MFA Wk 0 // Research Projection Exercise

Research projection 1 // What is the core conceptual and critical area in which you are working? We start with the most the most important and the most difficult question! Broadly speaking, I am interested in ecological thought and image-making; in examining how the perception of the natural world is framed conceptually, and/via the use of imagery and technology. What are the key ideas that connect to your practice? How would you describe the critical field that these ideas sit within? Where do these ideas come from (personally, culturally)? Interconnection, image, semiotics, digitality, perception and experience, exploration of boundaries and binaries, geological/non-human histories and existence… I am interested in perception and meaning-making – at present, specifically around how those of us living in modern capitalist societies interact with organic environments and ecology, and in turn the non-human entities that exist beyond ourselves. This includes investigating the concepts and language used to describe ourselves and other beings. I am interested in the role that imagery has in the conceptualisation of nature, specifically that from/via digital devices. Some of this interest draws on a curiosity about my city – having lived in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland all my life there is still a lot of it that is unfamiliar to me despite its proximity. As someone of Pākehā descent, I’m interested in examining colonial and capitalist ideologies around how land is viewed, and the impact such ideologies have had (and continue to have) environmentally. The effects of the recent pandemic – in particular hyperawareness of surroundings, the effects of a microscopic entity, and the impact of digital technology in daily life - have also contributed to these broad interests over the past few years. I think these thoughts sit within a growing field of concern and awareness around the impact of industrial human activity on the world. Aside from these things, underneath everything, I feel a lot of curiosity and wonderment towards the world and I want very much to explore that. You might begin to answer this by reflecting on the work you have produced previously and try to:

Consider where it could go next? Regarding On the horizon, just above the waves (2022), I think there is still potential to be found in the moving image/point cloud sequence concept - I can imagine this medium being used as an exploratory or narrative tool for further examination of specific sites or histories. Regarding the content of future works, continuing to explore micro-ecologies (lichen, bacteria, etc.), ecological relationships, environments, and spaces of regeneration or flux feels exciting to me - for example islands within the Hauraki Gulf, local bodies of water as ecological entities/sites, etc.…)

Identify points of interest that have been observed but not developed and suggest ways of expanding them further. Last year I began to delve into specific information around environment and place. I still feel there is more to explore along that line of investigation, whether around sites I’ve already researched or explored (Rangitoto) or other places and entities. While I began connecting this research to broader concepts around ecology, human interaction, and non-human existence in On the horizon, just above the waves (to planetary bodies, geology, etc.), it feels like I only just began to scratch the surface… After looking into the geological histories of Rangitoto and Manawatawhi, I kept coming back to thinking about the history of Auckland and the destruction of its many volcanoes to build the city during/following colonization. There’s still something in that that feels interesting to me – the idea of a city built on/of/from volcanoes… The geological connection between other sites, planets, objects, etc. is also something I’d like to return to – particularly the idea of rocks as having their own histories, roles in ecology, the idea of a non-static earth… There’s a temporal element to this that I think could be looked into further. How this could all be expanded upon, I am unsure as of yet. I think much of it would depend on outcome, intention, subject... On one hand, the idea of ecological interconnection lends itself to the process; on the other, I am conscious there is a risk of speaking too broadly and in the process losing footing a bit too much... Recall any discoveries in your practice that were never acted upon, do they offer any potential? How would you expand on them conceptually? Materially, I didn’t really have the capacity to explore some of the large-scale video installation ideas I had at the beginning of last year. I think revisiting some of my early experiments on this could be useful (for example the moving image experiment mustard, 2022, which was originally intended to be part of a larger video work). Content-wise, the found images sourced from NASA’s various explorations and the concept of ‘landscape’ projected through/around them is also still of interest to me – how we can view somewhere so distant, unvisited, yet already map and conceptualize what that place is via imagery… perhaps there could be something explored around this via found images. I think overall, beginning to delve into landscape more is going to be one avenue of research in future… Think outside your comfort-zone — ask yourself what if? What if I was to this, or that? What might the possible outcomes be? Remember this is hypothetical so don’t feel limited or self-conscious! What if I was to fill a room with vibrant projections of abstracted, macro perspectives of a space or subject? What if I flipped the audience’s relationship to scale and ecology, making them the smallest thing in the room in the process? What if I focused my energy on a singular project or two, building a body of work around one site, entity, event, and teasing out all as many of its complexities and connections as possible? What would happen if I used the land/site/environment/other beings/a non-human entity as a partner in creating work, allowing it control over material and presenting the outcome as a body of work? What if I start reaching out to collaborate and for help rather than trying to do or learn everything myself? What happens if I stop taking myself so seriously and permit myself the possibility of failure once in a while?? 2 // The potential of processes, media, materials and means. Hard to talk about before we begin, but as we know, materials and processes are conceptual too, and for many artists these can be a starting point and a continual driver for their practice. With that in mind:

