Talking v Doing – Aesthetics and Experience

When I was writing In Search of the Numinous I had in the back of my mind an essay I had written for the contextual studies content of my BA. In the early noughties I learnt how to weave and took indifferent advantage of the library at what is now UCA Farnham. The theory classes I took there articulated the foundations to my understandings of the politics of making, and the relationship between craft and art. In our final summer, after the dissertation, there were more options for study and I chose a Module called ‘Aesthetics and Experience’, because although it had the potential for massive theoretical overburden it was personal and entertaining. This was a stark contrast to some of the proceeding modules that were crammed with historical background.

An Alphabet for Clive

Looking at lots of examples and sketching them is one way at getting at the essence of a thing

Part of one element that goes to make up the finished image. In this instance – G is for Geyser. I had fun experimenting with new techniques.

Here’s another line drawing waiting for some flat colour to be added.

A black and white marbling, also part of the final image

I didn’t go with this chalk drawing because I was advised that the alternative was more creepy

A Xenolith is an intrusive foreign rock. This image is more marbling

In search of the Numinous – more questions, less answers

In the bowels of Tate Modern the tanks are a new addition promoted as space for performance and video art. They’ve seemed cramped and fussy the two times I’ve visited this summer. The Tate itself, I imagine is a victim of its own success, part of the international art tour and the tanks also seem to be struggling to balance vision and reality. As well as numbers one has to work with the expectations and behaviours of the public which is often not ideal. For example the last time I visited Rothko’s Seagram Murals on quiet Friday evening an American family in the room with me were complaining loudly how much the space reminded them of their home cinema facility.