Post exhibition

Last night was without a doubt one the of the proudest moments of my life. It gave me a taster of a real art exhibition. The past two weeks of blood sweat and toil have culminated in one of the best exhibitions of video, textiles, fine art, photography and graphics that I have ever seen.  This experience has made me truly understand what goes into putting up an exhibition on any scale.

I got some very positive feedback on my piece and was glad to have people asking questions about the context, items, choices.  The fact that people understood within a couple of minutes really meant a lot to me because it was one of the aims of the piece. To establish the focus and context behind the piece.  I liked the fact that people were taking time to read the quotation and synopsis, watch some of the video and then spend time looking into the cabinet. I think that the position that I was in really did serve its purpose and gave me a constant flow of people to chat to and show the piece to.

I don't think that we could have done any of this without the time and effort of our tutors Jamie Holman and Andy Piper. with there guidance we have put on a brilliant exhibition and had an experience that will no doubt help us in years to come. 

The final part of the unit is the evaluation which we will be doing tomorrow at college ahead of the 4th July. This is the last part before we submit our skecthbooks, blogs and pieces to be moderated by the UAL moderator that is visiting soon.

Exhibition (Day time)

The exhibition is finally here.  I spent most of today cleaning and tidying up the floors and peoples work spaces.  I helped shaun with his bar furniture and also gave him so ideas for displaying. 

Everybody chipped in to make this exhibition work and fingers crossed it will steal the show. I have every confidence that the event will be a success.  The past few weeks have flown by and I cant believe that its actually here.

Roll on tonight.....!

Pre Exhinition day 6

This morning I woke up and thought immediatley, the next two days are going to be brilliant.  I wasnt wrong.
 I am within touching distance of finishing and as a group we are well on track to finish on wednesday afternoon at the latest.

The only thing that was left to do today was draw up the design for the quotation, print it out, spray mount the print onto foam board and then mount it on the wall.  I did this part with Andy (Tutor) in AD20. We brought he quote up on illustrator and set the template requirements such as dimension, spacing etc. I then decided to give the background a theme, something that was easily recognisable and distinguishing. Yellow background, black font and a multi colour bar on the bottom.  This design was inspired by the Factory Records book by Mick Middles.  The book is featured in my piece and stands out easily. 

using the sticking pads, we mounted the quote on the wall at a good height for people to read. The synopisis would then either go to the side or underneath.

I am now officially ready for tomorrow and cannot wait to hear what people think of the work.

Pre Exhinition day 5

Today is the start of the final build up to the Exhibition. Everybody has worked so hard up to now and the exhibition is within sight.

Today I have started to look at the positions of the quote mounted on the wall, the synopsis and the spotights.  Also I have been lending a hand to people who needed some help. 
The spotlights have been mounted on to the water pipe above the cabinet and positioned accordingley. I have taped the cables to the back of the pipe to make it look a bit more tidy.
There are plenty of jobs that need doing that arent paramount of importance at the moment but they will come into play in the next two days, Little things like touching up walls, vacuming and cleanignt he carpets, floors in AD14. 
Furthermore today witht he help of Jamie (Tutor) I put up the curtain in the doorway.  This was easy enough to do.  There was a length of dowling painted white and a black curtain that had been adjusted.  All it needed was two holes to place the ends in which was done in about 15 mins.

Quotation for FMP installation

''People want a street angel. They want a saint but with a cowboy mouth. Somebody to get off on when they can't get off on themselves. I think that's what Mick Jagger is trying to do...what Bob Dylan seemed to be for a while. A sort of God in our image...ya know? Mick Jagger came close but he got too conscious. For a while he gave me hope... I want it to be perfect, 'cause it's the only religion I got...in the old days people had a Jesus and those people to embrace... They created a god with all their belief energies... and when they didn't dig But it's too hard now. We're earthy people and the old saints just don't make it, and the old God is just too far away. He don't represent our pain no more. His words don't shake through us no more. Any great motherfucker rock'n'roll song can raise me higher than all of Revelations. We created rock'n'roll from our own image, it's our child... ''

In my opinion this quotation reflects a great deal on society and culture today.  Everybody has somebody that they want to be or wish they could be.  Also it talks a great deal about music acting as a 'religion' amongst the people of today.  The way we ritualize music listening to it and going to gigs like going to Mass or a church service.

