Exercise 1.2 – Relationship with materiality
Reflect on the relationship to the material you work with, your favoured materials, why you choose them and how you have explored their qualities in your work.
‘What does it mean to give agency to the material, to follow the material and to act with the material’. (Lange-Berndt, 2015:13)
In art, Materiality sees the Material (medium) as defining the possibilities available to the artist. For example, the artist might investigate materiality in painting by reducing conceptuality to a minimum, so the material flow is unobstructed by the artist’s intervention, as in Gerhardt Richter’s Flow Paintings (2013-14). (Milliard, 2014) (Honeyman, 2018)
Historically, Plato, in his Doctrine of Ideas denounced material as a necessary evil and the lowest form of artwork. In the same manner, Aristotle’s philosophical distinction between matter and form argued that the former was the inferior. (Hölling, Bewer and Ammann, 2019, p. 7)
Materiality, and the suggestion that materials become wilful actors and agents within artistic processes is one of the most contested concepts in contemporary art and academic writing. In art theory, the artistic media has been at the centre of the discussion between Clement Greenberg and Rosalind Krauss, and functional to the definition of Modern and Post-Modern Art. Modernist criticism tended to privilege form over matter – considering material as the essentialised basis of medium specificity.
Art historical studies considered the role of matter, materials and materiality in the making, and the interpretation of art. Within the field of contemporary art, these studies often focused on ‘practices that involved unconventional materials and focused on those artists who highlighted the importance of materiality in their work’. Ironically, this ambiguity of definition became its strength, not only encompassing more abstract considerations but also developing an interest in materials and their potential amongst contemporary artists. (Berger, 2019)
In contemporary art, material encompasses a wide and varied scope including, blood, sound and concepts. Lange-Berndt acknowledged that the ‘current debate around materials … and materiality takes account of the digital revolution.’ This implies a focus on technically based approaches through the science of artistic materials. David Hockney’s iPad drawings sprang to mind. (Lange-Berndt, 2015)
I felt that this supported her argument that materials and materiality had routinely been omitted in favour of contextual analysis – something easier to define. This would also suggest a hierarchy that elevates form over matter, or design over material, akin to Plato’s Doctrine of Ideas. Had become accepted that this hierarchy exists because of it not being challenged – had it become an accepted norm?
When reflecting on the materials I chose to use during my studio practice, I felt that this was dependant on the respective exercises, desired outcomes, or off-shoot experiments. Looking back at my work I routinely use oil paints on canvas or stretched oil paper. I find the richness of the medium endearing, timeless and very forgiving. As my practice has developed, I have become more assured and confident with my use of oil paints, which has developed an elusive quality.
This module has been all about experimentation and has encouraged me to explore and experiment with an array of alternative media and non-conventional materials, including garden fence panels, fabrics, mesh wire and house paints. This also led me to experiment with tools and surfaces that may be suited to using with such materials. In her introduction of How to be complicit with materials, Lange-Berndt conveyed that ‘material was a springboard for leaping into abstraction’. (Lange-Berndt, 2015)
Being fascinated by certain threads and concepts led me to consider the use of materials and materiality to support desired outcomes or lines of investigation. The idea of discovering something new – not necessarily ground-breaking, just a little something I never knew before, is exciting. For me, this blend of exploration and experimentation requires sensitivity, sometimes allowing experiments to develop without really understanding the outcome, allowing it to develop through expression, thoughts, and feelings. A note to myself pinned to the wall of my studio which reads, ‘don’t overthink it, the ideas will come.’
References
Berger, C., 2019. Conceptualism And Materiality. Netherlands: Brill, pp.3-7.
du Preez, A., n.d. Materiality: On The Matter Of Art. [online] Pdfs.semanticscholar.org. Available at: <https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/40a9/4afdd71516238e02e8b464957e7c2e9344f7.pdf>> [Accessed 8 June 2020].
Hölling, H., Bewer, F. and Ammann, K., 2019. The Explicit Material. Nethelands: Leiden, pp.7-13.
Honeyman, R., 2018. Materiality, Materialism And Conceptuality In Art And Society. [online] Raphaeldelamer.files.wordpress.com. Available at: <https://raphaeldelamer.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/agm79-russell-honeyman-final-materiality-materialism-and-conceptuality.pdf> [Accessed 8 June 2020].
Lange-Berndt, P., 2015. How To Be Complicit With Materials. [online] Janetzweig.com. Available at: <http://www.janetzweig.com/RISD/MaterialsReadings/PetraLange-Berndt_HowtoBeComplicitwithMaterialsSm.pdf> [Accessed 8 June 2020].
Lange-Berndt, P., 2015. Materiality. 1st ed. London: Whitechapel Gallery, pp.12-20.
Milliard, C., 2014. Gerhard Richter Triumphs At Marian Goodman – Artnet News. [online] artnet News. Available at: <https://news.artnet.com/market/gerhard-richter-triumphs-at-marian-goodman-london-126647> [Accessed 8 June 2020].
Tate, n.d. Materials Coursework Guide – Student Resource | Tate. [online] Tate. Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/student-resource/exam-help/materials> [Accessed 8 June 2020].
White, M., 2019. Materiality – In Focus | Burn Hole 1961 By Henk Peeters, Tate Research. [online] Tate. Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/research/publications/in-focus/burn-hole/materiality> [Accessed 8 June 2020].
Painting 2 - Studio practice 