final major project research start making a book part 1 2023

When visiting the new art exchange recently for the exhibition titled mind 

It was an exhibition that first struck me as text heavy with images 

That appears historical to Sikh traditional spiritual world. This is not the type of exhibition 

I  can say I have explored before. I was challenged by my unexpected patient wanting 

Something that was just visual rather than text. Settling into my senses I began to appreciate how the stillness of reading can call upon your attention to focus to meditate into something of meaning. 

Looking at all the work gave me the thought of how books can be sacred and potentially create a book or a few 

So I began staining paper with tea to make the paper look mature 

Thinking also of the materials such as tea  to dye paper many sit around drinking tea to get through a day this can be seen as a moment of stillness 

A moment of reflection am wanting to bring something 

Fourth that has you look in think feel could a book do that with what’s in the book or a series of titles five books 

 

The process of prepping for the book 

 several a1 pieces of paper.  Folding then using a metal ruler to pull and cut paper 

Boiling kettle making tea dripping tea brushing with teabag on paper 

I like the results I think maybe burn the edges 

Although the paper cuts don't look perfect the imperfections I think could complement something being sacred in a book and slightly beaten down but still accessible. What could? Be in the book some kind of sound something colourful visual 

With the book something to sit on what am I trying to say or show? Questions I am exploring

 book not finished  

LOCATING MY PRACTICE CRITCAL ESSAY

 I am an artist who wants to dig deeper with the use of materials and the subject attempting to bring through my expression with making to the surface. thriving on stepping into the unknown and known, preferring to work in isolation and stillness within certain time periods and research and processing thoughts and idea types of work and also working with others. Using practices such as print, ceramics, textiles, photography, plaster, film, and sound.There is a curious part of me that wants to learn to develop skills alongside a willingness to find subjects that lean towards the human experience and the complexities within that.This is due to my interest in psychology, sociology and studying myself and the world around me and trying to reflect on my own experiences and face these thoughts, feelings and ideas which connect to the human experience.

 

I have utilised art to help through challenging times such my mental health, struggling to understand my feelings and thoughts in my head about various things but somehow knowing my feelings at the same time.  As much as it is a difficult thing to share myself in this way, I know I must do this to get to these parts of me that interlink with my work. I could be considered in how I look at things in and all around me, writing songs up, utilising the arts through various mediums, writing songs, painting, sewing. 

 

Music has been my main source of art, at the same time on the path of trying to understand myself, art and music, people and the outer world. In addition, I have taken an interest in things like counselling ,taking an introduction course and one in basic counselling . Prior to this I have been a vocalist for various electronic tracks, working with a music producer, writing songs from the personal and  external  perspective . I understand that for me,  I need to tap into an authentic part of me. My approach to my work is taking the task and asking myself what does that feel like? What does that look like? I see things in layerS, and this layering of things is both chaos and clarity. Multiple layers details fragility.

When given opportunities with projects such as song writing and vocal performances 

for both recording and live shows,  I can hear the layers of vocals in my head, harmonies to where the other instruments may go . This is so clear in my mind. To do this sometimes the sound is in the right place, doing the right thing, but it is the wrong instrument. These parts of me have contributed towards me developing both a skill towards my use of multi mediums, sculpting forward through lyric and voice.

 

I will start with music in relation to inspiration Imogen heap Is a British singer-songwriter, electronic producer and artist-inventor who pushes the boundaries through her use of the traditional piano. She pushes forward using the music program known as Abelton Live.

  In recent times she has been working with scientists and engineers to create a musical glove called the mui mui glove. This is a musical glove that allows you to interact with your music in a closer way, bringing the physical close to the digital. Human expression triggers harmonies and other various parts of a track.Her work is sensitive, playful and childlike, displaying vulnerability and honesty which is endearing,  through the utilisation of sound choices and lyrics, the familiarity of what she knows. With a mind of wonder,  it casts her forward, taking her to a place in which she continues to explore ways of propelling her as an artist forward, connected to her audience through her music .

