FMP Proposal

   BA HONS CONTEMPORARY ART AND ILLUSTRATION

YEAR 2015 - 2016

MAJOR PROJECT MODULE –THD1344

PHASE 1 PLANNING - AUTUMN TERM 2015

(DRAFT VERSION ONLY)

Project Title / Initial Area of Focus: “THINGS LEFT BEHIND”

To develop a body of artistic work which questions how contemporary British society deals with loss, grief and the increasing stress of constant ‘change’ in everyday life.

Main Area of Material Study (My chosen form of practice):

Contemporary painting and illustration, through the use of acrylics mixed with the dust, detritus and alternative mediums such as shredded banknotes bank statements, archive material, cotton, textiles etc.

Main Area of Theoretical Study (The artistic / philosophical / thematic link with my Research and Development and Theory Modules):
“Things Left Behind” will be a study of our traces left through our everyday existence. This will touch on loss and the loss of objects, but may also touch on the loss and grief associated with mourning.
The challenge is to encourage spectators to reflect upon the importance of recognising any type of loss for what it is, to identify with it and allow the process to unfold through the various stages, but ultimately, this body of works should empower viewers to help transition them to the next stage of ‘letting go’ and moving on (the 6th & 7th stages of transition (Transition Management, Bridges, 2010)). The eventual output works support my interests in Philosophy, Psychology, Change Management & Mental Health.

Studio Practice initial research – i.e. what I am going to do (an outline of my practical research plan):
Currently studying the works of Anselm Kiefer and the Japanese photographer Ishiuchi Miyako, and various others (for example Michael Sheringham). I intend to record my thoughts and research by detailed writing and provide a record of ideas through photography of my work and that of others, all within my electronic blog space. My blog is also my sketchbook (the blog is a virtual sketchbook).

1.     Identified ideas, concepts, theories and contextual position (Intended as a direct link to my Research and Development module tasks – A synopsis)

See the attached document, which outlines my initial thoughts below. (Text based Artist's Proposal).

Research and Development Blog address:  

http://www.grahamhadfield-contemporaryfineart.blogspot.com

2.     Identified creative sources, directions, strategies that are key to my practice

The work will be created through my own personal observations, everyday transactions, my life experiences over the last 50+ years, the news and television media, my personal relationships, and my emotional triggers which I intend to record as part of this research.

3.     Identified anticipated materials, techniques and expected studio processes (inc. technical facilities/workshops)

I anticipate this to be various methods of painting and drawing, with 2-dimensional sculpture using various traditional media, for example, canvas acrylic paint etc but with some additional alternative derivatives materials together with the exploration of alternative ways to manufacture the same. It should be noted that each will be risk assessed for any potential hazards, risks being fully recorded, reported, evaluated and mitigated.

4.     Identified key bibliography (including journal and electronic sources).  With reference to my Research and Development Module THD1379 research, and Theory Module THD1380 research.

(a) Identified key texts underpinning my current programme of study (inc. literature, philosophy, films, critical writing, artists, texts, design concepts etc.);

Anselmino, P. (2015, 10 05). Graduate Student in Anthropology, Birkbeck Colledge, London. Retrieved from www.Academia.edu: www.academia.edu/13590467/Grief_and_mourning_as_social_constructs_Are_emotions_culturally_relative

Benson, N., Collin, C., Ginsburg, J., Grand, V., Lazyan, M., & Weeks, M. (2012). The Psychology Book. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited.

Bogdan, R. C., & Biklen, S. K. (2003 (4th Edition)). Qualitative research for education: An Introduction to Theory & Methods. London: Pearson Education.

Bridges, W. (2009 (3rd Edition)). Managing Transitions. Philadelphia, United States: De Capo Publishing.

Buchloh, B. H. (2005). Gerhard Richter, Paintings from 2003-2005. New York: Marian Goodman Gallery.

Collins English Dictionary. (1982). The New Collins Concise Dictionary of the English Language. London: William Collins & Sons Co. Ltd.

