The world is undergoing a rather large task. And failing miserably in so many places with Covid-19. What a mess! Here in New Zealand our government shut our borders quickly to give our health professionals time to prepare for the unknown and uncontrollable future. As a result we have been able to move back to Level 1 reasonably quickly, not without massive job losses, small business choking and many large business’ changing the way they do business altogether.
I was able to leave the house to go for ‘supplies’. I missed nipping to the hardware store during lockdown. I had been wanting to FEEL the material that I was thinking about using during lockdown.
My mentor wanted me to come up with one word, chosen from 5 images on my last inspiration board. I chose CONFRONTATION.
I waited to confront my word and discuss with my mentor, but our paths didn’t cross for a couple more weeks due to bus-i-ness and I went down another path. Oh, I’ll go that way. I’ll stay here for a minute or two, make this, then move sideways and follow another. My work excites me for a minute and then I have to swirl around it for weeks or months to see if it stays or goes. I do find it difficult to settle on one thing/word/process, especially because I make to process. And if I’m not doing a lot of making, then I’m not progressing with my process.
In our previous session, I asked Attai why I was attracted to circles, and he asked if I had read The Sense of Order by E.H. Gombrich.
I ordered it from the library and eventually got my hands on it when we changed lockdown levels. Published 1979. It’s ‘a study in the psychology of decorative art’.
Gombrich’s mother ‘loved and collected Slovak peasant embroideries.’ (Preface)
This excitement about the ‘one off’s’ and ‘colour’ and ‘pattern’ reminded me of my upbringing, my mother having the same relationship with craft of that time.
Gombrich talks about ‘forward matching’…that moment when the horse starts galloping and everything seems to flow…the automatic sinking below the threshold of awareness…versus the ‘mismatch’ which makes ‘art’, like taking a step that is not consistent.
There is a chapter on taste – he says that ‘ornament dazzles us and tempts the mind to submit without proper reflection and that the attractions of richness and splendour are for the childish: a grown-up person should resist these blandishments and opt for the sober and the rational’…pg 17
Which leads me to my hopeless attraction to the disruption of colour and consequently, my on-going circle of life of plastic collecting – picking up trails of other people’s detritus and hoping to put it to good use.
I’m trawling my way through the book. Gombrich would be horrified if he could see New Zealand artist Peter Robinson’s show that I saw today, called Rag Trade at 23 Gordon Road, Morningside in Auckland.
A whole room of broken plastic/offcuts, wigs, cut gumboots. All sorts. Right up my alley of thinking. Hmm….how to translate to jewellery you may ask? This is my challenge.
Push/Pull Workshop with Renee Bevan
On Sunday this week, the Auckland contingent of HS6 gathered to push and pull with Renee. We share our work, and crit – to push or pull. I don’t feel like I’ve done enough yet to divulge anything much but there is certainly a lot going on in my head. I am challenged by the desire to please and the desire to follow my heart. This is a constant battle to overcome. Exhausting but hugely rewarding and I’m a very grateful participant.
Attai Chen #3
When I did catch up with Attai on 14 June, I had changed direction again, and was even a little excited. I had been playing with more found materials…plastic and non plastic. He said stay with that, because you’re excited. Smiley face.
I wore this Sharon Fitness necklace today. It made me so happy. I literally had people saying “I LOVE your necklace”… and it is colourful, light and fun. A reminder to self.
