Jason Allen.C

Within this term 3A we explored ways in which our work can exist within an online space, realistically, due to the possibility of no end of year exhibition. I explored my work in terms of documenting the movement and transparency of my fabric works. I created a video which included an audio describing/ giving narrative to each work. The video, Hold me Close, has since been posted in Vimeo.

Sitting before Flowers (2020)

Sitting before Flowers (2020) is a work I created in response to the words: Apologetic, Lovers, Blossom, Temporary and Reminiscent. The words, personally, made me think of considering a different approach to materiality. This allowed for me to play with more solid and harsh materials; like clay and wire. I wanted to make a work that could exist as sculptural forms within the realm of my other fabric and sculptural works. In my bedroom I have many vases of different dried out flowers. The flowers represent different people and different memories; some being from lovers, family and even myself. I decided to explore these three types of flowers and create sculptures in response. The sculptures take form as elongated, broken, figurative representations of my flowers. The length of the flowers allow for them to become more bodily and estranged from actual flowers. After allowing the flowers to dry, I started to damage certain parts of the ‘stems’, exposing the inner armature. I found this process to bring forward concepts of decay, temporariness and a soft violence. The work is a sort of study and processing of how I perceive flowers to be beautiful broken objects when dead. Accompanying the sculptures is an installation of old torn fabric. The work is a reflective process of myself and my relationship to the flowers that surround me.

Jason Allen

Sitting before Flowers

2020

 Air-drying clay, Fabric, Wire.

7cm x 150cm (Individual sculptures)

Sitting before Flowers (2020), Detail of Flowers.

Sitting before Flowers (2020), Detail of Damage.

Work 2: Are we Okay?

We had just arrived home from celebrating our anniversary. You stood in front of me in your navy blue underwear as if expecting something more than the usual sex. Intimacy always seemed so important to you. I couldn’t tell if you were overly affectionate or if I even enjoyed it. But your kiss was inescapable. Magical yet so tragic. The sun woke us up the next morning. Our clothes spread across the floor and our nude bodies pressed together. You let me lay in your arms for a while longer that morning… absolute bliss. The rest of that day is unclear but the feelings remain. You didn’t love me and I didn’t want to be alone. You are an exquisite pain.

Jason Allen Are we Okay? 2020 Series

Glue-Gun on fabric A5 / Size of my hand

Work 1: Exquisite Pain

In Exquisite Pain (2020) I am exploring notions of memory and its connection to fragility and temporariness. Exquisite Pain takes form as a pool of blue flowers, varying in transparency throughout the work. This is also accompanied by the safety pinning of white transparent fabric covering and attempting to hide parts of the work. Within the work I am exploring the memory and feelings of someone I used to love. The love was fragile, tragic and hostile. This love takes form as a work that is covered, fading, invisible and visible all at once. The text in the work explores notions of myself in relation to the person. Exquisite Pain is a work where I explored notions of visibility not only of the flower forms, but the text as well. I did not want every element within the work to be visible to the viewer, even if it is to be viewed in person.

The documentation of the work serves to enhance the meaning. The only documentation of the work is a far-shot, body in relation shot and a video. I felt that there was an importance in showing the work in relation to my physical body. The videos aim to give the viewer an in-person experience of the work, while also exploring the notion of moments that cannot be kept forever and are constantly in flux of sight and thought.

Jason Allen Exquisite Pain, 2020

Acrylic paint, shimmery fabric and safety pins on White Fabric 2.2m x 2.4 m

Everseeking, Everfeeling. 

You will need:

1. A page/ fabric/ surface no bigger than an A4 size to draw on

2. A drawing tool of your choice

On the chose surface you must:

1. Write a word that holds a lot of meaning to you

2. Draw a wilting flower

3. Make a smudge 

4. Apologise to the surface

Love Hate Roulette 

Digital Photographs, Series

Work created under the guidance of Rowan Smith

Love Hate Roulette [1]

Love Hate Roulette [2]

Love Hate Roulette [3]

In this quick exercise I am exploring the notions of the temporality and the bringing forward of something personal without it being visible. I did this by writing letters to friends I’ve had sex dreams about. I used water painted on a white fabric to address my dream lovers. The water bleeds into the fabric, keeping the letter anonymous and unclear of what I am saying to them. After a while the letter is fully dry and the fabric is ready for the next letter to be created.

While doing this task during quarantine it allowed for an extreme amount of time to be spent contemplating an answer and heavily reflecting on myself. I spent time thinking about my personality, desires, passed tasks and where my head is at right now.

 Following the reading reflection I feel I want to belong and contribute to a greater ‘why’. I can do this by being part of a gallery/ company/ team that has a strong idea of why they do what they do. This could be a gallery that supports predominately queer artists for exposure (Nel on Long). I feel my purpose within work will be to uphold standards, share knowledge, create exposure and broaden knowledge. I feel I would work better as a team member than as an independent body, as reflected on before in other tasks.