 

 Imogen Heap goes beyond being an artist and the pieces of music she produces delves her deeper into creativity and inventiveness. She works in layers utlising looping

Piano electronic music production sampling . https://youtube.com/watch?v=25VGdNU3nrU&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE

 Imogen heap       Just for now 2005

 

Before  I knew what looping was I would recording individual piece on my phone I was hearing layers in my head . Imogen heap was layering and so her work showed me a space I could reach into and develop with my voice.

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zTMT

Marita Metelia         Everlasting  2018

 

Looping video  improvisation exploration 

 

Imogen heap has taken this further . Working alongside the scientists creating the mui mui gloves.  Which is a glove that enables her to get closer to her work the to sculpt layer to loop in a way never seen before. Using hand gloves with electronic that are connected to Ableton Live. What I take from her work is the looping layering  and the openness of  hearing sound that are  traditional like piano  or guitar and create something  from that and bring it to the work. 

 

I started my art journey through music as a singer, working with  a producer artist, celebrating working as  a team  to create music. I would write the lyrics bringing personal perceptions of external life experiences into my work.  Along with phrasing melody and tone, this is something I have developed over the years . With the more work I do and the more I get to know the tools I choose, the further I push forward in trying new things to bring to the music or execute previous approaches to the material better. 

 

 

Working close with a music producer is a give and take process sometimes their vision is brought to me and I take on that role, making suggestions to add to the picture. Sometimes the producer has placed a piece of music and found themself unsure of a direction to take. So, sometimes I will freestyle over the music working  impromptu rather than listen first, and instantly write working on the influence and feel that is being  provoked by the music. This can be sculpture that works both on a thought process of not knowing, singing sounds or words allowing myself to be open and to sig .

 

However, I gravitated more towards music and although I studied both popular music and performance and art and design separately , merging both worlds is something I wanted to do as an artist. I had interest in art in the wider sense. I can say through my studies of art, I began to accept what I could bring to music through engaging with the idea of things being more fluid and open up possibilities and being less critical in a way the disrupts the process and the use of materials at such an early stage of the work. It is like a dance or a sculpture coming together through s singular material or multi layers. For me, I must move through my practices with my instincts to  create. Looking at the work, sitting with it, thinking, and reflecting on my thoughts on what is coming up.

 

This links to the complexity of me and the complexity of relationships and communities. I like to add textures which when added to an image adds to the story and it gives me the freedom in developing my artistry and the union of my two interests. Music is the sense of familiarity for me and  what I know, tapping into a connection. It gives me a freedom of expression. The music in my installation piece added the sound of a woman crying which gave depth and sensitivity and a sacredness.Art expands the expression I have with music , giving more depth and layers to the outcome and expression of the concept. 

 

My Traces project is an example of this also using layers to explore the ideas .

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=7QJDkQtvz7o&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE

Marita                       Traces 2022

 

Fabricated Nature was my first project on the course and it looked a particular position of women, that is the progression of moving forward but also how I was see many women longing to be traditional women and how feminism has kind of chewed off its hand because from what I know feminism to be, we want women to choose. I want to show the complexity and sensitivity of this conversation through the materials for example, using fabrics such as cotton and using sound. This process works personally for me, feeling this push-pull as a young mum being a home to being a working mum . The subject was about expressing the conversations of women and researching the change in women’s role from 1970s to present day – the idea that women ‘have it all’ now. 

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=uDvJsnaP3ZI&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE

 

 I often struggle to know how I am feeling, I am not sure if this is because of my ADHD and how it baffles me, it is as if I can not reach the words .

Considering some of the artists I take inspiration from and feel akin to I looked at:

Anthony Gormley who is a British sculpture artist. His work looks at the human experience within spaces with a minimal colour to his work. This potentially draws the person looking to the internal and bring you to a stillness. If the work was bright and vibrant it would potentially distract from the ideas he touches on. His work is purposeful within the environments he places them. My work connects to this for example, in my work The Human Relationship with Water, the materials I used, the fabric, the bits of sewing, the way the material felt, commanded you into that peaceful space of water and with water, the sea, the ocean brings you to a still reflective place. Placing the material in a canal and filming it, reflected the ideas, the space and the connection of the human to the water.

