The Very First Sphere ...

... has a special significance for me. Being the first one. 
The concept of the whole project still in its infancy; much thought about, much further contemplation to follow. The technique still new. The pleasure in discovering the meditative nature of the making.

Pre firing, the clay not completely dry yet - 14 June 2012

Post firing - 1 July 2012
(in a somewhat yellow light with the sun streaming through the window)

Much discussed with fellow artists. And consequently ideas about how, why, when and who burgeoning and flourishing. Periods of engrossed making followed by (longer) periods of fruitful thinking and talking, and writing on this blog. (Links to relevant posts below)

8 August 2015

22 August 2015

And it was during one of those times of 'talking' - with a friend and fellow artist - that this sphere began a new chapter in its story. A very significant chapter in its life-story. 
She was a painter, with a passion for texture (visual [as opposed to tactile]); a gentle, giving, sensitive person of great creativity. This particular visit took place some two years ago. As always the topic of conversation was Art, in general and our own, and about life.
We went into 'my shed' (read studio), as tends to happen when artist friends visit, to see what I'd been working on, and of course I spoke about the Spheres project. We had to go back into the house to continue this conversation because I was storing - or should I say 'hatching' - the spheres under the bed at the time, having run out of storage space in my studio. On our way inside I talked about the concept of social sculpture and how I envisaged that would work in the context of the spheres; about the meaning/essence of the Spiral; the importance of integrity of material and process; and of course the aspect of the 'fragility of existence'.
I took out from under the bed 'The First Sphere' - instinctively, since that's where it all began - and showed her how the one continuous coil winds its way round as a spiral into a sphere: the path of life winding its way round as a spiral, imperfections, cracks, splits, breaks along the way (the break at the end of the coil on this sphere), those imperfections, cracks and splits affecting what happens above with the next coiling, what happens next, further along the path. 
As I handed the sphere to her and she reached out for it, I could sense she had found a profound connection with the whole concept. She held it with the sensitive touch of her painter's hand and contemplated it with her creator's eye; a connection with the sphere ... 
She then cradled it in her arms and, softly yet closely, tightly, held it to her as we talked about the exciting potential of the idea of a network of people growing/evolving through an art project like this; the wondrous beauty of Art's ability to do that; the wonder that a sober object like this sphere can bring about such an inspiring, exciting momentum of connection; ...    
An intense memory for me.

'On a passé un bon moment' as they say. A very special moment had, a very special experience. Which is precisely what this whole project is about: creating a special moment, creating special, significant experiences.

I plan, in my next post probably, to try to give a clearer, more succinct insight into what this Spheres project entails from my perspective. In the meantime, here are the links to 'relevant posts' as mentioned above:
31 October 2014  summarizes the following 4 posts: 
- 3 August 2012  the experience that sowed the seeds for the concept
- 17 August 2012 only the two paragraphs immediately below the first two images are relevant here 
- 28 September 2012
- 23 August 2014

1 November 2014

Two More Spheres

And now for something a little different, although this project also ties in with the Tunnel Gallery Artist in Residence project to some extent.

Following on from my posts dated 1 November 2014 and 31 October 2014 about the Fragility Spheres project, two more spheres have joined the group, which is now back up to eight. 
(As before, the spheres have simply been placed in a formation in my kiln shed to illustrate the new additions and the overall group, not with a purpose consciously to explore the 'placing in formation'; that will come later.)

The group had been reduced to six when, in July, one of the larger white ones was taken to continue its story in the Netherlands. This Dutch 'participant/contributor' (still searching for the right term) spoke about his connection with the particular one he chose because of its weight in the hand and the change in density of the coiling as it progressed, which he identified with the change in the intensity of life from youth to older age. I hope he will expand on this further on this blog, as is the plan for the other people who have become involved up to now.
Another larger black one went to continue its story more locally back in June.

In November last year I referred to 'Phase 2'; eight months on, this should perhaps be named phase 3, but this Spheres project has certainly been very much in my mind over this time and has matured very positively. Indeed one of the people who has one of the spheres talked about them as having 'been hatching', which I rather like the sound of.

One of the developments has been that I came across the term 'fragility of existence' the other day and liked it, and prefer it to my previous 'fragility of life'. So, I shall refer to them as such from now on.

I plan to work on adding (another two or three) to the group before the Autumn Term starts at Tonbridge and will actively invite the participants/contributors to join in the logging of this project by giving an update of their sphere's life-story to date. 
I shall get things started by logging the story of the very first sphere I made for this project.

'Going Against It'

In my previous post (dated 5/07/2015), I spoke of 'another way of questioning by taking the 'uncomfortable' to the extreme in order to show/highlight the point', and 'there is an equally valid artistic viewpoint that your questioning can resonate equally clearly - if not more so - by going completely against it' (referring to the 'aesthetically pleasing', in this instance).
As I explained, I personally inherently find greater expression in the aesthetically pleasing as my interest in 'form' shapes my thinking and feeling on the subject. 
I equally appreciate, however, that others want to 'go against it' to put their message across.

