emily-ardron

[emily-ardron]

Reflection

If I’m being completely translucent, I wasn’t interested in learning about contemporary art when I first entered the course let alone the module. However, my interests have completely changed. I am far more invested in contemporary art than I thought I ever would be. Yes, impressionism will always hold a place in my heart, but I am ready to open myself up to bigger things.

Something I have developed a keen love for is socially engaging practise as seen by the Convenience gallery and Sophea Mohammed Noor. I was truly inspired by this movement as it impacts people and truly makes a change. I no longer see a narrow path for myself, crippled with boredom whilst I invigilate in a gallery all day. I understand that this is my short time future whilst I build up my experience to ensure that employers actually give me the time of day. Despite this, I have the encouragement after partaking in this module to use my degree to create change. I have realised that the traditional museums and galleries are getting tired, society is changing, and it is now more than ever for a re-vamp. Institutions need to be more inclusive and current using the art the already exists to educate a wider audience. Simply hanging a painting on a wall isn’t achieving much in the way of change therefore, it is important to invite people into institutions to guide them into having some important convocations. Sophea Mohamad Noor demonstrates this perfectly when she holds her coffee mornings for Asian minorities to have a safe space in their own city. This proves that socially engaged practise in museums and galleries can be done it just needs to be done more often.

By no means am I naïve about the difficulties of working in the art world. I recently read an article by Anna Louie Sussman for Artsy.net, The Truth About How Hard it is to Work in the Art World. She discusses some of the hard truths about the lack of financial stability when working in the arts. Even though I lack the benefit of relying on my parents for money as the person in the article did, I have been able to save enough money to support myself through out university with help from my student loan. This means I am able to spend time doing unpaid internships to gain experience, something I understand is not possible for others. This does give me slight head start as I have already gained experience at the bombed-out church and have secured another volunteering roll at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. I pushed my self to do something productive over the summer after reading another article called, I am an Art Historian by Francesca Ramsay. She expresses how she has an art history degree, but she is ultimately a bar tender. I resonated a lot with this as I have worked in a restaurant since I was sixteen and although its perfect for now, I think I have decided I do not want to be a waitress forever. Ramsay highlighted some of the key mistakes she made such as refusing to take unpaid work and lack of confidence in herself. I hope to learn from these mistakes and be open to every opportunity that comes my way.

Overall, my lecturer should be extremely proud to change the mind of someone a stubborn as me. The module has opened my mind to the huge number of possibilities contemporary art can bring. Although, I am still apprehensive about some conceptual works, but I’ll keep trying to understand. I appreciate the idea that art can really cause a fuss and make change which is something I hope to be a part of one day.

[emily-ardron]

Emma Donnelly

As my collaboration with contemporary art module draws to an end, a chat with Emma Donnelly was a useful way to finalise the module. She has a BA honour in History of Art and Museum Studies and had moved forward from there to complete a Masters in Exhibition Studies. Emma discussed how the courses she took helped her to develop her interests, along with ruling out some of the job roles that weren’t suited to her. She also gave some advice on how to develop a career in the arts and gave some examples of possible job opportunities History of Art and Museum Studies may lead to.

Hearing about Emma experience on the course was extremely helpful to me. When first entering History of Art and Museum studies, I was sure I wanted to be a curator and that was the only path available to me after completing this course. I couldn’t have been more wrong; this course opens numerous avenues as Emma explained. If I’m being honest, recently I have felt lost and confused with what I actually want to do or if my dream job roll even exists. However, Emma shared how she worked for a few months as an art consultant before realising this job role wasn’t for her. This made me feel more settled, I realise I have the time to trial different job rolls to find what I like doing. This highlighted to me the importance of volunteering and work experience, to both have a better understanding of job rolls and expand my experience. She spoke about how she developed a clear interest for feminism and intersexual practise. By choosing to complete a masters, she was able to continue her research into these subjects with support from the university. It became really clear to me whilst listening to Emma, that I should be utilising my time more effectively and work harder to find my interests. Following on from this lecture I have applied for a volunteering roll at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and have secured an interview. If I am successful with the interview, this opportunity will start my journey of gaining experience and deciding where I want my course to take me.

It was clear while listening to Emma that a career in the contemporary art world is by no means easy. She described how she felt as though she didn’t really know her self when she was looking for a job and expressed how important it is to know who you are – your interest, your mentality, and your goals. If you don’t know these things about yourself, you can’t sell yourself to an employer. In addition to this, she told us how you must have the confidence to show your face in the world. Networking is something I have learnt to be vital in moving forward into the art world. By forming a group of strong connections, it will become far easier to achieve my goals.  

