Shaping the landscape with multishaped fish eye lens that just fell on my window
10.08.2005
10.06.2005
Study Proposal
This year I’m planning to continue working using a similar method to last year’s sculptures and installations. The main difference is that I want the final work to have rather a really well finished pristine look or a rough, almost anti-art, careless finish. It is important for me to explore these two extremes.
3D work will be my main area of interest, but I won’t stop myself from using photography, drawing, computer programs or even painting if it becomes relevant (the same happened in 2004/2005).
Just like last year Craig Cooper and I will be cooperating in the recollection of objects, their re-contextualization and assemblage.
I’m aiming for a body of work that will have opposite effects on the observer: seduction and discomfort, interactivity and enigma. Enigma and discomfort will often be part of scientific, industrial, philosophical and psychological ideas I’ve started exploring in previous work. Seduction and interactivity will hopefully emerge from composition, colour, materials, transparent surfaces, lights, technology (data projectors, sound systems, simple mechanisms, prints and printers, etc…).
I’m planning to explore randomly (as I feel is more convenient) a long list of artists: Da Vinci, Maeda, Kandinsky, Calder, John Cage, Kitaj, Donald Judd, Bosh, Rebecca Horn, Basquiat, Jean Tinguely, Barceló, Dan Flavin, Marcel Duchamp, Lin Cohen, Tony Crag, Goya, Anish Kapoor, Rauschenberg, Cabrita Reis, Rothko, Oursler, Caro, Keifer… Some of them were already important to my work but I just couldn’t avoid mentioning them. Probably most of the content of the work will come from philosophers, scientists and writers such as: Nietzsche, Joyce, Wittgenstein, José Gil, Susan Sontag, Gödel, Heidegger, Blogglie, Schrödinger, Plato, Freud, Derida, Bohr, Heisenberg… Some crucial ideas may just emerge from everyday life, the internet, advertising, criticizing Craig Cooper’s recent obsession with existentialism or his “old POMO” attitude, or even his critics to my references (most of them painters), neuro-psychology investigations and Portuguese more or less typical obsessions.
Objects skipped by the engineering school are certainly going to be visually and conceptually inevitable since they work like an emotional residue of my current Portuguese engineering university (yes it’s true, ironically, I’m still a biological engineering student). Squares and Cubes will probably play a central role in my work since the Portuguese typical floor (calçada) and walls (ceramic tiles) have these shapes and also because it is a simple unit that resembles a pixel allowing me to use it in a modular system or a “cellular tissue”. This works like a bridge between my past and my present. Patent books are very likely to become the most relevant visual influence during this year. If last year they were already relevant, this year I may use them more intensively and deeply.
3D work will be my main area of interest, but I won’t stop myself from using photography, drawing, computer programs or even painting if it becomes relevant (the same happened in 2004/2005).
Just like last year Craig Cooper and I will be cooperating in the recollection of objects, their re-contextualization and assemblage.
I’m aiming for a body of work that will have opposite effects on the observer: seduction and discomfort, interactivity and enigma. Enigma and discomfort will often be part of scientific, industrial, philosophical and psychological ideas I’ve started exploring in previous work. Seduction and interactivity will hopefully emerge from composition, colour, materials, transparent surfaces, lights, technology (data projectors, sound systems, simple mechanisms, prints and printers, etc…).
I’m planning to explore randomly (as I feel is more convenient) a long list of artists: Da Vinci, Maeda, Kandinsky, Calder, John Cage, Kitaj, Donald Judd, Bosh, Rebecca Horn, Basquiat, Jean Tinguely, Barceló, Dan Flavin, Marcel Duchamp, Lin Cohen, Tony Crag, Goya, Anish Kapoor, Rauschenberg, Cabrita Reis, Rothko, Oursler, Caro, Keifer… Some of them were already important to my work but I just couldn’t avoid mentioning them. Probably most of the content of the work will come from philosophers, scientists and writers such as: Nietzsche, Joyce, Wittgenstein, José Gil, Susan Sontag, Gödel, Heidegger, Blogglie, Schrödinger, Plato, Freud, Derida, Bohr, Heisenberg… Some crucial ideas may just emerge from everyday life, the internet, advertising, criticizing Craig Cooper’s recent obsession with existentialism or his “old POMO” attitude, or even his critics to my references (most of them painters), neuro-psychology investigations and Portuguese more or less typical obsessions.
