Natalie Fyfe PPD 3 Interdisciplinary Art and Design
Contents Artists Statement Artists CV Annotated Article 1 and Reflective Notes Annotated Article 2 and Reflective Notes Article 3 and 4 Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein: - Novel Extraction and -Critical Reflective notes Development of Practice and Critical Evaluation - Development of Work - Final Major Project Artists Research Museums and Art Organisations Exhibitions Career Opportunities PPD3 PDF Link Further Research and Interesting Articles
Artists Statement My Practice is a journey, inevitably changing as I grow. With a childlike innocence and curiosity about life my artists practice focuses on the use of materials through ‘play’ to express inner thoughts, emotions and the visualisation of ideas. By breaking the boundaries between biological and anatomical sciences and art I am free to explore the relationship between cognitive opposites such as beauty-grotesque, body-mind and masculine-feminine, using a diverse range of mediums such as installation, video, sound, 3d works, photography, collaboration, performance, drawing and occasionally written language.
Deciding what exactly to say for my artists’ statement was somewhat difficult. My practice has become quite diverse over the last year and my conceptual work has progressed also. It was important that I mention certain words like play and curiosity as I feel that is what I do, I play with materials and ideas, my practice being very processed based. Mentioning my influence from science is also very important, as much of what I do is inspired in someway or another by science but it is mainly biological and anatomical science where my interest really lies. Reflecting back on the last 3 years my work is not only personal to me but it tends to explore the in-between of body-mind, masculine-feminine and artist/scientist - material, making my artists style quite developed. However I often find it hard to sum up exactly what it is that I do, as I like working with a range of different media, site specifically and also collaboratively, which also made writing my CV statement very difficult. Thinking about what I do, and putting it into words regularly will hopefully help me define my practice for what it is. At this stage in my investigation I am keen to explore my interest in art and science either in an MA in Art and Science or a Ma in Visual Communications.
Artists CV
My Artists CV will be in the form of a PDF acessiable throught my website www.nataliefyfe.wix.com/nataliefyfe. This copy is my first draft which i have structured quite simply so it is easy to read and straight to the point. The statement still needs some work as it is too heavy, but as i mentioned previously defining exatly what i do is something i find difficlut. This is something that is still in the working process mode but will be finalised for the publication of my website on Januray 25th 2013.
Article 1
I have been researching into the ‘Uncanny’ in relation to installation art. I have begun to ask questions about how space is defined? And how ‘empty’ space can still be full of presence, looking at the relationship between absence and presence. From my artist’s research and contextual research my ideas for my final major project are becoming clearer, taking control of the space into consideration.
Article 2 At times I often consider my-self monstrous and my artworks and interest areas can be seen to reflect this. Psychoanalysis has always played an important role in my practice, constantly analysing my environment, others and myself, fascinated with humanist studies and interaction.
At this stage in my practice both my artworks and my theory work have been connected to the ideology of the Monstrous Feminine. Looking back over my work the last 3 years it has always contained elements of abjection, the Uncanny and Science, however it has took these last 3 years of study to understand my work conceptually and what areas of interest I want to pursue after my degree.
Article 3 and 4
Extract Article, Ugly
Extract Article, Ugly
Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein - Novel Extracts
Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein has played an important factor influentially in both my practical works and my dissertation. I started to build a hidden studio space behind the walls of the main studio; at the same time I began reading Frankenstein. Having never read this novel and having heard mixed reviews I was shocked by how much of myself I saw in the ‘creature’, and my compassion grew immensely for this fictional character. Through further reading and self-analysis of my reaction to the novel, I decided that the ‘monster’ was female thus enabling me to argue ‘his’ femininity as a central focus point of my dissertation. However what surprised me the most was that having read the novel and put it aside, concentrating on my secret installation, I myself began to feel like the ‘monster’, hidden away in confinement listening to the sounds of life on the other side of the wall.