Overall, Emmas lecture was extremely useful as I could learn from her mistakes and from her success. Rather than looking solely at contemporary art like my other lectures, she gave an insight of her journey from a student into growing a career in contemporary art. She showed me how I need to set a plan for my self to move forward to meet my true potential. It is vital now to make connection and gain experience while I have the support of the university. Along with all this, I should probably work out what I actually want to do but that’s all just part of the fun!

[emily-ardron]

The Henry Moore Institute

After an extremely early wake up I hopped on a train to Leeds to visit the Henry Moore Institute and I have to say it was extremely worth it. The Henry Moore institute was set up by the sculpture Henry Moore in 1977 for all people to see and explore sculpture.  I was lucky enough to have tour around the library and the rich archives. After that I was blown away by a tour around the beautiful glass exhibition. I gained some insightful knowledge about the institution along with a larger appreciation for sculpture.

Walking into the Henry Moore institute I firstly noticed how modern the building was and for some reason I was surprised. This was possibly due to Leeds art gallery (situated next the institute) being a much older looking building. Following our guide, I made my way up the stairs to the library and was greeted by bookshelf, upon bookshelf, filled from top to bottom with a vast array of books about sculpture. We were told by our guide that Henry Moore left a small amount of money to the institute to create a book selection that was accessible for all. This is an excellent concept as the library is free for anyone to use and educate themselves. Moving through the corridors, we came to a small room filled with the libraries special collection and archives. Placed out was some of the materials for us to look at including Yoko Terauchis Coracle 1994. Coracle 1994 was an interesting take on sculpture, it was a small red book with a spiral as you opened the pages. We were told that artists often create book like this one as a taster of their work to come. I would argue that this is a representation of contemporary sculpture as it has a far more conceptual feel to it. This was new to me as I have never thought of sculpture this way. when I think of sculpture, I often picture sculptures that resemble Michelangelo’s David 1504, it had never occurred to me that sculpture can incorporate many different materials not just stone or marble. I think that many artists are now adapting how they convey sculpture. Personally, I find contemporary sculpture far more interesting than historical sculpture.

For the next section of the visit, I had a tour around the Glass exhibition A State of Matter, which was split into three sections: solid, liquid and gas. I was amazed by some of the art works the exhibition had to offer, as they acquired so much skill to make. I had never of thought of glass as sculpture before, but the pieces displayed at the exhibition were extraordinary and all needed a great deal of skill to make. The exhibition initially conveyed many different messages about the identity and fragility of human beings, as the glass can be moulded into many different forms but can be broken extremely easily. On of my favourite pieces was in the solid section and consisted of three glass sculptures that were made to look like viruses. Not only did I love these because of the way the light complemented the glass, but I felt it had a deeper message about the fragility of the human body and how something so small can take control of us. I feel this is a lesson each and every one of us has learnt, considering how the recent Corona Virus pandemic placed the world on pause. The gallery itself had a white cube aesthetic, with extremely high ceiling, which I personally felt suited the exhibition and compliment the sculptures. However, this aesthetic conveys an elitist atmosphere which may cause some to feel uncomfortable to attend. Despite this, contemporary art is now beginning to be displayed in ways that differ to this environment and may be something the gallery will need to explore in the future.

Overall, I found my time at the Henry Moore Institute very enjoyable and hope to return soon. It was great to discover a whole new range of resources that may help me with my assignments in the future, or maybe if I just fancy learning a bit more about sculpture. I absolutely loved the Glass exhibition, I found it deeply conceptual and filled with skill. It most definitely allowed me to look at contemporary sculpture differently as it is far more dynamic and beautiful that I ever imagined.

[emily-ardron]

Convenience Gallery

What struck me most about the Convenience Gallery was that it was based on an idea not a place. I find that this concept is extremely inspiring to students like myself, who may want to begin curating art but can’t afford to rent spaces out to do so. Convenience Gallery moves around the Liverpool area finding the most affordable and inclusive spaces to show their exhibitions. I loved how they were a small team who focuses on helping with mental health and providing artistic experiences in non-traditional environments.

The exhibition I went to see was based on sustainability. They had made an arts and crafts station which consisted of patches of felt, scissors, beads, shells, needles, and thread along with other random bits of jewellery. The aim was to design a patch of material which would be attached to a pair of dungarees. This would then symbolise how easy is to repair old clothes or even make your own, rather than accommodating the world of fast fashion. This was a light-hearted and fun activity with a serious message behind. I feel that by approaching the topic this way it allows the message to come across far louder and clearer. For me, this demonstrated a different side of contemporary art. By allowing us to make the pieces ourselves rather than looking at something someone else has done, it made the message more personal and therefore had more of an impact.