Pre Exhibiton Day 4

My installation is nearly complete, The first thing I did today was get the monitor to college and go about getting it into place.  With the help of my Tutor, we mounted it on  the Plinth that I kept as a back up and drilled some screws into the wall to support it.  The Plinth just needed touching up with some white paint afterwards. 

I also started to look at Lighting the space that I am using.  There is a water pipe suspended above the cabinet which I am using for the moment to hold the Clip on lighting that has been provided. There are two spotlights that cover most of the wall space opposite.  There are still a few other ways that I would like to experiment with in order to find the easiest way to Light the space and walls and also hide the cables as there has been another extension cord added to power them.  I did think about taping the cables onto the pipe but this could be risky as it could weigh the pipe down in time. 

The quotation that I am using has been chosen from A book that Jamie suggested to have a look through for quotation.  I will post this in its entirety next.  This is going to be mounted on an MDF board which has been painted white.  The quote will then be printed onto foam mounting board and either spray mounted or PVA glued.

I still have Monday and Tuesday to try out different styles and techniques.  Also I have been told that the DVD will be ready for Monday and I wil be able to test the installation in full on Monday.

Pre Exhibiton Day 3

My first job was to paint the second coat onto the cabinet sides, top and bottom. I did this first because logically it would give me enough time to get the finish right and for it to dry. 

I have got an extension cord that I have taped to the skirting board down the corridor and rested on the pipes above the space where the monitor will go. The cabinet has been finished and all the objects have been placed inside ready.  We did have a few problems getting the perspex into the grooves that Bill had put into the wood but after giving them a go over with a saw, they were slightly deeper for the perspex to fit in. 

Another potential problem was getting hold of lighting for inside the cabinet, I nearly managed to get hold of some lighting strips from a previous exhibition but they were missing the chokes and cables needed to plug them in.  After fitting the cabinet together I decided to leave it without as it is wide enough and draws some light from the fire exit sign above.  Plus any light given off from the monitor will add to it aswell. The other lighting situation is the wall that will have the quotes on, This will probably be from the spotlights that clip on. There is a water pipe directly across that can hold them perfectly.

Finally before I left I talked to my tutors about printing the quotes on to card and then mounting them on the wall. They suggested mountign them on foam and then placing them together.
I now have to mount the monitor and choose the quotes/quote to use and how to print and place it on the wall.

Tomorrow will be another day of hard work which will hopefully be the finishing day. On an unrelated note Im going to watch The Horrors in Manchester which will hopefully leave me with more inspiration and ringing ears all day.

Pre Exhibition week day 2

Today I have made a massive leap in terms of progression. I have painted the walls of my space and made sure they are suitable. I have also provided a back up plan for the monitor bracket, I will use a Wooden plinth to rest the monitor on. I am hoping that I will not have to use it though. 

Also I have got the materials for my cabinet and have put together about 60% of it.  The measurements have been shortened to 13''x 68.5'' and the persepex has been cut to similar measurements. The cabinet is supported by 3 brackets which are positioned at each point.  I have put up the brackets and put together the base and sides which have also been routed to slide the perspex in. These are already fixed to the brackets and I have given them a base coat of white Vinyl matt. Tomorrow I will paint them again so that they are ready for final assembly.  Also my dad has supplied 45 meters of black lining for the cinema which is being turned in to curtains for the cinema walls.

Tomorrow I want to get the cabinet finished so Friday is free to get the monitor in place and solve any problems that may rise.  Also I have finalised the plans for a loop on the DVD with Brian which should be ready for Monday/ Tuesday.

Pre Exhibition week day 1

This week I have started my work on the exhibition space. I Have been working on several other peoples spaces aswell. There is a great deal of work that revolves around the entire group like the cinema for instance. The majority of the class are going in AD14.  This is where the boards have been put up and the exhibition space is starting to take shape. 

I on the other hand have been advised to change  to a bigger space to support my installation . I am now going to put my work in the corridor leading to AD14.  This will get all of the benefits of being in the room but will allow for a longer space that will support my shelves and monitor.  Also the brick walls will be far more sturdy for mounting than the ply wood boards.

