Beyond Good and Emma

Unlocked the Series (S1 Ep6) - Vanilla Crazy Cake

2011-04-08T00:07:00.000+01:00

Unlocked the Series (S1 Ep5) - Friends Indeed

2011-04-06T00:22:00.000+01:00

Unlocked the Series (S1 Ep4) - Escape

2011-03-25T00:50:00.000Z

Behold!

Episode 4 of our web series, Unlocked about a group of friends with a shared love of videogames, comics and all things geek!

Find the rest of our videos at Cheesemint

Please pimp/share this as I'm particularly proud of this episode having edited it with Ms. Georgie Oatley who plays Zoey!

Geek Inspired Jewellery...

2011-03-22T18:48:00.008Z

Inspired by Geek With Curves recent blog post...

Here's some geeky jewellery I own...

Not quite the bat signal but pretty cool nonetheless, found these on eBay for dirt cheap, like £3.99...I'm quite the lover of acrylic/perspex jewellery

Yum yum...one of favourite pieces EVER. My mum picked it up for me at an arts and crafts fair!

And Dolly Mixture earrings from a great shop in Norwich that is no longer around - I miss you Kettle of Fish!

Big Left 4 Dead fan...so I almost pee'd my pants when I came across Deadly Pretty Designs Video Game Geekery by Candeta on Etsy. My very own Hunter!

Umbrella Corp. Earrings also from Candeta...

POW! This is THE most awesome necklace for any comic fangirl! From an indie seller on eBay - RTK.

My beloved Pylones Ring...They have a wide range of jewellery, but these liquid filled beauties are, in my opinon, their best! If I could own them in every colour...I would!

My Robot...he's broken but still adore him. He used to carry a little heart, but I lost it. Sad robot :(

I've got my eye on a few SHINY objects too:

PIPBOY!!! This is what payday will bring me! From a seller called AzureeAlice on Etsy. Her shop is HERE

From Truffle Shuffle

And I need me a Browncoat Ring for sure!

Unlocked the Series (S1 Ep3) - Coastal Highway

2011-03-22T17:48:00.000Z

Unlocked the Series (S1 Ep2) - Delicious Brains

2011-03-22T17:47:00.001Z

Unlocked the Series (S1 Ep1) - Strength in Numbers

2011-03-22T17:47:00.000Z

Distractions

2011-03-22T17:38:00.003Z

So, um...haven't updated for a while. I have no excuse...I'm just lame. However, I could blame Fallout New Vegas.

Anyhoooo...much has happened since January. The web series was launched. We had a premiere at Fusion at the Forum (Norwich). We're up to episode three of Unlocked so I should probably post them on here.

You can suscribe by going HERE and pressing the little button on the page!

In other news...KAPOW! is coming up and the line up is evermore exciting. I can't wait! Just like Liz Lemon in 30 Rock...I'm lizzing!

Unlocked - The Official Trailer is Here!

2011-01-09T00:34:00.005Z

I feel rather proud of this, not only because we've all worked hard and have done brilliant jobs at "acting" considering we're all amateurs but also because I helped to edit this trailer with Georgie! It's the 2nd piece I've edited and I'm very happy with it...which is unusual for me! Anyway, enough of my ramblings...enjoy! Look out for individual character trailers every week until the 1st episode begins on 4th March!

Goodbye RAF Marham?

2010-11-14T00:02:00.001Z

I will be sad if RAF Marham is closed. I found my ATC camp photo from 2000 the other day. Some great memories...the camp where I met some amazing people, learnt to fire an L98 rifle, do some work experience in the armoury and the media department and to top it all off I got to sit in a Tornado GR4. I'm feeling all sentimental for my air cadet days, I really do miss it.

Goodbye RAF Marham...I hope not.

Napoleon

2010-11-13T23:02:00.003Z

I've never claimed to be a writer, but it occured to me that lately I've been solely focusing on Cheesemint projects in my blog...yet writing is another creative outlet which I usually keep to myself (it's usually in the form of some crappy angst ridden poetry - I sometimes think I could be a teenage boy - or just some obscure rambling about religion or pseudo-psychology). But I had the urge to write something...anything. So here it is. Not sure why either, I bloody hate Jack Russell's - annoying little yappy ankle snappers...and the name Karen...ergh. Makes me wonder about the goings on of my mind. Anyone out there care to analyse my story?

It's called Napoleon and yet again...it was the first name for a dog I could think of. Which again makes me want to question...you get the idea...over analytical, much? Anyway...here it is. Oh, on more thing, it's not spellchecked and my grammar is probably awful.

Napoleon

Warm rays of sunshine poured into her office fragmented through the dust-covered aluminium blinds. She sipped her lukewarm coffee, black, no sugar, and closed her eyes to bask in the heat. A heavy sigh left her lungs as she took in her surroundings. Oppressive, cold and cramped, that was what the company had given Karen in exchange for an unfairly proportioned increase in paperwork. It was a meticulous work load and she knew it was worth more than her meagre wage covered. Still, it paid the rent and fed the cat and with no immediate family to worry about Karen felt no real obligation to complain. It all seemed like too much bother to her, so she lived a frugal, simple life and it suited her just fine. She gazed through the gaps of the blinds, which she often envisioned as bars of a prison cell, locked away from the outside world and the passing hours of the day. She wondered what it was about the outside world that was really so appealing, after all, she hardly left the house. Yet at work the outside world took on a curious quality. Never quite understanding why, she took comfort in watching people wander past, acting out their daily routine day after day, week after week, going about their business, carrying out their tiresome lives through the same repeated series of monotonous actions as always. Their routines eventually became part of Karen's own routine.

On Mondays at around 11:08am the same alarmingly youthful looking OAP, adorned in a thick layer of matte red lipstick and blue woollen overcoat went by with her little Jack Russell terrier. Karen had grown fond of this dog and had nicknamed it Napoleon because it seemed to her that he was in command, he might have been the one on a lead but he was certainly the one doing the leading- without fail every day Karen watched as the old lady struggled to keep up with him. She never stopped to wonder why this reminded her to fax the previous days figures to head office, but she took it as her cue and wandered off to the dark corner of her office where the fax machine lived, alongside the decorative indoor plant given to her by a family member who no longer knew what to buy her these days. She ran her hands over its waxy leaves, their dark green hue pleasing her, she genuinely liked this gift but she knew that no matter how much she watered it and changed its soil that it would never grow more than half a metre high. This saddened Karen but she had decided that the plants stunted growth would do, because the only other space for it was by the window. The very idea of blocking her only view to the outside world mortified her.

Today was one of the rare days that the old lady and Napoleon were late. On these occasions Karen became fidgety and restless, picking up her assorted knick-knacks and stationery, moving the items back and forth to either side of her desk. Within these intervening moments she could not take her gaze from the window, her screen. She found herself panic stricken and worrying needlessly on their behalf. Eventually, after one full minute of excruciating terror, at 11:09am, they would stroll by and Karen could once again breathe easy. Whenever this same event occurred Karen would wonder if the old lady had stopped off at the post box and felt sure that she was probably correct and needn't have worried, her old lady was writing letters to relatives because she lived alone. Of course! That must have been what kept them. The old lady and her loyal yet feisty companion would never let her down. Karen was absolutely sure that they lived together in a small but cosy bungalow in one of those quiet residential areas of the city, the kind of place where trees lined the road and small children played happily together outside.

Evidently, today was different. 11:09am and the old lady and Napoleon were nowhere to be seen. Karen knew that something must be wrong. She felt uneasy. 11:09, 11:10, 11:11...as the seconds turned to minutes, she was frantic. Her eyes darted from the window to the clock on the otherwise barren white-washed walls, then to the window, then back to the clock, she willed the hands to stop before flicking her eyes over to the window again. Her eyes finally came to rest on her digital desktop clock, fixated with it and unable to pry away her gaze she had no choice but to watch as the small number 1 transformed itself into a 2...11:12am. It was 11.12am! Alarm bells rang out. Where were they?! What could have happened?! Maybe the old lady has been attacked...she could be on the floor unable to get up after a nasty fall or worse...she could even be...but who...who would take care of Napoleon? Oh poor Napoleon! Helpless as his owner lies there motionless, waiting there loyally, hungry and all alone. It was all too much to bear thinking about. Karen felt the tears start, small droplets of liquid fell from her tearducts forming precise little blotches of ink on her overused, scrawled upon notepad, before she knew it she was sobbing inconsolably. “Poor Napoleon! Poor, poor Napoleon!” these, the few words she could force out amid a cascade of tears.

Later that day Karen was made redundant.

Mint in Vlog

2010-09-25T13:33:00.007+01:00

Hello everybody! I've not been updating my blog...shame on me!

So, moving on...the last "Cheesemint" production comes in the form of a Vlog...the second is currently being filmed and edited by Adam as we speak and will include lots of exciting Halo: Reach stuff from the blue carpet premiere! This will be online soon, so watch this space (seriously, I will be updating it more regularly, I promise!).

Anyhow, the first Vlog was brought to you by the letter, Dave, here it is... (Oh and yes, we are all aware that the background sheet was not ironed and no, we don't care. We're off the motherflippin' chain, we're "hardcore", what some may call loose cannons - we don't do household chores!)

The 'Dead Duck' Project...

2010-07-03T02:13:00.005+01:00

Everyone involved in this film did a fantastic job and I think it was down to Matt's directorial approach; a tedious, hot day filming transformed into a fun frolic in the woods! Cast and crew were psyched from the first read-through (I certainly was!) and had free reign on customising their uniform and kit.

What else can I say about Dead Duck?! Perhaps a gripping contemporary military take on Norse mythology! Sergeant Oakes and his unit have been assigned a mission to hunt down a deserter named Pvt. Lock. Watch Parts 1 and 2 to see the story unravel.

I think this piece shows that we have it in us to produce something a little more serious as well...can't wait until our web series UNLOCKED!

Also watch out for the Dead Duck outtakes vid coming soon, it'll be hilarious!

The Rules of Justice (Dir: Adam Gunton)

2010-07-03T02:08:00.004+01:00

The last of the Cheesemint Productions Six shorts project to showcase on my blog!

An action packed buddy cop parody, directed by Adam Gunton and produced by Cheesemint...

What do you mean you've never heard of a Hadron Colliderscope?!

2010-06-03T20:55:00.006+01:00

It recently came to my attention lately that a friend of mine has a pretty cool website I knew nothing...nada...zilch about *shame on me*. As always, I love shamelessly plugging my friends. Michael Bramley is an incredibly talented artist and along with his wife Alice (who is also stupidly talented!) and a small creative team of comic book writers, artists and editors...see their creations here: Hadron Colliderscope

Image Copyright: Michael V. Bramley (www.hadroncolliderscope.com)

Seriously though - it is AWESOME!

With Teeth (Dir: Debs Chapman)

2010-05-27T21:08:00.004+01:00

Another fan-freakin'-tabulous Cheesemint production, a Twilight spoof that even Twihards will appreciate...voila!

Art n' Mint

2010-05-22T13:34:00.003+01:00

Having a few creative ideas lately...

Some are Cheesemint related. Some are personal.

I've been working on a book for a while now, painting each of the 300 or so pages and editing each of the pages to create my own narratives. It's something I started whilst on my MA but never had the time to work on. I am hoping to complete it sometime this year, it's just something to keep me painting and creating personal art.

On the 'mint side of things, we have the web series to look forward to. Can't wait to get filming! I'm still not sure about a name for a character but am still brainstorming with good ol' Wikipedia on my side. It has to be video game related. I'm determined to be Miss Valentine (Resident Evil) but need a first name! For the time being, Matt has named me Rebecca. I also have a few ideas as to some short skits I'd like to film but I'll save those for a less humid day.

Anyhow, that was just a quick post as I'm all hot and bothered. Hot weather can go die in a corner...or something.

Check out more 'mint happenings at our blog Mint-In-Blog

Eat The Parents (Dir: Georgie Oatley)

2010-05-12T20:22:00.005+01:00

Behold!

The latest Cheesemint Production. A romantic comedy with a carniverous twist...starring myself, Matt, Debs, Adam, Tara and Georgie...

More on the way, including Twilight parody "With Teeth" directed by Debs Chapman, "Dead Duck", a war drama based on Norse mythology directed by Matt Stogdon (filming starts June!).

Show us some support, check out our website and new blog:
www.cheesemint.com
Mint in Blog
Follow us on Twitter: @Cheesemint
Find us on Facebook and become a fan too!

Montelimar: The Finished Film

2010-05-02T18:14:00.004+01:00

Montelimar

2010-03-30T23:39:00.010+01:00

...My short arthouse parody film is well underway, the audio parts at least! Montelimar is centered around a female character called Martha who appears to be suffering from a maddening obsession with food. Throughout the film, three female voice actors (Myself, Debs and Georgie) will be heard reading a monologue in an almost eerie chant-like way. We've already recorded this part and it's roughly 2 minutes long meaning I can use it as a guide when it comes to editing the footage. I'm fairly happy with how it sounds however it's going to take some time to mix the audio with the music as I've had little experience in sound editing. However, with the help of Matt the musical score is complete and it is this that I will be using as the basis for my eventual editing - it seems the most logical way to go about it especially as I haven't had a great deal of editing experience.

Here are some rough drawings in chalk that relate to the film. I started doodling at work and it turned into this (When you subconsciously doodle like this- that's when you know you're working hard on something!):

I'm most looking forward to directing, setting up the shots and dressing the set. It will be interesting to see if I can match the image in my mind to the image I eventually put on screen. I see it as a learning experience so I'm not quite so anxious. The set then - 1 location, 2 rooms;

Dining Room: a dining table, set ready for guests full of food. In particular lots of sticky, sickly sweet foodstuff
Bathroom: We only see a bathroom sink and mirror.

Both the dining room and bathroom footage will be interspersed with each other hinting at the damage (literally and psychologically) that the food is having. Lots of brushing teeth shots (maybe sped up in post production), scrubbing the table, close-ups of the food - high exposure, eventually building with the music, at one point the camera pauses above a small crumb on the tablecloth, images juxtaposing each other rapidly until a crescendo when the music becomes solemn and reflective. The final shot will mimic the opening one, Martha (Debs) face down on a table - this time we see the table is set but is empty.

That's all very well, I hear you say or rather, not say "where is the humour?!"

This was my biggest hurdle and still is, which is why I've gone and left it until last. It seemed to me that parodying the arthouse genre would be quite challenging given the widespread nature of the genre. What I might ironically place visually in a scene for comic effect may well be taken seriously. This is why I feel the best possible way to go about this project is to approach it as a serious arthouse piece an then use subtitles in post production to parody the narration.