In this work, I used the materials to try and understand the inner person and the environment. In Gormley’s work he links his studies of anthropology and archaeology with his art in portraying the human form and then linking this to nature.

Antony Gormley Lost Horizon 1, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenny Saville

Initially, when I look at an artist’s work, I look at ideas in relation to art rather than the outcome. I look at ideas that lie in the social structure of the world, philosophy and everyday life. However, when I look at Jenny Saville’s work, I am taken by the discipline of how she knows her craft but also the destructiveness and imperfection of her work in relation to the people that she works with and their bodies and this travels through into the marking. 

This echoes in my work when I sew materials together, when I do mark making through painting, I dislike things looking stereotypically perfect. I seek to create perfection through imperfection, through the use of materials and through my approach. This seeps through my music and my visuals, so there is a sense of knowing the tools but at the same time allowing myself to step into a part of myself that will do something different. This keeps it fresh, an acceptance of things that do not necessarily look OK being OK, driving forward with that and seeing where that takes me. Sometimes I gain from this and sometimes I rest the work aside and move on. For ne it is about silencing the mature adult part of me and allowing the inner child to come forth, following my intuition.

I think I find it difficult to look at an artist and say I like their work although I can look at a piece of art and see the beauty, I search for meaning.

 

Jenny Saville                     Chasah 2020                                                          

 

In the future 

I want to continue my development between my music and visual art be it textiles paint sculpture etc and draw these worlds closer. Moving into performance art. And working sometimes solo or with community and with other artist.

Traveling researching in unfamiliar places documenting researching to bring my work to audience. I am open to it being traditional and non traditional when presenting my work and thinking out the box. I also see myself teaching and intend to look at opportunities for volunteering to develop to see my self further in this space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ilkeston structure

   ILKESTON structure 

 

 

 

I took various photos of the spaces however, I did not find this grabbed me, as I felt more of an interest in what was going on outside, the place and the people. 

I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone but was unsure what this may be. So, I returned to Ilkeston on a Thursday which is a market day.

 This project relied on me feeling comfortable in my skin to step into the space and to connect with the people . What was I looking for? I am not entirely sure of the life authenticity as when I think of Ilkeston 

I hear the words of others “it’s a backward town’ its racist, its run down” 

It is this that spurred my curiosity of the people, the individuals that are within a space and I wanted to stand in that space to experience it. I wanted to leave the myth and take in the multi-layered life.

This is what the piece was going to be. I began taking photos and recording conversations as I was walking around. 

What was I going to do with what I had collected? Referring back to thoughts of myths and stories told about Ilkeston, what is it I am going to do with these recordings ,or do I simply allow it to stand as it is. 

 

 

Being nervous at first, I entered the library and then came out stepping into what I needed to do. This is about the act and the process, not knowing what the outcome could be.  I noticed a huge queue for what I later learned to be for fruit trees. 

 

     Within the process of researching, I explored other environments.  One was a night club called  Forge based in Sheffield and the other was a train station. 

In relation to documenting both Sheffield night club through photography and sound,  I chose these images because it shows the truth, the  rawness of the night, natural human responses to the music environment, alcohol, socialising, friendships, strangers, with music that everyone loves. 

The train station recording was also a piece I put together utilising sampling the environment again . For me to do the sound and visual piece for Ilkeston I felt exploring other environments was vital, listening, highlighting, seeing what I could bring to the surface, the authentic, to the nature of what it holds within.   

 

 https://anchor.fm/marita-robinson

Approaching this work with sound recording 

Made me want to document myself in other ways 

Although I did only 

 

https://soundcloud.com/tropical-sista/waiting-for-the-train?si=aaea87e01fa844c5a3083e3fea954d91&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharingwaiting for the Train

 

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/tropical-sista/ilkeston?si=bfcbf6cdc97c4400942e4a0d45a52032&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going to Forge in Sheffield, I decided to take photos as the night came to an end with a light setting that brought a ghostly glow.  Engaging with the environment, listening, and dancing to the music, taking photos and recording within the space. I did this to gain more ideas and knowledge as to what I could do with the Ilkeston recordings. Taking all the research home, I began to listen and decide to manipulate speeding up vocals and other sounds using repetition. I used the David Hockney style photo layering and added that, placing the stills in a video although I did not like this wholly, I liked the visuals. I could improve this approach to my work, the visual and the sound, by giving space. I am learning that less is more.