I also have the use of three walls and am considering what to do with the thrid wall.  Potentially it could be a place for the quotes to be hung.  Alternativley my tutors talked with me about using the space to place another quote that can summarize the piece.  I need to think about the quote and how this will be mounted.

The final piece that I have changed slightly is the shelving. Instead of usingshelves which are bracketed I am going to build a cabinet that will hold all the objects.  The cabinet will have a perspex/acrylic front to protect the contents. We have done some initial measurements the cabinet will be 12''x80'' approximatley and the cabinet will be 13'' deep to give enough height for taller or longer objects.

I will be posting pictures all week to show the progress I am making and hopefully the space will be ready for Friday.  I am aiming for Friday so that I can use Monday and Tuesday to make the finishing touches and get the quote prints perfected. 

Screen shot walkthrough

I have decided to put screenshots in my sketchbook that will be accompanied by diagrams of the piece to illustrate the movements and positions that have been used in the piece.

These will be annotated with explanations of choices, reasons for positions etc.  Hopefully I will have most of the sketchbook work up to date before the exhibition. That way I can concentrate on that area of work, the manifestation of the installation and the blog aswell.

Holiday tidy up

This week we are on half term and I am currently tidying up my sketchbooks and work for submitting as well as preparing to type up the finalized version of my evaluation.  The evaluation will map out the high and low points of the process, the areas of strength as well as any potential weaknesses. My sketch book is looking good as far as content goes, I have covered every aspect of the project in here from highlighting the primary influences such as Michael Landy, Maya Deren to scaled models of the potentials of exhibiting the piece. I'm hoping that this blog will correspond to my sketchbook almost page for page.

Also this week I will be thinking about the comign weeks int he build up to the exhibition night and produce a timetable of work for the next two/three weeks.  This will concentrate on hours needed to put the presentation together and then make sure that everything is ready such as items and props used.

I am extremely excited for the next couple of weeks and intend to work very hard in making this piece work not just as a video piece but as fully exhibited film.

Editing finalized

Since filming the final piece last week I have finalized the edit and am now in preparation for the exhibition.  The final edit is quite lengthy, faded down at just over 16 minutes. This will be shown on a constant loop throughout the exhibition. However if the piece needs cutting down I am more than prepared to sacrifice footage to meet the requirements of the exhibition. 

Aesthetically the piece holds a simple quality which is purveyed by the studio lighting pattern and the dress code that the participants were told to stick to.  The movements of the participants are almost synchronised alternatively. In my own opinion I feel that the piece hits the nail square on in terms of matching my piece to the contextual research that I have conducted over the course of the FMP. This is not the end of the work as I have a lot of supplementary work to do to achieve the best grade possible and to ensure that all parts of the criteria are met. I also feel that the attention to detail on the shoot has propelled the piece forward and I have tried to get plenty of objects/items that have had some significance in my life, even if its  had the smallest impact or a life changing piece of film/music, I have included everything and anything that has done so.

The next step in the plan is to keep blogging regularly, something that I have not done up to this point. However, what is not on my blog is most definitely in my sketchbook.  I am working towards the finalization of the exhibition plan and and the pricing up of the shelves, brackets, paint and any other necessities.

FMP shoot

Today I have finished the principal filming for My FMP. I have been working in the studio on the 17/5/2011 and today 18/5/2011.  I spent the best part of yesterday setting up the lightning in the studio.  The shoot began at around 11:00 am and finished just before 12:00pm.

The primary objective for the shoot was to get the correct balance of lighting.  This had originally caused several minor problems.  The first problem was with what the two participants would wear. If they wore black then there would be a major contrast between the background and their clothing. This was solved by the two people involved wearing a plain white t shirt each. This gave the shoot a more organised aesthetic.  This also avoided making the piece look like a typical 'student' film.

The second obstacle to make the tables look more appropriate and give the shoot a more credential look.  The tables were reflecting light due to the smooth, bright surfaces. I solved this by covering them in 3 metres of black lining cloth.

The next step of the progress is to finish the piece tomorrow. I have set this date to finish the piece to give enough time to finalize my plans for the exhibition and get the adequate resources (shelves, brackets etc.)

