Contemporary Artist - Fiona Wharmby

Psychogeographical report of the way back from Liverpool on the...

Sun, 05 May 2013 16:12:00 -0400

Psychogeographical report of the way back from Liverpool on the coach.

20th November 2012

Position Statement

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:21:28 -0400

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.

"In the mundane reality of the everyday, most things which we encounter are valued for their purpose..."

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:35:53 -0400

“In the mundane reality of the everyday, most things which we encounter are valued for their purpose – whether as objects of function or of enjoyment – while in the context of a gallery they are given a new life. In an exhibition space, a photograph of someone’s ordinary home turns us into voyeurs; a “for sale” sign can be a political critique; and a sculptured macaw is funny, sublime and hideous, but at the same time a nuanced comment on kitsch souvenirs. This year’s biennial made me pause to think about everyday things, for they were elevated time and time again to the purportedly higher status of fine art. The exhibition space became a forum for perceiving them in a new way – as it so often is when it is used best. Pop artists used mass-produced objects to say something about capitalism’s new version of consumerism, while artists at the cutting-edge of contemporary art today seem to accept mass-produced items as a part of our lives, and use them to reflect on who we are. In doing so, they reveal that the inanimate nature of things does not take away their ability to reflect people’s most intimate thoughts and circumstances”

- http://unmakingthings.rca.ac.uk/2013/everyday-objects-in-fine-art-the-liverpool-biennial-2012/

By Priya Khanchandani, 2012.

This quote really links to my practice at this point in time. I am trying to re invent the mundane everyday “stuff” or “objects” we collect and hoard and have all around us, yet forget they are there. I want my exhibition piece to have a sense of voyeurism to it, where people can look at this from there point of view and conjure up their personal thoughts about these objects I collected over the years,

Someone claimed that he felt they brought a...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:26:14 -0400

Someone claimed that he felt they brought a “serenity” to the studio, that the obects that were above him made him feel relaxed.

This is a photograph I did as I was putting the objects up, I...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:23:47 -0400

This is a photograph I did as I was putting the objects up, I have added to them since and these photographs will be up soon.

Object included in my exhbition installation.

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:21:56 -0400

Object included in my exhbition installation.

Flyer for Liverpool Biennial, 2012

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:56:29 -0400

Flyer for Liverpool Biennial, 2012

Liverpool Biennial, 20th November, 2012

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:54:57 -0400

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.

Leeds College of Art, 5pm - Andy Warhol Films

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:31:46 -0400

- 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?

Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield. 13th November 2012

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:30:47 -0400

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.

Artquest / Art Directory / Presenting and documenting

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:41:23 -0400

Artquest / Art Directory / Presenting and documenting:

Even a great exhibition or body of work needs to be presented well for people to be interested - good work recorded badly will never lead to more offers for exhibitions.

This is an extremely important article on presenting and documenting your work and making sure your practice is professional.

Artquest / Art Directory / Residencies / UK visual arts residencies / The Art House Residency

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:36:10 -0400

Artquest / Art Directory / Residencies / UK visual arts residencies / The Art House Residency:

Artquest encourages critical engagement and provides practical support to visual artists throughout their careers.

The Art House in Wakefield, which we visited on a Professional Practice session with Lisa, opened my mind to an opportunity in working in a friendly, community based atmosphere. I always see myself working with people, and around them and being a volunteer at various places - so maybe a residency at the Art House in Wakefield is an ideal way of developing my career as an Artist.

List of Residencies | ResArtis

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:15:04 -0400

List of Residencies | ResArtis:

ResArtis - Worldwide Network of Artist Residencies

Debating a residency or two when I graduate - this website is an extremely useful resource in finding residencies all over the world.

This one I have found, is located in Manchester, and residencies usually last 1 month - 3 months.

Although Manchester is rather local, I would like to participate in a placement/residency abroad.

Objects of Desire: art exhibition by Penny Grennan | Oasis

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:22:32 -0400

Objects of Desire: art exhibition by Penny Grennan | Oasis:

Penny Grennan is an artist is exploring this idea of souvenirs and why we feel the need to collect objects from places. My exhibition piece at the moment links to this notion of objects and place and why we keep them. The objects are almost a representation of people, exploring life, going through situations, passing through different states of life.

[ SPACE ] / what's on

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:19:14 -0400

[ SPACE ] / what's on :

At the moment I am really interested in developing my career by doing a residency or various placements and putting myself into different situations as a contemporary artist. I don’t ever see myself as an artist that has 1 job for the rest of their life. I want to live and create art, that reflects contemporary art: a fast paced art world.

Space studios offer placements and bursaries to emerging artists and a chance to exhibit in South London Gallery.

These are scans from the dOCUMENTA 13 book, where with Alison...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:18:31 -0400

These are scans from the dOCUMENTA 13 book, where with Alison Rowley, we read and analysed the text closely. Alison was extremely patient, and really wanted us to understand the text; and allow us to take this knowledge into the future. We studied every word, and by reading this closely, I understood everything, all the information seemed to take over my brain if you like. By participating in these reading groups, I feel it is essential for my practice as I rely heavily on research, to make sure my concepts are well thought out and confident.

What Are We Still Mapping For?

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:12:28 -0400

What Are We Still Mapping For?:

Why are we still mapping? An insight into maps and contemporary cartography.

Turner Prize 2013 shortlist announced | Tate

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:20:58 -0400

Turner Prize 2013 shortlist announced | Tate:

This is the short list announced for the Turner Prize for 2013. The variety of work from the artists is rather different, it’s quite hard to pick one to win, however should be intriguing finding out which one does!

Another close up of the suspended object

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:08:30 -0400

Another close up of the suspended object

Close up of the objects suspended from the ceiling of the studio

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:22:28 -0400

Close up of the objects suspended from the ceiling of the studio