I may even end up with 2 versions, one with and one without subtitles as I'll be interested to see what comments both will gather. The narration is in a badly pronounced English non-descript foreign accent, although French seemed easiest and seemed to appropriately fit with the arthouse theme. The first line is "I lost my mind in the terrible accident" while subtitles will read (in English - also adding to the humour - I hope!) "I lost my mind in a terrible accent" and thus will continue in vain to continually mock the on-screen images and incredibly pretentious narration and repetition until the end credits.

Two more images of my doodles:

Filming can take place as soon as I have gathered necessary set dressings and food. As I will be using food I aim to complete the footage in an evening. I see this as an appropriate time frame as I have no dialogue to film and will only require Debs presence for about a third of the shoot. I am also looking into food styling tips and gathering information on how best to shoot food. Lighting and freshness of the produce being my main concerns.

Another aspect of my film will be the repetition of threes. There are three voices: Martha
Apollinia
Dymphna

All three are patron saints of particular things. Martha, spoken by Debs is the patron saint of cooks. Dymphna, voiced by Georgie is the patron saint of Madness/insanity and Apollinia, voiced by yours truly is the patron saint of dentistry - who, as a side point, had her teeth shattered as punishment!

Here we are recording the eerie narration (the other lovely young lady in the picture is Ella, Georgie's sister who also features in Still Alive!):

The music also has three strands to it, one is a piece which plays continuously and the other two are a waning violin and a piano piece.

The narration, you've guessed it - three parts. Not only does it have three voices but the first line is repeated in every stanza. How many of these are there? Yep. Three.

I went a little overboard with the power of three thing but it sort of adds to the female chanting of the audio. Strange really as my intention was spoken word, not chanting, it just sort of happened naturally in that creepy female synchronising way...plus, I really liked how it sounded.

The best way to describe how I'd like the food on screen to look is to show you the opening credits from the TV series Dexter:

I've also been painting storyboards using watercolour, not sure why I chose that particular medium - probably because of the texture, it's difficult to capture texture and vibrant saturated colours in biro...they'll be uploaded very soon, and hopefully in the next 2 weeks, so will Montelimar!

"Angel's Kiss" : Dir. M. Stogdon (rRh)

2010-03-09T20:02:00.004Z

Behold! Another Cheesemint Production, this time directed by Matthew Stogdon...for your viewing pleasure...

Stay tuned...more on the way VERY soon!

"Still Alive" Dir: G. Oatley.

2010-02-25T21:13:00.004Z

As promised...

Coming soon...

I AM LEGENDARY
A Science Fiction tale by Dave Chapman
WITH TEETH
A Horror story by Debs Chapman
MONTELIMAR
An Art-House piece by Emma-Jane Corsan
THE RULES OF JUSTICE
An Action blockbuster by Adam Gunton
EAT THE PARENTS
A Romantic Comedy by Georgie Oatley
ANGEL'S KISS
A Film Noir outting by Matt Stogdon

See Cheesemint for more details...

The Cake is a Lie!

2010-02-11T20:17:00.002Z

The puppets I made for Still Alive directed by Georgie Oatley. Step by step to follow soon! Check out the Cheesemint website at the end of the month for the finished video where you can watch Adam and Debs trying to escape from Aperture Science!

Insert Incredibly Cliched Art-Based Phrase Here...

2010-01-27T20:11:00.010Z

Yo ho ahoy to those of you who read me! I have a few new things to work on at present. One will be to help out fellow Chesseminter, Adam with one of his college projects. As it's a community action project, he has decided to help the rest of us Cheesemints to update our mad skillz and give us a chance to reach another audience. We've each been assigned a film genre. Mine is arthouse films, some of you might not agree that it deserves a whole genre of it's own however, David Bordwell has also claimed that

art cinema itself is a [film] genre, with its own distinct conventions

and he's a "Film Scholar" according to Wikipedia and I agree with him. So um, yeah, take that you arthouse genre naysayers, you!

Anyhow, I've already managed to digress...Basically, I have to write and direct an arthouse inspired short trailer (approx. 1 minute). However, it's got to be a parody...

To me, arthouse seems to be a difficult genre in which to incorporate comic material (without just relying on full-on slapstick perhaps?). I guess this is because even the arthouse films that incorporate humour are not funny on purpose and are done so in seriousness. One idea I have had however, is to use subtitles for humourous effect. That way at least, the comedic element will be a bit more subtle. Filming however, I think will be easy...there are a lot of cliched elements, icons, plot devices and themes in the genre. Also, the mise-en-scene (part of filming I really enjoy) will be fun to put together. So far, i'm thinking a few philosophy texts strewn around - nothing too obvious and a dripping tap/ticking clock plus lots of shadows, fade to black shots and obscure camera angles ought to do it. It can also be done on a tiiiiiny budget which is ideal. Most arthouse films often showcase new talent too. Not sure who'll be starring in it yet...I still need my creative vision before I decide that. Although I'm fairly sure it'll be no more than two actors.

Really looking forward to it and currently doing a bit of research for it. All of which I've included in this blog entry...

* narrative - passage from a philosophy text or classic author?
* fade to black shot at the end, followed by the over-used "FIN"?
* terrible french/german accent?
* words spoken by actor/s different to subtitles?
* ticking clock...dripping tap...day to night (general passing of time)?
* memory - use of still objects
* shots must be well though out - very aesthetic, perhaps "beauty over substance"?
* title - "Quiet, Now", "Silence, Now", a line from a book/text, something foreign, possibly one word as it has more effect?
* could incorporate past art work, like the blank canvas piece? Could be adapted into arthouse film easily...artists struggle with canvas/nothingness/the absurd? Too personal? Or perhaps it's the right kind of self-indulgence a pretentious art film needs?
* title has nothing to do with film's content?
* static TV screen/white noise
* broken sentences

Could draw on the following films/TV series/directors/influences:
~Memento (2001)
~Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
~Waking Life (2001)
~ David Lynch
~ Gus Van Sant
~ Lars Von Trier
~ L'Année dernière à Marienbad (1961)
~ The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)
~ Twin Peaks (1990)
~ Dadaism
~ Surrealism
~ Un chien andalou (1929)
~ avant-garde movememt

I definitely won't be incorporating scenes such as the eye-slicing scene in Un Chien Andalou!

New Year...New Projects!

2010-01-04T00:21:00.006Z

My previous post, a letter to this year, although seemingly pessimistic only makes up a minute part of my mindset at present. I only panic when I have projects lined up and potential failures to avoid/people around me to ensure I don't disappoint etc.

I'm still excited about a number of upcoming projects this year and feel very lucky to be part of them. However, with excitement comes nerves and with nerves comes a very flustered Emma-Jane. Hence, the panic of yesterday's post.

Anyhow, one of these new projects involves illustating a children's picture book, hopefully meeting up with my friend and ex-collegue, Rob. With all his expertise in Children's Bookselling and all his contacts in publishing, it's somewhat daunting as it could be more than a fruitless project. It's something I've always longed to do too so it's no surprise that I feel under so much pressure. And we still have yet to get together to discuss it! I would feel quite disappointed by 2011 if we hadn't at least drafted it or sent it to a handful of publishers.

Still, it ought to be fun nonetheless and it's another creative project to tuck under my belt. Speaking of which, the other big creative thing lined up for this year is all down to Cheesemint.

To quickly explain, Cheesemint is a small production company I have found myself involved in, check the site for more info! So far my roles haven't been that huge - I've been making puppets for one of the videos and I will be uploading a step by step guide with pictures to the blog VERY soon and in November we all took part in a Rockathon, playing Rockband 2's infamous Endless Setlist for this amazing charity; Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust and we even got a mention on Xbox live! It's all been great so far but the scary part is yet to come in the form of a web series this year which is a little daunting for me. My previous experience of acting (what little of it there is!) has mainly been silent so it will be very interesting and a bit of a challenge. All the anticipation is rising but it's going to be an exciting project to be part of. Everyone involved is stupidly talented and I feel very happy to have been accepted so readily as one of the group. So I'd just like to say thank you for being such awesome friends, despite knowing you all for little under 4 months! Yay Cheesemint!

So, it seems I actually do have a lot to look forward to in 2010. Okay so I didn't pass my MA, but I've had all the experiences that go with it. Yes, I was made redundant and lost a job I loved. But, I've met so many new friends in 2009 and already have projects lined up. Oh and top it all off 2009 led to the meeting of my future husband (of which I have no doubt!): (rRh).

Okay so soppy sentiment aside, Happy New Year Everyone! Watch this space...

New Year...New Anxiety

2010-01-03T23:14:00.006Z

Dear 2010...

I am writing to you because there are a few things I'd like to explain and get off my tightened chest.

I find you incredibly intimidating and I'm not quite sure what I should be doing this year; in your year. I'm already struggling to express myself, I'm a nervous quivering wreck. Umming and Ahhing are the only sounds that leave my lips, I can't even speak. "Two thousand and ten", "twenty ten", "ten"? Even your name causes me to panic. What if I say that wrong too, will you hate me, think me stupid? I couldn't bear it.

2009 went by so quick, so I expect you'll pass me by much in the same manner. I don't appreciate this in the slightest and can't bear the pressure of all that so-called "achievement" and "progression" that I'm expected to partake in. It makes me weary just thinking about it. So little time to take action or reach a set of goals that I haven't really thought out. How can I when the clock is ticking? It's hands are tightly clasped around my throat.

I'm staring down at the notes I made earlier - words which back then had meaning now sound pathetic, lacklustre, no way good enough to be heard. Struggling to breath, think, speak...at least I can type, although it's little comfort to me knowing all the plans that I have made or been made on my behalf for your year.

So, what have you given me so far? Lets see...a rather underwhelming New Year's Eve celebration (but let's face it, you all do that, each year exactly the same as the last). A pressure to out-perform last year. A loss of direction, uncertainty and palpitations as I realise my old friend blankness of mind has returned...no words, only the foreboding feeling of inadequacy. I can't articulate myself. I'm a disappointment to 2009, a disappointment to you and worse still, a disappointment to the ones I love. An inability to cope is all I possess. Choked up with that dry feeling in my throat for company because all the moisture has travelled to my eyes. I want to break down, cry. Crying would inevitably turn into sobbing.

What have I become? What have I done? I know these should be: What will I do? and What will I become? because that's all you understand. Yet, I can't begin to fathom the latter questions. I'm defeated before I've even begun. A failure, a let-down, a disappointment. That's my problem, I have no will to speak of.

How pathetic.

I'd like to thank you for encouraging me to think about my life in this way and I reluctantly look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Emma-Jane Corsan

Farewell Art for Assessment. Helloooo Art for Pleasure!

2009-09-29T19:03:00.004+01:00

So, an update...well, my "creative journey" (as I originally dubbed the content of this blog) has come to an abrupt end...I failed my last unit which led to me being thrown off the course. So from now on this blog will be the focus of my art for pleasure. Which, is more of a relief in a way. It was always a risky decision starting an art based Masters after 4 years of studying philosophy. Still, the past year has been undoubtedly worth it and not all is lost. I still plan to go on to do education and will soon be applying to do a PGCE. I also have experience of organising exhibitions, collaboration, experiential learning and teaching methods, networking and I've made a lot of friends. So, all in all...a worthwhile year. I also intend to continue being an artist. I'm hoping to still be involved in exhibitions and to continue producing work. I've managed to rekindle my passion for art this past year and it's made me incredibly happy. I'm no longer depressed and art is my outlet once more. I'm pretty sure my new found positivity shows through in this post! Considering that I got made redundant and was also thrown off of my course in a short space of time!

Watch this space for new art!

Rough Draft - Domestic Gallery Spaces

2009-08-07T13:58:00.005+01:00

Below is a rough, unedited version of something I'm writing for my current unit looking at domestic gallery spaces, it's just the first 500 words or so and is written conversationally - much like all my drafts! A few quotes and a less colloquial style and it's well on its way to forming the introduction of my essay. So um yeah, if you see any major errors and/or nonsense...screw you, it's a draft damn it!

Taken from part one of my essay: How Gallery Spaces have changed...

There are countless websites that host online gallery spaces and the majority of artists today can not get by without their own website; I myself am part of three online art communities, sell my work through one of them and host my own blog. Thus, the internet has become another form of gallery space. There are numerous spaces to exhibit work and if you can’t find one suitable for your work you can simply create your own. It’s possible to sell work through certain websites for a commission much like a gallery would. It’s convenient, gets your art noticed by a wider audience and I’d also like to suggest that it doesn’t mark the end for traditional gallery spaces. I view it as a positive simply because the closer we get to globalisation the more emphasis is put on localisation and alternative methods of exhibiting. While making the art world interactive and available to the world via the internet, thus widening its audience is taking place, a return to smaller, local galleries is also happening, it is because of this global-art-for-all mentality that many galleries and curators have had the opportunity to try out new methodologies and expand what an exhibition is and ought to be. The parameters of an art institution such as a gallery are now widening. This is not a negative action and for every art critic who might argue that art should remain elitist there are two more who argue the opposite. The crux is, art is not for everyone but that the chance to view it or be part of it should not be denied to people. The public should be free to make up their own minds as to whether art is for them or not rather than shying away from a gallery space because the media and its deep rooted institutional values encourage them to think “it is not for them” nor should any person be made to avoid art because they feel uncomfortable in a gallery space. Even if art is made readily available to all and becomes part of our everyday lives, there will still be those who embrace it and those who don’t. This is why in recent times there has been an emergence in alternative gallery spaces, if you couple this need to include everyone with current affairs such as global recession it can be seen that exhibitions being held in people’s homes and empty shop units are on the rise.

That's all for now folks, I'm off to make me a table...

Back in Black! Well...Red, Actually!

2009-08-05T17:00:00.005+01:00

So I've not updated this for quite some time...this doesn't mean I've sitting around doing sweet nothing...well, I have a bit (Latitude was frickin' awesome!) Other than that, I've been working on research for my self negotiated unit and indulging in a bit of art for pleasuuuure, (ahhh yeah!) - this is something which was encouraged from my last unit evaluation, I decided I needed to have two strands to my creative practice - one for assessment and another for pleasure.

