5th May- 'Each to their own' Exhibition, Firstsite; Colchester (reflections)

5th May- 'Each to their own' Exhibition, Firstsite; Colchester

NAME OF WORK:

Step; your future
Step; walk. Over your future, your next identity.

The governments actions and decisions impose on all of our identities. On your individual and our collective identity, as a country and a species. This work shows the Natural Capital committee’s Advice to Government on the 25 year environmental plan. This document outlines what the plan ‘should’ achieve. The overt economic commentary that runs throughout the document fails to stress the urgent nature of our current situation. It stresses that action should be taken soon or there will be detrimental consequences. 25 years is too long and the focus on ‘natural capital’ chains Mother Nature up as another thing to be commodified, utilised and sold. This series of work aims to highlight the irony in government documentation and the vested interest that runs throughout. The positing of the work, aims to embody the compliance in so many; to the system and the dying drive for action. However, there is still hope, in education and creative action.

REFLECTIONS-
Today was the installation and run of my above named work. This piece was developed in line with my current studio practice and as part of my collaboration with the government. A non-consensual collaboration. This work was a more literal visualisation and metaphor for a compliant society. The work was a review of the governments 25 year plan but the Natural Capital Committee. This review mentioned what ‘should’ be done extensively along with the desperate nature of the issue. During the crit a really good point that was raised is that I could have made the commentary more obvious by highlighting ‘should’ possibly or making it more obvious as to the issue with the document. In past works I have hand edited documents to do this. With this piece however I was aiming more to let the piece be obviously out of places. A white document spread out in a public area for all to see. For all to walk over, interact with and ‘edit’ through their footprints. The crit was also fruitful in other ways, another pupils commentary on the consideration of the work was very beneficial. He commented on past works I had done that really held research well and that it is very easy for artists to make political commentary without considering the outer western implications. This is a really vital aspect of my work and as I spoke to Michelle, director of float associations he also made comment on how in depth my research was along with the breadth I matched with it. This showed as me discussed my belief in ‘fluid’ research and practice across fields and disciplines. I spoke with him for an extended period of time and really utilised his and Charlie’s presence. They aren’t that much older than us and they seemed to have achieved a lot on that time. Further to this they seem so committed to remain in the art world in differing roles/ in roles they have designed and created for themselves. I admire this greatly yet a real difference did come up when talking to them, as it does with many young artists I talk too. After university many returned to a parents house or family home to continue work/ planning and to move forward. I have been very aware that I do not have that and am in a very disadvantaged position. The art world is very privileged and that shows in many people around me. Even if they do not realise what there privilege lies with, the family home, the support system and that cushion they can fall back on. That is lacking in my situation so I have a real drive to plan forward and be ready when I leave uni to support myself without compromising carrying on in the art world. This is a balance I have been trying to strike for a while as It held me back from experimentation for a long time. However, this unit, and expel ally recently with works such as this I have taken leaps with visual research and research trough interaction with other. The main issue with this work was the health and safety implications of it. The way in which it had to be changed to fit Firstsites responsibilities and equal access implementations. I completely understand this and I would hate any of my works to disallow equal access. However, on a merely visual note, the rubber edging they put round the piece did take away from it as a domestic item, a carpet. The concept with using a domestic item for me was a reflection of a consumer culture and about the use of things in a manner that they were not initially intended. Similarly, I plan to carry this on as I have with other material works, considering what it means for them to become pieces of a clothing, one of the most saturated and capital industries there is. If this piece of cotton is worn by people instead of only being available online. Both are very public platforms yet will one get more notice. This conversation was sparked in the crit as Charlie commented on the fact she had no idea these documents were so readily available. Also, that if people have questions and issues then they could likely be answered there, however the release of these is kept quiet and they are not often used in debates and discussions. This is very true however the way the documents are written means they don’t always have the answers and ironically enough are very conservative. Therefore they aren’t even what people would hope them to be when initial contact is made. I have learnt this through my work with them as my material. On the subject of materials, that also was a point of discussion and I stressed the material reflection across history. How fabric has been used in a wealth of situations including protest and revolt. The banners and flags across history are something my studio practice has been investigating along with other projects running parallel. I can’t quite hone in on what exactly it is about the fabric banner/ visual banner that is so powerful to the viewer but there is a definite rail for me to run on with this in my practice. Also, it is a ethical way to produce work as long as you make sure the textiles are responsibly produced and not wasted after use. I have ensured this. The 25 year plan that the government propose went into effect in 2017, I would ideally like to exhibit this work again in 25 years and compare reaction and political/ social state then. This would act as a longitudinal studio into society through visual means. These plans for the work are projected in the future however I have been therefore thinking about project that run in line with that of the governments. The time frames they use could be something that then structures my work. To improve this piece however I would will it to be larger, of finances allowed. Each page as an interactive work that is moved around a space by the public. With the writing larger and therefore more likely to be read. The body of text would instantly become less daunting. This would be the most realistic way to move forward with this work, to produce plans and proposals that might not be see. Through until some sort of funding or larger project comes into effect and reality. However, in the mean time and to progress with this work I will be doing different photography with the piece in different contexts. A home environment, a park environment on the grass to oppose the gallery setting and to take the work out of an institution. Further to this, photography of the piece as a banner/flag will tie into current work down with a visual flag/banner that I made and displayed on a cliff. I plan to domesticate this wok further though with washing line photography, considering what this work would be if it were in every home and mind directly with people.