  

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

With me going to Nottingham train station I sat and listened, recorded sounds and wrote about the spaces .This was my documentation of the space, however I chose not to take photos, focusing more on what I heard and my interpretation via listen to the space.

 

From gathering the photos and gathering the sound recordings of Ilkeston, I first looked at the recordings 

 

My class room sampling pieces are made from sculpting  things together,  filming  and taking snaps and recording sounds .   

 

Researching Artists.

 

 

 

 

Alessio Trerotoli Photographer

 

His style of photography  is very complimentary to the city. I wanted to take this style into a town setting layering images.  

I  took images that do this, however I feel this style is far too associated with the city and life moving fast.

Although I like the results it is not what I wished for because it echoes the city.  It feels like I am bringing something to a space that masks authentic image of what I am trying to show. I want to show ordinary not destructive.  I will use  this image as my final piece as the direction I am wanting to head towards is ordinary. This style although I enjoyed exploring it, feels inauthentic to the nature of a place that I am looking at. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helen Levitt

Taking the ordinary into the extraordinary,  

her work happens to draw us in, making me curious. I take this approach in my photography, wanting to get close to the people to explore the environment. This is more the style of photography that is within my work. I want to step into a place, capture the nature of that space and elevate that with recorded sounds and images, taking the sounds into music software called Logic,  with the photos enhancing what is the ordinary in these images if needed.

 

 

 

 My images are below

 

I feel these images fit in with the ordinary composition. I like them as this is what I was looking for within the images and are unlike my earlier images which gave a feel of the city. The recordings add to the extraordinary of the art work within the structure project 

 

 

 

 

 

Fred again Music Producer DJ Artist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recording with an open-mind approach to his work, 

he takes samples in spaces in his organic approach to create music. This borders on a sonic art approach to sound. He looks at human relationships and connections and reacting to his work, I take a sensitive approach towards recording in various spaces. Within close, intimate relationships are spaces where people gather on an everyday mundane level. I took this into my work. 

 Fred is an explorative artist producer who has gathered sounds  in random spaces, filming and having conversations. He gets close to the participants and pours this into his work moving it from the ordinary into the extraordinary. 

Through sampling conversations and the spaces that I go, I then gather recordings and listen, making the choice between sentences and tone of voices and environment and simply listening to what I have gathered.

 Unlike some traditional sonic artists, Fred again drew me in when he talked about his approach to his work.

 Although I believe there to be no limitations being mentored by Brian Eno, I believe this could have influenced his approach.

He utilises the sounds to create electronic music that people dance to, so he brings this fine art approach 

 

Here are two examples of the same piece, the first one is minimal piano held with a continuous reverbed beat. With lots of fluid movement it is possible within in the space to create the potential of an emotional lyrical contemporary dance space and breathe emotionally through instrumentation of the track, along with the expression of voice and lyrics that many would relate to in a state of loss and heartbreak , bpm is 122

 

 The second is slowly drawing towards  a catchy two step beat, speeding up the sound to 130. This is now moving into a space where repetition and the melody will come more forward to the front of the mind. However, with the piano now used in a percussive way, the piece of music works with layers of repetition with solo melodic sounds in between a two step beat, honing more on the lyrics and the feel bringing the piano and a change of tempo teleporting. 

 

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=LFn4iln4WBI&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE

Fred again,Roze Euston 2021

 

https://youtu.be/vfCmuyxnEU

Fred again, Roze Forgive 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Emeka ogboh Sonic Artist

An artist from Nigeria 

 

His Lagos Soundscape piece takes the sound 

of Lagos, a place that appears to be always alive and captures the sound of the space. You hear an organic sound of the people living in the city, breathing energy and adding percussive sounds to the piece as it moves with Lagos and the natural rhythm of the place. This is the approach of listening to a space and linking it for a sound piece when away in another place. He listens to his recordings of Nigeria as a reminder of home; Nigeria is always awake. 

