This first semester of Thesis I feel that I have really grown as an artist and pushed myself to go beyond photography even though I'm a photographer. Expanding into instillation work was a big step in my maturation as an artist and has led me to new questions, inspirations and a broader range of creativity and imagination about what my art can become. This semester has given me lots of opportunities to practice talking about my work and I feel that the practice has really paid off. My work is very personal and it can be difficult to discuss my work professionally without getting too emotional; however, I feel that it is getting easier and smoother and that I am able to find a way to talk that is both professional and heartfelt.
I submitted a series of my thesis images to the Creative Quarterly Journal of Art and Design where one of my portfolio images was accepted into their online gallery last school year. I also submitted photographs to the Photographer's Forum Magazine. I should be notified sometime in January if any of my images have been accepted.
As for current influences, Crystal Schenk's "Artifacts of Memory" (2012) is very influential in my instillation work, specifically the quiet and subtle yet powerful way she uses her materials to create tension, apprehension and meditation. I am working through similar concepts within my own grief that she mentioned in her artist statement about her mother's passing and feelings of detachment and longing when memories begin the fade. Although her work is about a very serious and painful subject, her work does not intimidate viewers and invites them in to participate...Quite recently, I've been introduced to a few other artists like Shinichi Maruyama and student artists Ayako Kanda and Mayuka Hayashi who have recently produced work with nudes and the human figure. Here are links to see some of their work:
This semester I challenged myself to create something three dimensional because I wanted my viewers to be immersed in my pieces. Creating a piece large enough for someone to walk through has been long and arduous but I am still very excited for the end product. It was tricky to figure out that I yearned for something more immediate in the mean time, which is why I went back to viewing my photos as works in themselves at the same time while I was creating my instillation piece. Challenging myself to explore beyond photography on paper has opened new doors in my mind and I will continue to explore the possibilities of gel transfers, layering of images, and stitching.
I am excited to have the time this winter break to continue to explore and develop my artwork in Hawaii. It seems as if there are not as many art opportunities in Hawaii to show and submit work as there is on the mainland, so I am challenging myself to really investigate and learn more about the art community in Hawaii to prepare myself for after gradation. I've got lots of emotional inspiration and new ideas from critiques to explore so I am ready to keep going and make more art!
As my fall semester of thesis comes to an end, I've been reflecting upon the maturation of my work and myself as an artist. I really enjoy hearing how people perceive and experience my work...it naturally influences the development of my work in a very organic way in which my own ideas are engaged in a continuous dialogue with my viewers.
...subtle, simplicity, beautiful, haunting, fragile sensation, sacred, trance, delicate, rawness, therapeutic, intricate, calming, quiet...these are words from critiques about my work that especially stuck with me and have even helped to shape my own feelings about my work. My artistic process and ideas are very organic and is always transforming as I create, discuss and listen. One of my viewers wrote in a critique, "Robin presents a body of work that can be perceived in many ways and entices the viewer to engage the imagery where they might find their own dialogue with the work." When I receive a comment like this, I feel that my efforts are especially successful because it's an affirmation that my work is relatable to others. It means that others are able to engage in my artwork in a way that is meaningful. My artwork is not just about me. It's about all of us and our common experience of being human and living...and dying. What does that mean? I don't know exactly, but I know that I love the people in my life and that it hurts when they are gone. I know that the world extends beyond just me and that we all must go through these things. I also know that to be alive is wonderful, or at least has the potential to be wonderful. I know that I will never truly find the answers to my pain and my joy. My artwork is a way to communicate with others, in a way without words about things that no words would ever truly do justice towards.
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