Earlier this year I was in a group exhibition at Deer Lake Gallery, in Burnaby, called "Horror Vacui". The show included myself, as well as two fellow UFV BFA grads, Kendra Schellenberg, and Julie Epp.
For those of you who were unable to make it out to see the exhibition in person, here are some documentation photos of the exhibition.
Things have been super crazy while I've been getting ready for my two exhibitions coming up in October. Therefore this will be a short blog! Amongst all of the chaos I did manage to create some new art! I also recently finished a cross-stitch commission based off of an 8-bit video game called, Chrono Trigger.
I'm excited to share that I will have two exhibitions coming up this Fall! The first is a group show with some fellow classmates, Julie Epp and Kendra Schellenberg, we all received our BFA degrees from UFV. The exhibition is titled, Horror Vacui, which simply means the fear of empty space. As you can imagine all the works in the show are extremely detailed and obsessive in nature. The show will include works created individually, as well as a collaborative mural we will be painting/drawing directly onto the gallery wall. Read more to learn about each of our inspirations for the show, as well as the exhibition statement.
Horror Vacui is the fear of empty space and the filling of emptiness with details in a work of art. This visual art expression is an important source of inspiration for artists Mallory Donen, Julie Epp, and Kendra Schellenberg. Each artist struggles with issues of fear, joy, and acceptance throughout their creative process. Donen’s practice is driven by the conflict between order and chaos, and explores the infinite nature of digital imagery. On the other hand, Epp’s process is a battle with fear, inner thoughts, and a search for calm in the mundane creative process. Lastly, Schellenberg uses the overwhelming visual aesthetic of horror vacui to engage in conversations about gender, beauty standards, and acceptance. Everyone struggles with inner conflict; Horror Vacui visualizes the mental chaos of life. Art allows us to engage in moments of deep consideration and at times can be a gateway into a numbing calm, empty of worries or thoughts.
My process fluctuates between spontaneity and my obsessive need for control. I find comfort in keeping things in order, but at the same time when things become too controlled there is little room for growth and change. That is why I am always pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and intentionally creating moments of disruption. This struggle between chaos and order is the driving force of my art practice. I am constantly introducing ways of relinquishing control throughout the artistic process. But I inevitably end up back where I started, in an ordered, restrained system of creation. My work explores notions of obsession, control, chaos, infinity, and absorption. Inspired by the theme of horror vacui, my art reflects on the infinite calming chaos of digital imagery.
In an age where lives are lived through online experiences, my brain has become over stimulated. Multitasking, my old friend, is an enemy of productivity; I must embrace the mundanity of focus. My artwork is likely the only consistent focus I’ve had. My mandalas sit inches from my eyes while I draw, and though I am focused, my brain is crashing, burning, bursting with thoughts. It might seem like a good opportunity to be thinking; a chance to be inspired. But the thoughts hang dramatically over me like a creature ready to crush. They are ideas and aspirations but they are also pressure and panic. My work is a chance for me to focus my energy, and it takes a lot of work to get into a headspace where something good comes out of it.
My mandalas are a product of years of disrupted focus, followed by relief. The sculptures are the opposite: they are a product of intense concentration followed purely by thirst and hunger. To me, horror vacui is about the fear of allowing empty space to be filled by anything but artistic joy.
I have always been drawn to work that contains a lot of detail. When I am creating my own work, there’s always a part of me that needs to prove that my art is worthy of attention, and my solution to this is often to fill it with detail—as if this somehow proves that I care about my work, that it is something of value—because I’ve spent a lot of time on it. At the same time, my art practice is an extension of my feminism, and is a way for me to engage with issues that trouble me. I saw an opportunity to use the overwhelming nature of horror vacui as a means of conveying the overwhelming feeling of needing to conform to gender roles and beauty standards. By incorporating imagery I’ve tapped into in previous work, I hope to dig further into representing the affect of the socially-constructed gender binary that is so prevalent in the media we consume.
The second exhibition is a solo exhibition, which will feature my new work titled Glitch Series 01. The show will also include a select few works from my MFA Thesis Exhibition. During the opening reception of the exhibition, on Friday, October 27th, I will also be giving an artist talk discussing ideas from my thesis and how it influenced the creation of this new body of work being showcased in the solo exhibition. The talk will also include a slideshow of images that give an even more in-depth look into my process and my hard drive of digital files.
