DIAP 2016, Working Critique

The Infinite Canvas No. 2 - Final Project

Working Critique - Infinite Canvas No. 2, Reflection Paper

Working Critique pushed me to consider the overarching theme of The Infinite Canvas and where it can extend. I now conceive of the project as a series of distinct works that employ the constraint of ongoing or perpetual process. Jumping from @infinite_canvas (No. 1) to Infinite Canvas No. 2 allowed me to see the richness of the idea and to conceive of other works to continue the series. I find each piece to have merit on its own but think that showing them together would make for a greater impact. Having the structure of a class with weekly presentations kept me motivated in such a labor intensive project. I think that as an exercise for future projects requiring similar stamina, the classroom really benefited me.

As I stated in my proposals throughout the semester, the project is influenced by artists working in the realm of "process". Picasso in his movie "The Mystery of Picasso" employs a process when he continually changes a single canvas over the course of several hours. William Kentridge and Frank Auerbach also employ similar techniques, though to different visual ends, in their work. Artie Vierkant's Image Objects came to my attention later, and his perpetual process involves distorting the line between digital and actual reality. Works go from digital manipulation to physically printed sculptures in a gallery, back to digital distortions of installation views of the same works. On and on. Vierkant's work addresses the ever blurring line between reality and virtual reality. This meditation on technology speaks to me, and in my other classes I have geared my research towards questions surrounding technology and its impact on the human condition. In a less direct way, I think the Infinite Canvas works also seek to grapple with issues surround this idea.

I am going to start a research database for the Infinite Canvas that documents process based work and other elements that are important aspects to my work in this series. The idea of "the gesture" also inspires me. I think of gesture as action in the present moment, born out of natural talent and hard work. Picasso's gesture is unparalleled in his craft. Many chefs possess a similar flare in the kitchen. So far, those are my two key words "process" and "gesture". As my research grows I wager that a few other key words will come along.

The next piece I want to do in the series, as I discussed with Professor Weintraub, is a work on a single panel that changes from charcoal to pencil to colored pencil to watercolor to acrylic to oil... to perhaps projection... and all the way back again. I want the changes to be imperceptible from far away.

The Infinite Canvas No. 2 - 30 Stages

IC2 Grid Poster (44" x 56")

IC2 Stage 30

Final Statement:

Abstract:
The Infinite Canvas is an ongoing series of distinct works that continually evolve. The title implies the rules of the game: infinite = process and canvas = visual. As such, each work in the Infinite Canvas series remains theoretically unfinished, recognizing the potential for unending change.

The Infinite Canvas No. 2 is the series' second installment and takes the form of a set of portraits that undergo perpetual alteration. Each stage of the portrait is marked by a change in medium which is documented (either via a photograph if in a physical medium or a saved file if digital). Print, paint, draw, digitally draw, project, photograph, draw, etc... ad infinitum. Through this imposition I hope to test my own limits as to how long I can continually manipulate an image. Portraits are chosen because of their ability to remain recognizable in almost any form; an eye or a nose can indicate so much to a viewer. The choice of a portrait anticipates the potential difficulties of retaining likeness and evoking feeling as the constant layering muddies the work.

To display this on-going work, each portrait is turned into a series of looping animated GIFs that run through each successive change in medium. By documenting each step of material change viewers can see the dramatic shifts that each portrait underwent to reach their current states. This further cements the work as a celebration of process.

Project Introduction:
In order to document and show the many stages of process, the portraits will be captured at each stage (a photograph for a physical process or a saved file for a digital process. To display the work, the animated GIFs will be projected in single-channel on a white wall. To accompany the digital work, a poster showing a thumbnail grid of all the stages of each portrait will be hung alongside the projection. As the series continues, the grid grows in size.