Let's take the relatively obvious example of the work of Jeff Koons. The jury is still out on whether there is indeed a message - he himself claims there isn't, although he has said in relation to his 'Jackson and Bubbles' (as per billboard.com) 'For me, Michael Jackson served as a kind of spiritual authority who could help people feel secure in embracing their culture, whatever it was', so perhaps there is a (straightforward) message. 

When I look at the whole of the Jeff Koons art train I see the ultimate example of modern-day consumer society, i.e. 'pushed to the extreme'. Apparently, Koons doesn't shy away from admitting he's always wanted to be rich and famous; he's doing that very well.

Take his 'Balloon Venus' (as per time.com) or 'Poodle' for instance,

Daniel Roland / AFP / Getty Images Jeff Koons himself poses in front of Balloon Venus, flanked by Roman marbles, at the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 19, 2012. It’s a play on "Venus of Willendorf" a curvaceous female figure made in the Paleolithic period that is thought to symbolize fertility.

Michel Fainsilber A smaller version of the Venus with a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne inside went on sale in September 2013 and costs 15,000 euros (about $20,000).

they epitomize 
- either everything that's wrong with today's consumer society, and does it very well;
- or everything that's wrong with Jeff Koons, which it also does very well. 
It's either provocative, questioning the issues of where society is going and where Art is going by taking kitsch to the extreme, or it's simply loading more stuff onto the runaway consumer train.
The former, in my opinion, would be more worthwhile ...

A choice between the Rabbit or the Venus of Willendorf? ...

Hiroko Masuike / Getty Images A balloon in the literal sense, the silver Rabbit designed by Koons floats through Times Square during the 81st annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 22, 2007.

  

   

BUT ART NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD ...

... (my closing statement in my previous post) because artists today live and work in today's environment. They are confronted with the things that happen around them, each one in their own (very individual) environment. An environment that is very different now from what it was 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 ... years ago.
Therefore, the work they make today is going to be/needs to be very different from what it was 5, 10, 20 ... years ago. Art moves on because society moves on, and because artists work in response to their environment, be it social, physical/environmental, political ...
Ai Wei Wei makes the Art that he makes because of the situation he is in, as he explains in the video below:

Ai Wei Wei

I make the Art that I make because of my situation: where I live, the life and experiences I have and have had, the thoughts I have in response to what happens around me in my close environment and in the world as a whole. This includes what is happening in the world of Art today.
So, why did I say, in my post of 16 July, 'my soap is a sculpture'? To me it is Art because: it came about through happenstance; it has no (artificially imposed) monetary value; it explores the boundaries of what Art is and questions what Art is through its material and the process by which it came about; it is aesthetically pleasing. (That's enough to get on with for the moment).

- Happenstance: some artists call it accident(s), chance, coincidence. (Cathy Wilkes, see below, speaks of mysteries (of the mind), not knowing why ... ). Happenstance is paramount in my work - and excites me in other people's work - because I see it as an essential constituent of creativity itself. By continuously being open to happenstance you give creativity a full free rein, which, to me, is what creativity and Art are about. Seizing the moment, opportunities, possibilities whenever they arise during the work process, and, very importantly, creating a mindset, an environment in which these can arise. This 'work process'  is continuous, in that it exists within the studio as well as outside of it. My work is constantly in my mind, as is Art itself. It is part of an artist's mindset, indeed I think it is the artist's mindset. It means I see beauty and interest all around me, and I therefore see the potential for 'Art' all around me. So, when I see a piece of soap that has changed over time into something 'interesting', i.e. beautiful AND questioning, I am in wonderment of it and am excited by it. And I embrace it as part of my work and work process.    
- Monetary value: artificially imposed by the 'art world' (and consequently the art market, particularly the secondary art market) it distorts and ultimately wrecks Art and kills the creative process. 
Furthermore, the material - soap - is not considered a 'noble' or 'rich' material in conventional art terms (how can it not be noble? It cleanses and purifies); it is considered an 'everyday' material - a 'poor' material as in 'povera' in Arte Povera - so the monetary value of the material itself is ... well, no very much. And that's the very reason why it is noble to me. It takes it away from the staid predictable, with simplicity, and brings vitality to the concept of Art.  
- Questioning and exploring boundaries, because it is a bar of soap and I have used no 'artist's skills' to make it. Very importantly though, my sensibility as an artist did enable me to tune in to the moment that the soap had stopped being simply a bar of soap and had become something else. 
Another way of questioning is by taking the 'uncomfortable' to the extreme in order to show/highlight the point, and, for fear of expanding too much here, I plan to go into this more closely in a subsequent post. 
- Aesthetically pleasing: the subject of aesthetics fascinates me and I need to learn much more about it (why we feel it is 'pleasing') but at the moment I see it as either you go with it or against it as an artist. I feel I personally find greater expression in the aesthetically pleasing. It is what I naturally look for in every form/shape I see emerge during my work process; that is part of who I am as an artist. My interest in 'form' shapes my thinking and feeling on the subject - as my 'form-finding' pieces illustrate (posts dated 23/04, 17/04, and previous posts as cross-referenced) - but there is the equally valid artistic viewpoint that your questioning can resonate equally clearly - if not more so - by going completely against it. The latter then of course fits in very strongly and explicitly with my point about 'questioning'.


