studio practice, performativity and the public gaze

Truth be told there has been some printmaking happening around here recently, but not a whole lot. I finally got to the studio last weekend to print some new drypoint etchings. But I'm not overly happy with the results (I messed up quite a few in my hurried attempt to do a lot in a short time) so will take a slightly different approach and print again from the same plates soon.

While the printmaking has been slow, there has been quite a bit of post-PhD-thesis-submission brain tinkering though. I've been thinking (and writing) a lot about the notion of creative practice and performativity, and how this becomes enhanced through the use of virtual tools such as blogs and Instagram to reveal studio practice. I am fascinated with the idea of the public gaze and what this might mean for how artists and designers think about their artist/designer identities.

More soon once I've finished the writing and (hopefully) get it published.

In the meantime, I'd be happy to hear any thoughts you have on this topic.

documenting the lives of creatives

Studio of Aysen Bayram. Photos by Paul Barbera from Whey They Create.

Something else that jumped out of me from Lucy's talk on image making and the new image economy (see previous post) is the beautiful documenting of creative work spaces that some are undertaking. One such person is Paul Barbera who produces Where They Create, a gorgeous image folio of people in their creative work environments from all over the world. Swoon!

Another production of a similar ilk is that of fvf who collect stories and images of creative folk in their work spaces from different parts of the globe in their series, workplaces. Ooo la la! Through their beautiful photography and text we can see the creative environments of people like artist, Jeongmoon Choi in Berlin or graphic designer, Etienne "Akroe" Bardelli in Paris. This particular collection tends to produce quite a bit from Europe giving those of us far, far away some insight into the creative working environments generated in that part of the world. I love this series and have been following it for a while. I also like the fvf series, interviews, which includes one of my favourites with 100 year old publisher and artist, Gisele d'Ailly van Waterschoot van der Gracht (an impressive name, non?) in Amsterdam.

What amazing and important projects! This documenting of artists, designers and makers in their work spaces and homes, along with interviews about their creative lives is a goldmine of inspiration and insight. Mine that gold, absorb it and share it around, I say.

studio practices

Hello. It's been a while. Summer is here and the days have been warm and delicious. The beach has been calling.

But there has been a little studio activity. Hurrah!

At the moment I'm playing with colour and trying to work up some sketches that I can use for a new series of etchings. Today felt fairly productive.

I've been observing a few things about my practice which some people find unusual. But really, I think anyone who uses social media (like blogs, instagram, twitter, flickr, tumblr) and has a creative practice won't be too surprised by my observations. What I've noticed is I've been increasingly using and finding support in a virtual side to my practice. That is, like many artists and designers I know (but not all, as I've learned when I try to explain this to some) I might work alone at home on studio work but while I'm working I document my practice and share what's happening (messy process, end results, inspirations - all find their way in). Sometimes I ask questions about colour or composition or tools or any number of things. This happens mostly on instagram and twitter, but in the past also a lot on flickr. And also here too, on this blog. Using hash tags like #printmaking #studio #illustration etc are great because you can find all kinds of people popping by to look and sometimes comment.

It sometimes gets tricky when I'm printing. Inky hands and the camera/phone don't make happy companions.

It's all very virtual and yet also very social.

Any yet it's different from when I'm printing or working alongside other printmakers in the same physical studio. I still document my work and share it digitally while I'm there. Yet what I experience with the virtual practices I've just described is different from the way I spend time, move around, practice, and observe others at work in a shared physical studio space.

And I'm trying to work out what is different and why I might experience it that way. 

I haven't joined all the dots together yet.

What about you? Any thoughts you'd like to share on the matter? What kind of digital/virtual studio practices do you use?