You & I Are Synonymous is a small exhibition I'm currently involved with, along with other members of my studio group at the UoR.
Where is the location of art? Is art inherent in the idea, the process or the final outcome – or even in the experience of it? Is the way that you create art and the way that I create art any different to one another? And if you were asked to restrict your art idea into just a sum of words, do you really think you could do it enough justice?
15 artists were asked to devise an art piece that could represent their overall practice... autonomously. Then they were asked, rather than to complete the art piece themselves, to simply restrict it to a set of instructions that would then be passed along to the next artist anonymously, who would in turn pass theirs along as well, in a chain-like fashion. It was then up to each artist to form an artwork based on the instructions that belong to another artist, and make all the secondary decisions themselves.
The aim of this exhibition and the methodology used by these artists is a simple investigation into the decision-making processes of art. Are all the decisions for an art piece made prior to the completion of it, or is there a case for the adaptation of art ideas in the process of making, which solely depend on the circumstances that may arise – or quite simple the individual’s whims! This exhibition endeavours to probe, possibly answer and still question further the incongruencies between original idea or the ‘formula’ and the final product. The space in between these two stages -the persuit of the idea - is a grey area which only the artist themselves can make sense of…
It was actually alot simpler than it sounds... the idea was to create a series of instructions for another artist to be able to make an art work, in return you got a list of instructions to make someone else's work.
I guess in many ways it was nice to be able to make a piece of work without having to think too much, but then on the otherhand it definately meant each work was based more on superficial elements, rather than really considoring the aim of the exhibition. Well, this is how I felt anyway. My instructions where as follows:
1. Use found objects from the kitchen to make a dress.
2. Take inspiration from such designers as Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen.
3. Collect spoons.
4. Make the dress out of spoons.
5. Use plastic shopping bags to make the top.
6. Find some cutlery to use as accessories for the models hair.
7. Take pictures of the model in the dress.
8. Hang the pictures in the gallery.
9. Display the dress next to the pictures.
10. Dress complete and hanged in the gallery.
OK BLEUGH. See what I mean? I was very not happy when I recieved these instructions. For me it felt like something that had been done s o o o o many times before, taking inspiration from VW and AMcQ? Obvious and unoriginal in the context (For example, even instructions asking me to make a dress out of spoons taking inspiration from Calvin Klein would have been more interesting... plastic minimilism. Or even high street shops. But christ...). I think the person also ran out of ideas pretty early on, I mean I could probably fit these instructions into 3 points. Anyway this is what I came up with...
So yeah I changed it a bit, but it had to be done.
Despite my reservations, the show itself is
looking pretty good, and its nice to see my studio group producing some new work. Actually to be honest some of the work Ive seen in the exhibition has been some peoples best work... I guess considoring theyre working from instructions, this isnt exactly good news...
I should also probably show you the work made from the instructions I gave.... which was pretty much just 'Buy a massive piece of paper and some felt tip pens and draw loads of animals the end'. And this is what they did:
By
EMILY SMITH.... I fucking love it!!!!
Posts