Background:
The idea for the Infinite Canvas comes from various places but three things were directly inspirational to the project. The first was The Mystery of Picasso movie. Picasso’s ability to perpetually paint and reimagine a canvas seems almost magical. I aspire to this level of freedom and confidence in all of the Infinite Canvas pieces. The second influence was Matthew Barney's Drawing Restraint series in which he gives himself a challenge or restraint to overcome in order to make the drawing. My constraints are the infinite process and the portrait. Each work must continue to go on, ad infinitum while maintaining the form of the portrait to varying degrees of abstraction. The third impetus was social media. The first Infinite Canvas project, @infinite_canvas, was born out of the question, "how do I meaningfully engage with social media?". I had the idea to make a piece of work on Instagram that overcame the challenge of the grid while also allowing me to work in two mediums I enjoy — collage and drawing.

In my continual research of process-based art, Artie Vierkant's "Image Objects" series came to my attention. These works continually evolve through an iterative process that goes between digital files and physical objects and have given me a host of ideas for potential new works within my Infinite Canvas series.

Work Plan:
The project starts with(6, 9 or 12 TBD) photographed full-frontal portraits on a white background with a single light source. All portraits will undergo the same changes in medium in the same order. The order of change (from printing, to drawing, to painting etc...) is not set in stone, but all portraits will follow the same order. Here is a potential series of changes as an example of the process:

This process can go on forever. New mediums can be added to the process. The portraits are never finished. However, they can be displayed at any given time. The project requires a camera, a projector and white wall for installation and the pre-printed poster. It is important to keep an organized system to document the series as it grows in stages. The infinite process is also an exercise in archiving. Each stage of the process adds another image which is added to the animation of the portrait - the animations are an archive themselves. Furthermore, the grid of images grows in sequence, representing a complete archive of the entire process.

Sources:
Matthew Barney - Drawing Restraint series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83WTxmkye04)

Picasso - The Mystery of Picasso (1956) (Clouzot, H. (Director). (n.d.). Le Mystère Picasso (1956) [Video file]. In Http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049531/. ) -

Vierkant, Artie. Image Objects. http://artievierkant.com/imageobjects.php. Prints on aluminum composite panel, altered documentation images. 2011 - ongoing.

November 29 - This week was slower with Thanksgiving break but I've passed the number of iterations done on my midterm and have some strong ideas for moving forward with the portraits. I will make a lot of progress this weekend.

We read an article in Art History class about Harm van dan Dorpel's ongoing project Death Imitates Language. He uses algorithm's and artistic selection to create an on-going series of abstract images. This project is about the artist's own taste, although the algorithm and the way in which he seems to select does not result in any sort of "refinement". The algorithm and the artist just go in a state of perpetual growth but not towards some end. That's certainly an infinite process, though one in which you are left wanting. Nonetheless, many of the images are striking, and their sheer volume and specificity to his aesthetic make for a body of work that can be mesmerizing.

November 22nd, 2016
I moved from digital to the physical this week and also organized all of the images into folders, noting the medium/brushed used for each step. Staying ahead of that is important because it was very time consuming and boring. I plan to research process-based art over the break and start a research section. I think that it will take the form of a knowledge base with tags. It will go in to a larger project of creating a database for all of my research topics in grad school. I hope for this to someday be a personal library or personal knowledge base as they currently call it. I've downloaded the application "Day One" which crosses over between devices so that no matter where I save, I can add text, tags, images. http://dayoneapp.com/

Installation Plans (scroll through gallery below):

REVISED STATEMENT

The Infinite Canvas No. 2 is the series' second installment and takes the form of a set of nine, 3/4-view portraits that undergo perpetual alteration. Each stage of the portrait is marked by a change in medium which is documented (either via a photograph if in a physical medium or a saved file if digital). Print, paint, draw, digitally draw, project, photograph, draw, etc... ad infinitum. Through this imposition I hope to test my own limits as to how long I can continually manipulate an image. Portraits are chosen because of their ability to remain recognizable in almost any form; an eye or a nose can indicate so much to a viewer. The choice of a portrait anticipates the potential difficulties of retaining likeness and evoking feeling as perpetual process threatens to muddy the work.

