Utopia/Dystopia L O N D O N
UNIT 2 Critical Practice Research Proposal 500 Word Essay
Utopia/Dystopia –London by Stephen Myers BA(Hons) F.R.S.A. Unit 2 Navigation
“focus on discovery, exploration, enquiry and risk taking within your approach to drawing”-Course Handbook. MA Drawing. In progressing the research to this project of drawing contemporary London, the critical paper explores two facets of the research. Firstly, a personal reflection. An overview of some of the personal experiences of self reflection described in the Unit 1 paper. Secondly, the technical experimentation. An insight into the skills explored and described in the Unit 1 paper. REFLECTION-The idols Drawing of the ascent of Mt Carmel after the original by Juan de Yepes y Alvarez.(St John of the Cross)
“In order to arrive at that which you know not, you have to go by a way that you know not.” St John of the Cross.
(1) The above drawing is sketched by a man who was a mystic, a doctor of the church and was a hugely inspirational character to the founders of the Neo-Catechumenal Way, Kikko Aguiero and Carmen Hernandez. The “Way” is for me an unknown. Neither my family nor associates are involved in it. In 2008 the Vatican approved the statutes of the Neo Catechumenal Way confirming it as an orthodox itinerary of Christian formation.
In 2012 I took part in a “rite of passage” of the way known as “The second scrutiny”. In this passage the individual is asked a series of questions about their life and its experiences. These include: 1-Enumerate the idols of the world. Before the “way” have you been a slave to them? 2-During the way have you experienced some victories over these idols? 3-Today, sincerely to what idols are you still a slave? It is important to state that the reflective process will have subliminal relevance to the outcomes of the project. The “risk” element of the project is how the process impacts on the drawings. This part of the research touches on religious symbolism and the idols of the world. Due to the dual polarities of the research subject (Utopia/Dystopia) it is hoped to explore London’s rich heritage of imagery, statuary and idols. It hopes to juxtapose images of virtue against worldly idols. “We seem to have a natural tendency to create symbols in the way we think and in our art, which must reflect a deep seated trait of the human spirit.” Kenneth Clarke. Halls Dictionary of subjects and symbols in art. John Murray (Publishers) Ltd. Page ix Other artists(including those mentioned in Unit1) who will inform the research include William Blake who lived in the 1670s in London. He claimed to see the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel and a host of angels on a tree in Peckham Rye. TECHNICAL-Glass/Digital In January 2012 saw enrollment into VGE006a Glass engraving. Glass engraving is also an “unknown”. The skills of intaglio drill engraving, stipple and chiaroscuro are investigated. During this period of the research the work of Angela Palmer is relevant. Her work utilizes an MRI scan to etch her body layers onto glass and then layers the sheets of glass one on the other to create an almost three dimensional effect. This technique had already been proposed in unit 1, although without the help of an MRI scan. In working with glass, experimentation will also take place of multi layering glass objects and using crystal objects. Vintage, found objects of glass will be etched and then placed inside other etched objects to explore concepts mentioned in the Unit 1 paper of layered vectorized artwork but in 3 dimensions. This would also echo the reflective nature of the research-the idol.
(2) The research also embraces new experimentation with digital technologies (mentioned in Unit 1) whereby techniques using Photoshop and Illustrator are utilized. Imagery will be inverted, mirrored (dual polarity) and rotated into spirals and other shapes.. “The spiral tendency within each one of us is the longing for and growth towards wholeness. Every whole is cyclic, and has a beginning, middle and an end. It starts from a point, expands and differentiates, contracts and disappears into the point once more. Such a pattern is that of our lifetime, and may well be that of our universe” Jill Pruce. The mystic spiral. Journey of a soul. Thames & Hudson 1974 page13
(3) Bibliography: CLARKE. K (1994). Halls Illustrated Dictionary of subjects and symbols in art. John Murray (Publishers) Ltd PRUCE. J. (1974) The mystic spiral. Journey of a soul. Jill Pruce. Thames & Hudson The Jerusalem Bible (popular edition) published by Darton, Longman & Todd KAVANNAGH.K O.C.D and RODRIGUEZ.O (1964). Introducing St John of the Cross. A portrait and short biological sketch. ICS Publications University of the Arts London Wimbledon. Course Handbook. .2012 MA Drawing. Illustrations: (1)Mount of Perfection after the drawing by St John of the Cross. (2)Authors own (3)Authors own Watermark Authors own