Liverpool Biennial

Whilst on the Liverpool trip, I had the word "journey" going round and round in my head. I was struggling to conclude where I would take this very broad starting point and it did become quite frustrating. However, whilst visiting the Biennial exhibition at Tate Liverpool, I saw some examples of very interesting processes and methodology that intrigued me and triggered a catalyst of ideas in my head.
The first piece to intrigue me was "The Hotel, Room 47" by the conceptual French artist Sophie Calle, known for her extreme and unusual ways of acquiring visual information. In this particular series of working photographs, Calle had gained access to the hotel rooms of guests staying at a hotel that she had a temporary job as a cleaner at. She had applied for this post purely for this reason: to look into the lives of the guests staying there.

She applied a technical and almost forensic method to acquiring information, creating lists on items found in the room, how they made her feel and even taking small details such as the sizes of the shoes that were worn by her 'subjects'.

I find her way of working fascinating. Very strange but the dedication she shows towards her practice is admirable but at the same time slightly unnerving. I do enjoy the idea of surreptitiously acquiring visual information and it could possibly be a good starting point when looking at Journeys as part of the Origins unit of the course.

Another piece of work that I was particularly drawn to is the piece entitled "United Kingdom" by Layla Curtis. I had already considered working with geographical and quite technically detailed maps to explore day to day journeys and this piece has encouraged me to run with this notion and explore it as deeply as possible. Altering the locations geographically on a map represent places that she has visited and in what order as well as reflecting on travelling as an "integral part" of her life. The idea of altering something that is widely known to be true is quite a humorous spin on looking at journeys and it can also be quite reflective and would be an interesting way to look at the places that I personally have visited chronologically and placing them next to each other on a map.

Kite photographs

Statement

My work is something that I like to invest in. I would much rather take 2 days on one piece of work, ensuring that everything is just how I intended it to be, rather than taking two hours and throwing it in the bin. As you can see in Image 8, an intense amount of time and care has been taken to draw each and every mark to create a pattern that may well be communicated as a print or a weave pattern.

Being meticulous with measurement and ensuring that each and every mark I place on the page is done so with care is paramount in the way that I work. I want every part of my work to look considered and this is reflected in images 3 and 7. I also ensure that my composition and marks are considered within my sketchbook and studio notebooks (as can be seen in images 1,2,9,10,11 and 12)

The “Textiles in Practice” course at Manchester Metropolitan University has appealed so strongly to me as the course is extremely broad during the first year. I enjoy working in a variety of media, using stitch and collage to draw with and communicate my ideas. I want to continue this way of working as it feels natural to me and I feel as though the course at Manchester will embrace this as well as guiding and teaching me the skills I need to become a successful textiles practitioner. 

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4