Studio Log

The first few weeks in my studio were spent developing the concept behind the prints that I want to make. My original idea involved creating environments from found shapes that were derived from other environments. The original environments would be deconstructed into shapes and pieces which would then be used to rebuild a new environment. This whole process of deconstruction and rebuilding was a way for me to create a relationship between two different places through imagery. 

Although I was quite excited about this project and how the end result would look, I still feel like I have a shallow understanding of the relationships I am trying to create. So over the past weeks I have been brainstorming, trying to find some sort of subject-matter that i find interesting enough to create a genuine and exciting statement through my work. I was (and still am) in a confused state of mind. I am trying to derive a strong subject matter through thought alone... and its not going smoothly. I feel like my mind is playing a trick on me by encouraging me to keep brainstorming but never letting be be satisfied with what I come up with.

In my first discussion with Charlie he suggested that I begin to create some images that relate to my project but don't involve a specific subject matter or too much thought. In doing this, I hope to create some images that will help inspire me and give me a chance to look at my project in a different perspective. For my first image, I derived all of the shapes and color from various corporate logos. The image that I created form these shapes didn't create a statement about these corporations, it is only a study of color and composition.

After this images was created Charlie and I met again and were able to come up with some interesting parallels based on the way I work visually and musically. When writing music, I find that i can write instrumental parts to songs much easier than lyrics. The notes I play feel more intuitive. I don't need to explain to myself why I am content with the notes I am playing, they just come naturally and I can enjoy them. When creating visual work I have a similar way of working. The shapes and colors I choose seem to fall together logically without too much conscious reasoning. Through this method of building images I can create visually pleasing work that evokes emotion and feeling as my music does. The trouble comes in writing lyrics which is the equivalent to defining the subject matter for my work. Lyrics in a song (which can be abstract and metaphorical) become a statement that is associated with ones culture, experiences, and values. This statement is not as universal as sound alone. I feel that I am forcing lyrics upon a song just as I am trying to force a certain concept into my artwork. Overall I feel like I know what i want my piece to look like in the end, and I am trying to work around that to create a statement.

Charlie and I also brought up the work of James Turrell. It was a refreshing new look into an environment and how it was being transformed. Turrell uses light and architecture in an existing environment in order to create a completely new experience within the same environment. He is working with very common forms and resources to build something that is completely new and shocking, yet it all exists in the same physical realm that we have grown up in (architecture and sunlight). It is a more abstract way of looking at a transformation and the types of relationships it can create. I feel like I was limiting myself by thinking of only turning one place into another place. Where this will take me is unclear but i plan to keep my eyes open for a certain place, event, or idea that sparks my interest and will inspire me to take my work to a higher level.

What am I more likely to be inspired by?

Culture or Nature?

I think I am going to have to choose nature. Both nature and culture have a great amount of potential in them but i think nature is more inspiring because it is more of a constant around the world and doesn't need to exist in a certain context. Culture is very interesting but also very confusing when examining a culture that is not one that you have grown up in. I feel that one must experience a culture to its fullest in order to make legitimate work that is inspired by it. I feel that it wold be very easy to get something wrong if you are an outsider looking in on a foreign culture where as nature is something that everyone around the world has had experience with. Nature can be used in many different contexts in order to create interesting thoughts, relationships, and statements that can be recognized and understood by most people. On the other hand, a persons perception of artwork based around nature is greatly dependent on their cultural background.

Production or Consumption?

I guess I'm thinking of production and consumption in a social context. Production of goods for sale and consumption by people. I would have to say that production inspires me more. Consumption always seems to have a negative statement attached to it. Any type of statement about our societies consumption is always about over-consumption and demand for useless things. Its a powerful message but I have never had the desire to spread awareness or use it to express myself. Production has always interested me because of the process in which things are made and the systems that are created in order to reach its final goal. The production end of the market shows innovation and intricate parts of a system working together in order to make our society function efficiently. It may not function in the most efficient and responsible way but it is definitely working....

Myself or others?

I have always enjoyed making work for others more than for myself. I am way more inspired when making something that I know others will appreciate and value. I usually find myself struggling to find work that I am making for myself. But maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. Many artists have inspired me and my work in the past. To inspire myself would be to to think in an avant-garde way. To create something completely original where no other person could have inspired you as much as you have inspired yourself. From this point of view I see more potential in the ability to inspire oneself, but it is much harder to reach that level without inspiration from others. Ideally inspiration should be coming from both myself and others.

Presence or absence of contentment?

I don't think contentment can be inspiring. Being content is being happy with what you are doing and that would be a sign that whatever work you are doing is going well for you as an artist. It doesn't necessarily mean that you are inspired to be more creative. I don't think creative ideas can be derived from the feeling of being happy with a project. Being less content may force me to look in new directions for ideas but I wont search my malcontent for inspiration. so i suppose being unhappy with my work eventually will lead to better ideas that will ultimately help me become content with my work. Therefore I choose the absence of contentment to be more inspiring.

Facts or Feelings?

Facts can be interesting but feelings are deep. There is argument, emotion, and a sense of personality attached to ones feeling where as facts are cold and hard. I think feelings can inspire much more interesting concepts behind ones work. It takes work in a direction that allows for discussion in whatever context it exists where as facts present a statement and stick with it. Using our feelings for insperation can also lead to self evaluation. We can reach new realizations about ourselves and others which can inspire new ways of thinking and creating.