Both texts below illustrate some of the points I have made immediately above. They also illustrate very well my point about Art belonging/fitting into its time, and consequently, Art moving forward.

Cathy Wilkes

“Uncompromisingly introspective” sculpture

Cathy Wilkes, Untitled -Possil, at last-, 2013 (Detail) - Tate Purchased 2014 - Courtesy of the artist and The Modern Institute-Toby Webster Ltd - photo Cristiano Corte

Cathy Wilkes transforms ensembles of everyday objects into theatrical installations to create a surreal, uncanny effect. The narrative moments add up to a strong emotional pull, while focusing on art’s capacity to overcome the limits inherent to language.

“I know that it's impossible to be objective- I have concluded that over time. And being non-objective brings all the mysteries of my mind into my work. I think these parts are very important to any artwork: not knowing why something is exactly as it is or why it's there at all.

I want to show these mysteries in an expanded way, but I am not interested in being confessional.”

Cathy Wilkes, Installation view 'The Encyclopedic Palace', Venice Biennale, 2013 - Courtesy of the artist and The Modern Institute, Toby Webster Ltd - photo Cristiano Corte

Recurring motifs in Wilkes’ work are shop window dummies, cooking utensils, ladders, tiles and textiles. These motifs serve to anchor the alleged dramas in the domestic terrain. Wilkes’ unmistakable formal language establishes a powerful bond that links her to art history, while her themes are shaped by family references and personal experiences.

Best known for her imaginary environments which recall poetic visions, her installations evoke places of loss or transformation.

Her work is occupied by beings, often of unspecified gender: infants, elders and animals. It includes collections of objects and treasured ingredients accumulated from daily life, for example cloths, towels, cups and plates and biscuits. 

Cathy Wilkes, Untitled, 2013 (Detail) - Private Collection, Courtesy of the artist, Xavier Hufkens and The Modern Institute-Toby Webster Ltd

LENTOS Kunstmuseum Linz presents the most comprehensive display of work to date by the artist. The exhibition conceived by Cathy Wilkes and curated by Francesco Manacorda (Tate Liverpool) with Stella Rollig (Lentos Kunstmuseum), brings together more than a decade of the artist’s work, including several of her large-scale sculptural installations alongside paintings, works on paper and archive materials.

The works shown include Untitled (Possil, at last), originally exhibited at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, which remembers in its title the Glasgow district of Possil, where Possil Pottery was located during the nineteenth century before its closing in 1942; and Untitled (Biggar), 2013 which in turn alludes to a small former mining town in South Lanarkshire. In these works the displacement of geographical and temporal conditions and the frailty of existence are set in counter relation to a sense of infinite and unbreakable time continuum.

... 

CATHY WILKESUntil 4.10.2015
Lentos Kunstmuseum 
Linz, Austria

And
Lustwarande '15

Rapture and Pain – Or a status quo in contemporary sculpture

Kevin Van Braak Shards, Nuclear Weapons, 2012

From 29 August to 25 October 16 artists from around the world present recent and new works specially created for Lustwarande ’15.

Under the title of Rapture & Pain, the fifth edition investigates the social critique conveyed by contemporary art works and relates them to the zeitgeist. The exhibition deals with contemporary notions of progress in which expressions of hope, ecstasy and utopia alternate with manifestations of doubt, fear and degeneration.

Lustwarande ’15 does not so much aim to show new trends but rather to present a specific status quo in contemporary sculpture in which different forms, including technologically innovative and architecture related, as well as performative sculpture, are addressed. 

Folkert de Jong, Neolithic Skyline, 2015

All works are related, intention­ally or unintentionally, to the location and to the time in which they have been conceived, mapping a wide range of current social issues and themes.

However diverse these themes at first glance may seem, at a more global level and from a current perspective, they are bound by the social critique they articulate: either belief or doubt. Rapture & Pain addresses contem­porary thoughts on progress, where expressions of hope, ecstasy and utopia are interspersed with expressions of doubt, fear and decadence, diverging and converging on a gliding scale. 

Juliana Cirqueira Leite, Blind Spot, 2013

The venue
...

Atelier Van Lieshout, The Burghers, 2013

Participating artists...

Curator
... 

Lustwarande 1529.08 – 25.10.2015
Tilburg, The Netherlands