ART280 - P5 - Artwork Reflection 2

Relating my project back to the Northeast, I decided to capture a moment of violent history by creating an artwork depicting Policeman clashing with Northern protesters during the 'Battle of Orgreave' in 1984.

This is a mixed media work using charcoal, oil pastel, graphite, and a mixture of blue and black inks. I wanted to make the artwork feel rapid and graphic, so I drew inspiration from a photograph of the assault and employed a violent mark-making technique, which create areas of darkness from both mixing all the mediums, and using crosshatching.

I feel as if this artwork is strong in regards to my project, as it captures the brutality of the black metal aesthetic, and reminds viewers of the discrimination that many Northerners faced, and arguably still face. The techniques and mediums used were very successful in conveying my intentions and themes.

 

ART281 - Experimentation - Pallet Knife Paintings

Using a pallet knife to paint creates a lot of texture and motion in artwork, due to the shape of the knife and the way in which paint is applied. Having little experience with this technique, I decided to create two artworks that focus on gesture and emotion.

The first artwork was applied onto a porcelain tile, which allowed me to freely blend colours together. Because of this the features of the entity fade into the skin, making it appear as if it is mummified. To also assist me in creating an eerie piece of work, I decided to create this during the early hours of the morning. I believe that because of this setting I was more careful with how I painted, possibly due to fatigue after the day. This inadvertently really added to the artwork in my opinion.

Untitled, acrylics on porcelain tile

This second artwork was applied onto a sheet of A3 paper that I primed with gesso, to prevent any paint from potentially leaking through the paper. You can almost tell that this was created during the day when compared to the last pallet knife painting, evident from the presence of more vibrant colours and a new-found energy. Also unlike the previous work, I created ta background using the sharp end of the knife and gestural strokes. Initially, this artwork was challenging, however I feel as if the end result went successfully. The figure in the artwork comes across as abject and visceral, which was my intention.

Peel, acrylics on Gesso primed A3

ART281 - Introductory Work

I feel as if I create a small general body of work as an introduction to this project, this will assist in directing me towards a more concise outcome. So I created a series of artworks based on emotions I was feeling at the time, which I can then compare to artworks I create later on in the project.

To start off, I created somewhat of a caricature of our current Prime Minister, commenting on his response to the pandemic and his attitude towards Northern regions. It is not uncommon for the North to be disregarded, however I was particularly disgusted with his disregard of small businesses and artists. So I produced this as a response.

Tremendous, Ink on A4

The next drawing was made as a sort of therapy piece, where I produced it when trying to relax. I enjoy crosshatching and shading in practice, and find it a relaxing experience, which is why this drawing is so heavy in terms of shading. It is quite graphic, and was improvised during the creation process.

Untitled, Ink on A3

The next drawing is titled as 'Storms', which was created out of stress. This is evident from the varying densities of line that define the shading and tone of this image. I personally really like this work as I feel like it is really emotive, and it represents the overall theme of the project in terms of expressionism and art therapy.

Storms, Biro on A3

ART280 - P4 - Artwork Reflection 1

I chose to initially explore traditional black-metal imagery in order to have a baseline of where to take the project. Usually, album covers and logos usually rely on symbolism, however I chose not to include any as I did not want to condemn nor trivialise symbols that could be important to a group of people.

I created two paintings, both centered around death and anatomy. Both artworks have dark backgrounds, as I wanted the viewer to focus on the subject at hand, and I was inspired by Francis Bacon's approach to a few of his selected portraiture works.

The first painting is on an A3 canvas, which was primed using Gesso. From my personal experience with my own black metal music, listeners are more inclined towards albums that feature faces, and heavy contrast, which is why I chose to include the expressive corpse-like subject.

The second painting again draws inspiration from Francis Bacon, however I was also influenced by the Norwegian artist Theodor Kittleson's work titled 'Fattigmannen'. This artwork was infamously used for the 1994 Burzum album 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss', which is why I thought it would be appropriate. The corpse in the painting is posed similarly to the body depicted in 'Fattigmannen'. This was painted on an A4 canvas that was primed with Gesso.

 

ART281 - Experimentation - Self Portrait

This is a self portrait created during a time of uncertainty, where emotions for everyone are running high. I feel as if this is reflected in my oil pastel artwork here, where I drew a self portrait of myself using a mirror and artistic liberties.

I really like the colour pallet I used in this artwork, and the overall mood that is created as a result of all elements brought together. After receiving feedback from peers, I was told that the artwork comes across as sad, with an overall feeling of dread. Relating this back to my project, I feel as if it really fits in with the expressionist attitude of representing emotion.

Self Portrait, A4 artwork using oil pastels, pencils, and a painted background.

ART280 - P3 - Visualisation

Visualisation

Due to the Government's managing of the pandemic, it is currently unknown as to when we can all return to normal. Being told to 'retrain', paired with the consistent U-Turns, has taken a toll on artists. So, with the future uncertain but hopefully positive, I will have to carefully consider how to approach planning my live exhibition. I have a few ideas on how to safely yet accurately convey my messages to an audience.

