Their work: Climate Chaos Cruise App, KindPinkNet, and The Abstracted Materialism Manifesto, reflects a commitment to building creative, resilient communities that can withstand geo-political climate chaos.
To envision: an inclusive society founded on creative kindness using the universal language of art.
Two Weeks of Tech: A Cross-Discipline XD Artist’s Journey. In the realm of XD artistry, the pursuit of ironic materiality, acquisition of new skills, and exploration of unconventional art forms is a constant endeavour.
Posters for CSM
My art practice extends beyond creating art. It aims to foster collaborations, generate innovative ideas, and expand The Network within creative communities to Save the Earth.
I made several short animations to advertise the event on social media they had different music on each platform.
The challenge of protecting the environment while engaging in artistic pursuits often presents a unique juxtaposition.
This past two weeks, my exploration of technology led me down a path filled with 360-degree cameras, bandwidth considerations, glitches, time-travelling costumes, and the realisation my old iPhone 7 wasn’t up to tech snuff and needed replacement, something I don’t like to do!
Though this new one is nice!
Live streaming the Happens event was a labour-intensive task for seemingly little gain, but that wasn’t the case; instead, it was an enriching experience for me, and it helped others.
I not only acquired valuable knowledge of new tech and streaming software. I also established new physical connections that may pave the way for future collaborations and contribute to the growth of the art festival in Borth and projects at CSM.
While I meticulously tested the technological aspects of the Happens event, I overlooked the possibility of technical glitches on the receiving end. This oversight highlighted the importance of understanding the intricacies of event management and prioritising the needs of all participants versus running a complex experimental event.
The realisation that navigating the online world can be challenging for some individuals underscored the disparity in comfort levels with technology.
Effective control of media and communication of requirements emerged as crucial factors during the event. It became evident that celebrating small victories and remaining adaptable to evolving mental models are key to navigating any digital landscape. The streams reached over 600 people by the end of the day. I could have used embedding tech for web pages and taken them to TikTok, but I didn’t, as I wasn’t sure where that process took place, and I was concerned with latency on the stream.
Despite the challenges, it was fun, and I am becoming addicted to my stick-on moustache. I was most peeved when it fell off during the interview! I need stronger glue. I look at myself wearing it, and I feel quite euphoric; without it, I sense a gender dysphoria I never thought I would experience, which has been emotional. I will have to process that before I can reflect on it here.
Each experience serves as a stepping stone towards creating a more inclusive and innovative artistic personal journey as well as community.
Embracing the dynamic nature of technology and its impact on art is not only a journey of self-discovery but also a catalyst for fostering creativity and collaboration within the ever-evolving cultural future. This is an apt sentiment for this project, and I will be taking the lessons learned here into my Eco-networking project. I reflect on that learning in my splat diagram here…
Ironic materiality is at play again. The FTOC pages have had a wash of 1970s rose madder last week on the ‘pink side’ and today a second layer of blue on the ‘blue side’. The first blue wash was a mix of cobalt blue left over from paintmaking.
These are the ‘Blue’ side when we Transition do we stay in the binary blue/pink?
Today was a wash of Winsor and Newton Blue (red shade), which will not dull the pink prints parts of the blue plates and allow a glimpse of pink.
On the Non-binary Hu-Cow pages, I used a layer of varnish to highlight the layers. This time, I’m going to use micro-crystalline wax. I want to separate the wash layers from the following print process. If I don’t, it will pull off the watercolour layer and not print from the gel plate. I don’t know if the gel plate will print onto the wax layer either, but I’m presuming from experience that it might. The only way I can test this is to do it; I can’t replicate the delicate nature of the old book paper any other way than just doing it. This lot will need to dry thoroughly before I can wax.
The use of wax within paint layers was used by Turner, probably due to time pressures and lack of resources for oil binders. He and his father made the paint; it gave a texture and luminosity to his work. It was, however, a nightmare for restorers as their usual methods melted the painting’s layers. No worries for my future restorers, as these pages will be entombed in thermal composite plastic sheets!
The wax worked and the watercolour paint is sealed.
The studio smelled of petrochemical solvent; unlike Turner, my wax is not from bees but an old can of dried-up Renaissance Wax I’d used in my old farmhouse to hand wax the new oak floorboards 20 years ago, I’ve used it here in my current home, on my iron tattoo machine frames and various artworks since so I am getting my money’s worth while using up STUFF…
Renaissance Wax was developed in the late 1950s by Dr A E A Werner in the British Museum Research Laboratory. It is a microcrystalline wax made from crude oil and polyethene waxes; it is not green in any respect but is a perfect accompaniment to the idea of fisting the oil companies. Unlike Turner’s traditional beeswax, Renaissance Wax does not acidify over time, making it the preferred choice for preserving museum artefacts.
Microcrystalline waxes are derived from de-oiling petrolatum during the petroleum refining process, like paraffin wax, but microcrystalline wax composition results in finer crystals, darker, denser, and more elastic texture. It’s used often in cosmetic products, but I wouldn’t use this variety on your face. I wear gloves when applying it, but sometimes, I accidentally get a bit on my nails when removing my gloves, and they are very shiny afterwards. It has a higher melting point than paraffin wax but still softens when it’s on your fingertips; I wear gloves when applying it.
It could be interesting going through the laminator so I will have my fire extinguisher ready!
I am printing the silent duck fist shape in white acrylic on the blue side. White for those not blue or pink rather Agender without gender…
The ghostly silent ducks are contoured by oil pastels lines drawn around the imprinted hands, I have washed over them using a mix of W&N cobalt blue and Schmincke Supergranulation Glacier Green which is a fancy combo of Cobalt Titanate Green and Chrome Tin Pink (Potters Pink)
The contours are symbolic of the oil contour maps used in the oil industry.
I have started to separate the contour lines with Posca pen blue. How will the laminator deal with this? How will we deal with sour crude oil?
The oil is running out and what left is of poor quality, governments are becoming increasingly reluctant to grant new oil licenses due to net zero carbon targets for 2050… though as I type this the SNP has broken off power sharing with the Green Party, what forces are in play here. I am sure political journalists will sniff it all out eventually.
However crap oil needs more refining, which still makes for lots of plastic. Read more about how the oil industry is dealing with the dirty sticky stuff.
According to the British Fashion Council, there are now enough clothes on the planet to dress the next six generations of humans, even taking into account population expansion. What that means is as we buy that new outfit, we contribute to the clothes mounting that charities can’t deal with. Third-world countries don’t want these clothes; they can’t use them all, and it suppresses their own production. It all becomes a destructive cycle of consumer demand, production, consumption and waste. That means the landfills are filling with discarded clothes, and resources are being consumed to make more soon-to-be landfilled clothes. Planet killing pollution, and let’s not forget the subjugation of the global poor as a labour force.
According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the global clothing industry is currently valued at 1.3 trillion dollars. Clothing makes up more than 60% of all textiles used, and over the past 15 years, clothing production has doubled. We love our fast fashion! Which involves rapid turnaround of new styles, a higher number of collections released each year, oh and we want it cheap! Much of the fabric is synthetic; its fibres and artificial dyes stubbornly refuse to decay nicely, clogging and poisoning the earth and waterways!
It hasn’t always been like this; the make-do and mend of past times saw value in fabric. Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to participate in a Sashiko workshop with the artist Jac Brill. They have an exhibition at the beautiful small gallery at 2 London Place Borth.
Sashiko necklace using Trans colours.
Sashiko is a traditional form of Japanese embroidery or stitching. It is typically used to decorate, reinforce and reuse cloth and clothing. The Japanese word translates as ‘little stabs’, an excellent process description. We were fortunate to have one of our fellow workshop attendees bring an example of Sashiko from Japan, a hat her mother had made for her; it was quite discreet in its decoration and exhibited a modern Japanese simplicity.
Historically, Sashiko was commonly done using white cotton thread on indigo-dyed blue workwear cloth, giving it a unique white-on-blue appearance. Still, eventually, scraps of more precious fabric began to be incorporated into work. Brill’s workshop explored the technique to create textile art and craft jewellery.
It took me 5 hrs to stitch, all materials recycled
Textile art has always been seen as a women’s craft and, as such, has had a lesser significance in historical art terms, which is now beginning to be redressed. That said, the amount of physical work undertaken is not commensurate with remuneration, especially craft pieces. My small but rather lovely necklace took 5hrs to stitch. Brill talks about memory being imbued within stitch work, and she recalled each scrap I used within my piece to the fabric origins, including memories of stitch and textile work with her family. This feeling of community was evident within the workshop, and it became a meditative space, but a tiring one; this is not easy work.
I also have contributed to the Post-Grad Family Heirloom, which is a large-scale collaborative artwork by current postgraduate students and alums from all UAL colleges.
My contribution to the Post-Grad Family Heirloom
We have each worked on a 40cmX40cm patchwork of art that reflects our practice focus and identity. These will be stitched together at the end of the 23/24 academic year in a tapestry-making event hosted by London College of Fashion’s Lucy Orta.
Textile art has often been undervalued because of its association with women’s work within the heteronormative patriarchies that dominate Fine Art.
However, there has always been an exception to the rule, perhaps because of her fashion links or her partnerships Modernist artist Sonia Delaunay, 1885-1979, was able to find a showcase for textile art. She saw no distinction between her paintings and her so-called ‘decorative’ work, considering the latter an extension of her art rather than a lesser form. They were Born in Odesa, Ukraine, to a poor Jewish family, then adopted by a wealthy uncle, Henri Terk, taking his name. Sonia Terk studied drawing at the Karlsruhe Academy of Fine Arts in Germany before moving to Paris in 1906. Where she married art dealer Wilhelm Uhde, gaining French citizenship.
The bold colours of Fauvism heavily influenced her during her early years in Paris. Uhde introduced her to Robert Delaunay, who would become her second husband. Together, Sonia and Robert Delaunay pioneered Orphism, a fusion of Cubism and Neo-Impressionism. Sonia used this aesthetic in her paintings, textiles, and designs throughout her career.
Sonia Delaunay – Bathing clothes circa 1920’s
In 1964, she became the first living female artist to have a retrospective at the Louvre Museum. Her works are currently housed in several prestigious museums worldwide.
Delaunay’s Modernist refusal to distinguish between fine art and applied art foreshadowed our Contemporary XD.
Being a cross-cultural polyglot, she was familiar with transitioning and altering modes of expression. Her aesthetic could manifest in various forms, whether it was a wall painting, a item of clothing, or a pack of cards. Her art was more than just visual; it was a lived statement.
Sonia Delaunay – Custom commission coat made for actor Gloria Swanson (1924)
So my clothes mountain is real; it is partly a Transition-based clear out, though I was surprised how little girly clothing I have. I had to reappraise my wardrobe after my tumour removal, as a 10-inch daily swelling and reduction of my waist has to be accommodated somehow. I’m going to try and find new homes for my unwanted clothes, and if I can’t, then I’m going to use them as art material. I’m about to own my problem and not discard it to the charity/landfill.
I love thinking, and it turns out that art takes a lot of thought…
Thinking is one of my last great pleasures, along with food; Mateus rose and masturbating to the vision of a young Brad Pit dressed as a femboy or in that leather skirt in Troy and George Clooney in ER… I know I’m a pervert; I mean, who actually likes Mateus Rose… turns out it takes all sorts!
Pervert!
Thinking can be dangerous, though! I remember reading Greer’s The Female Eunuch when I was a teenager and then absolutely hated my boyfriend of the time. What was really happening was I had a crush on Boy George’s ‘boyfriend’ Marilyn and did not understand what any of that meant!
Marilyn, Boy George’s boyfriend circa 1983
I have been contemplating a PhD proposal and attended a UAL session on PhD application. You have to start early; they take a lot of research and fund finding. I recently thought I might contextualise my art education in terms of learning to fly.
I saw my undergraduate work as a flying school: flying small single-engine a/c in the first year, ‘blindly’ moving on to flying in ‘blind’ weather in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in the second year and moving on to twin-engine IMC flying in the graduation year.
Here in my MA, I am in airline pilot ground school, making sure I understand the systems, the hydraulics electrics, fuel, engine, airconditioning and pressurisation, navigation and flight instrumentation and flight control systems… then flying the aircraft in the full flight simulator, starting to unpick the complexity of the checklists that deal with emergencies… making sure I don’t miss anything…
What awaits me in my PhD may be a way to run a checklist that, in the real world, must deal with the worst emergency imaginable… climate annihilation.
Will it be the Kobayashi Maru Scenario that I finally discover… ‘The purpose is to experience fear, fear in the face of certain death, to accept that fear and maintain control of oneself and one’s crew. This is a quality expected in every Starfleet Captain’ (Spock in Star Trek)
While meditating with printmaking and painting, I am attacking my reading list using critical thinking… unfortunately, I am getting distracted by two books one is on Jacobean history (Nicholas Galitzine’s Duke of Buckingham is rapidly displacing George Clooney in my fantasy), the other is on Queer Theory Now which as it was published in 2019 is probably f*cking light years away from current thinking but in historical terms absolutely fascinating as an aircraft technical development manual, as is the notion of Jacobean sodimites!
Brad, Nicholas and George.
I adore that reference in Gavin and Stacy, where Smity introduces Jason as a proud member of the LGBTIQ+ community. Yet I’ve sat in lectures where prominent Gay men have said there is no such community, and I’ve heard young gay men say, ‘Everyone is fucking Queer now… I just want gay ‘actual’ men…’
If everyone is Queer, there is no Queer Theory, as you need the normative to exist so it can be queered!
Is the concept of LGBTIQ+ or even homosexuality a hetronormative concept anyway?
Before 1870, to indulge in sodomy was something you did not something you were; it wasn’t always seen as an identity as such. This idea was conceived in some hideous love trist between mid-19th century German physiologists and eugenic colonising capitalist machinations to provide a de-humanised rapidly growing population that would concentrate on breeding to fuel the world factory that has caused Climate Chaos.
Queer theory tries to intellectually umbrella this mythical community of LGBTIQ+ and make it a cohesive and embracing reality… but in doing so, does it threaten to colonialise and coerce past, present and future identities…
So is queer theory already dead, or like feminism evolving into another iteration that may or may not be a ‘niccce’ Pokemon evolve! See Trans exclusionary feminists TERF’s for details..
Are TERF’s just a Bad Evolution?
There is, however, a whole new generation of people that see and embrace their ‘queerness’ or ‘gender’ or ‘identity’ or ‘being’ and some older ones like myself that understand our long-lived truth in more newly identifiable terms… this is a possible future of our species, to understand the fluidity of need without oppressing others… could this be the new knowledge of artistic language I will eventually discover?
Painting in progress…
It’s extraordinary going to university at such an advanced age as you have decades of lived experience; you are often older than your lecturers yet collude with a young generation. A generation that intuitively understands more than anyone should… debased and disavowed certain of their own demise, crippled by anxiety and quite understandable mental health issues; they deal with anti-social social media and an online plugged-in life that is more real and more exciting than anything that can be provided IRL… yet they are the ones that must be now empowered, they do not believe they will survive. Still, they must, on a possible unique planet among 400 billion nearest stars, the fate of millions of species depends on their ability to flow think, adapt and survive.
When I read, I make notes in the margins or the electronic reader. Still, I also make notes as a conversation about the intersectionality of my practice and how I perceive what I read in relation to the questions I am asking myself.
These are some of my notes for the first few chapters of McCann and Monaghan’s Queer Theory Now (2019) this is not about what’s in the book as much as what it makes me think about as I read the book…
The planet is a closed-loop system. What we have is all we have got; what we do with it is only a matter of change of state (chemistry reference)
Deconstruct signifier and signified…
Modernism, Post-modernism and Post-structuralism phallogocentric focus
Climate change isn’t the problem; that’s the signified… the signifier is the thought process of the accepted… This is why there is a need for a gender chaos theory.
Gender chaos theory might be an evolution of Queer theory and evolution of multi-species in the Anthropocene
Capitalism requires constant growth and consumption and eventually total depletion of resources and the planet itself… change of entropic state…
The Brave and Bold (scary AI Video generated from my AFK image and in-game…not really… mash up)
The Earth will exceed 1.5c warming.
The IPCC report says large parts of the Earth will become uninhabitable shortly. Which means mass migration, government instability, civil unrest and war.
The climate is not only getting hotter, but it is becoming unstable.
If all humans and our food stock animals were teleported off the planet right now, it wouldn’t stop the inevitable climate change because the Co2 we are pumping in today will last hundreds/thousands of years, the methane farted out by ruminant farm animals that outnumber natural animals 30 : 1 will only last a dozen years, but each molecule of methane traps more heat than a molecule of Co2.
You see we (humans) f*cked it, and we are the only ones that can fix it!
Leave now and the Earth still burns…
Leave now and the Earth still burns – we F*cked it we must Fix it!
To use an aviation metaphor, all we can do now is slow the plane down, enter the hold and develop carbon sequestration technology and wait patiently for it to come online and scrub the atmosphere, while juggling civil unrest, stopping youth anxiety and paralysis, infiltrating big tech with young creatives to halt the power mongrels fiddling while Rome burns.
Enter the Earth Hold
We need to inform and empower generations of creatives to hold the line
But how do we do this? Science and politicians have failed to provide joined up thinking and communications to get this task done.
Could Art and the creative sector be the answer? Alex Schady Programme Director of the CSM Art Programme asks how a future art school might look and this is my response:-
UAL XD Happens…
Formal Lectures, Tutorials, Workshops and Seminars would be replaced by the XDHappens
The XD (cross discipline) Happens invites you to participate or not in a multiplicity of modes, materials and intersectionality of ironic materiality and method with good Humour…
We integrate AFK (away from keyboard) or in-game (depends on location of body) with the creatives of the World.
Perspectives are needs that are altering to Glitch the systems of power engagement…
We together and dis-separate the experience participate or not… art becomes the emerging technology which forms a new integrated being of the World… are you online/in-game is now not asked… we always are…
In person in place now has no understanding… but may happens…
The lecturer becomes the Dance Commander… and in real-time curates the Happens :-
Live- or/not-performances theatre-music-dance
The Visuals-installations/virtual-reality
Experience-interactive-science
Becomes The Network.
Art is The New-Renaissance drives the disciplines.
The past named science, technology, engineering, mathematics, economic/politicals become defunct concepts as there is no human/humane/multispecies/earth/kindness WithoutArt…
WithoutArt is now seen as a human folly that nearly destroyed the Earth.
Happens explore complex concepts and ideas in a dynamic and engaging manner or don’t engage as is fitting mental mode.
The students (now known as idea generators) will interact or not depending on mental mode with digital simulations, explore virtual landscapes, and participate in AFK aspects to generate the mutual Happens and develop together Critical Thinking Creativity…
The VR/AR gear… will BE the Network.
Grid up the on-line/in-game…
The Happens Dance Commander need not be in person/or person or happens to be so…
Que-ups the gram and ‘docials’ to CriticalThink the new Creative and to De-bunk the lies… becomes the ideas-generators.
I am knackered after the Interim Show and Low-Res.
However, I am back at it… we are Fisting the Oil Companies next, and the gel plate meditation is perfect for thinking space…
I am using the Trans flag colours of Pink for gurrls, powder Blue for boys and white for those… well, me, those in the middle…
It was a refreshing change from the non-binary colours. I’m looking at written art, mirror writing…. I am using the environmentally devious Posca pens… I am considering how I will address their nature when they are used up!
Chapter 4… it’s all happening
We are on Hogarth in William Gaunts A Concise History of English Painting. Gaunts writing is mirroring my own narrative of social discourse.
A Spirited Orgy… ooh William you are a naughty boy…I can’t resist being childish and naughty myself…You must write it in reverse to print it ‘right’
I am using a larger plate and layering the pages on to fracture the writing…
I am examining different ways to write Transmission; just as each trans-person has their unique journey and experience, it is not a linear process.