 Personally I do not feel I have the personality type to become an entrepreneur, even though being an artist is an entrepreneurial voyage of its own. But I feel creating a business for myself will be difficult. I do however understand that being a creative within the creative, specifically art, industry is mostly about being your own business man and making your ‘why’ be known by galleries and people. A constant act of selling yourself.

Reading: Sinek, S. 2009. "Start with Why". London: Penguin Random House

I found this reading quite interesting regarding the themes of: what, how and why. I feel the reading didn’t only give insight into the functioning of a company, brand and team but could also be applied to the self. This reading was interesting in the way it dissected human behavior regarding how and what a company focuses on both pushing to the public and within the inner workings.

It seemed right reading about a company leader being inspirational and motivational instead of manipulative, which made even more sense with regards to the focus on the ‘why’ within a company. If the company and leader has a clear understanding of ‘why’ the company functions the way it does it surely would inspire the workers to be up to the standard which the leader is trying to uphold. It is all fun and games knowing what the company is about and how they go about doing this, but at its core there should be an essence of why it is being done.

In a company I feel the WHY can make or break the company. With a company that is creating mediocre work that is beautifully branded but at its core cannot sell its purpose, I feel is useless. The essential and relevance of the ‘why’ within a company may be just as important as the overall look and product/service which is provided.

When reading this is started to reflect on myself. I started pondering and contemplating my own ‘why’. I looked back at the work I made and reflected on the various reasons why I made those specific works. I also started thinking more broadly about reasons why I started making art, why I joined an art degree, why I want to exist within this specific Cape Town art scene. I found it quite useful to reflect on myself and my practice and to ground it in a why, that follows my ‘what’ and ‘how’.

Reading: Sample independent contractor agreement (pdf)

While doing this reading I often tried to replace the word design firms with relevant institutions that apply to my industry. I did however find this reading to be interesting in terms of exploring a design contract and all of its finer details. I came across a few things I wasn’t aware of within a contract, while also finding things that I assume would be present in every contract. When reading it first I was very lost within all the large legal words being used and all the subsections. However upon approaching this the second time, I started to make more sense and relevance of it. I found myself googling many words and surprisingly learn quite a few different things. I was also humorously reminded of how often when downloading apps or joining memberships we often skip reading the contract and agree to contracts we haven’t read. But I do understand it will be different within a work context.

 A few sections I found to be relevant to myself was compensation, Intellectual Property Ownership and Independent Contractor. With compensation it is important to note that every cost is listed and accompanied by some sort of evidence of pricing and/ or payment. It should be clearly explained where money should travel to and from and I feel the correct sue of invoices would be a complete necessity! I found intellectual Property to be the most interesting and challenging of the chapters. The copyrighting of your ideas to a company seems like a very complex situation within itself. This links with sections of originality and infringement and how one should not use similar ideas used elsewhere, everything needs to be specifically created and reimagine for what you are doing. Regarding being an independent contractor, it is important to understand your position within the parallel of the company you are hired to work with.

 I think the most important and pushed idea within the reading is miscellaneous. It makes me quite nervous reading about legal allegations and court dealings could appear if a breach in a contract is found. This further pushes the emphasis to fully read and get someone else to read your contract fully and understanding everything listed in it.

I personally feel I am striving to form a good balance between independent practice and having a stable fixed income.

 The ideas of being an independent practitioner really do appeal to me, but I’m not fully convinced. I feel I would have a lot of freedom in my days and be doing something I thoroughly enjoy almost all of the time. I would have my own space, have the freedom of a very flexible work schedule and have endless opportunity to create. With this in mind I do also however question being fully independent. By being independent I could focus purely on making things, growing connections and not worry about endless work loads of an institution. Also being my own boss would be enjoyable to an extent.

 I am nervous I will fall into a dark hole of not having a schedule and will never get around to creating one, losing my ability to time-manage and make deadlines. With this I also feel I will constantly be slightly stressed about not being able to take risks in my practice as I might rely on selling and creating only certain kinds of work. To become completely independent I would also often have to rely on connections and may burn out within my practice.

 I feel within this contemporary life, one cannot rely only on one source of income, especially within the Art industry. I will have to be find a fixed part-time job, or sacrifice some of my practice and work full-time. I honestly feel myself leaning more towards the idea of being full-time employed at a creative institute when I am older. I hope to juggle multiple projects while maintaining a full or part-time job. I do not want to sacrifice my entire creating practice, but I do feel the need to focus on being employed and have my name in the workings of an institution.

Please, 2020

Thread on Tarlatan

Safe, 2020

Digital Photograph of Sheet

Thanks for Cuming, 2020

Glue Gun and Thread on Fabric

The Feeling of You, 2020