Personal Statement

Within my work this year I have been focusing on the environment around me. I began by looking at architecture and picking up objects and materials from my journeys around Cardiff. I began to create some small sculptures out of the industrial detritus such as concrete rubble and metal bolts which I then used to paint from creating new architectural forms I thought that these quick pieces were effective but lacked content. After this initial work I started to think about why I’m interested in the architecture and what in particular do I want to investigate within my work.

After looking into many artist’s work who focuses on found objects and journey such as Mark Dion and Sophie Calle I began to really understand the direction in which I wanted to take my work, becoming more an investigation into route I take focusing on the process rather than the outcome.

I decided after looking through the work I had created that what I liked most about it was not the architecture but the found objects themselves and how they could help me document my own journey. I’m interested in material culture, specifically looking into collection and also the narratives that’s these lost or discarded items hold and also of the people that have left them. I would like to make a comprehensive investigation into my journey to and from University, I will do this in a variety of different ways including collecting objects, photographing them, including a detailed description, looking into the history of the area and I am also going to have a map showing where each object was found on the journey.

I came across the idea of Pyscogeography which is another way of documenting my journey. Focusing on the behavior and feelings felt while in a certain environment. I think to complete a comprehensive evaluation of my journey it is important to not only note on the things you can see but the emotions and thoughts while exploring an area to enable me to document my journey but also help the viewer become a part of my journey.

A massive part of my work this year involves going out and exploring the area in which I live. Collecting objects and photographing the places I see while on my journey. The investigation side of the work being the most important part in helping me push further within the direction of the topic of journey. From the objects I have collected I have begun to see patterns and differentiation between certain objects such as clothing to glass and ceramic fragments. To create order within these found pieces I would like to make different groups, creating different collections. From this investigation into collection and journey I want to create work that displays my journey and also comments on the human impact on the environment that we live. I have thought about doing this by painting some of my collected items to make them stand out in the environment and photographing them to make our imprint on the environment more obvious to an observer, I would also like to investigate the effect of painting the objects. For example changing its meaning or narrative it holds.