So um, yeah, I did some painting about a week and a half ago and have been working on a comic strip, haven't got any good pictures of the strip yet as I want to ideally upload them onto photoshop and play around with them first but here are some images of my new piece, I called it Redstract as I couldn't think of anything better:

Also, I joined deviant art a few months ago and have uploaded quite a bit of past work which I haven't posted on here, you can find said works, HERE

Blank Canvas Experience

2009-07-10T15:48:00.001+01:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Painting Game

2009-07-10T14:54:00.000+01:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Blank Canvas Post-It Notes!

2009-07-10T14:40:00.001+01:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Painting Game

2009-07-07T18:02:00.003+01:00

I never posted this when I should have last Thursday! It is the result of playing The Painting Game, also referred to as The Game...

Basically, it is a collective art activity, a kind of communal creativity...where each person involved takes turns to make a mark on the canvas until the collective come to a mutual agreement that it is finished.

The Game has helped me to realise some important things about my own creative practice but I think it can also potentially aid others by offering a way into art.

Some questions it raised for me were:

How might collaboration aid my own creative practice?
Is there such thing as a collective consciousness?
What would happen if I tried to repeat this exercise?
What might occur by demonstrating this method to others?

These are all things I wish to look at in more detail, however, I'm currently still working on the write-up so will add more at a later date. For now, here are some of the images from the first game...We did two watercolour pieces and an acrylic:

Anthony Gormley's One & Other (Fourth Plinth)

2009-07-07T13:42:00.007+01:00

Yesterday,(6th July 2009) the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square was taken over by living sculptures. Every hour, there would be a new person able to occupy the blank space on top of the plinth in any way they liked - within the law of course! Anthony Gormley the artist behind the Angel of the North is the man responsible for this living sculpture/monument.

"Through elevation onto the plinth, and removal from the common ground, the body becomes a metaphor, a symbol… In the context of Trafalgar Square with its military, valedictory and male historical statues to specific individuals, this elevation of everyday life to the position formerly occupied by monumental art allows us to reflect on the diversity, vulnerability and particularity of the individual in contemporary society. It could be tragic but it could also be funny"

Anthony Gormley

Every hour for 24 hours for 100 days, there will be a new person "installed". This is show the diversity of the everyday person in Britain. I love this idea for the sole reason that it is about occupying space. A space which usually contains nothing. It fits in loosely with my research into blankness. Occupying the plinth would be like making your mark on a canvas. It is a variation of a blank canvas in a different form - a sculptoral form, using the personality of the individual to convey an idea in much the same way as a painting often contains an aspect of the painters personality.

Gormley with a model of the plinth.

Having seen some of the coverage in the media and being so intrigued by the idea of occupying yet another blank canvas, I have just applied to be part of it as a participant! In total, there are 2400 spaces, each allocated one hour. There are over 20,000 applicants so obviously I might not be chosen as it is drawn at random and there are more applicants than spaces avaliable. Despite the fact that my particular project on blank spaces and the blank canvas is coming to an end I think that my application to be part of Gormley's art is a way of extendng my pratice and also continuing to explore my relationship to my art and to blank spaces. Also, the chance to be a living monument would be amazing!

Gormley with some of the participants.

There is a live stream of participants here: One & Other
It will be running up until October and the live stream will be uninterrupted!

"Long Live the Immaterial!"

2009-07-05T23:52:00.009+01:00

I taketh a break and something amazing doth happen! Went to see a friend after work, as opposed to coming straight home to get my art on, as it were, and she had recently stumbled across the French artist, Yves Klein. This man was a genius! I'm so pleased to discover a new artist! Best feeling ever, akin to discovering a new band! Sadly he died at the age of 34.

His work is varied but he focused on the immaterial/material and also the "void". Exciting stuff considering both these things link in with my own current practice!

The particular piece that intrigues me is The Specialization of Sensibility in the Raw Material State into Stabilized Pictorial Sensibility, The Void or Le Vide (April, 1958). Klein cleared a gallery space of everything leaving only an empty cabinet. Painted the whole room white, EVERYTHING; walls, floors, the cabinet and ceilings! He then conceived an elaborate plan before the opening. He sent out blue invites (relating to his previous work), painted the gallery window blue and hung a curtain in the lobby, you've guessed it; a blue curtain. The entrance even had guards watching over it! All of the details were fine tuned, he even served blue cocktails.

He made 3000 people queue outside the gallery only to be welcomed into a blank, empty space! I love this!

Klein was a very interesting character, I mean, look at him!

He even wrote up a manifesto stating his intentions; one such line in the manifesto about the "immaterial" made me laugh:

"Having rejected nothingness, I discovered the void. The meaning of the immaterial pictorial zones, extracted from the depth of the void which by that time was of a very material order. Finding it unacceptable to sell these immaterial zones for money, I insisted in exchange for the highest quality of the immaterial, the highest quality of material payment — a bar of pure gold. Incredible as it may seem, I have actually sold a number of these pictorial immaterial states".

Absence was of great interest to Klein, for him, the void is a neutral state of consciousness where one is supposedly able to become aware of one's own sensibilities (I suppose, much like Kant's Pure Thought in the Critique of Pure Judgement?). The void is a "place" where one can see reality as opposed to mere representation. He often created work that although were recognised forms of art also lacked "something" integral. Books sans words. Paintings sans images. Compositions sans composition! Klein named his created absences as "zones of immaterial pictorial sensibility". Thus, the audience of Klein's work could be described as not only simultaneously understanding an idea but simultaneously feeling an idea!

I thought it might be nice to end this blog entry with a flash of Klein Blue!

Panic!

2009-07-01T01:09:00.002+01:00

Panic! I missed the word "Panic" from my last post...oh, and "Anxiety". For some reason I woke up and HAD to jot these down. So, I thought I'd also update my blog too...getting obsessed? Me? Never! ;)

Existential Canvas Crisis!

2009-06-30T23:06:00.009+01:00

One of the things I've been doing lately is trying to articulate the feelings I have when encountered with a blank canvas. I used post-it notes to write down as many words I could think of that express this notion. I got the idea from one the sessions we had about 3 weeks back when we used a similar technique to describe a painting in one of the galleries at the Castle Museum. I remember feeling incredibly frustrated that although I described the painting as I saw it, that language will always hinder communication. It is a self destructive tool.

I'm often faced with ideas or concepts that I can't communicate to others, I can bearly articulate their meaning. Often, I have thoughts that could only be described to others by first describing the thought processes that preceded the thought, this would be incredibly laborious and is near impossible. I only describe it as near impossibility rather than full blown impossibility as I haven't tried it out!

Either way, language is an absurd concept. It is utilised for communication. Learnt from childhood so that we can express ourselves, yet, as with most things it is extremely complex and can often emcumber us with too much detail or none at all! There are some things that I can not possibly say because there exist in English no word or symbol for. Add visual language to the equation and you're set for misinterpretation AND inability to articulate...Argh!

Here are the words I came up with:

Rectangle
White
Blank
Canvas
Rough Surface
Untouched
Nothing
Daunting
Looming
Challenging
Ominous
Intimidating
Empty
Absence
Nothingness
Unknown
Void
Uncertainty
?! - this represents feeling I can not express/articulate/communicate etc.
Scared
Unsure
Self-conscious
Mental Block
Potential (To Ruin)
Inarticulacy
Inability
Inadequate
Self-doubt
Fear
Frustration
Anguish
Paranoia
Defeat

Quite dramatic, yes...but I do seem to get myself incredibly worked up about a blank canvas. I also uploaded another entry today called "Untitled". It's a fictionalised account of my battle with the canvas.

Anyhow, here is the image from the aforementioned session just to show you how t inspired me. Below it are images of the task I set myself to challenge the blank canvas. Apologies for the awful quality of some of the pictures, some were from my camera phone!

Contemporary Showrooms and Flat-Pack Furniture (Apparently)

2009-06-30T21:04:00.008+01:00

I have never been to Ikea. I suppose this sentence is akin to someone in the West saying I have never been to McDonalds. All I really know about Ikea is that it's a Swedish company and has a reputation (apparently) for it's flat pack furniture being near impossible to put together. I have a friend who visits it regularly, not to buy anything in particular, sometimes she doesn't buy anything at all, she goes to visit it, as if it's day out destination. It's a shop right?! Or has consumerism totally engulfed us?! I go to the shops to buy things I need and on those rare occasions when I have money, things I want.

Maybe I'm just disillusioned, since I have never been to an Ikea. Why is she harping on about Ikea anyway? you may be wondering. Well, for my self negotiated unit, I am researching the book as an object through domesticity and the commercial. When I read, books are enjoyed predominantly in my home or perhaps in the comfort of a coffee shop (which I would argue is really just an extension of the home). I feel they represent the comfort of domesticity. Books are also sellable, they are commercial objects as well as domestic ones. So I've been looking at bookshops and the home. My table could be described as furniture, well I suppose it is. It performs the function of a coffee table at least. Yet it is also an art object. Through my art I have combined the concept of books and the concept of furniture. Ikea sells furniture, it displays furniture, in fact I hear Ikea displays are a joy to behold. I've decided that I'd quite like to display my coffee table in a similar fashion. So...I'm going to visit an Ikea! No doubt my friend will be more than willing to escort me!

Apparently it is full of complete displays of every type of room you can think of: living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, offices, etc. Each display is full of products that have tags with information that tells you where you can find the same product in its warehouse. According to someone on an online forum: "These displays are amazing. They think of everything. There are real books on the bookshelves and complete dinner sets on the table tops. There are even glasses and plates tucked inside of kitchen cabinets."

Here are some examples:

Pretty detailed and I must admit I can see how people seem so impressed. There are even people who go to Ikea just to have their picture taken in the displays.
According to the same Ikea fan as above, "All you have to do is take photos of yourself acting natural (or completely ridiculous, however you like to present yourself) in these displays. Make sure you hide the price tags though! Then, when you return home, just upload your favorite photos from your IKEA outing to your profile and there you go. Just wait until people start responding to that photo of you sitting in your huge black leather office chair behind your massive oak desk surrounded by your posh bookshelves and lighted liquor cabinet." Yes, indeed.

Sounds a bit extreme to me but all the same I'm going to go take a gander and see what all the fuss is about. There's an exhibition on Ikea and its history currently on too. Sadly, I shan't be going...as it's at Liljevalchs Konsthall, which is in Stockholm,
Sweden. 50 Years of Ikea

On another note, my coffee table will be on display at Borders Bookshop in Norwich from Sunday! Fun times.

Untitled

2009-06-30T19:39:00.002+01:00

The blank canvas stares back at me like a mirror, hard and cold. Its reflection is scrutinising, I can hardly bear it. Worse still, its silence nauseates me. Unsure, I continue to stare back searching the blankness for something, anything! My act, though full of artistic intention is futile, it only serves to amplify the silence and blind me with its gleaming whiteness. A void; avoid the void I plead with myself...yet, my mind travels towards it at an alarming speed. It begins with self-doubt, my no-goodness and good-for-nothing self has hijacked my founding optimism. The canvas looms, ominous. Intimating but never intimidated. I recoil in fear and uncertainty, unable to make a mark on its untouched roughed up surface. It notices my failing and challenges me to a mental duel – I hesitate. It hits first and jabs me with gut-wrenching inadequacy, speaking to me in a cruel, unforgiving whisper, “You’ll never be good enough”. Worthlessness consumes me, my potential to ruin stunts any creativity that might have been my salvation, my saving grace. I try to retort but cannot find the words or articulate their meaning. Language can not save me now. It has taken sides and acts as a barrier between me the words I seek. I am abandoned by language, left alone in a vast chasm of unfathomable symbols and indecipherable chaos. My mind tries to fight back, an attempt to mark the canvas, but it is too weak, too defeated now to go on. I become as blank as the canvas itself. It exudes nothingness, projecting itself onto my own life, reminding me that I too, am finite. I can not beat it. I will die. As my anguish and despair intensify, I can not control my inaction; an existential crisis of sorts. This does nothing but encourage my frustration and paranoia. “I’ll never be good enough” I cry. “It’s all pointless” I weep. Tears fall, eyes swell, my vision blurs. Uncontrollable sobbing replaces my indignant cries of inadequacy. This continues, as it will always. Absence of sound and thought create echoes in the caverns of my mind, what was once there is gone, forgotten. Distraught, I have no choice but to accept my fate. I am human, doomed to live and die alone. What am I if I can not express or articulate myself? I know the answer all too well, it is insufferable and it consumes me every second I am alive. It sits there uneasily, awkwardly, like an unwanted guest within my consciousness. The answer whispers to me loud and violent. I am nothing. An insignificant entity. If I possess no words, have no actions, own no instument to communicate- then I am defeated! The final blow knocks me to the ground, I seek comfort in the foetal position but it is too late. I have lost. The blank canvas reigns over me once again. It remains untouched and immeasurable, whilst I obediently fall into the abyss. Exhausted, I give in to the calm, the empty...the nothingness.

Poverty + Art = Povertart? (Hmm...)

2009-06-29T20:59:00.004+01:00

Fearful, I feel like I should write something here as it's been over a week since I last posted anything! I've been busy networking and organising my next exhibition.

Money has become a restricting issue for my self negotiated unit, I'm struggling to acquire more coffee table-esque books for a reasonable price and no one seems to have any they wish to donate, so I'm thinking of "theming" my tables based on what books I do have. For example, I have a large number of horror genre hardbacks, also paperbacks (for the legs!) which would work.

I suppose I'll just have to try and be inventive; poverty can be inspiring...sometimes.

I'm hoping that my loan will be topped up soon. It's all been agreed, I just need to go through the tiresome process of getting things signed and such. Once I have all this sorted, I still need to work round the less than helpful summer workshop times too...else, I'll have to fork out more money I don't have for a drill, which wouldn't help alleviate my financial stress!

It will be interesting to look back on this time in the future and see what work I eventualy create. Also, I'd love to see what "new" art is emerging from these financially difficult times.

I don't have much else to say really, this whole post seems a bit pointless and my brain hasn't quite been on form these past few days. I'm starting to feel the pressure a bit and I'm worried I'm beginning to burn myself out from exhaustion. Fun times!

Fairhurst, Fear and F**k Me I Think I've Started a Business...(Kind Of)

2009-06-19T14:44:00.009+01:00

Fairhurst's image, When I Woke up in the Morning, the Feeling Was Still There, is a screenprint in three-colours. The particular print I have added relates to a series of four large colour photographic panels. (1992), titled Man With Dream Colours.