Darwin, C. ((1873) retrieved 2015, November 9). Google Books - The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1873). Retrieved from books.googleusercontent/books: https://books.google.co.uk/books/download/The_Expression_of_the_Emotions_in_Man_an.pdf

Dercon, C. (. (1996). Face a l'Histoire Centre Georges Pompidou,1980-1996. Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou / Flammarion.

Dobrawolski, C. (2016, February 5th). Lecture by Chris Dobrawolski (RA). Retrieved from https://denman.osu.edu/a_abstracts.aspx?cw=Art/Architecture&year=2007

Godfrey, D. M. (2011, October 6). Gerhard Richter, Room Guide, Panorama Exhibition, 2011. (N. Serota, Producer, & Tate Modern) Retrieved 11 26, 2015, from Tate Modern: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/exhibition/gerhard-richter-panorama/gerhard-richter-room-guide/room-thirteen

Hage, J., Elgar, D., Butin, H., & Dickson, A. (n.d.). Gerhard Richter. (J. Hage, Editor) Retrieved November 29, 2015, from Gerhard Richter: https://www.gerhard-richter.com/en/art/paintings/photo-paintings/household-icons-39/table-4954

Hale, J. (2013, 05 29). Harman on Heidegger: Buildings as Tool Beings. Retrieved from www.bodyoftheory.com: http://bodyoftheory.com/2013/05/29/harman-on-heidegger-buildings-as-tool-beings/

Harman, G. (2007, 12 08). Heidegger Explained : From Phenomenon to Thing. New York, NY, USA: Open Court. Retrieved from Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

Hawthorn, E. W. (1995). Art & Visual Philosophy. Ohio.

Kandinski, W. (1912). Concerning the Spiritual in Art. London: Dover Publications.

Izard, C. (1993). Four systems for emotion activation: Cognitive and noncognitive processes. Psychological Review, 100(1), 68-90. doi:doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.100.1.68

Izard, C. E. (1972). The Patterns of Emotions. New York: Academic Press.

Lauterwein, A. (2007). Anselm Kiefer / Paul Celan - Myth, Mourning and Memory (2nd Edition ed.). London: Thames & Hudson.

LeBuffe, M. (2015, January 27). Spinoza's Psychological Theory, Spring 2015 Edition. (E. N. (ed.), Editor) Retrieved December 10, 2015, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2015 Edition): http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2015/entries/spinoza-psychological/

Lucas, D., & McManus, M. (2015, August 26). Tomkins & Izard: Theories Compared. Retrieved from Tomkins Institute: http://www.tomkins.org/tomkins-topics/theory/tomkins-and-izard-theories-compared/

Mahon, J. E. (2015, December 10). Descartes vs. Spinoza on Substance and Attributes. Retrieved from Modern Philosophy, Washington & Lee University, School of Law: http://home.wlu.edu/~mahonj/Spinoza.Descartes.htm

Massumi, B. (1995). The Autonomy of Affect. Cultural Critique, (31), 83–109.

Merleau-Ponty, M. (1945). Phenomenology of Perception. Paris: Gallimard.

Morris, D. (1967). The Naked Ape. London: Corgi Paperbacks.

Nathanson, D. L. (1992). Shame and Pride: Affect, Sex, and the Birth of the Self (Chapter 2). New York: W.W. Norton. Retrieved December 10, 2015, from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affect_theory#cite_note-2

Nathanson, D. L. (1998, March 15). From Empathy to Community - The Annual of Psychoanalysis, 25. (J. A. Winer, Ed.) Retrieved November 10, 2014, from The International Institute for Restorative Practices: http://iirp.org/library/nacc/nacc_nat.html

Nietzsche, F. W. (1908). Human, All too Human. Human, All to Human. A book for free spirits. (A. HARVEY, Trans., & P. Gutenberg, Compiler) Chicago, United States: CHARLES H. KERR & COMPANY. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/38145/38145-h/38145-h.htm

Pollock, G. (2010, September 16). EURAMERICA Vol. 40, No. 4 (December 2010), 829-886. Retrieved from Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica (EurAmerica.org): http://www.ea.sinica.edu.tw/eu_file/12929220544.pdf

Pornpattananangkul, N., & Chiao, J. Y. (2014, April 1). Affect Control Theory and Cultural Priming: A Perspective from Cultural Neuroscience. Emotional Review Vol. 6 No 2 (2014), pp. 136-137.