What media/materials/processes have you used in the past that feel relevant to your current ideas? / Can you tease out your ongoing interest? The digital tools I was using throughout last year – LiDAR scanning, point clouds, Blender-centric creations, moving image – feel like accessible things at present. I had only just begun exploring longer duration video works, audio recording, and narrative writing at the end of last year – I think there are projects I could apply these things to further… I want to keep my options open, but beginning here feels like a good start, even if just from an observational/experimental/generative standpoint. After spending three days on Rangitoto Island, I think allowing myself extended periods of time in the places I explore is important. It gave me space from my usual environment and was a really useful time in terms of making, processing and planning work… Exploring such proximal yet isolated places is something I’d like to return to this year if I can. What media/materials/processes would you like to try if you weren’t worried about study, conceptual relevance, etc... Working with clay, earth, ceramics is something that’s been on my mind recently, as well as the idea of lichen or other plant materials as dye or mark-making sources. Utilizing the shoreline (or other liminal spaces) as a generator of mark-making also appeals, but I haven’t yet had the ability to explore these things beyond thought. I’d also really love to deepen my knowledge of photography - although I’ve been working primarily digitally and with photographs as part of my process recently, I feel there is still a lot for me to learn around the field. Regarding 3D rendering - sculpting and animation are areas I’d like to try more of; in terms of audio, playing with sound design and installation is another what if. I think I’m missing interacting with the spaces I’m investigating on a tangible physical level, although whether this is necessary conceptually for/in my work I’m not sure. I am lucky to have family members with ceramics knowledge – I intend on bugging them a lot this year! Do you have all the skills you need / is there anything you’d like to learn? There is always more I’d like to learn! In terms of the tools I use, I’m relatively familiar with the digital techniques I was using last year, but there is still a lot to learn about them (especially regarding Blender, audio mixing, moving image…). I tend to learn as I work – if there’s something I want or need to do, I tend to figure out how to do it as I go, then evaluate whether the outcome is doing what I need it to do to be effective or included… I am less good at directly reaching out to others for information; that’s something I want to push myself to do more of this year. I would like to improve my writing skills, particularly around creative/narrative writing. I feel like I began to explore this a little in my blog and end-of-year work, but still feel there’s a lot there to work on. It has been helpful for me both in processing ideas and as a component of my studio work. Spatial mapping for video projection and works across multiple screens are things I want to build some general knowledge and skills in. Can you identify any hurdles you might face this year?

• Self-doubt! I still at my core have this lingering feeling of “this is all a fluke and you’ve gotten lucky” – I need to really get past that and have a bit more faith in myself.

• Practical limitations: time limits, finances (currently job hunting), studio space (I don’t currently have one as my digital work set up is in my room, but will likely be converting a corner of my family’s garage into something useable in the next few weeks)

• Getting stuck in unhelpful patterns. Knowing myself, I am aware I can often get bogged down in overthinking, research, or theory work, sometimes at the expense of making. I work slowly, but I know I need to maintain a flow of creating and to not fall into this pitfall too much…

• General overwhelm or burnout…

• Physical limitations (health has been up and down, which can make exploring outdoor spaces difficult at times)

• Not being bold enough in my decision making; a fear of taking risks…
  

Make a brief list of likely texts, artworks, or other research material that relevant to your research (key influences, not an entire bibliography)

• Timothy Morton, Thinking Ecology

• Lucy Mackintosh, Shifting Grounds

• Lauren Greyson, Vital Reenchantment

• Scientific studies (around geology, micro-ecology, environments in Aotearoa, etc.)

• NASA’s exploration programs (imagery coming out Mars and lunar rovers, probes, satellites, etc.)

• NZ Geo, Nat Geo, etc.

• Pipilotti Rist

• Joyce Campbell

• Sorawit Songsataya

• Emily Simek

• Nicholas Mangan

• Semiconductor (artist duo)

• Alex Monteith (Deepwater Currents)

• Kate van der Drift (Soundings and Listing to a Wetland exhibitions)

Briefly, how do the items in the list above function connect to your practice? And how do they connect with / depart from each other?

Morton and Greyson’s respective writing has been useful to me conceptually in thinking about the themes I’m investigating around ecology. In the case of Mackintosh, her book around Auckland-specific sites and geological/cultural/spatial histories has been a recent interesting find; I really enjoy the depth in which she covers topics in the book and her writing style in general.

Science, NASA, NZ Geo, etc. – for ongoing engagement with scientific dialogue, events, discoveries; broadening my knowledge of nature, biology, geology, etc. Often these are great resources for bridging the gap between raw scientific information and understanding thanks to the narrative way in which many of the articles are written; or for conceptualizing broad ideas through specific case studies and examples.

Of the artists mentioned, despite their variations, most resonate with me due to their methodologies, perspectives (i.e. Rist on the camera, Semiconductor on technology and information), and/or the content of the works mentioned...