Website - Online Exhibition

I could present my work online through a website hosting service, as this allows for a vast array of possibilities without the risk of a venue cancelling at the last minute, which could disrupt my creative journey. I could use the website as a makeshift installation, as I could add music, videos, any image, and format it to suit my project's themes

Exhibition - Shaun Gallery Space

My goal for the project is to bring attention to the Northeast's influence on extreme metal, and how overlooked the region has become. So, if I were to incorporate this idea into an exhibition, I would make a large central artwork of a mock album cover, paired alongside mock music promotional materials. This will combine core illustration concepts with the freedom and emotion that contemporary art brings.

The promotional materials could be designed and then printed in large numbers, which I could use for two additional artworks to either side of the large mock album cover painting. This however would have to be created at the University site, then transported to the project space.

Video - Mixed Media

A video could be premiered, which itself would be an artwork due to audio and visual components paired alongside creative editing. This short video could showcase some of the work I have made in an experimental way, where a soundtrack could be made specially for the video, much like what many artists use in installation work.

Also, depending on audio and imagery I use and how I conduct the editing, this is potentially a very successful way of conveying my overall ideas. I believe that atmosphere is key to impacting an audience, and with black metal itself being brazen yet dreamlike in a way, this pairing could really benefit my artistic practice.

A video being projected in the Shaun Project Space, a potential

 way in which I could premier my video

ART280 - P2 - 'What Is a Live Project?'

A live project in terms of fine art is one which involves the general public or a community. The success of a live project is determined by audience reception and participation, as the intention is to directly communicate with them.

This project I am working on is a live project, therefore I will measure the success in regards to how much the black metal community contributed towards it, the audience's acknowledgement of my themes, and how it fits into the artistic world. I will communicate with Black Metal fans from a variety of backgrounds and find out what defines specific music as 'black metal', and how they view the Northeast's involvement in the creation of the genre.

It is also important to note that live projects usually have an overarching 'event', which is used to open an exhibition, or it occurs at certain intervals over it's duration. Reflecting upon this, I am considering playing some experimental music as a performative piece for the opening, but this will be ultimately determined over the course of my research on artists. The research will allow me to make an informed decision as to whether a performance piece will relate to my themes and intentions.

ART280 - P1 - Negotiated Learning Plan

 What interests or drives you?

I am fascinated by abject art that takes different mediums and strategies to the extreme. I feel as if art is very communicative in regards to the portrayal of themes and ideas, and I find that abjection in art tends to be the most honest and grounded stylistic choice when directly confronting chosen topics. This in turn tends to make abject art considered as usually controversial, however art sometimes should be controversial, as this is what starts social and artistic movements. I like to consider the value that abject art holds in terms of it’s importance in the art world, as the bold experimentation ultimately will inspire future artists to tackle art without fear.

Niche music groups, such as extreme metal communities, also drive me to consider my role as an artist in society. My artwork tends to be very expressive, often employing improvisational sketching techniques with inks to create nightmarish entities. This interests stems back to my love of extreme metal album artwork, such as with works by Dan Seagrave or Karl Dahmer, that tends to depict disturbing, visceral scenarios. The death metal band ‘Entombed’ released a record in 1990 called ‘Left Hand Path’ utilising one of Seagrave’s artworks, which proved to be a success, ultimately cementing his place as one of the most important artist’s of the metal community. This inspires me, along with my keen interest in the music, to create commissioned album artworks and contemporary art celebrating the sub-genre.

What materials do you think might best serve your investigations? What media/areas/possible exhibition sites/participatory project opportunities you intend to explore and research?

Utilising mark making media will be vital for the success of my investigations, as well as expanding upon my photography and printmaking knowledge. This will broaden my investigations by allowing me to consider the effects derived from different media, and to develop common artistic working practice (such as canvas making and photograph development) to become a more knowledgeable artist.

I will investigate the black metal community by evaluating popular imagery that is widely used, and common recurring themes. This could involve attending concerts (when safe), starting discussions online, and talking to my peers about their relationship towards the genre.

I will investigate a physical location to present my work, however the work will likely be curated and presented online in order to:

• Safely present my artwork in a risk free setting.

• Consider the perspective of the audience and how different viewing angles affect the intended outcome of the exhibition

• To increase the volume of viewership for the exhibition.

• To make the work accessible to black metal fans in different locations.

I would also like to somehow incorporate comments from fans of the sub-genre into my artworks, potentially as conceptual supplementary pieces that will be shown alongside a final album artwork.

Also, I will be phographing different iconic sites in the Northeast to evaluate imagery that potentially could be used in the creation of album artwork and the ‘mock’ band logo. Upon choosing a location, this will lead onto me researching the history of the area, and what I could use for the band’s name.

How will you measure your success?

I will reflect upon my creative journey through comments in my blog posts, as well as by evaluation the criteria of the project. My project will be successful if local and black metal communities recognise that I am referring to the Northeast’s musical prominence in the extreme metal community. The Northeast as a whole is often overlooked and shunned, especially by authorities as of late, which is why we need to recognise the beauty and tragedy found with the most contreversial yet ultimately profound inventions of the Northeast.

I will consider the success by also referencing the following:

• The final rendering of the piece and whether it was successfully created.

• My organisation and planning skills coming up to the opening night.

• Consider if any setbacks occured or last-minute decisions were made.

• If the intended themes are conveyed with meaning.

• The feedback I obtain from peers over the course, and at the conclusion, of the project.