Working title: The Relationship Between Ideas, Process and Outcome
“In the physical activity of making the drawings new ideas emerge and possibilities are seen which then start to direct it – and then after a while you start saying well what does it all start to add up to? What are the kinds of concerns that are coming out in the work? And that becomes the shape” - William Kentridge.
To what extent can ideas and inspiration be explored, developed or refined through a process led approach and exploratory use of materials? At what point along this journey, is an outcome or ‘shape’ revealed, or even important?
I am interested in what happens when we truly trust the creative process - and what happens if we don’t. With the tension between journey and resolution often one I battle with as an artist, I want to challenge myself to truly allow my ideas to weave and evolve as naturally as possible, to embrace failure and accidents in a way I haven’t felt able to before, to deepen my connection with what it means to be creative.
I have set this challenge for myself as an individual, but also because it’s important and relevant for me to do so within the wider context of my work in education.
As educators, if we are presenting children with an outcome first, alongside a linear set of steps to reach it, and ignoring how art connects us to hand, heart and head - are we not dampening their creative spirit? I want to advocate a different approach – one that is underpinned with context, but that places process and journey as its central force.
Aims = Questions I am asking myself
Objectives = Steps by which I will meet the aims
Aim 1: What happens when we truly trust the creative process? What happens if we don’t? To what extent does allowing an outcome to evolve itself, and to embrace failure and accidents, improve skills and enhance the creative experience?
Objective 1 - To further my knowledge and understanding of selected historical and contemporary artists working in intuitive and expressive ways through primary and secondary research. Engaging with reading; visiting exhibitions; conducting interviews and practice-based research inspired by their materials and techniques.
Objective 2 – To think on my feet and improvise, to connect with a process of unfolding, to allow ideas to ebb and flow through a period of materials experimentation, particularly with layering of drawing and painting materials on paper.
Objective 3: To contextualise the main concerns of my investigation, by drawing on themes and imagery surrounding the dichotomy of the feminine; motherhood; selected literature; ancient sites; and mythology. To use these ideas as ‘starters’ to the process, but remaining aware process can also inform ideas.
Objective 4: To deepen, stretch and challenge the role of sketchbooks in allowing ideas to expand and contract.
Objective 5: To engage in the above processes, whilst not restricting movement towards definition and resolution on paper and other surfaces. To allow semi abstract landscapes and figurative drawings and paintings to emerge organically, and to reflect on this formatively.
Objective 6: To strengthen my skills in rendering figures and landscapes through the more traditional means of life drawing, the study of anatomy and en plein air observational drawing/painting
Aim 2: To use my skills as an artist educator to question how we define what an outcome is, and how important it is - through exploring work in an educational context as well as through the theories surrounding creativity and education.
Objective 1: To deepen my knowledge and understanding of the principles surrounding creativity and education theory. To critically examine these theories in relation to my own practice.
Objective 2: To run training sessions for teachers and workshops for children that seek to develop skills in process led art making.
Objective 3: To reflect on these practical experiences in order to strengthen my practice; advocate approaches, and keep conversations going between ideas, process and outcome.
Context:
Drawing, Painting and Inspirational Artists
The different ways of drawing; but with focus on ‘thinking through drawing’; experimental mark making and drawing with expression. Looking at how these methods can be a means through which we arrive at, and refine ideas. The ways in which abstract and expressionistic drawing and painting can communicate emotions.
How drawing and painting can be layered and applied experientially, balanced with consideration of their more traditional or formal application.
The importance of ancient cave drawings in building our understanding of drawing.
Looking at inspiring historic and contemporary artists. This includes, but is not limited to, William Kentridge; Kathe Kollwitz; Norman Ackroyd, Alexis Soul-Grey, Morag Thomson Merriman and the later Impressionists – all of whom are deeply connected with process; experimentation of materials; expression of emotion and memory (or a combination of all these things).
Education and Creativity
The current emphasis in primary education policy making for a knowledge rich curriculum and the assumption of hierarchy within the classroom. The theories behind creativity and the potentially destructive impact of Ofsted on creative curriculums.