Copyright: The Estate of Angus Fairhurst

The photographic part of the image is in black and white with the canvas a blank white except a square of yellow has been printed on it's surface, it has been deliberately misaligned. Fairhurst often used to play around with themes of mis-alignment and removal. Here's an example of one of his works, a collection of magazine pages with the body and text removed...Ten Pages Of a Magazine, Body and Text Removed

Fairhurst commented on the image of the man with canvas...: 'I wanted to play on the mis-alignment of the hard form and the notion of feeling, both physical and emotional, which is something you cannot be so sure about' (quoted in Contemporary British Art in Print 1995, p.46). As made obvious, this work relates to my own, I've been struggling to find much more information on these particular prints, especially explaining the reasons Fairhurst decided to produce them. My search however will continue.

In other blank canvas news...David and I set out to the library a few days ago to take some more pictures of myself avec canvas. I wanted to show the canvas in another environment, one which manufactures another of my fears...SILENCE! So the library it was. I often find the library intimidating yet magnetising, the quietness freaks me out yet the books call to me! I suppose this is how I feel about the canvas too. I'm afraid of it, yet I want to explore it...perhaps I'll overcome it?

It was a new experience, I've never posed with a canvas prior to the last "photoshoot" which was at my home (a safety net perhaps?!). So bringing this experience into the external world was a little nerve-wracking...I was very aware of people watching us, me...I'm not sure it was embarassment either. We took a few images outside the library, as I wanted to highlight the environment. There were quite a few people miling around and I became very aware of their noticing us. So, I laughed and kept laughing so I could disguise my fear, also hid my face with the canvas a lot to begin with. David seemed far more at ease, camera in hand, shooting away. I kept thinking "let's get this over with quickly, this is weird...I need a coffee!". Still, I let the fear carry me and once I'd asked permission to take pictures in the library we wandered to find a place that had enough natural light - we weren't able to use flash photography and couldn't control the light like we had been able to at home. I took us over to the biography section, not for any artistic reason - it just seemed to have enough light, but also seemed to hide us away from people...after a few pictures I felt braver and decided we needed to be somewhere with even more light so we moved to the front. I was conscious of being in the way and this was made worse by the fact that someone upon seeing us, changed their route to the photocopier as we were blocking their direct route. I felt a bit out of place. Perhaps it was my fear of libraries? Well, silence. Although, I noticed this wasn't quite as bad when I had someone with me.

After I felt I had enough images, we retreated to the coffee shop, I remember feeling dizzy: part-adrenalin, part-lack of breakfast! So my coffee (well, mocha) was one of the best coffees I'd had in a long time! David took a few more pictures of me with the canvas and I reverted back to being silly, posing and pretending I was on a date with it...it does make me realise that I rely heavily on laughter and amusement. I've also come to the conclusion that without other people I start fearing absolutely everything, I lose the ability to do things on my own! I also need to enjoy myself and treat art as entertainment rather than something that needs doing. Perhaps this is the mistake I've made in the past. I want so much to feel like an artist again that I'm forgetting to enjoy it.

Enough rambling...here are some of the images:

So um...also, I'm selling some work soon. Also have the opportunity to sell through The Perfect Pad. By chance, I enquired about exhibiting work in the shop as I thought my work would look quite good in there and it turns out they have a gallery upstairs. I'm now thinking of possibly exhibiting my work there. The only thing is, I can only exhibit if I'm looking to sell...and it's 40% commission.

I've got all the details of the guy who owns it, he seemed to like the images I had of the table. So, I'm going to draw up my design specification professionally, produce two tables at the same time instead of one (not exactly mass production, but sort of...) and see if any other similar shops/businesses might also be interested.

I'm also waiting to hear back from my other "client", god, it still feels weird referring to him as a client! Madness. So um, yeah...I'm in business, kind of.

So much to do, so little time!

2009-06-16T14:45:00.002+01:00

Things I need...

A drill
Dowel
Some new coffee table books
Perspex

Things to do...

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Fighting the Blank Canvas with Fun!

2009-06-12T17:36:00.007+01:00

So quick update on the blank canvas project...I've been planning some images for a while now, I finally realised them a few days ago. It meant I needed a helper, one who knows how to work a camera...cue David, my housemate!

As I've been investigating my relationship with the blank canvas, I've been thinking about how I could show this visually - that is, my struggle with it and the intimidation I feel when faced with one. I thought it might be interesting to photograph myself with a canvas, but so it was in front of me. This would be so I could highlight the canvas as an intrusive object that stands in my way.

So anyway...I explained to David what I wanted. I didn't necessarily wish to be seen in the image, rather, myself and the background would act as a frame for the canvas. Here are a few of the "framed canvas" images.

I ended up just playing around with the canvas while David took more photo's, they show me being playful with the canvas, it became something fun as opposed to something fearful. I realised that humour and playfulness are possible coping mechanisms. I also learnt that perhaps in order to feel comfortable with a blank canvas I need dependancy on others. So, I'm going to try and pursue this collaborative element, could be interesting to see if I might find out more about my practice this way...

Here are a selection of some of the photos...

On another note,"Billboard Image Appears in Norwich!"
- A friend of mine has been stealthing it up like a ninja, round the streets of Norwich at 4am! Pretty darn good! He takes found local photographs (forgotton memories!) and blows them up, placing them back into the local community they came from.

Contexualising my work (and all that jazz...)

2009-06-10T16:54:00.010+01:00

I was discussing my blankness/silence idea with a few other MA students today, someone suggested I should visit Berlin for research...(I wish!). Apparently there's a room in the Jewish Museum there, which is completely empty, it's concrete and about 20 metres high. There's a hole in the ceiling so that the smallest ray of light cascades through. He said that when you enter the room, you feel as if you can't/shouldn't speak...it's strange what the architecture of a room and the use of it's space can do. Although totally the point I guess, i imagine it would be quite a poignant thing to experience. Just looking at images of it online I get a sense of sadness. From what I can gather, (well from a quick search on the internet, not bad for 10 minutes!), it's called the Room of Exile. It sounds incredibly eerie and the name itself suggests some kind of impending doom! It only has one door and one ladder mid-wall extending to the ceiling. This portion of the museum seems to be using architecture to convey feelings of absolute isolation and despair. I know from this description that it would terrify me, given my irrational fear of silence and nothingess! Here's a quote I found about it: "The room was cold and dark with only a sliver of light cascading down from the ceiling"

Here are some images of it...as you can see it's quite intimidating/forboding! These images really fill me with uneasiness.

Luckily it's not all been doom and gloom...I've also been reading these past few days, (mainly because I have reached a bit of a dead end with my practical work, although this is beside the point!) I found a particularly helpful essay by Maria Fusco entitled; The World Tomorrow - The Future of Books

It's opening quote, fits in entirely with my art;

"Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house"
Henry Ward Beecher

In this article I found a collaborative piece of design called Juxtaposed: Religion by Mike and Maaike who are part of the online design company blankblank (what a coincidence eh!? BLANK! hehe!)

This company is based on collaborative relationships involving designers, vendors and clients. "Beyond the artful interplay between materials, color, objects and spaces, we are constantly striving to enrich the relationships we foster"

Mike and Maaike's piece brings together religious texts and presents them on the same level, in theory yet also aesthetically. A very interesting yet ingenious bit of design work there I think! The subheading for the piece also adds to it's overall message of bringing different people and religions together as one;

5.084.000.000 people; 5360 pages; 3700 years; 243 countries; 7 books; 1 shelf

This piece is simple, bold and does what it sets out to, as well as being functional. it gives the client the possibility of possessing something which works not only as a stylish, flawless design piece which would work as a talking point in their home but also as a work of art. It combines both art and design with functionality. I absolutely love it. I have been toying with the idea of a shelf made of books. However my design idea is to have them so they look as if they are suspended in the air against the wall. The spines will be level only at the top, so as other books can be placed on top - like a bookshelf obviously! I will try and upload some rough sketches of it soon...once I find my damn camera!

Anyway after seeing Mike and Maaike's work, I have found new enthusiasm for developing this piece and I especially want to think about which books I might choose to use. Perhaps I could play around with humour, much like the work of Jim Rosenau. Who is Jim Rosenau I hear you say? Well, way back in December, I came across his work and mentioned him in one of my blog entries. Here's an image of one of his book shelves (each one is designed with humour in mind but he also makes custom orders on request). His website.

I love the use of humour in his work. Without the whisk and the carefully chosen titles I think his idea would still work incredibly well. But it just adds another dimension, it's playful and combines an art object with a functional domestic use. I will definitely keep this formula in mind when approaching my own work. After all, I try to keep it playful and lighthearted anyway! I'm pleased this post has gone from uneasiness and gloom to playful and lighthearted! I think I'll focus on this side of the coin for now!

Keeping it Simple...

2009-06-05T13:52:00.003+01:00

Right..."BE FOCUSED AND KEEP IT SIMPLE!" is going to be my mantra for the next few months.

During a group crit, it was pointed out that I need to set myself deadlines, that way I will become less distracted (or at least, I won't have the time to be!). So I'm going to document what it is I am doing for each unit.

So, for my self negotiated unit I will...create a new table based on updated design specifications, proceed with my second exhibition (with the original table - albeit with a few moderations) and I will also create a chair made of books. Alongside this I will continue research into books/domesticity.

For my learning conversations unit I will...explore my reaction to the blank canvas. If this fails, I will replace "blank canvas" with "silence" then "unknown" and so on, I will also continue research into blankness/nothingness etc...I think I've finally worked out what this action research is about!

It might look simple but it is a lot of work for the timescale I have, makes me realise how overcomplicated I've been making everything on this MA so far...I have 5-6 weeks left for the blankness project and 9-10 weeks left for the other. Will need to start allocatng time for both! Eeeek!

Why Does Someone Always Get There First?!

2009-06-03T21:20:00.003+01:00

Damn...just when you think you have an original idea, the realisation hits you in the face like a wet fish...there is no such thing as an original idea!

Bedroom of Books

Still, ain't no-one taking my Ikea display room/catalogue idea from me...or books won't be the only thing I'll be cutting!

Found a few more interesting sites this eve too:

Book Furniture

I want one of these!

Books as Art Objects and Sellable Products: Combining the Domestic with the Commercial

2009-06-03T17:53:00.005+01:00

During the private viewing last week, one of the viewers? (still not sure which word to use) enquired as to whether I would sell them my table. Initially I was quite taken by surprise. I hadn't considered this a possibility. I explained to this potential customer that the particular table in the exhibition wasn't in a condition to be sold as there are still several design issues that need to be resolved (based on feedback) and also because I intended to use this table in my own home. However, to my horror/surprise I found myself offering to negotiate a price for a custom made table once I had design specifications sorted and was happy with it as a final product - I took his details and gave him mine...so, um...yep, possible monetary gain in the future!

Somehow my language had shifted from art object to commercial product. I'm not sure how happy I am about this, as it's been a struggle to finally create something I saw as art. Here I am now talking about this art work as a product. Still, it fits in with my self negotiated project as I'm currently arranging my next exhibition (in a bookshop which happens to be...a commericial setting!). The exhibition will enable me to analyse books as art objects in a very different setting than that of a gallery.

This has prompted an idea, well, set one in motion actually. I was suggested to me whilst in a conversation about where I intended to take my art next by a good friend. It would also combine the commercial with the domestic: a catalogue.

I will produce a catalogue of products/furniture/soft furnishings made from books/book pages. I will give each one it's own reference number, price and name.
I have expanded this idea as I have been thinking about the end of year exhibition. I would like to create a scene incorporating all of these "products"/"art objects" much like an Ikea/MFI or to lesser degree Marks and Spencer/John Lewis display which are often made to look like a room in a house as a way of showing off the products.

I will visit some of these stores to conduct my research and possibly speak to employees who are paid specifically to create these displays.

With regard to the practical element, I've been playing around with book pages lately, seeing how far I can manipulate them as material. Good news for my poor neglected sewing machine! However, I am also looking into paper making processes. Exploring how I can possibly turn paper (book pages) into fabric. It would be a welcome return to textiles but through an art context.

Drawing a Blank: Howard Hollands

2009-06-03T17:41:00.005+01:00

I came across an "engage International Conference" while looking for essays on blankness. 'Like Nothing Else: experiment, risk and gallery education'
16 - 19 November 2005

One of the speakers at this conference was Howard Hollands:

Drawing a Blank: picturing silence in the classroom and gallery
'this interpretation panel is intentionally blank'
So, what 'this interpretation panel is intentionally blank', really means is, 'don't worry, this interpretation panel is intentionally blank', as a means of allaying the anxiety generated by the visitor faced with what appears to be nothing on the gallery wall. This throws us back on ourselves as a reader-viewer of images. Art is what we make of it, and 'nothing' as 'something' remains a confrontational and challenging concept. The nature of nothing means that it can never become an orthodoxy, but what we say about it certainly can. In this (blank-blanc) paper with too many words and pictures, Howard explores the empty space of the gallery and classroom as overflowing with pedagogic possibility

Unfortunately I could not find a transcript of his presentation (probably because it is blank?), however, attached was a link to his references which might be helpful. What striked me was the line: So, what 'this interpretation panel is intentionally blank', really means is, 'don't worry, this interpretation panel is intentionally blank', as a means of allaying the anxiety generated by the visitor faced with what appears to be nothing on the gallery wall.

The use of the word "anxiety" reminded me of my own. I never considered that an audience might also experience the same fear as myself. Yet again, I realise how incredibly self obsessed I have become. I really need to stop taking assumptions and turning them into truths/truthes? (For some reason I've drawn a blank on it's spelling - ha, hilarious...I am not.)

I wonder if I contacted him directly, if he might let me look at his transcript if it even exists? Hmm...

( ......... )

2009-06-03T16:57:00.005+01:00

While researching blankness/silence/nothingness, I came across this blog entry by author, Thaisa Frank. It's entitled Speaking of Silence
.

It offers advice for writers but can be adapted for artists. As I also write, I found it extremely helpful.

Thaisa explains that the unfamiliar is a good route to expanding your practice and suggests that silence, does not hinder an artist but can actually increase productivity, leading you to new material. Her insight has given me a new way of approaching the concepts that I fear.

"...even if you aren't that interested in readers, experiencing the world without language it's crucial to discovering your most original work"

This could also be related to the viewer of an art work. Language that does not need to be written, or visual language, can often express more. An audience will respond emotively to what they see or alternately, don't see. During my exhibition, I spoke with several viewers, some of whom expressed that my coffee table did not require a written statement. It was evident to these particular viewers what I, as an artist wanted to express. I created this piece through challenging my practice by experimenting with the unknown (sculpture/3D work/furniture design). I am hoping to take this on board with any future work. I feel that Thaisa's comment relates to my current research - my own fear of the unknown needs to be challenged!