Sources:
Matthew Barney - Drawing Restraint series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83WTxmkye04)

Picasso - The Mystery of Picasso (1956) (Clouzot, H. (Director). (n.d.). Le Mystère Picasso (1956) [Video file]. In Http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049531/. ) -

Vierkant, Artie. Image Objects. http://artievierkant.com/imageobjects.php. Prints on aluminum composite panel, altered documentation images. 2011 - ongoing. (In my continual research of process-based art, Artie Vierkant's "Image Objects" series came to my attention. These works continually evolve through an iterative process that goes between digital files and physical objects and have given me a host of ideas for potential new works within my Infinite Canvas series.)

This first week I took photos of the subjects I'm going to use. After looking at all of the photos, I am going to use the 3/4 perspective.

Photoshoot for the series.  I'm going to use the 3/4 view. — Photoshoot for the series. I'm going to use the 3/4 view.

Project Title: Infinite Canvas No. 2

Abstract:
The Infinite Canvas is an ongoing series of distinct works that continually evolve. The title implies the rules of the game: infinite = process and canvas = visual. As such, each work in the Infinite Canvas series remains theoretically unfinished, recognizing the potential for unending change.

To display this on-going work, each portrait is turned into a series of looping animated GIFs that run through each successive change in medium. By documenting each step of material change viewers can see the dramatic shifts that each portrait underwent to reach their current states. This further cements the work as a celebration of process.

Project Introduction:
In order to document and show the many stages of process, the portraits will be captured at each stage (a photograph for a physical process or a saved file for a digital process. To display the work, the animated GIFs will be projected in single-channel on a white wall. To accompany the digital work, a poster showing a thumbnail grid of all the stages of each portrait will be hung alongside the projection. As the series continues, the grid grows in size.

Background:
The idea for the Infinite Canvas comes from various places but three things were directly inspirational to the project. The first was The Mystery of Picasso movie. Picasso’s ability to perpetually paint and reimagine a canvas seem almost magical. I aspire to this level of freedom and confidence in all of the Infinite Canvas pieces. The second influence was Matthew Barney's Drawing Restraint series in which he gives himself a challenge or restraint to overcome in order to make the drawing. My constraint is the infinite process. Each work must continue to go on, ad infinitum. The third impetus was social media. The first Infinite Canvas project, @infinite_canvas, was born out of the question, "how do I meaningfully engage with social media?". I had the idea to make a piece of work on Instagram that overcame the challenge of the grid while also allowing me to work in two mediums I enjoy — collage and drawing.

Work Plan: The project starts with(6, 9 or 12 TBD) photographed full-frontal portraits on a white background with a single light source. All portraits will undergo the same changes in medium in the same order. The order of change (from printing, to drawing, to painting etc...) is not set in stone, but all portraits will follow the same order. Here is a potential series of changes as an example of the process:

This process can go on forever. New mediums can be
One of the full-frontal portrait used to start the project. (Lloyd_01). added to the process. The portraits are never finished. However, they can be displayed at any given time.
The project requires a camera, a projector and white wall for installation and the pre-printed poster. It is important to keep an organized system to document the series as it grows in stages. The infinite process is also an exercise in archiving. Each stage of the process adds another image which is added to the animation of the portrait - the animations are an archive themselves. Furthermore, the grid of images grows in sequence, representing a complete archive of the entire process.

Sources:
Matthew Barney - Drawing Restraint series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83WTxmkye04)

Picasso - The Mystery of Picasso (1956) (Clouzot, H. (Director). (n.d.). Le Mystère Picasso (1956) [Video file]. In Http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049531/. ) -

Lloyd_01 - Sample starting portrait for project.

Proposed Work Schedule

8-9

Initial Proposal, Photograph subjects in my studio on white background

Decide on number of portraits to be used, make initial stages 1-5

Portrait work stages 5-10, new statement

Portrait work stages 10-15, new statement

Portrait work stages 15-25

Portrait work stages 25-35, print grind, premier projector set up for final showing

Infinite Canvas No. 2 - Final Midterm

Broderick Shoemaker - Project 1, Statement 2, Working Critique, DIAP 2016

Project Title: Infinite Canvas No. 2

Abstract:
The Infinite Canvas is an ongoing series of distinct works that continually evolve. Each piece can potentially change forever. The title implies the rules of the game: infinite = process and canvas = visual. As such, each work in the Infinite Canvas series remains theoretically unfinished.

