Yesterday I had my first tutorial with Vanda, my new tutor, who has taken over now Sara has left. It was a revelation. She is very skillful at giving feedback on what a student has done well/badly, and then asking questions in a way that enables me to articulate things I already knew, but was not using, and that are critical to my work at its best.
We had a bit of a discussion about 3 charcoal images I had printed on fabric. Vanda probed the relevance why I was printing these images on fabric. Really, they are technical samples. There is no particular reason why they are printed on fabric. Vanda questioned what printing on fabric, allows that paper does not. For example print on different fabrics then piece, or piece then print, in order to validate why I am working on fabric.
Vanda said my "legs" drawing might look quite good and quirky if printed as a border print on the bottom of curtains, so they were walking along the hem.
I said I had been looking at textile artists like Paddy Killer and Laura Kemshall. Vanda advied me to look at fine artists, like Manet, Cezanne, Rembrandt because I like the representational drawing. Also try the Giorgio Monardi exhibition in Islington. This was because when Vanda looked at my sketchbook where I have been trying to draw more objects, she saw the last drawing I had done of my favourite ceramic jug. I had had my usual first few disastrous drawings where I was getting my eye in, then I had reverted to my favourite style - black fine liner - using cross hatching and tonal value to get the form defined. "Considered, well observed, exquisite line". This feedback was a considerable relief, as I still struggle to differentiate between a good drawing and a tight drawing. So later this morning I am off to the Monardi Exhibition at the Estorick Gallery.
Vanda suggested I start a new small exhibitions book. A5. On facing pages note the exhibition data, what I like, and a postcard on the left page, and on the right a sketch by me of anything I like at the exhibition, plus notes on stitches or techniques. Everything stuck in has to be attached in a different way. Be imaginative.
- Look at more textile makers.
- Consider titling and impact. Sometimes the title indicates a stronger story behind a drawing of an object. This might be critical to me as I like to draw objects but the emotional content is important to me and brings a greater significance to the object.
- Powerful. I come from a family of strong women. This is significant to my work.
- Textiles of strong women
- Women's library
- Suffragettes
- Louise Bourgoise
- Caren Garfen
- Macular degeneration. My aunts have MD. They were all keen needlewomen and are very supportive of me in my textile studies. How do I incorporate this into my work?
- Clarissa Pinkels. Women who run with the wolves
- Work in a larger book. (A3 is the biggest I can carry easily)
- Make the pages bigger - fold-outs - so I can draw in a bigger area.
So last night, I went to bed with my head buzzing. My work is much stronger and more powerful when I work with a theme with strong emotional content. Viewers might not understand the emotional content of the object, but I can use the titling to get this over. I thought of conversations with Aunt Lily (in her 90s with macular degeneration). A couple of years ago she was telling me about Uncle Les, and his hobby of photography, and I remember drawing his camera and case. I was fascinated by drawing the stitching on the camera case. (Now I'm linking family, hobbies, affection, drawing and stitch - all the same stuff as usual - maybe I have a theme coming out here!) I wonder if I could go back to her and this time, record the conversation about Uncle Les and his photography? What about drawing the camera, printing onto fabric, sewing in the drawn stitches around the case, and displaying the print, together with the camera and case, and having an audio track of the conversation, triggered by a movement sensor when people stand in front of the imagery. And what about printing the image on one of Uncle Les's old shirts? This validates why I am printing on fabric. This incorporates lots of positive feelings and emotions about family. Also, I would be quite happy for visually impaired people (VIP) to touch the print so that VIP needlewomen could feel the stitch, even if they can't see it very well. This also fits with my desire to enable VIPs to enjoy visual artwork. I am keen to include people who otherwise might miss out.
I need to find those drawings of the camera. But first I am off to the Estorick collection.
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