Imagine you are going about your business and an idea starts to trickle to the
forefront of your mind. It's an idea for a new artwork. You decide to not rush
it just in case it swans off like a cat. Whilst you try to entice it, another
part of you begins to explore where this little dance will end. You begin to
envision the final outcome, the feeling of accomplishment and pride. A few
minutes pass, though, and the moment of glory starts to subside. You move on to
considering the practicalities. How do I make it? What will I make it out of?
Can I actually make it? It's these types of questions that will be the
foundation for this piece of writing. Building on top of that will be the main
focus which is the material selection aspect of said-questions.
Having made a few pieces of art, I have noticed several things along the
way. And, I would like to take this time to share some of them with you. The
first one is sometimes choices are forced. The second one is restrictions can be
a good thing. The third one is upbringing is relevant. And, the fourth one is
too much choice leads to the paradox-of-choice.
Starting us off is observation number one: Choices are sometimes forced upon
you. When you stumble across an idea and decide to act on it, you need to answer
some questions. An important one being can I actually act on it? What's
frustrating about it, though, is it's a relative answer more often than
not. Answers such as "not right now" and "only if I do that first" are quite
common. When these types of answers start to surface, compromises start entering
the conversation. For example, you end up making the piece in a material that
wasn't your first choice. If the compromise is too severe, though, you must be
ready to accept defeat. Sometimes it's better to not make something if it will
be a shadow of its potential. Although, I believe most things are salvageable
and repurposed into something else. In general, I have found that it is best to
roll with the situation instead of pushing back.
The second observation is restrictions can lead to positive, and sometimes
unexpected, outcomes. When you have an idea but not the means to make it, you're
forced down a different path. This detour is easy to grasp but can be difficult
to accept. For example, when you are in the heat of the making-moment your heart
can be set on a particular part being a certain way. It's non-negotiable. What's
important to remember here, though, is you can express most ideas in more than
one form. And, exploring the different ways you can express an idea can lead to
a greater understanding of it. I came to understand this when I began adopting
text into my work. This happened when I decided it wasn't practical to make
sculpturesi. It was frustrating at first but a positive side-effect
came with the fallout of this shift. My ability to differentiate between the
idea and the medium used to express it improved. The reason why is because I was
thinking about them in new ways. This made them malleable and I became open to
expressing them in different mediums. The most notable being text. Because of
this change in attitude, pieces like The Drum1 surfaced.
The next observation is the third one. Which is how you're brought up informs
your skills and choices. Whilst growing up, I was able to teach myself several
computer programs. They all had one thing in common which was they were all
based on two-dimensional thinking. For instance, I learned how to use word
processors and photo editing software. I didn't have access to any
three-dimensional programs. This meant I didn't learn how to do things like
build three-dimensional models. Due to my lack of skills in this area, I ended
up making Amazing Animal Alphabet2 the way you see it today. I made
it using Unity 3D which is a game engine. The folks at Unity designed it be a
three-dimensional based engine to begin with, hence the "3D" in its name. Over
time though, it has developed the capability to make two-dimensional games, as
well. This meant I had an opportunity to make it anyway I wanted. Because of
this, you may find it disappointing to see me sticking with two-dimensions. I
did it because I felt comfortable in that domain and I am more productive in
it. This meant I ended up using pen and paper for the design work and (2D) image
editing apps to make the games visuals.
The last observation revolves around the freedom of choice. More often than not,
when you have the freedom to take an idea in any direction you want, you usually
end up stuck. The reason why is because too many options usually leads to a
paradox-of-choice forming. It often leaves people feeling like they made the
wrong decision. And, finding an answer to the problem is difficult as there is
no clear path to follow. The only comfort I have found with this paradox is I
now understand "a" and "the" a lot better. For instance, the difference
between "a way to do something" and "the way to do something" is as big as night
and day.
A paradox-of-choice occurs when the chooser becomes unable to make a
choice. This is due to the sheer volume of options offered and the situation
lacking a definitive answer. It causes anxiety for the chooser and why when a
person has too many choices they might as well have none at all. They both
leave you in the same situation.
One time I came face to face with this problem was when I was making several of
my prints. They are Everything In-between3, Up this
way4, Here Now There5 and Now Then6. The
outcome of these prints look simple but getting there wasn't. For these prints I
wanted to project a sense of direction and location. And, when making them, I
had two recurring thoughts. They were "I am here and not there" and "I am to the
left/right of (x)". The open-ended nature of this subject matter allowed me to
express it in several ways. The two main directions where depiction and
conceptual. The depiction route meant painting and illustrating a scene. This
led to needing to answer a particular set of questions. If I went the conceptual
route though, I wouldn't need to answer them. Unfortunately, all that meant was
I traded one set of questions for another. It's important to note I could have
taken the work in any direction but not every direction. So, when you look at
these prints you are looking at an outcome of thought and not the outcome. It's
because of this that I remain unsure about them. To be fair though, I could say
that about most, if not all, my work.
All four observations have educated me about the making process in some way. The
most notable change to my approach since my teenage years is the amount I have
lightened up. I am now comfortable seeking the practical solution over the ideal
one. This doesn't mean I've set this rule in stone, though. It's just a
preference. I view practicalities as good things because sometimes having
complete freedom can be debilitating. And, interesting outcomes can arise when
you have limited choices. On top of that, I have found the practical answer, not
the theoretical one, is what usually gets the job done. I often think about a
quote when I'm thinking about materials and making. It is a photography quote
and is often credited to Chase Jarvis7. The quote is "The best
camera is the one that's with you". Whilst the subject matter isn't immediately
relevant here, I believe the spirit of it is. Sometimes, it's best to make
something with what you have to hand than with something you would like to have.
End Notes
i I decided it wasn't practical because I don’t have the storage space. It’s
fine for working, though.
Links
- The Drum
- Amazing Animal Alphabet
- Everything In-between
- Up this way
- Here Now There
- Now Then
- Chase Jarvis, 2009