Zoom Session 29

The Penultimate session for this Academic Year –

This session was actually quite a poignant session for me, because work pressures will possibly stop me attending the last session of my first year. Sadly there is no way that I can escape working on Tuesday next week – it’s one of our busiest weeks. However, I will watch the recording and I still have two tutorials to come. I honestly cannot believe that the first year has gone! Where did it go? While pondering the swift passage of time I am pleased to blog about the session this week.

This week we were asked to think about what success looks like, and more specifically what kind of metaphors and symbols come to mind when thinking about success as an artist. I felt that success for me was being pleased with pieces of work that I have created. More specifically success might be fame and fortune. In our group discussion some even suggested power as a result of fame. Our group chat was interesting as we all had many different ideas. I joked that I’d like to be given free tickets to Bilderberg, or become an honorary member of the World Economic Forum. I really wouldn’t, but to some, success might look like that, perhaps?

Next we were tasked with looking at the complete opposite of success – this time, we discussed failure. To me perhaps one of the saddest things for a failed artist would be house clearance taking away all of your work to throw in a skip after you have died. Buyers clamour over the work of successful deceased artists but not failed ones. Their work probably ends up getting destroyed or worse, deleted from the cloud when subscription charges are no longer maintained. To me that is failure, when no one wants to keep your work once you have gone.

Our next task was to read a short piece of text titled ‘Making Art and Viewing Art are Different at Their Core’ I have included this passage with the presentation slides below. As we discussed the piece my, thinking seemed a little at odds with the others. Maybe I hadn’t quite understood it? I feel that I may revisit this and spend more time digesting it.

Jonathan recommended a book called ‘Art and Fear – Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking’, by David Baylis. Many said they had read and enjoyed it, in our WhatsApp chat, so I think this will be one on my list for over the Summer holidays.

We ended our session discussing the idea of doing something continuously for 21 days, to see what kind of effect it may have on our art practice. Now there’s a challenge! in fact, I’m already considering my options. I’m really looking forward to trying this, I’ve just got to decide exactly what I want to do.

Presentation Slides

As usual I’m rounding off the zoom session blogpost with the presentation slides including the short piece we discussd. And of course the updated Zentangle gallery.