OPEN TASK 1

I am in love with the 1960s and 70s minimalism and conceptual art movement, and I find a lot of my views of art influenced by the attitudes of that time.

For example, right after my first studio session in week 1, I felt very passionate and dramatic about art and wrote myself a manifesto-type list of 'rules' for my art:

26.04.20

I am drawn to instructional and process-driven works. I am inspired by Hans Ulrich Obrist's Do it.

One of my favourite works this term was my 4-hour task from week 1. I am drawn to works that have 'simple' parameters. So, I reckon start with a process with well defined parameters. (Relationship of time and process). Inspiration: 'Xerox Book' Ian Burn, 1968 and 'The Artist is Present' Marina Abramovic, 2010

1. Start off with "I am going to..."

2. Then commit to the process.

Experiment. Keep as many variables constant as possible, and take note (in blog) of the others.

27.04.20

Idea #1

Drawing a continuous line as slowly as I can. Charcoal or felt pen on masking tape.

- Time as the dependant variable: length of line determined by roll of tape, pen ink or measurement of house.

- Length of line as dependant variable: time set by myself. (8 hours)

Experiment

It took me an average of 40 seconds to draw 15 cm.

So if I were to draw a line for 1 hour, the line would be approx. 13.5 m long.

Ideas:

- Place masking tape back and forth in hallway.

- Place it around the edges of the walls, like drawing a floor plan.

19.05.20

Slowness is subjective. So I've decided not to focus on slowness or length of time.

Rather, I want to draw a line all around my room aligned to my eye level.

It reminds me of panelling in interior design. But the hand-drawn line could pull it back to being traditionally "art". The measuring and marking also arises concepts of mathematics and science.

I will use thin masking tape, so that there are stakes (getting sharpie on my walls), and I will be forced to concentrate. I will not take breaks while drawing the line.

(Edward Krasinski's Studio)

https://www.inhotim.org.br/en/inhotim/arte-contemporanea/obras/edward-krasinskis-studio/

The line is the work and my living space becomes the gallery space. The work will be displayed at eye-level, which is the convention for displaying art in galleries.

Because I, the artist, am making a mark in my own living space, the work could carry notions of self-expression.

EXPERIMENTATION OF LOGISTICS

Should I draw the line on the tape before installing the tape on the wall or after? Drawing it after makes it difficult for corners. The problem could be avoided if I used paint. But paint would run out which would interrupt the process

PROCESS SHOTS OF PLACING MASKING TAPE AT EYE HEIGHT

DOCUMENTATION OF PERFORMANCE

I wanted to draw one continuous line (without lifting the pen) around my room, and document the performance on video, but the vision was humbled by limitations posed by reality.

Some limitations:

- I had to lift my hand because the pen would not fit through some spaces such as under my bookshelf, and corners and grooves.

- The camera stopped recording about 2 seconds before the end of the drawing, so the ending is not documented.

The fact that I could not carry out the simple instructions that I started out with is proof that systems often prove to be inadequate due to rationality.

The video, I realise, has turned the work into a bit of a room tour, which makes me feel vulnerable, because these are pictures that I stuck up on my walls and the space that I've spent the most time in, especially through quarantine, so it feels very personal to me.

ARTWORKS THAT I LIKE, THAT I FEEL MY WORK RELATES TO

Zarina

Home is a Foreign Place, 1999

- There is a conceptual link between Zarina's portfolio and my line work.

- The artist focuses largely on geometry and measurement to visualise a sense of place, as do I, by measuring my eye height and marking it around the room. Geometry is also involved in that the line is measured and straight, rather than if it was drawn using an approximation and eye-balling.

- Sense of place and the concept of 'home' is central to Zarina's works. My line work similarly relates to 'home', but more literally than symbolically.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bom9riVdpnI

Paul McCarthy

Black and White Tapes, 1970-75

- The artist produces a mark by moving his body through a space, which is his studio

- This work explores the role of the camera, whereas mine was originally set out to focus on the act/performance.

John Baldessari

Aligning: Balls , 1972

- It is a mapping of space, but displaced.

I guess I like exploring the concept of 'space'?