I take also take the approach of listening and sometimes leaving the recording as it is, placing vocal effects to lift what is already there, sometimes adding other sounds to provoke thoughts and feelings. I might even add to the layers with my voice, utilising repetition and contrasting pauses , meaning spaces  . As much as it is placing things withing the sound piece it is also about allowing space for moments to breath

 

https://youtu.be/E0rQbc4y_JU

emeka ogboh lagos soundscapes

 

 

 

 

 

David Hockney 

 

David Hockney  Joiner 1980

 

 

David Hockney  Joiner 1980

 

 I used this technique in my photography research using the images I took at The Forge. It gave depth and demonstrated the energy of the space, complemented with the lighting and the shadows.  This image below captures the DJ in motion with the DJ-ing she displayed lots of energy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recording - Making the choices of what to utilise when it came to.

 

  Recording the sounds of Ilkeston, and I mean that by the conversations I had. Who was about? What was resonating with me? What stood out? What sounded like Ilkeston? What was local to the area with the people? What was being said? How did this show something that reflected the people rather than a story? 

 I had wanted to step in to get to know. This is something I often like doing when am busking.  

 I first chopped up various conversations and placed them in a piece adding reverb and delay and other subtle sounds such as keys. I placed it as a piece. I then continued to explore. 

Thinking about the images I had taken within Ilkeston and how they could relate to the sounds, the space, the structure of the space and the images of the market. I even returned on another occasion and had a set of photos of people in Ilkeston in which I was focusing on the sun and the shadows of people. This looked like a set itself, but I was not going to use this. 

 

So, I had found the sound that I wanted to create and the four images I want to use. The four images were photos of a free size and were great. However, I was not happy just displaying them as photos. This felt too harsh. 

 I then decided to explore bringing the images to fabric using sublimation print. Sublimation print is a type of print where it uses ink which prints an image from the computer and uses a special ink which will stay on the fabric.  I did them in a straight forward imitation photo, profile way. I then decided to rip the sublimation paper up and started to mix the images up. This gave a depth and a translucency that I absolutely loved.

 I also had to think about how I was going to display the sound. However, I knew I wanted to do a sound piece and I had already pre-planned this by ordering two small sound circuits which you get in birthday cards from Amazon. I just had to create a speaker to hold the sound on. The sound was not going to be a huge sound, but it was going to deliver some kind of whisper. 

 

 

 

 This is a speaker  The large circle is where the sound comes out , The red wire with a black button allowed me to record the piece of music the black wire allows the sound to be played .

 

 The first attempt to create a speaker 

proved difficult as the blade was 

unable to cut through this solid oak .

Using this machinery following health safety 

guidelines, wearing goggles, placing the drill piece into the machinery, and paying attention to start button and emergency stop .

 

Moving forward I changed the choice of wood 

to something with less depth for cutting. This 

would be where the speaker circle would project 

the sound 

 Wanting to create a speaker here are the sides to the cube that would carry the sound . This is my first attempt 

 

The process of building this structure was very 

challenging for me, as maths and measurements 

are not my expertise in relation to woodwork. However, I was willing to push on, creating a gluing the framing and placing the four original sides with the last two sides to place on the cube. This was not the look I wanted so I had to think fast 

 

 

 The process of sublimation prints after printing on the paper 

Cutting fabric to fit A3 Image on to fabric 

that is Satin. It is a synthetic fabric and  

the printer was running out of ink 

 Here  is the Image  on the paper that will be  heat pressed on to fabric 

 

 

Using the heat press, I must wait for it to get 

to a high temperature.  Placing the image face down  for the seconds counting down 

 

. This was an experiment within this project of structure for me. I want to develop ways of presenting  this further. I began to think about how the speaker could be created. I went down to woodwork and began measuring up. This felt very out of my comfort zone as I struggle with measurements and putting things together. I lack patience. So,  I managed to make one piece which was the head, the face where the music would come out.

