performance 3 of 3
'Knightstale'
NAS Stairwell Gallery, November 2007
filmed by Daniel Havas
Following the opening night of the NAS graduation show with 'The Tornadoes' performance, there was this last performance that culminated with my solo-exhibition 'Knightstale' of a separate body of work l had been developing at home that year which still tied in with my primary NAS studio-based series. 'Knightstale' in that sense was a fortunately timed and essential addition to my graduation, as explained in the previous post on 'The Tornadoes' l couldn't exhibit the studio-based work in the graduation show, hence the execution of that performance happened instead, this extra show however did allow me to exhibit some studio-based work in a solo show around the same time my degree was wrapping up.
The overall aesthetic and artistic investigation between home and the school studio rested on 'English Landscape' which via literature and visual art l was using as a metaphor for an environment that one has to pass through and explore, to reach one point from another. The realisation behind this theme was based on having navigated the degree, the learning involved with becoming an artist, the impressionable experiences that had occurred etc; the fact it was an 'English Landscape' was an aesthetic judgement fueled by the writers and artists l was especially influenced by at the time, Chaucer was a primary figure in developing the 'Knightstale' exhibition and performance.
'Knightstale' was opened by Daniel Corboy who read a poem of his own that reflected on my body of work and where Chaucer had fit in with bringing that specific show and performance to bear. As far as the exhibition space and even the placement of the works was concerned, lighting was a big factor for the show. As you'll see in the video the opening sequence is very dark as l only had the lighting system on the second floor running on the opening night and performance. The reason behind the lighting arrangement was to endorse the idea of a 'pilgrimage' l was about to make through the landscape (the exhibition and audience) from the darkness on the bottom floor (where the works were largely monocromatic or dark toned watercolour paintings) to the brightly lit setting on the floor above (where the works were colourful and vibrant). The self-induced struggle with making that journey, in which with only using my arms l pulled myself my body up two flights of stairs was demonstrative of that growing process into becoming an artist and reflected on the experience and length of time involved with completing my degree, as previously stated much the same inspiration behind the studio-based work created that year. As you will see towards the end of the video, exhausted at the conclusion of the performance l make a blurry summary of the intentions involved.
The placement of the performance coinciding with the exhibition opening will continue to be a preferred system for me. When explaining how performance works for me in regards to other artistic outlets, when placed within a formal and arranged environment such as a gallery i've always compared it to the live performance of a common band or music artist in unison with their studio experience. The studio process of writing and recording material for a musician is very similar i think to a visual artist similarly working in the studio in their preferred medium, naturally as the creative progression continues ideas and certain issues, losses and/or findings, can't always be resolved or even expressed through the singular studio format and i think for many musicians that's where the live experience is essential with encompassing the full spectrum of their ideas and aesthetics and maybe even how fundamentally they want their work to sound; performance upon the completion of a studio-based body of work, as an essential means of resolving or exploring further ideas and issues outside the studio, works in exactly the same way for me.
Jim S
The overall aesthetic and artistic investigation between home and the school studio rested on 'English Landscape' which via literature and visual art l was using as a metaphor for an environment that one has to pass through and explore, to reach one point from another. The realisation behind this theme was based on having navigated the degree, the learning involved with becoming an artist, the impressionable experiences that had occurred etc; the fact it was an 'English Landscape' was an aesthetic judgement fueled by the writers and artists l was especially influenced by at the time, Chaucer was a primary figure in developing the 'Knightstale' exhibition and performance.
'Knightstale' was opened by Daniel Corboy who read a poem of his own that reflected on my body of work and where Chaucer had fit in with bringing that specific show and performance to bear. As far as the exhibition space and even the placement of the works was concerned, lighting was a big factor for the show. As you'll see in the video the opening sequence is very dark as l only had the lighting system on the second floor running on the opening night and performance. The reason behind the lighting arrangement was to endorse the idea of a 'pilgrimage' l was about to make through the landscape (the exhibition and audience) from the darkness on the bottom floor (where the works were largely monocromatic or dark toned watercolour paintings) to the brightly lit setting on the floor above (where the works were colourful and vibrant). The self-induced struggle with making that journey, in which with only using my arms l pulled myself my body up two flights of stairs was demonstrative of that growing process into becoming an artist and reflected on the experience and length of time involved with completing my degree, as previously stated much the same inspiration behind the studio-based work created that year. As you will see towards the end of the video, exhausted at the conclusion of the performance l make a blurry summary of the intentions involved.
The placement of the performance coinciding with the exhibition opening will continue to be a preferred system for me. When explaining how performance works for me in regards to other artistic outlets, when placed within a formal and arranged environment such as a gallery i've always compared it to the live performance of a common band or music artist in unison with their studio experience. The studio process of writing and recording material for a musician is very similar i think to a visual artist similarly working in the studio in their preferred medium, naturally as the creative progression continues ideas and certain issues, losses and/or findings, can't always be resolved or even expressed through the singular studio format and i think for many musicians that's where the live experience is essential with encompassing the full spectrum of their ideas and aesthetics and maybe even how fundamentally they want their work to sound; performance upon the completion of a studio-based body of work, as an essential means of resolving or exploring further ideas and issues outside the studio, works in exactly the same way for me.
Jim S
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