A I have previously mentioned, I am extremely inspired by groups like this one. Due to the struggle of finding creatives rolls in the city, they have self-funded their gallery as they couldn’t get funding and didn’t really know how to. This foregrounded some of the important discussions around starting a business like this one. Contemporary art can be anything, I feel that the convenience gallery outlined how you can help people using art which doesn’t have to cost a lot. By networking locally, they were able to set up pop up events and begin to meet local artist to collaborate from there. It was encouraging to see how they are focused about community led projects to better those around them. This is mainly interesting to me, as I find these socially engaging practises the most fun. They allow you to meet new people and really make a difference to someone, even if it is just for a day.

Through hard work and education, Convenience Gallery is able to deliver a range of projects including the In Cahoots project and Horizon project and now supports over 70 artists. They have enabled me to reflect on the numerous avenues that contemporary art has and how it can truly make an impact in the world. They showed that money doesn’t always have to be an issue you just have to work a little harder and dreams can become possible.

[emily-ardron]

Terracotta Dreams

Visit Date: 10/03/22

Terracotta dreams is an installation created by James Schofield presented at Existential House in Birkenhead. This was an extremely moving piece which addressed James’ struggle which depression and the terracotta colour he would see when having EMDR therapy. As I learnt, EDMR therapy is a psychotherapy method used to help people recover from trauma and depression. It involves bilateral stimulation by eye moving or in James’ case leg tapping. The aim is to relax the brain with the hope to generate a positive change when the stimulus of a trauma occurs. It is important to understand this therapy as it allows a deeper connection to the installation.

When I first walked in, admittedly I was confused, the room is exceedingly small and there were simply some breeze blocks with a box and some paper sat on top. However, when you look up there were pieces of A4 paper with squares painted in orange tones. They were arranged in rows and attached to the ceiling with red tape which according to James represented the time when all galleries were painted in “galerierot” a shade of red.

I picked up a thick booklet of paper which contained a convocation between James and Mathew Marrick who is an artist and educator based in Leeds along with being a friend of James. Personally, I disliked the idea of reading around people as it made me feel panicked and rushed especially as there was a lot of words (I have fully read the convocation now). I did skim read and listened to James and Steven discuss the process. They seemed to have really enjoyed creating this installation together and it was clear to see the passion they both had for it. As for the convocation it was extremely moving and aspirational to see how open James was about his period of depression. I fully understand how difficult it is to talk about a condition you are suffering with as truly little people utterly understand what you are going through, which of course is through no fault of their own. He discussed how much he appreciates his friends who stuck by him during his nine-year span of depression and how they are far more emotionally attached now. I feel this is a true representation of how contemporary art can help you over come personal issues resulting in you becoming yourself again.

James also spoke how the painting of these terracotta squares helped him clear his mind, acting as a form of therapy, even though he knows he will never be able to reproduce the colour which resembles love and happiness he saw during EDMR. I thank James, as while I was sat in the installation I reflected on my own experience with a colour whilst having medication. My colour was a specific shade of yellow which would make my mouth water and cause me to feel incredibly sick. I have been off this medication for nearly six years now and still feel sick when thinking of the colour. It was comforting for me to learn how someone else also feels a strong connection with a colour they cannot even properly remember. This showed me how art in any form can have a large impact on you even when you’re not expecting it.

I am someone who has always been sceptical of how art can have an emotional impact on a person however, I fallen victim to this several times now. This is because contemporary art is happening now, therefore is so much more powerful and relatable. Almost bring me to tears, terracotta dreams is a beautifully simplistic installation. It carries such a heavy story, which is most definitely represented by the fallen water colour which lay on the floor. Thank you to James who so openly shared his story to deliver this public installation for others to experience.

[emily-ardron]

Short Supply

Molly Balshaw from short supply very kindly came in to share her story with Short Supply and how they help upcoming artists. Short Supply is a great company who helps and encourages emerging artists in the north of England through the form of advice, collaborations, exhibitions, etc. This was a very intriguing lecture which highlighted the hardships of the art world. Short supply is a great company with the aim to help developing artists get notice and make their dreams and aspirations reality to the best of their ability.  

