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Writer's picturejoeshawartist

Crit show idea and set up

Today, I Had a crit show installation, however, as I had spent the lead up to the show finishing my dissertation, I hadn’t had time to come up with a new piece. Thinking of what my degree show plans were, I thought of creating a small dark space that the participants would have to crawl into. I saw a table and the space underneath that I could cover in black material trying, to hide the fact it was a table. Unsure of how this may work I asked Paul of what he thought of my ideas.

He said I shouldn’t worry about creating this space I had in mind as I didn’t have enough time to make it convincing enough. He instead recommended I used the “props” I used previously referring to my blind spot mirror and to create something new using it.

Afterwards, I picked up the blind spot mirror, thinking about where I could place it when I noticed that the blind spot mirror was the same size as one of the studio bins. Emptying the rubbish from it into another bin, I then placed the blind spot mirror inside the bin with the reflective side facing upwards. I was fascinated with how the bin bag around the mirror being reflected created a tunnel like effect. I then experimented with the bin on its side but decided that it looked better upright.

I decided to place the bin in the show. I thought that the convex mirror would look better without its bright orange casing disrupting the gap between the mirror and the bin. Removing this successfully created a seamless edge in the bin with help from the bin bag. Doing this also removed it from its identity as a blind spot mirror, instead becoming a convex mirror

I had good reactions from those who saw the work as they were mostly surprised at seeing their reflection looking back at them from a mirror.

I then asked Paul again to look at what I had created. Standing near the bin he asked “Where is the work?”. Upon seeing the bin, he stated that the work is asking “Am I rubbish?” A bin is usually a space of unwanted rubbish and dirt. A viewer, if in a certain state of mind, could compare themselves to rubbish. Tomorrow, there will possibly be many different interpretations of the work beyond the tunnel like view that I first thought of.

Finally, Paul suggested to clean the mirror up a bit, which I did. Also, to consider the space, and where best to place it.

I already thought about where it should be placed. It should be placed in the space where an ordinary bin would be put. Possibly in the main walkway running through the studio. Not treating and exhibiting the work as an art object would give it a sense of normality,  taking away its status. Thus, creating a surprise for the viewer when they look inside.

This also gives the work an element of risk. People approaching the bin would possibly have the intention of throwing something away. It is not until they see the mirror that they ‘might’ see what it really is. There is a chance that the work will become covered in rubbish with people not realising what it is. As I have recently finished my dissertation, in which I talk about artists embracing the “glitch” (when things go wrong whilst exhibiting), I am thinking about whether if this were to happen, would I embrace it? I think I will.

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