Artists Book

I have finished producing my own artist book. This book takes a look at my art practice, explaining what i am about as an artist and what certain pieces of work are trying to achieve.
If you would like to see the whole book email me sd08tgd@leeds.ac.uk and i will send you the PDF file.

current studio practice

Installation that I have been working on for the last few weeks. Originally a reflection on temporary housing I now see it dealing with identity and privacy than architecture.

An Inspiration - Darren Almond

Darren Almond 'In The Between' (2006) 3-channel HD video with audio
14 minutes (bottom)
and 'Tide' (2008) 600 digital wall clocks (top).
I saw both of these pieces on display at the Victoria Miro Gallery London. Since then the work of Darren Almond has been of huge inspiration to me. His mix and expertise in the use of sculpture, photography and video is something i would love to achieve in my work.

More of Darren Almonds work can be seen at the White Cube Gallery Website

my views on contemporary art

Its fantastic

Ive got the Royal Academy all to myself!

Im Anish Kapoor and ive got a big exhibition

Antony Gormley's new website

The London based design team Amp has designed Antony Gormleys new website which documents thousands of pieces of Gormleys work.

This is to me what an artists online portfolio should look like with very clean design choices and simple navigation.

The new site by Amp London is an inspiration for me to set up my own site showcasing my work.

www.antonygormley.com

The website is split up into six sections, now, sculpture, drawings, shows, resources and biography. The website is a great source for anyone interested in Gormley, Many unreleased drawings and prints are included aswell as essays and pictures from Gormleys studio. I intend to have my own website up and running mid 2010 acting as an online portfolio documenting my work.

The Chat Room, video module

Screens from an animation i am working on for the module 'Digital Media'

The brief is to create a 60 second video using any means we like.

I will post a link to the full video when it is complete!

I am using Photoshop CS3 and Aftereffects CS4 to produce the animation.

The animation is based on what could be interpreted as a very sinister conversation on an internet chat room.

I have taken influence from the dark comedy of monkey dust and especially the charlotte and benji sketch. Charlotte and benji (Monkey Dust) BBC3

Concepts for Installation

In my main studio project object and image in space I have been looking at large scale installation works. Most of my current ideas would not be possible in the studio space as they would obstruct other students work.
These concepts can be seen on my flickr page.
I will begin work on the installation which will consist of a structure with the purpose of somehow reflecting and extending the space.

Artists Obsessed

Yayoi Kusama
Sculpture pictured 'Pumpkin medium' 2008
made from fiber glass and reinforced plastic.
More images can be found at the
Gagosian Gallery

To be a successful artist I think that you have to be obsessive. To spend the ammount of time on a body of work to become establised in the art world requires obsession.
A good example of this obsession in practice is the work of Yayoi Kusama, she has always been obsessed with repeating patterns and especially the use of dots which can be seen throughout her work. This obsession spans across painting, sculpture, fashion and print.
Within my work there are certain themes and images I constantly refer back to and cant seem to remove from my work but I cannot be seen to obsess over my work. I feel i have too much going on to obsess over my work but hope I can soon be as dedicated to the themes that matter to me as Yayoi Kusama.

Spatial Drawing in the studio

Structures created from nails and wool. From the project object and image in space.

I have been using spatial drawing to map out the studio I work in, trying to achieve a more intimate understanding of the space that i intend to produce work around. When starting a site - specific project I find this to be a useful activity to launch the project.

Spatial Drawing

Tomas Saraceno 'Galaxies forming along filaments, like droplets along strands of a spiders web' 2009

More pictures and information via this link

Portfolio on flickr

To see some of my work from 2007 to the present please
visit my flickr account
I would appreciate any feedback.

Who likes Shock Art?

Stills from Paul McCarthy's - Wild Girls Gone (WGG) 2003
The film depicts a sailing trip that has gone horribly wrong. Girls in bikinis hack away at the artists legs while dancing and enjoying themselves.
Through the film McCarthy is questioning the effect that widespread simulated violence and mutilation has had on the public.

Watch the fully disgusting video here: wrong!