Young people leaving school uncomfortable not knowing an answer or being asked a question they don’t understand – countered with the importance of ‘not knowing’ when developing as an artist.
Literature, Myth, Motherhood and literary criticism
19th century fiction that explore the role and dual experience of women in Victorian society, in particular Jane Eyre and The Mill on the Floss.
Literary criticism exploring how female characters are presented in fiction, with a focus on themes of entrapment and escape.
The depiction of women in ancient texts such as Homer’s Odyssey and The Iliad as well as other Greek Myths.
Contemporary fiction that retells these experiences: Madeline Miller’s Circe and Galatea; Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls; Jessie Burton’s Medusa.
Shakespeare's Macbeth.
The historical and spiritual significance of ancient stone sites, mythology, and folklore that centre on the feminine, with reference to the belief in standing stones being women turned to stone as punishment for dancing on the sabbath.
Methodology:
My methodology seeks to retain the natural link between my work as artist and as an educator, which I see as fundamentally linked. Whilst embarking on a period of focused practical work, I will widen my primary and secondary research to build; challenge and reflect on these links further. I will record and reflect on my research through continuing reflective blog posts.
Primary research:
Practice based research/making work
Experimenting with a wide range of drawing and painting materials (watercolour, inks, gouache, pastels, pencils, charcoal) and how they can layer and complement each other
How forms, figured and landscapes can be implied in varying degrees of representation
Allow and embrace accidents when finding, seeking and unearthing
Allow ideas to lead to ideas
Maintain regular sketchbook practice as a critical part of all the processes outlined above and explore their potential for becoming an outcome in themselves
Documenting these experiments on a range of surfaces and in sketchbooks; reflecting on these experiments to find new ideas and direction
Observational drawing – Through life drawing classes and painting outside within selected landscapes
Exhibitions - Both visiting others and ones I am part of myself. I will also draw on inspiration gathered from previous exhibitions that have proved pivotal. Looking specifically at artists for whom process led work is a central focus as well as those who seek to express emotion or memory in their work.
Museums and Historical sites- to observe artefacts, specifically those connected with mythology, ancient rituals and feminine power.
Interviews/Case studies with artists and writers/theorists to deepen my understanding of their work and motivations.
Workshops and facilitation with school children and teachers both online and in person. Reflecting on these experiences, and how best I can advocate the process led approach across different settings, or what I can learn about the barriers to this in these settings; to try and raise questions and possibly find solutions.
Collaboration – Working with other artists to produce work, exhibit and run workshops
Reflection – Using the reflective journal blogs to document and reflect on my progress.
Secondary research:
Books, magasine articles, podcasts, documentaries, journals, educational bodies and organisations centered on:
Selected historical and contemporary artists to better understand their work and crucially, learn more about them as people.
Painting and drawing theory and practice
Theory of education and creativity
Fiction – Specifically 19th C literature
Outcomes:
I envisage my outcomes to be a series of ‘resolved’ (to the extent they can be resolved) works on paper, made using a combination of watercolour, ink, gouache, charcoal, pastel and pencils. The pieces will resemble figures, forms or landscapes in varying degrees of abstraction, with some more representational than others.
Alongside these more resolved pieces I also envisage a presentation of some sketchbook work or works in progress. I would like there to be a sense of a journey in whatever the final presentation is, showing where ideas have formed, collided or been revisited.
