The found object and the presentation of everyday life.
Within these writings I explore the ways in which the everyday lives of ordinary people are depicted in art via the use of found objects, and how the findings have helped influence my own art practice. I begin by discussing the concept of the everyday in relation to my own work, and identify the impact that my domestic life and past experiences have had on my own artistic compulsions. I also discuss the range of art concepts that I have found myself working within, including the practice of Spolia, Appropriation, Categorisation, Endurance and Ritual art, and how they became a natural element to my process of making. In addition to this, I seek out current artists whose works also fall within these concepts, and how they have used them to relate to the representation of the ‘ordinary’. I intensively study the work of Robert Rauschenberg, the vast use of materials that span his whole career, and how seeing his work impacted my own decision making. I explore the practice of Susan Hiller and the ways in which she interprets found objects and adapts her skills to accurately depict the lives that they represent. I discuss pieces of text written on the everyday, and relate them to my own compulsions, from Georges Perec’s work Species of Spaces to Alexander Masters and his book A life discarded. Finally, I begin to summarise the effectiveness of my own work following my exhibition, and indicate future avenues of exploration.
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