The one thing i know that i want to do in part 3 is use the body as my main basis, and starting point.

Whilst looking over my portfolio and work in part 2, I realise that choice of materials and textiles matters a lot for my work. For instance, using tights for their feel and appearance, mixed with plastic, then human hair, then actual nature...All of these costumes had a common theme of carefully selected material rather than shape.

A key issue for me is food and plastic waste, and i want to try experimenting with these in order to perhaps make a new fabric which i will create for the body; a sort of costume? This is inspired by 'the next black' documentary.

I have just been shown that if i put crisp packets in the microwaves, they shrink and create a delicate fabric..This is a possible starting point. 

Adapting food waste, heating wasted materials...Then using the body. This could be interesting.

However, another key theme has been my relationship with my audience. For instance, using performance and interaction have been crucial for my work. So i should think how this could come into my previous idea.

Inspired by Franz Kline, I am thinking about positioning my sculpture in an obvious place which is designed to be picked up and worn on the body.

I will try simply installing it on a table, and leaving a note. This is simple and clear. I will record how this goes, and then adapt accordingly.

If i had more time and wasn't so focused on my portfolio then i would try out another model which was made of a different material. I like the idea of a sensual scultpure that the wearer feels different wearing. Perhaps even just play around with different weighted scultpures and make it a series.

PLAN FOR WEEK

• Decide what paper to do and buy paper here at archway along with tape
• Print off outcomes for fine art folio
• Begin fan idea for space time
• Experiment with materials, stitch ideas into fabric which goes onto figure drawing
• Drape tights with rocks and cotton wool in for sculpture
• Get pictures of sculpture on martha
• Find rocks and little heavy materials
• Make abstract page from my project
• go get stills from body boundaries video

POST CRIT PLAN:

• Email jo
• Finish Edinburgh folio using advice from crit
• Print off all my outcomes and ensure all my pages are scanned.
• Buy paper and tape then start playing around with assembling it all.
• Outcome- experiment work and ideas from sketchbook -mood boards with context and materials
• Find my drawings and scan, also think how to do more for each project

Don't show the bin
Edit sound and remove thank uious
See more of things don't go well. Get  people to use ur own rubbish
Show difficultly of putting rubbish
Record street sound and use that
I shoukd do it myself
Don't show bin
Get someone more professional to record
Get rid of time lapse of me dressing her up

NEXT STEPS BEFORE APRIL

Mix footage from first time around, ie videos of close up anisha in kitchen with flash on, with footage this time around 

Try removing time lapse as it doesn't add to it. 

Experiment with editing out the bin.

Think about doing it again but using myself and someone else record, where people actively throw their own rubbish on me. Like a human bin.

Record sounds of just street life and use this for my audio. 

Plan and thinking for today

Go to park and get some footage whilst focusing on camouflage and humanity's relationship with nature in a greensspace.
Bury different body parts in nature
Collect leaves and actually cover a friend with them, then video them moving in the leaves and eventually emerging
Also, buy fairy lights in archway and plan how and when I will get footage for this. Tonight possibly? Perhaps tomorrow early evening as its dark then and not dangerous
Maybe I need batteries too if they don't come with them. Aa size

LUX project, my thought process planning ideas.

Greenspaces

 “Parks and green spaces have power.
They can change how people live in a place,
interact in a place and choose to stay in a place.”

Leaves, body camouflage…Rebecca horn

Emerging out of leaves

Blinkers made from leaves, twigs…

Fairy light lit figure dancing in park at night….ARTist

Perhaps fairy lit figure emerges from leaves

Just general dancing lit figure in a greenspace perhaps

I want to link my interest of performance with the 90 second video, so I am thinking how to do this whilst giving my message about green spaces

I am intrigued by idea of creating costume using fairy lights in order to light the human figure up

Therefore I am thinking I could incorporate this with an actual greenspace like a park

I could film myself dancing in a costume of lights, at night in a park, and see how this goes

Ideally multiple lit up dancers would look better as this gives my message of how a green space brings life to society and links humans together in a way technology and anything else cannot.

In the crit, I liked the video of the process of flowers growing and plants developing. It had an unusual purity to it, a new angle and was addictive to watch]

Petr’s art makes me think…’at one with nature’

That is the aim of a greenspace surely, to allow humans to be at one with nature

Therefore I could conceal a human body into a greenspace

I could make a grass costume?

