I have been reviewing my practice and processes (yet again!). So much of it is about time. On the 8th of October I wrote about the relationship between time in a book with that of a film:

The difference between static artworks and moving image works can actually come through in the book and the artwork. It’s about fixed looking, being still and meditative and grounded. Compared with capturing external movement and change in short time-bursts. When a landscape is active and camera/viewer passive. 

I’m comparing that with these times of flux and change. As the landscape evolves it can be captured through time, but cannot be envisaged at this stage. So the story provides a timeline, time based writing. So the storyline provides a timeline with words. Imagining, and projecting, the future. 

The action of video filming shares with drawing the act of recording. The subtle changes of landscape are not so visible to those who experience them  daily. This is a bit like seeing your children growing up, but because you see them regularly you don’t notice the changes so easily. As a grandparent you do. You have time to notice.

Moving images, and static words, and the things in between  – time lapse or slo-mo. 

Time recorded, time experienced.

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The following notes are new today and arose because I found an unfinished drawing from a year ago yesterday, and it raised more thoughts about time. This writing is about the pull I have between working with different processes – and how they differ in terms of time and complexity:

DRAWING

I love having an ongoing drawing just waiting for me. It is slow art making. Paper size is limited by wall or floor space. All that is needed is paper, masking tape, charcoal, chalks, a wall, a hand, an eraser, some fixative. They can just lie around for as long as you like!

PAPER LITHO PRINTS

I also love the print process. The paper litho process I use  is time-bound by its process. The size of the work is limited to A3 by laser copy process*. Drawing with litho crayon is not limited by paper size, but is by press size. The artwork needs computer time to modify the image. It only works with fresh laser copies, which involves ordering from glos and fetching them. And they need to be used up quite quickly. The gum arabic and shellac need time to dry, but not too long or they spoil. They can be printed by hand using a baren, or on a press. For printing there are water trays for soaking paper, and draining it, and blotting paper sheets. There’s mixing ink, extender, rollers, spatulas, plate for rolling, copious amounts of newspaper, tissue etc. And rag. And sponges. Bowls of water. Drying time pressed between boards. Then all must be cleaned up with oil, rag, and a degreasing agent. Then repeat. 

*they can be tiled or collaged of course.