Since returning home after the completion of my MFA thesis I've been taking it pretty easy and trying to allow myself some sort of break. I've recently completed a new project titled Glitch Series 01, which involved converting a series of digital image glitches (sourced from images generated in Photoshop) into a cross-stitch pattern which was then completed as a cross-stitch work.
The images used for this project were a series of glitches that occurred one day while I was working on another project in Photoshop. The file that I opened did not appear the way that it was supposed to, instead it was a collaged mashup of several files which I had opened within the past week or so. Instead of dismissing this unexpected moment as a computer failure, I accepted it as a gift. It was as if the computer had gotten frustrated with the overwhelming amount of information and data I had given it within a short span of time and this was its way of materializing that frustration. The computer had spoken and I wanted to savour every last moment of it that I could.
I proceeded to save and alter these strange glitches that reloaded and occurred each time I saved the file. I adjusted the curves and colourations of some of the images before saving them, in order to enhance the artistic, almost painterly qualities. In the moment it was a highly energized, playful interaction, a constant wave of communication that fluctuated between myself and the computer.
I stored these glitch images in a folder on my hard drive, unsure of my future plans for them. It wasn't until I began integrating cross-stitching into my thesis projects that I realized this is what the glitch series would become.
I selected 9 cropped sections (below) of the single glitch image (above) to create a series of images that would then be converted into a series of cross-stitches.
The 9 selected images above were then uploaded onto a website called StitchFiddle.com, where they were converted into cross-stitch patterns. Below are the resulting cross-stitched works.
Each piece is approximately 3.5" x 3.5". I'm still working out the kinks for final display but currently my plan is to frame each digital image with its corresponding cross-stitch partner in a 20" x 20" frame with a double window matte. Below is a rough mock-up of what each of the final pieces will look like framed.
This project evolved and developed over a long period of time, but I am extremely happy with the results. I wouldn't be surprised if I continue doing more cross-stitch works with a digital aesthetic in the future.
Last week our MFA Thesis Exhibition titled 3...2..1.Chaos opened and I defended my thesis I Come From a Long Line of Machines.
I Come From a Long Line of Machines investigates the repetitive processes of embroidery, finger knitting, digital image-making using Photoshop, and how they are similar in their use of mechanical systems. By engaging in a collaborative process with different machines and tools, I attempt to share control of artistic production. I address notions of artistic authorship, chaos, order, control, infinity, and mechanical repetitive systems. I embrace systematic processes in order to create art that is similar to that of a programmed machine. By doing so I am able to gain perspective into the ways in which machines and humans are alike.
Things are starting to get wrapped up quickly over here in Winnipeg. This past week I finished my final semester of my MFA. All that's left is one last revision of my thesis, some finishing touches to get my projects exhibition ready, and then my thesis defence. I'm not going to share lots of photos of the work I'll be showing for the thesis exhibition, cause I'd like to keep it as much of a surprise as possible for those who will be attending.
For next month's post I will be sure to include lots of installation photos of the exhibition! In the meantime, check out the poster we designed for our exhibition, titled "3...2..1.CHAOS". For those that want to attend the exhibition try to come to the opening reception on Friday, May 26 from 6:30-8:30pm.
On another note, I've been starting other projects now that my thesis work is almost complete. I've started experimenting with digital drawing using an app called Adobe Draw. I got a stylus for Christmas this year and I'm finally starting to get some use out of it, now that I've got more free time. Check out some of my digital drawings below (some of these have been manipulated further in Photoshop).
Lastly, I've completed another cross-stitch square. It was based off of a computer image glitch that occurred during my hours and hours of digital pattern making. It's the first square of a series of glitch squares that I will be creating. The cross-stitch measures 50x50 squares, which is just under 4"x4".
Well Spring has finally arrived! The snow has been melting over the last couple of weeks and it's almost completely gone. Thanks to the warmer weather I've been able to do more walking and less bussing. These photos are from one day I spent walking along the Assiniboine River on my way to the grocery store.
"Ouroboros was a mythical serpent
that swallowed its own tail, an embodied contradiction that must, according to logic, either grow ever larger on its miraculous diet or, just as miraculously, consume itself
and cease to exist."
–George B. Dyson
Ouroboros is a working title for a new work in progress. Yes, you're not imagining it, my yarn is back. This is the same yarn that was used for an old project called #thingsicandowithyarn.