No matter what anyone says, there's a part of writing that you can't talk or think about. You're either writing or not writing. And, if you are writing, it's either going well, not going well--or at some point in between.

I have adapted Thaisa's paragraph on silence:

When the art flows, you don't care that you don't know how to talk or think about it: You move easily between intuition and practical work, thought and imagination. Creativity expresses what it means. Images create a subtext. And when you step back from the work to view it, there's a kind of rightness to it. You feel like a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat--no one, not even you --can see the hat's false lining.

It's when the art isn't going well that you want to get to the heart of what's not working. You mull over it. Or return to some past work. Attack it at different angles. Or try to remember other moments when you felt stuck, and created something that worked. Often you mimic old strategies--without results. Sometimes, no matter what you do, the art withers on the vine. And sometimes, without quite knowing why, it comes back to life. You may have theories about why these things happen: But since art making is partly an unconscious act, you will never unravel the mystery completely. This is why each new piece of work often feels like the first, no matter how much art you have created.

There are a variety of ways to coax creativity back into motion--all valid, and I may share some of my own ideas later. But often the only solution is to do nothing at all. In homage to this solution, I present a small paragraph of silence. It dedicated to the elusive Edward Tolliver, as well as all artists who reach a point in their work where the only solution is to create nothing. Most of us stare at the blank canvas: Few of us bother to read into them.

The Paragraph of Silence:

I think this piece of writing is particularly helpful. At least, it has been for me.
Whenever I lapse back into the fear and panic of a new canvas I will come back to this paragragh. (I have decided that my fear may lie in the language "blank" so will refer to the blank canvas as "new". Whether or not this helps or just projects my feelings of panic from the word "blank" into the word "new" we shall see)...I also intend to look at a blank/new canvas (it's actually quite difficult to stick to "new"!) and try to create some work from it, not adding to the canvas but creating work inspired by it's concept.

Images from the Private View...

2009-06-01T20:46:00.000+01:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Drop-in Centre Private View "The Housewarming"

2009-05-28T00:55:00.004+01:00

The private view was a success! We had a really good turn out,I got some interesting feedback and the comments on the exhibition on the whole were 99.99% positive*! (*approximation!).

One of the comments we received, in fact, several of them expressed the view that it was the most homely exhibition they've ever been too. One commented, "I wasn't sure if I was walking into a gallery or someone's house". As well as all the lovely comments, I also recieved a compliment about my chocolate brownies! Score!

Lots and lots of pictures were taken, by several friends and myself and I will upload them in the form of another slideshow soon. The collection of images is vast and impressive!

We had to make 2 extra alcohol runs, much like a housewarming! Also, people naturally interacted with the work, some picking up books, sitting in the spaces and most people did a portrait of Mark! For a first exhibition, I couldn't be happier!

I'm hoping that I'll have a few more comments in my book before the end of the week and will endeavour to publish them on here asap!

Also, watch this space for more pictures!

Installing the Drop-in Centre!

2009-05-27T22:31:00.003+01:00

Setting up my exhibition on Sunday proved harder work than I imagined. There had been an event at the space we were using the night before and let's say that it didn't smell/look too pretty! We had to clean up before we could start! Despite it taking longer than I assumed, it was actually quite fun. I took lots of pictures to document the progress of installing our work. There are too many pictures to post, so I have made a slideshow; hopefully it works!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Panic and Nothingness

2009-05-24T19:18:00.003+01:00

I forgot to write this up from Thuuuuursday 21st.

For one of my projects I'm concentrating on blankness or nothingness. The scary blank canvas! When I was explaining this to everyone in the sessions, our tutor made a point that when I use the word "blank" I say it with negative connotations...which I do. I panic!

We put ourselves into images when we view them and acquire stimulus from different objects/concepts. I'm going to try and detach this pnaic and fear I have when thinking about blankness. It was also pointed out to me that silence might be interesting to explore, as it is another form of blankness! The scary thing is...I am actually terrified of silence, which I'm sure comes as no surprise for those of you who know me! I hate silence, I feel so incredibly uncomfortable surrounded by it. No such thing as a comfortable silence for me! So I'm going to look at nothingness, which sounds impossible! Ha! No doubt I shall be revisiting philosophy once again for this one!

I'm hoping to also investigate what might happen if I take my book sculptures into an art setting. Maybe the context my practice will change? Or maybe not?! Apparently the main idea behind action research is learning to accept not knowing!

I'm intending to research and re-explore the work of Rauschenberg and De Kooning. Also going to look at Ulrich (representations in visual objects/stimulus). Best get on with it then...

Hume the Artist (Not to be confused with Hume the Philosopher!)

2009-05-24T19:15:00.002+01:00

This was written yesterday in my journal(23rd May).

Have been given the go-ahead from my manager to exhibit some art work in the bookshop! So I'll have my second exhibition to plan and organise soon! This means that my self negotiated unit is already well underway!

Also, I have been looking at Gary Hume's work after my tutor said that one of my book sculptures reminded her of his work. I wanted feedback as I wasn't sure if it fitted in with the rest of my work but also I genuinely wanted her opinion. It turns out that his work is actually rather good! Thought I'd post an image of his work along with mine and write a bit about him.

Gary has a series of paintings of "sacrificial lambs", his own term for cheerleaders. They make for very interesting viewing. There are limbs everywhere, ambiguous close-ups, isolated, denatured images of young girls contorting their bodies. Quite unsettling once you realise, however they take on a strange quality, detached and disparate due to the magnified image. It is hard to tell which bit of the body you are looking at and what might look like a leg at first could also be an arm. I imagine the size also adds to this as Hume's technique involves projecting and enlarging the images he paints. This fragmentation seems to objectify each individual body part. There is a sense that the female form is being viewed yet some of the lines do not possess this quality. It is a very strange mixture of the real/unreal...

In the case of my own work, the intention was not to hide the female form, I simply found the lines interesting. I decided that it is not often that people view this part of a woman, rather, only a female woman looking down at her crossed legs can. I also like the temporary nature of the "lap". A concept which can only exist if someone is sitting. Much like a dent can only exist because it relies upon something in which the dent has been made...if that makes sense...?

Makeshift Cardboard Houses and Thinking Creatively!

2009-05-24T17:54:00.010+01:00

Have been meaning to put up the pictures from one of the new units I'm doing at the moment; Learning Conversations. It's been really interesting so far and has proved quite enjoyable.

It's been more practical than I thought it would be and the 1st week we listened to a piece of writing about washing hands whilst washing our own hands with wet wipes! For some reason this sticks in my memory more than anything else from that particular session. The combination of bringing something normal and ordinary into the realm of out of the ordinary...it really encouraged creative thinking. For me at least!

The 2nd week involved a lot of fun with cardboard! (See pictures!) And the 3rd week, or last week we talked a lot about the way we learn. When we see something new we will always respond emotively then we begin to orientate what we see, comapring it to everything we already know. Once we give it a name, we know it. Once you describe something and frame it with language then you can begin questioning and enquiring. Maybe form metaphors. This made me think about delivery and how something could potentially be viewed and I've had this in mind all day while I've been installing my exhibition!

I will be adding pictures from the installation later but these are the pictures from the 2nd week of Learning Conversations...we all had to make a space for our things, or utilise the space around us in some way to create a space for ourselves using the cardboard...

We had to make use of what was in the room and the materials we had on us!

Ali decided to just plonk herself and her chair down on the card!
Jenny stole a corner and piled her things up on it claiming it was hers because she is an only child!
Jane made use of the corners and strange interior of the room to highlight form.
Linda (as seen in the photo) wore hers for the rest of the lesson!
Angela made a defence shield for her things!
And I...made a strange house for my things using my trusty scalpel and tip-ex, that live in my make-up bag!

Notebook Entry 20th May

2009-05-23T00:28:00.004+01:00

This from my notebook: 20/05/09

Spent all day preparing my 1.5mm plywood that I "found"...well, kinda procured. It was a road sign, but it had been dumped behind a post and I'd seen it there for weeks before I took it. (With moral support of course...crime is no good without an accomplice! Hehe!)

Because it had a stickered surface on one side I had to spend a lot of my time peeling it away, painstakingly for 2 and a half hours! After all my hard work (including physical injury in the form of a few grazes and repetitive strain injury!) I tested its weight resistance and realised that it would snap or bend under pressure from the books on top. The moral is...test thing FIRST!

It was also pointed out to me that my finished coffee table would need to be transported so I decided against glue but was left with the task of finding a way round this.

It was suggested to me that I could drill holes into the book sculptures (table legs) and sit the wood on top with bolts or by using a length of dowelling. I went with the dowel solution. So I enquired at the wood work shop but there was a bit of concern whether a drill bit as thick as 12mm would work or just destroy the books!

I tested this out on another book to be safe and much to my relief it worked. In fact it reminded me of a bullet hole (which, incidently, has inspired another book piece...but I'll get on to that later on!).

As the dowel was 12mm I also noticed that if I hammered it into the 12mm hole it would be stuck (thus the idea of transporting the work could be forgotton!) So, I went over the holes with a 13mm drill bit so that the two would fit more like a puzzle. Success!

Another point to consider...Should I paint the spines of the book legs because they aren't "coffee table books"? Aesthetically, I love the bare pages showing as they create a wood-like effect but the covers detract from this. However, another student commented that she liked seeing the spines. Although, I dislike it as some are very badly damaged. I suppose because of this I could claim that, like "coffee table books" I am giving unusable books a use/function?!

Had I have considered this to begin with I could have chosen ONLY damaged books. Or, designed the table a bit 'better'. I suppose I had originally intended to paint the whole thing but then during the process of gluing the books I liked how the glue dripped and the pages (some of which were up to 50 years old) looked like wood stacked up on one another.

Note to self: PLAN THINGS IN ADVANCE IN THE FUTURE! My old nemesis TIME MANAGEMENT rears its ugly fat head!

Going...Going...Glued!

2009-05-22T23:51:00.004+01:00

Whilst glueing books together for my coffee table legs, I decided to make a note of the last lines of some of the books...no idea why, it just felt like an interesting thing to do. Especially as once glued they would be lost! Perhaps its the unconscious guilt of ruining an authors work, despite their lack of talent in some cases. I guess by documenting some of the text I am somehow preserving part of their legacy? Maybe...maybe not...Either way I might do some work with them in the future mayhaps? Even if I don't use them there's no harm in documenting them anyhow...

Some of them were hilarious, others incredibly cheesy and some just damn right awful. Here are a few...

"There is only Jake Hanlon, not Old Jake, not Young Jake, just Jake Hanlon, man, tall, in the saddle on a little Southwestern mustang, riding, riding, riding, into eternity."

What I take from this is that cowboys live forever! Brilliant! That was from Mavericks by Jack Schaefer.

"Then he kissed her, and felt the full, sweet pressure of her lips, and knew there'd be no more lonely trails for him, ever"

Yet again...cowboys just loooove eternity! Cheeeeeeeesy! Thanks to Mr Leslie Ernenwein.

"His face was horror-stricken."

Dundunduuuuuuuuuuuun! Ha! We have Alistair Maclean to thank for that scorcher, it's from Force 10 from Navarone...which is also a pretty awful film.

"'Yes', said Wind Jackal looking out across the broad sky 'perhaps the greatest adventure yet'"

Inspiring words there from Cloud Wolf by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell (incredibly popular kids authors who write the Edge Chronicles.

"I folded the paper and placed it under the dark glasses on her desk"

Way to end a story...not exciting in the slightest. Although pointed out to me by David, it might make a great ended for a pulp crime novel of the noir kind! Weirdly enough, this is from a kids book about footballers! The Transfer by Terence Blacker.

I started getting bored but laughed out loud when I looked in the back page of Plum Island by Nelson Demille

"Everyone applauded." Haha, way to blow your own trumpet Mr Demille! What also amused me is that underneath the last line was an image of a skull and crossbones! I will upload the picture soon! It was too good not to document visually!

A Space for Books

2009-05-13T01:28:00.004+01:00

I've just finished writing my proposal for the self negotiated unit. These are the aims I have put together:

The Book as an Art Object and its Functionality in a Gallery and Domestic Environment

Aims:

• To explore books as art objects through theories relating to an art objects spatial environment.

• To explore my own art practice with books as art objects and to use this knowledge as a way of understanding the functionality of art.

• To research the influence that an art object can have in regard to its placement and environment on its viewer.

• To challenge what an exhibition should be or how it ought to be.

• To learn something new about my creative practice.

My reasoning for embarking on this project rests on the notion of the book as an art object. My practice involves using books as opposed to the traditional canvas. I want to learn more about my practice so that I can develop as an artist and evolve my art into something new. I’m also interested in where particular forms of art are exhibited and want to test different spaces. Particularly the spaces that books perform their functions, essentially I want to explore their natural habitat!

For example, in a domestic setting such living rooms, in bed etc. And also non-domestic settings such as a book shop, coffee shop or library.
Throughout the development of this unit I am open to the possibility of change. In fact, I expect it to happen!

I'm planning to document my exhibition as well as organising 2 more but in very different settings; the domestic (my house!) and the non-domestic (either in the book shop I work in or a coffee shop!) both of which are not usual gallery/exhibition spaces. Although, it is a trend which is becoming ever more popular and has done since the later 90s. I will also be researching around this and will hopefully learn something. Also, I'm genuinely interested in this!

Bring. It. On.

Blank Canvas Battle!

2009-05-10T21:46:00.004+01:00

Van Gogh on "facing a blank canvas" :

"Just slap anything on when you see a blank canvas staring you in the face like some imbecile. You don't know how paralyzing that is, that stare of a blank canvas is, which says to the painter, ‘You can't do a thing’. The canvas has an idiotic stare and mesmerizes some painters so much that they turn into idiots themselves. Many painters are afraid in front of the blank canvas, but the blank canvas is afraid of the real, passionate painter who dares and who has broken the spell of `you can't' once and for all.”
(Letter to Theo van Gogh, October 1884)

Some wise words from Mr Van Gogh there...

I've recently been alerted to the fact that I struggle immensely when encountered with a blank canvas...all of my work is either carried out on books or found objects (written notes included!) The picture below are my exhibition planning notes on origami paper!)

Even my last sketchbook was brown. I somehow find it easier to create without the pressure that a traditional white blank canvas brings out. Is this is something all artists struggle with?! I hope so although I'd be interested to find out and also to learn more about why I feel paralysed when faced with blankness? Perhaps it's the fact that once I touch the blankness...it becomes my own responsibility? My own work. Strange how I can quite easily cut up books and draw on them. Yet, a blank sheet of paper I can't?! I wonder if I just lack imagination unless something is there to begin with?