I alternate the direction, placement and colours of the words to form a sequence on the plate. I am not cleaning the plate in between prints, leaving a residue of experience.
I also wanted to have colour plates of my own… so it was time to fist… for those of you not familiar with fisting, this is the ‘silent duck.’
I am using 80gsm eco-recycled copy paper. I achieved some great texture using recycled blue paint and the new fluorescent pink I bought from the CSM art shop. The black metallic paint is the same one used in the Hu-Cow paintings. The black metallic oil pastel will melt in the laminator, with unknown consequences, much like any transition process.
I varnished between layers with a high gloss varnish and applied more paint with a pallet knife. The silent duck was perfectly captured on the gel plate, including my long nails; owww, not recommended for fisting!
I might do a process video… for the painting don’t get carried away…
Getting the Gender Identity Flags for Hu-Cow Up all 7 meters of it!
Well, by Mid-way through the interim exhibition/ low-res, I was laying in bed looking at videos my coursemate Madeline Kay had sent me…
Virtual exhibitions and class participation… thanks to my class mates
It’s all about pacing…this always was as much about logistics as art, about friendship and connection… about coping with physical disability and my ability/inability to look after my body…
My minders have been many… that has been truly amazing, wonderful… special… what a tremendous set of people… Thank You…
The supporters that travelled for the show (you know who you are, and I couldn’t have done any of this without you), my course-mates, my tutor, and, as always, Dwain have made it possible to do things this week I had thought impossible a few years ago.
I know the old pilots mantra of the 6 P’s are true for me as ever.
Piss Poor Preparation leads to Piss Poor Performance
This week has given me more information as to what will work best for me.
For the exhibition…I like the look of the strip hang, and I already have ideas to continue this work, but I have no idea where our Grad Show will be. As a course, some of us have plans to meet up and see this year’s Grad show in June.
At this show, I saw solutions for setting up videos for censored work… if I need that next time…
What didn’t work…
I need an assistant, food, toilet, bending down… the disability doesn’t go away… everything that adds to the pain count takes away what I can do art-wise. It’s simple maths!
Art wise…
The on-the-ground pieces were too many and offered too much in such a busy setting.
Too Much?
The business cards, postcards and QR codes did they work? Maybe too early to say… we will always have Paris… thank you MM
MM wearing the boob skin bra and about to bomb Paris with Hu-Cow QR stickers (did that get me cancelled on Youtube?)
I loved making the bound boob sculpture and skin bra, and it was an important work for trans visibility and me as a trans artist. However, the link wasn’t clear enough for the short attention span of the exhibition visitor and would have worked better displayed as two separate works, which was not feasible in this setting.
The very best part of the exhibition work was a young student who came up to me and thanked me for the trans visibility of my art… that made it all worthwhile.
I enjoyed the workshops that I managed to attend. I can’t manage full days, and I came a cropper on the book workshop on the stylish but unsupportive pale blue chairs… but what I learnt will undoubtedly be put into practice back home in the beach studio!
Alex’s collaborative making was amazing and I made the best D*Ck ever… so much better than Mr Floppy on opening night!
Mr Floppy is in there!External Dicks are so much better… photo by Daniel…
I now have the skills necessary to make my own art D*Ck and it’s given me ideas for my costumes for my IRL/Animation characters.
David Cross’s lecture could have been the most important lecture I’ve attended and made connections in ways I hadn’t thought of before. The need for critical creativity, opposed to just creativity…
The 3D image capture class was amazing, I have loads of image data now to play with, not sure my billy basic MacBook would cut it with processing.
The 3D image capture Rig – 64 Sony Cameras
I’ve always seen my investigation into emerging technologies as about me learning a language to converse with those about to join the Network. However, the boob sculpture may look good modelled in 3D; I wouldn’t need Andrew to carry it everywhere!
Me in 3D
The assessments came out mid-way through the Low-Res, and the feedback was helpful and bang-on…
I WANT to create new knowledge, am I there yet… no… will I be? That’s the breakthrough that only comes by doing the work…
The feedback helped me reflect on the last 20 weeks through other’s eyes.
My ethos is Transmission, to communicate and connect.
I am in the Earth Saving business, but I can’t do that alone, so the The Network is the focus of my practice…
The intersectionality within my practice is me…
The making is my meditation to deal with the existential crisis induced during Earth Saving…
The making must be minimised to follow ‘the 3 laws’ cheeky nod to the 2004 film I, Robot.
1. Make without making, using up STUFF – reduce, reuse, recycle, and refuse…
Greenpeace poster… recycling might not be working…
I don’t know what laws 2. and 3. are… I haven’t written those yet… but it might include… Make small changes and forgive yourself the cheat days (that could be a law, or it might just be a diet strategy…)
I’ve had two really productive meetings, the Network of Eco-kindness is moving forward, and it was terrific to meet Clem Crosby IRL. I’m always amazed at how productive our chats are; we are a good mix.
It was lovely to meet up with Dr Giz and Dr Ellen (Titty Washer and Genital Irregularity Inspector). We did the usual goss, and I’m so grateful that Ellen will help me with a strategy to find funding for my PhD and think about a supervisor…
The chat with Dr Tiger Sue (supporter and general superstar) about the importance of getting along with your PhD supervisor was genuinely helpful!
I bet you are now thinking, who are all these people… well I am sure you will find them at some stage in my animations in some form or other… that’s how my animation works… will YOU appear?
The not-so-good bits have been the physical pain as always… the train journey home was ‘interesting’ to say the least… I know none of this would be easy, and missing my friend’s opening night in Walthamstow was shit!
Missed this too knackered!
Nonetheless, Andrew (Art collector supporter and bloody good laugh) took lots of photos.
Richard (performance arteeeeesst and chief mischief-maker) rang me and kept saying get in a taxi which was lovely!
I only wish I could, but I’m beginning to understand it is better to do a little every day so I can live to fight another day… yes, it’s all about pacing… and finding who you are…
I discovered through art action research making this work that I didn’t want a real dick after all. (you have no idea how much anxiety the possibility of that caused me and my family) and if I did ever want a dick, it would be a strap-on. Yet, I do love my moustache… and if you are a non-binary person flirting with your trans-masc identity, that’s pretty amazing, so maybe I am creating some personal new knowledge. I can see how these experiences will lead to future Queer Chaos Theory… and that’s satisfying and might in some way Save the Earth., not sure how yet… I will keep you posted!
I am currently sitting here in tears of frustration once again because I do not have an assistant for the Low-Res programme at C.S.M.
Student Finance Wales has set aside £24000 a year for an assistant, but they have never paid out a penny because I have never had one available.
My coursemates are willing to help out, as is my fantastic course tutor, my husband will also lend a hand, as he does day in day out… and we will all manage somehow… My disability co-ordinator is a genuinely nice person and believes that’s enough…
That all seems reasonable; everyone will muddle along, but I know what will really happen because this is not my first rodeo; it is my 4th year in arts education.
I will be left feeling stressed about whether I will be left waiting in the chair in pain, wondering if there will be someone to assist me. I will feel intense embarrassment when having to ask for help.
I will be left asking myself, will people get annoyed at “having” to help but not wanting to be seen as impolite?
The whole course will be delayed and buggered about with… it will, that’s how this goes down…
That sigh… that look away, or the excuse of being busy at the moment and then forgetting, leaving you feeling like a spare part at an orgy…
Is that a dick on your lap…. No it’s my art project..
Tasks that would only take a few minutes with an assistant end up taking much longer or never getting done at all.
The real issue with being a disabled artist is not the disability itself but rather how people think they can offer help. It may sound ungrateful, but it truly isn’t…
An assistant could be briefed on how to lift the 28kg disability scooter (two people, one at each end on the bumper bar).
They would be aware of my toilet needs – it’s best to go before I leave when I arrive, and at least every hour because I may forget to go because I am engrossed in my art. I can’t feel that I need to go until it’s too late… oh I know, put the disabled person in an adult nappy that will solve it… you can change at the end of the day and put up with the skin sores and split skin… pass the Sudocrem…
An assistant would know I can endure about 30 minutes in the scooter before experiencing agony in my back, where the spinal block was put in three times and days later shifted and dug into my spinal cord.
An assistant could negotiate my needs, knowing I have approximately 4 hours sitting in a chair in class before my bowels and organs become stuck together as I no longer have a peritoneum.
This was removed with my tumour. It is a major membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity. It covers most of the intra-abdominal organs, supports those organs and serves as a conduit for their blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves; well, it would if I had one… Without it, I can swell 10 inches in a day, then on standing up, I pull apart stuck organs and bowels… don’t worry; give the disabled person some serious painkillers that will turn it into a zombie…that will keep em quiet!
I can stand, well, on one leg for around 10 minutes standing with sticks; my knee will be twice its normal size by the end of that…
I can manage stairs, although each step feels like someone is stabbing me in the knee.
But none of that is as painful as continually asking for help, knowing you can’t do something and having your bloody nose rubbed in it!
You only understand that pain if you’ve experienced it yourself… I hope you never have to…
The real problem with being disabled is not the disability itself, but rather the feeling of invisibility and disempowerment.
So, what do disabled people need?
Disabled people obviously have a variety of needs depending on their specific disabilities and individual circumstances.
However, some common needs for disabled individuals may include:
Acknowledgement: Being listened to and accepting that disabled people know what they need!
Accessibility: Accessible infrastructure, buildings, transportation, and facilities to ensure mobility and independence.
Assistive Devices: Devices such as mobility scooters to aid in daily activities.
Personal Assistance: Support from caregivers or personal assistants to help with tasks like personal care, mobility, and communication of needs with dignity.
Healthcare Services: Access to specialised medical care, therapies, and treatments to manage health conditions and improve quality of life. There is no chance of that when you have multiple chronic disabilities. I can tell you my latest fun encounter is my statins being doubled because the current dose is not holding my Familial hypercholesterolemia at bay. This condition affects the way my body processes cholesterol. As a result, people with familial hypercholesterolemia have a higher risk of heart disease and a greater risk of early heart attack. The condition is genetic and inherited and is present from birth, but symptoms may not appear until adulthood, sometimes first shown by a fatal heart attack or stroke at a young age. I was lucky to get to my 40s before its full impact happened, but the treatment is brutal and high doses of statins are crushing to joints, liver and brain function. No, I am not taking my new dosage; I’m dealing with that bollocks when I get back from the low-res
Inclusive Education: Access to inclusive educational opportunities and accommodations to support learning and development. Yes, please!
Employment Opportunities: Equal access to employment opportunities, reasonable accommodations in the workplace, and support for career advancement. I’m having a laugh now, right!
Social Inclusion: Opportunities for social participation, community engagement, and inclusion in social activities and events. You have no idea the strength of will that takes…
Respect and Dignity: Recognition of rights, respect for individual autonomy, and protection against discrimination and stigmatisation…. I know I’m going to pee myself on this low-res….ffs
It is important to recognise that the needs of disabled individuals are diverse and may vary based on factors such as the type of disability, level of impairment, and personal preferences.
Providing support and accommodations to meet these needs can help enable individuals to lead fulfilling and independent lives…. Ya!
The young me… I can’t begin to imagine what they would think about this bollocks…
Well, you are now asking what the F*ck this has to do with art…. Well, before I can do any art, I have to deal with this shit….
So can this be better?
Well I think I need to frame and understand my needs better… I don’t think I knew that till I got to the end of this blog post… Amazing what you learn at University…
I saw a link on a social group to a questionnaire to help you determine your gender. It’s controversial as it includes intersex people in the questions, which is not a gender, but the questionnaire makers didn’t want to discriminate; however, by including intersex people in a gender questionnaire, they did!
Why have ‘labels’ at all, well hopefully one day there will be no need but we are not their yet, maybe we never will be…
That’s a lot of Flags!
These are my results, and of course, the whole point of Non-binary is that it is an umbrella name for the other identities included here, as is Genderqueer to a certain extent.
My results…This is an umbrella term… 80%If you transition away from your assigned at-birth gender, you are transgender… 80%Did someone say provocation deviated… oh yes 80% on this one..I understand how I might fit into this one but 80% was a surprise! 20% of me… which surprised me as I haven’t thought about fluidity…Well, I scored nothing on this one! It did make me laugh, but I’m not surprised at all! I always knew I wasn’t a women!
I started running a series of workshops last year and will start up again in April. My home of Borth shuts down for winter. It is a storm beach, after all. There have been parties, but I’ve been head down in the studio rather than dancing on the tables…
One of my art group’s requests was for a drawing workshop, and one always thinks of Betty Edwards Drawing on the right side of the brain. So when I signed up for the UAL academic support workshop, I was delighted to see how Christina Koning was using this book and how she had interpreted Edwards rather stoic lesson plans. It’s fascinating how each artist takes a different slant on Edwards’s work. My beach art group are mixed ages, some creatives, but mainly people who haven’t had anything to do with art since they decided at eight that art wasn’t for them. Yet here they are wanting to explore that side of themselves.
Same size me…Perspective me…
How art and creativity impacts the brain and brain health is really important to me. My mother suffered in the last years of her life from vascular dementia.
She described dementia as living in a house that you have always inhabited, but someone has locked the door into a room you want to go in. Sometimes, you can pick the lock, sometimes you can find another door into the room, and sometimes, you will never be able to go into that room again… Eventually, none of the rooms were open to her, and she didn’t know who I was, but she said she liked me… which was probably the most beautiful thing anyone has said to me but also the saddest.
During my BA research, I found out that drawing with the non-dominant hand accessed the underused creative side of the brain, developed new neural networks and was being used as a treatment for stroke victims.
New bits of brain-activated!
However, research shows the incredible effect it has on perfectly health brain tissue too.
So that’s completely new bits of brain that anyone can develop just by drawing.
If you try it yourself, it’s quite startling the difference it makes, and it continues to make, just like any program of exercise.
I want my new workshop to examine drawing, brain health and happiness. But this is also important for any art practice. As Contemporary artists, we are both bestowed and burdened with hundreds of years of art history and developmental knowledge. Art is the inquisitor of life, so as sex has become the contemporaneous gateway to love and passion has overtaken laboursome compatibility, have we got the steps in the wrong order? Should we learn to draw in perspective, or de-colonialise and draw in primacy, or abstract ourselves to the new…
Does perspective matter to you? What happens when it looks wrong…
How does this connect to my practice focus?
Well, it’s networking in its most literal sense. It also counters ableism and the Western narrative of ageism whilst exploring what it means to be an alarumed creative in the 21st century.
Perspective is, after all, everything in the new Anthropocene.
Never mind, use it or lose it…. Do it and Develop it.
Edwards, B. (2001) The new drawing on the right side of the brain. HarperCollins UK.
Philip, B.A. and Frey, S.H. (2016) ‘Increased functional connectivity between cortical hand areas and praxis network associated with training-related improvements in non-dominant hand precision drawing,’ Neuropsychologia, 87, pp. 157–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.05.016.
I’m going to tell you a story. I am always doing that, but this is to give you context. A long time ago, a junior British Airways airline pilot (me) was posted to the Boeing 757/767 fleet.
The 767 was always difficult to land as it daggled its feet and would trip up with a thud!
This fleet operated on ‘bidline’ rules. Each month, each pilot had to bid for the trips they wanted. Your ‘chips’ were your seniority number (date of joining) and how cleverly you played the game.
To win meant lovely trips, maybe sunning yourself in the south of France on a Nicé Standover, or doing the Vatican and a nice meal in the Piazza Navona on Rome nightstop while rolling in money from your Genevia or Zurich trip… to lose meant flying into the first Gulf War with Kate Adie on board, a full tank of fuel if the balloon went up and losing thousands out of your paycheck…
Apparently at the start of the first Gulf War a newspaper published a cartoon which showed two British soldiers ready to go into battle. ‘We can’t start yet’ said the soldier, ‘Kate Adie isn’t here!’
Kate Adie BBC war correspondent
Kate was quite nice actually; war zones, not so much…
My mate Richie and the coalition forces 1st Gulf War. The crew of ND were human shields held captive in Bagdad
So a senior chap on my fleet said what you need is a computer and this new program that creates your bid for you. It can process hundreds of permutations in seconds and even submit your bid from anywhere in the world… so I bought myself a 486 laptop, and off I went…
Dial me up Mr Floppy
It occurred to me that once they sorted out this computer/ internet malarkey, this stuff could be quite useful… we might even be able to shop online… I hate going to the shops…
Well, obviously, they did, and everything that we enjoy now was just a possibility in those early days…
What’s coming next AGI Artificial General Intelligence will make our current tech look like a Tomy toy from Mothercare.
Top tech from Tomy!
The Industrial Revolution was transformational. It changed how humans lived; it started the planet’s demise, but this is a different league. It could end us or save us. I doubt there will be much in between.
Quite possibly, if you are reading this as a white-collar worker, even as an educator, soon your job will either not exist, or if it does, it will be radically different; everything will change.
You simply can not afford not to keep up!
Right now, AI and AGI are at the 486 stage. It’s nice; it’s doing stuff, but it’s nothing to get your knickers in a twist over! But that won’t last…
I am, however, the eternal optimist, and I’m betting on GOOD.
Why? Well, it can think quicker and clearer than us. It runs through scientific data, and AGI ‘learns at a diametric rate’ That’s a quote from Terminator, so it’s a bit SkyNet-like; they have called the new AGI ‘like’ Google platform ‘Gemini’
You have to love the ad images; they are having a laugh at Google!
It’s had a bit of a delay in launching, but don’t worry; it will be back soon…
‘I’ll be back!’
Anyway, if it doesn’t come up with some good stuff to solve Global Climate Chaos, then we are buggered, so fingers crossed….
Meanwhile, here in the Art Action research department of Mx Farm, we are looking at Alpha/Bete programs for 3D concept design. Like all test programmes, it’s a bit sh*t, but it has some good elements.
Alpha image to 3DBeta text to 3D imageBeta text to 3D image… nice ars*3D and 3 legsThis was interesting as I gave it a Non-binary prompt. I never managed to get a penis though… sounds familiar!
Formulate, describe and implement a challenging and self-directed programme of study, relating to your Study Statement. (Assessment Criteria: Enquiry)
I formulated this program overlayed on the course calendar.
It’s pretty full for the first 20 weeks because that’s what’s already or is about to happen.
The rest of the units are deliberately vague…
I have ideas…
I intend to develop the ironic materiality of Hu-Cow and start an exploration into the financial grip of oil companies on food production and how emerging technologies are vying for world dominance (they could be the solution) in F*sting the Oil Companies.
I will be using social media, animation, installation and performance.
I will be running workshops here in Wales and online at UAL on Emerging Technologies, Gender Identity and, of course, Eco-Mindfulness.
I will be developing The Mycelium Art Network…. Podcast, Symposia, Collaboration and looking at Art Funding for that work.
…as did the opportunities…
I made an animation for an open call; I was delighted when it was chosen to be exhibited.
I also spoke in this blog briefly about the Feminist Internet; I had applied for a residency with them, but better still, they gave me a job running the online side of the reading groups that went with the Embodying Horizons workshops… and I will be presenting at the upcoming symposium in spring 2024 if they get funding.
If they don’t, that will be sad, but hopefully, we can use the contacts made to carry this work forward. We have already set up a WhatsApp group of creatives, tech, research academics and artists from around the world.
Everything is always about funding, but that’s the nature of public-facing art. I’m seeing established artists struggle with this, so I will investigate how to finance major projects, which will be the challenge for year two. Linett Kamala says she gets the funding all sorted and accounted for before tackling the in-depth aspects of the art. This sounded cold and business-like and is probably counter-intuitive to traditional art practice. Still, with public-facing art, that assumed paradigm has to shift. Artists need funding.
I hope to continue working with the Feminist Internet on future projects.
The impact on me as an artist was profound when I attended the second workshop in person, both in what I could see as new possibilities within my practice and what could be physically possible as a disabled person.