Prideaux, S. (2005). Edvard Munch: Behind the Scream. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Ribot, T.-A. (1897 (Republished 2012)). The Psychology of The Emotions (1897). London: Forgotten Books (Classic Reprint Series).

Royal Academy of Arts. (2007). Baselitz. London: The Royal Academy of Arts.

Russell, J. (1983, April 24). THE NEW EUROPEAN PAINTERS, by John Russell, Chief art critic. (J. Russell, Ed.) Retrieved November 14, 2015, from The New York Times Magazine: http://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/24/magazine/the-new-european-painters.html?pagewanted=all

Schudel, M. (2010, June 13). German artist Sigmar Polke, creator of 'Higher Beings Command,' dies at 69. Retrieved from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/12/AR2010061203694.html

Shein, N. (2009, February 3). Spinoza's Theory of Attributes. (E. N. (Ed.), Editor) Retrieved December 10, 2015, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2013 Edition): http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spinoza-attributes/

Smith, C. (. (1962). Phenomenology of Perception. New York: Humanities Press.

The European Graduate School, Switzerland. (2105, September 2). Bracha Ettinger, Biography. Retrieved January 06, 2016, from The European Graduate School: http://egs.edu/faculty/bracha-ettinger

Tomkins, S. (2014). Affects evolved as the system of motivation for human beings. Retrieved from Tomkins.org: http://www.tomkins.org/what-tomkins-said/introduction/affects-evolved-so-we-could-learn-what-to-seek-and-what-to-avoid/

Wade, C., & Tavris, C. (2008). Psychology, (9th Edition). London: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Worden, J. W. (2010 (4th Edition)). Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner. Hove, UK: Routledge.

(b) Useful additional books, galleries, journals, websites which are of use to me at this planning stage;

I am a member of the Association of Illustrators (Student) – Varoom

- This is an excellent source of contemporary debate for commercial and artistic influences generally for Illustration. It also provides agency assistance and commercial literature for contract definition etc...

With regards to the contexts of Contemporary Art, ‘current’ sources constantly explored are the internet, (e.g. Turps Banana, This is Tomorrow, Tate, / Tate shots, Google, and other general search engines).

 As a mature student, I have acquired a modest library of books, periodicals and literature which will also form the backbone of my research tools, some of which include;

Arasse, D. (2001). Anselm Kiefer. London: Thames Hudson.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark. (2010). Anselm-Kiefer-art-spiritual (Retrieved 20-04-2015). Retrieved from The Louisiana Channel: http://channel.louisiana.dk/video/anselm-kiefer-art-spiritual

Sheringham, M. (2006). Everyday Life, Theories and Practices from Surrealism to the Present. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Key books I consider as vital for this year are;

The Drawing Book, (2007) Tania Kovats. 

The Primacy of Drawing, (2010) Dianne Petherbridge. Yale.

Everyday Life – (2006), Sheringham, M. Oxford University Press.

Art and Photography, 2014 (5th Ed. 2003), David Campion, Phaidon Press.
Philosopher - Clive Bell.
http://www.rowan.edu/open/philosop/clowney/Aesthetics/philos_artists_onart/bell.htm

Books to check as good resources for Joseph Beuys might be….
Tisdall, Caroline (2010). Joseph Beuys. Thames & Hudson.
Rosenthal, Norman; Bastian, Heiner (1999). Joseph Beuys: The Secret Block for a Secret Person In Ireland. Art Books Intl Ltd.

