CRITICAL EVALUATION
EXERCISE 2.1: Looking back and looking forward
WRITING A CRITICAL EVALUATION (BETWEEN 500 AND 750 WORDS)
Consider the outcomes of this Critical Evaluation in relation to the aims and ambitions for this course as well as the processes from which these outcomes have evolved.
Introduction – a first draft
When starting this course, I focused on fungi, exploring the further development of growing with fungi, and creating sculptures or 3D works when the colder season starts. I struggled to keep mushrooms growing, and the primary restraint was the conditions under which the fungi would grow; it was too warm. I explored spore printing and other prints, such as mono printing, but getting fresh mushrooms was difficult as it was still the dry season. I started a daily drawing project to create routines and rituals in my studio to continue my interest in materials. I worked with found feathers as daily drawings, which after a few weeks led to further development of other work with feathers, such as making paper mache vessels and an installation. At this stage, I became sensitized in my relationship with nature and working with things unseen or invisible. It was almost a natural flow to start working with nests and explore weaving techniques and how this could find a connection with drawing or painting.
Developing a Body of Work for this course
I am more aware of the importance of drawing in my practice as I continue to think about tending and care and how this interacts with routines in my studio or as rituals to deal with things around me. I became interested in nests as another way of working or making with the non-human. I found this work became personal as I was dealing with the loss/death of my youngest son, and meaning was found in this exploration and direction my making was taking by looking at vessels as containers. There was an almost natural progression when I explored nests of birds. Looking and drawing nests became a metaphor for care and led to exploring making nests with natural fibres. I studied materials I have never worked with, and now I look at this weaving process as a form of drawing and creating shape and texture. I realised that other artists inspired my explorations and making, as the course expected me to research the work of other artists, which inspired me.
Making developed into 3D objects, such as nests. I look at these works as ways how I interact with nature. A huge inspiration came from a trip to the Northern part of our country, where I could view huge nests constructed by sociable weavers. These nests are endemic to that desert area. Further research about how the birds adapted to the harsh conditions inspired my own thinking and thinking. I started doing more extensive drawings and became interested in how a non-human bird creates a nest. A nest carries so much meaning in terms of it being a house, finding a wife to move in, bringing the eggs, and holding the offspring, as well as the care and maintenance it takes to uphold this ‘place’ which has to be vital to endure the forces of nature.
I was continuing a process of thinking with materials and exploring ideas around New Materialism and Care, as described thoughtfully by Maria P de la Picasa. I could work with natural materials to study weaving and drawing of nests and consider how the non-human create. In nature, many other animals create nests, but I focused on bird nests in places I visit. I became aware of the natural fibres the birds use and how they improvise and adapt to their environment. Around my house, swallows were returning after winter, and new nests were being made. I saw feathers sticking out of a nest that did not belong to the swallows. These materials were collected here on the farmyard from the chickens and guinea fowls, and they even employ dried grasses. I also saw less mud being used. Are they still building? I compared nests with the place of refuge, safety, and sanity – a home. I was confronted with homelessness, the worldwide refugee crisis and possible threats of global warming – adapting and survival became more accurate in my world of thinking. How do art and artist react to their world? I had my survival struggles and learned to bring in my physicality and delve into the inner psyche of me/us and continue to explore living with the other, the non-human as an interconnected species.
Ideas of doing, becoming, and making were moving to ideas around, to be affected by and to affect the materials I worked with. I considered how I attempted to make with my materials and evaluate their vibrancy. This shift implies a change from a more active and process-oriented approach to one that is more reflective and focused on my work’s impact or effect on myself and viewers.
What has been the impact on the direction and focus of the work? I felt I could explore engaging with my senses – tactile material, nest making and sounds of nature and consider if drawings could become performances. The artists I researched affirmed this search for connectedness and exploration of materials such as feathers, birdnests and fungi.
When considering my work, its processes, my reflective commentary and my written research, can I recognise a context within which I am working? I looked at the theories of Jane Bennet and Dona Harraway to contextualise my making. For example in my engagement with Jane Bennett’s ‘Vibrant Matter’ it became particularly insightful, as it challenges a human-centric worldview and encourages a more nuanced understanding of the vitality inherent in materials. I emphasized Bennett’s notion that “the thing is always already humanized” and the concept of materiality and vitality being intertwined aligns well with your exploration of entangled thinking. I believe this created a focus on searching for knowledge of the non-human, experiencing the experience of the other.
