Presenting online is now becoming a thing. And there are a few elements creeping into my work now I’ve noticed.
One is the use of mounting materials. Placing things on walls to photograph begins to extend the piece. There is nothing ‘jaunty’ about my choice of bright blue electrical tape, or neon green duct tape. This stuff isn’t ‘laying around’. I source it and guard it fiercely from my family. The spacing between the tape, asymmetry, dodgy angles, are all in line with what I want the piece to look like when the viewer see’s it on screen.
Composition. Placing something deliberately off centre. It’s a dialogue. Perhaps signalling that it’s not the main event. A study not yet fully realised so it doesn’t get top billing or centre stage.
I like to use filters to present sketches / studies, and for the cover images for my final pieces.
To be honest because it’s fun and looks cool. And making things look cool is fun.
Also because I really don’t want to share the stuff that lives stuffed into the corners of the room (until I can finally put them in the bin and be rid!).
Why? Because making art is hard. The end of a project leaves you with PTSD, and I really don’t want tokens of this time haunting me.
But there is a necessity now to document the job, so at least if I can play around with the image. Distance myself from the material. Then it’s more palatable. And I can sleep at night. (I’m not joking).
The resourceful part. Ironically, I did start to gain a creative value from having filtered images of my work. They start to influence an air of theatre to the work, which accentuates what you’re trying to say with the piece. This gave me confidence to delve deeper into the psyche of my work.
And techniques. The natural eroding of an image, or colour distortion leans into the effects I can create with paint. Specifically pouring paint, which I’m interested in. Blend and manipulations.
So, all in all a process I’ll keep adopting.
Cover photography courtesy of Craig Douglas.
All words courtesy of the author.