Exhibition Ideas

As well as preparing to shoot my FMP on Tuesday, I have been looking into how I am going to present the final piece in the end of year exhibition. Initially I had thought about simply showing it on a monitor but then after a discussion with Tutors I have been looking taking advantage of the boards that are going to be ordered. I have been sketching out my intentions and annotating them all week in my sketch book.

I have thought about placing a mounted monitor on a bracket on one side of the space and then putting several shelves to place all of the objects I am using in my piece as well as posters, written quotes and any other objects that appear in the film. I have also made a scaled down model out of polystyrene which has been measured in inches (8x4). This gave me a better idea as too the potetential lenghts of the shelves and how they would translate and how much space I will eventually have.  At this stage my main proority is getting the piece finished and then I will hopefully have two weeks to make this exhibition idea actually happen.

Progression

Yesterday and today I have been working on another short piece for the FMP.  I have been planning out a piece which will encompass the contextual study that I have been conducting over the past few weeks. The piece itself is influenced by 'Ritual in Transfigured Time' (as previously mentioned) and 'Art Bin' by Michael Landy.  The piece itself consists of a recycling bin placed in the middle of the room. At either side there will be two tables, A and B. Table A will be covered in objects which have been used for influence and inspiration, The catalogue of items will potentially be made up of things that I myself have used for influence aswell as key figures in Art, Music and film. Table B will be empty.

1. One person will repeatedly place the objects from Table A into the bin. 
2. Whilst The table is being emptied, A second person representing table B will remove the objects and place them on his/hers table. 
3. A third person will then move the objects back to Table A. Completing a full cycle of useage.
4. The intention behind the piece is to signify the constant recycling and source referencing that we go through in creative processes.

Michael Landy's piece signifies the 'Failure of Art'. The piece relied on cntribution from artists, new and old to apply to put there installations, paintings, sculptures in to the bin. There were sizeable contributions from many of the (YBA'S) Young British artists of the late 1980's/early 90's including a painting of Damien Hirst's Crystal Skull, A photograph from Gillian Wearings 'Signs' and a piece by Tracey Emin.  Although some of the works werent in them selves deemed 'Failures', they still contribute to a constant cycle of inspiration as some of the lesser known artists pieces could well have been influenced by each other.

This could well be one of the manifestations that will form the main body of the work or it could be party of a wider spectrum of pieces that will make a short film.

Manifestation, Jon Savage and a Ritual in Transfigured time....

The manifestation of the piece is starting to take place and although it is still in progression I now have a better idea of what this piece will look like. I have started experimentation's with a HD camera and have started looking into the location of the piece. I feel that the strongest option would be a studio based piece as this would suit better than a location externally.

Also I have started to read 'Teenager' by Jon Savage. This book looks at the beginning of youth culture and the emergance of Britains first teenagers. The book covers a time period form 1875 -1945.  I have also ordered Time Travel by the same author. I am hoping that these will serve as a reference and give me a clarified field of vision towards my FMP.  Although both books are quite substabtial and I may not read them fully I intend to make as much progress with them as possible.

Finally, As I have been looking for visual material to serve as inspiration from artists such as Maya Deren, Cheryl Donegan,  Marcel Duchamp, Hans Richter and several collaboration pieces by john Cage, I have picked out a few that stand out as defined influences for the piece.  Maya Deren's 'Ritual in Transfigured Time (1946) is in many ways one of several pieces that share some of the themes that I am trying to preserve throughout my work.  The piece uses choreaographed movements and ritualistic materials to portrays a sense of alterior motion throughout the piece. Key pieces such as the winding of the string and the daning hall stand out as focal points for Derens dream logistics and way of thinking.

FMP Proposal

I have posted the final draft of the proposal which outlines the specifics of my project and what I will eventually achieve

Blackburn College: Creative Arts & Construction Curriculum Centre

University of the Arts, London: Art & Design Foundation Diploma

Final Project Proposal Template

Name	Ben Earnshaw
Project Title	Looking Back/Moving Forward

Review

Throughout the duration of the course I have acquired knowledge of a wide field of themes and techniques which have been an essential part of my progression. I have studied the Futurist movement and the work of Luigi Russolo for the Experimental Audio unit. Looked into Religious beliefs on ‘limbo’, Extensively researched the Free Cinema Movement of the 1950’s and explored psychedelics in film. Using my existing skills I will research further into themes I have already covered in previous work and through experience in previous units I will accurately plan my progression and document my progress daily.

