Letting go of the desire to be accurate (from a-n)

 

From the beginning, when I started to make artwork that I deemed to be serious, I had a compulsive need to be accurate or right in my views (and I’m a very cerebral oriented person). I’m starting to let go of this stubborn need and loosen up, and beginning to make work based on a coherent visual language that I want the world to see as my visual signature.

For me, this is manifesting in grid-like diagrammatic pseudoscience. I started to let go of being right by letting a bit of impulsivity in. There was a time when I’d analyse the work as I’ll make it, which I reckon hindered my ability to do anything. I think this becomes common when your practice reaches a certain point of art and research, or when you develop insight into reading artworks. You end up inevitably reading your own as you make it. I think the best time to make artwork is when you are in some ways unconscious of your own processes.

I’ve even gone back to one of my unfinished paintings and started to add my visual style onto it. I started this one 3 years ago. It used to be about something in particular (I have this horrible habit of only doing a painting of a whole finished piece I thought of in my head), so I think the lengthy time helped me be less attached to some initial idea (which I’ve forgotten about now). Maybe the viewers can do the analysis of the work instead.

I went to the BA degree show opening evening at Birmingham School of Art last Thursday, and this was one of my favourite works. It’s called ‘This will be painted over soon’, by Mohammed Kazom. I liked this work because it’s self-aware of its own state at that moment. The projection solidifies the ephemeral nature of the action of painting.