L6 Final Year - Introduction

Mind Map for the start of term

 It's the start of year 3 (!!!) I can't quite believe it. Finally back to face to face teaching, being with fellow students and having access to an actual studio!

My practice has been mainly ideas led over the summer. I have various narratives, mediums and projects I want to explore this year but I know I can't do them all! My task, at the moment, is to lay them all out and decide which to execute in year 3.

Motherhood/childhood:

Although I have resisted doing ‘mum art’ I can’t seem to avoid it. I think because it is an all-encompassing job, which touches every part of my life it is in everything I do. I have been exploring motherhood art and artists who identify as a carers or mother. I attended a talk by Scottish gallery ‘Spilt Milk’ called Mystical Mother – about stories handed down from our Mothers. 8 artists who identify as mothers were talking about the stories passed down to them by their mothers. It gave me some great artists to explore and has made me feel ‘mum art’ is not a negative area to explore. I have studied Helen Sargeant, Yorkshire based artist's work before and I also admire Martina Mullaney, Bolton Art school tutor and artist.

Online talk hosted by Spilt Milk Gallery, Scotland.

I have been reading books on sculpture especially by women artists. Women do seem underrepresented in the past in this area but it feels like it is changing. My work accepted by the RA was a sculpture and because I enjoy using found objects and ceramics I feel this is a medium I want to work in this year as well as film.

Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women  since 1945 by Hayward Gallery Publishing.

Thinking is Making by Black Dog Publishing.

Cathie Pilkington – I have been researching her work and reading about her career to date. I have also been in touch with her via email to offer to help in her studio. Although I’m not needed at the moment, she sent a really supportive message back. I really identify with her work and the narratives she includes in her ‘found object’ assemblages. We are also both from Manchester and are of a similar age too.

Collection of Cathie Pilkington's work

I attended a talk by Julian Opie at the Pitzhanger Manor exhibition, Ealing. I have always admired his portraits and I now am interested in his sculptures. It was great to hear how he works in studio, where he gets his inspiration and how he started his career.

Sculptures by Julian Opie at Pitzhanger Manor, Ealing.

Rachel Kneebone exhibition at the White Cube – amazing intricate work in ceramics with legs, feet ribbons and flowers made of clay. Heavily glazed and suspended in the air. See below:

Rachel Kneebone at the White Cube.

As you can see my summer was spent researching and visiting art galleries including the RA Summer Exhibition 2021 (to see my artwork!), the MA at Goldsmiths, meeting Christopher Orr on the beach at Alderney, Suffolk and Tidelines by Eleanor Lakelin and Adele Brereton at Flow Gallery talk / exhibition in Notting Hill.

I have been collecting items over the summer which I want to include in my found object sculptures which include:

- Lace doilies

- An image on glass (positive) of a women’s day out at the seaside from 1920s

- Pegs from my sisters washing line (taken after she died)

- An old map of Manchester

- Old photographs of Manchester from the local council archive

- Teeth

- Bricks excavated from the site of ‘The House’ (the house I dream about where my grandad grew up – my main project in L5).

- Cine film showing 1950s- 60s footage of family members and settings

- Fabric left at the house we bought from Mrs White (to sit alongside my sculpture called ‘Mr Whites Garden’2020 which uses found objects from the garden where he lived for 60 years before we bought it)

I am also trying to get access to the derelict Women and Children’s maternity hospital on Marylebone Road via my contacts at Imperial Trust. I would like to take some photographs and work with found object from inside.

Finally, I also want to collect more objects with meaning from antique fairs and house clearances. I have contacted Emmaus, a charity who help the homeless by providing shelter and jobs working on donated homewares. I wanted to work with what is donated, in return for me helping them out or doing art classes.

Too much going on for one year but over the next few days I will create a plan of what to start and which ones to leave until post L6.