Beautiful bits and bobs

Beauty is a very confusing thing as nobody will ever have the same opinion, I hope to take beautiful photos and make beautiful art and give people beautiful thoughts. Here are some examples of my work about beauty:

Top piece is from an old project but I still feel its important to my current research, I've always aspired for beauty in my work even if I didnt mean to!

Self soothing

What I've found throughout all of my years of studying is that we have a constant need to prove that wee have tried hard. We prove that we have thought about the mathematics calculation by writing down our workings, even if we can do it mentally. We prove that we've done the research for a project because we photocopied the book we read. Why do we need to prove that we're working? Surely it will be evident in the quality of our work? We don't need a bulging sketchbook and bags of newspaper clippings to prove ourselves to anyone. (Sounding a bit defensive I know!)

I noticed this recently in my primary one class which I volunteer to help with. I was helping a young girl to read (it was so amazing I can't even deescribe it) and after every sentence she'd look to me so that I could say "yep, that's right well  done". Now, I'd never deny a 5 year old girl the satisfaction of knowing she can read because I was so enthusastic I couldn't help but shower her with praise. What I'm interested in is knowing if we will ever stop being praised and what will happen then? Will we stop trying or will we just adapt to a new way of thinking for ourselves?
I've recently been thinking a lot about this and have had many conversations about the topic and struggles of research with different people. It's interesting to find that many of us still feel tht we have to prove our enthusiasm to our peers, collegues, elders just so we can get that feeling of accomplishment when somebody says "bloody hell, you've done a lot of work there!" Obviously I still want that, we all love a bit of praise now and then but maybe being confident in your own knowledge and learning would be just as nice? I'd like to get on that path towards inner confidence in my practice. We must realise that we're not always going to have somebody looking over your shoulder as your write in your sketchbook to say "good work". However this is not to say that we will be constantly alone with our thoughts with no insight from others. Just as a baby learns to sleep on it's own, maybe sometimes we have to self soothe.

Swings and Roundabouts

These are sad swings.

I must not be afaid to fail

Making art is hard sometimes because we contantly think about what people are going  to say about it, yes we can make selfish art, we can also be so inspired by our work that we dont care about other people... but sometimes it is nice to know that people like your ideas and think you've made a very nice photograph, drawing, painting or sculpture.

It is also important, however, to just do what feels right and not be afraid to jump right into something with your whole self. Thats how we keep inspired surely? Maybe if I stop thinking about projects I'm given as a constant evaluation of myself and instead think of them as a way to improve, I'll be a hell of a lot more focussed and happy with my work.

This photo makes me feel happy... just 'cos.

Blogaroony

Hi bloggies,

I just realised I dont have any photos of my work so here is a photo of the photographs I displayed in the exhibition we had in  January, make up your own mind about what it means!!

Where I am just now.

I have been getting increasingly interested in portraiture which asks questions about public perception. Something which I think is really relevent to my research for my new piece is the charity Changing Faces, which supports those with facial disfigurements and helps them with confidence issues which they face because of the pressure the public puts on people to be "beautiful" what is beautiful anyway?! Really want to get involves with this organisation further, take a look: http://www.changingfaces.org.uk/ , pretty inspiring stuff I think! Contacted them to get a bit more info to deepen my understanding of how different people cope with the social pressures of being different.

On the other hand, something quite different...

Been having a wee look at ORLAN, who was made famous for her use of plastic surgery as a means of artistic medium. Thats some pretty frightening stuff!!! Taking parts from female portraits or sculptures, created my male artists and making her face look like them. For me, this is way too extreme and although it obviously makes a seriously bold statement, its unnecessary and down right stupid. I admire her vision and passion though, you got to have drive to change your face permenantly in the name of Art.

Also, in other news, bought a new camera Nikon D3100, yay!!!

whats Arty then?

So this is pretty strange, just began this blog as an outlet for the rants that go on inside my litle art school brain. So here it is... blog number one:

Today, first day back we were asked about "What makes a great artist?" to which there were many were thought out, considerate answers, typical arty farty question really, not really a question so much as a topic for an argument. I tend to get frustrated by these questions and I don't know why in art school we are asked them so often, yes, it is important to know what you feel is important in your practice and blah de blah but I just find it all a bit too... arty, and please dont ask me to define "arty"! I think that being surrounded by people so keen on art is a bit scary and sometimes they feel the need to question absolutelyeverysinglelittlething! Sometime art is good because it just is.
Similarly, I'm asked questions like "What is Art?" by people or "What makes art good?" or "Write an essay about the process of writing an essay"  what??!!!! Jeezo, it's all a bit too hippy for me. The sort of answers im likely to give are sarcastic ones and the sort of essays I'm likely to write don't make me sound as though I've swallowed a dictionary but that's just where I am just now, pretty stubborn.


First blog.. pretty vague.