Visit to... The Cortesi Gallery May 2015

As a part of my research, I visited the most recent exhibition in the Cortesi Gallery, Mayfair. The work featured was of a very abstract nature, and appeared to be an exploration of illusion and texture. The piece above, entitled 'Untitled, Orange' by Agostino Bonalumi was one of my favourite exhibits in the gallery. The piece, constructed of vinyl tempera on shaped canvas, radiated with both a sense of revelation and mystery; the shape beneath the canvas remaining both in a state of suggestion and in disguise. I especially found the choice of vibrant vinyl to be most interesting.

Separation

After radically changing the direction of my work, I decided to explore my previous ideas of division and detachment through the word 'separation'. It was at this stage in the final major project that I decided to experiment with poetic ways of conveying separation and internal displacement, initially by dividing objects that were tricky to separate. After much thought, I decided to carefully select a subject to film while trying to break apart salt or water; two of the most difficult substances to order. This also ties into my previous idea of the chaos in order, which correlates with my overriding theme of separation and internal divisions. The subject would additionally have to represent separation or division in some shape or form, and thus I was compelled to search for an appropriate individual who was very personal to me. In addition, I may add an audio track to the footage, however I do not want to give the audience a distraction from the film and the installation in which the film will be shown.

Photographic Experimentation

These series of photographs are a reflection of my experimentation with conveying a sense of detachment and disillusion about the subject. Using a pillow case, black leather belts acting as restraint, I put the subject inside an oversize white box and adjusted the lighting to create deep shadows to express a sense of emptiness about the space around the subject. While on the one hand, I am pleased with the aesthetic outcome of the photographs, on the other hand I am displeased with the clichéd feel. Throughout my progress on this course, I have learnt that I am naturally drawn to conveying the literal, as opposed to delving into the world of the abstract; an artistic discipline which I love and admire. Thus, I feel as though I would like to pursue a more poetic way of exploring internal divisions and detachment through film and possibly even an installation. In addition, I want to experiment with not using a subject, but rather focus on either a small aspect of a human subject, but only in relation to another material. I feel that this departure would be less clichéd, and would limit the audience's emotional response a lot less than if they were presented with a subject.

This change in direction has also shown that me that I am able to recognise my own way working, and how I can challenge myself to work outside of my comfort zone; a lesson which was much needed.

Departure from the self. Film

This film features the subject painting in effect a new face over the pillow case concealing them from the world around them. Initially, I expected the outcome of this experimentation be less literal, which unfortunately I feel I did not achieve. Upon reflection, I feel that this piece of footage lacks the poetic fluidity that I want to achieve working with the theme of division, and thus I have made the decision to change the direction of my work. Unfortunately, this piece feels too clichéd and inexperienced, and so I will find another way to experiment with my chosen themes in a less literal, and instead in a more abstract way.

The Release. Film

                                       

Unreason setting free unreason. Film

Photographic Exploration of Internal Division

I decided to line my the room in which I took these photographs with the same luminous green bubble wrap that I used for the binding of the subject. The reason behind this choice was to emphasise the sense of dislocation from the subject and the world around them, by projecting their own sense sense of entrapment embodied by the bubble wrap onto the space around them. Out of the photographs I took, I am most proud of the close up shots, as they hold greater ambiguity, and the attention to detail adds a weird sense of aeshtetic beauty; contrasting sharply against the greater context of the photograph. I would like to further this progression by experimenting with different materials in which to entrap the subject, such as a bed sheet or restraints.

Exploring Divisions with the Self

Having been inspired by the experience of watching an individual engage so vividly with their delusions, I decided to research the ways in which delusion and detachment from reality have been explored within the world of psychiatry within the past fifty years. In doing so, I found a powerful article written by a man whose marriage had been completely reshaped by the mental illness of his partner, titled 'My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward'. Within this article, the controversial argument is raised that ' the behaviour of psychotics was not de facto bad', and that 'perhaps they were making legitimate attempts to communicate thoughts and feelings that conventional society did not permit.' The foundations of this particular argument lie within the book written by R.D Laing, 'The Divided Self: An Existential Study in Sanity and Madness' published in 1960, which suggests that 'the cracked mind of the psychotic may let in light which does not enter the intact minds of many sane people whose minds are closed.' In addition, I also began to read extracts of Michel Foucault's 'Madness and Civilization' published in 1964, which explored the tormented relationship between madness and art. 'Within works of art inspired by madness, complex processes operate. Madness is linked to creativity, but yet destroys the work of art. The work of art can reveal the presence of unreason, but yet unreason is the end of the work of art.'

During the process of my research, I decided to experiment with the use of film to communicate the divisions within ones self. I also decided that I wanted to use an installation, whereby the film would be projected inside. The thought behind this would be that the enclosed space would help to embody a sense of disjunction between the audience and the outside world. Using raw footage, I experimented with a variation of camera angles in order to capture the sense of displacement about the subject. I used luminous green bubble wrap and basic masking tape as my initial mediums to experiment with the process of 'binding'.

Link to 'My Lovely Wife in the Pysch Ward' - http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/lovely-wife-psych-ward-95567