A leaf costume too???

And make a video of these

I am interested in bathing in nature, but I don’t have a bath.

I could create a ‘shower of nature’

If I collect things like leaves, soil, grass, plants…I could literally shower these onto myself or a friend in a performance way. Then this is a performance video connecting nature to mankind on a personal level.

I like the idea of painting with a body part as a performance

Cindy sherman’s piece of vomit and rubbish on a destroyed landscape make my think of what a greenspace counts as. Perhaps they don’t exist for everyone and this is what I should reflect on?

I could create a video incorporating dead greenspaces, along with a performance to show destruction. Smearing is simple yet effective. I could smear soil and leaves and grass all over someones/ my body. Or simply lay out these materials and have myself roll around in them?

So I need to go collect nature materials and start thinking about what other footage I could put on my video. Eg nature footage

To do list:

• Collect nature materials. Plants, soil, leaves, grass. Need lots to do both costume and shower
• Ask around for fairy lights and see if I can film that tonight or tomorrow night

Guy cramer – made quontom self. Camouflage work for body. Link to nature.

Invisibility cloack to bring environment to you quantom stelf

After experimenting with presentation of my soundwave garment, i am beginning to realise it isn't ovbious enough to be visual data.

conceptual is good yes but my audience won't have a clue why it is sat there on the floor???

Now i am thinking how to develop it and make it more obvious but still adbstract. 

I have found an embriodery artist who embroidered soundwaves and the outcome looks detailed and unique.

Instead of literally copying this, i could get the idea of embroidery and use this in the future

I want to show information, data, so i need detail as all data is unique.

i could link it to hair as i was looking at idea of weaving hair into my garment

perhaps i could embroider hair? not sure if this works.

I will start experimenting now with hair from brushes but i may cut my own as it will work better

EVIL CINEMA FEEDBACK: List of what I need to work on

Show evidence through video, eg clips onto digital outcomes, and show on sketchbook how I have developed through video by screenshots

Don’t use links, just make it smaller ie ask technician

Keep using youtube and put links on workflow WITH screenshots!!!

Make it clearer on order. Spend evening sorting this. Asap!

Record feedback and then put under it my response, highlight this. What will I change and ignore and take with me later on. This will help my further development.

If artist is in contextual practice then must be in research to

More on picking apart ideas and fully diving into feedback. Need more detail

Thoughts after class discussions, highlighted. Need my opinion and why is it in terms of digitality.

Set my own questions to promote self-reliance

Expand ideas and new things in contextual practice

Show impact of research and then follow up with it. How is it challenging my own practice/thinking?

Make my ideas more obvious

Revisit workflow when I am chilling, read through my things and reflect otherwise I will forhet. Highlight them.

Put images in there to connect what I do with what I plan to do

Make sure text isn’t copied. If quoted then make obvious

Jennifer j.williams-baffoe@csm.arts.ac.uk for sorting out weird research page!!!!!!!!

Experiment with presentation and document then put on worlfow and in sketchbook

Scan in sketchbook pages for digital portfolio to show process.

Change colour for any quotes

Re-read regularly – prevents forgetting anything useful

If I put qs how do I answer them or reflect on them? Show this as it will help my development

If I reflect on things make it clear where and what, and how it has changed my practice

• Need to think about where I will locate my weave. Is it suspended, how? The mechanism of suspension should be part of work and not hidden so don’t use fishing wire. Perhaps suspend it using cables? Eval.. 
• Expose my weave in public space to show idea of lack of privacy and extreme exposition of personal data on social media. Eg oxford circus 

• ‘’world brain’’ data video 
• Suzanne lacey, performance piece of middle aged. Made image into weaving  
• After talking in pairs, I should try suspending my weave with cables for exhibition but when wearing it, weave cables into the actual weave along with personal items eg hair, knickers, keys...

