Practice Workshop I

On 10th May 2013 I held my first practice workshop. A few days before I had discussed my ideas for the workshop with one of the art tutors who had previously worked with the education section of the Tate (Jessie). I explained how I didn't really want to direct the session, and instead wanted to give the participants a theme to create something around. The tutor explained to me how it is sometimes better to put up certain guidelines to give someone creative freedom. She explained that it may be best to give the group a statement to work around, or a set of points which their pieces have to achieve, or questions which they need to answer.

My original idea looking back through my recorded discussions with other tutors I came to the conclusion to focus on something my tutor Vicky and I had gone over, "Social values and inner values in direct conflict". This came from Eliza Bennett's section of the RAW SKIN exhibition at the Karin Janssen Space Project. I also thought about the topics addressed in "Souzou" from The Wellcome Collection.

On the day of the workshop, I was unprepared for the size of the workshop I had planned and so the idea had to change. I spoke with Vicky about different workshops she knew of and we decided on an activity that would be quick and easy to put together, go through, and tidy away. For my workshop, the participants had to take off their shoes and place them somewhere on the centre display, I decided to go with this idea because I have been focusing on shoes with my photography, and I had previously been given the idea of seeing how people react to being dressed in a way that is not usual to them. The participants were expressively uncomfortable about removing their shoes.

They were given a pot of ink and a bamboo stick which they used throughout the workshop. The participants had a minute to draw the display in front of them before moving to the board to their left, rotating it 90 degrees, and repeating the process. There were 5 different colours so each person would draw on 5 different boards.

Setting Up

At the Beginning

At the End

I will be using the pieces created in my practice workshops for decoration and inspiration in my exhibition workshop.

Karin Janssen Project Space: Raw Skin

Before attending the exhibition I looked up the artwork and the concepts behind the pieces on the Karin Janssen website. I was immediately drawn to the creepiness of Chiho Iwase's sculptures and this interest was furthered when I read about how the pieces are a representation of her own unease within her, and the conflict between maturity and immaturity. When I visited the exhibition I thought the puppet sculpture would be something you could find in a horror-comedy, like 'Thing' from 'The Adams Family'.

Teddy Bear - Iwase

Puppet (Hands) - Iwase

At first glance of Edith Meijing's paintings I was unsure of what to think. Without a doubt the bright colours were enticing, but the scale of the images made it difficult to define and so had to move closer to them. Slowly I began to appreciate the technique of how to use soft brush strokes effectively. After reading about them I became interested in how they represent "mankind's psychological condition" as well as the effect of social normality on the "condition". 

Light Sufferstar - Meijing

Scul Eyelashes - Meijing

All images and quotations taken from http://www.karinjanssen.com