Ideas and Concept

My selected idea is a combination of concepts. I intend to plan and produce a short film exploring how society looks back on the past to move forward and how people ritualize certain aspects of their lives. I will identify how influence from the past has fuelled progressive movements, styles and genres. The work will highlight how ritualization manifests itself in people’s lives. I believe that the concepts behind the project will give me plenty of versatility in terms of techniques, allowing room for experimentation in the allotted time we have to complete the project.

Contextual Research

Whilst preparing for this unit, I have tried to narrow down my main influences to the Experimental film Pioneer Maya Deren, more specifically ‘Ritual in transfigured time’ (1946). Furthermore I will use my existing knowledge of Youth Culture and its progression since the beginning of post-war Britain. The contextual aspects at this stage are pre dominantly Ritualization and how this has grown through the changes in Youth Culture, music, film etc. Primarily, I will research existing pieces of work that encompass this notion and also how ritualization can be defined in how it co exists in our lives.

Techniques and Presentation

Using camera techniques and methods that I have practiced in previous units and screen testing I will use manual focus primarily. I intend to explore screen cropping in post-production and how I can shoot a sequence in stages and arrange it in separate thirds of the screen. In terms of final presentation one monitor on a wall will be the best way to present with artefacts used in the film displayed in front on podiums. Most of the materials and resources are readily available from Internet sources and libraries as most of my research will be visual.

Evaluation and Progression

The ideas for the project will be evaluated in a conclusive written evaluation as well as potentially asking for audience feedback at the exhibition. Furthermore, correspondence from tutors will also provide me with advice and I intend to consult my tutors at every stage of the process.

Update

I have been progressing with my initial ideas and also thinking ahead for the presentation of the piece in an exhibition format. 
The manifestation of the piece is very much ongoing and is an aspect that constantly changes and re evaluates itself.  The specific aim of the video is not for me to indulge in aesthetics and create visualised pieces that have the content but lack any contextual meaning.  This is definitely a difficult stage and I will keep consulting my tutors and look for further work to reference. 

I have been looking into how the piece will be shown on a screen. I have been drawing up ideas for a split screen showing using quarters.  the piece will start in one of the four quarters and then potentially operate in a random order, avoiding any predictability for the audience. Any inspiration from this has definitely been drawn the work of Nam June Paik and the ways in which he presented his body of work.  Usage of numerous monitors, triptychs and synchronised projection were very common within his style of presentation and I believe that these are effective ways to encourage the audience to commit to watching.

At this stage it is important to keep the production simple and stay away from elaboration to a certain degree. The last thing I want is to plan and produce a piece that would in many cases be costly in terms of time scale and performance.

So it begins....

Over the past week I've been looking at potential starting points for the piece in which I am about to start.
I would like one of the over ruling objectives of the piece to coin the notion of a 'full circle'.  This will serve as visual metaphor for the constant recycling in Culture.

I feel that my will say a lot of about me as well as the original themes.  I like the idea of using records from different era's for the starting point.  More specifically, I would choose 5-6 that represent changes in culture and signify different movements in history.

This would manifest itself in the form a record (s) being played  and shooting this from an overhead angle to give meaning to the shot.  The revolutions of the vinyl may get faster or slower as the piece plays, always cutting back to the records playing and the changing of the record as the person gets bored and moves on.

Looking back/ Moving forward

After Tuesdays pitch for my FMP, I am extremely pleased with the feedback I got and am ready to get started on an extensive research programme over the Easter holiday.  By the time we reconvene I will hopefully be in a position to get some initial test shoots done and then go straight into production. 

My piece will be based on the idea of 'Looking back on the past to move forward'. This was inspired by looking at aspects of culture such as Contempary film, music, Fashion and Fine Art and how many of the processes involved are coming around in a circular motion. This idea will also incorporate some of the themes that were oultined in my alternate pitch.  The video will incorporate a combination of themes whilst keeping to the path which I have chosen.

