Farewell Ruskin Hall

For this piece of work we were asked to use Ruskin Hall as the context. As in 2013 the building hosts an International School, and the Art and Design course moves to Margaret Street.

Ruskin Hall to me is merely a space in which I undertake my degree, the building itself has no influence on the way I work it is merely a host for exhibiting pieces.

I also feel making a piece of wok directly about Ruskin Hall is in some way negative, it is going against the ultimate evolution of change, which led to stagnation.

My piece of work looks at what I have taken from studying in Bournville. The jug an element from a previous piece of work. This is symbolic of a vessel, the porous element of my time within this space. The chocolate represents the knowledge I have obtain and sometimes the things that go missing which I sometimes wish I had remembered.

The perspex box represents Bournville as a ‘model town’

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Self Potrait

First off the self portrait was a golf ball. I thought this not only gave away as much about myself but was characteristic of my practice.

The golf ball symbolises organised structure, rules and regulations, which are themes within my life and work. I don’t believe art and life should be separate, although I like the audience to have a thought process when confronting my work, I don’t want things to be literal. This can les to questions of elitism, I know, but I feel using common mundane objects makes the work accessible to anyone.

Notions of traditionalism surround golf, and my way of life is not only traditional but could also be seen as conservative. There is an obvious fact with using the golf ball, that I come from St Andrews – the home of golf. I also work for the governing body for golf the R&A while I made the decision to go to Art College and still return during my holidays.

However starting a new chapter in my life has consequently made changes. Living in such a quintessential place, a moving to somewhere alone, knowing no one has asked for a lot of adapting.

Using the cup and saucer, which has been broken and glued back together shows the struggles I have let get to me but my persistence to over them. I have used tea. Because as already mentioned the notion of tradition, tea is a quintessential British drink. I also have the very British way of thinking; that a cuppa sorts anything.

I have chosen to display the work on a plinth because the piece would not be thought of as a piece of art as it has a use. By using the plinth I am elevating the work away from its common use, and asking people to questions it’s other Symbols now it is in this context.

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