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Vibrations from Trees
(Cubes 2010)
Mike Bromage
Introduction
Initial Proposal
During the development of my work over the last year I have found that honesty is the key area of art that interests me, the transparency of artists I admire (such as Picasso, Matisse) and my personal development regarding use of materials are two of the main factors that play a part in this. My plan for the final module of the course is to spend a brief period of experimentation in staged processes, utilising the cognitive behavioural methods that I began to work with during my thesis module, which I found not only assisted me in producing transparently honest work, but also provided a catharsis to my mental health problems which are often very much a barrier to enabling honesty and lack of inhibition. The staged processes that I want to explore are a form of primitive screen printing, work with sound and Ceramics. I am choosing not to work with painting on this module because due to the negative reaction to my painting work at my last assessment and the nature of my illness it seemed as if it would be counter productive to the cathartic element of producing the work. My key areas of research will be in folk art, outsider art and the work of Picasso and Matisse. The particular interest I have in both these artists and groups is the need to make work, the way that the work is totally reflective of their mental state and in many cases disregards convention, not necessarily by subversion, but by either disregard of rules that become barriers to their creative instinct and expression, or an inability to use any other language. Once I have established which medium is best suited to the creative substitution theory in this stage of its application, I intend to explore its potential in regards to scale and produce a large body of work in line with the framework of the medium.
The Theoretical basis for my work was a practice-led theory called Creative Substitution, which was something that I established during this year and submitted as my thesis module. The body of work is totally different, but I found the alchemic process that I developed to be incredibly productive. With a longer period of time in which to work and a different medium (ceramic instead of painting) to use within it’s framework, I thought it would be an exciting end to the degree year and a development of a way of working which I plan to utilise in the future.
Process
Introduction (Regarding material)
For my work in this project I have chosen to focus on ceramics. I plan to produce a series of slab built forms that will be decorated with coloured slip clay. Clay is a fascinating material to work with on many levels and requires a huge amount of discipline and concentration, especially in the construction of the kind of forms that I plan to produce. There is a response to glazed ceramics in the viewer that I find intriguing from a personal perspective and that of an observational one, in that the nature of the material encourages an emotional response through the resonance that is provoked by not only the visual aesthetic but also by touch. There is so much to connect ceramics with the viewer, as it is such a widely used domestic material with such a myriad of different purposes. A material with so many connotations is important to use, because it allows the viewer to connect with the work on a level beyond the superficial and beyond their interest in the style of decoration. The solidity of the form and the fired clay’s reaction to the physical environment in which it is displayed is comforting because it could be a teapot, or a morning bowl of cereal, but it is exciting or conflicting because the form is actually functionless in a domestic sense.
Initially working with the clay itself there is a strong sense of the natural earth with it, being part of the ground and coming from a totally different point in the development of our planet. The construction process tries to make it become something else, but it is still in essence mud. There is a strong feeling in working with clay that the material must be respected, the process of creating the forms is deeply involved and a balance must be developed within yourself and the working environment where you can be confident enough to make decisions, but delicate enough not to damage what you are doing. This obviously can be applicable with most working environments, but I have yet to work with one that has such polar opposites with such definite consequences.
Theoretical Basis (Creative Substitution)
Parameters
Before I discuss the content of the practical work and critically reflect upon it, firstly I want to establish the basis for and theoretical underpinning of the project.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is defined as an Anxiety Disorder[1] where the patient experiences obsessions (defined as persistent, often irrational and seemingly uncontrollable thoughts) and compulsions (actions which are used to neutralise the obsessions). For these behaviours to constitute OCD it must be disruptive to everyday functioning[2]. For the purpose of this project I want to focus on the compulsive ritual fulfilment element of the disorder (the following are the established criteria for diagnosis, which are an important factor in gaining a theoretical working understanding of the illness).
1) The actions are repetitive and formalized.
2) The patient feels driven to perform them.
3) The acts are performed to reduce distress, and are not ends in themselves.
4) The patient may recognize the behavior is unreasonable and unrealistic.
5) The patient finds the behavior to be disturbing and attempts to resist and/or avoid situations where ritualizing will become necessary.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) is described by the mental health charity MIND as “a short term talking treatment that has a highly practical approach to problem solving. It aims to change patterns of thinking or behaviour that are behind people’s difficulties, and so change the way they feel.” [3] CBT is used to provide relatively fast relief to a variety of patients and can be utilized with a psychoanalytic approach to provide very successful long-term solutions to people suffering from mental illness.
