“Expressing the formation of ideas” Michele Witing.
“The photographs, catalogues and stones in a mineralogy museum are the documents” Suzanna Briet
I feel that after this session, I will forever look at documentation in a new way. The importance of it was made clear to me and I feel now that it is very vital to the artist and the artwork. It is very exciting.
Documentation of the making. Documentation for the making. Documentation of the made. I love these three points. As soon as I heard this, something clicked for me. I realised what the expectation in terms of this MA and it’s documentation was but more importantly I think what documentation can mean for the artist and the art. If we do not document or document in the way that the work asks for it to be documented, we might loose much of the authenticity of the work. Documentation for the making stands out to me. I personally need to journal (document) in the form of writing, photographing and drawing my making process and the inspiration that precedes it. If I don’t, I feel clogged, frustrated and stuck. Perhaps there is a better word for it? Artists block? Well it’s just a terrible place to be, because it is in essence keeping you from releasing, expressing, voicing your heart. In the end, we make art because we have something to share and the urge to do so won’t leave us. Until we make and document for and of the making, we will not feel free from this urge.
Documentation processes are strategies to get an objective view of our work seeing that we are very close to it. We sometimes need a birds-eye view.
Some points that echoed for me and things that I have already considered:
- Letting someone else documenting my work, studio and process.
- Drawing my process – almost like a journal but without writing. Perhaps just drawing with notes. Quick responses might ‘unjam’ my mind.
- To look at other people in your field of interest document (my fields are Eco-psychology, neuroscience, sensory processing)
I look forward to give this some more thought this week and put some of this into practice!
Thanks MIchele!