Drawing and Film: Exhibition Proposal

I am proposing a series of embroidery works for the exhibition, because I am inspired by Candy Jernigan. Maybe my use of the found object reflects my fear of the blank sheet of paper.

I enjoy working with found materials, because when looking at a blank piece of fabric, I found it difficult to start, but once I started working with found fabric, I would go back and work on a blank piece of fabric. Jernigan’s waqy of working is that she doesn’t collect random things, instead she has certain things only that she collects. She actually composes her pieces carefully and she sometimes draws instead of using the original object. I like both of these approaches because they show skills.

Figure 1: Candy Jernigan –Shelley’s wandering research: Candy Jernigan & Evidence.

Figure 2: Personal image – Using found fabric as the ground to work with.

Because of Unit X, I do not have Friday drawing sessions anymore; therefore, I have found it hard for inspiration. However, I also see Unit X as a challenge for working independently. Instead of creating something new, for example, proposing a film for the exhibition, even though I do enjoy it, but I do not see myself within the idea I feel happy developing my skills in embroidery and print, rather than developing new skills in film. From the illustrator’s talk I learnt that you can’t do everything.

Also, I am deeply influenced by the hand craft movement. Even though it’s slow progress, the feeling of successfully connecting with my own work, and to me is important and something I wouldn’t get from film. I think if I didn’t enjoy doing this, then there is no point in doing it at all.

 Figure 3: Personal Image – Handstitching on top of Films.

During the making, I got to a point where I was talking to myself, because the idea of the theme ‘Fairground’ to me was not the colourful fun performances, but it was the hard work behind the scenes that interested me. See figure 3 – I used handstitch to write work hard. Because I think whatever I do, not only in this project or just at uni, if I want something, I have to work hard to get it.

In my mind, I am thinking of having a wall space for my works, because I am inspired by Karola Pezarro - Au bord de l’eau (2012).

Figure 4: Karola Pezarro - Au bord de l’eau (2012).

I really liked this piece of work, the busyness of the fabrics next to each other, and yet, because the colours of them all are similar, it creates a delicate feeling.

Also, within my own works I didn’t cut the fabrics square by square, I tore them apart, therefore, none are perfectly straight, I like the idea of imperfection. If I wanted my work to look perfect, I would just send them all away and let the machine do the work, I want my artist’s touch within my work, and I enjoy movements, accidental within my work, because I think my work has to be reflecting my mood, my personality.

Figure 5: Personal Image – Collage

The lecture that I attended about being an illustrator opened my mind about not being able to do everything, because I tend to have that problem, wanting to be good at everything, looking at other artists work and thinking, why did I not think of that, why can’t I be just as good as them? That is because I am not them, I am me.

It takes years of practice to be good. Therefore, it is okay to make mistakes, sometimes I get upset when I mess up and it takes me a while to come to realise that I have been heading  in the wrong direction. In unit X I have been trying to bring out my best quality work through the directions of embroidery and print rather than trying to be good at film. I don’t want to be against trying new things but I do want to recognise I can’t necessarily be good at everything.