Travelling to London from a little village in Wales is no easy feat, even more so if you have mobility issues. I talk in this blog about mobility but, more importantly, how seminal this visit to London might have been to my art practice.
Implement appropriate working methods for building an independent and effective self-organisation that enables the critical engagement with practice-based research.
(Assessment Criteria: Process)
This is a brutal statement, but in my art practice, I deal with very brutal realities.
If you have a fairly limited lifespan, you can’t f*ck around!
If you are trying to Save the Earth equally, you are obliged to get on with it!
Everyday hurts… I don’t want to surrender… so I have to have a process and routine… in many ways, artists seek to disrupt routines, but chronic long-term illness will do that for you nicely.
I spend an awfully long time in the toilet every day; there, I write and read… I am always making notes…
It is where I do my best work…
I write for the blog on the loo, and I often write scripts or outlines for stories, but I do love poetry; this is about AI and war…
Once I get up and dressed, I take my breakfast into the studio…
I make using supplies I already have to reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse…
When I can travel outside the confines of the beach hut, I say yes to opportunities to network… with my old university contacts, my art community, my art cohort, local galleries, art centre and LGBTQ+ networks… I engage… I am even visiting a dairy farm next week!
But some days, I can’t even make it down the stairs… they can be my most productive days as I write and animate lying down; it reduces the pain…
Mission Control
This post looked at a side art journey.
Its rationale is fear; all artists experience that within their practice.
I was banging on about a drawing experiment, but scroll halfway down, and you’ll see I am apprehensive about my trip to London… sometimes you have to let go of fear and just do it…
I have polished my animation language, but action art research has also developed depth in sculpture, writing, and emerging technology, changes I just couldn’t have imagined in those early days.
The gel plate printing developed into Hu-Cow: Titty Milk Dairy Rebellion for the upcoming interim show at CSM, which is an installation, animation and performance.
This is a long blog post and keeps growing! Read if you will, it’s a process post but it does have moments of reflection and realisation:
‘…looking at a busy work bench eventually gave the thought, this piece is coming together… What started as a gel plate meditation has developed into a interdisciplinary way of communicating ideas’
I love words, especially new words; they are like gateways to a new adventure, a new thought, new art and, therefore, new knowledge. Their exploration has been fundamental in the development of my practice.
My spirit animal… Jenkin van-Zyl
I am absolutely convinced that AI works like a Dada pick and mix of choosing words/code out of an infinite/finite Dada black bag…
I resemble that remark…
I talk more about this/like this in this blog. This is a perfect example of how my brain works…
Weaponising art sounds dangerous… but as soon as you say the word humour your mind is more forgiving more accepting… therefore art through humour can be most subvisive…
Will Big Biz/Big Tech spank Captain Climate Chaos?…
In this blog, I have a light-hearted look at tech’s progress through my life and the rapid changes coming while undertaking action art research.
The blog describes being in the thick of the making part of the installation; in reality, it was only the beginning…
Early still from the animation, the costume of the character went through subtle changes, and Mx Recruiter grew a rather fabulous moustache
The co-foundation of this work is an animation about the dairy and beef industry using my cartoon characters, but it came after the installation piece. It takes time to think of characters and their storyline and redemption arc…
Edited parts of the film will go onto social media platforms after the show.
I want the animation to be shown at a film screening; however, censorship may preclude this! Interestingly, I’ve noted a fellow student is using Only Fans as part of their practice; maybe that is where the Hu-Cows animation should live, free of censorship, or maybe censorship makes it more alluring… I have catered for censorship within the performance and the QR code bomb.
QR code Bomb
This post reflects on the process and inspiration for the animation:
What the final exhibition will look like will depend on exhibition briefings and what happens during the hang at the Mothership.
I am flexible and want to make this piece work within the framework of its setting and contribute to a good outcome for the whole MA interim show.
Communicating to a wide range of audience profiles takes flexibility. One can’t be all things to all people, especially if you are using adult animation. Still, I want to codify the complex intersectionality of Global Climate Chaos and the creative flexibility of Queer Gender Theory in a multi-layered approach that penetrates the inertia of the Anthropocene. A double-blind bid that gets you one way or the other!
It’s a Double D Blind Bid of the Mx Farm: Hu-Cows
During my second tutorial, Jonathan asked what was the most challenging aspect of making this work.
My answer: It was teasing a simple message out of a complex web of climate chaos in a way that subconsciously subverts the dominant narrative of climate inaction.
To tune you into a new paradigm without turning you off to change.
If all it does is make you laugh or question its intention or linger in your thoughts, it HAS ‘glitched’ the system, and you become part of…
Examining the solutions for Climate Mindfulness through the lens of Gender Identity and its Intersectionality with Climate Chaos, Queer theory, Ableism and Emerging Technologies
Aims and Objectives…
Save the Earth
I aim to develop new knowledge and affect change through the interplay of ironic materiality, social rendition and emerging technologies through my active research as a Contemporary Dadaist…
Climate Change is an existential and cataclysmic complex issue that needs unconventional, creative thinking to jumpstart real-world solutions, and it needs it now.
The geo-political climate crisis and its resulting global warming is THE most pressing issue of our time (except for the potentially instant warming provided by an 800-kiloton nuclear warhead, which may be an issue at the moment, but I can’t solve everything.)
Pressing Issues
I came to UAL to gain a platform, and develop skills and create opportunities.
My diverse life experiences and travels as an airline pilot, my time exploring wild and high places on the planet feed into my practice, I am a global artist…
Diverse Experience
I delve into online communities, examining the internet’s transformative potential along with its relations, AI and emerging technologies as the catalysts for change alongside developing a mycelium-like network of artists and those that can advocate a Queer response to problem solving.
I believe that used for good emerging technologies can be transformational, capable of pushing boundaries and establishing a new framework that positively impacts the well-being of all individuals and the healing of the planet. A recent example of this is AI coming up with a new form of lithium battery. (Padavic-Callaghan, 2024)
AI’s ability to crunch huge amounts of data while flow thinking new solutions makes it an astonishingly useful research assistant, but it is a biased one.
By leveraging the reach and accessibility of new perspectives through art, I aim to challenge societal norms, foster inclusivity, and create a space where new solutions can thrive.
I intend to ignite conversations, provoke critical thinking, and contribute to a more inclusive and empowered society by embracing the virtual world and harnessing its potential combined with the decision-making of countering ableist culture and plasticity of thought celebrated by the Queer social lived experience.
To change the way the future is written… this writing is actually a picture…
Glitch the established systems
That’s a lot of data
The Objectives…
Forging a mycelium like art network…
THE NETWORK
Aligning emerging technologies with Art, Queer theory and Gender exploration.
Taking part in the discussion of ethical standards within emerging technologies, working with groups like the Feminist Internet Studio.
Be present in the understanding of emerging technology. This is ongoing, weekly and sometimes daily.
Looking at decision making through the lens of life experiences of Ableism. Sadly this is a daily lived experience for me.
Physically render the intersectionality of the body politic of climate drivers with an exploration of my individual body through making and writing.
The Context...
AI, or artificial intelligence
The ability of machines to ‘simulate’ human intelligence, including decision-making and problem-solving, remembering AI doesn’t have skin in the game, which can be both a blessing and a curse when making difficult decisions.
VR, or virtual reality
Creates a simulating digital environment that immerses users in a computer-generated world.
AR, or augmented reality
Overlays digital information or virtual objects onto the real world.
Emerging Technologies
The genie cannot be put back in its bottle, thank gawd, and these technologies will change our lives and may hold some of the answers to sorting out the mess of climate destruction.
Collectively, these technologies can provide a context-aware environment that enables the user to understand a different view of the real world. It can be argued that for Gen Z and future generations, the virtual world is the real world or as important as any ‘lived’ experience.
In a world about to be ravaged by climate chaos and transformed beyond all recognition, the virtual world might provide a sanctuary of mindfulness in a way that the first art galleries soothed the desolate souls of the Industrial Revolution.
Emerging tech algorithms can analyse the user’s surroundings, recognise objects or people, and provide relevant and personalised information or assistance in real time that is immersive and interactive. This could revolutionise how art communicates with the audience; we see that gamification with social media platforms.
The potential to transform opens up our understanding of new positions for innovation and advancement. During the Feminist Internet Workshop, we discussed how gaming art activists were able to send out accurate protest information by writing code that was later assembled into a game to be distributed around the world.
Ableism: negotiating difficult situations and decisions.
Empathy and perspective-taking: fostering kindness and understanding towards individuals and the unique challenges and needs they may face.
Boosted awareness: ways to counteract biases and prejudices, which can be crucial when making challenging decisions.
Ethical considerations: fairness, justice, and equality need a deeper understanding of the ethical implications of the tough decisions that will have to be made.
Informed decision-making: real-world experience of ableism, rights, and needs of people, not just a sweeping generalised one-size-fits-all.
Advocacy and support: valuable when making difficult decisions that will have a significant impact on the lives of individuals, enabling more inclusive and equitable outcomes.
To T or not to T that is the question. Trans Masculine Non-binary people often use testosterone. Are increased numbers of transitioning people a behavioural sink or has it always been a human factor that has been ignored.
Queer Theory and Gender Identity: challenging and transforming societal norms and power structures.
Intersectionality: Queer theory and gender identity emphasise the importance of intersectionality, recognising that individuals hold multiple identities and face intersecting forms of oppression. Applying this lens to climate change helps me understand the transitional thinking that will be needed and the ability to join up sometimes conflicting arguments.
The Non-Binary Pride Flag
Representing: By using the non-binary pride flag colours and #nonbinary in posting, I represent! This is activism for visibility.
Deconstructing binaries: Queer theory challenges the rigid binary. This plasticity helps break down the false dichotomy between humans and nature, recognising that we are interconnected and dependent on the natural world. By challenging these binaries, we can foster a more holistic and sustainable approach to addressing climate change.
Challenging heteronormativity: Heterocentric, white, western privilege is the most significant driver of geo-political conditions that have caused climate change. Queer theory critiques normativity and promotes diverse and inclusive perspectives, leading to more innovative and inclusive solutions, as well as challenging the dominant narratives that perpetuate unsustainable practices.
Empowering marginalised voices: Queer theory and gender identity explores the importance of amplifying marginalised voices and experiences. By centring the voices of individuals in climate discussions, we can ensure that their unique perspectives and knowledge are considered, leading to more comprehensive and equitable climate policies and initiatives.
IRL in real life, will virtual life become the real world… should we see it as different or of equal importance?
Success or failure of my project can be assessed rather brutally:
Success is an impacted future
…failure none of it will matter anyway… Extinction Level Event…
This is E.L.E. they are an Extinction Level Event… someone pick up the hot line
Context: Contemporary and Theoretical Contexts
Historical:
I see the intersection of Climate Change, Emerging Technologies and Gender Identity to have several parallels in modern history that gives historical context.
The Italian Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and the root cause of climate change the Industrial Revolution and its soul mate Capitalism.
This list has no doubt an ocularcentric bias.
The harm of Colonialism is real, pervasive and seeming everlasting as white male Silicon Valley’s signature heteronormativity besmirches AI.
How I address this within my research without being overwhelmed with data might be solved by using pattern recognition and prompt engineering with an online AI model; that’s what Big Tech wants us to believe. However, because AI is already biased, it and my bias will have to be checked through a hefty critical thinking lens
Contemporary and Theoretical: Current Queer theory, gender identity and the body politic. Emerging technologies AI, VR and AR. Social media will be my artistic playground.
Context of the medium or technology in which you work: I am an Interdisciplinary Contemporary Dadaist, investigating the new frontier of the Anthropocene, working with kindness and humour in adult animation, writing, performance, workshops, social media and emerging technologies … exploring the boundaries of Contemporary Ironic Materiality…
I have also developed a nasty meditation habit with gel plate painting/printing/making…
Contemporary artists and their work that relates to my field of investigation:
All Artists… All artists/creatives are important and we need to NETWORK to be part of the Change…
WE ARE THE CHANGE
Don’t tell anyone, but my current fetish is the breathtakingly barmy Jenkin-van-Zyl. I was delighted to see them appear in the Monday art lecture. More about their work on my blog post. Their human assemblage mirrors my virtual character collective in my animated world.
They are one of us!
I’ve put a couple of droll internet references to non-binary artists in the bibliography. I have done so to demonstrate the ‘chaser’ mentality of journalism and society in general towards trans people. I believe that all non-binary artists use their identity as artistic and creative space (sweeping assumptions there, Dee), but that IS the beauty of Queerdiagnostics; it renders flexibility and sweeping camp statements without blushing…
An incredible artist I’d like to work with is Claye Bowler, whose honest exploration of top surgery for FtoM transition Top at theHenry Moore Institute, October 2022 – January 2023, put the focus on our underrepresented trans community.
Bowler’s work delves into exploring the trans body as an archive for the trans experience that is often subject to society’s erasure of Queer narratives.
The deletion of lived experience and the denial of gender is ‘normal’. As I approach 60, I am still not allowed to be non-binary on my driving licence or passport, and I may die having never officially lived legally as my true self. Can the human race turn its face away from the truth… can it keep destroying the planet in wilful ignorance… you bet it can! Denial is strong in our species.
Is someone working in my field (climate focus)…
I bloody hope so!
Each year, I see more and more artists explore the only real narrative left for humanity; there will soon be nothing else. Global warming is not climate change; it is climate chaos, it is instability, it is drought, famine, fire, floods, mass migration and war…
Does any of the existing art look like my work… I doubt it… I haven’t seen any; there may be a good reason, as only a lunatic would try to see humour in the darkest of times…
I interviewed an emerging painting talent today, Toby Wills-Hart, for my interview series. I take my interviewee’s words and paint a Contemporary Dada sound and visual picture; it forms part of THE NETWORK. Wills-Hart’s painting deliberately provides a portal of escape, a moment of relief from the existential. In contrast, mine is the opposite; I subconsciously entreat you to think.
Both ends of the spectrum are needed as are all along it.… as no one, even with the dirtiest of laconic humour, can deal with survival horror all the time.
My visual inspiration is my childhood heroes, Grange Calveley and Bob Godfrey’sRoobarb and Custard, but they are still not my adult animation.
My true Contemporary Bodhisattva
is likely Legacy Russell and their written call to ‘Glitch’ the system.
Glitch is an obvious metaphor, but Russell takes a different approach by embracing the significance of ‘error’ and subverting the negative. They recognise that errors within a social system that is already disrupted by economic, racial, social, sexual, and cultural inequalities, as well as the destructive force of globalisation that perpetuates violence against all individuals, may not be errors but rather opportunities for necessary corrections. This Glitch serves as a treatment for the ‘machine’ and represents a positive departure from the hideous mess society/the planet finds itself in.
My Ride or Die Artists are:
Chantal Akerman 1950-2015 (Belgian) Filmmaker. I aspire to her composition and her fearless exploration of the difficult, but not the length of her films.
Janet Cardiff 1957 – (Canadian) Master of sound and story… I want my sound to matter and take you on a journey that takes up space in your subconscious as I distract you with absurd coded images. Cardiff distracts, not in the same way as I, but they inspire me to take my own path.
Robert DowneySr. 1936 -2021 (American) New York 60’s art house filmmaker… I want my animation to exist in that ridiculous, drug-filled happening… Just without needing the drugs.
I work in…
I work in Layers
Therefore, my admiration for Frank Auerbach 1931- (German) is unbound. I look forward to seeing the exhibition at The Courtauld of his Charcoal Heads when I go to London in March.
I thought I might be inspired by Hannah Höch 1889-1931 (German), and I am in terms of my sketchbook practice, and that slice of the kitchen knife turns up in the boob cast and in the gel-plate printing. But it is Tristan Tzara 1896-1963 (Romanian) who I desire to be re-incarnated from… I don’t empirically know if Tzare would turn up at CSM with a ‘packer’, a fake moustache and a set of cow ears riding a disability scooter disguised as a transgender bull, but I’d wager good money that he might!
I am a self-styled Contemporary Dadaist; this is obviously not Dada or even Neo-Dada…, but rather a reaction to the absurd nature of the Anthropocene…
What its manifesto will be, I don’t know because I haven’t written it yet… but it will contain
THE NETWORK
Methodology:
Climate Mindfulness – Nothing Else Matters Now
I am working with Clem Crosby UAL Academic Support to look at establishing a presentation or workshop to examine eco-mindfulness to counteract the issues of climate anxiety within the artist community and wider afield.
I network… THE NETWORK
I write (including vast note taking) I blog, I sketchbook, I make without making, trying to use up my existing resources.
STUFF (2023)
The poem I wrote at the start of 2023 for the film STUFF (2023) is still relevant to my art practice… but my practice has developed and changed its focus and identity… my gender identity has provided a new lens… I only clearly saw that when Linett Kamala in the Thursday session asked what is the one constant through your life that has been an influence…
My gender struggle… that truth slowly emerged in the first two semesters of my MA, but like ground rush it hit…
…it hit… hard and fast…
The theory drives the practical experimentation, and the practical experimentation feeds into and creates the theory, which drives the practical experimentation…it becomes an infinity mirror without end…until the end…
Kusama’s infinity mirrors at the Tate Modern… it gives a different view…
Outcomes:
Different ways to network… performing The 5 Gold Rings of Climate Justice
I have a series of experiments to undertake… Making for installations.
Performances.
Funnelled digital and physical happenings.
The ironic humour of adult animation.
The creation of the mycelium-like art network (Artists, Creatives,Humans, Non-humans) …
THE NETWORK
Work Plan:
This is a 2 year plan Short/Medium/Long Term within that framework. It is absolutely and essentially subject to change!
X-pect the un X-pected!
I will grasp every opportunity and make every physical and virtual connection I bodily can.
I am on a Trans-Mission…
Bibliography:
Babbs, V. and Babbs, V. (2024) ‘6 Non-Binary & Transgender Artists We Love – TheArtGorgeous,’ TheArtGorgeous – Media group with a fresh and entertaining perspective on the art world, making it accessible and fun for everyone., 3 January. https://theartgorgeous.com/6-non-binary-transgender-artists-we-love/.
Bruno, G.A. (2021) ‘For the Love of Metaphysics: Nihilism and the Conflict of Reason from Kant to Rosenzweig, by Karin Nisenbaum,’ Mind, 131(522), pp. 733–742. https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/fzab026.
Jay, M. (1988) ‘The rise of hermeneutics and the crisis of ocularcentrism,’ Poetics Today, 9(2), p. 307. https://doi.org/10.2307/1772691.
Moeggenberg, Z.C. and Walton, R. (2019) ‘How queer theory can inform design thinking pedagogy,’ SIGDOC ’19: Proceedings of the 37th ACM International Conference on the Design of Communication, pp. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1145/3328020.3353924.
This is a living document for the next few weeks until this project is complete. You will need to check back for updates:
The animation is complete and has been entered into the ARTS SU LGBTQIA+ History Month 2024 Film Call Out 2024 Film screening at Close Up Cinema, Shoreditch, I doubt they will accept it, I am proud of this film it is very challenging in every regard but censorship maybe an issue as it’s a public screening. (update it wasn’t accepted, I wasn’t surprised)
This was the artist statement for this work:
It’s all going on at Mx Farm. They are trying to Save the Earth with a new farming policy of using Hu-Cows. Things are not what they seem! Or are they?
The production of beef and dairy products contributes to approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cows produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, both exhaled and farted. The production and transportation of feed, as well as the processing and distribution of dairy products, all contribute to emissions.
It has a considerable impact on land usage. Animals raised for slaughter now surpass animals in the wild by a ratio of 15 to 1. It requires significant land and water resources. The water consumption is enormous, the irrigation of feed crops, cow drinking water, and cleaning dairy equipment. Manure can lead to water pollution, as nutrients and pathogens can enter water bodies and harm aquatic ecosystems.