Work Plan
UNIT1 Term1
Set up and begin the reflective journal blog
Begin to explore and select source material and ideas related to area of enquiry eg books on stone circles, fiction and literary criticism
To begin to understand what creativity means to others, both to contemporary artists but also educational theorists and writers, and to what extent this informs, supports, and challenges my own. To build a picture of what creativity can look like in the context of visual art education
Visit exhibitions including William Kentridge, Feminine Power and Stonehenge at the British Museum
Develop and refine work for a collaborative exhibition in Cambridge
Reflect on how a more ‘business’ orientated approach impacts what I create and what ideas spring from the work made
Continue developing experiments using painting and drawing methods, and reflect on where these lead
Attend online ‘creative conversations’ with the Royal Drawing School
Attend online life drawing classes with Draw Brighton and Newlyn Art School
Term2
Visit the Making Modernism exhibition, featuring Kathe Kollwitz exhibition at the Royal Academy
Visit ‘The Infernal Method’ Norman Ackroyd exhibition at North House gallery Manningtree
Experiment with the materials and ideas used by Kollwitz including charcoal & ink - and using themes of motherhood and the portrayal of emotion through drawing
Read in more detail about Kollwitz’s work and life
Begin a period of bold process-based experimentation of materials: mark making, layering, making sketchbooks/concertina sketchbooks, making drawing tools
Use themes and imagery inspired by artists, authors and fiction/mythology via reading, podcasts, exhibitions etc) to direct some but not all of the experimentation. Reflect on these outcomes in terms of how ideas evolve.
Re visit past blog posts showing early steps into these experiments to inform next steps. Add outcomes to these blogs to record and chart how they evolve
Assess the potential for these experiments to be used for the first year interim exhibition in March, or for them to inform more resolved outcomes
Develop and framework for local showing in April 2023, where paintings will be for sale
Reflect on how a more ‘business’ orientated approach impacts what I create
Continue work within an educational context, planning and delivering practical sessions and creating content
Reflecting on these educational sessions and resources, and find ways to feed the outcomes into my own practice
Read selected texts/watch TED talks on educational theory and theories surrounding creativity
Attend online life drawing classes with RA and Newlyn School of Art
Prepare interview questions ready for interviews with two contemporary artists
UNIT2 Term3
Reviewing previous phase of materials experimentation, establishing what ideas have formed
Begin pushing ideas towards more refined work on paper, whilst simultaneously maintaining experimental and sketchbook work, with particular focus on varying scale and working on new surfaces
Visit exhibitions and record, make notes on ideas and inspirations that emerge
Keep reading/referring to key literature and fiction that inspires me
Conduct interviews with two contemporary artists Alexis Soul-Grey and Morag Thomson Merriman
Continue studying the work of key artists William Kentridge and Kathe Kollwitz as well as others I discover
Continue reading and gathering knowledge around education theory and technical aspects of painting and drawing
Attend more online life drawing classes to keep developing skills in figurative drawing
Arrange for some female friends to model for live drawing sessions
Continue work within an educational context, planning and delivering practical sessions and creating content
Reflecting on these educational sessions and resources, and find ways to feed the outcomes into my own practice
Develop and frame work for Cambridge Open Studios in July 2023, where paintings will be for sale. Reflect on how a more ‘business’ orientated approach impacts what I create
Term 4
Reflect on the collection of work produced for local showing and open studios. Assess and examine their direction and ‘success’. Use the collection to inform and embrace new ideas
Begin work on larger, more refined pieces that embrace any new ideas or images – but that maintain process and experimentation
Deliberately re visit older experiments, ideas and outcomes to engage with the process of revisiting and weaving in and out of ideas
Create a written summary document that charts this, and upload onto the blog
Continue work within an educational context, planning and delivering practical sessions
Reflecting on these educational sessions and find ways to feed the outcomes into my own practice
Use previous life drawing sketches to experiment making them into more refined figurative pieces
Continue reading and gathering knowledge around education theory and technical aspects of painting and drawing
