Contemporary
Art and Illustration,
Bachelor
of Arts (Honours) Degree, Year 2.
Project
1, Term 1, - Studio Practice
By
Graham
Hadfield U1374867
University
of Huddersfield
The
act of drawing and how we individually perform the general practice
of mark making; through a fashioned tool like a pencil, pen, brush,
finger or other implement capable of leaving a trace behind it, upon
a medium or surface, is, in my opinion, one of the most fundamental
privileges that makes each of us uniquely human... From the very
outset of this project, I have felt energised and completely engaged
in both conceiving and creating ideas, and searching for ways to
produce them. Drawing, especially with pencil, is one of my most
favourite pastimes.
My
principle site and subject of this work, I seem to have
subconsciously chosen back in December 2013. This was influenced by
the seductive facade of Huddersfield Railway Station, from which I
had produced a sketch / concept painting. The other nominated sites
of the 'Modernist' Town Library and Art Gallery, and the
'Post-modern' architecture of Queensgate Market, - whilst of
interest, did not engage me.
During
my research, survey and collect phase, I was always drawn back to the
vibrant and neoclassic area of St George's Square, immediately in
front of the railway station. I fully engaged here through a series
of exercises in order to 'capture and gather' through both
photography and quick sketch drawings, items and subjects that were
of interest to me or seemed to get my attention. I was also alert to
look for items that were out of place; things that did not belong
here, or were perhaps 'alien' or at odds within the environment.
Much
of the first three weeks were spent on fully assimilating both the
information provided in the brief; - to create a plan of approach;
and, in order to help me clarify and analyse, my points of interest.
It wasn't long before my attention was drawn towards the high level
of spots and blackened marks scattered throughout the paving area of
St George's Square. Some observation of pedestrian traffic and a
very little physical analysis proved that these spots were in fact
caused by discarded chewing gum; either spat out, tossed or
seruptitiously ejected by the users of the Square. This seemed an
ideal subject which linked with the underpinning theme of our
project, - that being concerned with The Environment. I wanted to
subtly show our human interaction with it through our negligent and
delinquent actions. I wanted to relate this to time, to space (both
micro and macro), to our individuality, but also to our 'group-ness';
the way we repetitively do things we think are unimportant, but add
up to a critical mass that becomes an issue for all of us, - almost
becoming a “common enemy” or threat.
A
simple project Gannt Chart (an example is shown here), provided me
with a visual guide to help organise and prioritise stages with
information and intended tasks. I was able to commence early
production of some concept pieces. These first sketches and
drawings enabled me to reflect and reinterpret the Gestalt and the
wholeness of the project brief and my own aspirations.
My
inspiration for much of the initial work came from Dianna
Petherbridge's book, The Primacy of Drawing, 2011, (Yale University
Press). The works of Sol Le Witt, Brice Marsden and Russel Crotty,
stimulated ideas of both Mark Making and the sense on the Grid. This
combined with the Book Vitamin D and D2, (2005 and 2013 respectively)
Phiadon Press, provided more from Artists Matthew Monahan, Ewan Gibbs
and Jarinda Voigt.
The concept of the grid however, particularly resonates throughout all my work. I have seen similar concepts too from the artists work by Sophie Call, and Michel De Certea, and his book such as "practice of everyday life." In particular, -"walking in the city" (which is a chapter in his book) he discusses the pan-optic view and the deviation from the grid.
I
engaged in an immersive final two weeks of creative activity and
applied the reference notions from other leading contemporary
artists, particularly with regard to repetition, space, time etc, on
my final piece of work, entitled
“Constellations of Draco”.
And this was my wall-space by the time I had finished the "collecting & Analysing" stages...
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