Ulmer, Gregory (1985). Applied Grammatology: Post(e)-Pedagogy from Jacques Derrida to Joseph Beuys. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Plus –Egon Schiele…
Andreas Gusky, George Baselitz & Gerhard Richter and Neo Rauch

Object Oriented Ontology – Graham Harman;  Prince of Networks:

5.     My Attendance Commitment

Times that I will be attending or may be absent from the studio:

* Mondays	Attending life drawing at Dean Clough Gallery Halifax, and personal home studio / University library.
Tuesdays	Attending university all day, afternoon life drawing classes with Prof Swindell.
* Wednesdays	Home office & studio  /  University library.
Thursdays	Attending university all day and studios.
* Fridays	Mornings = University, Afternoon = studio at University / University library, or at home studio

.

* Please note: I intend to remove myself from the studio environment within the University a little more often (especially at the start of this year), in order to remove myself from the “Pied Piper” syndrome that has followed me as a mature student.

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(Text based proposal)                                                                                                 (First draft version)

BA (Hons) Contemporary Art & Illustration

University of Huddersfield

Artist’s Proposal - (Initial Thoughts)

I am conscious that this year my regular blogs will need to be adapted in writing style, so that I report back a clear reflection of the development of my ongoing research into the areas of interest that I would like to engage myself in, (I suspect for many years to come), but also to critically assess my thoughts together with the feedback from both tutors and other students, during critiques as we work together towards our final Gallery degree show destined for June 2016. I am also conscious that I need to explain how I respond personally both positively and negatively about the feedback I receive from anyone, and in any form, whether it is in a formal setting, or perhaps a throwaway comment in a corridor.

Whilst I have spent a fair amount of time during the summer vacation to, as it were, 'set my stall out', my overall objectives still remain the same, in that I want to immerse myself in the artistic study of a field of interest that I have entitled "Things left behind".

I believe that this title encompasses a very rich source in order for me to exercise my artistic endeavours. As I have muted in previous paragraphs, it is likely that this field of study will engage my interest far beyond my degree course and graduation. A major influence who has been present in my mind for much of last year is the contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer. (See my essay at http://grahamhadfield-contemporaryfineart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/artist-review-anselm-kiefer-scale-and.html) I see Kiefer's works as a wonderful example where an artist has devoted himself and his life, to the deeply moving, sensitive and intellectually absorbing relationship of national and later universal grief. (See further narrative of a Gallery visit of Kiefer's work at the Tully Museum, Carlisle - http://grahamhadfield-contemporaryfineart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/anselm-kiefer-exhibition-gallery-visit.html during my summer vacation.

There are a number of other contemporary artists who are also exploring this genre. For example, the renowned Japanese photographer Ishiuchi Miyako, who has also made extensive and almost lifelong studies of the effect of national grief, as a result of the detonation of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima? (See "Things Left Behind", 2013, A Japanese film by Miyako, Ishiuchi and Monitachi, Nokosareta). The American film-maker, Linda Hoaglund has also studied these works which seek to disconnect the tragedy of the catastrophe on 6th August 1945, with the everyday lives of its victims.

It is this disconnection from the immediate narrative, which I too, am interested in.

In my investigations, my objective is not to specifically engage directly on the subject of grief itself, but to suggest within my work the opportunity for grief to be part of the narrative that a spectator may take away, as part of their own search for meaning and explanation of my art.

It's worth pointing out, I am keen to disengage myself from an 'envelope' genre of contemporary art, which comes under the heading of "Found Objects". I'm not interested in domestic or abandoned rubbish per se. Such things are discarded, they no longer have an intentional purpose. My body of work will explore possibilities of 'why' and 'what' that are open-ended.

My major project - "Things Left Behind" is, therefore, an exploration of traces. Traces of people and traces of their existence. Ultimately, one could say that this is what art is. This is what drawing is. We leave our mark. I want to record that, just as artists have done since the cave paintings and clay sculptures left behind by the early hominids before.

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                                                                                                              (FINAL version)

BA (Hons) Contemporary Art & Illustration

University of Huddersfield

Artist’s Proposal - (Initial Thoughts)

Graham Hadfield

Artist’s Positioning Statement

Project / Body of Work; - ‘The Things we Leave Behind’

I am currently engaged in the multiple enquiries of identity, the feelings associated with loss (of human, animate and inanimate objects) and grief, combined with fading memories, entitled ‘The Things we Leave Behind’. The body of work developed through my voyage of exploration reflects the idea that every object we see, use, or touch, holds and provides a tiny element of our own identity.  My interests in contemporary art also lie in the notion that it is, a vehicle for ‘visual philosophy’ (Hawthorn, 1995), (Dobrawolski, 2016).

