Both tutors gave feedback on my research and experiments to date so which I list and comment on below.
Tom
The blog posts read very well, (with the exception of my handwriting). I particularly enjoyed your analogy of the cross stitch with pixel art in terms of imagery. They also make a great paradoxical set of bed fellows. Both with strong connotations of the banal. Very strong evaluation and evidence of informed decision making going on. Good reflection on others. I really enjoyed the playful subversion of Richard Dawson. The shredded letters work really well and give a good sense of erasure and ambiguity. The breaking up of the texts also contribute to the divorce concept well. Visually they are sensitive and evocative and contain a sense of humanity. Look up poets like Ezra pound who used fragmented poetry. And songwriters using fragmentation. The human hand as discussed does carry a poignant sense and human touch. As earlier discussed this idea of the human and its embodiment and the challenge facing much digital art. This authorship and sense of ‘signature’ seems imperative. The viewer relationship also comes into play with this later work. There is something about handwriting that encodes the personal. This idea of slicing, breaking up or tearing all carries strong associations. The length and depth of these posts is enjoyable to read.
Julian
I am interested in how these have become photos that are almost performative. Wondering about what it might be like seeing the process of application as video or live performance. Or perhaps a sequence of photographic images with accompanying text. Or a real tattoo in a retro computer font about the horses – The tattooing videoed and a video of you stroking a horse where the tattoo on your knuckles is visible – Probably with some music from an old gangster movie (played on an Egyptian oud of course) and a soupcon of sounds of 80s arcade games accompanying the moving visuals. Anyway keep going – I am thoroughly enjoying this journey.
My comments
Tom mentions Richard Dawson’s work which is clever subversion that just keeps you wanting more. I will look up the work of Ezra Pound as text fragmentation seems to be the way I’m moving. The sense of authorship does need more investigation in terms of where I sit in my work or more importantly where does the viewer think the art lies and what hand have I played in it?
Julian suggests the use of video which I have experimented with previously. My thoughts on video are tentative as I feel it can give too much context and unless done extremely well any model can look awkward and lacking authenticity. There is something about the single captured moment of a photograph that I find most intriguing. However, the performative aspect is something I will pursue as performance can exist just as well in a static image.