Self Directed Brief: The Beginning / My Ideas

For my self directed brief, I want to focus on the art of protest and translating the idea of protest into my practice. I want to focus on acts of protest such as the motives that people may use as forms of disruptive protesting, such as rioting, burning things, shouting, damaging things or ruining things. I want to relate these forms of protest to the political and historical events of Northern Ireland, ranging from happenings from 'The Troubles', the recent collapse of our government, the idea of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland due to the recent 'Brexit' talks, and also issues highlighting womens' rights, such as the right to abortion. I also want to highlight the disruptive elements of events that take place in Northern Irish culture such as 'The Twelfth of July'.

I want this new body of work to reflect the juxtaposition of the beautiful aspects of Northern Ireland, and its disruptive politics, and sometimes disruptive culture, and for it to become a means of protest against these disruptive events; almost as if I am interrupting the original sampling done in Colour and Nature with violent or disruptive means of creating/sampling that represent protest. I hope that this interruption will signify to my audience a personal mean of protest against certain political values and events that take place in Northern Ireland, to represent that I feel the amazing parts of our culture and the beauty of our little green country often can become overshadowed by the negative issues that are highlighted in the news and media.

I intend to incorporate some text and words into my work, but very subtly, as I don't want my work to take on the appearance of banners that would be used in protest to allow my work to reflect more the acts of protest. I am intrigued how these 'acts' will influence my sampling and I'm excited for the textures, feel and look that this will bring to my work. I want to focus on using fabrics, media and material that will react to heat and fire, allowing me to use many forms of mixed media influences. I intend to create large scale paintings and tapestries and potential sculptural pieces from these materials inspired by imagery from Northern Ireland, and then let them be 'interrupted' by these acts of protest.

I also like the idea of my work becoming interactive, inviting people to throw stuff at my work or to damage it and potentially set it on fire; I would then document this creating a series of stills or video pieces to go alongside an installation. Furthermore, I would then like to try and piece these samples or works back together in a montage/collage type style to become part of an installation also.