PROPOSAL: MA Fine Art Degree Show
FIELD WORKS
The deadline for the MA Final Major Project only weeks away, with a degree show being a main component. Progress is moving forward as 3 pieces of work, a film, an artist book and an installation begin to take shape in the space. The set proposal and expectations for the work are proving to be extensive, and the challenge as to the completion of works according to the scheduled timetable is becoming evident. The proposal title is Field Works. This illustrates the research and process methodology in the practice and emphasises the nature of a developing outcomes that document, evaluate and animate. Adding significance to the title, the key subject matter embodies one field, the field which is the ground where leftover objects are encountered and resurrected from beneath the surface.
The first proposal provides three options as ideas for the degree show begin to take form. Proposal One emphasises a showcase for the documentation of the field in film and book format, where Proposal Two’s main focus highlights the encounter of found objects and the soil as representation of ground and surface. Proposal Three suggests 3 large drawings depicting the trace of leftover matter, marked by the materials of the ground from where the objects were encountered. After a presentation and discussion of these three proposals, a final proposal has been put together, which is a consolidation of all three. Shown below, it suggests a large drawing with found chalk on black paper on the end wall; a wall mounted screen on the right, to showcase a film; and a table and chair on the left for an artist book to rest on and to be viewed from. 2 pencil drawings depict traces of leftover objects with grids that illustrate notions of ground and space and are proposed to hang on the wall either side of the table and chair. Additional to the proposal are 2 bulk bags filled with soil and turf to suggest the field in a physical context and to bring the work into the installation space.
Apart from the 2 pencil drawings, at the stage of the final proposal, all other works are in concept form and yet to be created. With so many questions and unknowns, the work needs to unfold in the space, but yet conform to the set schedule. A deadline helps to focus allocated time to particular activities and events for the coming weeks. The fear of not completing the work to a satisfactory outcome is a key factor, but it is hoped the work can tap into this energy and remain open to unexpected results. With the deadline fast approaching, the urgency to start making emerges!