My intention with this piece was to transform the ordinary into something unexpected through documentary film making. The everyday work of an artist is elevated to the level of performance. Through the lens of vintage educational films, a conversation with the process of art making is begun. Our focus is usually on finished objects, while the steps taken to create that object are left out of the conversation. I’ve reversed this process to underline the details that make the whole and to share the haptic nature of my art practice.
The Greek proverb “no day without a line” refers to the repetitive nature of this practice. By showing up and doing the work everyday, skills are honed and the finished pieces become more resolved. In this case, line is created physically and metaphorically by the hands and arms moving across the ironing board, pulling a scraper across a silk screen or smoothing out and pinning a piece of fabric. By moving the body in a linear way, the idea of line is extended out of the artwork and into the body of the artist.
The filming style and music is a mash up vintage educational films and contemporary how-to videos. However, unlike these references, this film does not show all of the steps needed to create a particular work. This is not a how-to video. Referencing Richard Serra’s Verb List from 1968, the process is the focus. The close up view further removes the context and focuses on the movements of the body. A glimpse of the artist in their natural environment is also drawing on Canadian educational films from the eighties like the Hinterland Who’s Who series. The spontaneity and unselfconscious nature of the movements and the film making suggest a glimpse of the artist in their natural environment.