Reflection

From this project, I have learnt to discover a completely new way of creating art work; working in such a way that, in the past, would make me very hesitant to even think about. Moving from a state of mind of being very intricate with details, orderly, precise, ‘neat’ and concise, towards being very ‘let go’ ‘letting the flow work’, trusting the ‘clock’ and being patience (all that time when my rust-stains were drying) without knowing how a piece will turn out – it all pushed me and challenged me as an artist to undergo an individual development and sort of rejuvenate from the environment that I was used to of working in.

I think, before starting with a pen and a sketchbook, taking inspiration from your surroundings is very important. It kick-starts your ideas generation and helps to give your work a body and focus.  (As mentioned in my earlier posts) on the first day I went to Islington mill with a very clear, pure and an extra-observant mind and ready to absorb anything that clicks in my mind. For example: walking to the Mill with the group, talking to unfamiliar people from different disciplines/courses; got on to a wrong route but we united and finally reached our destination; seeing the architect around me; ‘Benzie to Islington Mill’, a huge difference in the architect ; Timothea mentioning the old and the new buildings in Manchester are “right next to each other”, and the reading on collaboration, and most importantly making a plaster sculpture that I was never ready for until the finished piece was in my hands. All of this had given me a track and motivation to temporarily forget my previous mode of  working and thinking differently; try to absorb new styles with a hint of personal style.

For instance (as mentioned in the previous posts), I was not very satisfied with Daniel’s drawing workshop, but just by being present I took some learning from the critiques in the end. As Timothea says “...start by copying...”, during a phase of my artistic life, when I was new to art I had always been scared of admitting that I start off by copying because I knew that it will never be a ‘copy’ it SHALL end up looking something that is completely different and personal. She gave me strength and confidence to be able to admit it because others might be able to relate inside, just like I did.

Key Motivation: I believe, what I have done differently in this project is to be open to the things that are new or unfamiliar. Not to say, to not be scared before the first step, because we all need that push, those nerves and that little panic (as artists) to be able to function as artists. Nevertheless, do not hide away from the things that make you uncomfortable or you don’t like. There is always possibility to get learning.

Coming to the time when I actually started communicating for collaboration

Key Motivation: Initially, I had assumed that no one would want to collaborate with me because I'm the only textiles embroiderer in this option. But it was just a matter of being open, putting a brief of my ideas out there and what I want to achieve from this unit. Most importantly, examples of my capabilities because my work is my speech.

Moving on
We faced a lot of difficulties on our way, even after a lot of personal meetings and emails; there were things that were left unsorted and underachieved. This was due to technical errors and things that we were unfamiliar with and end up with something a little unplanned but accurate enough (coincidentally).
For instance, the wide format printers got jammed when I need to print my images in A0 size. I didn’t wait for it to get fixed and quickly decided to print on the best quality paper instead but in A2 size. Later, I found out that I was already stretching my image size from A3 to A2 size, which took away some of its quality.

For Future Learning:

·         The resolution of the images, between Patrick and I, wasn’t communicated before because we both didn’t know it could change anything. So he sent me pictures with a resolution of A3.

·         Digital media Bar help – A2 size is the best quality I could print in, because no  resolution can be put into an image to make it look better.

·         Increasing image size is nothing but starching an image.

·         You need a different and much bigger lense, for a required resolution/quality: cost factor.

·         Printing an A3 image in A2 size would take away most of the details and hence end up with a pixelated image.  

I communicated  and collaborated through emails and one to one meetings
Fearless exchange of opinions

Key Motivation: learning and working from the process, whether by mistake or influenced by someone’s opinion

Something that has strongly influenced my practice is when you are 'working together', exchanging thoughts, opinions and ideas makes you realise that sometimes it is Ok to speak your thoughts even if they don't work in the end. Because you do, eventually, get an amalgam of possibilities and impossibilities that first came from both sides. 

Be open to opportunities and taking risk to step into an unfamiliar context

Patrick being my technician (we still gave our other ideas a try): He made these squares inspired by my drawings and I engraved the lines, then he agreed to layer them over my fabric.

Chickpea peels, crushed and stuck this way - getting elements out of my sketchbook.

The Final outcomes of our Collaborative work   

'A plaster sculpture by Patrick O’Donnell reminded me of the Benzie Building. I have responded with images which call to mind the gently disruptive influence of Islington Mill’

‘A friendly jumble of brick’



Before and After



Actual exhibition

·         Everything started from scratch and I didn’t think it was going to work because we only had a day and nothing was proof decided, in terms of where and how we place things.
·          We all communicated giving each other ideas and everything fell into place very gracefully.  Helping each other from ‘is it straight on the wall or not?’ to composing to cleaning to moving stuff to being our own AND each other’s curators; hence it was not just two collaborators working anymore, instead it was a big group everyone working with each other.  

           

Considering Patrick's other ideas that were unfinished and not ended up big



Patrick's encouragement for me to use my tea and rust liquid to use on one of his pieces.

As Patrick names this process “Disruption under process”

Future development
Hanaa Cara, an artists from Islington Mill, she let me have her plaster block and experiment with it, using Patrick’s idea if we could somehow have my silks and those patterns on the sculptures and be able to hold the piece in our hands. 

By the end, her and I, exchanged email addresses she wants me to do a workshop with her group on rust-staining.