I am also going to use plenty of visual material as a form on inspiration throughout the process and keep posting any material I find useful on this page.

This is going to be pinnacle of my work and will demonstrate the progression I have made not just as a film maker, but as a person.

'Every good painter paints what he is' - Jackson Pollock

'A sense of Perspective' Pt2.

I have just recieved the final edit of the Documentray we shot at Tate Liverpool last week.  The final piece looks great and quite pleased to see a decent percentage of footage which I shot.


Enjoy.....

Jolly Jolly good Stephans

Lindsay Anderson.  A man who time forgot. I remember vividly my first experience of a Lindsay Anderson film in the form of IF...(1968).  An illicit look at the public school systems in the 1960's. A tale of Depravity, rebellion and ......Motor acrobatics?

If.. to me is British film at its best. The combination of eccentricity, whit and daring story lines makes this film a true classic and an essential part of anybodies collection.  The intense, almost comedic look into the life of Mick Travis, our protagonist and archetypal hell raiser.  Not content with dormetary inspections, communal showering and 'Molusc Kings', Travis and friends ruffle the freathers of there peers, Teachers and Whips by waging all out war on the entire school.  Malcolm McDowell plus Bren gun makes a fearsome enemy in any situation.

O'Lucky man

Another great example of Anderson's genious.  Written originally by Malcolm McDowell about his experiences in the Coffee industry and 'Adapted' by Lindsay Anderson and David Sherwin, The film carries on the adventures of Mick Travis as he navigates the North East of England, Getting stuck in 'Treacle tarts' along the way.   One performance that really did bring laughter was the many talents of Arthur Lowe.  One minute he's the foreman of Imperial Coffee, next he's Dr Munda, Man of many talents or what?

Whilst on his travels, Travis becomes tangled in a web of sadistic experimentation and a bizarre relationship with Helen Mirren. Mixing with the cream of industry, Travis becomes trapped in estranged dealings with a contigency of crazed diplomats, ultimatley senidng him to prison where he reforms and beigns his life of solitude.  The ending is a true reflection of McDowells real life story ending with the casting for his first feature role witha cameo from Lindsay Anderson himself.

I really could go on and on about this, my favoutite topic but I feel that there is no blog big enough to accomadate these ramblings.

'You'll be a failure in catering unless you know what to do with your leftovers'.....so true, So true!

'A sense of perspective'

Today we shot footage at the press opening of Tate Liverpools latest exhibition. 'A Sense of Perspective' has been curated by Young Tate in partnership with the Youth Art Interchange II. The Project brings together three major European Galleries, Tate Britain; the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (Helsinki); and the Centre Pompidou.  The exhibition features installations, sculpture and Photography from European artists and has been curated by Young people from Liverpool and refelects the sense of 'Betweenness' and the contrasts in generations of young people from all three participating nations.

We spent a good three hours shooting footage for the documentary that has been comissioned by the gallery and interviewed some of the Young Tate Curators aswells as the event organiser.
Although the exhibition is small, its is packed with unique and interesting pieces by Wolgang Tillmans, Chen Zhen, Sarah Lucas and one which really caught my eye by Olafur Eliasson. (Below)




Yellow Versus Purple, 2003
Olafur Eliasson
A rotating Circle which refelects a blue light around the room.

Please visit this exhibition if you get the chance, The link will take you straight to Tate Liverpools web site for more information
 http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/exhibitions/senseofperspective/default.shtm
After filiming had finished we headed to the Cog & Billycock for a pint...Wainwrights every time !

Fear; Hope; Desire

This blog has been set up to Document my progress in my F.M.P (final major project)which I will be starting in the next couple of days. I will post my progress regularly and include illustrations of my progress in the form of video work, Audio, storyboards etc.


What I've been up to so far.....

Over the past six weeks I have been working on a project which has been planned and produced by myself and Oscar Douthwaite.  The project has been divided into three seperate pieces which last for around 2 minutes each.  Each seperate piece explores the three themes and throughout this process I have researched various aspects of each theme and even looked extensivley into Phsycadelia in film and creating video work using this research.  On the whole, this project has proved to be a success and has allowed me to experiment with as many different techniques as I wanted and also has given me inspiration and clarity for my next project.