The Work started as a take over of an empty space in the building, an office formally occupied by our dearly missed tutor Tanya. I wanted to follow on from what I had created in the shutter space, a small haven, a sense of myself. An entirely different environment from what existed before or anywhere else in the building.
The space transformed from this...
To This...
On of the problems I encountered with this transformation was how to hide the private and confidential files that were left in the space before me. I decided to hide them behind a white curtain. but to also label this as being a curtain that stopped you from viewing the confidential information. I didn't want to be dishonest in the work.
The space fast became like a retreat, with the stress of the installation getting to the other members of the class, my space seemed to be the warm and welcoming escape from all of that. we all had cups of tea, sat in the cosy chairs and had chats.
At the same time I was using the space to make and document my own ideas and thoughts. This created a problem and confusion in the spaces function.
I started to focus on the theme of the private/public and ideas about confidentiality. I was having quite personal conversations with people and hiding some other personal information.
I started making a roll of confessional wallpaper, the pattern was one that I had been drawing repeatedly and taken from my wedding dress that I was using as a possible idea for my public art project. In between each section of the pattern i started writing a couple of short sentences about a personal incident in my life. I chose to order them specifically so that the most personal was at the very top where you wouldn't be easily able to read it and the least was at optimal head height, then the medium towards the bottom.
As the exhibition drew closer I began to panic about the room and its overall effect on the viewer. I felt it needed to change. I took almost everything out. I started to play with the objects that created the most tension. Trying to create a relationship between object and material. Hiding personal and intimate details behind pattern.
This was the result (and what existed for the final exhibition) of that panic..
The space fast became like a retreat, with the stress of the installation getting to the other members of the class, my space seemed to be the warm and welcoming escape from all of that. we all had cups of tea, sat in the cosy chairs and had chats.
At the same time I was using the space to make and document my own ideas and thoughts. This created a problem and confusion in the spaces function.
Examples of work made and displayed in the space..
I started to focus on the theme of the private/public and ideas about confidentiality. I was having quite personal conversations with people and hiding some other personal information.
I started making a roll of confessional wallpaper, the pattern was one that I had been drawing repeatedly and taken from my wedding dress that I was using as a possible idea for my public art project. In between each section of the pattern i started writing a couple of short sentences about a personal incident in my life. I chose to order them specifically so that the most personal was at the very top where you wouldn't be easily able to read it and the least was at optimal head height, then the medium towards the bottom.
As the exhibition drew closer I began to panic about the room and its overall effect on the viewer. I felt it needed to change. I took almost everything out. I started to play with the objects that created the most tension. Trying to create a relationship between object and material. Hiding personal and intimate details behind pattern.
This was the result (and what existed for the final exhibition) of that panic..
I wasn't overly happy with the final result of this, but I chalked it down to experience. It was a chance to experiment and try out a few different ideas, And I definitely gained some insight and good ideas for future work, so it wasn't a wasted effort in any way.
Images & Ideas : Lois Whitehead
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