My themes tend towards the ontological, philosophical, psychological and quotidian. I am influenced greatly by the works of the New European painters; Anselm Kiefer, Luc Tuymans, Bracha L. Ettinger, and Gerhard Richter, together with the philosophy of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Bataille, Merleau-Ponty (and hence more lately), Graham Harman & Brian Massumi.

We sometimes overlook the obvious in life’s daily journey.  As such, we ignore those ‘things left behind’.  Whilst we may engage deeply with some ‘things’, especially during heightened moments of contact or exploration, we also dismiss so much, often through sensory overload.  This even extends to people and animate or inanimate objects or ‘actants’ (Harman, 2007).

I use composite materials including shredded confidential paper waste, plaster, wood, papier-mâché, domestic detritus, lint and human hair as well as the more traditional artists’ media of acrylic pigments.  It is through the creation of various manifestations of my interpretations, - of these ‘meta-encounters’ if you like, that I attempt to build artefacts that reflect the fragments of my research; in ways that are often mildly didactic, quirky or even mischievous. My goal is to create an encounter, which on first glance may appear to some as facile, but then draws the viewer in further, to look at the work(s) in much more detail, so that the visual clues and metaphors can be individually interpreted, or reinterpreted as a much richer transaction.

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Degree Show Proposal 
 -  March / April 2016

Your Degree Show Committee ask you to please fill in the questions with as much as possible. We understand you might not have all the answers yet and that your work and titles may not be finalised.
If you are planning on submitting more than one piece then answer the questions for all your pieces, making it clear which you are talking about in each section.




Student name:                                               GRAHAM  HADFIELD
Strand:                                                Contemporary Art & Illustration

What is your anticipated work? (Please briefly describe your pieces).






A large wall hung / (tilted against the wall) relief of an enlarged fragment of facial feature of a common garden gnome

What is the title of your work?



 “The Things we Leave Behind”

What is the medium of your work?






Paper, Papier-Mache (from cross cut / shredded banking statements), tumble dryer lint, human hair & shredded domestic detritus, formed with a substrate of galvanized chicken wire mounted on pine wood batons.

What are likely to be the measurements of your work? (e.g 20cm x 40 cm).






150cm high by 200cm wide, with approx. 50cm depth.

What is the intended presentation? Might there be specific hanging / installation requirements? 






Ideally mounted as resting against a wall, with 100cm clearance to all four sides, and down-lit from above via appropriate spot lamps not less than 150cm from the object.

What kind of work do you think might work well next to your work?






Any.  However, this is a large piece, so suggest some artworks that will hold their own aura.

Where do you think your work might work well?






The piece is a large bold statement with a very strong aura. It will provide a high impact as an introductory image to the gallery space and / (or chosen room), therefore, opposite the entry door would be highly desirable.

How much space would you like around your work? 






A minimum of 100cm on all four sides

Are there any definite requirements for your work? (e.g. a dark room)






The piece is a large bold statement with a strong aura. It will provide very high impact as an introductory image to the gallery space and/or chosen room, therefore, opposite the entry door would be highly desirable.

Can you think of any other important requirements? 






(Notes in addition to the above);

·         The object is made from flammable / combustible materials (Solids), being wood, paper, domestic lint / detritus and organic matter (hair).

·         No hot / light source within 1.5 metres to comply with HSE recommendations.  All precautions must be taken to remove the likelihood that ignition sources, including electrostatic discharges, will be present and become active and effective.

·         All reasonable care has been taken to comply with relevant sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974;  The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (and Article 23 in particular); and The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 as appropriate.

Please add some images and sketches of your work. These visuals of your work are really IMPORTANT.

(Maquette;  Front View)

Maquette – Side View

Plan / Schematic of final Piece