Development of Work Trench Foot: After having completed a two-week collaborative residency at Enjoy Art Space, based ‘Lady Beck’, I decided to take my ideas further into 3D. Central to the Residency was a 4-mile underground walk in Lady Beck, an old Victorian waterway, and the connection between my fellow collaborators, calling our end of residency exhibition ‘Trench Foot’. By combining my research into dermatology and anatomy with trench feet I decided to work with casting with the aim at making anatomical sculptures. I tried various materials, plaster, latex, selotape, ice and cake mix and found that the plaster feet and the cake toes were the most successful.
For my Final Major Project I want to develop the idea of using food as a material to make art with, focusing my ‘objects’ on anatomy and incorporating the idea of abjection. Would you want to eat a ‘grotesque – looking’ cake heart for example? My fascination with psychoanalysis, observing peoples reaction to ‘abjecting’ food links to my own issues with abjecting food and body dysmorphia.
Development of Work ‘Secret’ Studio Installation To the left are images taken of my hidden space, the first image depicting my early progress and the 2nd image depicting the transformation of the space up untill this point.
Development of Space- Window area The use of this space as an artists studio became problematic as i was unsure on how to use the space the best. I tried out many ideas about how to use the space practically and as a visualisation of my ideas and work development. I began to realise the importance of change, and that this space would never feel complete, because it wasn’t. Development of Space - Corridor and Entrance
Final Major Project - Inital Ideas My Idea: ‘Rooms’ Based on the concept of the ‘self’ and the ‘other’ I plan to create two alternative ‘worlds’ using two hidden spaces behind the walls of the two main studios. Taking the idea of the ‘self’ and the ‘other’ from a personal level I want to address my own representation of my own monstrous femininity. Each room will be heavily reliant on carefully placed lighting or lack of lightning and materials on the walls to arose unsettling feelings, firstly of disgust in room one and secondly of physicality creating two separate atmospheric environments. Room no.1 addresses abjection and my own personal feelings towards my body and food. Room no. 2 also addresses abjection but is associated more with the monstrous feminine and the embedded feelings of self- loathing.
Development of work Video - Facing Abjection
Nat and Abi, Cotton Mouth, Video Still
Elliot - Toe Reaction Video Still
Cheryl - Toe Reaction Video Still
Saiyme - Toe Reaction Video Still
Nat - Toe Reaction Video Still
Sophie- Toe Reaction Video Still
Natalie - Milk, Video Still
Dan - Milk, Video Still
Since doing a Residency at Enjoy Art Space, Leeds I have started to play around with video more, using it to document humanist behaviour when faced with something the ‘subject’ finds ‘repulsive’. Video also enables me to work with and observe people from a psychoanalytical perspective. This is something I hope to continue developing for my Final Major Project, using video as an important part of my work in progress and development.
Artists Research
How do you identify space? Is the invisible space, undefined by objects more frightening than the actual building or structure of a room? Is an empty room uncannier than a room filled with ‘things’? Mike Nelson’s work allows the viewer to depict his or her own narrative of what the space/room is for or what happened here? From my research it has become apparent that the use of the walls in my Room no. 1 and Room no. 2 will be very important in order to create an uncanny atmosphere.
Artists Research Rachel Whiteread House (1993) The romanticised blocked vision of the ‘blank’ windows in Rachel Whitereads house relates to the Uncanny in the same way that the ‘Monster’ in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein sees for the first time an image of himself. What is supposed to be visible remains hidden? House is a non-object based uncanny generated by space rather than its contents, which is something I aim to achieve for my Final Major Project - the patterns of life not present visually but not absent in atmosphere.
Gregor Schneider Absence is just another form of presence. Nothingness is projected onto the viewer, in Gregor Schneider’s installations leaving space for imagination to play out a narrative like an actor in your own nightmare
Museums and Art Organisations Gordons Museum of Pathology, London www.kcl.ac.uk/gordon/index.aspx With an interest in anatomy and art combined i have focused alot of my research into wax anatomical bodies and how they are used to teach how the human body functions. Thackery Museum, Leeds www.thackraymuseum.org/ The thackery Musuem, altho primarily aimed at children is very informative, but also a very enjoyable experience. It provides educational experience of humanist studies and the progression of science through interaction and ‘play’.
