#conceptualproject

Theme

I have chosen the theme “Undifferentiated”, by the sixth week of pregnancy the sexual glands are undifferentiated between male and female. This is something that inspired Matthew Barney, which is where I discovered it. He bases his characters on this stage in life making them have no sex. I find the idea of someone having no sex really fascinating, because it defines us in a huge way. It defines our whole personality even when we are in the womb, something that Genesis P-Orridge and Lady Jaye talk about is once the sex is discovered by parents they create hopes and dreams for their child, which the child can hear and feels it has to live up to. This creates a feeling of being trapped that is most commonly recognised in woman who feel trapped in a man’s body, and men who feel trapped in a woman’s body. Also by looking at Porridge and Jaye I discovered their feeling of becoming one person, I’m thinking of it in the way that when a male and female come together it would counteract the sex.

 I feel this theme will allow me to explore many possible outcomes. Erasing sex from two people that have already declared our sex’s, so disguising that and acting against it will create some interesting ideas of conflict, but coming together as one will allow for more visual responses aswell. For initial responses I will be using Photoshop, makeup to cover hair as I feel that is an aesthetic that helps us define our sex and personality. Video and performance will also be on my mind especially, because my theme is about the human body.

Source and Resource

I plan to start with visual responses, which will most likely be in all the medias that I have previously mentioned. I have asked my boyfriend to help as he is a male and I am a female and we both identify as that. I plan to look at how our bodies can be combined, but also how I can disguise the sex on both of us. I think my idea to work with makeup might be difficult, but for initial responses it will be good to experiment with both dramatic but also more realistic, like bald caps and concealing the eyebrows because I feel hair is something that really defines each sex.

I was influenced by Matthew Barney, and Genesis P-Orridge and Lady Jaye. Matthew Barney based his characters on the stage of pregnancy where the sex is undifferentiated. The Pandrogeny project by P-Orridge and Jaye is a series where both artists have become a couple, but feel so close they feel like they want to almost be one another. Instead of creating a child they have created a third entity, not involving sex, which neither of them seem to identify with. The third entity is a better version of both of them, “two parts of a new beginning” that they are taking on themselves through cosmetic surgery and therapy. I find this project really interesting and mesmerising because of the commitment they have for one another and for the project, I find there is always a sense of doubt, like we can’t fully trust in case we get hurt, but here they just let go of all of that. Becoming one has influenced me to think about intertwining two bodies to almost create a character who is neither sex.

Techniques and Processes

I will be locating my information from artist’s websites, the Internet and the library. So far I have only used the Internet, but hopefully once I am back at college I will be able to have a quick look at the library. The techniques I will use are video, performance, photography, special effects makeup and Photoshop. I think these are relevant to my theme because they allow me to use the body as part of the artwork, which is of course significant because of interest in the male and female form and how that can become one and on their own be disguised. All the materials and equipment I own or can, sourced from the A.V room. The equipment I will need is a camera, special effects makeup and software which I have decided to buy, because it seems like I might have to do a lot of work at home. I will also need my boyfriend’s help, which he is always willing to give but it means I will have to work around his schedule as well as mine.

Timescale

I feel this time around will be a lot more difficult than usual. At my work my assistant manager has left, so I have been asked to work more because I’m the hardest worker. This will hopefully be fixed as soon as possible but for now I will be working from home and attending college as often as I can. To help with situation I have started to add work into my timeline and my own personal diary, which I have not done before but will allow me to make sure I am staying on top of everything. I have also once again left a lot of time to develop my final piece. I find this allows me to have a much better outcome instead of finishing a project having to start a new one and develop the last one. Of course there is always room for improvement but it does allow for a more successful final artwork. 

Timeline

Working days will include what I can do from the intentions of the week.

Week 1 9th-15th January

·      Monday-Wednesday: Working

·      Thursday: Research, SOI

·      Friday: Working

·      Saturday-Sunday Afternoons: Finish SOI and Visual Response with James.

Week 2 16th-22nd January

·      Monday: SOI First Draft Due. Working but in the afternoon Visual Response with James and try blocking out eyebrows on myself.

·      Tuesday-Thursday: College (Finally). Work on visual responses for research, a trip to the library for any other influences and hopefully have a chat with Jennie or Alan about project and UCAS. Wednesday: GROUP CRIT, remember to take notes and evaluate after.

