester 1’s drawing goal.

Reading: Read articles about 3 artists: Christine Hiebert / Agnes Martin / Larry Poons. (Reflection: TBA)

“FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS TO LEARN, LISTEN TO LEARN & PLAY TO LEARN”

Week 1, 3rd March, 2021 Inspirations: ‘Drawing Grapefruit’ – Use materials to make a work in response to an instruction. Yoko Ono’s Book: ‘GRAPEFRUIT’ Instructional Poetry 1960’s

Reflection: The narrative theme of my artwork is based on the emotional feelings of revenge and pain from Yoko Ono’s 1966, 20^th century poem: 

‘SHOOT I00 PANES OF GLASS’ When a person hurts you badly, line up I00 panes of glass in the field and shoot a bullet through it.   Take a copy of a map made by the cracks on each glass and send a map a day for 100 days to the person who has hurt you.   1966 Fall,  ‘Grapefruit’ By Yoko Ono.

Throughout the process of drawing outlines of figures and shapes, I imaginatively connected the above poem to the 19^th century rhyming game: ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never hurt me’. Also, I related both poems to cyberbullying, which is a 21^st century social and technological concern.

The task was to choose and respond to a poem, and follow the instructions.  I am not sure if I have adequately completed this instruction: (“Take a copy of a map made by the cracks…”), nor, did I show the detail of 100 panes of glass, or 100 maps of cracked glass. My maps of cracked glass fly around the figures, and are shown as flat, black 2-dimensional objects, like mail envelopes.

Other ideas: As an alternative approach, and to lessen the literal narrative aspect, I could have simplified both the materials and the story. For example, I could have created a visual pattern with text on a thinking mind-map showing a cracked mirror. I could have gathered found objects: (calendar, street map, broken mirror or glass, or photographed a field, etc.).  Continually evaluating my work throughout the process, prompts me to question and re-think about exploring other ideas and possibilities.

As I was drawing, silhouette pattern-making, cutting and deconstructing objects, two female artists came to mind. Lonnie Hutchinson, NZ and Kara Elizabeth Walker, USA are both inspirational for their social, political and cultural commentary, storytelling and silhouette artworks.

Poetry Inspiration: ‘There are one thousand suns arising every day. We only see one of them because of our fixation on monistic thinking’ Yoko Ono’s ‘GRAPEFRUIT’ Book of Instructions

Task: Choose instruction  7. Make the largest drawing possible. 

Inspirations: ‘Drawing Grapefruit’ – Use materials to make a work in response to the chosen poems (Theme – Moon) below. Yoko Ono’s Book: ‘GRAPEFRUIT’ Instructional Poetry 1960’s.

‘Moonbeams’ By Yoko Ono
Moonbeams melting
Into my blood stream…
My spirit appears like the sun at dawn
Moonbeams spreading their wings
Shining my rings…

‘Water Piece’ By Yoko Ono
Steal a moon on the water with a bucket.
Keep stealing until no moon is seen on the water.
1964 spring (Grapefruit)

‘Sound Piece VII’ By Yoko Ono
Autumn Take the sound of the moon fading at dawn.
Give it to your mother to listen to when she’s in sorrow.

‘MOON METAMORPHOSIS – TRANSFORMATION’
Photography, Poetry & Video By Cathy
I was inspired by the ‘Moon’ theme poems above by Yoko Ono. In particular, these lines below resonated with me. “Take the sound of the moon fading at dawn…” (In the video I have added a photograph of the moon sinking at dawn, in a pale pink sky.)
“Steal a moon…” (Instead of stealing, I imagined the insect could visit the moon, hide in the shadows of the moon, and inhabitant the moon. Both partners transform their physical shape in a cyclic metamorphosis, and both can transport themselves through the air.) “My spirit appears like the sun at dawn, Moonbeams spreading their wings…” (A parallel existence… I imagined at the end of the full moon phase, the fully formed butterfly could emerge from the chrysalis and the moon’s contoured landscape, to then spread its wings like the moonbeam lights in Yoko Ono’s poem.)

https://youtu.be/uyDB1-EWz9M

Inspirations: ‘Drawing Grapefruit’ – Use materials to make a work in response to the chosen poem (Stone Piece) below. Yoko Ono’s Book: ‘GRAPEFRUIT’ Instructional Poetry 1960’s.

https://youtu.be/1lVd10D5Seo

‘SEEING SO CLEARLY’ – ‘ENTOPIC GRAPHOMANIA’

Week 1, 3rd March, 2021 Inspirations: ‘ENTOPIC GRAPHOMANIA’ (Surrealist automatic drawing method) – Use materials to make an ENTOPIC GRAPHOMANIA artwork in response to instructions.

Cathy – having to write a comment here as you seem to have disabled comments somehow. I think we need to have a chat about how you are managing your blog. Not because of what you are posting – that’s terrific but because of the way you are revising one blog post. It would probably be better if you make a separate post each time you log in. Enough about that. Wow, what a start to the year your hunger for making and learning is insatiable and a great motivator for others. Your obvious enjoyment in hands-on making is the driving force behind your practice at the moment but slowing down a little to reflect will help the work reach its full potential. Congratulations, this is a super start to your Visual Arts degree.