Autoethnography on research as art

Within my Ph.D. research, I am using autoethnography to write about my own experiences. I had been using these to talk about the past. However, I have now started to use the methodology to reflect on the here and now of my research as I strive to be reflexive.

The two images below come from longer stories, but the phases presented struck me as having a quality in them that would work in my art practice. This quality is related to throw-away comments, slight humor and hopefully reliability. 

The first image/text is about researcher positionality and how you cannot research - or do anything - and ignore the fact that you are there. 

This second outcome is a thought process that I had when thinking about my relationship with research participants and truth. But could possibly be applied to any relationship and the idea of truth. 

I am not sure what I am doing with these, but they joined me in the studio. I am interested in the use of differently-sized font within one piece. I do not think I've done this before, but I would like to explore this and how it can bring attention to specific words in an outcome. 

Soap Carving at We Are the Minories

In mid-December 2022 I had the pleasure of facilitating two soap carving workshops with We Are the Minories in their pop-up gallery space. 

Soap carving is an initiative way to explore sculpture in art and design practices. Soap can be a low-cost material, perfect for those just starting out with sculpture, and can be used to plan future outcomes in other materials such as stone.

Soap is incredibly easy to work with and does not require the use of specialist tools. Given its properties, it can even be carved into with a spoon. However, you can use finer tools to refine your outcomes.

Working with soap has an added benefit too – it can be used as art, or once carved can still be used as soap. Perhaps even making the perfect hand-made gift.

These two workshops were a great way to bring together people in one space and time to create some unique artwork and we welcomed children, well as adults. It was wonderful to see these groups working alongside each other.

A 2022 Art Recap!

This year has been a little different for me, the focus has not just been on exhibitions, but also on publishing my research. I find both processes very similar and whether it be wooden letters or typed text I enjoy seeing the work out in the real world.

2022

 

University of Suffolk, Waterfront

‘I’m Fine’

09/05/ 2022 – 15/05/22

 

Boarder, Ipswich Art Gallery

‘IPS/COL’

14/05/22 – 19/06/2022

 

CAS Summer Online Exhibition

‘right place, right time’

02/07/22 – 13/08/22

 

Community 360

‘ATRS’

01/08/22 – 26/08/22

 

Level Best

‘ATRS’

01/08/22 – 31/08/22

 

Coastal Open, Jaywick Martello Tower

‘time’, ‘juggle’

08/09/22 – 28/10/22

 

BYA

Assortment of art

10/09/22 – 11/09/22

 

CAS Christmas Present Exhibition, Artspace

‘right place, right time’

24/11/22 – 30/11/22

 

We Art The Minories

‘Soap Carving Workshop’

14/12/22, 17/12/22