Continue reading and watching content on the theory of creativity and its importance
Continue studying the work of key artists William Kentridge and Kathe Kollwitz as well as others I discover
UNIT3 -Term 5
Begin a period of reflection and assessment on work produced so far, examining and selecting what I feel has been successful
Begin finalising some pieces or beginning new ones with a fresh set of ideas for their resolution
Making decisions about how any final work might be presented
Continue reflecting on the process in the blog
Attend life drawing classes to keep in touch with technical skills
Begin new sketchbooks that chart this phase of refining, but stay connected with the idea of what an outcome is allow mistakes and tangents to still occur
Term 6
Pull together some more refined pieces and assess whether they constitute and outcome
Reflect on the tension between process and outcome and to what extent I want to resolve and organise
Prepare work for Cambridge Open Studios for July 2024
Reflect on how the work differs to that produced for OS for 2023
Write up thoughts in blog posts
Continue reading, researching and visiting exhibitions, noting any shifts of direction or interest in terms of the ideas I’m interested in
Bibliography:
Books
Fiction, Literary Criticism and Mythology/Folklore
Barker, P (2018). The Silence of the Girls: Penguin Fiction
Miller, M (2018). Circe: Bloomsbury Publishing
Miller, M (2022). Galatea: Bloomsbury Publishing
Eliot, G (1965). The Mill on the Floss: Signet Classic
Bronte, C (1966). Jane Eyre: Penguin Classics
Rieu, E.V (1946). Homer’s Odyssey: Penguin Books
Rieu, E.V (1950). Homer’s The Iliad: Penguin Classics
Ervine, J (1923). The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: The Literary Press Ltd London
Sieghart, W (2017). The Poetry Pharmacy – Tried and True Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind and Soul: Particular Books
Buzan, T (1999). Teach Yourself Literature Guides: Jane Eyre: Hodder & Stoughton
Gilbert, S; Gubar, S (1980). The Madwoman in the Attic – The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination: Yale University Press
Inkwright, F (2019). Folk Magic and Healing: An Unusual History of Everyday Plants: Liminal 11
Heath, R (2009). Stonehenge Temple of Ancient Britain: Wooden Books
Hitching, F (1976) Earth Magic: Picador Publishing
Artists, Art Theory and Creativity
Bittner, H (1959). Kathe Kollwitz Drawings: Thomas Yoseloff
Bell, J (2019). Ways of Drawing – Artists’ Perspectives and Practices: Thames and Hudson
Lauricella, M (2017) Simplified Forms: RockyNook
Nechis, B (1978) Watercolour – The Creative Experience: Nort Light Publishers
Greenberg, S (2021) Creative Acts for Curious People – How to Think, Create and Lead in Unconventional Ways: Penguin Business
Alexander, L; Meara, T (2019) Central Saint Martins Foundation – Key Lessons in Art and Design: Octapus Publishing Group
Biesta, G (2020) Letting Art Teach: ArtEZ Press
Beuys, J; Harlan, V (2004) What is Art? – Conversations with Joseph Beuys: Claireview
Naughton, C; Biesta, G; Cole, D (2018) Art, Artists and Pedagogy – Philosophy and the Arts in Education: Routledge
Hickman, R (2005) Why We Make Art and Why it is Taught: Intellect
Meager, N (1993 Teaching Art at Key Stage 1: National Society for Education in Art and Design
Magasines/Articles/Journals
Royal Academy of Arts Magasine (No. 156 Autumn 2022) – The World of William Kentridge
International Journal for Art and Design
Exhibitions
Feminine Power: The Divine to the Demonic, British Museum June 2022
The World of Stonehenge, British Museum June 2022
Cotton: Labour Land and Body, Crafts Council Gallery September 2022
William Kentridge, Royal Academy of Art September 2022
Making Modernism: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin, Royal Academy of Art January 2023
Norma Ackroyd: The Infernal Method, North House Gallery Manningtree Feb 2023
After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art, National Gallery London March 2023
Interviews:
Alexis Soul-Gray https://www.alexissoulgray.com/
Morag Thomson Merriman https://moragthomsonmerrimanart.co.uk/
Websites:
The Royal Drawing School (creative conversation events)
Luigi Pericle: A Rediscovery – Andrea Biasca-Caroni and Thomas Marks in conversation January 2023
The Earth’s Pencils: Julie Brook in conversation with Alexandra Harris October 2022
Feminine Power: Belinda Crerar in conversation with Sarah Pickstone
Newlyn School of Art online life drawing
Draw Brighton online life drawing
Royal Academy online Life Drawing
Arts Based Educational Research
AccessArt
Ted Talks/Ken Robinson
William Kentridge Interviews
‘Art Must Defend the Uncertain’ | Artist Interview | TateShots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnweo-LQZLU)
William Kentridge Interview: How We Make Sense of the World - https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=G11wOmxoJ6U