The Infinite Canvas No. 2 is the series' second installment and takes the form of a set of portraits that undergo perpetual alteration. Each stage of the portrait is marked by a change in medium which is documented (either via a photograph if in a physical medium or a saved file if digital). Print, paint, draw, digitally draw, project, photograph, draw, etc... ad infinitum. Through this imposition of constraints I hope to test my own limits as to how long I can continually manipulate an image. Portraits are chosen because of their ability to remain recognizable in almost any form; an eye or a nose can indicate so much to a viewer. The choice of a portrait anticipates the potential difficulties of retaining likeness and evoking feeling as the constant layering muddies the work.

Project Introduction:
In order to document and show the many stages of process, the portraits will be captured at each stage (a photograph for a physical process or a saved file for a digital process. To display the work, the five animated GIFs will be projected in single-channel on a white wall just as five paintings would be hung. To accompany the digital work, a poster showing a thumbnail grid of all the stages of each portrait will be hung alongside the projection. As the series continues, the grid grows in size.

Background:
The idea for the Infinite Canvas comes from various places but three things were directly inspirational to the project. The first was The Mystery of Picasso movie. Picasso’s ability to perpetually paint and reimagine a canvas seem almost magical. I aspire to this level of freedom and confidence in all of the Infinite Canvas pieces. The second influence was Matthew Barney's Drawing Restraint series in which he gives himself a challenge or restraint to overcome in order to make the drawing. My constraint is the infinite nature of each project. They must continue to go on, ad infinitum. The third inspiration is social media. The first Infinite Canvas project, @infinite_canvas, was born out of the question, "how do I meaningfully engage with social media?". I had the idea to make a piece of work on Instagram that overcame the challenge of the grid while also allowing me to work in two mediums I enjoy — collage and drawing.

Work Plan: I will create five 8.5" x 11" portraits, based on the photographs. Each work in the series will begin with a frontal frontal portrait printed in color on paper. All five portraits will undergo the same changes in medium in the same order. The order of change (from printing, to drawing, to painting etc...) is not set in stone, but all five of the portraits will follow the same order. Here is a potential series of changes as an example of the process:

This process can go on forever. New mediums can be added to the process. The portraits are never finished. However, they can be displayed at any given time. They will be projected in a gallery space as animated GIFs with an accompanying thumbnail grid containing all the stages of all five portraits.

The project requires a projector, a clean white wall and the pre-printed grid poster. It is important to keep an organized system to document the series as it grows in stages. The infinite process is also an exercise in archiving. Each stage of the process adds another image which is added to the animation of the portrait. Furthermore, the grid of images grows in sequence, representing a complete archive of the process itself.

Sources:
Matthew Barney - Drawing Restraint series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83WTxmkye04)

Picasso - The Mystery of Picasso (1956) (Clouzot, H. (Director). (n.d.). Le Mystère Picasso (1956) [Video file]. In http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049531/

Screen Shot 2016-10-25 at 2.41.47 PM.png

Infinite Canvas No. 2 - Week 3

PROCESS LIST:

1. Print images on 8.5 x 11" paper
2. Pen contour drawing over images
3. Watercolor over pen contour
4. Acrylic markers (white and orange)
5. Print over images
6. Shapes over faces in black marker
7. iPad Pen Brush - detailed line contours within faces
8. iPad airbrush white lines between shapes
9. iPad Acrylic Brush - blue and brown
10. iPad Cotton Brush - clothes and background
11. iPad charcoal drawing
12. iPad concrete brush

Broderick Shoemaker - Project 1, Statement 2, Working Critique, DIAP 2016

Project Title: Infinite Canvas No. 2

Abstract:
Infinite Canvas is an ongoing series of distinct works that continually evolve. Each piece can potentially change forever. The title implies the rules of the game, so to speak: infinite = process and canvas = visual. As such, each work in the Infinite Canvas series remains theoretically unfinished.