 Then I started to think of how I can get a box. I then went and found 2 small boxed containers in WH Smith’s .

They were stationary containers and they measured up the right size to place the square fronts I had already cut with circles to place the speaker in.  Utilising a strong tape and glue and artfully arranging the wires I was able create the speakers. Although the sound was small, I had to think about how I could make the sound touch the audience where they could hear it with clarity at least that is what I thought in the beginning.

I explored and found various container shapes placing the speaker inside to hear how the sound would be received without sealing it. 

I had two circuits to make two speakers . Once I decided to go with the cube I was pleased with ascetic.  However, the battery started to fade. When looking at this part of the piece with the photos I was just accepting it as a total piece. 

With my continuous exploration, I decided to do sublimation print. This style of print involved me sending my image to the computer on the fashion floor, going on to photoshop and flipping the image to create the print on  paper, with an ink that a heat press seals the print into the fabric. 

Firstly, I did four individual images These images began to soften. I was heading in the right direction. I then decided to rip up the prints and began move the images around in random spaces repeating the same images. They began to fade and this continued to soften the image. The material was satin.

 This sublimation compared to the original photos really progressed to a place that I feel worked .  The photo was too solid, too strong and it lacked softness and sensitivity. The print on the fabric brought mystery, a rawness, a sensitivity ,and an earthiness that worked with the sound piece . 

 

 

 

 I now had a piece that was to be part of the 

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=whH5ZCZ4zng&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE

 

exhibition. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Putting the exhibition up we worked as a team with the space, and everyone’s work. This a process that lasted all day with the use of four walls and two cabinets.

 Looking at the piece of work sitting next to each other is a slow sculpting task trial and error, eventually finding a flow of what can work going through it look as a team . Flowing the placing of the exhibition was the opening . 

Having to continue to explore, I chose to take the images to place on Lino and to develop a monologue for one of people from the first sound piece focusing on a character. I wanted to bring her to life listening to what the person was talking to me about in conversation. I then did an audio recording of myself playing Margaret listening back. This appeared to work. I then began to play with the piece of music with in the two minutes to add towards the feeling. This appeared to be working, moving towards something to make you think feel what could this be ? Where could it go? I started with the idea of wanting to find someone who could be Margret. However, I felt uncomfortable filming strangers and taking photos of them. I had the thought to play her myself, but this felt time consuming, but it is a definitely a direction of art I would like to go into with another project.  I decided to get up and film last Sunday, waking up desperate  to make this work into a full piece.  Filming felt like a last-minute option .It felt meaningless and I found pieces to edit but this did not work. I began looking at other footage that I have filmed as I am always filming . I found a piece of  film of me filming on the coach looking out of the window on a cinematic skyline of london. The pace was right, the motion did not distract or happen to be erratic. I found harmony with the film and the sound .

 

 https://youtu.be/whH5ZCZ4zng

 

Evaluation 

 

The project has proved itself to be a challenge for me, stretching me into new unknown territory such as electronics and utilisation of film and sound. Although I have used before sound recording before bringing it into my art work is still unknown territory, but feels good.

 

Looking at my approach of going to Ilkeston, meeting people, and talking is something I really enjoyed. Finding out information about individuals and the community, I think was a great approach. Sharing, talking, opening up shows the people as individuals and bypasses the reputation of the place . 

 

However, to show something richer I would of liked to have kept in contact with one or two of the people from Ilkeston to really get a bit more shade, although the minimal and homing in on one thing really works as it talks about never being in love. 

 

My photography, although for me not my best work I think was honest. The photos that I took on the street around the market represented the dying space that is the market. However, keeping the photo as a photo felt too harsh and softening it with the prints on the satin material reflects relationships and closeness with humans. 

 

Creating the mini speakers is a progression for me as an artist. I think it was a good first attempt and it had a great finish; it was a lovely cube. I quickly learned that sound although a whisper carries sound vibrations and it is best to carry, so I altered it. The ascetic and the finish was not as sleek as the first attempt for what I felt was more important, the sound it delivered.