ANOTHER SPACE
Fine Art Foundation Project
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When first presented with the brief, I had many questions:
What defines a space?
When does it become something other than a space?
As I didn’t have an answer to this eerie proposition, I wanted to position the audience in my shoes by producing a piece of work that was discomforting, so that they may ask the same questions.
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Brief
The
Research
& Inspiration
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This led to my questioning of the purpose of a room, best reflected in the work of Gregor Schneider’s “Haus u r” exhibition, where the rooms’ inability to perform the assumed purposes (I.e. to be welcoming, safe) debates whether these rooms are “real” or not, giving them their eerie atmosphere. I wanted to play around with this notion within my own work.
I was immediately drawn to liminal spaces, from their unique ability to combine nostalgia and eeriness, but most notably their function as intermediary points between origin and destination. To me this sounds like another space entirely.
The places appear uncanny as they lack any signs life and movement they are usually associated with. This absence creates an otherworldly atmosphere.
The influence and significance of a human presence/absence in a room was explored through a series of paintings, until I had identified what elements I thought were effective in conveying my themes and why.
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I wanted to experience one of these rooms personally, but struggled to find anywhere accessible that matched the similar atmosphere I was trying to photograph. So after some evaluation, I realised the best way to maximise creative control to achieve the perfect outcome, that I could build a miniature version of a liminal space.
Using scrap mdf boards and creating layers using a combination of Polyfilla, acrylic paint, pastels, and tissue paper, I was able to convey a sense of deterioration in the walls. The effect of the “fluorescent lights” were emulated by using milk cartons, with a lamp shining through to create an ominous glow.
I actually prefer that I created the model rather than visiting a site, as it made me consider small details that created the ambience. It also reflected my research of the effect of "artificial" rooms.
The Room
As my first project of my foundation, I wanted to combine as many mediums to maximise my learning and experience. In this mixed media installation piece I combined elements of painting, model-making, video, audio, photography, and projection. I think my creative vision ensured that all of these mediums intertwined well, and I definitely learned new techniques that I want to include in my next projects - particularly projection