Semester Summary II

Maria Jones

Academic Advisor Sunanda Sanyal

1 December 2012

Semester Summary

January

Studio: My semester work began with excess experimentation. The work I took for my second residency was heading in the right direction but required further experimentation. Experimentation with new mediums and ideas consumed my time. I attempted weaving, painting on wood, and molding. I struggled with removing bubbles, hairs, fuzz, and other imperfections from my molds. I worked with clay slip, wax, and plaster. Not a great deal of art was produced this month, but I learned a lot about weaving, how to create archival work on wood, and how to make silicone molds. Ultimately, I moved away from the clay, wax, and plaster and began working with Sculpey, which is a much more forgiving and easily manipulated material.   

Academic: I listened to critics from the residency and wrote my residency summary.  I spent copious amounts of time researching artists and art that inspire me. I read The Craftsman by Richard Sennett, Extra/Ordinary Craft by Maria Buszek, the three Art and Thingness articles by Sven Lutticken, and the three Neo-Materialism articles by Joshua Simon. I attended Onn/Of Art Festival in Seattle. I began researching every artist suggested during the residency and began narrowing my list.

February

Studio: I started the month experimenting with some birch wood blocks I had Lance make. I experimented with enamel paint, acrylic skins, watercolor, and acrylic painting. I began making a series of wood block acrylic paintings of my medals. I also began my Sculpey beaded necklaces this month. I spent most of the month making beads and the medals and ribbons from Sculpey, baking them, and hand painting each one. I also worked on an audio project this month that was supposed to include service member participation it never made it to completion due to lack of participation. 

Academic: I met with my mentor for the first time.  We talked a great deal about how my work is very didactic, and that I need to focus on creating work that will have meaning for the viewer as well. I did First Thursday through Seattle’s Art Galleries. I read the book Call of Duty about military ribbons, Making Memory Matter by Lisa Saltzman, and Memory in Culture by Astril Erill. I researched artists like Felix Gonzales Torres, Susan Hiller, Walid Raad, Gerhardt Richter, Renee Green, and Christian Boltanski.  I also wrote my first research paper, which was very helpful in getting me thinking about what I wanted my art to discuss.

March

Studio: This month was all about mid-project. Everything was halfway done and at the slow hard part. I strung necklaces, painted medals, and painted wood. I also made my three light box with stretched cotton pieces this month, which took a great deal of study to determine what lighting to use, size, shape, materials and eventually building. In the middle of the month I met with my mentor again, and her repeated discussion of my work being too didactic and not at the graduate level got me thinking about why I am making what I am making. I realized I was just going through the motions and not interested in the art I was doing. I began wrapping everything up because I felt it was important to finish this step in my growing process before moving on.

Academic: I wrote my second research paper. I read the book Identity Crisis by Jim Harper, Psychogeography by Merlin Coverley, Constructing Masculinity by Maurice Berger, and Memory by Whitechapel Books. I studied artists like Renee Green, Dinh Q. Le, Rachel Whiteread, Kara Walker, and Glenn Ligon. I met with my mentor again. I visited the show at the Henry Art Gallery.

April

Studio: This month was a wrapping-up process for all of my projects. I completed my oil painting self-portrait, put the finishing touches on my acrylic birch wood block paintings by adding the ball chain and name tags, built and painted the boxes for my necklaces, completed my jewelry box, and fixed the shadow issues on my three light boxes. I also began experimenting as my mentor requested this month. I made an intuitive painting with sculptural elements, a painting of letters, and I started my sequined crochet belt with Sculpey buckle. 

Academic: I met with my mentor and she told me my art is not progressing as it should and I should work on experimenting more. I visited the Henry Art Museum. I wrote my third research paper. I began reading the required reading for Residency III, as well as, reading Art and Feminism, Failure by Whitechapel, Art from 1940-Present,  and Vitamin P2. I began shifting the direction of artist’s I studied. I looked at artist’s like Jenny Saville, Nancy Spero, Isa Genszken, Martha Rosler, and Jessica Stockholder.

May

Studio: I worked on loosening up in the studio and not being so didactic. I took trips to the thrift store and tried to make art more intuitively. I did a great deal of journaling and sketching. I watched the movie the Invisible War, and really tried to get down to what I want my art to be about. I made quite a few new pieces this month including a floor piece made up of 40 birch wood panels with crochet elements, a dress painting, a belt painting, and I finished the sequined belt with a Sculpey buckle. This month I also began experimenting with working completely without constructed thought. I am creating sculptural abstract elements that may later become painting. I’m working this month on finding my new direction with some of the ideas from my work this past year as well. Like, how do I work with restraint in a more positive mode.   

Academic: This month has entailed a great deal of reflection, and thoughts about where I would like my work to go in the future. I visited the Bellevue Art Museum and the Henry Art Museum. I read Contemporary Painting in Context by Anne Ringe Peterson, Jessica Stockholder: Kissing the Wall, Vitamin P2, Failure by Whitechapel Books, and Art and Feminism by Phaidon Press. I looked at artists like Jessica Stockholder, Jenny Saville, Liza Lou, Laura Splan, Lorna Simpson, Mickalene Thomas, and Felix Gonzales Torres. I had my last meeting with my mentor this month. She would like to see me more frequently and work with me next semester as well. I wrote my Semester Summary, Bibliography, Artist Statement, and Artist List. I am working on my required readings for the third residency.

June

Studio: This month will entail less work in the studio. I find I need a small break in between semesters to prevent burn out. To adjust for the month of June off I have worked extra hours in the studio from January to May. I will be spending some time experimenting in the fre- thinking style I initiated in May. This will entail three boxes of thrift shop material and random things around my house and yard. I have a card with different things to be done to the objects and a card with each box listed. I have six dice. Two dice are to determine which box I pick from and four dice are to determine the artistic action to be taken on the items. I intend to create, walk away and come back at a later day to contemplate. Hopefully, this mode of work in June will spur new thoughts for the following semester.   

Academic: I will be reworking my second and third research papers as my advisor has suggested. I will also be attending the Seattle Art Museum. I am working on my required readings for the third residency.

Future Study

            Next semester I would really like my work to move away from being didactic. I need to progress further, which will require further experimentation in letting go, loosening up, and dropping symbolism. I need to focus on making work that I do not force meaning into. I would also like my work to begin to move away from military themes and take on a more positive tone like my every day life. I feel a strong disconnect with the art I am making and how I actually feel as a person. I do not know where this new direction will lead me, but I do not want to speculate and begin forcing meaning prematurely again.

            Gallery and museum visits will be very important to my continued growth. I intend to engage my peers in Seattle more, and possibly work with students at the University of Washington to help regulate the flow of my own work. My military ribbon pieces may be completed for the time being. I’m looking into moving back into painting in the future, and possibly less minimalistic sculptural forms.