• Like an ecosystem 
• Very corporate, business like…gave us branded things, trying to promote themselves…quite distant 
• Cleanse themselves of the data themselves. Emphasis on protection with boardering data and securing it with generates. They b=provide the infrastructure and ecosystem but wahs hands of how it is transmitted. 
• In denial? ‘’future isn’t automated’’ but already we see automatic machinery, less people, very bare 

• Primary research is research you generate personaly…knowledge gained from research carried out by yourself firest hand. Eg focus groups, surveys, interviews, questionnaires, site visits 
• Specific visual language ie strict presentation, dress smart, distant and formal look 
• Data is extremely guarded. In a secure location not central, in a sort of prison that is caged in. quite rural 
• Sounds of harddrives and sticky pads, sensual visit, echo from vast space 
• Almost scary? Amount of data we walked on. Made me feel slightly uneasy at the sense of power data has over us all.
• Humans seem powerless compared to data centers. They store all our transactions and information...without us even knowing?

• Perhaps use cables with my work. Trail cables, weave in cables? 

What kind of data is collected every day and to what aim?
All our actions digitally are collected which means what we buy online, what we search, even what we like or comment on social media... All of it. Even in real life, data recordings from cctv are recorded and I didn't realise the extent: in average in London one goes on 300 cameras daily. This is scary as our lives are recorded, all our actions and choices.
The aim is for big companies to know exactly who to target with ads but also how to develop their brands. People like amazon or other big companies who want to make as much profit ad possible.
What are the ethical and legal issues of privacy?
The ethical issues are is it right to own data on someone else? Who even owns the data in the first place... And who shoukd be able to see other peoples.
Legally, is complicated and debatable... Should companies have lawful rights to control our ads digitally and be able to see exactly what we search or look at?
What impact does it have on society, identity?
It makes society all come together as one body. This isn't positive however as it means that as each individual is just part of a big controlled plan for companies to make money. It makes us all seem irrelevant and powerless but also under false pretences... As if anyone reads terms and conditions and thinks before they accept cookies on most websites? This is how data is generated partly and no one even realises... We are pawn of a big plan.
What images come to mind when you think of data?
I think digital footprint, and black and white images from website footage thingy
But after the presentation I now think of the idea of a woven piece which has colours to represent emotuon and moods... I want to look more into this woven idea.
What images can I collect this evening so that I can start to develop ideas tomorrow?
I need to find an app to pixilate images.
Then I need to research more into the woven artist and look at possible materaisk to use.
Perhaps use pastels and start making drawings of my woven portraits onto the body as a wearable piece... Imagine wearing your own data, the power is reversed yet it isn't as it is completely public. It plays with ideas of privacy vs public and also dwells into the focus of how data is visually shown.

What was my main concern
After constant watching my flat mates throw decent food away which isn't even out of date, food waste has been a big concern of mine. Every week I actually check the bins and often take fully packaged, unopened food out of it for myself... I have tried making a point but there is a huge language barrier and it is hard to say things without being rude. Therefore I wanted to create something reflecting on the idea of wasting good food, or just waste in general.

What was my action
I decided to involve an actual bin as my object. By having the option to apply an instruction or not, I began to question what sort of intruction I hsojkd put... Should I write 'throw something away'? Or make it more subtle? I ended up trying a few ideas, and my favourite was 'pick something up' because it is a juxtaposition to the point of bins in the first place. Also it clearly shows my issue of throwing unjust items away. However I found it interesting when someone else wrote 'ignore this ' next to my note because this sort of anonymous debate is a daily aspect of our lives, especially online.
After my bin idea I wanted to involve my body as my way of interaction... I chose my idea to be 'draw on me' because I knew it would be clearly interactive and intimate. I like the idea of my art being personal with my audience so performance interests me greatly.

Can I improve my work after seeing others
The idea of being controversial was interesting as we will only evolve as a society if we all debate our opinions openly.

How Could I do this.
I saw someone tape up the bin which I wish I had thought of!
Perhaps I could have extended my idea of drawing on the body to be controversial. Or even linked the body work to the bin idea?
I could have instructed people to put something from the bin onto my body, as this incorporates the intimate level and the issue of wasting goods.

What have I learnt today
It has made me think a lot about the sort of work I want to produce... I like the idea of interaction rather than just reflecting on issues. I also prefer this sort of thinking when it comes to conceptual art, as I want to give clear messages and not really minimalistic art simply because I don't feel as connected to this sort of thing.
I'm thinking a lot about fashion communication because it links to my enjoyment of working on the body, and it also links to my interest in reflecting on society and using photography. I would also incorporate fine art aspects like performance as a way of connecting more to my audience.
Also I have learnt a lot about the importance of performance. I didn't realise it counts if you ask someone else to perform and you record, and I find the idea of using my audience as the performers interesting too. Even if it's not optional... I'm intrigued to try more interactive art out, while incorporating art on the body.

