Some points/observation from today’s presentation by Fiona Grady and Daniel Silva.
They’re full-time fine artists with different ways of tackling different projects/brief. Fiona, who is more on the commercial side with commissions and clients, tend to have a more structural research process. She is usually given a space, an expectation or a material that she has to work with or work towards. Fiona starts with understanding the environment/client then experimenting with the materials until she comes up with a proposal or a mock up then she install the artwork. The space she has to work with seems like a huge part in her creation.
On the other hand, Daniel Silva, a less commercial artist, tend to use his intuition more than anything else. He seems to be inspired by the resources around him and use it to his advantage. A key part of his work ( especially the residency in Onomichi ) is the local techniques and materials that he can find. He’s very material-based and seems to allow the environment to fully infuse with his work. As his works are backed up by investors, he can work freely and expectations are different than Fiona’s.
In conclusion: How you research depends on circumstances. In the end, you have to come up with good work.
Some tips from both artists:
- AFTER FINISHING A PROJECT, REFLECT FIRST THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PROJECT.
- WORK TOGETHER. Science / Philosophy / Art goes hand in hand
- CROSS CATEGORIES CAN WORK.
- SEEK OUT YOUR INTERESTS.
- GET SOME ARTIST FRIENDS.
- DON’T OVERTHINK. It keeps us from actually creating.
td @ ual 