When I try to I just stare at it gormlessly not knowing where to begin, how to approach it, what to create - my mind goes as blank as the canvas! I've decided to explore this aspect of my practice for one of the new units at uni; Learning Conversations. I have to pick a focus/question that I'd like to explore relating to my practice. It's certainly interesting enough for a 10 week project at least and might help with my other unit, which is my self-negotiated one. This one is still a little "unknown". I'm thinking that I might concentrate on domesticity/space through the context of books (of course!). My exhibition will help, what with it being a recreation of a living space out of books...definitely need to develop this before I begin my proposal though.

Perhaps the only way to settle this score between the Blank Canvas and Myself is to fight it!? Although, I've already destroyed a canvas...hmm, this is going to be a bit of an endless struggle methinks!

Ooooh...and one more thing, Mark gave me a great idea. (Thank you!). I'm going to take a book sculpture to a life drawing class and work on that instead of paper/canvas and maybe video it so I can get a better idea of how I work. Also, I'd be taking a non-traditional canvas to a traditional art setting! Much like my books are removed from their setting or created into one (Narratively and literally!). I think it'll be very interesting even if it turns out I learn nothing at all!

Hmm...so to sum up; Van Gogh was a wise man, the blank canvas is not my friend (I actually think it's bullying me!), domesticity needs to be explored, a life drawing class needs to be attended and I need to get working!

My Portrait of Mark...

2009-05-08T22:36:00.003+01:00

Was in the studio with Mark today, who is currently embarking on a project in which he asks people to do a portrait of him to be displayed at a later date (think this is also his idea for the exhibition too! Should be good!) Anyway...he asked me to do one and I agreed, for which I am pleased, it turned out quite well. It looks nothing like Mark but it was the words that excited me (as always! I looooove the words!)

I asked him to pick a book from the pile which jumped out at him or he felt represented him. He chose Braveheart! Mainly because of the Scottish family connection.

I began drawing straight onto the book cover, over the image of Mel Gibson. I transformed him into Mark but then felt it needed "something". So I searched through a few pages of the book and cut out some words I felt described or were just "Mark" and stuck them on the cover.

It just so turns out that Mark has written a song called "Piglord Cometh" so you can imagine my delight when I found the word PIG! Then, I found HE SANG OUT, THE REBEL...among others. This was the result...

We were also discussing a possible collaboration in the future...so watch this space!

Time For Your Close-Up!

2009-05-08T22:12:00.005+01:00

Thought I'd upload a few more images of my latest book sculpture. These ones really gie you a feel of the tactile quality it possesses and also highlights the mottled colour effect...

I will definitely be trying this technique out again as I love the way there's no way to scratch off the paint neatly with a screwdriver! The images themselves are really delicate but in using a screwdriver to etch it gives the work a rougher look - of which I am a fan (I also like the reminder of corrector fluid I get with the white acrylic!). The revealing of the women in the images works well with the idea that I'm scratching away at the surface revealing the books underneath. The books themselves being Bratz annuals highlight the absurdity of beauty and hint at the darker side of sex and sexuality. Especially as I also drew these images originally in Red Dragon because I wanted to explore the " pursued sexual victim" described in the book.

For the next few weeks I'm going to be focusing on my exhibition; meaning I need to get on and make that darn table! But in the meantime...here are the close-ups:

These are the original images, one is from a sketchbook from October 2008 and the other is one of my more recent sketches done in the Red Dragon book April/May 2009:

Awful Books and Beautiful Mistakes

2009-05-08T21:46:00.007+01:00

Today I defaced my copy of Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. I had previously sketched onto the pages however I wanted to alter the cover in some way, similar to the book by Robert Ferrigno that I manipulated into a value judgement upon the book itself – much like the reviews of critics and the media that you so often see on many mass market paperbacks.

On a side note, it actually irritated me to find that publishers are just as bad- Every Murakami paperback that I look at has the same quote by David Mitchell on it...THE SAME QUOTE! As if all of Murakami’s books are indistinguishable! It’s awful and makes me incredibly angry! I’m talking “Hulk, maaaad!!!” angry! Now I have to buy new clothes...I’ve gone and ripped them to shreds again! Yeah...rant over).

So...I started looking at ways I could play around with the text on the cover... T H O M A S H A R R I S R E D D R A G O N.
I was amazed to discover that I could find the imperative; “DONT READ” in there! It actually made me excitable...I’m not even lying! Mark will vouch for me! Anyway...After that I was left with some random letters, I couldn’t quite get it to work. The most productive words I found in the remaining letters were HARMS and GO but I couldn’t fit them in. I took a picture with HARMS under Harris’s name but decided against it.

Here it is:

I then used some more corrector fluid to paint round the edges of the letters - I’m not quite sure what my reasoning for this was but at the time it felt like the right thing to do. This is usually the way I work, reasons can always be discovered later! I used to think they could be made up later, but actually, upon reflection I always find out something about my art...something that had I have known or realised whilst making it, might have caused my work to take on a different style. So, I tend to use this for next time. For example, the other day (6th May, I believe), I finally got round to painting on the kids annuals that I had glued together ages ago. Here’s the proof...I was so agitated because I had no idea what to do with them! (Apologies for the awful picture, it looked better on the view finder of my camera!

So anyway, I painted the front cover and the spines and nothing else, previously I had painted the whole sculpture. I liked how the colour showed through at different angles and the reason I use white acrylic is because it reminds me of corrector fluid...I had thought about using that but decided it would take at least 10 bottles and it’s not that cheap! Whilst I waited for it to dry I decided to think about what to do with this “blank canvas”, my readymade book sculpture base. Of course, as always I couldn’t decide...my mind went as blank as the thing itself!
It was at this point that I realised that some of the paint at the bottom was stuck to the desk (I had forgotten to put down newspaper! Fool!)

So, in my infinite wisdom...or because it was the nearest item to me at the time I picked up a screwdriver and began digging away (carefully, as the paint wasn’t fully dry yet!) at the bottom of the sculpture. Despite being really careful...I get impatient. This always happens – which is why most of my work appears as if it’s been rushed. It has. I’m not happy about it but I’m aware and working on it, okay! Well, I’m sure you can guess what happened next; Yep, my hand slipped and the screwdriver’s metal tip scratched a line of paint from the sculpture. Shit! That was my initial thought, but then I noticed that the colours underneath gave a mottled effect and actually looked quite good. In the Red Dragon book that I’ve been sketching in, I’ve been focusing on the female form – mainly because of the content of the book itself as Dr. Hannibal Lecter preys on female victims, sometimes with sexual intent, but also because I just really enjoy how it feels to draw curves and lines.

So, I decided to transfer some of my images from the book onto the sculpture. I really liked the end result. One thing I will comment on is that in hindsight, I would have preferred it if I’d have used one image instead of two. This is because I liked both images singularly but when brought together they don’t quite work. Perhaps it’s because one if a close-up of a sectioned off area and the other is the whole body. It might have worked better if I’d have etched out a close up on one part of the body maybe?

Still, I really loved the flashes of colour and the revealing of this. I suppose it comments on the idea of revealing the female form? Or highlights nakedness? It also amused me as the kids annuals were all Bratz annuals. If you don’t know what Bratz is then prepare to be shocked:

Yep, teaching young girls to look sexy and dress provocatively. Not to mention that the sensual parts of the characters such as the lips have been plumped up. They look like cheap prostitutes. In fact, they don’t even look human! I won’t bring up the whole Barbie dolls are evil thing...but c’mon this it’s outrageous! Do I sound like a rambling old woman? Well, I’m actually 23!

Anyway...enough digression, this is how the etching turned out:

The Kindness of Strangers...

2009-05-05T23:13:00.006+01:00

Exhibition is happening fo'real!

The Drop In Centre presents...

Serena Caulfield
Emma-Jane Corsan
Mark Jennings
Cherry Styles

Curated by Alison MacRonald

The House Warming!

Private view 26th May

at Unit 5, off of Magdalen St, Norwich!

Woo!

With that in mind...I've been working hard like a good Emma should. Today has been quite productive...whilst planning exhibition details etc. I had a bit of a breakthrough. Have decided to make my work interactive to fit in wth the theme of the exhbition. We want to make it as homely as possible. So, I'm going with the coffee table idea. What's the coffee table idea you say?

Well, I shall tell you. I've decided to make a coffee table out of "coffee table books" This is a comment on the absurdity of books for display purposes only (see my last blog entry!) and fits in with my previous work in that it involves the manipulation of books and the creation of something new out of existing objects/media. Rather than adapting the narrative of a book as I have been doing, I will use the books in their entirety and give them a purpose, not only as art but also as a functioning coffee table. On this table will be a few of the paperbacks which I have "destroyed" for my viewer to peruse, whilst sitting on a selection of comfy cushions. Above them there will be 2 book shelves which will hold my book sculptures and a few more of my books. The idea is that the viewer can take books off the shelf and look through them. As the coffee table will be covered with a layer of perspex, I might even throw in a cuppa for them!

That's the plan anyway...

On the other side of things; the resubmission of my research project is done and dusted...although I am a little worried as I don't think it's even half as good as the one I gave in and failed! Very scary...although it's a relief to have it done! We'll be starting a new unit soon; Learning Conversations (whatever that might be!) so I'm pleased to have finished.

This exhibition has also motivated me and inspired me to think "big"...as I still enjoy using books I decided that for the exhibition I would go a'hunting for lots more books...hundreds. Ambitious, yes. Realistic...yes, actually! Although I never thought it would be! I sent an email to all of the students at NUCA and a few Facebook messages requesting any unwanted books...despite offering to pay I've been offered 4 boxes worth of books as well as buying some top quality hardbacks and coffee table type books for a damn good price! It's really surprised me just how kind strangers can be (friends too of course - although that's a given!) and so I've also decided to make a mention in the exhibition (in the form of some kind of list) of all the people who donated/sold me their books! People have been so kind that I feel I owe it to them at the very least. That, and baked goods Emma-stylee! Speaking of which, as our exhibition is called The House Warming we'll be putting on tea/coffee/cakes as well as the usual wine and beer at the private view. All cakes made by me!

I suppose I better get back to work, as I've got little time left (not only am I working at Borders but I'm working for the Norfolk and Norwich Festival at the moment too so my precious art-making time is being eaten away!)

Although, I do feel as if I'm finally becoming an artist and I'm relieved to have found my feet...true it's taken 6/7 months...but hey, I got there in the end! I've begun to associate my work within a wider context and discover where my practice fits in the contemporary art world. I don't expect to become the next big artist or anything...it just feels amazing to have rediscovered the confidence to associate myself as an artist, I've missed it...plus it's another label to add the institutional pile, featuring such delights as bookseller, student and not forgetting female 20-something; all of which will only to be deconstructed and recycled at a later date...hehe! I really ought to read some more Foucault!

Pencil & Biro: The Underappreciated Medium!

2009-04-17T23:28:00.007+01:00

Some more images...A few I forgot to put up from January and some new stuff- mainly the suff in pencil/biro...I forgot just how organic it feels just to use these simple materials...Sketching rough images is posibly the most therapeutic way to create art! Lots more pictures to come (I have a several different things going on at the moment...Exciting!) I also put some work up on Artbreak earlier today and people have already favourited my work or left me really positive comments/feedback! Some of which are current contemporary artists! I still can't believe it! Yay! My user name is EmmaJaneCorsan...if you were at all interested!

A Stumblin' I Will Go...

2009-04-12T22:30:00.004+01:00

Some inspiring images found whilst using StumbleUpon

The third one is by artist/photographer Chema Madoz...well worth a look! As for the others, not sure, but I give them kudos!

The first one I particularly liked, the content reminded me why I do the work I do, I've felt a little despondent lately and unsure of my own ability (boo hoo, violins etc.) so it felt quite inspiring. I'm very tempted to print it off and hang it in my studio!

For Display Purposes Only!

2009-04-12T20:53:00.006+01:00

Have got myself involved with an exhibition running in May at Unit 5 studios in Norwich. We've provisionally booked the 24th-30th May! We haven't got a specific theme in mind however all of our work can is loosely connected via "the home". I intend to make a bookshelf to exhibit my "books" and also make a coffee table using books as the base (currently on a mission to find some so called "coffee table books", as I would quite like to highlight the absurdity of owning books for display purposes only! The very idea shocks and appauls me, such a waste! I think it'd be very amusing to give these books a use like their name suggests!

However it isn't without contradiction that a lot of "coffee table books" are big, expensive art and photography books! I find it bewildering that a book which holds images of an art object can become an art object in itself by virtue of its purpose. "For display purposes only/Do not touch" comes to mind! It has made me consider the different purposes that different types of books can possess, especially as someone who struggles to let go of a book...I mean, I still own study guides that I no longer need! One of which, I thought of framing as a piece of art, the pages are covered with colour coded notes. It's odd that I had no qualms whatsoever about writing or drawing on study guides...I suppose it makes sense when revising but in any other book i'd view it as sacrilege!

Hmm...I fear I am digressing, back to the different purposes of books, I suppose you have:

Study guides - no explanation needed here I guess, although they are often sold on or handed down through generations to make use of the more than once!

Coffee-table books/books for display - you know the type, usually full of glossy photographs, with minimal text and as for those display books, I actually own a few (I do like to contradict myself!); nice editions/covers of books I already own, a lot of publishers tend to market huge leather bound versions of classics too.

Books for pleasure - probably the majority of my book collection falls under this, could be any kind of book.

Books for escapism - this is one of the main reasons i read books, to relax, unwind and escape the stresses of life!

Books for entertainment - fiction that entertains us, could be anything depending on what entertains you! (but also humour titles)

Books that educate/inform/instruct - self explanatory really, but a few examples might be cookery books, assorted reference titles and "how to guides"

Religious/Spiritual books - again, it's all in the name

Mini books/pocket guides - that you never actually keep in your pocket

Toilet books - yes, there are actually books marketed to keep in bathrooms...weird!

Gift books - books you receive as gifts, probably something marking your day of birth/'You are a Good Friend' - full of endearing/overbearing sentiment and cutesy pictures of animals in hilarious pairings which actually suggests that the person who bought you this gift probably isn't really worth classing as a friend!
reference books - dictionaries/encyclopaedias and the like (that tend to sit on shelves until a dispute during scrabble ensues!)
I guess a lot of these depend on the person.

