Tutorial for Part Two with Dr Michelle Whiting, Tuesday 15 May 2023
The main discussion was around the most recent Work Plan I shared.
It was an almost revelation in feedback how my work is more and more hinging on soil and that I should consider how documentation can play an important role to build the gravitas of the work. Questions I can consider is How documentation of a process (circle making/feather installation/spore print/ cultural aspects of the land, land art) is done, in terms of planning, preparation, mapping what I am going to do (still unseen), verbalizing, installing, and notating. I was encouraged to look at the website: soil-culture and work done by Daro Montag, as well as how work by artists like Christo, Robert Smithson was documented. I am well aware that my work is in a way temporal, build on the ‘unseen’ or invisible and very much about the process of making when I look at ideas about a cycle (recycling, regeneration, hope) of life/decay/death, production and destruction, and loosing and gaining. I more and more value my interest in the thinking of Phylida Barlow and ideas around kinship of D Haraway. This reminds me of lessons learned which belong to yesterday (studies up to now, maturing in life, lessons learned, even further to history of the land/soil and how we continue on top of that. I shared that I have, just this morning came upon the work of an artist, Chris Drury, whom I think I could learn from, especially his process of making when working outside. (https://chrisdrury.co.uk/portfolio/works-outside/). I now realize the importance of keeping my work plan relevant and up to date – an ongoing process. I especially enjoyed his writing/vocabulary in the use of mushroom appropriated ‘language’ by referring to how his work process develops into drawing, painting — “…all these projects will spawn works on….”
Below is a drawing by Chris Drury and then two small sketches in my planning sketchbook I made to visualize how I could create two different-looking circles. I realized my interest also lies in the landscape where I want to place the circles. The garden looks Northwards to a mountain range and across the farm landscape of recently planted fields. So much has changed since these lands were first used by man.
It is great to think that soil could become the primary question within my body of work – culture and the substance of soil as part of my material. I can also look to artists in my area and how the work with local history and soil – a local potter immediately came to mind, who brings about history. Here my tutor suggests I look at the Spiral Getty of Robert Smithson. I value this reference as I know this artist found ways in his work to reconnect with natural environments
I was encouraged to listen to audio on this work, still available on YouTube.
Another artist my tutor shared, was Tessa Farmer and how one really get to look almost ‘forensic’ at your subject/object is a good way for me to incorporate in my process and learning. Here again it brings me to the detail – of how it was made, how it is documented. I have put in hours/ knowledge gained from the feather installation and have to work with this.
My plan is to finish the Research part of the course and continue exploring making and reading/researching. We discussed how important the document, Matters of Care, has (can) now become as a companion piece with the ideas of Donna Harroway, in my work. In terms of making we talked about making in a smaller scale as a way to see if it will work, what it would look like, and also think about reading and writing, and define where I am at this moment.
I plan to commit to the next assignment date within 6 -8 weeks.
Montag, Daro. 2012 Soil Culture: Don’t soil your home, make soil your home! https://art-earth.org.uk/the-home-the-world-2012/soil-culture/).
National Gallery of Art, Valley Curtain 1970 -1972