'The end of the twentieth century', Joseph Beuys

basalt stone structure

healing process

encouraging an 'ecological awakening'

symbolism. 

This sculpture is unique as it works alongside an environmental project of planting trees. Therefore, Joseph is commenting on our lack of awareness for our environment...He is saying that if we do not take action now and change the way we abuse our surroundings then soon we won't have any surroundings left. 

He is using symbolism as a key part of this sculpture, via the craped circle onto each stone. This represents the idea of healing and new life, since he using the fact plants find new life in cracks of walls. This structure is made from strong heavy basalt in order to give off his clear powerful statement. It makes me realise, i need to start thinking more about what messages different materials give off.

I feel his approach is reasonably effective however i often find sculptures less hard to understand, and although the idea of symbolism is interesting, it isn't actually helping the environment. Perhaps an interactive sculpture piece would be more effective, in my opinion. If i were to extend his sculpture i would think about images of the rocks on human bodies, because this would clearly show the power and strength and automatically link to our power on our environment...I would make it into a body piece.

The stones are arranged on the floor in no specific array, with some on their sides, some touching, all random. This is a nice refreshing change to the automatic ordered array of gallery things, so i like it as it stands out. I need to think more about where i would place my work, as this has a clear impact on the audience.

Kara Walker, Fons Americanus

Race, sexuality and violence

Questions how we remember history in our public monuments

In this sculpture, Kara is looking into the human race in terms of our hierarchy and social interactions. She does this by creating a sort of narrative that involves various continents and even the black slave trade. Essentially, i think Zara is showing the sad reality of our history, and the unjust treatment during the slave trade. She is diving into issues like human instinct, human power and greed, along with societal issues of history.

She uses water in order to bring her piece to life which is very effective. The fact the female statue at the top is squirting water from a sort of fountain creates an automatic hierarchy as this water is drowning the slaves at the bottom, who are trying to escape from sharks. The use of height is effective as it gives an automatic hierarchy, and the fact Zara has used stone for this makes it link to power as this material is strong and heavy....She is relating to levels of power.

At first, i didn't agree this piece was successful because i didn't approach it in an open minded way. Usually, i tend t dismiss public monuments as they are often telling fake truths and are picked by those in power giving a biased view. However, after reading into this piece and looking over pictures again and again, i think it is very effective. The fact the statue is creating such destruction at the bottom for the slaves makes the piece provocative and eye opening. Furthermore, it has left me realising that yes, public monuments don't usually tell the truth and that makes this piece an art piece instead of a public piece...This is important - looking into what pieces are public and why. Perhaps censorship exists everywhere?

The piece is bang in the middle of the bottom floor and cannot not be seen..it is huge. This makes it a clear statement, and automatically powerful in itself which links to its message of levels of power. 

How have you refined your ideas to something workable?

We have narrowed down ideas because we want to give a clear message and not go off track, therefore things like 'drawing a map on the body' have been removed. Our method was simply come up with all our ideas and then refine them and make a story board for a film. We have still left certain things uncertain so we must experiment on these...like, what song in the background? It must relate to human beings and our world..perhaps 'life on mars?' to connect with our idea of lacking human touch, a sort of alienation?

Can you complete the work for thursday?

As long as we complete the video fully before thursday including sound, then on thursday morning we must project the video onto human skin...perhaps a tummy or back? this won't involve anyones face, simply skin as the canvas. Therefore there is a clear link with the issue of 'skin hunger'.

How are you going to manage your time between now and Thursday?

Tonight i will bring together and edit the videos taken so far, and put these together in a film. Then, tomorrow as a pair me and Martha will decide how to put her 30 second video together with mine and we can then add soundtrack over it all.

How has your discussion and or research impacted on your ideas, and making?

During our discussion it became apparent that the idea of 'skin hunger' was the most interesting part of our theme of lack of intimacy. Therefore, it makes more sense to create clips reflecting on human skin, so we are now filming hands pressed against windows, touching animals, more sensual things than before. Our research was vital as it introduced us to the disease of skin hunger which is massive in america today, mainly due to advances in technology.