fromCONCENTRATE

research blog of artist John O'Shea

Dec 15, 2009 0

Final Project Proposal?

Post-its

A core requirement of my Research Masters Programme here at Culture Lab is that I undertake and complete a ‘Final Project‘ which goes through Proposal, Development and Documentation/Presentation stages.

The Final Project Proposal will be due in January.

My attempts to put together this proposal have brought to light many apparent weaknesses, shortcomings and inefficiencies in my approach to STRATEGICALLY initiating this project, as an artist (as opposed to an academic, a biological scientist or an industrial designer.)

Pictured above are 9 Post-it notes with 9 headings: Digital; Law; Philosophy; Code; Democracy; Creativity; Art; Community & Ethics and beneath are corresponding points of reference: links, authors, artists, concepts etc.

This matrix was the result of an early attempt to try and list and categorise the priorities and points of reference in my mind, my practice and my sphere of research at that moment (some time in early September).

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Question: If I wrote down a list of my current thoughts, right now, would I arrive at the same reference points?

Answer: No.

Question: And, would I list the same categories?

Answer. No, they would be different.

Question: Why?

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‘references’ - the stuff that I am swimming in and breathing in – changing every day – I move through them – and they move through me

‘categories’ – imposed from outside – tags

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My experience of making art is analogous to EATING, DIGESTING and SHITTING rather than PLANNING, DESIGNING and BUILDING.  (‘DISTILLATION’ might be a more pleasant comparison.)  Both are organic ‘breaking down’ processes.

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All of this brings to mind Wim Delvoye’s remarkable Cloaca (shitting) machines:

http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2007/09/yesterday-was-t-1.php

http://artfulgreendot.com/2009/04/10/manufactured-feces/

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Question: How can I isolate my IDEAS and INSPIRATIONS and describe them for others to follow?

Question: And, HOW can I SITUATE these ideas and processes within HISTORIC and STATE OF THE ART points of reference, in order to PLAN, DESIGN and BUILD?

———————————

According to the brief this Research Project will be in response to: “…a specific problem chosen by the student”

Perhaps, I’d do best to approach this as a scientist: What do I want to know? …Or as a designer: What do I want to solve?

What is my problem?

(Maybe the artist is the best approach after all!)

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