I would argue one of the most important topics Molly discussed was the importance of collaboration. The company is centred around working as a team to maximise their possibilities. This makes sense as by surrounding yourself with a team larger job will be made much easier and will most likely become more fun. In addition, projects can be made bigger by having a few extra pairs of hands and ideas which will attract more people who may also be interested in helping. Molly also expressed how networking can be extremely beneficial. By learning about others and their own practise they may be able to help you with your project and visor versa. She gave examples including studio space, materials, and labour exchanges as aspects of for filling projects which all carry great importance.

It was extremely refreshing to learn that there is help there for those struggling their way into such a competitive business. I appreciated how Molly was honest that not every step of the way was easy and sometimes argues with her team now, but this is important to hear this as it pushes me to get through the tough times into the good. Molly also touched on getting funding which I am sure is huge factor as everything costs money. Although touching on how the art fund is an excellent way to accumulate large sums of money, Molly explained how there is other funding out there accessible to us. This helped me realise that many people I meet will be looking for the same outcomes as myself therefore it is far easier if we all work together rather than against each other.  

This lecture was extremely beneficial for me to learn about small companies that make it out of university as this may be me one day. I was incredibly grateful to hear the truth form Molly and learn from some of obstacles Short Supply has had to overcome. Along with this I have taken on so much advice about the importance of networking and team work to make the most out of upcoming opportunities.  

Thank you, Short Supply!

[emily-ardron]

Sufea Mohamad Noor

Date of guest lecture: 17/02/22

Sufea Mohamad Noor graduated from Leeds University with am asters in Art Gallery and Museum Studies and is now a fundraiser for the Tate Liverpool Gallery. During her lecture she expressed how she has and interest in serious contemporary art which creates an impact, but also enjoys more fun works that may include humour. Along with her job roll in fundraising, she has her own practise including Arte Povera where she uses readily available and non- traditional materials to create new forms of art, which often resemble collages.

The area of Sufeas interests and practise I appreciated the most was the socially engaged practise she takes part in. This was shown by The Resilience Garden where she worked with Mohamad Brusier and made tea using the herbs that were growing in the garden. I would argue these touches on her love for Arte Povera as she used materials that were readily available to her rather than going out to buy new ones. This event brought people together to enjoy the garden and the tea. Sufea also mentioned how she gives away any spare materials she finds to help artists, I feel this is environmentally friendly in addition to being extremely generous. By conducting socially engaged practise Sufea is pushing the boundaries of what art is. I feel this shows one of the main qualities that contemporary art holds, she process is more important than the end result. This is a beautiful idea that genuinely has a positive impact of someone's life and is something I personally think should be classed as art. 

I also really appreciated her stop Asian hate posters. Sufea addressed and brought to light the racism that the Asian community suffers through, which can often be overshadowed by different types of racism that is explored and addressed more by the mass media. By creating these posters, she gave a voice to the Asian community in a creative manor, along with educating others about the hard ships they endure. In addition, Sufea is utilising the Tate gallery for coffee meetups for the Asian community, to offer them a safe space to chat and socialise. Her work as not only an artist but as a human being is inspirational, she thrives to have fun with her work but also address change from a different direction which grabs people’s attention and possibly make them question they’re actions.

Sufea demonstrated her playful side by sharing her series Things I Never Say in Public. These prints include funny quotations often taken from her friends. I feel that this represents how art can be fun and doesn’t always have to be serious or have a hidden message. These works simply show Sufeas love for art including text in which the likes of Glenn Ligon and Sutapa Biswas are sources of inspiration. I loved how she mentioned how amazing the street art covering Liverpool is, as this is what contemporary art is about, being free and enjoying what you do.

Sufea Mohamad Noor is most definitely someone I aspire to; through the means of art and creativity she aims to help others and create new opportunities for people with the same mindset as her. However, she also has fun with her work which I think makes people like her art even more because she wanted to and enjoyed making it. I feel she embodies everything that contemporary art is.

[emily-ardron]

Manchester

Visit Date: 10/02/22

It was extremely refreshing to leave the city of Liverpool and explore some of the art exhibitions that Manchester had to offer. This included two of my favourite galleries so far in my exploration of contemporary art. I visited Home which was an extremely modern space before walking to Manchester Art Gallery, which was a far more traditional building for holding art, much like The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

