Essay 3 - Reflection

Reflective Practice

Rationale:

For my journal I have decided to go with the theme of 'unpredictability'. I will be exploring analogue materials using various unpredictable techniques and processes, hopefully creating alluring outcomes. There will be no sense of planning when creating my outcomes to emphasise that idea of unpredictability. I will go about it by not caring about visually creating something amazing, instead just go with the flow and if mistakes happen, hopefully it will create something interesting and add to my whole concept. I aim to use a real variety of materials from paint to coffee to bleach. I will use unusual ways in which to put these on the page from splatting to blowing. I could also perhaps look at the other side - look at digital techniques. I could maybe scan these into Photoshop and add some digital techniques. Maybe I could do half the journal analogue the other half digital, but then again my theme is unpredictability so maybe I should just stick to analogue techniques. Both Aura and William Morris's theory of craft and the uniqueness of analogue have inspired me.

The visual journal reflects the overarching module theme of ‘analogue is more alluring’ with the main focus on creating unpredictable outcomes. Throughout the journal there is a clear sense of unpredictability which is portrayed by the techniques used - there seems to be a high level of expression and a real authenticity which probably wouldn’t have been visible with digital outcomes or more pre planned pieces of work. One of the main fundamental reasons why analogue is becoming more and more extinct is the fact that it is so ‘slow’ and the introduction of digital techniques, sped up the process and enabled technology to reproduce art again and again - Looking through the journal, there is a clear sense of fast paced production of work through the mindset of not caring how the outcome will turn out which is very effective. Analogue doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘slow’ and in actual fact some of the most interesting pieces of art are very simple and don’t take long to make at all. Phil Taylor - university of Brighton believes with digital ‘anyone can do it’ there is no ‘distinctiveness’. The journal has evidence of pieces of work which simply cannot be duplicated and therefore maintaining its distinctiveness. If someone were to draw the same subject again and again each time there will be a slight difference in the composition as a whole. It backs up what Walter Benjamin was saying about ‘Aura’ - a piece of art ‘arising from their uniqueness’. Much of the work inside the journal is extremely unique and probably unrecognisable as to what media has been used which backs up my initial quote extremely well in terms of artwork becoming more ‘alluring’ due to its unpredictable nature.

There is a flame used to create the burnt effect of the paper as a replacement of paint or other pigment based tools. The unpredictable smoky texture has created really interesting tonal marks. There is a clear sense of movement created through the black smoke moving around the paper - a swirl of mist and unpredictability. In order to create something like this there is no real planning involved and probably if there was some kind of restriction the result wouldn't be as interesting or ‘alluring’ backing up the initial quote quite well. Spontaneity is a concept which works so well with analogue technology - creating an outcome without knowing exactly how it turns out, such an exciting concept. Copying a photograph or trying to replicate something to its exact visual sense through perhaps a different media is something which is mundane and doesn’t represent art in a very exciting way at all. The other piece of work present portrays a real sense of chaos and there is no real structure or plan present. The colours used do not look as though they were  dry when creating the collage so they have bled slightly and created some interesting textures.It is clear that a dry brush technique has been used which again creates a really interesting texture and reflects that unpredictable analogue theme quite well.

The comparison between the burnt paper piece of art and that of William Morris’ woodblock printed wallpaper titled ‘Trellis’, poses a few similarities and differences. They obviously both employ an analogue technique and that is evident through the interesting textures presented and real sense of depth. However there is a real difference in terms of structure and style. Morris’s piece conveys a real solid structure and meticulous way of working - there is a clear plan it seems and the intricate detail suggests a lot of time and care was put into creating it. This is in complete contrast to the burnt paper as this is a whole different side of analogue process. This has no clear plan or structure and is purely an experimentational work. There is no real detail and any detail created is purely down to the effect of the flame. It’s interesting to see different aspects of analogue processes. Both are very successful in their on rights and both definitely could not be repeated or reproduced without digital techniques involved. Analogue also allows you to learn a lot more about the colour wheel and colour theory - mixing colours. Perhaps the colours on screen appear slightly differently to what they actually look like on paper. It is interesting to see how different colours compliment other colours and which ones simply do not.

All in all the journal supports the idea that analogue technology is unpredictable and therefore more alluring extremely well. The various materials and techniques used without a clear sense of direction or structure with pure focus on freedom of expression, has created very intriguing outcomes. Not knowing exactly how the final piece of artwork turns out adds so well to the excitement of making art.