Sound Strand

Throughout last semester, we were all separated into smaller groups to undertake a strand - ranging from traditional oil portraiture, to digital programming, filmmaking and drawing from film, and my strand, Sound.
I have never, nor have ever intended to work with sound as an art medium so was obviously apprehensive and pretty disheartened with my strand. I found the recording or everyday noises mundane and the programming (on platforms such as Audacity, and Pure Data) confusing and uninspiring.
However, as we were expected to present a piece in the Strand Exhibition, I undertook the challenge and tried to adapt the medium to my interests.
I found the spoken word a lot more interesting to listen to than obscure noises, and recorded a random conversation I had with a course mate observing a children's school trip in our University's art gallery and reminiscing.
I overlaid three of the same conversation on top of each other, leaving one as it was, playing one backwards and the final one I sped up 2x. The resulting sound had been transformed from the mature, if fairly dull conversation of two adults into the chaos ruckus of the children's excitement on the school trip, linking the two.
I knew I wanted the sound to emanate from some sculptures, and drawing on some papier mache experiments I did earlier (see two posts previous) I worked abstractly from memory of me and Lex hunched over, chatting. I thought the papier mache medium also perfectly encapsulated the nostalgia associated with primary school.
See below for finished product

the Marshall mini-amps which were encased in the sculpture

In My Room II - chromatic greys/figurative exploration

Using a red ground, I experimented with chromatic greys again on A1 paper in oil. Wanting to make the colours play off each other without characteristically getting too gaudy and colourful, I stuck to colour theory, using only lemon yellow, cadmium red, cobalt blue and titanium white to conjure up tonal greys, hinting with green to offset the complimentary red background.
I'm hoping to study more colour theory and work on my complimentary colours, alternating ground colours and working towards a comprehensive understanding of colour so as to not get too trigger happy with my permanent rose (guilty!)
Working at confidently placing the figure in space is also prominent in my practice, instead of rigidly sitting within a graphite underdrawing, I have painted and rubbed away painted outlines so as to build a depth to the composition and freely building an environment within which my figure can sit.
Influences: Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon, Paula Rego, Marlene Dumas.

Venture into sculpture

Having studied to an extent the biomorphism of Henry Moore, I was inspired to work from the amorphous forms in my printmaking to create these quick visceral abstract maquettes. Whilst not my favourite works, they stand at maximum 30cm high and add an interesting 3 dimensional aspect to my body of work this term.

preparatory sketches working loosely from the forms in my printmaking 

the internal structures are built from tinfoil and trusty papier mache

I covered the sculptures in magazine clippings, chosen carefully for their visceral colours, and abstracted further by vigorously brushing with white spirit

Debauchery

In this 100cm x 110cm oil painting on canvas, I worked from a fleeting photograph taken at my 21st birthday party. Wanting to depict my celebrations with my closest friend, the painting immortalises a moment I personally will never remember. I could say that I made this painting in anticipated nostalgia and sentimentality more so than anything else.
That said, my main influences were Lucian Freud and Marlene Dumas.

Details

My studio

In My Room

A large departure from my usual colourful - bordering on acidic - palette, I have been working with just lemon yellow, cobalt blue and cadmium red with white to work with a chromatic grey scale. My monochromatic works such as my charcoal drawing and printmaking have most believably captured my subject, thus working from chromatic greys and focusing mainly on tone seems to be a wise way to develop my painting.
Main influences: Lucian Freud, Marlene Dumas and Francis Bacon.

oil paint on A1 primed paper

details - i love how just the simplest marks can form the human body. Often leaving areas blank (such as the toes here) is actually more effective

Preparatory print-making

Working from a few snapshots, I decided to work from a limited palette - incredibly limited at just one colour! I want to work on improving my eye for tone.
Here are 4 monoprints on around A5 paper, looking at partially abstracting forms as well as singling out tone, whilst placing the figure believably in space.
I really enjoyed creating an atmospheric setting - I rolled ink onto copper plates, then rubbed and swiped away from tissue paper, pencils and cotton buds. I love some of the mark making debris left on the white patches.
The first two were done simply in ruby red etching ink, whilst the latter two are a mixture of red and yellow ochre to turn down the brightness.

Katie

Daddy

In my Room

In my Room II

feedback - working from observation

Following feedback from my tutor, he informed me that whilst my previous drawing was well realised, I would benefit from observational studies. This is difficult seeing as the majority of life classes require payment and most people are not willing to sit for a portrait. 

Here is a quick 15 minute painting I did of a studio mate before she decided to move.
Make your judgement - I hate it.

A5 preparatory graphite sketch

approx A2 canvas. Yellow oil paint on pink ground

detail