The atmosphere in Home resembled that of The Royal Standard in Liverpool, they both had a coffee lounge which is extremely welcoming for visitors and artists to feel comfortable and share ideas. I visited the open entry art show which was celebrating the creative talent of the greater Manchester residents. This space was open planned to create a spacious and inclusive area, this differs to more traditional galleries as they have closed off, dived rooms to categorise the art. This represents how the way in which art is presented is changing. Art is a vehicle in connecting people which is something the more modern and new galleries are expanding on by having a warm open interior. Despite this, the gallery still chose to do a traditional salon hang, I think this was so that they could fit as many art works in the room as possible. There was not a particular theme to the exhibition which I thought was interesting as I was able to see many different types of art in many different types of mediums together. This was a useful concept to see as I was able to learn how you don’t have to group and separate works, oil paintings can still be appreciated next to textiles and may even complement each other. Another way I really appreciated this gallery was by the way they didn’t put the names and descriptions of the art next to it. Personally, this allowed me to connect solely with the art in my own way before learning who the artist was from the program. This highlighted exactly what contemporary art should be about, simply looking at a piece of work and learning how it affects you.  I found a particular piece of work which emotionally resonated with me. It represented my experience in relation to living with my own invisible illness and made me feel relieved that I’m not the only one who has these thoughts. I didn’t need to know the description on the work to understand it and that’s what I feel contemporary art is.

The Manchester Art Gallery is in a grand building which is designed to hold some of the most beautiful and largest paintings I have ever been witness to. It most definitely contrasts with Home as it is far colder in atmosphere. However, I did wonder into a room full of writing directly on the walls which has a more experimental and modern feeling for me. The work was created by curator Nikita Gill writing the words of Jade Montserrate on the wall of the Gallery as Montserrate couldn’t be there due to covid. This displays trust from the artist for the curator along with a different way of working which I hope to one day be a part of. Whilst I was there, I was also able to read some of the post stick notes from the controversy surrounding the removal of John William Waterhouse's Hylas and the Nymphs. This was inspiring to see how art galleries can spark new conversations about older painting and update the narrative. I think this was a huge display of contemporary art history. The directors of the museum took responsibility in allowing people to discuss and create a new piece of art with post stick notes, discussing the controversial issues.

My time in Manchester opened my eyes to deeper messages that can be explored through art with the help of curators and galleries to create discussion and make change. It was extremely useful to visit both spaces to see how different they were in atmosphere and styles of art they held. In addition, I also saw how similar they are in giving art a voice and exploring different avenues to produce change and insight, which I feel represents contemporary art history.

[emily-ardron]

The Royal Standard

Visit Date: 27/01/22

One of my fist visits of the module was to The Royal Standard, which is an excellent example of affordable studio space in Liverpool. I really enjoyed the concept behind the Royal Standard, as they strive to support artists in any way they can, along with providing a friendly space to do this in. The building is a wear house, divided by plaster boards, to create different rooms which is useful when putting on shows as the space is easy to manipulate. It offers shared studio spaces along with small and large private studio spaces. I would argue the use of an old warehouses is something common around the Baltic area due to low prices. However, the area is difficult to navigate as it is a built-up industrial estate. This was exemplified further by how some of the group got lost on the way. Despite this, the royal standard is not far from the city therefore, perfect for students studying or even those pursuing art as a career in Liverpool. The communal areas and coffee shop provide an atmosphere of community, allowing the artists to share and give advice on each other’s work.

It was encouraging for me to see volunteers working at The Royal Standard, carrying out roles such as Artist Leads. This may be a possible location I could gain some work experience from. Whilst there, I gained a better understanding of what it is like to be a modern artist. In such a competitive and taste driven industry it is useful to have local spaces which are eager to support you, whether it be providing cheap studio spaces or creating shows from your work. The royal standard is now somewhere new I can appreciate contemporary art works and show my own support.

I had some understanding of what a modern studio space would look like from my previous visit to the art studio in the John Lennon building. Although, I was pleasantly surprised by the sense of community and friendly welcome we received. There was a far more laid-back approach in The Royal Standard than when compared to studios of old masters such as Rembrandt. They’re studios would often be in their home, being extremely clean and elegant often having a fireplace to keep them warm. This is not the case in contemporary studios, I would argue that the mess symbolises freedom and as I do art myself, I found it settling to see this. The Royal Standards studios are arguably more similar to ateliers in the late 19th century, as they are communal spaces for artists to learn from each other. However, the artists are able to concentrate on they're own work rather than completing work for someone else. In addition, the conditions modern artist must work in are more difficult, with the warehouse often being cold and uncomfortable. My visit most definitely highlighted how studio spaces have greatly developed from the studios of old masters and apprentice workshops.

I found The Royal Standard an amazing place to visit and work in. They offer support not only for developing artists but also people like me who are interested in the day to day running of art studios and galleries. I feel that this visit enhanced my learning on the course and gave me a clear insight into modern studio spaces.

Go and visit!