For this new project I've continued with the finger knitting and added even more length to my continuous strand of knitted yarn. However, I've also re-knitted the yarn through a large-scale version of a french knitting loom. The process is repetitive, obsessive, and cyclical. Just like the ouroboros serpent eating it's tail, the yarn continues to grow and change.
Sorry for the delayed blog post, I know that I am behind by a couple of months. Life has been crazy lately and with the chaos of my school having a strike, it made for an interesting last semester. A couple of weeks ago I wrapped up my Fall semester with two critiques.
My first critique was for my final Installation project for my elective course. I printed a series of fabric banners, which I then spent two full days hanging/installing with the help of my friend Katherine. I wanted to create an interactive installation that would encourage the viewer to navigate the space, interact, and investigate the all encompassing patterns.
Next I had my main studio critique, which I forgot to document with my DSLR!!! However, I do still have some images I took with my phone of what I've been working on. I've been trying to create a range of works in which I use different types of machines and tools. I want to draw out the similarities between the ways that computers and artists make art.
The first project is a woven blanket. I created a complex multilayered pattern in Photoshop and then sent the Jpeg file to a company called PhotoWeavers in North Carolina. The blanket is a jacquard woven throw blanket 53"x70". I am interested in how the results of the final image was almost entirely out of my control. I provided the source information and then the computer/machine generated this magnificently woven image.
Next, I've been working on a cross-stitching project which I showed as a work in progress for the critique. I began by creating two small squares (19x19 squares), which were very precise, controlled, and spontaneously produced without following a pre-determined pattern. I scanned these two small squares and created digital images in Photoshop to help make a new pattern. I used a website called StitchFiddle to input these digital images, which generated them into cross-stitch patterns.
These new cross-stitch patterns are my guide for two new large squares (100x100 squares). I've been documenting the process by taking a photo after each day of work. I've also been timing each of my work sessions, I'm curious to see how long it will all take me. I've estimated that it will take approximately 125 hours and about 5 weeks. The images below show the development of the first large square over the span of about 2 weeks. If I'm lucky I think I might even finish it in a month!
As I work on these cross-stitch works I feel like a computer. However, I make mistakes, which I guess is what makes me human.
Lastly, are some more works in progress and some work I've already posted in a previous blog. These are my instructions works, in which I create a list of instructions before I begin creating a digital artwork in Photoshop. I must follow the instructions, however each instruction is often open to interpretation and can have a range of results. I've also been working on making a book that will demonstrate the range of imagery and possibilities that exist within these instruction works.
This month I am going to be writing and further developing my thesis paper. At the same time I have several projects on the go including cross-stitching, a book project, as well as a yarn project! Stay tuned for more updates next month :).
For the last month I've been focusing most of my energy towards creating simple animations using Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. However, these are very large files and I'm having difficulty uploading them. Therefore, I am only going to be able to share one of these animations with you and it's not even my favourite. This was the only one that was small enough to upload on Vimeo without paying for an upgraded account. Check out the animation below!
P.S. this animation is meant to be played on a constant loop.
A couple of weeks ago I installed my installation project titled "Strokes, Strokes, Strokes" which is a hanging paper piece created with brush and india ink. The installation is not complete without the sound recording of brushstrokes played at various speeds and rhythms. The slower parts are calm and meditative, while the faster parts are aggressive and emphasize the obsessive repetitive process.
After having critiques for both projects shown above, I took some time away from the studio to process the feedback and comments from my committee. It's a constant challenge and dilemma to try and decide how much to listen to the committee and how much do I go with my gut and keep doing what I'm doing. These soul searching moments are where I usually come up with the strangest ideas and for a short time I was going off the rails a bit.
However, after thinking about all of the research I've been doing this past year or so, I think I've finally figured out the main focus of my thesis work. My thesis work has been an exploration and investigation of the relationship between the artist and computer. The computer, just like a paintbrush, pencil, pen, etc. is a tool, which mediates the process of creation between artist and artwork. In this sense, I often think that I never truly have complete control over the creative process since I must always use these different tools. Whichever tool I use, it becomes an extension of my intentions and ideas and does it's best to interpret or translate these thoughts into a work of art.
Stemming from this idea of the computer as a tool, that I cannot entirely control, I've been trying to create works in which I allow the computer to control more and more of the process. I am obsessed with control, so you can imagine that this has not been an easy task. I created a series of three works in which I wrote a list of instructions with 20 steps each and in the end I would have a work of art whose final image would be a complete surprise. Check out the images below to see the results.