The Infinite Canvas No. 2 is the second installment of this ongoing series and takes the form of a series of portraits. Each stage of the portrait is marked by a change in medium. Print, paint, draw, print, project, photograph, draw, etc... ad infinitum. Through this imposition of constraints I hope to test my own limits as to how long I can continually manipulate an image. Portraits are chosen because of their ability to remain recognizable in almost any form; an eye or a nose can indicate so much to a viewer. The choice of a portrait anticipates the potential difficulties of retaining likeness and evoking feeling as the constant layering muddies the work.

Project Introduction:
In order to document and show the many stages of process, at each step the portraits will be photographed. The portraits will be displayed with an accompanying stop-motion of their evolution up until their current form. By documenting each step of material change viewers can see the dramatic shifts that each portrait underwent to reach their current states. This further cements the work as a celebration of process.

Background:
The idea for the Infinite Canvas comes from various places but three things were directly inspirational to the project. The first was The Mystery of Picasso movie. His ability to perpetually paint and reimagine a canvas seem almost magical. I aspire to this level of freedom and confidence in all of the Infinite Canvas pieces. The second influence was Matthew Barney's Drawing Restraint series, in which he gives himself a challenge or restraint to overcome in order to make the drawing. My constraint is the infinite nature of each project. They must continue to go on, ad infinitum. The third inspiration is social media. The first Infinite Canvas project, @infinite_canvas, was born out of the question, "how do I meaningfully engage with social media?". The idea came to me to make a piece of work on Instagram that overcame the challenge of the grid while also allowing me to work in at least a couple of mediums I enjoy — collage and drawing.

Work Plan: I will create five 8.5" x 11" portraits. Each one begins with a full-frontal portrait printed in color on paper. These five photos were all sent to be by friends at my request. All five portraits will undergo the same changes in medium in the same order. The order of change (from printing, to drawing, to painting etc...) is not set in stone, just that all five of the portraits will follow the same order. Here is a potential series of changes in order to give a better understanding of the process:

Print each photograph on 8.5" x 11" paper
Draw in pen on the print
Projection draw on top, photograph this step and print it out
Paint in acrylic over print
Draw in pen over acrylic
Airbrush over acrylic
Projection draw over this, photograph and print
This process can go on forever. New mediums can be added to the process. The portraits are never finished. However, the portraits can be displayed at any given time. They will be hung in a gallery space with an accompanying screen that runs through the stop-motions of the portraits' series of changes.

Sources:
Matthew Barney - Drawing Restraint series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83WTxmkye04)

Picasso - The Mystery of Picasso (1956) (Clouzot, H. (Director). (n.d.). Le Mystère Picasso (1956) [Video file]. In Http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049531/. ) -

Broderick Shoemaker - Project 1, Statement 2, Working Critique, DIAP 2016

Project Title: Infinite Canvas No. 2

Abstract: Infinite Canvas is an ongoing series of works that continually evolve. Each piece can potentially change forever. The title implies the rules of the game, so to speak: infinite = process and canvas = visual. As such, each work in the Infinite Canvas series remains theoretically unfinished.

The Infinite Canvas no. 2 is the second installment of this ongoing series and takes the form of a series of portraits. Each stage of the portrait is marked by a change in medium. Paint, Draw, Print, Project, Photograph, Draw, etc... ad infinitum. Through this imposition I hope to test my own limits as to how long I can continually manipulate an image as well as show the joy of process to the viewer.

Project Introduction: The portraits are displayed on white walls in a small gallery space. The stages of material change are documented at each step and displayed on a screen in the space so that viewers can see the dramatic shifts that each portrait went through to reach their current states.

