In lead up to the critical practice forums I realised I hadn't done any legitimate research in regards to critical writing and contexts for a while, As I've already mentioned, whilst I'm pleased with how the 2x2m canvas 'Upside Down' turned out, I didn't enjoy painting it. The only thing I it did, was reflect how I want my art to make me feel, which is a sense of freedom, play and honesty. I realised that being away from the studio, and even early on in the year, I had become too concerned with the requirements of the course and how relevant my work needed to appeared to people.
I had lost that desperate urge to paint when arriving to the studio; So I decided to just start painting things that I was truly interested in and passionate about; That being Film, sport and memorable moments in my life where I was left feeling amazed by the world around me.
I wanted to do this so I could have an organic body of work, to look at and consider, and from there I could begin to figure out what I want my work to say, and uncover the context, research, surrounding that. In some regards the work I'd done in Unit 1 contains some of what I want my work to be about; story, fantasy, imagination, mountain tops, and our own personal journeys through life. But it was too rigid, and framed in a way that I felt others would accept, whether I believed in it or not.
The new images I decided to paint varied from a Cycling trip down the West Coast of Scotland, a walk in the countryside, a pint in Ullepool Harbour, Andy Murray winning Wimbledon for the 1st time, Camping at a Festival, and Movies and Scenes, that I resonate with.
For the 1st time in a while, I was actually having fun with these works, and rediscovered that urge to paint as much as I could.
It's not that I don't want to contextualise or do critical research/writing for my work, it's that I needed to find my own way of doing it. And that started with coming back to the root of why I love creating art, simply painting what I wanted to paint. Now that I have a body of work to reflect on, I have started figuring out what I want my work to say and the context, writing. surrounding that.
I now view my work as an account of the universal journey we take through our lives. The paintings are very personal to my life, but I want that personal aspect to inform the process rather than dominate the finished peice. It needs to be relatable, people can bring their own life stories into my work and realise how well they've done. In previous work I felt like I was telling people what to do, rather than giving them a space to relax and contemplate.
I don't want to shoehorn in writings and reflections on my work, that have no real relevance to where I'm at currently. I want this Unit of my work to be an honest account of what I'm about, why I create the work I do, and the ambitions I have going forward.
Now that I know my work is coming from an authentic place, that speaks what I wish to say, I feel more comfortable and inclined to grow the aspects of my practice that I find difficult. That being research of other artists, trying new mediums, visiting galleries, and reading around my subject.
I hope it's also been clear throughout, that I've tried to make the presentation of my website feel like a journey, in the same way that my paintings are. Moving from statement to documentation, onwards to context and finishing here.
