Framing Statement, MA Fine Art, Year 2

    This year I am happy to report that I actually have been able to generally follow my proposal. My vision was worsening, but I was realistic about what I felt I would be able to cope with. 

    I started the term with the vision in my right eye progressing to “legally blind” – my vision score was CF which means “counting fingers” – I couldn’t read the chart so the technician would wave their hand holding up fingers. I could see the movement, but not the fingers. Luckily, in February I had cataract surgery on the right eye, and then in March on the left eye. This has cleared up the total fog over my vision and I can see shapes and colours again. I am still dealing with the retinopathy, and still on my treatment schedule (which they don’t keep to) which means my ability to focus wanes drastically between treatments. After treatment I have about a week to 10 days of, for me, cleared up vision, before it starts to fog up again. But I persevere!

    In the research portion of my proposal I had outlined two related areas: find out about historical and contemporary visually impaired artists, and, to research aides and resources available for them/us. I made the decision to concentrate on the aides and resources available as that was the most pertinent to me. I felt that separating these two points made it a more manageable research project for my major writing assignment seeing as it was limited to 3000 words. I will be covering the historical and contemporary artists with visual impairments for my final year which will allow me to expand on the topic in much more depth.

    I was able to track down one of the books I had listed in my proposal: When Walls Become Doorways: Creativity and the Transforming Illness, 2016, by Tobi Zausner, PhD. and, reading in short spurts, finished it. It will be used in next year’s writing. The search for audio versions of the books I’d listed was unsuccessful.

    In my proposal I had stated:  My physical art work will be a continuation of my experimentation with print making methods and incorporating with mixed media.

    I am so pleased that I was able to continue with this focus and, during the course of the year have been able to develop techniques to produce works that I am very happy with. The work is inspiring me to continue on with what I am learning. Being able to see potential new concepts in my current work was something I was missing, and I feel that I have finally found my voice again.

    In the print studio I started using the offset press to create large A1 prints. It was satisfying to work on such a large scale, and physically a lot easier to crank. I was using new techniques and equipment and incorporating my skills of sponge blending (from my previous career as a make-up artist) on the plates.

    In December I started talking to a Creative Coach as I was feeling rudderless, not being able to “see” a way forward in making the art I wanted to. It was around that time that I started to cut up and weave work that I wasn’t happy with. I showed this work to my coach and she helped me to see that just making something every day was the way to get my mojo back. She told me the enemy of creativity is perfection… and that was my moment of realization.

    From that point on I had a new direction. I started using mixed media by incorporating fabric into the paper weaving with great results, as well as different papers and recycled materials, and have notes and plans for other projects to complete over the summer and next year.

    I had other concepts outlined in my proposal to experiment with, but as I’ve gone on to develop a specific body of work with my new techniques I will be concentrating on that.

    I’ve started researching artists who utilize weaving and while there aren’t as many as in other media, there are a variety of methods and materials being used. I’ve got a few ideas that I’ve made notes of and I’ve not run across versions of those in my research (yet), so I’m pretty excited to see if I can make them work.

    I’ve also produced abstract work in the last year. Abstract was not my thing at all (pre-vision loss) but, apparently, the pieces I’ve made are pretty decent. I included a few works in my year end show and they got amazing feedback. I will explore that more deeply going forward, as it will interconnect with the other work I am planning.

    It feels amazing to be able to, again, have a focus to my art practise. To have enthusiasm to continue to explore with my chosen materials and themes. I will continue to hold onto my long standing commitment to recycle and reuse materials, and themes of conservation. As I develop this style I hope to incorporate my vision into my new body of work.