Having studied some aspects of brain functionality through a project on Parkinson's disease as well as looking into dyslexia, and also listening to teaching strategies and lessons in school, I am currently basing my research on coding. I have taken a large number of photographs of the school buildings (Kings and Castle) as well as spending some time in Estates looking at plans of the school and the changes which have taken place over the years.
I have spent some time in the Chapel at Castle and this has led me to see the school as a living organism with an ever changing physical structure as well as an evolving language (with 'do's' and 'dont's' which can be in written, verbal or visual forms).
From there, it feels necessary to understand how language first started and how we have become so prolific at deciphering different instructions. My current reads are:
- 'The secret of Codes by Paul Lunde'
- 'How to read a church' by Richard Taylor
- and 'the Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants' by Wolfgang Stuppy, Rob Kesseler and Madeline Harley
These are also being interrupted by reading the history of the school.
This should help me with the contextualising of my work and should enlighten me on the subject of language and organism evolution but also give me some very good basis for some artwork.
Just wanted to share a few samples of still images of my Parkinson's video, created two years ago. The video illustrated the difficulties of being diagnosed with Parkinson's with a music by Philip Glass from the play Einstein on the Beach, and I choose knee 5 for the video. I was given a licence by Philip Glass to publish the video and the music together for a month only, on the local Parkinson's website. I do not wish to show the video any longer as it fitted the music perfectly and I am no longer able to use the music due to copyright laws. The stills are still a powerful reminder of a devastating incurable illness but with a hope that stem cell research may offer some cure for it in the future.
With all this in mind, I have also started some sampling of shapes, materials and medium. I think I may use ink, a strong reminder of schooling and writing, though this maybe a little too 'Literal'. At this stage, it does not matter:
Hiya,
ReplyDeleteI like the idea for your theme.
Having been a student at the school, and my father was here before me, I understand the historical implications of what you discuss. Havin returned three years ago as a teacher I often have a sense of Berkhamsted being more than a school or an ethos - there is something here that is bound inextricably into the continuum of life itself. I'm teaching the sons and daughters of people I grew up with here, and that gives a fascinating context to the process of human development and reflection.
A couple of years ago I went through the archives and found material written by me in the 1980s and my dad in the 1950s. It was an unsettling experience, like bringing my past back from the dead, as well as a past for my father that I didn't really know! In some ways I felt like an intruder.
Anyway, best of luck with your project. I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops.
Sacha