Reflections on NUA interim Show Minestrone: Before and After and Green Lungs.

Before and After and Green Lungs, Mixed Media Collage, photo taken from the NUA interim show

Within this blog entry I wish to critically reflect on the two pieces which I created for the interim show: Before and After and Green Lungs. Both pieces were created using black and white print outs of photographs I had taken that were burned and collaged together. The title Before and After refers to Humphry Repton's red books which were designed so that his clients could visualize his designs with a series of overlays to portray before and after views for his planned projects, all of the photographs used were taken from a trip to Sheringham Park. I liked the title Before and After as I felt that it referenced the passing of time and a layering of history. 

Green Lungs was created using photographs from Old Catton Park also designed by Repton. Catton Park has been described as the green lungs of the city of Norwich. I felt that there was a certain irony in this title on account of the fact that the image was purely black and white, while the reference to lungs implies something that is integral to the sustainability of life. 

I have split my analysis into three main categories: the use of black and white imagery, the scale of the pieces and the visual effect created by painting the rear of the pieces red. These three considerations were all new additions which I specifically used the interim show as a testing ground for.

 Why make use of black and white imagery rather than using colour images:

Before and After, Mixed Media Collage, 120 x 120cm.

Having written in a previous blog entry about the fashion in which artists use colour in their work as a pictorial device and as a way of enhancing or exaggerating their compositions I considered the fashion in which I was making use of colour within my own work and why I was using such an extreme palette. I was unsure as to whether the use of bright colour was actually enhancing my compositions or detracting from my original intentions for the pieces.

Green Lungs, Mixed Media Collage, 120 x 120cm.

I decided that for these two pieces I would get rid of colour altogether as within the time frame available I did not feel that I would be able to adequately resolve the issue and due to the fact that colour had become such an overbearing preoccupation within my previous practice it would be interesting to see what the effect was of replacing it with black and white imagery and how this fitted in with my original intentions for the work.

I was pleased with the fashion in which the black and white imagery combined with the burning of the print outs. Along with the scale of the pieces it created a stark and bleak composition, which at first created the impression of disorientation on account of the fragmented juxtaposition of the imagery requiring a prolonged viewing in order to make out the subject matter. Furthermore the black and white imagery helped to enhance the impression of looking back in time into history while the fragmented nature of the pieces alluded to something that had warped, corroded and altered as a result of the passage of time. 

What is the effect of altering the scale of the work by making it larger:

Before and After and Green Lungs, Mixed Media Collage

Having experimented with collage in the previous unit on quite a small scale it was really useful to actually be able to see what the effect was of increasing the scale of the work to see how this impacted visually on my original intentions for the pieces and also to see what the effect was of placing them within a gallery context.

Creating the work in my studio, I was initially worried that the large scale of the work may be a potential problem, due to the fact that within the confined space it appeared to be visually overwhelming. The interim show therefore provided me with an appropriate platform in order to see how they functioned within a larger simulated gallery space.

It was great to see the difference that was made firstly by hanging them on the wall and secondly the added effect of having a significant amount of space around them so that they no longer appeared to be hemmed in or overly overbearing within a smaller space. My initial reticence therefore appeared to be unfounded as the effect of increasing the scale of the work worked as an effective tool for not only intensifying the visual impact of the pieces but also as a way of expanding the subject matter, which combined with the round shape enhanced the impression of looking through a portal or lens of history. 

My final decision was to hang the works side by side as I felt that this was the most effective use of the space provided by the curatorial team. I hung the pieces which had an approximate diameter of 1.2m next to each other with a 1.2m gap between them and centered them on the wall. With hind site the pieces would have benefited by having more space around them and I also considered what the effect would be of hanging them opposite one another. On account of the fact that my work was situated within a narrow corridor I did not see this as a practical option or as the most effective way to utilize the space. I believe that this would have been a viable option if the work was able to occupy a space that enabled the viewer to stand a distance of at least 6ft from each of the works in order to be able to study it in more detail.

What was the result of painting the backs of the pieces red and how did this alter the visual impression of the work including the original intentions for the pieces:

I experimented with the work by painting the back of the MDF red and by mounting it on the wall so that there was a one-inch shadow gap between the work and the wall. My intention for doing this was that the red paint would reflect on to the wall creating a subtle glow or a halo which would surround the work creating the impression that it was floating or levitating away from the surface. Additionally I hoped that the red glow would contrast effectively with the black and white imagery of the image and would be noticeable as a secondary consideration to the image itself.

I was pleased to see the effect that was created by the red reflection upon the wall, which appeared exaggerated on account of the black and white imagery. Furthermore the red glow around the edge of the composition added to the effect of otherness or of something operating independently beneath the facade of the pictorial surface on account of the fact that it was outside of the confines of the perfectly enclosed round sphere or self-contained world of the tondo.

Group critique and analysis of the work included in the interim show:

For the final section of this blog I wish to discuss the final group critique of term which was conducted as a way of generating dialogue and exposition in order to produce feedback and discussion in relation to each others work included in the interim show. 

Each person was given a slot of around eighteen minutes whereby the other three members of the group and Sarah Horton critically assessed the work in an attempt to read it and see if it was coherently and effectively communicating underlying themes and concepts.

I found this exercise to be very beneficial, not only because it was useful to attempt to analyse other people's work but also as a way seeing what feedback was generated in relation to my own work. 
It was especially interesting to see how some of the decisions that I had made, many of which in my mind seemed to be very obvious were interpreted by other members of the group.

The comments which were generated related to the red background of the pieces and whether this added or detracted to the work. It was perceived that the red worked as an effective contrast to the black and white imagery which was my original intention whilst also contrasting with the content and the shape of the pieces. Some of the comments centered around the fact that the red related to the burned collage, almost as if the red represented the burnt embers left over from this process.

The contrast between the fractured surface of the collage and the circular shape of the tondo also prompted comments that it created a sense of dizziness and spinning which flipped between a two dimensional and three dimensional space. There seemed to be a shared consensus that the work existed as a series of challenging contradictions leading to a series of conflicting interpretations and analysis. This was extended to the surface and the subject matter which lead to a sense of frustration as to where the places were that were being depicted as there was no clue within the title which was further compounded on account of the fragmented nature of the surface. This therefore prompted the question as to whether the work was about a particular place.

There was discussion surrounding the scale of the work with the general consensus being that the scale fitted the space well, although it would have been effective if there had been more space surrounding the pieces and how if placed within a larger space would allow more room to stand back and contemplate the work. There was also discussion as to whether the work needed to be mounted on the walls or whether it could have been mounted as effectively on the ceiling or the floor and how this would alter its interpretation and meaning. One of the final comments related to the fact that on account of the fragmented nature of the surface it was similar to a stained glass window.