The Wellcome Collection, London The Wellcome Collection ( Part of the Wellcome Trust) enables the pubic to explore the connections between medicine, life and art. It contains historiacal and contemporary collections and events.
Exhibitions Wellcome Collection - Exhibition - Death: a self-portrait The Wellcome Collection showcases 3oo works devoted to the iconography of death and our complex and contradictory attitudes towards it. Assembled by Richard Harris, a former antique print dealer based in Chicago, the collection is spectacularly diverse, including art works, historical artefacts, scientific specimens and ephemera from across the world. Rare prints by Rembrandt, Dürer and Goya will be displayed alongside anatomical drawings, war art and antique metamorphic postcards; human remains will be juxtaposed with Renaissance vanitas paintings and twentieth century installations celebrating Mexico’s Day of the Dead. From a group of ancient Incan skulls, to a spectacular chandelier made of 3000 plaster-cast bones by British artist Jodie Carey, this singular collection, by turns disturbing, macabre and moving, opens a window upon our enduring desire to make peace with death.
I went to visit this collection in London in December 2012. Not only incredibly interesting, I found it very helpful to my practical studies, looking at the relationship between people and the grotesque, abject and the effects of representing mortality.
Are you still mad at me? by John Isaacs
Mexican’ Day of the Dead’ papier-mache skeletons
MA Art and Science - Central Saint Martins, London www.csm.arts.ac.uk/courses/ma-art-and-science/
I have been interested in the Art and Science MA in London since last year. Having completed an application form it helped me to focus my interests and develop my work giving me a stronger portfolio to apply with. I have also visited the institution in December 2012 and intend to submit my application for 2014, taking a year out to gain work experience in the art industry.
MA Art and Science - University of Applied Arts Vienna www.dieangewandte.at/artscience/
The objective of the “Art & Science� master degree programme is to investigate the relationships between different artistic and scientific representational cultures and their respective cognitive and research methods. An inter- and transdisciplinary approach and project-oriented education should stimulate interaction between model and theory construction, and the application of methods, in particular, in the arts and sciences.
I have also been looking at Masters Degrees further a field. The MA Art and Science at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna offer a similar area of study to Central Saint Martens. By doing my Masters abroad it would open up my practice internationally and give me the opportunity to work with artists both in the U.K and in Vienna. I am going to seriously consider applying for this course for 2014, taking into account language barriers and financial factors.
MA Art and Science - Cardiff Again this course, at Cardiff School of Art and Design is similar to my first choice at Central Saint Martens. Having not yet visited the institution I am unsure if this course will ‘fit’ me. In my gap year after finishing my degree I plan to visit and re-visit all my possible choices for studying at masters level in order to make the right decision.
MA Visul Communication - Royal College o Art, London
I feel that my practice has shifted unexpectedly this past year towards masculinity and femininity in art, installation and collaboration. For this reason I have begun looking at Visual Communication MA’s as well as MA’s in Art and Science. This course at the Royal College of Art offers a very Interdisciplinary approach which I think will suit my practice very well, giving me the opportunity to investigate my areas of interest at a deeper level, collaborate with other artists and start working with the industry and art organisations in London.
A printable PDF version of this booklet can be found at: www.issuu.com/nataliefyfe/docs/ppd_booklet_ Further Research and Interesting Articles: www.artangel.org.uk/projects/1993/house www.artangel.org.uk//projects/1993/house/about_house/about_the_project www.frieze.com/issue/article/die_familie_schneider/ www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2004/oct/05/2 www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/jun/03/mike-nelson-venice-biennale www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2010/jun/14/mike-nelson-coral-reef-masterpiece www.dieangewandte.at/artscience/ www.artangel.org.uk//projects/2004/die_familie_schneider/the_living_rooms_ by_andrew_o_hagan/the_living_rooms_by_andrew_o_hagan www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/visual-communication www.glos.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/vco/Pages/default.aspx www.smu.ac.uk/index.php/component/content/article/61-art-and-design-postgraduate/207-ma-visual-communication-contemporary-dialogues www.artscatalyst.org/ www.artandscience.org.uk/ www.princeton.edu/~artofsci/gallery2011/about.php.html www.darkwaters.org.uk/