And ofcourse...books for art!

I'm sure there are many more purposes of books, perhaps I will ask my fellow booksellers when I'm next at work. I'm sure someone out there uses books in a practical sense maybe as a doorstop/cheap alternative to fire wood/lining for a litter tray...maybe.

My musings will end here as I fear I will get on to rambling territory (as usual!)

Oh, also, I have recently started using Twitter, (yes,yes, I know...I've jumped on the bandwagon!) but if you would like to follow me just search my username: EmmaJaneCorsan

It Pays to Be a Fan Girl Sometimes!

2009-03-19T00:25:00.003Z

A few things to report...

Hopefully, if things work out ok, myself and the part-time ladies on the course will be having an exhibition! Yay! I find it odd that it'll be my first, I am but an exhibiting virgin! Obviously this brings to light the fact that I don't have a great deal to exhibit...I need to get my art on!

In other news, one of my favourite contemporary artists at the moment, Mike Stilkey, replied to a message I sent him and I'm chuffed to pieces! Despite sounding like a total fan-girl he seemed pleased that I recognised him! If you haven't seen his work check out one of my earlier blogs...his website is there and he is amazing, he paints in a similar style to Egon Schiele and there's definitely an inherent humour within his work! I might have to ask him for some advice at some point!

Also have a seminar and private tutorial with an art therapist at 4.30pm today, should be interesting and might give me some tips if I decide to go down the art therapy route. I'm wondering what I might possibly ask him or if I should take in some of the art therapy tasks I did...or maybe not! Better get thinking...

I feel fairly relaxed at the moment regarding my MA but I feel somewhat guilty about this...I need some kind of pressure to get me working! Maybe the suggestion of an exhibtion will gear me up! I'm going to make a few more book sculptures methinks!

The End is Closer Than I Thought...

2009-03-03T20:30:00.002Z

My research project...is dooooooooomed. The school I was working with has pulled out, I'm left with NOTHING. Just all the research and prep work I did...I even had all the materials ready. Ah well, it's all part of the learning process for next time I guess. In the meantime I need to think of something new to do...and fast! My brain is having a bit of mental meltdown though, the deadline is but a week away!

I'm surprisingly positive though. I even tried calling Red Balloon (the charity I used to volunteer with- do check them out as they are such a worthy cause and do so much for bullied children!). Unfortunately, they too are quite busy and unable to accommodate me. At least I have a lot to write about in my evaluation and I'm more than prepared for any future projects now!

Despite this strange optimism ('tis a rare thing!) I'm a bit worried as I might fail my unit. I might continue some more practical work as a break from over-thinking, uploading my last pictures has made me want to do some more actual art!

Little Red Riding Hood Book Sculpture (Unfinished)

2009-03-03T20:18:00.001Z

As promised...more pictures!

Never Work With Children!

2009-02-24T16:09:00.006Z

It's been far too long since my last post! I thought it was about time for another!

Well, so far in the RPP unit a lot has happened. My original proposal was going to be be; Art as a Way of Combating Stress in High Achieving Pupils.

It linked in well with my fascination of art therapy and was at one point on track. I had found a school, sent my proposal, planned "lessons", made up questionnaires and researched quite a lot of material...for a change, I was ahead of my game!

But then...it all came crashing down. I hadn't really considered the ethical implications and the school asked if I had ethics board clearance and what I could offer in the way of counselling if any psychological issues arose for the pupils...

SHIT!

That was pretty much my reaction for several days...sandwiched between panic and despair!

To make matters worse...along came half term, making any communication with the school difficult. Children eh? Maybe I should have looked into adult education!

So, last week, the realisation had dawned on me that I was going to have to rethink my whole project. I decided to take out any art therapy/psychological element in my research proposal and try out something new (and with only 3 weeks left- out of 10!)

I still intend to do work shops with the pupils although now they will be art sessions not art therapy and I will observing the effects that non-curriculum art can have on these high achieving pupils.

Now half term is over, all day I've been refining my questionnaire, attempting to re-do my proposal and writing a parent/guardian permission letter for all pupils who will be participating.

The sessions will be fun (I hope!) as I'm going to buy a book for each student and let them manipulate it! This will fit in with my own practice too! I'm hoping also to get parental permission to exhibit their work alongside mine at my MA show!

I'm looking forward to the sessions as they will also be good practice for me if I do intend to go into teaching eventually and I can always apply to do a PhD and do art therapy research in the future. At least all the problems I've had will enable me to be better prepared in the future and will give me a fair bit to write about in my evaluation at least!

So that was my quick update!

On the creative practice side of things I've made a little progress, I used glue to stick together 6 books to create a kind of book sculpture, then I painted it with white acrylic. It had been sitting in my studio for weeks as I had no idea where to take it next.

Last Friday I decided to paint onto it and began painting an image of red riding hood. It has given me several ideas;

1. Make a series of "sculptures" similar and paint scenes from my favourite books onto them (maybe fairy tale related?! Or to highlight narrative of a singular book?)

2. Make a shelf then use a book sculpture as a book end? Perhaps with new spines painted on to look like books?

3. To paint images on my sculpture, document them photographically and then paint over in white acrylic only to begin the process again (to highlight the layers of meaning maybe?)

I will post an image of the red riding hood sculpture soon, so watch this space!

Return to Textiles...Maybe

2009-01-21T12:51:00.002Z

Linda informed me today of another artist who might interest me;
Michelle Holden

Her work reminded me that I never did get round to stitching or sewing pages! Or experimenting with textiles at all- this is quite displeasing as I quite enjoy sewing and it'd be nice to pay my poor neglected sewing machine a visit! It's had less use than my poor obsolete Game Cube...(I'm so sorry GC, I still love you...but me and the Wii are so much happier together!). I will at some point experiment with this!

Today I also went to a counselling session which has urged me to restart the whole art therapy thing again...I'm in two minds still, but then, I always am! Think I'll try some tonight after I finish my task for the RPP unit (that's Researching Professional Practice don't you know!). RPP seems like it's going to be a pretty intense unit, so I may not have as many blog posts in these next 10 weeks, I shall endeavour to make the effort though! I need to make the necessary arrangements and begin my proposal also! Eek! So much to do!

Oh, I'll end this with something which amused me for hours the other day:

Crazy Signs!

How Dusty!

2009-01-13T11:59:00.002Z

Six word stories- I made these by re-arranging words that I found and cut out of a book.

Last-minute improvisation,
That would be murder.

Most generous,
The forces of nature.

Armchairs,
Fresh rye bread,
My pleasure.

Certain objects,
Bitter memories,
You...Me...

Curious pot of honey,
Uncertain orange.

Borrowed Poetry: These "poems" were created by arranging then re-arranging words from a book.

A glass of milk, how dusty,
My throat...a touch of brandy!

Curious eyes,
Drifted,
Seeking employment,
Nevertheless,
Repay your debts.

Milk sour,
Ragged tramps,
Blood-red,
The crow's nest.

Yet More Useful "Word-y" Links...

2009-01-12T20:44:00.007Z

Some sites that I used to research Dadaist poetry and the cut and paste method which I used in my work.

Wikipedia Entry- Found Poetry

Found Poetry Website which was particular useful

Dadaist Poetry- Links in with my Nietzschean poetry

Language is a Virus Website

Article from the above website

Gonzo Journalism - Hunter S. Thompson

Six Word Stories

More Pictoral Destruction...

2009-01-12T20:19:00.003Z

I am Emma-Jane, Destroyer of Books!

2009-01-09T02:25:00.004Z

Could I ever "destroy" a book I love?

...I still don't think so, but what I wonder is...

Why not?!

I need to overcome this...

Or do I?!

I can't live up to Libre Libris Eversor!

I am not a true destroyer of books...

Confused...

What to do next................... ?

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simulating the Unknown Into the Known

2009-01-06T22:08:00.003Z

There is no edge to language...

There are no truthes or privileged vantage points when it comes to seeking knowledge, just different perspectives. Nietzsches perspectivism may seem contradictory as it is impossible for his view to be true is it is merely a perspective. All metaphysical truthes are illusory or metaphorical.

Anything we can conceptualise or articulate is an approximation, a falsehood that hides itself under a cloak of language. They are illusions that we have convientely forgotton are illusions. We in a sense, trick ourselves because it is practical and convienient given the nature of communication with one another.

We can claim to know about concepts as things in themselves, for example when we talk of a book we claim to possess knowledge that it is a book, however we can only possess concepts that make up a book like 'words' and 'pages' then in turn possess these individual concepts. What makes up words? or pages? letters? and so on. We only have metaphors for everything. Everything is a metaphor for something else.

Metaphors are covered in concepts, for Nietzsche we must realise that we have forgotton that concepts consist of various metaphorical constructs.

By creating new narratives from an existing one as I do within my work, I am intentionally trying to illuminate Nietzschean perspectivism. There is no truth as such, only relative truthes. We utilise 'truthes' in order to convince ourselves that we possess knowledge. Everything is a metaphor! This is also what inspired my Nietzschean poetry. Books and Nietzsche's work are both things which interest me and as such I hold very dear. This forms the basis for the work I am doing. I feel my playfulness is also something which is influenced heavily by Nietzsche's indulgence in wordplay!

Of course my work is also a comment about myself and the value judgements I place upon literature, highlighting my own snobbery and elitism, which I do not and will not make excuses for! So there! (If you could capture me photographically at this moment, you would see me childishly poking out my tongue!)

Oh, the Inarticulacy of Emma!

2009-01-06T21:40:00.005Z

The following posts after 6th Jan 2009 are entries taken from my diary and various notebooks, just snippets of information that I have been unable to post on here until now...unfortunately not a sudden burst of ideas or divine inspiration like you might expect. Ah well...

"Words like violence, break the silence, come crashing in, into my little word...words are very, unnecessary, they can only do harm...vows are spoken, to be broken, feelings are intense, words are trivial...words are meaningless and forgettable"

Just some lyrics by Depeche Mode, the song that got me thinking about this whole book art project in the first place! I feel these words (although meaningless and forgettable!) pretty much sum up how I feel about the nature of language. I have often wondered if it is contraditory to be such a bibliophile when I have views like this but I tend to push these wonderings from my mind and focus on my enjoyment and fascination with words. Much like an arachnophobe who finds comfort in watching a spider spin its web...unless you're me and in which case will scream as loudly as possible until someone sends poor old (and now deaf!) Mr Spider off on his merry little way to the world outside...where he belongs.

I sometimes find myself musing upon the etymology of certain words and the combinations thereof. Metaphors seem incredibly complex to me and I'll explain why (if at all possible!). To begin to assign similarities and differences in things that exist in the world is only human- we categorise by nature. It's what we do. Metaphors however, are often so poetic and can be intertwined in numerous (possibly even infinite) contexts that I wonder if they have any bearing at all to the very thing they are representing or resembling. I'm not saying that the world should only deal in fact but...well, actually I'm not quite sure how to articulate what I mean. This is very infuriating! Apologies for my rather unclimatic rambling...I will cease now. That is all.

(By the way...yes, inarticulacy is a real word it's in the Oxford Dictionary- I wrote it, confused myself and so double checked it...go me! God, I'm such a word-whore!)

My Co-ordinates...

2009-01-06T21:08:00.003Z

Su Blackwell's Art and its Relation to My Own Work...
On her website Su Blackwell makes a statement about the precariousness of the world in which we live and describes its delicate nature as analogous to the fragility of the medium she uses (i.e. books or more specifically, paper).

Paper, much like life is a “delicate, accessible medium” and Su describes her method as an “irreversible, destructive process”. This corresponds to my own work as I also see my work as a destructive process. However, the destruction makes way for the creation of something much bigger…creation. For me, this creation from such a fragile medium reflects the vast reverie of our dreams and experiences. Creation can not exist without an initial destruction

Su describes her work as claustrophobic, hinting that the characters within her work are trapped within the pages of her book until she releases them, this can be seen especially so in her installations ‘While You Were Sleeping’

The paper is literally jumping out from the work, with paper strewn all over the place as if it has escaped with urgency thus creating chaos.

Within an interview Su Blackwell described the reaction she often receives. Whilst viewing her work, people tend to be quiet, only breaking the silence with whispers. This may be due to the medium she works in as books are often on display within libraries, which insist upon silence. My own work, although it also uses books as a medium, seems to arouse something a lot different; amusement and laughter. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Su’s work aligns itself with the idea that the characters she skilfully crafts are three-dimensional, thus they seem much more personal and person-like which may arouse an emotional link between the viewer and the work. For example, in Alice, A Mad Tea Party the characters and the scene itself seem to want to be noticed.

My work however is two-dimensional and as opposed to creating characters, I create new narratives and poetry focusing mainly on wordplay.

This invites my audience to approach my work as if they would a book, putting them in the mindset that knowledge or entertainment will follow. This sets up assumptions which I can then break down. Once my viewer sees the artefacts I have placed before them as books they will then instantaneously collate any information, assumptions and ideas regarding what a book is both outwardly and internally. For example, for me books are sources of knowledge, academia, entertainment, emotion and observation. They can also provide enormous insight into the minds of others, the grand scale of their imagination. Whatever my viewers assumptions about books, they are challenged by the manipulation and transformation I have visited upon each book.

Cara Barer's Art And its Relevance To My Own

Cara's work combines sculpture and photography. She experiments with books in ways which distort the very notion of what a book is. This is what I try to do within my work however using predominately words to do this as opposed to using the book as a whole. Experimentation plays a large part in Cara's work and like Cara experimentation forms the basis of my work. It was through experimentation that I arrived where I did and with further experimentation that I intend to develop it.

At the end of her profile (on her website), Cara makes a final comment about her work; "A final note – No important books have been injured during the making of any of these photographs". This relates to my work due to the value judgements that both our art possesses.

Mike Stilkey's Art and its Revelevance to My Own

Within one of the books I am manipulating, I decided to paint some of the pages. Mike Stilkey doesn't actually paint the pages of books, however he creates imagery on the covers based around their narratives. The images I created were also based on the page their were painted on. For example, I painted the tarot card, The Hanged Man on one of the pages as on the page itself was a conversation about this particular card. However, Mike's work has inspired me to try painting on the covers in the future as I like the look of a 2D image on a 3D object. Stilkey also creates sculptures using books and then uses their form as a canvas, thus mixing sculpture with painting. The effect created is pleasing to the eye and his work possesses an intrigue which I can't quite explain. It's made me think about the ways in which I could develop my work. I feel that sculpture may be the natural form of progression for my work, which might will allow me to move away from working in predominantly 2D. This is something I wish to develop in the future.

