Talk week 2013

Talk week emerged a successful dialogue and critique of effective and engaging conversation immersed surrounding my exhibiting work.

Concerns and conversations arose around the following

-       Had the work being displayed apposing to how they had been installed would have been read differently and may read as the body then effect, consulting the ideas immersed in the work

-       The message is very direct and clear- Confronting and also very brave act of subject matter and personal position.

-       Voice cannot be diluted

-       Conversation surrounding when and when not to use didacticism? (Didacticism is a communication that is suitable for or intended to be instructive)

-       Art can be healing; what the power and potential of art can have on society. Are you trying to send a message to others?

-       Immersed is an incredible amount of labour with the diaristic writing on the back. The use of photograph simplifies the labour and time invested in the making of a single photograph. The photograph creates distance between the real thing; Maybe the installation or performance would encapsulate the labour and ideas more successfully. Or ideas of installing a larger print of room scale scripted with diaristic writing could become more engaging with the extent of labour involved.

-       What conversation would arise if the work were employed in a public toilet cubical, which each toilet has this diaristic script, which reaches out and immerses the public into the significance of this mental disorder. Conjuring emotions into words, which they cannot and confronting emotions they cannot confide with; creating a healing progression to dealing with the isolation of encapsulating these emotions.

-       Working in a public toilet arose the fear of hygiene and personal diminishment in my mind, but that constitutes and illustrates the lack of dignity one suffers with bulimia; the secrecy of purging in public spaces and private spaces. Something which is overlooked when entering a public toilet is the extent and animosity of young women who purge in these public spaces in attempt to confide with social expectation that suffocate their minds.  What happens when a bulimic enters this public space erupted with all these emotions conjured within the mind of someone bulimic; does the work become a message of helping confide their emotions, or a way to confront their fear of acknowledging this disorder.

-       Keep subject matter and opinions together; What does this mean? How is this significant to my work?

-       The significance of social media mediating the severity of this confronting illness, being more common that any other illness in teenagers including suicide.

-       People don’t know how to talk about these issues and tend to ignore or keep sacred within immediate family and medical support. The ability to convey or put into words the emotions that person experiencing the illness of bulimia is rarely confronted rather confined within the mind. Although it is the number one issue society does not express it nor does it address these issues.

-       Conversation surrounding the use of photography kept immersing to which the labour is reduced, while others don’t mind about labour being lost. Labour is like bulimia; the labour which someone suffering this illness puts into obtaining this desired body image, and the results which are often reduced as one may be a normal or overweight rather than anorexia. 

-       Personal catharsis; refers to the purification and purgation of emotions-especially pity and fear- through art

-       Didactic; intended to teach, particularly so as to appear patronizing.

-       The readability of the text is slightly frustrating; the image of the writing appearing on the body seems grainy apposed to the quality of the toilet, which doesn’t. What effect do I want and how is this subsequently read? 

-       Resonates to artists such as Jo Spence, Andrean Piper, Hannah Wilke, Aaron Hayze, Anna Mendieta

-       Issues travel to social; conversational thinking; relieves pain; engages the audience

-       I need to formulate a ritual around work and have a place to derive and deal with artistic issues; Decide constructed art hours, giving myself a break especially when dealing with personal work.

-       More prolific; presenting in larger numbers or qualities, producing many more works exploring this idea. 

When evaluating the conversations surrounding my critique, it was evident that the ideas were clear and visually demanding as the work constructed a deep and evolving conversation which emerged the wider socio-political issues that arise around the conviction of displaying emotions. The critique generated a understanding and awareness of the severity of this mental illness, and the lack of ability to conjure emotions to express or address it the issue as a society. The critique also formulated ideas of how I should become vigilant on how I immerse myself in these personal works, by allowing a clear space too deal with these artistic issues will continue allow the art to be a healing process rather than it conspiring back into the mind. Various artists emerged from the critique which will allow me to explore further possibilities to exploring these ideas and subject matter.