Exercise 1.3

Aim: Using one of the tools (pendulum, piping bag, hair, a ball, a bag of paint, a bat and ball etc.) explored in exercise 1.2 add/develop another element that removes your gesture from the process of making a mark.

Sketchbook 1. pp 8 – 9

The course material suggests using one of tools from the previous exercise (painting without brushes). In hindsight this would have been the easy option. However, I spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with different objects and tools that I could hang or drip in front of a household fan.

Plastic bottles, strips of paper, paint running down string, plastic wrappers, balloons, leaves an even a paint brush were dangled in front of the fan as part of this experiment. (See figure 1). Paint was applied to tools and/or poured directly onto the support, forming small pools that an object may drag across the surface of the support as it made contact with the paint. Objects, if too heavy or aerodynamic just dangled with very little movement, or if too light remained suspend in the breeze of the fan. The other issue was that the fan dried the paint quicker than I would have liked. The use of the fan was proving to be something of a challenge!

After much experimentation, and perseverance, I attached a peg to a length of cord (for weight) and a strip of hand torn card to the peg. The card was the painting tool that also acted as the resistance to the flow of air from the fan. The effect was akin to a kite, dancing freely every time it was caught in the stream of air being produced by the fan. I changed the paint for coloured ink which although dried quickly on the support; the cardboard tool retained the fluid meaning that it lasted longer. (See figures 2-4)

Once the experiment was in motion I left it for about 10-15 minutes only returning to change the card, adding a different colour each time. The outcome can be seen at figure 5.

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Reflection

In terms of developing this further, I scoped the idea of doing it on a larger scale – by using a rotary washing line. Understandably – my wife wasn’t so enthusiastic about the idea and I’ve yet to think through the detail.

An interesting aspect of this exercise was being able to leave it to do its own thing. It was quite exciting to return and see what had been produced in my absence. The only input I had was to change the colour/card.

When reflecting on the mark making, this bears no resemblance to my own (and for just reason). Our direct involvement, be that physically or intellectually, leaves a signature which creates a link or bond between artist and their art. In this case – that connection [for me] has been removed. That doesn’t detract from me liking the outcome, far from it, it just doesn’t feel like my artwork.