To glean: ‘to gather information or material bit by bit’ (Meriam-webster)
I thought it would be good to put together a list of some of the recent things I’ve been learning, reading, watching and listening to; some artists whose work I’ve been looking at and exhibitions I’ve been to…
So here it goes – gleanings part one:
- The Gleaners and I, Agnes Varda
I recently re-watched Agnes Varda’s film ‘The Gleaners and I’. The film follows people who glean for a variety of reasons – out of necessity due to economic hardship; as an artistic practice; for environmental reasons or as a community activity.
For Varda, gleaning is more than collecting physical objects and materials but includes collecting non-material things such as ideas and images too. For Varda gleaning can also be a political act; a practice that disrupts and challenges the ways in which we continually consume, use and discard of our things.
Varda herself is a key figure within the film. Because of this, we gain an insight into how she works and creates. There is an impression throughout the film that Varda allows the world, things and people within it to act on her. She is guided by the things she finds, the people she meets and is open to the surprises that come out of this. She continually improvises, relinquishing some of her control over how the film plays out. A wonderful example of this occurs when Varda accidently leaves her camera on and unintentionally films the lens cover swinging around as she walks. Varda decided to include this in the final edit, setting the ‘dancing’ lens cap to a musical score.
Agnès Varda, ‘The Gleaners and I’, 2000, still from film.
I love this approach and try to bring chance back into my making practice when things start to get too hard, stale or serious. Re-watching this wonderful film also reminded me of the inspiration that can come out gleaning – I might just go for out for a walk and collect some things after I’ve finished this blog post!
- Woodworking
I recently spent a day learning some beginners woodworking skills. The wood we used was repurposed from old houses which were built in the mid-1800s, early in Melbourne’s life as a city. There is something incredibly special about working with materials that hold this rich history in relation to the place I live. While holding the wood, I thought about all the people who have lived in these houses – connecting with them, however indirectly, through materials.
- Rachel Whiteread
I am currently making a larger sculptural piece which will (hopefully!) resemble a door when it is complete. Rachel Whiteread’s cast resin doors came to mind while I was researching this idea.
Drawing from her daily life, Whiteread considers her relationship to her everyday environment and the things within it. By casting familiar objects and everyday spaces, such as under beds, hot water bottles, and doors, she brings the viewer’s attention to our overlooked or forgotten relationships with these things. For Whiteread, her ‘works are very much connected to the body and with human touch. Whether it’s my touch, or someone else’s … they’re about an object that has been used…’ (Whiteread).
I’ve been lucky enough to view some of Whiteread’s work in person. Her works draw your attention to how you interact with objects and space; how you position your body in relation to the world. I’m interested in this idea of positioning or re-positioning the body in relation to the world of objects. This is something I’m trying to achieve with my own door – more on this to come in future blog posts!
- New books!
Ok, I’ll leave it there for now but I’ll be back with a new blog post soon to add to this list!