Exposure and Response Prevention
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that works by facing your fears in a prolonged period of contact until the anxiety reduces naturally and not responding to the urge to use safety-seeking behaviours. The theory behind this is that by deliberately and repeatedly facing the fears and obsession and not responding to them, you will become used to them and your fear will subside. [4]
Creative Substitution
Creative Substitution is a purely theoretical idea that I have designed, which adopts the idea that by utilising the creative process a degree of catharsis could be produced regardless of the subject matter. This would need to be developed over time, with a great deal of perseverance in order to become an effective resource as many of the rituals that it would be intended to substitute have also evolved over a long period of time and are of great significant to the patient. This would be achieved by implementing a step-by-step process that would appease the need to fulfil the ritual in a non-damaging way. This theory would be used as a stopgap in a long process of developing ERP to no longer seek anything to appease the patient’s fears.
Creative Substitution (Results in painting)
In order to prepare this theory for a practical application to ceramics I need to assess how the original outline was implicated in painting. While the original utilization of this theory was simpler because of the ability to adapt the painting environment to suit the ERP element, the ceramic environment is less flexible. With painting, the goal I set out was to provide something helpful as a substitute to the ritual, but in doing so essentially ritualised the painting process and when the desired results were not achieved the symptoms actually increased, so from that aspect the project had not succeeded. What I concluded was that much more relevant is the idea of Creative Distraction as opposed to a substitution; a controlled painting process within the theoretical constructs of Exposure and Response Prevention, but one that puts the significance into positive creative action, rather than ritualistic production. Below are the Creative substitution steps with application to painting.
Creative Substitution Steps with application to painting
Prerequisites
1- Prime Canvasses at a time when symptoms are minimal and there has been no established contamination.
2- Square ‘contamination area’ in which the materials do not leave and are not interfered with before or after contamination has occurred, essentially an area that can be entered and exited with minimal surface contact.
Process
Step 1 – Exposure to minor contamination
Step 2 – Ritual Prevention via substitution i.e. perform action (paint, ink)
Step 3 – Varnish image to seal
However, in a working ceramic studio elements of control are not always possible, especially when working with other people. Therefore there became a need to assess the mood and try to plan openly when to work within the parameters of the material and not cause myself an overt level of distress. This essentially called for a re examination of how this process could be separated to fit with the mood on the particular day, which while using a ERP framework for the decoration of the cubes was entirely possible, the construction element was however not.
This lead to the development of having to reach an understanding within myself in an effort to predict time periods when I would be effective at not only construction, but also decoration. To make this less complicated I call this the ‘Two states’ element.
The ‘Two states’ element
Within this element of self-assessment there are two basic elements: order and disorder. When "I" am in order (being on a more stable footing with the obsessive compulsive section of my illness), decoration and construction are ‘disordered’. The work flows and I can decorate with colour, construct the slab forms and draw with a relative level of inhibition. However, whenever "I" am in a state of disorder (at a level of unmanageable distress), the level of honesty becomes problematic, especially when I am trying to continue a painting or object that has begun in the other state, effectively making the work dishonest and unsatisfactory. The advantage of this stage is that it makes my work very anal and perfectionist (a state that is perfect for the polishing of the form). The acceptance of these two different states requires that I examine the abilities that I possess while in a state of disorder. These abilities are not lacking in imagination or execution, but possess a totally different quality, being centered in repetition, in images, motifs and tonal language.
Step 1 – Roll Slab (possible in either of two states)
Step 2 – Construct rough form (possible in either of two states)
Step 3 – Polish form (ordered)
Step 4 - Application of Coloured Slip (via narrative constraints and subject matter, or by instinctive reaction via music and mood) (disordered)
Step 5 – Slip draw detail (disordered)
Step 6 – Biscuit Fire (NA)
Step 7 – Glaze (NA)
Step 9 – Glaze Fire (NA)
The constrictions and freedoms of the ceramic environment makes the Creative substitution process one of less immediacy and draws the focus away from the original construction of the ERP framework, which as the cubes developed became more apparent. The Theory takes in a broader and more therapeutic role than the intentional contamination and imposed creative relief and allows more to work with the body and mind on a long-term basis, and as a result of this I think the work has improved, as has my health. The concept (but not necessarily the theory) that originally began this process of working was flawed (as detailed above), which I had already acknowledged and had been utilising the more relevant ‘creative distraction’ process. The implication of working within the abilities that the two different states of being enabled, without trying to force myself or re-ritualise was a huge improvement and lead to an interesting development in the cubes.
