Friday, February 13, 2009

Planning for my PHD proposal

Thought I'd do some writing on my blog today, to help me focus a wee bit I suppose.
I really need to pull my finger out now in terms of doing an initial proposal towards what will be my actual proposal.....and already I'm stumped!

I know that I want to do a practice based PHD..but don't quite know how that will manifest itself...perhaps along these lines - For the past 15 or so years I have made pattern based work. I was painting, but since re-engaging with contemporary art and my own work through the Artist Teacher Scheme at BCU and New Art Gallery, I have begun to make installations using cut paper.

Anyway, for a long time I have struggled to locate my work within a fine art context. Obviously I am interested and inspired by many artists but am also very influenced by printed textile design - but have no desire to print fabrics. I also love interior design and decoration as well as contemporary illustration and grafitti.
To put it in a nutshell, my influences are eclectic!!
Although I make work that I want to be aesthetically pleasing, I am not heavily into aesthetical theories...yet.

I am thinking about researching the possible locations for my work, putting it into a range of contexts - Fine art, interior decoration and craft for example. The reason I mention craft also is that my work has to fit around a full-time job and my family and is in a way very repetitive (although I feel it is therapeutic)...does this make it a craft practice? Who knows? Is craft still seen as a lower 'art form' than fine art? Is there anything wrong with creating pieces that are purely decorative or ornamental and could be placed in a domestic setting?

I have so many questions, which if is a good thing I guess....now I just have to try and make sense of it all.......

Hmmmmmm, think this ramble has helped a bit, thanks for listening!

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