- Having had to clear my space is both positive and negative
- made me think about what I don’t need anymore or want
- gives clarity and space to work
- I worry that I will forget or lose certain ideas as visually not there
- I have by chance, been reading a book I got by mistake from the library, Making Memory Matter: Strategies of Remembrance in Contemporary Art by Lisa Saltzman. I feel like I was meant to read this!! Although it is tricky to read and I am slow and need to keep re reading parts, what has ocurred to me is that much of the content dealing with memory, loss and the use of index, really resonates. It has helped me reconsider and reflect on works that I have previously done and what I am currently doing.
- It was nostalgic looking at Rachel Whiteread’s plaster works, the casts of objects, room and house. I recall seeing Ghost at the Tate years ago and I remember walking around it and feeling quite sad and lost
- I can see I have used elements of memory recreation when putting my work into context with my recent reading (i.e, C & A and Dog and the Handbag). I don’t think I saw this before. It helps it make sense as to the reasons to why I am doing it now.
- It is a way to conjur up a person for me through a memory of a story, a moment in time that can help me completely feel my sense filled with that person – whether it be a funny story that they have told or a story about them
- perhaps, it is a desperate attempt to not forget someone, to keep them alive or present in conversation, in laughter, in every day thoughts.
- The term INDEX interests me and casting is a means to index memory, thought and feeling.
- The arms/hair perhaps is that physical, gutteral urge of sacrfice and receiving – on one side being the mother, sacrifcing all that you can offer up yet on the other of receiving, being the daughter and receiving – yet also the cycle of this relationship – both giving and taking
- the implict drive to give whilst receiving the most beautiful gifts
- thinking about the use of words on the arm casts – am unsure if this is too literal
- the materials used are perhaps indicative of the physical bond (hair & wax)
- The casting and idea of index and the recent making of the pants generated loads of ideas of casting shoes, bags, clothes etc of those who have gone yet also the chilcren who are now all grown up
- my children – that change in dependance and physical transformation from being in your arms to moving out
- I am presently surrounded by people dying or those who have died recently – in particular a family friend with a big personality
- made me think of creating pieces surrounding the stories you remember them by – do you remember when?
- – Daphne – bra, eyelashes and the Gribben
- INDEX – what the cast has touched interests me – there will be traces of that person on the cast
- it may not look aesthetically pleasing but it belongs/used to belong – the object carries the many memories (shoes, gloves etc)
- made me think of all the single shoes that wash up on the beach, the jumble sales of dead peoples clothes/shoes
- find objects to cast and experiment
GRATER/BIRDS
- i want to make wings for the grater and still want to do the stop frame with the doll and grater
- look at Martha Rosler – when she alphabetises utensils in the kitchen
- maybe I could explore this more in prints
C&A or call it Debs?
- nearly finished my pants and really please with how they look – I resewed them and painted them as they looked a bit shabby
- Still need to construct and film writing the document the piece and put to bed
- Have a feeling of wanting to paint more at the moment – using images of my children from the past when they were younger
- would like to read Rosalind Kraus writings as she is cited quite a bit in the book I am reading at present
- look into the Bunker Hill Project a bit more
- Make some maquettes with wax of the chair with legs and dog and handbag piece