Our lust for meat and dairy is killing the planet.
Reality has to be faced, and what better way to do that than with the extraordinarily vulgar and dirty humour of Mx. Hu- Cow Farm and their ‘Titty milk dairy rebellion’.
Mx Recruiter is recruiting for the Mx Farm. They end up joining the farm as a Hu-Cow. The other characters are Terry, the Sperm Collector and Bully – she is a Transgender Bull… yes, literally tits on a bull.
My focus is Geo-political climate crisis and its intersectionality with my gender identity. I see myself as a Contemporary Non-Binary Dadaist on a Transmission.
Trigger warning: it’s very rude! You have been warned!
Mx Farm Hu-Cows: Titty Milk Dairy Rebellion
The Boob paintings have been riveted not easy with a permanently dislocated shoulder!
100 rivets
I made a proforma to sight the rivets on each window corner. Using a spare rivet and an ink pad I stamped a guide in each corner.
I’m using cattle ear markers as spacers for the windows.
Cattle are tagged so they can be identified for traceability after slaughter and used to track disease outbreaks. They also ensure that the animal has come from a British farm. Meat and dairy is big business and has become heavily industrialised.
Purple cattle ear tags as spacers
Cattle must be identified with a pair of approved ear tags and have been issued with a passport. This identity and documentation must stay with the animal throughout its life. The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) must be informed of any movements and deaths, so it seemed appropriate to include them in some aspect of this work.
7 meters long!
I’ve been experimenting with hang dimensions. In a single line it would be over 7 meters long and 240cm in a 3 across 8 down configuration without the boob bucket. Being able to transport the piece and hang it in multiple ways will give me flexibility for the hang at CSM.
I like the 3 wide 8 long option, but it will be transported unlaced… then become The Network
My next stage is the boob bucket…
I’m updating this blog as I make. Today, as we were on the weekly Zoom and looking ‘around us’ I thought of a different way to tie the windows. It’s stronger and neater. My thoughts looking at a busy work bench eventually gave the thought, this piece is coming together… What started as a gel plate meditation has developed into a interdisciplinary way of communicating ideas…
A neat connection – the purple tags are cattle ear tags ‘forced pierced into the animals ears’, and the ties are polypropylene bale band, which often gets wrapped around animal’s legs cutting off the blood supply and the leg dies, then the animal, though I did once have a three-legged sheep.
This is the first draft and the final draft for the posters for the QR code link to the film for the CSM Interim Show.
First draftFinal draft with new sexy QR code linking to a new sexy YouTube Chanel
I’ve started bringing together the costume for Mx Recruiter and their recruitment performance. Tomorrow I’ll be attempting the casting for the boob bucket!
The boob sculpture … boobs wrapped in plaster bandages…
The Boob casting went surprisingly well! It was a boob wrap with plaster of Paris bandage. I was then able to sculpt the shape ready to use as a proforma for the latex boob sculpture and the eventual plaster sculpture.
The rough wrapThe sculpted plaster proforma ready for latex
I posted the results of my boob proforma on one of my non-binary social spaces and have had a tremendous response. Many FTM trans people have done something like this or would like to do this. Surprisingly few said they never wanted to see their boobs again. We discussed gender dysphoria and how chest feeding helped some of us but not others, as did piercing after feeding, to reclaim them. These ideas will appear in the final sculptures.
My 4mm BCR’s weighted nipple piercings… retired now…
This project has had profound meaning for me on so many levels that it will take time to reflect on how it has changed me… but I feel it has.
Next stage is latex modelling and the performance writing. I did think about leaflets, but as I wrote them, it took the Dadaesque fun out of the piece, and during the tutorial with Jonathan, we talked about the need for ambiguity within art, so leaflets were changed for postcards. The draw started to forge ideas for the performance…
Tits are OK but Dicks are not, the irony of censorship…First layer of the silicone sculptureThe Latex sculpture starts to become a hideous latex skin bra, bras push up, and trans binders push in and flatten; all are contentious.… Do Dairy Cows wear bras? Apparently, they do… https://www.dairyglobal.net/health-and-nutrition/health/brazil-unique-udder-support-method-in-the-spotlight/Testing the rivets – if only Boeing did that with the 737 Max!The plaster sculpture is a staging post for non-binary and trans masc experience… Mx Farm is an equal-opportunity employer, and we respect your pronouns. Whatever your assigned birth gender, we can find a role for you at Mx Farm!The Hu-Cow tags are prepared and varnished… then mutilated and numbered… we take our farming seriously at Mx Farm…Prepping Hu-Cow ID’s, QR codes and tags… Sealing the bale bands, I’m prepping different length ties, so I have the flexibility of installationPiercing the plaster nipples. Non-binary people that chest-feed can suffer massive gender dysphoria, or it can help us come to terms with our chest… once the feeding is over, many of us piece our nipples to reclaim our bodies, or that’s the time for top surgery to remove the boobs!Non-binary groups social groups responded to my art. I found that my experiences were reflected by others even though those experiences spanned many different decades. I wanted to include these in the plaster sculpture while protecting people’s anonymity.
I’ve just finished the visual drawings for this animation and put them into the edit suite. There are 103, but you can bet that number will change by next week!… I’ve put in some mind-numbing hours with 2 am finishes all week, as once I am on a roll, I have to keep going, or I will lose the feel for the characters.
The visual edit
I have a strange animation process; in one way, it’s a bit like a film storyboard. The whole thing is really a Contemporary Dada storyboard for my practice!
I bang in a rough set of drawings into the edit to get a feel for the flow of the story. Then, I revisit characters, layer details on top of the original drawings and put them back into the edit timeline, often swapping them around for the story’s sake.
This is wasteful in commercial animation terms when time is money, but I see it more as painting a picture of a story…
Some drawings are never used, and for every frame you see, I have probably drawn it several times until it’s just as I like it.
Didn’t use these from behind drawings The first drawings are just line, no colour, on Procreate I love the little details – here, Terry the sperm collector has his own pronoun, rainbow pride, and non-binary pin and, of course, his bottle of secret sauce.
I sometimes make shorter little films away from the main edit timeline for special effects or to muck about with speeds and transitions. I don’t like to do that within the main edit because I feel it spoils my flow, and I’m finding with each new film I make; I do more and more sections that way.
Screenshot of an experimental transition for the scream!
Will I eventually storyboard the storyboard and prep the characters before the main draw? Maybe, but I think that may take away their charm.
Roobarb and Custard 1974
It was 1974, and I was nine years old when I first saw the cartoon of a Green dog called Roobarb and a pink cat called Custard. In their first episode, Roobarb invented a cunning plan to fly like the birds…. Roobarb flying! Even though he came a cropper, I was all over that! I always tried to ‘fly’ off any structure I could find! And that’s the point: you get the message’s ethos and pay attention because the humour entertains you… yes, I know springs and cardboard wings may not work, but that didn’t stop me from trying…
I’m talking about the Beef and dairy industry in my latest work. It’s buggering up the planet, producing methane gas, a more damaging greenhouse gas than all the co2 cars emit worldwide, it takes vast portions of the world’s land mass, and it is responsible for the deforestation and destruction of the Amazonian rainforest, which are the lungs of the word. It’s using up the freshwater supply of the planet, and if it continues, it will kill us all… no one wants to hear that! We all love the cheeseboard, and I am from Yorkshire, so roast beef and Yorkshire pudding is a cultural heritage… but reality has to be faced, and what better way to do that than with the extraordinarily vulgar and dirty humour of Mx. Hu- Cow Farm, and their ‘Titty milk dairy rebellion’.
(Mx is the honorific title non-binary people often like to use but are rarely offered the option; I am delighted when I am!) Mx Recruiter is recruiting for the Mx Farm. They end up joining the farm as a Hu-Cow.
The other characters are Terry, the Sperm Collector and Bully – she is a Transgender Bull… yes literally tits on a bull.
I won’t spoil the story…
Bully the transgender Bull
Next week, I will finish the script and record the voices, sounds and edit the music.
My daily digest of Emerging Technology consists of reading and note-taking on the loo. There is lots to read, and the rabbit holes are many.
I do my best work here…
The definition that the European Parliament used for its latest legalisation (the only one in the world at the moment) for ‘controlling’ AI is as follows…
“For a given set of human-defined objectives, generate outputs such as content, predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing the environments they interact with”.
According to the BBC.com news page…
Thierry Breton the EU Commissioner says it’s new legalisation are “historic”, saying it set “clear rules for the use of AI”.
What they haven’t looked at is the combination of AI and Robotics. Emerging tech companies don’t see the separation and neither should we, or legislators…
You can get multiple digests delivered straight to your email… free… daily… that’s how quick this technology is developing. One of the many topics on todays Rundown AI digest talked about the latest study by the International Monetary Fund about how AI will impact wealth inequality. It forecasts that in advanced economies as here in the U.K. 60% of jobs will be effected even replaced.
A quick search through the Google bots of what jobs could be affected, my favourite was:
Soldiers. Military professionals are sure that future battlefields will consist of robots that can follow orders without constant supervision.
Robot Soldiers… Can anyone see a problem here?
I often chat with ChatBox AI, I put in the previous paragraph about Soldiers, I didn’t ask it anything just put the definition in, both GPT-3.5 and GPT -16k came up with this gem…
“The integration of AI-powered robots in military operations could potentially enhance efficiency, reduce risks to human soldiers, and provide tactical advantages. However, it also raises ethical and legal concerns, such as the potential for autonomous weapons and the need for human oversight in critical decision-making processes”
No sh*t AI…You see it’s not AI that’s the problem it’s us letting greed take over common sense.
How GPT-3.5 sees it!
When Professor Brian Cox addressed the delegates at the COP 26 conference in Glasgow he told them that we might be “the only civilisation in this galaxy.” And that if we destroy this planet we would have eliminated meaning forever in a galaxy of 400 billion stars. Yes we certainly lack common sense…
AI ..does giving it a young feminised face make it more acceptable
What has any of this to do with Art? What has it to do with my art practice?
AI does Dada
Art is a reflection of life, my practice is about tackling the hardest problems with a healthy dose of ironic Dadaesque humour.
All I know is if you are alive at this critical time … you and I are in the driving seat of what happens to this planet… all of us… how we affect change… Do we need to wrestle control from Big Biz/Big Tech or will they find the solutions to combat Climate Chaos?
One person connected is the next link in the network… It is the possibility, the thought planted…If you are reading this, you are now part of the network…
What is a Mycelium Network
The mycelium network, in biological terms, refers to the underground network of fungal threads called mycelium. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a vast network of interconnected hyphae. It acts as the root system of the fungus and plays a crucial role in the distribution and absorption of nutrients.
It is seen as the “Wood Wide Web” because of its similarities to a complex communication network. It allows fungi to communicate and exchange nutrients with other plants and organisms in the ecosystem. It can extend for miles and connect different plants and trees, creating a symbiotic relationship known as mycorrhizae.
All things are connected…
Mycelium networks are essential for the health and resilience of ecosystems. It has also gained attention for its potential applications in various fields, including agriculture, medicine, and environmental restoration. It is being studied for its ability to enhance soil fertility, remediate contaminated environments, and even as a potential source of biofuels and biodegradable materials. It offers numerous potential benefits for human society.
All roads….
I’ve been looking at the idea of an artist network for the last few years; it started with workshops on reusing art resources and how to safely wash your brushes to a radical re-think on how art is displayed. However, while talking to a CSM PhD student at the Feminist Internet workshop about her research into fungi, it strengthened my idea that the network needs to expand its reach to creatives and scientists through the art of emerging technologies as well as social media, workshops and made art.
What does that network look like?..
Creating a mycelium network to promote eco-mindfulness and kindness through humour as a response to geopolitical climate chaos has the potential to be a unique and innovative approach.
Art has the power to inspire and provoke change, and using it to cultivate mindfulness and kindness can profoundly impact individuals and communities.
What can you do?
If creatives can give even the most minor portion of their practice, each small part adds to a resilient whole network.
Installations that evoke a sense of mindfulness and kindness in public spaces to engage and inspire people to reflect on their actions and the impact they have on the environment and society. Collaborations with communities and organisations to create artwork through workshops, murals, or performances can encourage dialogue, fostering a sense of unity and collective action.
Creatives use their skills to facilitate art therapy, but we, the creatives, need the therapy!
We experience stress, anxiety, or trauma related to climate change or geopolitical issues. Art should be a safe space for self-expression, but we often need support in developing healthy coping mechanisms.
Social media is also a stressful place, but it can leverage platforms to spread messages of eco-mindfulness and kindness. A simple act of sharing can encourage positive actions, reach a broad audience and inspire others to join the movement.
Art education and its future is a hot political topic, and as the world descends into geo-political climate conflict, art will be pushed into the background. Still, it is down to us right here, right now, to show the Dogs of War that there are other solutions. Art can coalesce an eco-mindfulness into educational institution’s curricula. Inspiring students with the power of art can promote positive change; art can empower the next generation to become mindful and kind global citizens.
The Network
Welcome to The Network
By harnessing creativity, a mycelium-like network of eco-mindfulness and kindness can be cultivated, spreading positive energy and inspiring individuals to take action towards a more sustainable and compassionate world.
Kye Rowan is a Non-binary blogger who designed the non-binary pride flag in 2014 to symbolise individuals who identify beyond the traditional male/female binary.
The flag colours are yellow to represent those outside the cisgender binary,
white for individuals with multiple genders,
purple for those who identify as a blend of male and female,
and black for agender individuals who do not identify with a specific gender.
It is not always well-liked, as it’s not seen as a pretty flag like the rainbow pride flag.
Pretty Pussy and Censored Dick SketchbooksInside the Pretty Pussy and Censored Dick Sketchbooks
But this work, alongside the Pretty Pussy and Censored Dick sketchbooks I made to take down to the Feminist Network Workshop, has given me a new appreciation of its colour scheme.
The Purple Side
The categorisation of art techniques can be subjective and fluid, and the line between printmaking and painting can sometimes blur. Printmaking typically involves creating multiple copies of an image using various methods such as etching, lithography, or screen printing.
I am using a Gel plate alongside direct printing off my body.
Gel plate printing is often seen as a ‘hobby technique’, but in reality, it is my pushback against access to printing spaces and techniques where the disabled artist is asked to direct an assistant as opposed to getting down and dirty with a technique we can use.
Gold paint made in the style of Turner’s watercolours… or the gold illumination of medieval monastic illustrations and panel paintings
I am using these techniques to paint.
Applying acrylic paint, watercolours and handmade pigment paint based on historic Turner era paint making along with traditional oil pastel.
I am painting using brushes, fingers and other assorted tools to the surface of the ripped-out pages of William Gaunt’s A Concise History of English Painting.
The Book of Requirements… no TERF’s allowed
As well as defacing Gaunt’s book, I’ve been reading it and finding out more about him.
I have a love/hate relationship with art historians/art writers/critics; I suppose most artists do!
This reading has dramatically and surprisingly affected my Dada defacement painting practice as I reflect on the techniques that proceeded my era…
These techniques are starting to blur the line between printmaking/painting/artistic commentary to develop a unique conversation between the writing of Gaunt and my practice focus on gender identity, ableism, and the geo-political climate crisis.
Lady is that paint on your Boob? It is, but I am not a lady…
In a Contemporary Dada practice, categorising art techniques becomes irrelevant.
Traditional Dadaism is known for its rejection of artistic conventions and its embrace of absurdity and randomness.
Artists working within any Dada framework start to prioritise the concept and message of our work over the specific techniques used.
Pump those nipples… would you be a Hu-Cow?Non-binary Trans Masc people often experience gender dysphoria and resort to chest binding or, eventually, top surgery where their boobs are sliced off and the chest refashioned to look more masculine.
My exultation of ironic materiality is becoming a solid aspect of my artistic intentions.
Irony in art often involves using materials or techniques in a way that subverts their traditional meanings or expectations. It can be a way to challenge conventional notions of art and provoke thought and discussion in itself.
For me, it’s becoming a meditative need to guard against the daily onslaught of climate science and emergent technology data.
Mid-process Glitch
Ultimately, the categorisation of art techniques and the use of ironic materiality are subjective choices as much as artistic goals.
The sublimity of the ‘in limine rejection’ of art’s definition has evolved more to my taste …
On that piece the varnish looked great! Of course, I’d forgotten that the calendar was a printed plastic-coated textured paper, so the varnish didn’t soak through!
Not so the ripped-out pages of a 1970s paperback; even with six layers on each side, there were pockets of virgin paper as was the torn edge just waiting to soak up and through the varnish to stick to the painting bench!
Scrapping the stuck prints off the painting bench!
I had been debating wether or not to trim the torn edges but this added a new and unexpected issue and one that looked great.
Defaced and now torn… very appropriate… reminiscent of boobs modified by life or purpose…
Displaying the boob paintings for the mid-term show at CSM has been an exciting conundrum. As soon as I worked both sides, it eliminated a traditional display.
I did think a bale string suspended from the ceiling with the paintings pinned to it with cattle ear tags. Still, after listening to the Peter the technician’s Zoom call yesterday, I began doodling a different option to keep the painting at eye height, standing or in a wheelchair as I’m mindful of discrimination. I also thought about robustness, pinned paintings are going to be very vulnerable in a large group exhibition. I’m visiting a friend’s cattle farm in a couple of weeks, and she is going to collect plastics that I may use in my staging… this net display looks interesting from my doodles… so I’m going to construct a plastic laminate window net experiment as per my doodle!
Net Doodle
I have started to laminate my paintings. I’m using old lamination pouches and my even older laminator, which has a tendency to chew up anything put into it! I like to live on the edge…
I use laminated pouches as they are composite plastic, and as I already have them, they are better as art to raise awareness of climate chaos then go to the tip where they will remain, completely immune from decomposition…
Laminated composite plastics have an unlimited life span, so now my windows into the Eco-mindfulness of the Hu-Cow Network may last longer than the human race…. Get away with you, climate-controlled art storage facilities!
The oil pastel of the Mycelium network melts in the heat of the laminator inside the plastice pouch
I haven’t used the group’s reflective questions as yet. I hope in my blog post that I do reflect on my work and practice, but I thought it would be an interesting exercise to use them to compare and contrast the two films together I made over the winter break.
Non- Binary Pride Flag
Both were rendered in colours of the non-binary pride flag; this has been something that has become part of my practice, as has my push to discuss my non-binary identity in a more public sense. I believe this is important, and I discuss it more in my study statement. It has seen an encroachment of unconscious/conscious bias within aspects of my life, which has been interesting. It’s probably too early to truly reflect on this, but it’s on my radar now!
Screenshot of Solstice Film
The Reflective Questions
What was the best thing I did?
My decision to make the films was short notice and not planned; I felt compelled to make them. I am pleased I made both, which was the best, possibly the Christmas one, but I liked the Solstice film.
Why was this the best thing I did?
I think the cartoon characters are a clear language I’ve developed. The fun, child-like simplicity is endearing and immediate.
How do I know that this was the best thing I did? Because they went out on social media platforms and were created specifically for them, it’s a simple engagement number, which is changing weekly. It could be the Christmas one is very time specific and the Solstice one appeals for longer?
What worked least well for me?
The time scale was too tight, and it needed more planning.
Why did this not work well for me?
I could have combined the activism of 5 Gold Rings performance (which I didn’t record which was stupid on my part!) with either or both of the films.
What have I learned about the topic concerned from this not having worked well for me?
Although art for the artist can be spontaneous, it needs time and structure to be presented effectively to an audience.
What have I learned about myself from this not having worked well for me?
I am good at ‘winging it’ (I knew that already), but a professional result needs time to hone a good piece into a great piece.
What do I plan to do differently in future as a result of my answers to the above questions?
I will use these to produce something seasonal at the end of 2024 that is more on environmental message; however, these were necessary art action research.
With hindsight, how would I go about this activity differently if doing it again from scratch?