Evaluation
When I began this project the goal was to further expand upon the resource, based around the idea that a creative process could be used to provide relief from the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In evaluating the outcome of the project it is essential to accept and name factors that would have affected the results.
Co morbidity
As with most mental illnesses, OCD comes with a myriad of co-morbid conditions such as Mysophobia, Body Dysmorphia, Compulsive skin picking, Delayed sleep phase syndrome and Depression. When trying to factor in these elements in conjunction with creative distraction, it makes creating a working environment more difficult, not to mention the changes in the severity of the symptoms. However, working on a widened time and focus scale, these elements have been much more manageable than previously when I have tried to implicate a step by step resource.
Self Help
During the time I have been trying to construct and put this theory into practise, I have had the advantage of being able to get a greater understanding of the elements of this illness through my therapy with a psychotherapist, but I have undertaken this process entirely detached from that. The reason this is of note is that while I have gathered information from this resource to inform what I have tried to undertake, this has essentially been a piece of self help and therefore is open to the disadvantages of trying to treat oneself.
Full Disclosure
Due to the nature of my illness I have not be able to disclose certain elements of the exposure that I undertook, which while is not vital to this report on the project, does leave a bit of a gap in the evaluation of whether certain elements have being successful or not.
Conclusion
In evaluating a project such as this, I need to examine whether or not I achieved my original goals and examine how they have evolved as the process and work have developed. The initial period of experimentation in regards to which medium I would approach for the final idea was important and interesting, because it gave me the opportunity to expand my research into other areas of the creative arts that I had little or no experience in, such as sound (which I don’t believe is a medium that I will thrive with at this point in time) and print work. Despite the enjoyment of experimenting with anything new, neither experiment was something with which I would be able to thoroughly explore in order to get results regarding the theoretical basis at this time.
Ceramics was the only option regarding the progression of this theory that was practically viable, with regards to viewer and context, as the sound work was based in repetition, and produced a quite violent effect on the mind and that works in opposition to my desire to create a conscious or subconscious connection via the familiar with the viewer of the work. The Staged element of the ceramic process was the origin of my original foray into Creative Substitution / Distraction but I had not previously envisioned a way (prior to the Two States element) that the construction / creative process could co exist within the confines of essentially what was to be a therapeutic resource. In that sense I feel like this has been successful, as with time and self-awareness I have managed to develop a good working relationship with the process and the requirement of the material.
I found working with clay exciting, challenging and exact, and as the project progressed I found that my skill level increased dramatically as my confidence with the material improved. Aside from the contexts of the materials uses historically and contemporarily and the aspect of tactile familiarity, I found that immersing myself in such a physically and emotionally demanding process led to a very natural evolution of ideas as well as developing practical skills that will transfer to other areas of my practice in the future.
With regards to producing an effective body of work, I believe that I have achieved this, via a lot of hard work and experimentation. All the while this has been informed by my research into the lives and processes of Matisse and Picasso, into the writings of Kandinsky[5] and my pursuit of finding ‘outsider’ artists such as Mikey Welsh, Michael Hoffee and Greg Anke. The work I have produced has merit within ceramics because of the construction of the forms and the skill and time involved and quality of production, but also the decoration is validated in its unflinchingly reactionary personal honesty, an honestly that is at the core of where I want to be as a person and an artist.
[1] In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders. 4th Edition. American Psychiatric Association. 1994.
[2] The example given by the APA cites an individual who has thoughts that he is dirty, infected, or otherwise unclean which are persistent and uncontrollable. In order to feel better, he washes his hands numerous times throughout the day, gaining temporary relief from the thoughts each time but washing to the point of excessive irritation of the skin, or creating an inability to perform everyday functions like work or school because of the obsessions or compulsions.
[3] www.mind.org.uk/help/medical [accessed 3.10.2010]
[4] Veale, D. and Willson, R. 2005. Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. 1st edition. UK. Constable and Robinson Ltd.
5. Kandinsky, W. 1977. Concerning the spiritual in art. 1st edition. Dover Publications Inc.
