Art Class

Today's art class was about composing imagery using assorted white papers.  I worked with kitchen utensils photographed at Audley End - butter pats and pastry cutters.  I found today's class hard because I am not good working in white.  I still struggle to identify which parts to portray, although I am getting better at knowing not to try to recreate the whole thing.We started with cut and torn papers alone, then integrating one piece from a colour photo to the composition, then adding some stitch to white papers and a piece of photo. 

Key discussions were around "sample", and "celebration". I have been challenged by how I use the word "sample" before.  To me, a sample is anything I am working on to explore an idea, a technique, or a concept.  It can be worked to a fairly high standard, and enables me to be free in my thinking and working, because I don't get frightened I will wreck a worthy piece of work.  However, other people reject the use of the word sample.

Vanda used the word "celebration" about how she wants women's work to be viewed.  This had not occurred to me before.  All my descriptors are about emotion (often negative).  When I think about attitudes to women's work, it is often negative - about it being pushed aside, un-valued, blind to it, belittled etc.  I've looked at Caren Garfen's work which I think is absolutely wonderful, and I see wry observations of domestic roles, lightened by witty comments.  The observations are very serious about the undervaluing of the domestic female role, and postmodernism uses wit to enable recognition in an acceptable form.  When I draw kitchen equipment, sometimes it evokes an affectionate response.  But the concept of women's work being celebrated, was something I had not considered.  I have not finished thinking about how I want to represent it, or the emotion(s) that go with it.  I feel certain emotion is in there somewhere.