Roaming Discussion: 1916

Roaming Discussion of 1916 with Neil Cummings March 18, 2010 - Triangle Space, Chelsea College of Art and Design In attendance: Neil Cummings, Kristen Lovelock, Scott Schwager, Maria Christoforatou and Me This "informal critique" was not structured like the classic "the artist doesn't talk" variety. (As, for instance, in Show Not Tell Seminar Series.) Recurrent theme - what it means to focus on one's "subject" (the subject of an artwork) - for example, Kristen's concern with co-habitation - should she or shouldn't she move in with her boyfriend? That's the focus. The references to surrealism and holidays confused this focus - They may well have be a focus in their own right (which was my initial reading of the work) - they just weren't the artist's main focus in this piece; nor were they working in the service of her focus... Lots of discussion around the frame of the gallery and the power of this frame - there's a tendency to: Make stuff that looks like art - for example, how the bathroom paintings were hung - they went from being on a shelf (in a real bathroom) to being in a gallery To indulge in "creative" installation - the artist forgets to become installer - or the installer plays at being an artist - the result: the hang is aestheticized in non-essential ways. To insufficiently consider the power of the gallery - Maria's painting should have been bigger or smaller - as it was, its domestic scale wasn't working in the weird space that is the Triangle Gallery. Scott's seesaw is provocative - fun and absurd...The artist is interested in the balance of power and engaging with the seesaw enacts this idea. But as Neil observed, this one was weighted in the middle - the balance issue wasn't literalized in the artwork. And yet, I know that I, for one, felt self-conscious about my own body when riding the seesaw - I looked for people who where about my size to ride with... Conversing while riding this seesaw...(playful) physical activity allowed/encouraged a different kind of engagement. Embodied approach... Return to Walks Return to Marsha Bradfield's Research Hub Visit Marsha's bio page Return to artists, researchers, academics and others Return to Main Page

Kristen Lovelock - part of Should I move in with him