It’s a bit like a restaurant plans its Christmas menu in summer. I need to plan this type of work much earlier, but I will use parts of this work again in the winter, probably using the 5 Gold Rings message.
To what extent will this activity influence the way I tackle anything similar in future?
I certainly need to video document any performance piece and need time to polish the animation and writing process.
What did I find the greatest challenge in doing this work?
It went fast, so from inception to production, it was tight. I had longer on the Solstice piece and used the print-making meditation sketchbook prints within multiple AI and filter programs. The poetry had developed over two weeks, so it had more flow. I also produced the film in several different aspects for different platforms, which altered the look of the print kaleidoscope in the snow globe. The Christmas poem was written sitting on the loo after 4 pints in the pub! It had two extra verses that I didn’t animate because they would have taken too long, but they were the best verses! The animation drawings took 7 hours the next day. That’s a very short turnaround for my animation, but I wanted to get it posted on Christmas Eve before 7 pm to hit the scrolling algorithms.
Screenshot from the Christmas Film
Why was this a challenge to me?
That’s the quickest I’ve animated.
To what extent do I feel I have met this challenge? Both got posted, and both got engagement. I learned a lot from these spontaneous pieces about myself and my process, my need for planning and polish, especially if I want to combine a complex environmental message with a humourous Dada piece. I also realised that every bit of art made is valuable and can be referenced and help develop future work.
What can I do to improve my performance when next meeting this particular sort of challenge?
Time, planning and polish!
What was the most boring or tedious part of doing this particular task for me?
I don’t find anything tedious or boring as I am a high-functioning, autistic, task-orientated person.
Can I see the point of doing these things?
Yep!
If not, how could the activity be changed to be more stimulating and interesting for me?
The concept of plurality within the context of a Contemporary Dadaesque practice finally clarified the understanding of the intersectionality of Gender Identity, Ableism and Geo-political climate crisis.
It’s important to note that the body doesn’t possess a gender, as gender and sex are not synonymous. Being outside the binary simply implies that the presented gender can vary depending on who is present at any given moment or if there is a need to ‘present’ at all.
Collectively, we could all identify as non-binary, where each individual within us has their own unique identity. Could this lived truth apply to all problems? This flexibility in understanding is required to communicate the complexities of an earth-killing-sized problem.
Is AGI Non-binary?
I couldn’t get to the planning meeting for the Cop 28 gathering… why? Because roadworks consumed the blue badge parking, the Church car park was packed with Christians at Christmas! My mobility scooter is in for an exchange, and I cried all the way home in frustration that my physical limitations had prevented me from attending. When I returned home, I found out that only one had managed to get there and that they were an hour and a half late, so a good lesson learned for me there was to calm the f*ck down and just do what I can when I can.
5 Gold Rings of Climate Justice
However, the 5 Gold Rings Performance on the day worked well because even though I said the same things as the other two speakers (the science doesn’t change), an academic and a politician, being an ironic Dadaist made the unpalatable truth bearable… it had engagement and people came to chat afterwards. Could I have made more of it? Yes, I should have documented the performance and put it on social media. What I did put on got engagement, including the inevitable nasty comments of the “Don’t look up brigade”, so I know it has reach.
Eco-Mindfulness within a nipple
Eco-anxiety is becoming eco-mindfulness at Christmas, as well as tattooing (I still have to pay the bills, and I enjoy working with my clients). I will be boob printing and boob bucket making and writing a sketchbook of ideas for the mycelium network….
Clem Crosby and I have had an online chat about putting together a workshop to deal with Eco-anxiety. If we are to use the beauty of art as a weapon against Climate Chaos, we have to look after the members of the artistic network. It is clear that folk are struggling under the weight of knowledge of impending disaster. I’ve talked about negative panic and how it paralyses any positive action, so it makes sense to deal with that anxiety and turn it into mindfulness.
Mindfulness on the Beach
I’m starting to see how my art practice is developing; I am working the problem; it’s as if I become detached from my broken body and see the whole 60 years of strange, dislocated extreme experiences coalescing into a practice… A fractile if you can imagine where this Art Practice is the cut-off point for a certain fraction of a sample. If your distribution is known, the fractile is just the point where the distribution reaches a certain probability.
In visual terms, a fractile is the point on a probability density curve where it all comes together…
More precisely, for a spontaneous distribution of a random variable that comes together, AI gets that, that’s how it produces it’s answers it may be that AGI or any human new knowledge is never really new but a collective moment of Dada chance….
Human Training
A.I. GPT – 16k disagree with me it says it’s output is based on what I opined plus human input training… AI is so bloody straight it need a night out with the Mycelium Network!
Out and about with the Mycelium NetworkWhich one is real life…
To define α fractile (xα) to be that point on the distribution such that the variable X has a probability α of being less than or equal to the point.
AI…Don’t get the hump!
Symbolically, we can define the fractile xp by writing P(X ≤ xp)= Φ (xp) = p .
Or I’m growing a God Complex… or AI will grow a God complex… meet AGI…
Engage with science; don’t be scared or anxious. Knowledge is power! We now know governments seemingly DON’T follow the science. But we can! Change in society always comes from the bottom and rises up! Did you know this is the first time methane has been discussed at COP!
Fart
A whopping 1/3 of all Greenhouse gas is generated by producing food for humans. Most come from cows and sheep farting, belching and their poo generating lots of methane! Methane causes 23 times more damage than CO2, so cows are worse than cars! But the CO2 from cars sticks around longer…the gases we put into our atmosphere hang around for hundreds, even thousands of years!
Greedy Git
Food waste generates methane, so don’t buy, make, or eat more than you need! And why is COP 28 in person, in Dubai, in 5-star luxury….what’s wrong with a Zoom call!
Box Clever
We all have too much stuff. I know little Jonny wants the latest toy for Christmas, and he’s probably only going to play with the ‘blumin’ box anyway, so get him something from the charity shop instead. Why? Because you are gifting him a future!
Little Jonny’s Box
Be Kind
This is difficult stuff, and as we ask COP28 to sort out climate injustice, I wish you all love, kindness and peace.
Be Kind
It’s been and continues to be a busy time…
A.I. Bias and multiple fingers… it’s all go…
Weaponise the beauty of art
The workshop with the amazing Clem Crosby yesterday was marvellous, looking at artists that address the climate emergency. I’d love to put something together to look at eco-mindfulness within artistic communities, and I can see my own artistic practice developing its communication strategies.
It is the last of the reading groups today, I’ve enjoyed choosing the readings and hosting the online group, but they are more than a reading group and are really a springboard for community building and inclusion of Queer voices in emerging technologies; I hope this community will continue and grow.
Feminist Internet reading group
Tonight is the Papercuts show at the Aberystwyth School of Art to support the graduation show for next year. By the time I’ve finished on Teams and driven into Aberystwyth, there won’t be much time to network, but it is essential to do so…
Thursday is the last of this year’s online MA group meetings, and in the evening is the planning meeting for the Tree Crawl on Saturday, where I will be addressing anyone who will care to listen at the bandstand on the Aberystwyth seafront; the weather is forecast to be stormy!
This Saturday…
Friday, I will finish my prep for Saturday’s event
Update…This is me… doing my thang… 5 Gold Rings
On Sunday, I’ll attend a collagé workshop; I am a Contemporary Dadaist, after all… phew!
I spent the week in London, catching up with art friends, visiting Kusama at the Tate Modern and attending the Embodying Horizons event at the CCI: UAL run by the Feminist Internet in preparation for my co-hosting this week’s reading group today and next week.
To say this last week has been seminal in both my Art Practice, my MA studies and my life is possibly an understatement. So much happened, and it might take me the rest of my MA to reflect on it!
A quick rundown of the actual happenings:
This was the first real outing on Betty the mobility scooter. I do not lack confidence or presence, but you become invisible at best or looked at with a mix of nuisance, annoyance or pity at worst once you enter the chair! I knew it would be bad, but I was not quite ready for both the mental toil it took on me and the physical toil it took on my husband/caregiver; he is 13 years younger, but I nearly broke him…
Me and Betty at CSM
The problems:
A lightweight 23kg scooter doesn’t have the power to drive me around everywhere.
Passenger assist on the trains are a mixed bag as any disabled traveler will tell you.
Public transport in London is not an easy option for visiting disabled travellers and you need a course to travel on the bus.
Taxis are expensive, and you need an assistant to lift the scooter in.
Pavements are uneven and dangerous so you need to have eyes everywhere.
Doors, slopes, accessibility of shops, galleries, hotels, cafes, just everything and everywhere is a rubicon of pain in the arseness that you can never truly appreciate until you get in the chair!
For all the time I spent in London, I only saw two fellow chair users, and they both grinned and waved at me because if you know, you know!
London is beautiful… But tricky!
That said, it allowed me to do things I haven’t done for a decade and that was truly amazing. It was great to meet up with my art mates and talk about the art brainstorm we exist in, and there is no better place than the Tate to do it. To go around an art gallery and look at art… it was only this week I fully understood how much pain I am in and how much it has limited my existence in the last ten years; it is as if you know, but you refuse to acknowledge it! Sounds like climate change doesn’t it?
Kusama’s Infinity Room
Kusama was amazing and you can see how they are the most financially successful living artist, assessable, gloriously camp and a runaway moment.
Kazimir Malevich… he was looking for a new world
I enjoyed the trip down Modernism lane and almost cried at seeing them off the art history book page and IRL (tech speak for in real life) now to be replaced by AFK (away from keyboard) because the virtual world is as real and as valid as the physical world… more of that over the next few weeks/months/years…can you see where this is going yet?
There were no blog posts last week, very little writing, just the smallest amount of Dada note-taking, which I have realised has become my version of AI prompts, which I can now see are… spells… I have assimilated the language of my art study… AI.
There is so much to reflect on with the CCI workshop; I am going to look at my spell book…
Run away
Feels like gender
Perfect Blue
Queer mapping
Ai prompts are witchcraft spells
Speculative Identities
Roadblocks
Interrupted
In the realm of artificial intelligence, the intersection where technology meets creativity lies the golden key of AI prompts. These prompts, much like the incantations of old, have the power to conjure up worlds, characters, and narratives that stretch the imagination. They are the modern-day equivalent of witchcraft spells, casting their influence over the digital landscape and shaping speculative identities.
My Gender Identity as 3D modelled through Sculpt GL
I found the missing title of my study statement, Speculative Identities; I think it perfectly describes my art practice research. It refers to the exploration of potential selves, the ‘what could be’ in terms of our identities. It’s about pushing the boundaries of what we perceive as our ‘self’ and exploring the myriad possibilities that exist within and beyond us. AI prompts, like art, have the ability to generate diverse and unexpected outputs, to help signpost new positions and allow us to develop new knowledge.
Take, for instance, the spell: Run away. It could generate a narrative about a character fleeing a dangerous situation or, more interestingly, conjure up a vision of breaking free from societal constraints.
The spell: Feels like gender, could lead to a deep exploration of gender identity and fluidity.
While: Perfect Blue could evoke a myriad of images and emotions, from tranquillity to melancholy (It’s not; it’s an adult Japanese anime that deals with the concepts of real and virtual life.)
Or Even Ghost in the Shell… You get the idea…
The beauty of AI prompt engineering or ‘spells’ lies in their ambiguity. They are open-ended, allowing for a multitude of interpretations and responses. The rigid structures of traditional storytelling do not confine them but instead invite us to engage with them more fluidly and dynamically. They are deliberately engineered to always be different in a Dadaesque pick and mix. They encourage us not to make a shortcut but to take the regurgitation of spell engineering and map our own narratives to shape our own Speculative Identities.
However, like any form of magic, AI prompts also come with their challenges. They can present roadblocks, interrupting our creative flow with their unpredictability. They can lead us down paths we didn’t intend to take, forcing us to confront aspects of our identities that we may not be comfortable with. But it’s in these moments of challenge and discomfort that we often find the most profound insights.
Ultimately, AI and all the other emerging technologies are not just tools for generating content. They are catalysts for self-discovery and self-expression, modern-day witchcraft spells, casting techno magic over the digital realm and helping us navigate humanity’s complex landscape that we will need in the face of the enormous change that’s about to engulf us as we deal with the Anthropocene.
To truly understand the power and potential of this new way of thinking, I invite you to watch this video. It’s a fascinating exploration of the intersection of virtual and human creativity to deal with trauma and create a new world, as seen through the lived experience of Shaka McGlotten, Professor of Media Studies and Anthropology at Purchase College-SUNY.
Spell casting…
Emerging technologies don’t just generate content or replace jobs; you become the magician, casting spells, shaping your speculative identity, and exploring the limitless possibilities of your creative potential.
Truth is a very dangerous word mediated by time, platform and culture. An unguarded innocence creates a paradox, elements that stick together and order what we can’t control.
Fixed cultural concepts of certainty are conceived to avoid madness. We crave to understand concepts as immovable truths. In the end, this leads to cultural stagnation and self-harm.
For security, society craves simplistic truths. Within art, we have the opportunity to express the repressed … art tests us. In its embrace, we can prepare for the real truth of life, entropy and change.
This horror is easier to embrace once it becomes abstract and not threatening.
Excessive classification and order constantly disregard life’s true complexities.
Al addresses complexity within its technology while giving us the outward experience of simplicity.
Cultured duality becomes the problem or the pleasure of identity, combined with the fear of the unknown.
People want to hold on to certainties to feel secure, but stagnant identities emasculate the human experience. Whereas to challenge identities opens up the possibilities for growth.
Artists must wrestle with the need to be complicit in late-stage capitalism, knowing it is the butcher of creativity or reject it at the cost of their economic resilience.
To consider entropic concepts, artists have to
hold the wolf realities at distance, as society holds in abeyance the horrors of climate chaos and war. Artist deal in abstracts to explain real world suppositious idioms.
Particle physics entreats us to believe we are not entirely real. A friend of mine is a professor of particle physics at Imperial College; before he explains to his students the true state of the universe, he gives them this trigger warning, “if you do not feel physically sick at the end of this lecture, you have not understood it!”
The universe does not behave as we believe; we have not grasped its sickness at first understanding.
The language of radical negentropy has been granted too much power and has become a hierarchical system of detachment.
It has now hidden in its use of technology, but in reality, it is the technology that uses us.
Interaction in particle physics claims objects only have validity and life when given agency if viewed by another.
Things don’t preexist; they are made real by another interaction.
How am I known to myself if I am not known to others? Not valid, not seen.
Art has tried to undermine the bourgeoisie while simultaneously becoming it, and in turn, the noir neo-bourgeoisie of late-stage capitalism has turned art into production.
Art assimilated into unlimited making, a paradox of STUFF entanglement. ‘To make’ is to establish authorship of a new unintentional creativity. Art now fights to become a psychological tool to describe the unknown. Ambiguity and ambivalence poison the creativity of enlightenment, and instead of a counter to the cult of control, art becomes its puppet—a symbiosis of trust and denial.
Al shifts that operation of live threat that escapes the touch of reason.
How we unmake that entanglement with the cultural cannon is to know the symbiotic materiality of signifiers. We, the jailers, have become the jailed.
We grasp at emerging technologies to give us context, a digital staging abstracted art from that of its original location, studio – gallery – online – virtual.
Compliance evolves from an over-reliance on a hierarchical system of signifiers, titles, brands, those that pass, and those that …. don’t.….
This undermines the essence of art.
Artists have compromised the fluidity of creativity and relinquished seeing the world that is unfathomable but still exists… art is in the process, not in its conclusion.
Everything you do as an artist is part of your art… what you say, what you wear, what you eat, how you speak, what you do IS YOUR ART.
Any work you make is an experiment: a circular practice yet an entropic reality of Truth.
.
I have started a meditative reflection during Monday’s Art lectures. The above is my Dada-esque response to my art practice juxtaposed to the visual stimuli and auditory experience of Ana Genovés disquisition.
Some days feel like an uphill struggle; well, we can all identify with that, I am sure. However, if you are disabled, it becomes an absolute sh*t show at times, and you ask yourself, why do I do it?
I could sit on the furry deck chair looking out to sea minding my own darn business, or on a day like today when storm Debi is rattling the windows of the beach hut, lay here in my recliner in front of the wood burner with a giant furry cat sat on my lap. No, instead, I am typing or trying to type on my old iPad. My heart is f*cked, and it is the little things that annoy me, like trying to type on a touch screen!
Storm Debi and 970mb
There is a storm – which means low pressure – which is the same as going up a hill – which means my heart doesn’t work – which means my hands get cold – which means my touch pad doesn’t know I am F*CKING ALIVE – which means it takes bl**dy ages to type – which means I should have a keyboard – but they are not as easy to use laying down – and I am laying down because my heart isn’t working properly…. Arrrggghhh
Prepping my scooter tyres with Slime!
I have been productive today; I followed up on a lead given to me by my fellow coursemate, which meant more writing. Midway through my BA, I realised that art means a lot of writing! It’s only a tiny percentage of making, a significant percentage of thinking, a lot of chit-chat and connection making and a sh*t ton of writing…. Luckily, it’s turned out I quite enjoy writing; I never thought I would, and although my old art history professors might disagree, I’m getting the hang of it!
In one of my blog posts, I talked about artist communities and how passing on leads and recommendations is vital for an active artistic practice.
Stickers to Pimp my Ride!
It’s amazing how a simple conversation or suggestion can spark inspiration and lead to new opportunities; despite the health challenges, or maybe even because of them, there is always a new, exciting world to explore.
This week has been about preparation for my trip to London and the Embodying Horizons Workshop with the Feminist Internet. I have some legislation concerning AI to research, but the primary prep is physical!
Before you can do anything as a disabled artist, you have to think about how. How can I work around my disabilities, how will I cope, and what will happen to my body?
So it’s been about prepping my new mobility scooter, tyres, lights, needs a seat cushion as I am tall and my legs won’t fit, learning to ride it… routes I might take to get to and from the station, sorting out finances, passenger assist on the trains, has the premier inn got a lift, what will the CCI: UAL building be like? I know their new library hasn’t got access to anything but the ground floor because it needs a new lift system and they don’t have any information about when it will be fitted!!! But they are happy to get a book for me or direct me to another library…. mmm unconscious ableism right there as I’m co-hosting a reading group; if I were to do that in person as opposed to online (at one stage, there was talk of it) I wouldn’t have pain free access and now any disabled students that need a lift and would like to be in person can’t…
Writing has become part of my art practice. It collects experience and connects with others to make a difference and change the world.
Needs Glitter on these Stickers
But first, before I can change the world, I have to learn to ride my scooter. Not easy on the ridiculous pavements of my home village, Sadie, the gallery owner at 2 London Place, wheels her wheelchair along the road; she has given up on the assault course pavements; I’m with her on that!
Today, I practised tight space manoeuvre around Marks and Sparks… not easy when all the aisles are crammed full of Christmas stock in the middle of November… forming yet another assault course! That would make a great Christmas advert: supermarket assault with mobility scooters!
I think supermarket shop floor designers should be made to go around them in a wheelchair… more writing… maybe an animation there…
This afternoon, I attended a talk by Indian artist Arpita Akhanda, where she discussed her art practice as the ‘memory collector’, materially weaving her ancestry into her work.
Maybe all artists do that, we become a collective of circumstance and endeavour.
Well, it’s complicated! I breastfed for eight years! I was an LLLI breastfeeding counsellor; however my best friend Helen and my beloved Aunt Dina died from breast cancer.
AI re-paint of my printed boob… it doesn’t know what it is… Yet!
As a non-binary person, the only thing I have really appreciated with my AFAB body has been giving birth to my kids and breast feeding, so that would be enough. Still, I am all about ironic materiality and intersectionality… so this is about boobs and the carbon foot ‘print’ of the dairy and beef industry.
Food production is responsible for 25% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. It also takes up half of the planet’s habitable surface. Humans got to eat, right!
The consumption of meat has had a significant impact on land usage. The combined weight of animals raised for slaughter now surpasses that of wildlife by a ratio of 15 to 1.
14.5% of all greenhouse gases
Specifically, the production of beef and dairy products contributes to approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation.
The dairy industry, which involves the production of milk and other dairy products from cows, has particular environmental impacts.
Cows produce methane, a nasty greenhouse gas, during digestion and through manure management. Additionally, the production and transportation of feed, as well as the processing and distribution of dairy products, also contribute to emissions.
Dairy farming requires significant land and water resources. Cows need grazing land or land for growing feed crops, which can lead to deforestation and habitat loss. The water consumption is enormous, used for irrigation of feed crops, drinking water for cows, and cleaning dairy equipment.
The management of cow (sh*t) is a significant challenge for the dairy industry. Improper handling and storage of manure can lead to water pollution, as nutrients and pathogens can enter water bodies and harm aquatic ecosystems.
Are you a HU COW?
Animal welfare issues have been raised. The dairy cow needs to be pregnant and then deliver her baby, which is taken away as soon as possible so she can continue to be milked for us! Eventually, the female baby cows (notice the language) are kept, but the young boy cows are sent to be killed for meat or animal feed. When the babies are separated from their mothers, their mothers cry for them and howl; it’s horrible and incredibly sad to hear! This adds to the stress the cows suffer as they are subject to confinement and repetitive milking as well as separation.
Look, we all like cheese and a chocolate milkshake, but isn’t it a bit odd that we use the infant feed meant for another species…
There are perfectly good plant-based alternatives to dairy products. These alternatives have a lower environmental impact regarding greenhouse gas emissions and land/water usage, including their air miles to get them to us!
Aberystwyth University, along with other research farms, is trialling sustainable farming practices, such as improved manure management and feed efficiency to stop cows and sheep farting, to mitigate the environmental impact of the dairy industry. Still, reducing consumption of meat and dairy is essential if we are not all to burn!!!
AI is a prude!
So what is a “Hu Cow”? It is a specific fetish or fantasy that involves the sexualisation of human beings in a roleplay scenario resembling cows or dairy animals. This fetish typically involves elements such as milking, lactation, confinement, and submission.
AI will tell you, “It is important to note that engaging in any fetish or sexual activity should always be consensual and involve the informed consent of all parties involved. Additionally, it is crucial to prioritise the safety, well-being, and boundaries of all individuals involved in any fetish or sexual activity. Consent should be ongoing and can be withdrawn at any time. It is also important to engage in open and honest communication with partners to ensure that everyone’s desires, limits, and boundaries are respected.” Sadly, we don’t give the same respect to actual cows!
AI doesn’t like non-binary boobsThe bias is real people
Well, that’s all boring (I am sure you’ve heard it all before), but boob printing in the non-binary flag colours isn’t!
AI is a biased prude, though; I wonder where it gets that from.
AI doesn’t like the HU COW sex fetish industry … 😉
Is that a boob print?
Still, I now have yellow, white, purple and black boobs. I put cream on them to make clean-up easier, but it didn’t work, and the paint has dried on. I’m having a large glass of red wine before attempting to scrub the bl**dy stuff off!
Busy, busy…
I am sure it will all appear in a cartoon with a nipple sucker machine noise and some HU COWS!
This is the first skeleton draft of my study statement, as a skeleton goes it has some sizeable bones missing. I’ve been continually editing this but I’ve stopped now and made a new duplicate document to work on for submission in February.
Ya got some bones missing pal!
Title : Speculative Identities – AI, VR and AR and its Intersectionality with Climate Chaos, Queer theory, Gender Identity and Ableism.
Aims and Objectives:
My aim is to Save the Earth.
I aim to develop new knowledge and affect change through the interplay of ironic materiality, social rendition and emerging technologies through my active research as a Contemporary Dadaist. Climate Chaos is an existential and cataclysmic complex issue that needs unconventional, creative thinking to jumpstart real-world solutions, and it needs it now.
The geo-political climate crisis and its resulting global warming is THE most pressing issue of our time (except for the potentially instant warming provided by an 800-kiloton nuclear warhead, which may be an issue at the moment, but I can’t solve everything.)
I came to UAL to gain a platform, and develop skills and create opportunities.
With my experience in filmmaking, animation, and performance, I create thought-provoking work that challenges societal norms and conventions. Drawing inspiration from my diverse background as an airline pilot, radical home educator, tattooist, and artist, I seek to reflect on these experiences and explore how the virtual world can serve as a platform for reimagining new positions.I am interested in delving into online communities and examining the internet’s transformative potential along with its descendants, AI, VR, and AR as the catalysts for change. I firmly believe that emerging technologies can be transformational, capable of pushing boundaries and establishing a new framework that positively impacts the well-being of all individuals and the healing of the planet. By leveraging the reach and accessibility of these perspectives, I aim to challenge societal norms, foster inclusivity, and create a space where new solutions can thrive.
I intend to ignite conversations, provoke critical thinking, and contribute to a more inclusive and empowered society by embracing the virtual world and harnessing its potential combined with the decision-making of countering ableist culture and plasticity of thought celebrated by the Queer social lived experience. I want to challenge the real-life inaction that shows the impotent body politic of the post-industrial revolution is innate, not learnt.
By contrast Queer social action has demonstrated that perspicacity is learnt and not innate. Those behaviours are often coded through cultural and media misrepresentation, by using arts equipoise, we allow the virtual world to glitch the established systems to give space to codify a new identity for the planet.
That’s a lot of data
I want to explore the following areas:
AI, VR, and Augmented Reality: immersive technologies
The genie cannot be put back in its bottle, thank gawd, and these technologies will change our lives and may hold some of the answers to sorting out the mess of climate destruction.
AI, or artificial intelligence: the ability of machines to ‘simulate’ human intelligence, including decision-making and problem-solving, remembering AI doesn’t have skin in the game, which can be both a blessing and a curse when making difficult decisions.
VR, or virtual reality: creates a simulated digital environment that immerses users in a computer-generated world.
AR, or augmented reality: overlays digital information or virtual objects onto the real world.
When combined, these technologies can provide intelligent and context-aware information, enhancing the user’s perception and understanding of the real world. AI algorithms can analyse the user’s surroundings, recognise objects or people, and provide relevant and personalised information or assistance in real time.
A synergy that is immersive and interactive, revolutionising communication. It has the potential to transform the way we learn, communicate, work, and interact with our environment, opening up our understanding of new positions for innovation and advancement.
By combining AI with VR, the communication experience can become more personalised and responsive to individual users, adapting to their preferences, behaviours, and even emotions.
When combined with both VR and AR, AI can enhance the overall experience by providing intelligent and adaptive interactions within the virtual or augmented environment.
Ableism: negotiating difficult situations and decisions.
Increased awareness: ways to counteract biases and prejudices, which can be crucial when making challenging decisions.
Empathy and perspective-taking: fostering empathy and perspective-taking towards individuals and the unique challenges and needs they may face.
Ethical considerations: fairness, justice, and equality need a deeper understanding of the ethical implications of the tough decisions that will have to be made.
Informed decision-making: real-world experience of ableism, rights, and needs of people, not just a sweeping generalised one-size-fits-all.
Advocacy and support: valuable when making difficult decisions that will have a significant impact on the lives of individuals, enabling more inclusive and equitable outcomes.
To T or not to T that is the question
Queer Theory and Gender Identity: challenging and transforming societal norms and power structures.
Intersectionality: Queer theory and gender identity emphasise the importance of intersectionality, recognising that individuals hold multiple identities and face intersecting forms of oppression. Applying this lens to climate change helps us understand the transitional thinking that will be needed and the ability to join up sometimes conflicting arguments.
Deconstructing binaries: Queer theory challenges the rigid binary. This plasticity helps break down the false dichotomy between humans and nature, recognising that we are interconnected and dependent on the natural world. By challenging these binaries, we can foster a more holistic and sustainable approach to addressing climate change.
Challenging heteronormativity: Heterocentric, white, western privilege is the most significant driver of geo-political conditions that have caused climate change. Queer theory critiques normativity and promotes diverse and inclusive perspectives, leading to more innovative and inclusive solutions, as well as challenging the dominant narratives that perpetuate unsustainable practices.
Empowering marginalised voices: Queer theory and gender identity explores the importance of amplifying marginalised voices and experiences. By centring the voices of individuals in climate discussions, we can ensure that their unique perspectives and knowledge are considered, leading to more comprehensive and equitable climate policies and initiatives.
Resisting and reimagining systems: Oppressive systems will never give freely a solution to climate change. They are stuck within a cycle of dominant economics, with a political apparatus that perpetuates environmental degradation. Reflection includes questioning the extractive and exploitative practices contributing to climate change and envisioning alternative ways of organising society that prioritise sustainability and justice.
IRL
Objectives: The steps I am taking.
Be present in the understanding of emerging technology. This is ongoing, weekly and sometimes daily.
Taking part in the discussion of ethical standards within emerging technologies. Working with the Feminest Internet Studio.
Aligning emerging technologies within Queer theory and Gender exploration, as above.
Look at decision making through the lens of life experiences of Ableism. Sadly this is a daily lived experience for me.
Physically render the intersectionality of the body politic of climate drivers with an exploration of my individual body. Through making and writing.
Success or failure of my project can be assessed rather brutally:
Success is an impacted future, an abstraction of chaos theory in a deterministic nonlinear system…
…failure none of it will matter anyway… Extinction Level Event.
Context: Contemporary and Theoretical Contexts
Historical: I see several significant events in modern history that give historical context.
The Italian Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and the root cause of climate change the industrial revolution and capitalism. I may find more as this list has no doubt a ocularcentric bias.
The harm of colonialism is real, pervasive and seeming everlasting as white male Silicon Valley’s signature heteronormativity besmirches AI.
How I address this within my research without being overwhelmed with data might be solved by using pattern recognition and prompt engineering with an online AI model. However, because AI is already biased, it and my bias will have to be checked through a quite hefty critical thinking lens.
Contemporary and Theoretical: Current Queer theory, gender identity and the body politic. Emerging technologies AI, VR and AR. Social media.
Context of the medium or technology in which you work: I am an interdisciplinary Dadaist, working in animation, writing, performance, workshops, and social media. I have also developed a nasty meditation habit with gel plate printing.
Contemporary artists and their work that relates to my field of investigation:
Refik Anadol
Marina Abramovic
But this is not what I want..
• awareness of the field in which you are working
• distinct feature which will make it potentially original
• form the basis of links with other research work to which you will contribute or on which you will build.
Methodology:
I write, I blog, I sketchbook, I make without making, trying to use up existing resources,
consider… see STUFF
I love a checklist…
The theory drives the practical experimentation, the practical experimentation feeds into and creates the theory, which drives the practical experimentation…it becomes an infinity mirror without end…until the end…
Outcomes:
I have a series of experiments to undertake, there will be installation, performance and funnelled digital happening…
Work Plan: TBA
This next 2 weeks get ready for London and the CCI workshop.
Look at starting gel prints of my body parts in relation to Hu Cow.
Make boob cast.
Bibliography:
Bruno, G.A. (2021) ‘For the Love of Metaphysics: Nihilism and the Conflict of Reason from Kant to Rosenzweig, by Karin Nisenbaum,’ Mind, 131(522), pp. 733–742. https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/fzab026.
Jay, M. (1988) ‘The rise of hermeneutics and the crisis of ocularcentrism,’ Poetics Today, 9(2), p. 307. https://doi.org/10.2307/1772691.
Klipphahn-Karge, M, Koster, A, & Morais, DSBS (eds) 2023, Queer Reflections on AI : Uncertain Intelligences, Taylor & Francis Group, Milton. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [3 December 2023].
Moeggenberg, Z.C. and Walton, R. (2019) ‘How queer theory can inform design thinking pedagogy,’ SIGDOC ’19: Proceedings of the 37th ACM International Conference on the Design of Communication, pp. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1145/3328020.3353924.
There is a lovely little art gallery over the road from me, run by the irrepressible Sadie. We share a passion for sustainability and fairness in the world and art. It was there that I met Jessica Baudey the other week; she is about to run a printmaking workshop for the gallery in December. We were talking about the reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse ethos part of my practice and how, as creatives, we hold a unique position within society to affect change within wider society. Her workshop is going to be on collagraphy printmaking. This technique uses recycled materials stuck onto a piece of card, or you can use an old tetra pack and incise or cut out areas.
The plate is then inked, either as a relief print where the protruding surface can be inked or intaglio style where the scored marks can be inked and the plate wiped or some combination thereof. Jessica uses soy-based printing ink, which is environmentally friendly.
The plate is run through a printing press with a piece of printmaking paper, and voilà, you have a print!
Printmaking in Augmented Reality AR
Collagraphy comes from the Greek ‘Koll’ to glue and ‘graph’ meaning to draw, but it’s more than that; instead of the waste of relief printing or the chemicals of intaglio etching, it uses odds and ends bubble wrap, string, sandpaper, textiles, fibres, cut card, leaves and grass, all can be used in creating the collagraph plate. These are then coated with a sealant, traditionally a varnish, but can be acrylic medium or even PVA glue (not so environmentally friendly as it is a plastic). It’s creative as different colours and tonal effects can be realised by how the plate is inked and printed.
Jessica works as an art lecturer at our local college; my son went there many years ago and fondly remembers his time in the art department.
Workshops for the public are a different beast than art school; you get everyone from the professional looking for new inspiration to the complete novice or the hobby artist who just wants a day out. All are valid and should be seen. Humanities’ most remarkable achievement is our creativity and our community.
Jessica came to test out my little XCut printing press, and it worked a treat.
I look forward to helping on the day with my press and being part of this community of artists in early December.
Milli
Today, I had a long FaceTime chat with Milli, one of my old classmates and our upcoming reunion in London. The talk was about the Drawing Year, RA, what it means to be a Contemporary Fine Artist and what we get out of art school.
We explored in a roundabout way the Ego (reality), Id (instincts) and Superego (morality) and how this relates to our artistic life. What do we want from our art? As gentle as a fun workshop can be, contemporary fine art in London can be its antithesis. Why? Is it the cut and thrust of capitalism and white cube investment that drive the ambitious? Does our artistic drive thrust us forward to unpack our own reality, or do we see it as an opportunity to rebuild a kinder society through art’s ability to touch and connect in a way that nothing else can?
My love for the word tentacular from Monday’s lecture then….
I have spent f*cking hours on this, and I bloody hate it… I thought I could ignore aesthetic sensibilities and know that the conceptual underpinning was sound… well I can’t!!! It looks sh*t, and I hate it!
Why?
An art practice is like a pianist practising their scales, right? Nope, not really, as you might start playing scales and end up playing a dumpster fire… that’s a Dadaesque reference…
It started as a picture from a charity shop
Cathartic then? Errr, there are times when the process becomes a source of frustration and self-doubt. My recent exploration of reusing charity shop art has turned into struggles with emotions and the creative process.
It’s another flimsy calendar page!
As I wrestle with this stupid drawing, instead of conceptual intention, embracing the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle, and refuse, the piece continues into hours of work layering acrylic surface prep, gel printing meditation, and then drawing with every tool in my box (pencil, pen, charcoal and oil pastel) A dystopian vision of my home village 2123 becomes something else….
A wild beast that I despised as each layer irritated me more than the last…. it was p*ssing me off!
It stared with some gel print meditation
My intention was to enter whatever I produced into the Kyffin Williams prize, my creative brain was shouting f*ck the patriarchy. This is about global climate change and a rejection of creating endless stuff. Whereas my control brain saw it as some deluded opportunity to pay homage to my home village and its amazing art collective. Borth will eventually be lost to the sea due to global warming. As an artist residing in an arts village, I felt a responsibility to do justice to the legacy of my community. A conflict of intention, then? No, worse still, not only couldn’t I escape my own expectations, I was incapable of breaking free from my internal preoccupations.
Sometimes I liked it…
I am past the struggle for perfection; I wanted a resolution or indication of a new position. I resorted to glazing, hoping to trap the drawing in an acrylic hell.
Is this self-harm
Despite my efforts to kiss the frog, this recycled calendar page never turned into a handsome Prince.
It’s a mixed up crazy village
Only frustration. More questions.
Self-Reflection in the midst of my frustration, gave me a realisation that my upcoming trip to London, the CCI workshop, Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms, Philip Guston, the Lightroom and a quick visit to CSM was both exciting and anxiety-inducing I know it’s going to hurt!
I am bricking it for the train journey, will I cope? What shape will I be in? What will be the physical difficulties I face negotiating London? Will I kill somebody riding my new disability scooter? Will I be able to breathe in the London air? Will my heart pack in?
In the morning, I don’t make the loo anymore… a trail of pee follows me… I need p*ss pants… or a new body would be nice…
So, rather like tackling any new artwork, bravery and fearlessness were essential qualities to navigate this journey.
What is it really about?
Perhaps it was time to start afresh on a different piece of paper. The frustrations and setbacks I encountered were part of any artistic journey, and sometimes you just have to let go and see what happens…
I’ve posted these notes for tonights talk at CSM, they are as fascinating as my review to be honest as they show you how my mind works, they are complete and un-edited full of spelling mistakes but worth keeping…
How AI sees my notes… shall I feed you…AI… I shall feed you…
Anti partriarcll transient
Gorilla style queer reanctment
Production aftermath and residue
Improvised
Ameria Spain tourist site ex stuntmen
Rules and character
Masculinity mask club culture
Simulacra
Stay board
Artist, wolf, collaborate
Wording
Cruising tunnels
Watching
Unpacked
Kiss my genders
Stan house mirror
Oscar proto rebarry
Online fetish balloons
Latex costume
Film Filene objects of desire
Abondand fotross
Akward conflicting collapsed reality collapse the boundary of… front back
Sartorial costume identity
Self aware
Staring out of the void of the self awareness
Full goblin to lost tourist
Dopamine feedback groups love is violence blish reconfigured
De solidifying macro containing
Rubber ramp velvet room
Latex infinity mirror
Swallowed into the stomach of another character
Machines of love
Semi gorilla style
Plains
747 decommissioned reused to breed
Phalanx of masculinity
New rotten narratives
Breed into the husks of aircraft
Triad of reverenced
Dance marathons
Extreme economic surcurity
Suffering a spectical
Allogrithmaticall reanforce
Claim of victory and threat
Neo contemporary politics of liberal
Coragraphical
Rat king
Human catipilar
Clotted together more they pull apart more they are drawn together
Comforting and horrific
Problematise
Japanese love hotels
Spectical of sex
Paradise container enter but never leave endless marathon
Rat contestants
Trust building viscous tail whispering slippery desire risk and surrender looping
Art film looping stuck inward endless Labour narritive of art
World view of collapse past present and future
Refundable reform entrapped entropy sordid HMRC ballroom locational suction hole entered stitched together belly of a rat beast
Keep them into a perpetual state cyringical Sti clinic to anomalous dildo
Pipe system hell mouth corporate belly
Coordinate hole recovery cryo suits…
Forbidden theatrically queer acceptance
Alerting fac card the real
Hypo reality
Authentic struts contiguous of art to take please of a rebuild society
Queer alt cinema horrors
Attack certain contemporary anxiety fascinated marginality grotesque erotic thrill
In the realm of contemporary art, there are always those who will push the boundaries, challenge societal norms, to create thought provoking pieces that leave a lasting impact.
X is one of those.
ONE OF US
X rapes our senses with a discourse of sex, fetish and horror, refusing categorisation… film-maker slash instillation artist slash performance slash endurance art.
X invites viewers to abandon their preconceived biases. To embrace our queer longing, we unpack our packers and embrace our new identities.
Through their gorilla-style queer reenactments and improvised creative film ‘happenings’ (very 60’s/70’s there, Dee, but I do love a retro moment), they challenge the gender binary and the place of sexual fetish within the role of new society world-making.
The use of cruising tunnels and embedded viewing spaces creates a new level in the act of watching.. the audience creates a voyeuristic experience that blurs the lines between performer and receiver, inviting us, the viewer, to question our own desires, perceptions and creativity through the grotesque.
The Art of Trans-Formation… strikes right to the heart of our complicity with society’s inequalities. X uses BDSM costumes as objects of desire, latex costumes, the pop-not-to-pop online group fetish of balloons, along with the abandoned artefacts of filmmaking and the detritus of societal change.
What X looks like IRL
X transforms these into symbols of quizzical empowerment and self-destructive expression. The performers become us, collaborators with X and their fantasy. Together, we embrace our inner wolves and metaphorically skin the complicit poodles of defunct consumerism slash capitalist dog house, devouring the rotten canine flesh and stuffing ourselves into a new form. (No dogs appeared in this work, only in my mind)
We become art
We are now donning the masks of rejected masculinity.
This sartorial costume identity allows us to explore our self-awareness, pushing the boundaries of our meaningless existence.
X takes the concept of reality and collapses it, creating a world where the boundaries of senses are blurred, and the excessive narratives are reconfigured.
The use of smelly rubber ramps that lead to latex-filled horrors touches down in infinity-mirrored red velvet rooms, creating a dysphoric experience for us. Hence, we become the exhibit, as we are swallowed into the stomach of another velvet character.
This exploration of love slash violence slash love deconstructs the macro aggression of a monstrous narrative and challenges the slick containers of the current decaying world.
The Rat King slash Human Caterpillar vie with the recently defunct 747-400 for the trope of decay.
As a 747-pilot 30 years ago I was often mis-gendered… how did they know?
I watched passively as I saw X use parts of my beloved aircraft reused, recycled and reduced to a new experience. I refused to have a part of my old plane when offered, but here, X had sorted out my metal love and reframed its carbon-spewing corpse into a new narrative. I wanted to cry… but it was the past, and it had passed.
X spoke of reference for their work. How to explore the concept of suffering as a spectacle. Was X watching my suffering?
No, it was the dance marathons of the 20’s 30’s that played on extreme economic insecurity and became an algorithmic reinforcement to create a world where suffering becomes a form of entertainment. The fantastical Rat King became the contestants, clotted together in a viscous tail-whispering desire to represent the comforting and horrific aspects of the joining of the conjoined. A spectacle of exploration and exploitation explored through the Japanese love slash sex hotels of the 80’s. (Had X time travelled to one of my Tokyo night stops, I was feeling vulnerable now) These power dynamics and manipulation of desire were observed through the queer art eyes of the 21st century, complete with D/s toy rack (it was fairly meagre by comparison to the real thing!)
X’s exploration of their masculinity, identity, and desire challenges a society that often seeks to categorise and label in an effort to understand.
X reminds us of the power of art to inspire change in its most visceral way.
I left the Thursday sesh, and my brain was attuned to new possibilities.
I’d watched the politics program on BBC 2 just before the meeting; it’s always provoking.
What is bias? Only what you perceive, I reckon!
AI, VR and AR don’t know these acronyms?…
You need to learn them if you are on the planet in the foreseeable future.
Barring thermonuclear war (a real possibility) and the onslaught of devastating climate change (an absolute certainty), there is a revolution coming, one that is far more beneficial or more dangerous, depending on your viewpoint!
How AI sees itself.
What do we need?
Students at any level, from any discipline, should want to learn to use, understand and develop text-based and visual generative AI tools.
We will want to explore various platforms and their practical applications and democratise their evolution.
Additionally, we will want to discuss and create more effective and unbiased prompts when interacting with AI tools.
The genie is out of the bottle; there is no returning it or hiding our heads in the sand.
The excuses given by the scared and uninformed to suppress and spike AI, citing responsibility, ethical concerns and “I just don’t understand it”, will always be playing catch-up as the five platform providers give AI its head and let it grow and learn at an exponential rate.
AI self-portrait.
While the University of Chicago tries to poison AI, the University of Warwick presses ahead with its research where students (no doubt using AI generative essay tools) are marked by AI marking tools, that then give said students essay feedback written by AI that says, “Well done me!”
By the end of this emperors new clothes exercise, students will be able to identify the key features of the major text-based generative AI tools.
Develop effective prompts for engaging with these generative AI tools.
Apply their knowledge of generative AI tools responsibly for various tasks and learning purposes.
Understand the importance of utilising generative AI.
Whereas, tutors, lecturers, colleges, universities and academic authorities, not to mention governments, will be living in LaLa land, refusing to recognise that the game has changed…
Like a lot of early AI programs it couldn’t be more wrong:
“Art tutorials are instructional resources that provide step-by-step guidance and techniques for creating various forms of art. They are designed to help individuals, whether beginners or experienced artists, improve their skills, learn new techniques, and gain a deeper understanding of different art mediums and styles. Art tutorials can cover a wide range of topics, including drawing, painting, sculpting, digital art, photography, and more. They often include demonstrations, explanations, tips, and exercises to help artists develop their artistic abilities and express their creativity. Additionally, art tutorials can be accessed through various mediums such as books, online videos, workshops, or classes, making them accessible to a wide audience.”
What AI visually thought an art tutorial is… go home AI you are drunk!
What tutorials are is an opportunity to reflect and interrogate your artistic practice through fresh eyes, to ask the questions of yourself that you might not have thought of and, if you have, to coalesce them into a clear artistic prerogative.
What AI thinks my beach home looks like… well done AI
Art Tutorial 1 with Jonathan Kearny 24th of October 2023
Notes from today’s tutorial
We discussed a wide range of global political issues as per my practice focus.
What has been happening within my practice: Animation was recognised as a language.
Art became a practice without labels (that was an important step for me to acknowledge)
The opportunity to work with the Feminist Internet Network and the CCI was seen and discussed as a significant happening.
Jonathan asked:
1. What was my greatest practice strength?
Honest Communication using ironic humour to modulate it’s delivery.
2. What did I want from this course?
Opportunity and world-wide communication, to test myself and grow my practice in areas I couldn’t without CSM: UAL facilitation.
Thoughts about the next steps:
Finish the animation for Disability History Month at the SU.
Thinking about the difficulties and practicalities of visiting the CCI and using that time to see exhibitions at the Tate.
Start to look at the Unreal engine and 3D modelling.
Continue with the assemblages as per the “Kraken”
Materiality
We also talked about how gel plates have become an art meditation to access creativity and suppress control right brain/ left brain.
Gel plate meditiation
We also discussed the staging for the interim exhibition at the CSM street.
There will be an opportunity for me to affect a positive dialogue dealing with unconscious ableism and how disability with the right framework becomes ability, especially with reference to the low-residency at CSM in March next year.
Art Tutorial 2 with Jonathan Kearny 29th of January 2024
Tutorial notes
This was primarily businesslike. The upcoming interim show, site dimensions and the question of censorship.
The animation Mx Farm: Titty Milk Dairy Rebellion is deliberately provocative. It talks about global food production through the lens of Dadaesque dirty humour, with a selection of Non-Binary Rogue characters. The show is public, and children will be present, and there are undoubtedly adult sexual themes here. The installation is more erudite, but it pushes on boundaries with a boob cast. I was thinking about some de-coding leaflets, but during the tutorial, we discussed the beauty of art’s ‘potential’ meaning. This is always difficult when I’m in the business of communication and effecting change, but if you are didactic, it becomes a massive turn-off. An option was the dirty seaside postcard, censored posters and maybe less censored business cards and ID badges…
We discussed blog presentation and the insertion of Assessment, Study Statment and I may add Tutorial posts to a clickable link on the home page, but I don’t want to mess with the blog design until after the assessment for obvious tech reasons of everything going west!
Don’t mess with it… Everything has gone Wes!
Jonathan’s suggestion of QR codes with cheeky images was wonderful and here it is on Bully’s ID card.
Bully’s ID Card
It all feeds into the performance, and censorship is a gift!
We also talked about the possibility of a peep show for the animation, but that is a construction job and possibly outside the remit of this show.
Talking of construction, we discussed the flexible installation options of the Hu-Cow Windows, and it was always made with flexibility and robustness in mind… the ability to touch and the destructive nature of that interaction will be a fascinating element of this hang and work…. I’m excited to see where this goes, and I hold no preconceived expectations but see it as a huge test opportunity for my work.
My art practice and this blog have been productive and rhythmically regular. The blog has become a sounding board for my practice, and I’ve got the odd reader, so I’m looking forward to how this develops.
Art Tutorial 3 with Jonathan Kearny 2nd of May 2024.
I arrived, as always, early to hear the end of Tom’s fantastic work… it’s always so inspiring to listen to what we are all about.
Topics covered in my tutorial with JK:
The QTN post and how temporal Queer theory relates to my practice. I am trying to learn from the past, understand the present and develop future ideas… collapsing the temporal realities…
The identity flags are progressing into a duration artwork with the gel plates on William Gaunts Concise History of English Painting.
A durational artwork would have been impossible for me two years ago. I wondered why… on reflection, I think it’s because I didn’t think I would live to see the finish, or perhaps I was always in a rush to finish and move on to the next exciting adventure. I have learnt that it doesn’t matter if anything is finished; it’s the process that matters, and that’s where the gold is.
We discussed how my art is conceptually linked, colour-linked, not aesthetically linked, and that’s intentional.
The Network is my art practice, The Network must work for all.
Regarding diverse art practices, the rude Hu-Cow animation has been cancelled on YouTube… I might appeal… I might not…
It will now live in Only Fans thanks to Holly’s unique art practice.
We discussed the upcoming Borthfest, how I will display the current identity flags, and how or if they should be immediately understood. No, I don’t think they should… some may think what the f*ck, some may think they are ‘interesting’, some may want to know more…
We talked about how the co-polymer plastic of lamination feeds into my art… it is not biodegradable and, as such, will last forever unless it is burnt, and as things stand with the planet, that’s not off the cards.
The world is f*cked; I’ve gathered that from my research. It’s not unsolvable, but it will take hundreds of years to scrub the carbon out of the atmosphere. Meanwhile, we must change and adapt and TRANSmute ourselves and society into a liveable format that mitigates war, famine, flood and mass migration… sounds apocalyptic… It is…
Is the Earth worth fighting for… yes absolutely!
We are a unique planet among billions of dead ones… don’t fight for us humans; fight for the other beautiful spieces of the Earth…
We f*cked it. We must fix it…
We talked about Guernica and an artist here at CSM.…
Gateway one: the poem STUFF. Written at the beginning of the year, I wanted to use the poem for something else the reuse, reduce, recycle element of my practice…
STUFF
Do you know what is happening?
I think maybe you do.
I believe we all know.
But sometimes,
It’s best not to look.
They talk about.
Loss of assets.
Countries are assets.
Large areas of the Earth are to be evacuated.
We are assets,
Other, less suicidal species are assets.
The museums are full.
The galleries are full.
The underground art storage facilities are full.
They are CLIMATE-controlled assets.
Should we continue?
Using resources to make more Art?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Refuse
Let’s be careful how we wash our brushes.
Let’s make use of the materials already made.
Let’s use up the unused Vintage paint.
Let’s paint over that Caravaggio!
But when there are no more ways to Greenwash the truth.
The face of extinction turns to us and asks,
What should art be?
Art always changes, always evolves.
Still, we can paint.
Just without using paint.
Without making more STUFF.
Alice’s charity shop finds…
Gateway two: was my daughter’s visit this weekend. She suggested that we follow the ethos of that poem and paint over an existing work, recycling and reusing it.
She had seen people on TikTok creating Halloween art on old paintings, which sparked the idea.
Gateway Three:
Finally – take a risk!
Do something in your art practice this week that might not work…
Alice purchased four paintings from a charity shop, and I chose a traditional seascape to work on. Living on the beach by the sea, I wanted to address climate change within this recycled piece. I envisioned the Climate Change Kraken coming to take the sailing ship from the 19th-century colonial oil painting, Sailing Vessels off Tynemouth John Wilson Carmichael (British, 1800-1886) apparently he painted several views of this and I found a few online in sales.
Disassembly It’s already recycled!
To our amusement, when we disassembled the painting, we discovered that instead of an art print, it was a page from a 1985 calendar that had been carefully framed. It had already been recycled into wall art, then donated to a charity shop, and now it was being transformed once again, which had a poetic quality to it.
The Climate Change Kracken
I wanted to depict the ship being destroyed, so I used paint and gel plate printing to bring the Kraken to life. The coated textured paper didn’t take the print well, but it created an interesting surface that allowed me to easily remove the acrylic paint with an alcohol wipe.
Choosing what to keep
I painted the faded grey mount with black acrylic paint and wrote excerpts and rewrites of the poem around the mouth of the mount using a white gel pen. I’ve been looking at David Shrigley’s work and wanted to put my writing into my visual work. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea, not planned and I didn’t carefully transpose the poem, rather the opposite I changed it…
The frame was sprayed with the left over 50% Voc spray as used for the back drop of STUFF
Nothing goes to waste and layers of saved waste paint were glued onto the frame, creating a texture reminiscent of Kraken skin. I peeled this paint off a cradle board painting and kept it in my acrylic paint box, it screamed out to be used in this project and felt good to use.
Kraken Skin
All the paints I used were vintage and secondhand, the gold paint I made from recycled mica, icing gum trag and distiled water, similar to the paint used by Turner for his early water colours (he didn’t use sparkle mica but did use anything he could get hold of including waste materials from early industrial sites.
F*ck Me It’s the Kraken
Surprisingly, what I initially thought would be a simple, fun, experimental activity turned out to be something worth exploring further. I have two more reclaimed charity shop pictures, and I’m fascinated to see what I create with them.
I went out last night to an LGBTQ fundraiser gig with Aim King and their new band ‘Internet Fatigue.’ Their flatmate said, ‘Aim has never done the same performance twice; it’s always changed.’
… that’s because it’s in development!
I didn’t do the tweaks on the animation last week. I told myself it was because I was busy doing the tax return online… which was an adulting first for me… yet I had time for writing and printmaking, so what’s going on? Why didn’t I do it? I know the answer, but I didn’t want to…
At the gig, I met up with Aber uni friends, and there was a discussion about how well I connect with young people…
Yes, well, that’s because I’ve never grown up!!!
There is an old pilot joke… A little boy visits the cockpit and says to the pilot, ‘I want to be a pilot when I grow up’.
The pilot replies, ‘Sorry, son those two things are mutually exclusive.’
Pilots never grow up…
That infantilism might be useful in art… arr the Picasso quote…
However, during this week’s Thursday MA online sesh, we were talking about success and failure,
If you find yourself achieving success, you may be tempted to seek that same art practice/work again, solely for the purpose of boosting your ego. However, this approach will hinder your personal growth and development. On the other hand, if you encounter failure, it becomes a valuable opportunity for transformation and progress.
We naturally want to avoid risky practice because we don’t want the emotional lifting of dealing with failure….
Danger is my middle name…
Haha, yet ‘danger is my middle name’ … yet as I’ve gotten older, safety has become more tempting!!! Oooh, the lure of the furry deckchair!
The furry deck chair
As I was plodding through HMRC’s website last week, I was thinking, why am I doing this latest animation?…
I’m fooling myself if I think I am developing pacing and sound… yes I am, but it’s so restrictive because I’d have to edit it down to fit the time limit in the competition, a competition I entered last year with success… oops that’s an Ego stroke trap!!!
What am I at CSM for?
I am here to push myself into the uncomfortable places and grow my practice, not to run back to the comfortable….
Film night…
So that brings me to last Tuesday’s visit to the cinema to watch The Creator with my son, who is a cinematographer… so it’s always going to be a conversation about cameras, sensors, composition, script, lighting, etc. etc.…but quickly became a conversation about VR/AI and how cinema for him, art for me and therefore the world is about to be transformed… (I know conflating art and world transformation might be a stretch, but it isn’t… art mirrors the world but it also changes it…) and AI/VR is going to be an enormous change for everyone…
So, instead of f*$king about on Procreate and Google translate, I’m off to learn more about ‘unreal’ and VR….
Of course, I was always going there… deep down, I know this…
On the way out of the door today, I thought I’d pop into my local gallery, 2 London Place, which, of course, ended up with a cup of tea, a biscuit and an art chat with Sadie:
Gallery curation (to frame or not to frame?)
Ideas for a Borth Arts festival next May (very exciting) focusing on accessibility and a push back against ableism.
I’m looking forward to looking after the online aspect of the festival.
I got to meet another artist Jess at the gallery, and I’m going to get my tiny printing press out to see if it works for her forthcoming workshop; I’ll be the printmaking tech!
Now what was that post about creating space for creativity to happen…
Non-binary flag… this is roller waste and by far the most exciting piece…
In my ongoing art research, I have found meditation in gel plate printing. This technique not only allows me to express my creativity but also explores the elements within my practice focus.
Freedom or is it?
Gel plate printing is a mono-printing technique accessible to all artists regardless of age or disability. By exploring this printing format, I am rejecting ableism in art, tearing down and reassembling images and narratives, which also mirrors my investigation of gender identity.
Landscape Identity… More roller waste…
By its sheer materiality, I am using up my stock of acrylic paint in an environmentally friendly manner. By using acrylic paint in a process without any water waste, I am actively pursuing a practice to prevent the addition of more microplastics in our waterways and seas.
In the Sea… image transfer
Sounds good; however, like any good experimental practice, it has its share of frustrations and triumphs, and these will no doubt appear in a future animation project using the prints made…
Intersection… Gel plate play
The intersectionality of ableism and gender identity in this work is tangible. It allows my practice to engage in artistic expression without barriers. By exploring techniques, I am not only advocating for inclusivity but also challenging societal norms and perceptions, the satisfaction of independence, and to be seen. I tear down and reassemble images and narratives within collage; I evoke my own gender identity. This process of self-discovery and expression has been both liberating and thought-provoking. I can visually communicate my emotions and experiences, creating a dialogue that transcends the results of production but concentrates the artistic experience through process.
Force… too much
One of the driving forces behind my practice is to address the environmental damage art processes inflict. I aim to reduce the amount of acrylic paint in our waterways and seas. It is alarming to learn that over 54% of microplastics in the sea are paint particles. By using up my stock of acrylic paint that I have accumulated over the years in an environmentally friendly process, I am actively preventing further pollution. I hope to raise awareness about the environmental impact of our choices.
Impact… but has it?
While gel printing offers a fun and friendly artistic process, it has challenges. Transferring printed images from magazines onto the printing plate can be hit or miss. Sometimes, I create an engaging and relevant collage, only to find that none of the print or image transfers successfully.
Nothing came of this collage! It was very frustrating.
However, I have come to appreciate the random Dada-esque nature of this process. It adds an element of surprise and unpredictability to the work, pushing me to embrace the unknown and explore new artistic territories.
Help Me
I am gradually gaining a better understanding of this technique and its potential. In addition to creating collages, I am predisposed to use the results of my printing as a foundation for an animation project. By bringing my artwork to life through animation, I hope to amplify further the messages and emotions in my prints.
Help Me in process
The randomness and unpredictability add an exciting element to this research and I’m looking forward to seeing where this artistic exploration takes me and how my animation project will bring my prints to life or should it… maybe it doesn’t have to be filmed, is that a safe space. Stay tuned for more updates on my gel plate adventures! As I end up with more questions than answers… still early days!
What’s left after the first print?… the waste more dynamic than the plateWiggle the Shell… dull product of an exciting process
This week, I have cried with a fellow artist about the passions of art…
I went to a student print exhibition and saw my old university mates, got drunk with my fellow artists and talked about art life…
I listened to another disabled artist on my MA about their experiences; this reminded me of a chat with a Disabled Arts Cymru member about their experiences of exhibiting in a world-famous venue and experiencing those ableist spaces and being angry and frustrated…
It all gave me space to think, and I realised that as much as I rage against the machine of ableism…Force is not the road to success ….in anything;
Being reminded that kindest and creativity is …
We can all see that with the events in Gaza, the extent of emotions that reside within each and every one of us.
Art is the ability to think outside our physical limits. To provide the answer, not to force ourselves to act outside them in a brutal act of self-harm.
Instead, imagine new possibilities, and bring something unique into existence.
Where does any artist find creative energy?
Where do we find the inspiration and the motivation to tap into potential?
Artistic space is the key for me.
This can be physical, my beach studio or my recliner chair with it’s digital worktable.
The Mental Space
More significantly, I need mental space. A state of mind free from constraints.
By clearing a space for creativity, I can provide a thoroughfare, a conduit to allow my imagination to flourish.
I have to learn to diffuse the problematic situations, the blocks, and the emotional violence we all perpetuate on ourselves to let go of preconceived notions and expectations. That’s a concept I struggle with; I have no difficulty with the push; it’s the pause that I find difficult.
This is where the concept of embedding my practice within a sturdy scaffold set in a fluid artistic environment comes into play.
By being honest and allowing myself to have the opportunity to fail while acknowledging what my artistic domain is and how I might be able to expand it. I allow new perspectives and become open to new influences.
I am positively shaping my artistic world and, in some butterfly effect, chaos theory way changing the world around me.
As a non-binary person and artist, I define and refine identity, transforming and understanding a deeper self. Becoming self-aware, tapping into unique perspectives.
This week, I found out I’ve got a fantastic opportunity to work with The Feminist Internet Studio and CCI: UAL on the online discussion groups for the Embodying Horizons Workshops.
I feel my best creativity happens when I am willing to invert my thinking; this is often a painful process of acknowledging reality without rejecting the new, embracing change and being open to the eruption of creativity by challenging myself.
I’ve realised that my creative practice is found in the unseen, unsung places and experiences.
Yes, I find it in the physicality of my beach studio, a space filled with paints, brushes and canvas, a space where I have extracted souls with a nine mag needle (tattooing, don’t panic) and now where I entertain and challenge my art friends with workshops and ideas.
I find it in the eclectic playlist played in my headphones as I sit in my furry deckchair looking out to sea.
But I create my space with the simplest moments, the love and support of my family, sharing a cup of tea or, more likely, a Butty Bach down the Railway pub with Chris and Sue, listening to Dawnie and Pat telling stories, laughing and putting the world to rights! Or sharing a Borth Sunset and a whiskey with the beach Vikings (we have beach Vikings in Borth)
These moments of connection and relaxation MAKE THE SPACE.
These experiences transport me to different worlds and inspire me to think outside the confines of my everyday life of disability.
This is a testament to the resilience and determination of all disabled individuals who refuse to let their limitations define them.
By challenging what can be done and transforming doubt into creative possibilities, we enable and reclaim our artistic identity and create the remarkable.
Richard Reynolds of academic support, when talking about research reading, said sometimes you have to know when to let it go. The reading list you think you should have is probably the least interesting and beneficial to your research. He’s not wrong if you’ve already thought of it what’s new?
Research by meditation
I’d been telling people I was going to a meditation class all week (dyslexia is a beautiful thing). Maybe you CAN do research through meditation; I might invent that! But Jhinuk Sarkar’s workshop on sensory mediation looked at what to do if you are stuck in your creative process or project. We explored our process, analysed it and disrupted it by using our ‘seven’ senses! Bet ya didn’t know we had seven! We have even more it’s just are we prepared to go find them!
My Seven Senses – What are yours
That willingness to explore our own creativity is a fundamental aspect of human existence, allowing us to express ourselves. However, there are times when our creative process becomes stagnant, leaving us feeling stuck and uninspired. That dilemma of whether to persist with our current creative endeavours or to break free from the shackles of familiarity and explore new avenues. By examining our creative process and in Sarkar workshop utilising object-based mediation, we can overcome creative blockages and reignite our passion for innovation.
Should it be a smooth process 😂
The creative process is a complex and multifaceted journey that varies from artist to artist, for me I would have thought after all these years I would understand mine. Nope, I’m beginning to realise the more I know the more I become unknown to myself. That’s really exciting! Because I know I have so much more to discover.
I can’t work like this I am too old, I need to work consistently
The neat answer involves a series of stages, initial inspiration, ideation, execution, and evaluation. However, even the most enthusiastic of us encounter periods of stagnation, where ideas seem elusive and motivation wanes.
This is where Richard and Jhinuk overcome this, by letting go of our preconceived creative processes and daring to consider alternative approaches reinvigorates our creative juices.
During the watercolour workshop I ran last week, the last exercise culminated in asking my class to pour the remaining paint from their palettes onto there carefully constructed work. This was two fold firstly it eliminated paint waste down the drain, saving the dolphins and secondly eliminates the control we exercise on our art, with surprisingly refreshing results.
Keep it out of the waterways and sea
Sticking with the current creative process:
Familiarity breeds contempt : Continuing with our current creative process allows us to build upon existing knowledge and skills, providing a sense of security and familiarity. Meaning nothing grows and nothing changes.
Cave lady Lucille Ball
Consistency and coherence: Sticking with a particular creative process ensures a consistent output, allowing for a coherent body of work that reflects our unique style and vision. True very comforting for galleries and collectors, and as Lucile Ball says, ‘why f*ck with success’ and if we followed that we’d still be painting stick men and their woolly mammoths on cave walls!
Finding the Sweet Spot
Unsticking the creative process:
Breaking free from routine: Exploring new approaches and techniques can free us from the monotony of our current creative process, opening doors to fresh perspectives and ideas.
I’m looking at ‘Gelli’ printing on my notes. This gives me a concentrated insight to a medium I’ve only lightly explored in the past and as I collage them into my sketchbook it gives me time to reflect and assimilate the new information into my practice, I am programming my neural network.
Stimulating creativity: Trying new methods or mediums can stimulate our imagination and reignite our passion for creation, leading to innovative breakthroughs. Running my beach workshops with a small group of friends who want to explore their own creativity has actually stimulated mine. I have felt their joy in exploring new mediums and ideas, it’s been as stimulating for me as it has for them.
Beach workshops
Overcoming challenges: Developing new problem-solving abilities through establishing new thought patterns, embraces growth and learning. Unsticking our creative process allows us to expand our skill set, fostering personal and professional development.
Jhinuk’s origami fly-catcher and it’s a cracking idea!
By analysing our creative process and utilising techniques like object-based meditation we can navigate through creative blockages and find the balance between persistence and exploration. Ultimately I believe the key lies in embracing the fluidity of creativity and being open to new possibilities, allowing our creative endeavours to flourish and evolve.
When I came to write this post, I was looking at my notes from the last two weeks of workshops and our first course meet up. After my sketchbook work today, it was no longer possible for me to separate them into tidy chunks of information. They had already started to coalesce into their own dialogue.
A small watercolour test scrap can become a painting if you are willing to see.
When we talk with other artists, it allows us to challenge our own thoughts and perceptions and view our own art practice with fresh eyes. Through this exchange of ideas, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of problems, share different perspectives, and ultimately develop innovative solutions, broadening our horizons and fostering personal growth.
Do we burn our bridges to build new one? Or is it just our perception.
We become open to the new to expand our artistic language. If we can converse with individuals from diverse backgrounds, we may develop a more nuanced understanding of complex issues. Without the breakout room this week, I might never have seen the link between painting and filmmaking within my practice. A simple statement from my fellow course member Karl about how I might ‘return’ to painting and push aside filmmaking made me realise that I never left!
How we view what we think we know, changes everything.
It made me think about the concepts within dialogue:
Exchanging ideas:
This provides the platform. When we discuss each other’s work, fellow artists, scientists, activists and collectors gain valuable insights into different techniques, materials, and concepts but also the works’ perception. This exchange leads to the inception of new knowledge for all participants.
A painted drawing board becomes a vehicle for understanding
Sharing different perspectives through listening:
If we can actively listen to others, we gain a deeper understanding of their experiences and viewpoints. If I discuss with students and tutors from computing and VR backgrounds about their research, it will be vastly different from my own. We can all gain fresh insights and alternative approaches to solving complex problems. This cross-pollination is essential if the new knowledge we create can have purpose resonance and lead to breakthrough discoveries.
Gaining a comprehensive understanding:
Exposure to a different viewpoint challenges our own biases and helps us develop a more well-rounded perspective. For instance, I can now see as an activist; I must engage in dialogue with policymakers to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding social change. This will enable me to be a more effective advocate for policy change.
Reflection, failure, new positions…
What started within a breakout room and a selection of supporting workshops has emerged as a transformative process that challenges my thoughts and perceptions. By exchanging ideas, sharing different perspectives, and gaining a comprehensive understanding of problems, we can develop innovative solutions. Whether it is my fellow artists and I discussing our work or collaborating across disciplines, dialogue plays a crucial role in shaping our neural connections and fostering personal growth. It allows us to break free from our own echo chamber and embark on a journey to develop new, meaningful knowledge.
What a start to my MA, two weeks of academic workshops, then today meeting our fellow course members… we had breakout rooms and a chance to talk to our fellow course members.
They are all so inspirational! From around the world U.K to N.Z. and with such diverse practices it is both exciting and challenging.
Our course leader entreated us to be Mindful, Hungry and Generous… listening to each other and discussing the opportunities that are afforded to us you begin to see why!
We had a chance to speak in more depth to each other in the breakout rooms, talking with Karl, a Painter on my course from Belfast, we discussed our painting practices, I’d assumed mine was somehow separated from my animation and film making then on later reflection, I realised it never was, but I just couldn’t see that! These conversations matter…
How do you digest this mass of knowledge as it hits like a tsunami?
Incoming!
Well I do have a sketchbook practice where I argue with myself, I used a sketchbook to develop an artistic response. This session I used ‘Gelli’ Printing and collage, it gives me time to reflect on the previous days session and start to assimilate it into my practice. I also realised today that my notes give me the excuse to create physical art. Why do I need an excuse? I’ll let you know when I’ve figured that out!….
Making artistic sense of my note taking!
Here’s a quick run down of the topics covered in the optional extra workshops I’ve had in the last two weeks…
Thinking through moving image
Working through project briefs using sensory mediation
Introduction to arts participation
Academic research
Visual research
Critical Thinking
I’ve written some reflective responses to these workshops and I’ll post these up in separate posts.
IS THIS DISABLED: SOUNDS LIKE A YOU PROBLEM (2023)
This film was chosen and exhibited in the S.U Exhibition
This film responds to the exhibition ethos. It is a silent animation to describe the act of muting disabled needs. The ableism that exists in accessing help to maintain and develop independent lives for disabled people. It speaks from my own experiences and those who try to break out of the box of what disability is and what we can do.
I’ve been busy making use of all the opportunities that CSM give their students and I’ve applied for a really exciting residency in VR.
The CCI and Feminist Internet Residency gives the opportunity for one UAL student to develop their own project in line with the program’s research theme, questioning how we can incorporate queer and feminist practices into virtual realities. It would be an exciting opportunity to use VR and work with other departments at UAL especially in digital technology which feeds into my own art practice focus and methodology.
My art practice embraces Contemporary Dada; I am deeply intrigued by the interplay of ironic materiality and online social communication. With my experience in filmmaking, animation, and performance, I create thought-provoking work that challenges societal norms and conventions. Drawing inspiration from my diverse background as an airline pilot, radical home educator, tattooist, and artist, I seek to reflect on these experiences and explore how the virtual world can serve as a platform for reimagining new positions. In my exploration, I am particularly interested in delving into online communities and examining the internet’s transformative potential as a catalyst for change. The internet can be a powerful force for positive transformation, capable of pushing established boundaries. By leveraging the reach and accessibility of the online realm, I aim to challenge societal norms, foster inclusivity, and create a space where marginalized voices can thrive and be a force for change and propel outwards into the mainstream to establish a new framework that positively impacts the well-being of all. Through my artistic practice, I aspire to ignite conversations, provoke critical thinking, and contribute to a more inclusive and empowered society. By embracing the virtual world and harnessing its potential, I want to pave the way for a future where feminist and queer communities are celebrated as innovators.
I’ve also got a job as a student partner on a ‘online learning’ study group at UAL looking at refining and expanding online learning we’ve had our first meeting and I’m looking forward to our upcoming tasks.
I’m putting together an application for a Venice Fellowship Programme. UAL Decolonising Arts Institute in partnership with the 2024 British Council Venice Fellowships Programme at the Venice biennale.
Amongst the thick of it!
There will be huge competition for all these places but you have to be in amongst the thick of it otherwise why are you here…Welcome to Central Saint Martins : UAL…. Phew…..
In today’s rapidly changing world, art is an essential medium for making social and political change. Artists have the power to challenge societal norms, provoke thought, and ignite conversations that can lead to positive social metamorphosis.
When I wrote the heading page for this site, I described this spirit of artistic embodiment using the following words :
“Their focus … Geo-political climate crisis, gender identity and ableism.
Their art practice…
Contemporary Dada, Ironic materiality, Social Communication On a pin… Transmission”
Nothing can kill a blog quicker than a disquisitional analysis; however, in today’s blog post, I thought I might delve into that statement and its significance and get to the nitty gritty of my art practice.
Change of View
The geo-political climate crisis of global warming is THE most pressing issue of our time (except for the potentially instant warming provided by an 800-kiloton nuclear warhead through the escalation of international conflict). I might opine that any future conflict might have its roots in the ‘fallout’ of the climate crisis. Therefore, there is no other more pressing narrative. The situation’s urgency compels me to use my art and whatever I have left of my life force, not as a platform to raise awareness (we have plenty of that) but to inspire positive action and give some much-needed hope.
Through ironic artistic endeavour, I capture the absurdity of climate change, highlighting the interconnectedness of human activities and the environment. By presenting these issues in a visually compelling manner, I aim to evoke empathy and encourage us all to reflect together on our impact on the planet and be part of the needed change.
Captain Climate Chaos
My exploration of gender identity and refusal to accept and live in the binary is becoming an integral part of my perception.
I had an interesting discussion recently where a new acquaintance thought that this ‘new’ trend for ‘transgenderism’ was because people saw the need for change in a global sense, but as they felt disempowered to affect any real change, turned that inwards on themselves and decided to consciously and deliberately mutilate their gender. That they wouldn’t ‘pass’ as their new gender, and why would anyone do that?
I am always open to new positions. The exploration of internalised disempowerment was an interesting one. Still, from a personal perspective, I could only say I have always felt non-binary but didn’t have the words to describe it. My AFAB status has not been a thorn in my side but rather a misunderstanding. I thought that I was normal and that the accepted Western ideal of cis womanhood was somehow defective! My eventual recognition of my non-binary truth had been not an act of destruction but of enormous relief.
The Enby Tent – Staying or passing through?
What could have been a gender identity gunfight at the NOT OK Coral became an opportunity for reflection and mutual understanding. We both looked at each other and laughed.
Gun fight at the NOT OK Coral
How this exploration of fluidity and complexity has impacted my work can be seen in my euphoric dismemberment of film, sound, paint, and writing, challenging traditional notions and stereotypes. By positively celebrating and embracing diversity and promoting inclusivity, my art serves to dismantle the normative and empower a more creative and understanding world.
Reality…
Ableism, the discrimination and prejudice against individuals with disabilities, is something I’ve had plenty of experience with in the last few years.
The fight is seemingly endless, especially for those of us that won’t stay in our box. It is an uncomfortable issue within both the arts and society in general. However, this artist recognises the importance of shedding light on this injustice and advocating for inclusivity.
Through physical and digital art, I challenge ableist narratives and highlight the unique perspectives and talents of individuals with disabilities. By doing so, I aim to break down barriers and foster a more inclusive society that values and respects the contributions of all individuals.
Is this Disabled?
My art practice is deeply rooted in Contemporary Dada and Ironic Materiality. Dadaism was an anti-art movement that emerged in the early 20th century; it sought to challenge traditional artistic conventions and provoke thought through absurdity and irrationality. Similarly, my quest employs unconventional materials and techniques to create thought-provoking and visually striking pieces. By juxtaposing unexpected elements and challenging the viewer’s expectations, I invite questions and explore new perspectives.
What did I Do?
At the heart of my work lies the desire for social communication, a transmission of both knowledge and energy. Art can bridge gaps, spark conversations, and create connections between individuals from diverse backgrounds. I aim to open up a conduit of societal change and action. Whether through films, paintings, the digital world or a live performance, all catalyse a dialogue to reflect on our role in shaping a more sustainable future.
Summer is the perfect time for artists to explore their creativity and immerse themselves in new experiences. This is my new blog, but you can find my old blog at https://deematthewsart.blogspot.com/This summer, I have been fortunate enough to engage and expanded my skills but also connect with other artists and explore different mediums while still using up my existing art supplies and following the ideals explored in the film and poetry of STUFF
One of the most recent experiences was this weeks watercolour sunset workshop at 2 London Place Gallery. Led by the talented and sparkling Andrew Logan. I have had many happy workshops at Andrew’s Museum and Studio years ago when I ran a home education art group. This workshop, however, was a different beast in the form of a supper club. It was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the fun aspects of painting and I had the pleasure of meeting local artists and making new friends. The vibrant hues of a Borth sunset and the giddy atmosphere of the gallery provided the perfect setting for an evening of artistic exploration and cava drinking.
Andrew Logan Workshop at 2 London Place Gallery
In addition to attending a workshop, I also had the opportunity to run my own workshop on Artist Sketchbooks last month. Taking advantage of the beautiful beach in Borth where I live, I gathered a group of fellow artists and guided them through the process of creating their own sketchbooks. It was a wonderful experience to see the participants’ creativity come to life as they filled their sketchbooks with sketches, inspiration, and ideas and I realised how much I loved passing on techniques, information and influences, and how much that experience enriched my own art practice. I have another two workshops scheduled, one on watercolour techniques at the end of this month and a drawing workshop in October.
Sketchbook Workshop
One of my personal artistic achievements this summer was completing a double portrait using my own handmade oil paint. I love the materiality of painting. I love making paint. This piece and working with a proud Welsh couple in my Welsh beach workshop, I had to incorporate Welsh slate into the oil paint, it was unique and tangible in its textured layering of pigment and place. Three in-person sittings over summer allowed me to explore both materials and the interconnectivity of artist and sitter resulting in a rich and dynamic piece. The process of capturing the essence of two individuals becoming one on canvas was extraordinarily rewarding.
Pigment and Place
During summer, I had the opportunity to produce portraiture of a different nature by interviewing both BA and MA graduating students, delving into their artistic journeys and gaining valuable insights into their artistic practices. Using a process of digital collage in sound and image the interview became a way to both promote their exhibitions and further my exploration of editing including producing my own music.
The Christian Stamas Interview
In search of inspiration and new perspectives, I embarked on a trip to Norway with my trusty sketchbook in hand. Exploring the breathtaking landscapes and intriguing people. I documented my experiences through rather traditional watercolour sketches, but my writing revealed a more contemporary position and I was reminded of my left brain/right brain struggle for creative control which is becoming a focus for my workshop work.
One unexpected adventure this summer was my further interaction with AI (Artificial Intelligence). Curiosity led me to explore the intersection of art and technology, and I found myself intrigued by the possibilities AI offers to artists. Through experimentation and exploration, I discovered new ways to incorporate AI into my artistic practice by transforming sketchbook and digital work into new images for my Dada digital collages, AI has become a new brush for me. Here I take inspiration from Christian Stamas’s geometric painting.
A.I. Wants to Please You
As summer draws to a close, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to engage in various art practices. From attending workshops and running my own, to exploring new mediums and embracing technology, this summer has been a time of growth and exploration. I look forward to continuing my artistic journey and seeing where it takes me next as I start my Fine Art : Digital MA at Central St. Martins UAL.
Mx.D.P 