Contemporary Artist - Fiona Wharmby

I am currently exploring this notion of “object” and “place” and their position in society. This has derived from a collaboration project between Iain Sinclair (who has been a key figure within my practice) and Sarah Simblet – where they planned to create a book entitled “Objects of Obscure Desire”. Iain Sinclair found himself questioning the objects he had in his writing room, and was frustrated not knowing where exactly some of them came from; thus influencing him to involve some of these objects somehow, eventually selecting 12 objects. Sarah Simblet assisted him in creating visuals alongside these objects to open the viewers mind. From this, it made me look at the objects I had around me and shocked me to realise I hadn’t noticed them.  They were always there; yet I never seemed to give them “attention”. I felt I needed to pursue this idea and think about how we forget about objects we possess, objects we use, throw away. We as humans control these objects, we decide where they should go, what room they should go in – yet without these objects, we as humans would not have personalities.

“The most commonplace philosophical use of the term “object” is not that which signifies the pure concept itself, but rather,  that which is intended to signify the more restricted concept of substance, understood  (following Aristotle) as whatever is supposed to “exist independently”. (Laycock, 2010)

I believe that all objects can indeed exist, we as humans think they can’t because they are inanimate and don’t have vital organs to survive. Yet, it is humans that have brought this idea that we are living mammals and objects are inanimate, and not alive. I want to express this idea through my work; that objects are an important part of our life – and what would we do without them? In terms of objects and place; I have realised whenever I tend to visit a place, I have to collect something whether it is a souvenir, discarded or something bought from a shop to represent my visit over there. I then hoard these objects and then forget about them, or used to forget about them up until now. These objects have a direct link to Psychogeography, which is the underlying theme of my work and will be something I carry on. Psychogeography is a movement which is the emotional affect a landscape/place can have on you – in order to achieve this, you have to let your body be drawn to the city/place/space, letting it consume you. It has  changed the way I think and look within a certain space dramatically; and changed the way I view my objects, I no longer forget about them, I use them more now, rather than letting them get dusty in my room. I want the viewer to be consumed to my objects, hoping the objects will draw them in.

I have been working with film, sound, photography which has helped me explored this notion of place, and I have also been doing Psychogeographical reports which have consisted of Photographs, sound recordings, and written accounts of a place. In my films, I have explored this notion of the forgotten parts of a place; it could be something so simple as a ceiling on a train, a patch on the floor. I want these everyday attributes of a space or place to become obvious again, and for us to appreciate the everyday mundane parts of life we almost create a blasé attitude to. 

Walker Art Gallery

In the city of Liverpool, in the Walker Art Gallery

Some very diverse pieces of work.

Kevin Hutcheson, Tom Pitt, Graham Charton, Hu Wenlong (looks like a photograph).

NUMBER 8:

Liverpool John Moore University: 

I loved this building, such an industrial setting - I always think this favours pieces of art work as they are a raw space that offers a large, open atmosphere for works. It almost looked like a massive car garage, yellow lines  on the floor and red metal beams. 

I especially admired Leung Mee - ping “Out of place” 2012

I liked the way she organised the films, of various parts of the city of Hong Kong, all videos were projected onto large sheets, in different positions. As I walked around them, I felt like I was in the City of Hong Kong.

This is a response poem by Ye Si:

Moving on, we visit the Tate Liverpool where we see Sophie Calles work, which has been an important influence lately within my contextual work and practice, the way she interacts with a place or institution through the others traces of their lives, hence the exhibition at the Tate where it starts off with a diary account of various hotel rooms - where she works as a maid. 

“On Monday Feb 16th, 1981, I was hired as a temporary chambermaid for 3 weeks in a Venitian hotel. I was assigned 12 bedrooms. In the course of my cleaning duties, I observed through detailed lives which remain unknown to me. On Friday 6th March, the job came to an end.”

Sophie Calle.

 - Currently sat waiting to watch the Andy Warhol screening (2 films by Warhol).

 - he approached film making in a unique way.

Outer and Inner Space, 1965 - 33mins

Edith Sedgwick - recorded herself (almost an illusion to herself)

16mm camera and sound

Technology advanced as there is sound on the film.

 - Although this was badly recorded, wasn’t trained how to use it properly.

10 of warhols screen tests, set over 3/4 years.

100ft, 16mm film, 4 minutes long.

2 films simultaneously played together

Blurred, can’t hear her voice.

so many facial expressions.

2 from the side, 2 from the front.

 - I can hear brief phrases and words, but can’t make out all of it

“clapping her feet”

making weird faces.

sounds like a train going past, so she covers her ears.

Next film:

4 mins focused on people who passed through Andy Warhols factory.

1st woman:

 - looking everywhere, casually smiling - black and white, focused on her face, touching her hair. (overexposed)

2nd Woman:

- Blinks alot, sat with her face to the side. Trying to avoid the camera. Looks down out of nowhere.

3rd Woman: 

- Looking straight at the camera, looks rather sad, seems quite distant.

4th Woman:

- Looking at the camera, no facial expressions, doesn’t blink alot, engaged with the camera.

5th Man:

- Zoomed onto his face, again no expression. Seemed to have no thoughts or feelings, or do they? I feel myself becoming engrossed with this person, feeling like i want to know more about him.

6th Woman:

- Looks started and worried, eyes open wider, takes longer to blink, looks up and down, gives out a sigh.

7th Man:

- serious. not really doing much

8th Man:

- Looking to his right, then left, looking rather stern. Jolty and jittery. Very serious, squinting due to the light, trying to smile.

9th Man:

- Again serious, blinking often, darker.

10th Woman:

- Middle position, complacent, relaxed looks like she is going boz eyed. eyes moving.

I had to sit for a very long time watching these Andy Warhol films, yet I   appreciated the opportunity to see 2 of Andy Warhol films, I felt quite lucky! I may not ever see them again, so I can say I have.

I would quite like to do my own 4 mins focused on me. What would my 4 minute film be? How would I act?

Following on from the Professional Practice visit to the Art House in Wakefield, a group of us decided to visit the Hepworth Gallery as we felt it was necessary. Although a lot of the work was sculpture based on concepts that aren’t linked to mine, I wanted to analyse the spatial configurations of the gallery and how they present work. I feel this is extremely important within my practice, making sure work is presented to a high standard.

Two forms with white,  (greek) 1963, Barbara Hepworth Courtesy of the Hepworth estate.

Tony Cragg “Wild Relatives”, 2005, Bronze

Currently sat in a booth looking out of a large window in the gallery, feeling extremely relaxed, world seems to be going by fast, represented by wind, water. The window integrates the in/out.