Week One

The

Studio

Exhibition

Shit beer,

Good craic, and

lotsa under/over

medicated queers

with paintbrushes.

My primary sources of inspiration for my summer project were the novels:

1. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (2015)

2. Tender is the Flesh by Augustine Bazterrica (2020)

3. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (2021)

I decided for the showcase that I’d display the work based off of the yellow wallpaper as it was the most developed visually. I sketched digitally and with various forms of mixed media to create the drawings below -

I then produced the wallpaper design on A1 board with sculpted rib details

And finally it was presented as part of a reading of the novel by Gilman -

The themes of the novels also made me consider the prominence in fiction of the psychological downfall of it’s female protagonist. My friend, Amy, suggested I read the following

• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (2007)

• The Trick is to Keep on Breathing by Janice Galloway (1991)

And although “Boo sexism bad” this tiktok tickled me in it’s self awareness

This project made me realise there’s a lot about colour theory and pattern I need to develop in my practice. I’ve been inspired by Nina (at the desk next to me) who has rendered some beautiful colour studies using quick, loose, limited palette exercises which would benefit my practice.

By creating a “church pulpit” to display work made it feel like a protest piece - It wasn’t but the simplicity of it really forced the themes of the book onto the audience. Sometimes something simple like being strapped in cling film is enough to make people ask questions, Makes me think of ‘Rhythm Zero’ by Marina Abramovic (1974) but if Abramovic had seated her audience down and pointed the gun at their head.

So what next?

I need to be less precious with my sketches and experiment more especially when producing colour studies and focus on that over composition and rendering and setting myself time limits (5mins, 1 min, 30secs?)

I saw some of the Norman Gilbert exhibition at Tatha Gallery in Newport (2022) and loved his use of colour. I had hoped to do a portrait where the woman in the paper blends in and out of the pattern behind so in the weeks to come I will be studying more of his works

Reference List:

Bazterrica, A. (2020) Tender is the Flesh. Translated from the Spanish by S. Moses. London: Pushkin Press

Galloway, J. (1991) The Trick is to Keep on Breathing. London: Minerva

Gilbert, N. And Sandeman, M. (2022) [exhibition] A Shared Passion [exhibition] Newport-on-Tay: Tatha Galleries. October 01, 2022 - November 12, 2022

Gilman, C. P. (2015) Herland, and The Yellow Wallpaper. London: Vintage Books

Geemcgwee (2021) Episode 1 | A morning in my life as a stay at home girlfriend. August 2021. Available at: https://www.tiktok.com/@geemcgwee/video/7134109868834917678?_t=8WyQ6cQyEQ2&_r=1 (Accessed: October 31, 2022)

Kafka, F. (2021) The Metamorphosis. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qMuSZoQ2SMXIcRG4km5Wo?si=bLUm7gEoQsuOL6El8IK66g (Accessed: November 01, 2022).

Morrison, T. (2007) The Bluest Eye. 1st International edition. New York: Vintage International.

Wood, C. (2010) Marina Abramovic: Rhythm Zero: 1974. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/Abramovic-rhythm-0-t14875 (Accessed: November 01, 2022)