·      Friday: Working

·      Saturday: Any visual responses that needed James included could be done today.

·      Sunday: Glasgow Digital Portfolio Hand In

·      ALL WEEK: Work on Digital Portfolio

·      Thursday night could be trying out the bald caps or at the weekend so James can be included.

Week 3 23rd-29th January

·      Monday: College, final day for research and visual responses. I should be able to pick a couple of ideas to develop for Thursday.

·      Tuesday-Wednesday Working

·      Thursday: College start developing your ideas, plans for if you need James included or make props or costumes.

·      Friday-Saturday: Working

·      FINISH DIGITAL PORTFOLIO’S FOR ALL UNI’S, (this could be done after work)

Week 4 30th-5th February

·      Development week, develop costumes, visuals, props. I need to make sure to be thinking about presentation, don’t have to be reinforcing it, but make sure it’s being considered.

·      Tuesday: Edinburgh Digital Portfolio Hand In.

Week 5 6th-12th February

·      Monday 6th: Second Draft of SOI Due

·      Tuesday 7th: Group Crit, remember to take notes for a better evaluation. Do an evaluation today and start working on what was suggested.

·      Wednesday-Sunday Final Week for development. I should be able to see which idea is most successful and once decided I should be able to write an evaluation so that I can react to it on Monday.

Week 6 13th-19th February

·      Monday start final piece. I need to write a plan including work and James’ schedule. This will allow me to know when I can get photos taken or film or possibly perform.

·      Tuesday-Friday Work on costumes, location, props. Remember to think about presentation and quality of the artwork.

·      Saturday-Sunday: Start filming/photographing if possible.

Week 7 20th-26th February

·      Filming/Photograph. Final Crit is next week and I want to be ready. Get Photography and Filming done by the start of the week and have the rest of the week to evaluate and develop before the final crit. I should also have considered or know what I want to do for presentation.

·      Leave the weekend to prepare for crit and film or photograph again if needed.

Week 8 27th-5th March

·      Monday: depending on work schedule this could be filming and photographing day.

·      Tuesday Final Crit, remember to take notes and evaluate afterwards.

·      Wednesday-Sunday: react to what was said at crits and develop the final piece. The weekend or next week could be when I decide to film and this week could be the remaking or costumes or making of new costumes.

Week 9 6th-12th March

·      Definitely should have a final artwork at the beginning of this week and for the end of the week I should have tried the artwork in all situations suited for the artwork this will help with presentation. Finally I should document and do my final evaluation for hand in on Monday!

13th March; HAND IN

 Evaluation

 I will be considering the conceptual quality of the idea, the presentation, including where it should be presented, how, why, etc. I will also consider the quality of the artwork, could the photo have been taken on a better background, could the video be edited better and so on. Usually when writing an evaluation, I know exactly what can be improved, so I don’t really need a list but these are things I like to remind myself about as I sometimes slack in presentation. I will be doing evaluations as often as possible especially at the end of the week or after a crit. These are usually the best times because it allows for another opinion where something that I might have not thought about has been brought up. I must remember to take notes during crits as they really help.

 SWOT

Strengths

·      I am working with a theme that I am comfortable with. My last project was a theme I wasn’t used to, so by realising it is okay to be influenced by one broad theme and not everything that ever existed, is okay.

·      I am working in a media that I enjoy and feel comfortable with. I also experimented in the last project, trying to create an installation/sculpture for my final piece instead of following my gut which is often performance or digital work.

·      My organisation skills will definitely be coming into play here, but I am enthusiastic and a hard worker, so I’m not failing now!

Weaknesses

·      Presentation is something I have struggled with before, because it always comes as a last thought, but it is so important and I did a lot better at paying more attention to it in the last project, so this time I will improve even more.

·      It’s very easy to leave things until the last minute, but I think with the right organisation skills I will be fine.

·      Remembering to evaluate. I always remember after a crit, but I want to do it more often as it really helps improve my project and final art work.

Opportunities

·      This project gives me the opportunity to explore a new idea, I feel it has some great influence behind it and I really enjoy working with the themes of sex, gender and relationship.

·      More costume and character will be coming into play and that’s always a great opportunity, because of the stories they can have, which could develop into a series at some point in the future.

·      An opportunity to try more performance and maybe hosting a small audience.

Threats

·      Work is definitely a threat for this project, but hopefully my organisation and enthusiasm for this project will soar.