‘A Psychological Study into the Impact of Aesthetics on Art as a Document’

‘A Psychological Study into the Impact of Aesthetics on Art as a Document’, looks at a constant and underlying theme of psychology, on how we view ourselves, how society views us, and how we view ourselves in turn through the scope of societal normality. ‘A Psychological Study…’ was initially influenced by talks on depression regarding biochemistry by Professor Robert Sapolsky, however, eventually psychological reasoning became foregrounded. These themes are important to the work as the aforementioned stimuli allowed development into the argument that art can and should be recognized as a document. This further allowed me to create a routine of creation, inspired by the scientific method.

My practice is also hugely informed by the quote by Walker Evans in 1971, stating “You see a document has a use, whereas art is really useless Therefore, art is never a document, although it can adopt that style.” (Evans, 1971). I intend to dispute this quote throughout my practice. Art and science are often perceived in the media as appositions in how we as people view the world around us, defining science as a form of truth and reliable documentation, contrasted against art as a form of expression.

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky and Memoirs of the Blind by Jacques Derrida have been long term interests, Derrida’s work however, remains more prominent to this project. Claude Heath’s 1994 project “Blindfold Drawings” and Graham Fink’s 2015 project “Drawing with my Eyes” have hugely influenced the development of my work throughout the past two years. Claude Heath’s 1994 project informed my practice through the format of drawing and the processes used to create these images. This method then developed through the impact of Graham Fink’s project, as exhibited in a live performance in London’s Global Art Fair in May of 2015, as although Fink’s work is less stimulating artistically, this new leap in terms of technology changed my view on my practice. This inspired the ‘eye tracking’ quality of my practice, which was such a prominent feature. Both artists released method-based video explanations of their practices via video, accessed on YouTube, which was incredibly illuminating in the development of my own method-based research programme.

The technological aspects of ‘A Psychological Study into the Impact of Aesthetics on Art as a Document’ proved difficult throughout later creation, as I was unable to use suitable eye-tracking equipment to create what I would have wanted to present as part of my project. This inability, however, created a new, more artistic approach to take place, which changed the nature of this project. This development caused my work to venture into more technological means, which in turn created the connection to eyes and the developments into art as a suitable means of documentation. Throughout ‘A Psychological Study…’, drawing has been a central part of my practice, however, due to this incapability to use the eye-tracking laboratory, I explored further mediums. Despite this, I found that more neutral-coloured materials benefited the project more. I then decided to explore more with filming and projections to encourage the need to track eye movement to mature my project. These developments meant that my project took the shape of a more experimental form of media, highlighting the processes behind the work and the information it portrays, over the aesthetics of the final piece.

Towards the direction of my final piece, experimentation with sizing led me towards the route of Fabriano paper and the use of Sakura Pigma Micron pens in the initial size of 0.50mm, which was later solidified with the thicker brush pen, also from Sakura Pigma Micron. I favoured this brand through the creation of these later pieces, due to the need for a more explicitly academic material such as pen, and for their qualities as a ph. Neutral and archival ink pen brand.

In terms of contemporary art practice, my work positions itself as a method-based drawing project, influenced by the standards of modern societal conventions, the juxtapositions of Art and Science through the view of modernity and the disparity of art as a form of document. Drawing with limitations often creates an image which is highly controversial to modern standards of beauty. However, the limitations of blindness often confuse these qualities, creating a more abstract image, which is more interesting and pleasant to look at, possibly because it disassociates the self-conscious image of myself from the final creation. This project is successful in presenting itself as an experimental format of information, offering documentation to the viewer on how we see ourselves outside of societal convention, through the media of illustration.