Everyday

Breaking Down by Justin Harrison


I saw a blown out tire on the way to work. Cast to the curb. There was something poetic in its appearance. The confidence of it’s thick black tones counterpointed by the twisted ribbons and threads of it’s insides. Somehow it felt like it had now become a victim of a hit and run. But by whom? Then the leaves add another texture to the scene for me. They too have fallen, curling and twisting in their passage. All transitioning away from their known purpose. Exit.

I’m not sure what I want to do with it, just leave it as photographs or progress it into drawings, there is something about the forms and shapes it takes that is a little provocative to capture - maybe printmaking. Maybe a digital composition of all four images.


 

Pulling threads - everything is divisible by Justin Harrison


Not deconstructing just dismantling.

Derrida says everything is divisible, so I divided the canvas into threads warp and weft. It could continue reducing to finer fibres, then to chemical compounds///atomic structure///neutrons and protons///up quarks and down quarks and gluons///

I liked the stages of undoing. An abandon to the process and loss of form and purpose, yet still remaining with some memory of self. I could paint 4 canvases and dismantle 1. As a set. All equal in the sum of their ‘constituent parts’. The Horizontal and Vertical. Undoing.

(I also felt ridiculous doing it, like I was performing being an artist, really an imposter. Trying so hard to be conceptual - I’m not convinced - It feels smug and empty at the same time.)

Taking photos as the canvas eroded and reverted to threads. A partial dismantling  - the first division.


I’m not sure I understand deconstruction or Derrida anymore.  I read him and think I grasp it then when I got back I have no idea how I thought what I did. 

Read Anthony Gormley today - I love his drawing and felt encouraged by how he’s free to draw and let the connection to his more involved sculpture work itself out. The are ties between the two practices but not always immediate or linear. 

Reading/// Derrida’s ‘Letter to a Japanese friend’. /—— again

Researching/// Matthew Barney. I love the vast expanse of his narratives, along with the interconnected themes that relate and reference. His work had such a strong relationship to materials, although I know a lot of his work is made for him, which I would find hard - not to get my hands dirty but have someone else make my work..

Things I want to make:

Stick bundle
Bundle drawings
Immerse installation
Etched copper tubes 
Stick feathers -wood and plaster
Bundle and wall set
Small natural linen drawings 
Axe for an angel - etch on axe cheek.
Immerse diagram drawings
Portraits
Large wing drawing representational to abstract.
Plaster sculpture abstract for. With inserts.
Large gestural drawings 


 

Trashed by Justin Harrison


I feel like my mind has the landscape of an angry 3yr olds bedroom. everything is everywhere and nothing resides in its proper place. It's all out and on the floor. I'm filling pages of my sketchbook with odd disjointed ideas, some manifestations from years ago, some from just now.

I've gone down rabbit hole with Derrida and doubt I'll ever return from that one with any useful information other than he makes your nose bleed if you read too much.

Continuing to build up a glossary of random words I like:

Passage///

Diagram///

Constituent///

Honouring///

Threshold///

Threshing Floor///

Refine///

Filter///


 

Bundles by Justin Harrison


Note: The blog doesn’t have to be journalistically written. It’s too self conscious, lacks honesty as it’s more performative. It can be notes, lists, images. A subconscious free flow is perhaps better. I have also included a bad photo and resisted the temptation to edit too much.

Bundles today I like bundling objects - multiples. I want bundles of all sorts of things.

Plaster dipped burnt wood. Pelican feathers. Sculpt a pelican in hard plaster?

It was good to get my hands on materials - finally collecting some copper and wicks. The materials tease me. Just their presence goads next to create, something anything.

I’m conscious that I want this blog to be written in a much more analytical and academic fashion, with pithy insight and formal art history references. But I will leave it at… today I like bundles and materials.

Re Image/// The place of drawing. I love these organic and diagramming drawings. They feel like they have such a strong place in art/ artists process.

Image from: Theaster Gates P112


 

Honesty/// by Justin Harrison


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I talked with a good friend and told them about the MA course, about the Blog. They are a creative practitioner and immediately ‘got it’ - thought it was a great idea, understanding the benefits and value to creative reflection… and then we came to discuss honesty.

/// If the blog is really to be of value then it needs to be honest, not performative.

When I write this blog, am I writing openly and honestly? Or am I trying to impress people?

It’s bad enough to give myself away in my artwork - am I now I’m gonna confess all my weird shit in words too?

It makes me realise how much I hold back>>> everyday. 

/// In fact how authentic am I? When I am at work, when I am out - who am I? It’s an unnerving thought that I might perform - more than I am actually myself.

///Currently reading:::
This blog and my presentation repeatedly - if I’m honest