Objects skipped by the engineering school are certainly going to be visually and conceptually inevitable since they work like an emotional residue of my current Portuguese engineering university (yes it’s true, ironically, I’m still a biological engineering student). Squares and Cubes will probably play a central role in my work since the Portuguese typical floor (calçada) and walls (ceramic tiles) have these shapes and also because it is a simple unit that resembles a pixel allowing me to use it in a modular system or a “cellular tissue”. This works like a bridge between my past and my present. Patent books are very likely to become the most relevant visual influence during this year. If last year they were already relevant, this year I may use them more intensively and deeply.
Indigo Vertigo:
im going anti-art this year
manel:
I know that.
Trying to anoy people...?
Stupid people will hate you... that's the only good thing
Indigo Vertigo:
im sick of complimenting tutors egos
manel:
hahaha
me too
did you compliment them a lot?
Indigo Vertigo:
no, i mean with my work.....like, giving them stuff they can easily engage with....like, spoon fed....
manel:
hooo
Yah I can understand that feeling
Indigo Vertigo diz:
its either, give them stuff they know about, or give them something they hate
manel (writing a letter) diz:
LOL
Indigo Vertigo:
there is no middle ground
manel:
true
I'm trying both because I want to
Indigo Vertigo:
because you want good grades?
manel:
Nope
Because I actually enjoy doing it
Just look at my mural... please...
I love the process of making
and you don't
Simple
Indigo Vertigo:
haha
manel:
to be honest today I was thinking...
You never proved to be able to do it the other way...
which is something I would test if I was your tutor.
they are being extremely cool
If I was a tutor I would be chalenging you
Because if you do something just because you can't do it any other way you should try to change that at least for a while
But this was me thinking as a tutor…
I honestly think you should keep going whith the good work
Indigo Vertigo:
hahaha
manel:
I suport what you are aming at this year
And I'm trying it too
but not exclusively
Indigo Vertigo:
ok, well i arived at the point im at through experimantation etc
that was all foundation and first year
manel:
true
Indigo Vertigo:
ive found a medium thats works well for me
installation &photography...
manel:
I agree
but I have a question for you.
If you found it why do you need an MA? What are they going to teach you? Are they just going to tell you how good you are all the time?
hahaha
Indigo Vertigo:
for sure!
manel:
I just don't think so...
Indigo Vertigo:
well ask me a stupid question and you'll get a stupid answer . i want an MA for the qualification and all that it brings. industry opportunitys in london, and a year in one of the best institutional creative shcools
manel:
that's fair...
But I think they'll be able to tell that
And who knows what they'll think after realizing that
I'm not doing it because of that, to be honest…
I'm going to do an MA because I thin I can do much better
Beacause the people I'll meet will feed my thoughts and ways of doing things
Indigo Vertigo:
obviously
manel:
I'll learn loads and change a lot
Indigo Vertigo:
&STUFF
manel:
I'll never assume I found the perfect media... It's almost like saying : "I found the right way of doing my art"
If I find that I'll return to science
Beacause that's what science is
Indigo Vertigo:
haha shut up
manel:
no I won't
I'm testing you
Indigo Vertigo:
ive found a way to get good grades with little effort, not good art.
that better?
manel:
hahaha
Is that what you honestly think?
I don't think it is
Indigo Vertigo:
of course not, im passionate about what i do
manel:
Great
but this won't stop here
Will keep going later on...
[…]
manel:
Can you find a way to test me in a similar way?
???
Indigo Vertigo:
hmm possibly
im tired
but i can try
manel:
tomorrow
[…]
Indigo Vertigo:
so, i'll crit you tomorrow
manel:
that's a promisse
We need to do it
there are very few that can do it properly...
Indigo Vertigo:
cool, we'll have loads to talk about tomorrow with the proposal and decisions with contextual studies..........so your getting the beers in tomorrow ?
[…]
manel:
May I post a bit f this conversation on the blog?
Indigo Vertigo:
no fucking way man
haha, depends which bits
im sure it'd be pretty funny to read back actually
ive just highlighted some of the conversation, just because you meantioned it and i want to see if i chose the same content as you
[…]
Indigo Vertigo:
haha i've been thinking about using msn in work for a while now.....but pete uses a very similar thing with his images and everyone would think i was copying...
manel:
But what about making our statements msn logs?
Pete doesn't do that
Indigo Vertigo:
fuck thats a great idea
like an interview with someone that knows about your work?
manel:
Exactly
Indigo Vertigo:
done!
[We are using Prt Sc (print screen) and photoshop to get our statement this year. And I’ll write about Cooper’s work and he’ll write about mine.]
im going anti-art this year
manel:
I know that.
Trying to anoy people...?
Stupid people will hate you... that's the only good thing
Indigo Vertigo:
im sick of complimenting tutors egos
manel:
hahaha
me too
did you compliment them a lot?
Indigo Vertigo:
no, i mean with my work.....like, giving them stuff they can easily engage with....like, spoon fed....
manel:
hooo
Yah I can understand that feeling
Indigo Vertigo diz:
its either, give them stuff they know about, or give them something they hate
manel (writing a letter) diz:
LOL
Indigo Vertigo:
there is no middle ground
manel:
true
I'm trying both because I want to
Indigo Vertigo:
because you want good grades?
manel:
Nope
Because I actually enjoy doing it
Just look at my mural... please...
I love the process of making
and you don't
Simple
Indigo Vertigo:
haha
manel:
to be honest today I was thinking...
You never proved to be able to do it the other way...
which is something I would test if I was your tutor.
they are being extremely cool
If I was a tutor I would be chalenging you
Because if you do something just because you can't do it any other way you should try to change that at least for a while
But this was me thinking as a tutor…
I honestly think you should keep going whith the good work
Indigo Vertigo:
hahaha
manel:
I suport what you are aming at this year
And I'm trying it too
but not exclusively
Indigo Vertigo:
ok, well i arived at the point im at through experimantation etc
that was all foundation and first year
manel:
true
Indigo Vertigo:
ive found a medium thats works well for me
installation &photography...
manel:
I agree
but I have a question for you.
If you found it why do you need an MA? What are they going to teach you? Are they just going to tell you how good you are all the time?
hahaha
Indigo Vertigo:
for sure!
manel:
I just don't think so...
Indigo Vertigo:
well ask me a stupid question and you'll get a stupid answer . i want an MA for the qualification and all that it brings. industry opportunitys in london, and a year in one of the best institutional creative shcools
manel:
that's fair...
But I think they'll be able to tell that
And who knows what they'll think after realizing that
I'm not doing it because of that, to be honest…
I'm going to do an MA because I thin I can do much better
Beacause the people I'll meet will feed my thoughts and ways of doing things
Indigo Vertigo:
obviously
manel:
I'll learn loads and change a lot
Indigo Vertigo:
&STUFF
manel:
I'll never assume I found the perfect media... It's almost like saying : "I found the right way of doing my art"
If I find that I'll return to science
Beacause that's what science is
Indigo Vertigo:
haha shut up
manel:
no I won't
I'm testing you
Indigo Vertigo:
ive found a way to get good grades with little effort, not good art.
that better?
manel:
hahaha
Is that what you honestly think?
I don't think it is
Indigo Vertigo:
of course not, im passionate about what i do
manel:
Great
but this won't stop here
Will keep going later on...
[…]
manel:
Can you find a way to test me in a similar way?
???
Indigo Vertigo:
hmm possibly
im tired
but i can try
manel:
tomorrow
[…]
Indigo Vertigo:
so, i'll crit you tomorrow
manel:
that's a promisse
We need to do it
there are very few that can do it properly...
Indigo Vertigo:
cool, we'll have loads to talk about tomorrow with the proposal and decisions with contextual studies..........so your getting the beers in tomorrow ?
[…]
manel:
May I post a bit f this conversation on the blog?
Indigo Vertigo:
no fucking way man
haha, depends which bits
im sure it'd be pretty funny to read back actually
ive just highlighted some of the conversation, just because you meantioned it and i want to see if i chose the same content as you
[…]
Indigo Vertigo:
haha i've been thinking about using msn in work for a while now.....but pete uses a very similar thing with his images and everyone would think i was copying...
manel:
But what about making our statements msn logs?
Pete doesn't do that
Indigo Vertigo:
fuck thats a great idea
like an interview with someone that knows about your work?
manel:
Exactly
Indigo Vertigo:
done!
[We are using Prt Sc (print screen) and photoshop to get our statement this year. And I’ll write about Cooper’s work and he’ll write about mine.]
Two sentences excluded from my study proposal
My 3D work will be aiming to explore science and intuition, sound and silence, light and shadow, emptiness and existence, opacity and transparency. <-Just ridiculous...
I still haven’t decided if I’m going to use “home made” electronics this year because of how unreliable they are. <- Irrelevant
I still haven’t decided if I’m going to use “home made” electronics this year because of how unreliable they are. <- Irrelevant
10.05.2005
10.04.2005
Brainstorming about 3 painters
To write about Kitaj, Paula Rego and Basquiat as a group is becoming more and more relevant to my own approach to art in general and painting in particular. These three artists share a hidden profile with which I identify myself. All of them were outsiders (Kitaj retrospective p.9). The three of them developed a kind of subtext in their paintings, hiding messages that can be argued to be intentional or not with just the same intensity. The mind puzzle they build up for the observer has many consequences being the major ones an intimacy and authenticity that is extremely hard to overcome, a general feeling builds up from their work giving the careful observer the sense of a pursuit of identity in each canvas (Kitaj retrospective p.10).
The group of artists from the 20th century I just announced has a narrative and psychological depth that I believe is rare, but the most outstanding thing is that nothing is obvious, certain or random in those stories they create in their paintings.
Paula Rego – Portuguese – Slade – child abuse – Freud’s analysis of Leonardo’s memory – Forgiveness with a smile (general feeling) - Narrative – homesick (saudade) – Regret – Her mom – inside search – connection to literature – pastels – oil on canvas
R. B. Kitaj – American Jew – Royal College – death of his wives – Psychoanalysis (in Tate Liverpool) – texts and manifesto – pain and sadness with the depth of world literature –method while painting (timetable) – Puzzles to unfold his multilayered mind – Structure of the classic painters with the content of the books he reads and the feelings that he can’t deal with
J. M. Basquiat - American mix of many races – untutored (street art) – special child that couldn’t deal with the colour of his skin – Need to prove that he was a master – Critic with a smile – charades that tell the observer a story – aesthetics and ways of expressing psychological textures – subtext and the need to be talked about not just as a quick and intense light but as a genius.
Connections with Davinci and Psychoanalysis – Dumas (What do they mean by psychological paintings?
Psychology and Art – therapy, analysis, interpretation, historic power to change and influence the way sexual issues were dealt within art, unconscious messages, subtexts, archetypes (would I enjoy reading Yung?), Davinci, the role of the observer as an annalist, the artist mental health (“Klimt’s friend”, Van Gogh, Dali…)
POMO and the orgasmic painting
The group of artists from the 20th century I just announced has a narrative and psychological depth that I believe is rare, but the most outstanding thing is that nothing is obvious, certain or random in those stories they create in their paintings.
Paula Rego – Portuguese – Slade – child abuse – Freud’s analysis of Leonardo’s memory – Forgiveness with a smile (general feeling) - Narrative – homesick (saudade) – Regret – Her mom – inside search – connection to literature – pastels – oil on canvas
R. B. Kitaj – American Jew – Royal College – death of his wives – Psychoanalysis (in Tate Liverpool) – texts and manifesto – pain and sadness with the depth of world literature –method while painting (timetable) – Puzzles to unfold his multilayered mind – Structure of the classic painters with the content of the books he reads and the feelings that he can’t deal with
J. M. Basquiat - American mix of many races – untutored (street art) – special child that couldn’t deal with the colour of his skin – Need to prove that he was a master – Critic with a smile – charades that tell the observer a story – aesthetics and ways of expressing psychological textures – subtext and the need to be talked about not just as a quick and intense light but as a genius.
Connections with Davinci and Psychoanalysis – Dumas (What do they mean by psychological paintings?
Psychology and Art – therapy, analysis, interpretation, historic power to change and influence the way sexual issues were dealt within art, unconscious messages, subtexts, archetypes (would I enjoy reading Yung?), Davinci, the role of the observer as an annalist, the artist mental health (“Klimt’s friend”, Van Gogh, Dali…)
POMO and the orgasmic painting
As minhas irmãs mais pequeninas... Marta e Helena... Só falta a Leonor, a Sofia e a Mariana.
Fotografia por João Reis, mais uma vez, enquanto estava KO no chão do sudoeste. O original era invertido porque ele não saia da posição de deitado!
For those that can't read Portuguese: there girls are my sisters and I miss them while I'm in Coventry.
10.03.2005
The academic year started
I found a new studio to finish my mural.
Can’t wait to finish it, because I need to start playing with all the objects I’ve been collecting with Craig. I also need to go to London and see all the exhibitions in there.
Let me put down a few things that are going on in my mind about some of the modules:
Contextual Studies
Reflective practice – Route B: Journal, Log Book and 4500 words dissertation:
This is what I think is more natural for me to do. If I didn’t do this module I would be doing exactly the same for myself: writing about the origin of my creations, reflecting about it on my (we)blog and collecting all the references and exhibitions that become relevant over the time.
Dissertation and reflective practice route A – 9000 words thesis:
If I did one of these I would be doing the second option because I find writing about my own work and the connections it has with other practitioners much more rewarding then a plain academic thesis based on other artists practice. If I had to choose someone else it would be a painter like Kitaj or Paula Rego – but how would I relate their practice to mine? Painting and sculpture/installation aren’t easy to put together in this way are they? Could I use my murals instead of my course work? Probably not as useful for my year if I did that…
Professional practice
This year’s goal is to put up a Show in London, to apply to all the best MA courses in England, USA, Portugal (??) (probably not), Spain(?). Besides that I would love to show my work for the degree show in the Rotunda (Ellen terry Building). I’ll show you how it looks tomorrow. Ideally I would do an installation on the stairway and the biggest room in Uni. For this module I’ll probably avoid financial and paperwork stress, so I’ll probably join the team that takes care of the degree show logistics.
Studio practice
It will be absolutely perfect to work with the objects I’ve found in the skips around Coventry because the match exactly what I have been painting about in my mural. Want to use my science education, intuition, do some psychology research, Philosophy and a bit more intensive reading on contemporary sculptures and installation artists. What kind of technology do I want to use with it? Not electronics… too fragile. I’ll leave that for later on. I’ll stick to pre-made electronic objects like I used on the tesseract last year. Lights are great and I would love to use them for a self light apparently 2 D work. Light boxes… transparencies… objects… test tubes… microscopes… metal structures… glass or transparent plastic… Use more diagonals and horizontal and vertical assemblages. Have to write my study proposal by next Thursday. I’ll do it tomorrow. Time to sleep now.
Can’t wait to finish it, because I need to start playing with all the objects I’ve been collecting with Craig. I also need to go to London and see all the exhibitions in there.
Let me put down a few things that are going on in my mind about some of the modules:
Contextual Studies
Reflective practice – Route B: Journal, Log Book and 4500 words dissertation:
This is what I think is more natural for me to do. If I didn’t do this module I would be doing exactly the same for myself: writing about the origin of my creations, reflecting about it on my (we)blog and collecting all the references and exhibitions that become relevant over the time.
Dissertation and reflective practice route A – 9000 words thesis:
If I did one of these I would be doing the second option because I find writing about my own work and the connections it has with other practitioners much more rewarding then a plain academic thesis based on other artists practice. If I had to choose someone else it would be a painter like Kitaj or Paula Rego – but how would I relate their practice to mine? Painting and sculpture/installation aren’t easy to put together in this way are they? Could I use my murals instead of my course work? Probably not as useful for my year if I did that…
Professional practice
This year’s goal is to put up a Show in London, to apply to all the best MA courses in England, USA, Portugal (??) (probably not), Spain(?). Besides that I would love to show my work for the degree show in the Rotunda (Ellen terry Building). I’ll show you how it looks tomorrow. Ideally I would do an installation on the stairway and the biggest room in Uni. For this module I’ll probably avoid financial and paperwork stress, so I’ll probably join the team that takes care of the degree show logistics.
Studio practice
It will be absolutely perfect to work with the objects I’ve found in the skips around Coventry because the match exactly what I have been painting about in my mural. Want to use my science education, intuition, do some psychology research, Philosophy and a bit more intensive reading on contemporary sculptures and installation artists. What kind of technology do I want to use with it? Not electronics… too fragile. I’ll leave that for later on. I’ll stick to pre-made electronic objects like I used on the tesseract last year. Lights are great and I would love to use them for a self light apparently 2 D work. Light boxes… transparencies… objects… test tubes… microscopes… metal structures… glass or transparent plastic… Use more diagonals and horizontal and vertical assemblages. Have to write my study proposal by next Thursday. I’ll do it tomorrow. Time to sleep now.
My sister Marta always forced me to grow up. She told me I had to show her the next step all the time. When I was little I used to call for my mother during the night but when she was born I was completely quiet because I was the one taking care of her. Through out my life she always asked me questions I couldn't answer and that made me aware of how important a good question is. She is the one responsible for keeping my values safe and for the fact that I always try my best and not half of that. She is the only person that makes me feel responsible for the world instead of a friend or a lover of this magnificent ball we live in.
10.02.2005
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