How Dare She!?!

2008-12-28T22:16:00.006Z

How dare I indeed. Let us first take a moment to remember the words of Nietzsche:

"How much truth can a spirit bear, how much truth can a spirit dare..."

I realise that some people may drop their jaws, be stunned, outraged even, that I could ever do such terrible things to a poor defenceless book. How could you?! You might exclaim in anger. Well, please dear reader, calm down, get comfortable and let me explain...

Much like the rest of you bibliophiles out there, I am also of the opinion that books are the ONLY material possession worth caring about (I mean, I even received book ends and a book case for christmas which I am eternally grateful for!) and it saddens me that there are more books in existance than I could ever read! Without books I would go slowly insane!

However, as a bookseller I am also of the opinion that there are thousands of books that aren't worth the paper or the ink they're printed in. This is why I can not bring myself to deface or destroy a book that I actually like. I agree that this is very subjective (bow down to my superior value judgements! Mwahahaha!) even still, I don't care...there is no way I could EVER destroy a creation of Oscar Wilde's or Friedrich Nietzsche's for example, I respect their work far too much (however, destroying a Nietzschean text would be something that you can be sure Nietzsche himself would approve of- if he were still alive!).

The three books I have been experimenting on are no Wildes, oh no, they are trashy, mass-market paperbacks, the kind that I abhor...so I feel completely justified in manipulating them.
However, I have to admit that despite being awful books, I felt such a pang of guilt when I began cutting away at the pages, painting on them and changing the narrative. I felt as if I was some kind of criminal, it felt strangely...wrong. Yet, at the same time incredibly liberating!

I'm not saying that people should start cutting up books for the sake of art...please don't! Take them to a charity shop! Donate them to other people, ANYTHING but destroy them...UNLESS, you know that there are a multitude of copies still in print that are easily available...don't go searching out those rare gems or editions, those are priceless! These are the rules that I've been following anyway...

So, there...I've admitted it, yes I DO cut up books, for that crime I am GUILTY!

Christmas Time- Cameras and Wine!!

2008-12-25T21:15:00.011Z

I've been a good girl all year and have been rewarded by Santa in the form of a camera so I can finally upload all my pictures and experimenation. Poetry, narrative work, painting, altered books...etc. Enjoy!

The 3 books I've been playing around with!

Painting on books...(left)

My crime novel cut and paste with the Story of O and Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy (Below)

You made a mistake! Damn right he did, by writing an awful crime novel. Well, I put that to rights! (Below!)

Just in case I hadn't mentioned it before...You made a mistake!

Some random cuttings (left) and my scissorwork which leaves much to be desired...I will buy a craft knife soon! (below)

I really like the way the books look with pages spread, extremely tactile, just how a book should be!

More....

A few pages inspired by sentances within the page (watercolour)

More fiction made erotic using corrector fluid!

I do like the way the corrector fluid has dried and become transparent!

Nietzschean Poetry! (Created by cutting out words from The Birth of Tragedy and re-arranging them! I intend to do more of this!)

Poem/Ransom note/Guilt/Confession?!

Who Knows? But I felt it told a story!

I will endeavour to add some more as my project develops! For now, I will enjoy what is left of Christmas with a few more glasses of wine!

Useful Links and Contemporary Examples...

2008-12-11T20:19:00.001Z

This post is a collection of useful websites I've found that have aided my project but it is also a compilation of contemporary artists that use books as a medium.

http://www.ebsqart.com/artMagazine/za_271.htm

Article from an online art magazine

http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/artbkmks.htm

Collection of book art links

http://www.alteredbookartists.com/

International society of altered book artists (ISABA)

Whilst searching for useful links, I came across this quote and Chinese propoganda poster:

"To Read Too Many Books is Harmful"(Mao Zedong)

It made me realise, although I am saddened by the fact there are too many books for me to read in my lifetime; for others, reading books is a punishable offence. In a way, my punishment is that I am free to read all books but I also have the knowledge that it is impossible to do so. This is what I call the eternal dilemma of a bookseller.

The website that the poster comes from is http://chineseposters.net/toomanybooks/index.php
This website is the digital version of an exhibition, which was organised by and held at the libraries of the Sinological Institute (Leiden Univeristy, Netherlands) between 7th December 2004 and 30th June 2005.

This particular website: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/bittersweet-art-of-cutting-up-books.html looks at the "weird and wonderful" and I came across an article called "The Bittersweet Art of Cutting Up Books" It was certainly interesting and has given me knowledge of some contemporary book artists that I had previously been unaware of. For example, Jacqueline Rush Lee and Cara Barer

http://www.jacquelinerushless.com/

http://www.carabarer.com/

Another artist is Georgia Russell; http://www.englandgallery.com/artist_group.php?mainId=32&media=Constructions%20%26%20mixed%20media

Su Blackwell is an interesting one, I liked this image so much that I had to show it here too;

http://www.sublackwell.co.uk/

I think is beautifully done and has once again made me think about childrens books as a medium on which to experiment. I feel that manipulating the narrative of a childrens story into that of an adult narrative would be highly challenging and would highlight the absurdity in the usage of language in the two genres. By subverting something seen as innocent into something quite shocking I would also be challenging the moral assumptions of my audience as well as their assumptions of what a book (within the boundaries of a certain genre) should be. Thus manipulating not only the books themselves but also the audiences aesthetic experience and perception.

Mike Stilkey is another contemporary artist however he uses the spines of books piles up together as a canvas. This is one way of using books that I had not considered and I might try out this technique especially as I have been known to organise my book collection by not only author surname but colour of spine also!

http://www.mikestilkey.com/

Jim Rosenau's work makes me laugh and by using books themselves as a book shelf transforms

them into furniture. This suggests to me that Rosenau is possibly making a reference that too many people see books as furniture or merely to decorate a room.

His humour appeals to me especially as I prefer to act in ways which amuse me or produce art that makes me laugh regardless of how subjective the joke often is. Doing something for the sake of fun or amusement is important especially when I am focusing on a medium which holds such a significance to my very being. Books are about entertainment and so I appreciate work which can blend subtle humour but also celebrate books as art.

His website is one worth looking at: http://www.thisintothat.com/

Dark Roasted Blend has proved one of the most useful sites so far and it has another article which looks at book sculpture: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/08/unusual-books.html

These sites have given me a lot to think about and I will continue my experimentation over the next month using the techniques I have learnt about. I need to also research the alteration of words and perhaps the different ways I can alter narrative.

Progress is a wonderful thing...

2008-12-02T14:39:00.000Z

Last week, engaging in a group crit with everyone else on my course I discovered that I've made much more progress than I had realised. Something I had done for fun to make myself laugh was to tipex over words from a book to create an erotic story. This was done purely out of amusement yet everyone seemed to like it. It makes me realise that sometimes the things you dislike or dismiss end up being the best ideas.

Still, I now have the necessary fuel I need, I suppose I'd lost my confidence since I've been out of art for a while. I'd forgotten that art doesn't have to mean painting or drawing and I was reminded of my conceptual piece on 'Dreams' when I was back at school. I used my dream diary and painted excerpts and imagery from my dreams onto persplex and hung them, layering them and at different heights. At the time I felt like it wasn't really art and never really liked it but perservered because my tutors encouraged me to continue. I felt like it wasn't art yet it was. Strange that through retrospect I now realise that it was my best piece of art work yet, I mean I was commenting upon the nature of dreams and reality, the transparency or opaqueness of our subconscious but I didn't know enough about psychology at the time. If I had then maybe I would have enjoyed it more. I mean, I enjoyed creating the erotic story by editing and deleting the words in a book because it made me laugh and because it links in with Nietzschean philosophy; the destruction needed to create something new and also the absurdity of language; how everything is a metaphor for something else. I always feel frustrated that every thing I seem to do or say or read becomes Nietzschean but then it makes perfect sense. I would explain further but the whole point of Nietzsche's writing is that it can not be summarised into neat little bullet points, you have to read him to truly understand him and if I tried to explain his ideas, they somehow become changed, their meaning is lost and to an extent even just reading his work it is lost, language is far more complex than we may realise and creates more problems than it solves...reminds me of Depeche Mode! Check out the lyrics of Enjoy the Silence http://www.metrolyrics.com/enjoy-the-silence-lyrics-depeche-mode.html
especially "Words are meaningless and forgettable"...I suppose this fits in with my book art project now, more than ever. Which reminds me, I'm going to have to buy some more corrector fluid (it's Tip-ex but not as we know it!- yeah so, I'm beginning to waffle and should stop now)

I guess I should end this entry by pointing out that all this looking back and reminiscing has made me see that the reflexive research we've been encouraged to do throughout the Core Unit and group crit is a lot more beneficial than I had at first realised!

Progress is wonderful but retrospect is also a wonderful thing...
(As is Nietzsche's writing!)

And So It Continues...

2008-11-25T00:35:00.000Z

My art therapy project has been put on hold for a while due it's highly personal nature. The things that rose to the surface were too unpleasant to deal with just yet. This doesn't mean I'm giving up for good- I'm far too interested in art therapy to do that! Due to personal reasons among other things I've switched my course to part-time, meaning i now have 2 years instead of 1 to muse over my work and develop my ideas more naturally.This pleases me as I do not feel quite so pressured, it's actually led to more creativity! (Thus proving that art does have strong links to emotional wellbeing and reinforcing the fact that art can be therapeutic!- see I can't possibly ignore it!)
I'm concentrating or focusing rather, on altered books and book art. So far I've done some watercolour paintings of some of my favourite novels, a selection of paintings, also watercolour, directly onto pages of books. I've also used a craft knife to cut shapes into pages and cut out words/sentences etc. This particular creative practitioners site has been particularly handy:

http://www.susiejefferson.com/alteredbook-howtos.htm

As well as this I have been using corrector fluid or tip-ex to erase text within some of the books to create a new narrative or just confuse the meaning of the text. I will try and get a digital camera so that I can upload some pictures soon!
I'm going to explore the juxtaposition of words and meaning by altering a non-fiction title as a comment upon assumed truths within written language. I feel my previous philosophy degree will help with this aspect and I may even write a seperate blog entry about the philosophical implications- although, don't old me to that! My thoughts flutter around in my mind like a million butterflies!
Alongside this, I'd quite like to explore the tactile element of books as touch and feel of a book is extremely important. To do this I am going to look at textile elements of design. Preliminary, I intend to create soft furnishings based upon pages of books such as curtains, a tablecloth and perhaps some pillowcases- although i guess i'll see what i can manage within the timescale (note to self: be realistic emma!).A few more trips to some charity shops are definitely in order, I need to find some more books to play with!
Ahhh...so my creativity has returned like a long lost family pet (you always knew it'd remain loyal despite the times when you'd given up all hope, torn down the "lost" posters you so pain-stakingly put up and even thought of acquiring a new pet!- how could you?!!). Upon it's return I've relaxed, I'm comforted by it's presence, I now feel less stressed and able to handle the MA! Good times!

The Absurdity of Language and Art Therapy

2008-11-25T00:32:00.000Z

And so it begins...

Currently working on a number of projects for my MA course.Thinking about the absurdity of language and words.Wondering whether I'm hungry or thirsty, or both.Embarking on a highly psychological test of strength.Contemplating the contents of my proposal.
One of my projects is exploring the relationship between the self (individual ego) and society (collective ego) through art therapy- in short, I've decided to document a series of art therapy exercises. This is going well in so far as I'm being more productive- I have something concrete to do- a task, or series of, (I guess I dislike the freedom of my actions sometimes). While I enjoy being productive and I feel as if I'm not just wasting my time I'm also feeling a tad anxious at what my "self-therapy" will dredge up from the depths of my subconscious. Already (that's a week and a half of exercises) I'm starting to realise that there are a number of issues I haven't dealt with, emotional issues. The kind that you push to the back of your mind because you've got shit to do, people to see, places to go and an appointment on tuesday. Little did I know that I have issues with myself sexually, issues with my own femininity and repressed feelings relating to my position within my family unit. Woo! 10 points for emotional fuck-uppery
Let me explain, I'm only documenting this "blog" (I fucking hate that word by the way) because I want to be able to look back at it in some future time and reflect on my therapeutic process and/or/most likely think, "what a fool I was" and smile because I know things now that I didn't then and that makes me feel extremely smug. Future me has kicked past me (or should that be present me?) in the shin. Future will know that it was all necessary of course...she's not a complete arrogant fuck you know.Anyhow, every inch of myself wants to ditch this art therapy idea because it's too personal but what got me interested in this was a musing on autobiography, we had a few sessions about it at uni and some of the readings I had got me thinking about the truth in biography/autobiography. Or more accurately the intense battle between the two for validity and truth.
Biographies have this air of being inaccurate or false in some way, people do not trust ghost writers or unofficial biographies. It's easy to see why, maybe too easy, they haven't been written by the person in question, who knows the fuller, truer account. Yet, often, autobiographies are flawed. Every act, when made external, whether it's writing or conversing is aware of it's own existence in the exterior world; it has a place like everything else and it knows it does. What I mean is we can't escape the influence of our external world, the pressures of society are constantly upon us. Everything we do depends on where we are, who we are around and who might be watching. whether it's some God-like being, an authority figure such as a police officer or the guy down the road who you happen to find extremely attractive and you hope will notice you as you play with your hair and pout seductively as you're bringing the milk in on a sunday morning.
We're too quick to judge and attack biographies for being second hand knowledge despite the fact they are more factual than autobiographies which tend to be fictitious in narrative and style. The author knows and is aware that his or her work/documentation will be read so will often without realising it will edit, elaborate and exaggerate the truth in order to entertain their reader. The 3rd person view is better placed to state the facts whereas the 1st person is too interwined and tangled up in their own life to be able to document it objectively. Although maybe this is where the problem lies? We seek knowledge and truth and assume it will be objective. Perhaps we should see the truth in the subjective 1st person accounts. Quite the Nietzschean perspective I guess; everything is a metaphor for something else, knowledge is relative and all that...interesting to see where this project will take me.
My other project on the other hand is about the absurdity of words and language and also comes from my musings on autobiography. Not sure how I'm going to go about it yet but I want to explore the strengths and weaknesses of visual language versus written or spoken word. This project has to be about the self so I'm thinking about perhaps looking at my favourite works of fiction as reading is a big part of my life and finding ways to explore their meaning visually. My job as a bookseller will hopefully aid me in some way...at least that's the plan batman.

See my next blog entry for an update: