SPACE
‘I needed to write this book, and that the process of writing it would be transformative, would itself transform, into something like white ointment applied to a swelling, like gauze laid over a wound. Something I needed.’ (Kang, 2017, p. 6)
I was influenced by Kang’s book, The White Book (2017). It is a developmental experience, a reflection of many thoughts related to the void. Moreover, it is a magnificent metaphor for the colour white.
As Kang dealt with her feelings through writing, I felt that I needed to deal with mine through Drawing.
‘The conscious and subconscious minds react to everything constituting the environment of the artist and in what relation the “clear” and the “unclear” (the conscious and the subconscious minds), stand to each other.’ (Malevich, 1959, p. 11)
For me, it is also a way to understand the aesthetic phenomenon of the artists. Malevich proposed to go beyond the artwork and the artist.
‘It constitutes a statement of faith, a priori unity, to which all of the plastic elements are in a state of subservience.’ (Rothko, 2005, p. 59)
For Rothko, Plasticity is a virtue. He understands a difference between the figure and the form in this manuscript. One rules over the other and determines how to perceive an artwork.
‘All early imagery relies on a simple distinction between figure and ground: an object, defined and more or less structured, is set off against a separate ground, which is boundless, shapeless, homogenous, secondary in importance, and often entirely ignored.’ (Arnheim, 1969, p. 284)
Rudolf Arnheim proposed the resistance of the mind when it comes to account reality with the self-contained. My interest is to focused on how a self-contained object can be part of the space that we normally recognized as a secondary element.
‘A hand of the blind ventures forth alone or disconnected, in a poorly delimited space; it feels it’s a way, it gropes, it caresses as much as it scribes, trusting in the memory of signs and supplementing insight.’ (Derrida, 1993, p. 3)
The act of Drawing is related to blindness. There is also a connection between the artist as a seer. A way to understand my reality as an artist was thanks to Derrida’s explanation on how to write without seeing.
This series of drawings, which I first called memory Drawings, is now called Precipitated Drawings.
STIGMA
For Harrington (2004), there are four scenarios and they are known as social relations. The first one is shared conventions and norms of art worlds. The second one is material media and technologies of production. The third one is patrons, sponsors and art markets; and the last one is public tastes and public channels of reception. (Harrington, 2004, p. 29)
When an artist tries to create a big project he/she needs to consider certain conditions. Becker believes that there are conditions for sociologists to explain the creation of artworks. Especially the whys and in which ways artists produce specific works.
‘Today, the term is widely used in something like the original literal sense, but is applied more to the disgrace itself than to the bodily evidence of it.’ (Goffman,1990, p.11)
In the sixties until the eighties, Stigma was considered only as a personal tragedy. I wanted to learn about the stigmatized person because I felt it was necessary to understand the difficulty of my subject.
‘It encourages me to make a distinction between an Enacted Stigma[1] and Felt stigma which was the fear of that kind of discrimination and maybe a sense of shame. And what we found was that Felt Stigma was more disruptive in people’s lives than in Enacted Stigma.’ (Egerton, Taylor, Scrambler, Morris, 2018)
Scrambler makes a distinction between shaming and blaming since in present days Stigma is being weaponized. For him, it is also considered a political activity related to abandoned people. For instance, the apparition of ghettos or people left alone.
After studying Stigma, I realized that I had the necessary tools to interact with stigmatized people and to be aware of the layers of protection they need. It was also an ethical approach and a way to be more sensible.
Bibliography
Arnheim, R. (1969) Visual Thinking. California: University of California Press.
Derrida, J. (1993) Memoirs of the blind: the self-portrait and other ruins. Translated by P; Brault and M. Naas. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Egerton, J., Taylor, L., Scrambler, G., Morris, L. (2018) Stigma [Podcast]. 31 January.
Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09pmbdf (Accessed: 27 April 2018)
Garner, S. (2008) Writing on Drawing: Essays on Drawing Practice and Research. Bristol: Intellect Books Ltd.
Goffman, E. (1990) Stigma: Note on the Management of Spoiled Identity. London: Penguin Book.
Harrington, A. (2004) Art and Social Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Kang, H. (2017) The White Book. Cornwall: Portobello book.
Rothko, M. (2004) The Artist Reality. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
‘I needed to write this book, and that the process of writing it would be transformative, would itself transform, into something like white ointment applied to a swelling, like gauze laid over a wound. Something I needed.’ (Kang, 2017, p. 6)
I was influenced by Kang’s book, The White Book (2017). It is a developmental experience, a reflection of many thoughts related to the void. Moreover, it is a magnificent metaphor for the colour white.
As Kang dealt with her feelings through writing, I felt that I needed to deal with mine through Drawing.
‘The conscious and subconscious minds react to everything constituting the environment of the artist and in what relation the “clear” and the “unclear” (the conscious and the subconscious minds), stand to each other.’ (Malevich, 1959, p. 11)
For me, it is also a way to understand the aesthetic phenomenon of the artists. Malevich proposed to go beyond the artwork and the artist.
‘It constitutes a statement of faith, a priori unity, to which all of the plastic elements are in a state of subservience.’ (Rothko, 2005, p. 59)
For Rothko, Plasticity is a virtue. He understands a difference between the figure and the form in this manuscript. One rules over the other and determines how to perceive an artwork.
‘All early imagery relies on a simple distinction between figure and ground: an object, defined and more or less structured, is set off against a separate ground, which is boundless, shapeless, homogenous, secondary in importance, and often entirely ignored.’ (Arnheim, 1969, p. 284)
Rudolf Arnheim proposed the resistance of the mind when it comes to account reality with the self-contained. My interest is to focused on how a self-contained object can be part of the space that we normally recognized as a secondary element.
‘A hand of the blind ventures forth alone or disconnected, in a poorly delimited space; it feels it’s a way, it gropes, it caresses as much as it scribes, trusting in the memory of signs and supplementing insight.’ (Derrida, 1993, p. 3)
The act of Drawing is related to blindness. There is also a connection between the artist as a seer. A way to understand my reality as an artist was thanks to Derrida’s explanation on how to write without seeing.
This series of drawings, which I first called memory Drawings, is now called Precipitated Drawings.
STIGMA
For Harrington (2004), there are four scenarios and they are known as social relations. The first one is shared conventions and norms of art worlds. The second one is material media and technologies of production. The third one is patrons, sponsors and art markets; and the last one is public tastes and public channels of reception. (Harrington, 2004, p. 29)
When an artist tries to create a big project he/she needs to consider certain conditions. Becker believes that there are conditions for sociologists to explain the creation of artworks. Especially the whys and in which ways artists produce specific works.
‘Today, the term is widely used in something like the original literal sense, but is applied more to the disgrace itself than to the bodily evidence of it.’ (Goffman,1990, p.11)
In the sixties until the eighties, Stigma was considered only as a personal tragedy. I wanted to learn about the stigmatized person because I felt it was necessary to understand the difficulty of my subject.
‘It encourages me to make a distinction between an Enacted Stigma[1] and Felt stigma which was the fear of that kind of discrimination and maybe a sense of shame. And what we found was that Felt Stigma was more disruptive in people’s lives than in Enacted Stigma.’ (Egerton, Taylor, Scrambler, Morris, 2018)
Scrambler makes a distinction between shaming and blaming since in present days Stigma is being weaponized. For him, it is also considered a political activity related to abandoned people. For instance, the apparition of ghettos or people left alone.
After studying Stigma, I realized that I had the necessary tools to interact with stigmatized people and to be aware of the layers of protection they need. It was also an ethical approach and a way to be more sensible.
Bibliography
Arnheim, R. (1969) Visual Thinking. California: University of California Press.
Derrida, J. (1993) Memoirs of the blind: the self-portrait and other ruins. Translated by P; Brault and M. Naas. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Egerton, J., Taylor, L., Scrambler, G., Morris, L. (2018) Stigma [Podcast]. 31 January.
Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09pmbdf (Accessed: 27 April 2018)
Garner, S. (2008) Writing on Drawing: Essays on Drawing Practice and Research. Bristol: Intellect Books Ltd.
Goffman, E. (1990) Stigma: Note on the Management of Spoiled Identity. London: Penguin Book.
Harrington, A. (2004) Art and Social Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Kang, H. (2017) The White Book. Cornwall: Portobello book.
Rothko, M. (2004) The Artist Reality. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
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