Background: The impulse for creating the infinite canvas was my first installment, my Instagram account @infinite_canvas. From this starting point I saw that the interesting issue is the idea of an infinite_canvas in any manifestation. Infinite Canvas No. 2 moves away from the purely digital in to the realm of the material. The process and documentation create an archive that marks the changing visual state of the project. I anticipate that the portraits themselves will get quite messy and perhaps unrecognizable from stage to stage. The documentation then adds a lot to the final product as it gives people an idea of the work that went in to each one.

Work Plan: Pick the number of photographic portraits as a starting point. To begin, i am going to follow the same pattern of medium change for each piece in the series

Paint or draw a basic face of the portrait subject
Print photograph of subject over this
Paint or draw over the print
Projection draw on top, photograph
print the portrait
paint in acrylic over print
draw in pen over acrylic
airbrush over acrylic
etc...

What Do I Want to Accomplish: Challenge myself to make art under a constraint: in this case the imposition of requiring each step to be a change in medium. Make a finish product that someone would want to hang.

Sources: Matthew Barney - Drawing Restraint series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83WTxmkye04) - Barney imposed resistance in order to incorporate his body in to his work. For me, the idea of constant process with out finished product is the imposition I'm imposing upon myself. Each canvas at any given stage implies the next, the imposition is to eliminate "finished".

Picasso - The Mystery of Picasso (1956) (Clouzot, H. (Director). (n.d.). Le Mystère Picasso (1956) [Video file]. In Http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049531/. ) - Using a piece of class as his canvas, Picasso demonstrates his unparalleled ability to continuously manipulate an image with paint. He can seemingly keep on drawing with out pause forever.

"One Canvas" - My own idea of making a dramatic change to a canvas, taking a picture, and then painting more, taking a picture, ad infinitum.

The Infinite Canvas, Row 2, 2016.  @infinite_canvas — The Infinite Canvas, Row 2, 2016. @infinite_canvas

Broderick Shoemaker, Project 1 Proposal #1

Project Title: The Infinite Canvas
Abstract: In an effort to re-engage with social media in a way that could honestly hold my attention, I invented the Infinite Canvas. It is an experiment with the visual restrictions of the Instagram grid and a playground for all of the media that sits unused in my phone. It is my public mind map: a never-ending collage that merges, mixes and distorts art, objects and things I find going about the world and the web; an ongoing catharsis, it is a means to splurge the baggage that builds up in my head from this over-connected and over-exposed world.

Project Introduction: Project the Infinite Canvas as a scrolling stream stream on to the walls of a small space. If there is a way to add an interactive element, I would want to update the canvas in real time and add to it, giving people an idea of how I construct it. An additional interactive element would be giving people the ability to send me photos which I then incorporate on to the canvas.

Background: This is a way to take the on-going Canvas work to another level. The never-ending nature of the collage lends itself well to large scale display and video looping.

Work Plan: Right now I take all photos on my iPhone 6. I own one projector, perhaps more are needed. Computer. Photoshop. Wacom Tablet.

What do I want to accomplish: Expand people's idea of collage, Instagram/internet usage and the way we use the virtual information we accumulate on our phones. To give a memorable experience that people generally like.

Sources: Wordpress Instagram widgets for auto scrolling the projection. (Wordpress.org). Bruce Conner Breakway, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4ASVVmIHqU

Other ideas I haven't hashed out at all: Make some prints of individual rows, areas or new mash-ups of several areas on the canvas. Give them away as posters or sell them as individual pieces. This takes the whimisical, meta-appropriation to an even deeper level.

@infinite_canvas, row 1, my on-going digital art project.

Assignment 1 - Artist Statement About a Recent Project & Presentation

In an effort to re-engage with social media in a way that could honestly hold my attention, I invented the Infinite Canvas. It is an experiment with the visual restrictions of the Instagram grid and a dumping ground for all of the media that would otherwise sit unused in my phone. It is my public mind map: a never-ending collage that merges, mixes and distorts art, objects and things I find going about the world and the web; an ongoing catharsis, a means to splurge the baggage that builds up in my head from this over-connected and over-exposed world.