Julieduffy’s Weblog

Well last week we had a film screening adn what I saw I have seen nothing like before. ‘ The Holy Mountain’ directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky is from what i gathered about a group of people who each represent one of the planets and a thief are trying to get to the holy mountain which connects heaven and earth so that they can become immortal. its hard to really explain what the immagery was like and about but I would definetly say it was worth seeing. i did think some of the set designs were really quite interesting and almost beautiful to look at.

One of the things that i could see that the film had clearly influenced was the mighty boosh. Their charcter Rudi is very much like the alchemist from the holy mountain who is played by Jodorowsky himself.

As i said though definetly worth seeing whether you love it or hate it.

 For my project nature as culture I began by looking into trees which seemed quite an obvious start. i was interested in the drawings that i had made and wanted to take them further. Thinking about the cultural side of the project and how to connect the two things. I went to Tayside recycal centre and came accross the school desk and chair.

The old school desk and chair made me think about when I was school and how everyone would write into the desk leaving their name or various other mentions. I wanted to recreate this feel but with my own drawings.

One of the tutors mentioned silverpoint to me which I had never heard of before. its a very old form of drawing that rembrandt had used where you drw with silver. I thought this would be quite an interesting thing to use. It took a lot of prepartion before I could even start using the silverpoint, The wood has to be prepared with 5 coats of gesso which is made from rabbit skin glue and whitening, this built up a coat so I was able to draw iwth the silver. Silverpoint is perminent so was a bit nervess about using it at first.

 i had my crit with the tutors arthur and norman. I was really pleased with how it went, they were interested in what I was doing and the idea of drawing on objects. from the feedback I got from the tutors i want to work on desk and chair making it look more aged, I wasnt so keen on how white it looked, a bit too clean and pretty, theres a way of treatingthe gesso so that it will crack so i may try this and maybe drawing over it, I want it to look more like its original state old and beaten up.

we have a drawing week, and the workshop I have signed up for is based on drawing on panels of some sort which should hopefully tie in with what i have been doing for this project.

At our History and Theory lecture on Friday we got our first essay of the year. We were given a list of artists and one of their pieces and we were to choose one piece and write a critical assessment on the work, 1,200 words. we have got to discuss the work in depth and place it in tis historucal context, with proper referencing and to build up as wide a ranging bibliography as possible.

The work I have choosen is Kurt Schwitters ‘ Merzbau’

Something I’ve started working on, filling a sketchbook with drawings in relation to my project, dont really no what will come of up but i’ll see what happens.

Well my idea has kind of moved away from the sculpture I had in mind. The idea for the sculpture was just not working but I do feel some of the drawings have been a bit more successful so I have decided to concentrate on the drawing aspect for my project. Dont no where this is going to take me but i guess that could be a good thing.

For my project ‘ Nature as Culture ‘ i have been thinking about how I can connect the two. I want to try and show natural objects but using cultural objects to demonstrate them. I’m trying to play around with peoples perspective of what they see and what it means. slightly worried about this project looking a bit twee with the idea I’m playing around with at the moment so still working on the best way to demonstrate my idea.

I went to see the exhibition at the Fruitmarket Gallery last month which I thought was brilliant. The exhibition was work bt Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller. What I liked about it was how different it seemed from any other shows that have been put on at the Fruitmarket, the way they used the space was very interesting as I entered each room it felt very secluded and as if I was entering somewhere completely new. My favourite pieces where ‘ The Kiling Machine’( which I saw second time round as it was not working the first time I went) and ‘ Opera for a Small Room’, both these pieces were things that I hadnt seen anything like before which made them very exciting to look at and to listen to.

For my current project I feel the artwork ‘ The House of Books …’ will be quite an important influence.

some drawings for my idea