Small room In Situ

Small room. 

Medium – wood, found wood/cardboard, found objects lights and sound

“Jetsam” – discarded objects. I like the idea that one can create something from discarded objects that have been officially labelled as “no use”. The installation has evolved from an idea which was inspired by a German artist named Kurt Schwitters. Schwitters created art he called Merz, which came from the word Kommerz (commerce). After the German revolution, Schwitters found inspiration in the aftermath that surrounded him. "Everything had broken down…new things had to be made from fragments."

Mud map for exhibition.

Small room with studio space to the right.

Side view.

 

Originally the idea for this installation was just a room of about half this size. With a floor space of just two pallets. But after discussing some ideas with one of my teachers at Tafe, I sourced two more pallets from the garbage and doubled the floor space. I added another half size wall and rail section. The small studio space to the right was introduced because I couldn't get to my studio upstairs. I had tied up string from the ceiling and wall as to create a web so it was impossible to enter. As it was an integral part of building the installation, the desk stayed as part of the finished installation. During the entire time I was emersed in the installation, I played jazz from the 40's. This was also included in the exhibition as well my hat and waist coat that I hung up every day while I was working on the piece. 

 



Close up of corner section.

A view of the left hand wall.

Ruth and the "medicine cabinet".

Close up view of the back wall.

The left wall with telephone table and chair.

 

Inside the installation were my flatpack sculpture series. There were sculpture pieces from series 2, 3 & 4. I sold two of the sculptures from series 3. 

Close up of the book shelf and flat pack series sculptures.

Standing piece with swinging button.

Close up view of small studio desk.

Close up view of the rear wall.

Close up view of behind the left wall.

Behind the back wall, note the speakers: Glenn miller got a work out.

At the rear of the installation.



Marcel Duchamp and Chiharu Shiota

Painting with string.

For my final assessment in Painting social contexts. I have chosen to throw out the paint and instead, paint with string inside my studio, ultimately rendering it useless. I wanted to make sure I could not use this area anymore, ending its practicality and therefore forcing me out of the nest.

Conceptual similarities with other artists throughout history -

Modern Art.

In a way it's very similar to what the Dada folks did - Anti-art. Taking something and making it useless. Marcel Duchamp was pretty good at this. Take for example his readymades, in particular his Bicycle wheel, which he stated as having "no purpose".

Marcel Duchamp and his Bicycle wheel. 1913

Bride stripped bare by her bachelors, even. The Large Glass. (1915-1923)

At this time WW1 had shocked the world awake. Not since medieval times had the anyone been subjected to such destruction. Dada was a reaction to this war, they rejected reason and logic. They made the usefull, useless. Infact the truth to dada is quite unclear, some believe it is a nonsensical word, better off in a book such as "The Hunting of the Snark" by Lewis Carroll.

Post Modern Art.

Chiharu Shiota is Japanese and lives in Germany. She is best known for her incredible web like installations. Using black and sometimes red threads she creates webs that cover entire rooms rendering the objects within unaccessible. In one installation she has covered the wall of a building with red webs that are connected to shoes.

Shiota's "House of imagination - concepts" - 2008

When Shiota was a child, a neighbours house had burned down. A piano remained amongst the ashes but had become dysfunctional. The haunting image has stayed with her and has been an influence on her work.

During Sleep - 2010

Post it notes

For various reasons I keep notes. I collect them off the street, out of trolleys and from off the floor. Mundane, interesting, thoughfull notes...

Studio installation for painting class

I'm not exactly how I got it all ok'd but for my final assessment I've created an installation for my painting class. It's probably only just meeting the criteria but I've put a lot into it. The webs have engulfed my studio space, making it useless. At first I said it was a web for every lie that Campbell Newman pushed. But all of the thread in Brisbane would not have been enough for that scamp. I see it as an easy way to say goodbye, an exit from my studio because I cannot use it anymore. Thus shifting my energy downstairs to my installation for the exhibition. I could have taken the webs further but it was seriously getting out of control. The amount of trapeze work required to hang some of the webs was ridiculous. Several times as I shimmied between the wires I had the soundtrack to "mission impossible" running threough my head. And when I tippy toed on the ladder as the thing teetered, I decided it probably wasn't a good idea. It is now Monday and as I write this, I suddenly realised that my work for my assessment today is sitting at the back of my studio. I am able to reach it with some acrobatics skill. Nice work!