Tiffin Breen

Introduction

For my graduate project I wish to complete and install a body of paintings that will be completed over the course of my two year study at Piet Zwart. Alongside the paintings I will create two publications and a series of video works. The paintings and one publication will be my contribution to the graduate exhibition.

I wish to take on research as a varied and constantly shifting way of approaching my work. I would like to begin by keeping track records of my studio practice and incorporate this into my final works. I hope that through the actual making and writing of my proposed projects, my starting point references ( taken from my first self evaluation writing) can be elaborated on or abandoned. The way I wish to contextualize this work is to think of what I have done - what I am drawn to - and my immediate surroundings.

Relation to previous practice

My research relates to my previous practice as it will be a way for me to continue further into the way I have been practicing. The way that I have learned best thus far and been fufilled by my practice has been to incorporate my references directly into the work rather than externalize them as a framing device that is not fused to the object or writing itself. I do not wish to write about the writing or about the paintings - I plan to create a new work that has the notions of my practice embedded within it.

Relation to a larger context

As part of my final project and writing component I will conduct a series of interviews with the students who I am working with - through these discussions I think that I will be able to understand the context that I am working within. By talking about and around the positioning of the other works and practices of the students in my year I think that I can better know my own. At the end of the year this publication will be available at the graduation exhibition as well.

My second writing component will be a series of short writing pieces in book format. These writings will be included as a studio and writing component of my final project. An important aspect of this writing will be reading my previous works ( writing and otherwise ) and thinking more about the directions that my Interim assessments presentations were leaning towards. The writing may prove to be analogous to my video and painting practices but could take a turn of sideswiping them and creating larger spaces between them.

Some questions that may help begin research:

How do the things that I am drawn to influence my work?

What are some of the similarities these things have?

What space was I in when my work was made? (this taken to be location, mood, immediate surroundings )

The feedback of the committee will be processed into the work and the questions raised by tutors will be considered and possibly incorporated along the way.

Practical Steps:

My practical steps will include planning a schedule for the production of the work. This includes the painting, video and writing components. A schedule for interviewing will be developed. A way of framing questions and discussion topics will come from the environment of the school, places students are from and interests / topics that come up through these conversations. Recording and transcribing the conversations will be the method that I will use to complete the text. Painting will be more heavily worked on and material considerations could be tracked and taken into consideration. With the painting I would like to consider further how the materials read and what qualities they have. I wish to observe the painting more closely.

Q:Why did I use that paint? A: A friend gave it to me.