The module links in to my final major project and therefore deciding on which processes to test and try, need to meet the needs of that.
My ideas for the project are still fluid at the moment and I anticipate this being the case for some time. I guess that is the point of an interrogation based module; experimentation, pushing boundaries and limits to see where my work and interests genuinely sit. I hope to explore ideas and methods which really test some of my more formal ideas into changing them into something more unique and original.
Looking at the work that I have done before, it always comes back to the same core themes. Those of family, belonging, sense & spirit of place, memory and searching for deeper meaning within those. As I have approached the age of 50 and have in recent years had to overcome some complex emotional issues (I explored these in my autoethnographical essay, as a way to understand the process of recovery, healing and acceptance) I’ve noticed I find solace in certain places and that these have a therapeutic impact. I would like to interrogate this further and understand why.
I hope to learn more about different papers and print techniques, challenging my practical stills in the darkroom. Throughout the course of the module I will be considering my FMP and which techniques might work with my early considerations. I have been working on several ideas, which have some common themes and therefore I hope this module will help me to conclude my FMP idea.
Initial experiments will be using Gum Bichromate, Cyanotype, Van Dkye and Salt printing. As the module progresses, I hope to discover through my research, some other ideas to experiment with. I would like to attempt photogravure but this may be difficult due to resources.
In my early research I’ve identified some key practitioners who use alternative processes and have pushed boundaries with their experimentation. Susan Derges, Meghan Riepenhoff, Marco Rapaccini and Nicholas Hughes to name a few. I plan to list some of the methods I would like to try and then through research, detail those key practitioners throughout the blog.
In considering the work I’ve done previously, the body of work I did which focusses on the lake and surrounding landscape that my mum and stepdad have, holds much significance as this reflects on childhood memories – not necessarily my own – as I witness my own children play out their childhoods here. The place carries the essence from several generations of youngsters who have done the same. Part of the appeal for me is the lake itself, I am interested in water and how we interact with it, whether for sporting type activities or as a therapeutic element. For interrogating practice, I will look how utilising different processes might capture my thoughts and feelings about water in more detail. Practitioners such as Adam Fuss, Meghan Riepenhoff and Susan Derges come to mind, as they all push the boundaries of creative practice, therefore this is where I will begin my research.
Lucinda Taylor 