Posthumanism and the emphasis on rethinking humanity’s place in nature align with my exploration of entanglement and interconnectedness. Are there particular bodies of work, strands of practice, and approaches to making by other practitioners I feel are making to my own? When exploration of nest-making, inspired by sociable weavers, it became a powerful metaphor for interconnectedness and collaboration. Extending the nest’s dimensions to match my size emphasizes my physical embeddedness and entanglement with the work, aligning with Jane Bennett’s philosophy of rendering the familiar unfamiliar. This connects with the work of land artists and artists I studied during the course, such as Ana Mendieta and Andy Goldsworthy.
Does this suggest possible future direction for my work and/or ways I might engage with an audience? I think I will work more outside my studio as my work mirrors a vision to connect with nature and share stories of interconnectedness.
What is the dominant form within my work? I have been contemplating the circular form in many ways. I think through nest making I realised how through looking at weaving I could explore drawing with my body to generate interesting abstract patters, which are still connected to my own body and movements.
I look at other practices which flow alongside or underpin the primary activities I would say it is using print methods and textile ideas such as working into the work with thread.
WRITING A CRITICAL EVALUATION:
Reconsidering the above writing as a Critical Evaluation (525 words)
Embarking on this course, my initial focus on fungi encountered challenges due to unsuitable weather conditions. Exploring spore printing and mono printing served as alternatives, yet the scarcity of fresh mushrooms during the dry season limited further experimentation. I initiated a daily drawing project using found feathers to establish routines and sustain my material interests. This endeavour led to the development of paper mache vessels and an installation and sensitized me to the invisible aspects of nature, prompting a natural transition to work with nests.
The evolution of my work within this course underscores the significance of drawing in my practice, mainly as I delved into themes of tending, care, and rituals in response to my surroundings. Nests emerged as a compelling way to engage with the non-human, with the personal undertones of dealing with the loss of my youngest son infusing meaning into my exploration. Drawing inspiration from other artists, as mandated by the course, proved pivotal in shaping my direction.
The transition from 2D to 3D objects, specifically nests, reflected my evolving interaction with nature. A visit to the Northern part of the country, where sociable weavers construct immense nests, was a profound inspiration. This encounter prompted extensive drawings and a deep dive into the intricate process of non-human nest-building. The metaphorical richness of nests, symbolizing homes, family, and care, resonated deeply, especially in the context of my journey.
As I continued to think with materials, the concepts of New Materialism and Care, articulated by Maria P de la Picasa, played a crucial role in guiding my explorations. Weaving nests with natural fibres became a form of drawing, with an expanded focus on the non-human’s creative processes in nature. Observing birds’ resourcefulness and adaptability in using natural fibres around my house added layers to my understanding. This exploration extended beyond the aesthetic, intertwining with broader global issues such as the refugee crisis and climate change, emphasizing adaptation and survival.
The shift from “doing, becoming, and making” to “being affected by and to affect” marked a transition from a process-oriented approach to one focused on reflection and impact evaluation. This shift enabled me to explore engagement with my senses, integrating tactile experiences, nest-making sounds, and contemplating the potential for drawings to become performances.
In contextualizing my work, theories by Jane Bennett and Donna Harraway provided valuable frameworks. Bennett’s ‘Vibrant Matter’ challenged a human-centric worldview, aligning with my exploration of entangled thinking. Posthumanism further reinforced my emphasis on interconnectedness and the need to rethink humanity’s place in nature.
Exploring nest-making became a powerful metaphor for interconnectedness and collaboration, aligning with the philosophies of land artists and course-studied artists like Ana Mendieta and Andy Goldsworthy. The circular form emerged as a dominant motif, and the intersection of weaving, drawing, and my body movements generated abstract patterns rooted in my physicality.
Looking ahead, I envision working more outside my studio, and the circular form and the integration of print methods and textile ideas will likely remain central. The relationships between these practices speak to a cohesive exploration of interconnectedness, drawing from the non-human, and an ongoing engagement with the circular and weaving motifs in my artistic journey.