Task 01 - Verb

Initial Ideas / Approaches

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• Chosen Verb - Initially, I had selected the verb "to mark," which evoked the concept of leaving traces on surfaces. However, throughout the development of the work I refined this to "to step," which would emphasise the embodied action of walking and the physical act of stepping and interacting with the ground surface.

• This lead me to take consideration a particular kind of a tool or material in which to generate this embodied act of stepping, I then chose shoes and the image of a footprint or shoe scuff.

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• Symbolic Shoes - I chose the black Nike Air Force One shoes due to their cultural resonance and personal significance. These shoes represent a nostalgic connection to my teenage years, serving as a recognisable icon that invites viewers to engage with their own memories and experiences.​

   

How I Developed This into My Final Work​​

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Material Selection - 

• Black Nike Shoes chosen for their iconic status and personal relevance, they embody my history, the journeys and steps I have taken in the journey of life as well as the cultural narrative of youth.

• Cotton Sheet; this surface acts as the canvas and limited space of interaction for mark-making, allowing for a tactile and visual exploration of the imprints created across a set period of time.

• Ground Charcoal was selected after realising the there a need for a dirt or pigment to be added to the canvas surface, enhancing the visibility of the steps.

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Establishing Constraints -

• I imposed specific limits within the essence of the work by limiting the number of steps taken, the duration of the process, which all helped guide my practice.

• This intentionality fostered a sense of freedom within the constraints, enabling organic outcomes while maintaining focus.

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Process -

• I meticulously laid the cotton sheet on the floor, positioning weights to prevent the wind impacting the works progression.

• Laying two trays of crushed/powdered charcoal on parallel sides of the sheet, in order to replenish pigment on the soles of the shoes.

• This setup created a designated space and environment for transitional movement and interaction.

• Make sure to set up a phone to record the entire process and development of the work in Timelapse, this will capture a true representation of process and enhancing the works layers.

• By walking back and forth in the shoes, I transformed a mundane action into and artistic endeavour, allowing the soles to capture and transfer the charcoal onto and into the fabric, creating a narrative of spontaneous patterns.​

• Exploring the relationship between body, action and mark-making through the use of an everyday object/fashion item.

• Ongoing reflection throughout the work informed key adjustments and refinements, revealing new 'avenues/paths' of exploration and enhancing the work's depth and meaning.

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What Went Well

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• I believe that when it came to capturing the essence of my selected verb 'to Step', that this work truly embodies this throughout the overall composition. I also felt that having recorded the video of the entire works creation from start to finish added an entire new element and layer, outside of the original artwork that lends to capturing the overall process of the work.​​

• I also think that the visual quality and over impact that the soles of the shoes transferred over onto the fabric, along with the charcoal overtime fading due to ware, these outcomes really shows a true representation of how we as people transfer and leave imprints after ever step.

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What Could Be Improved

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• I believe that my choice in canvas material in which I created the work was limited, as I wasn't willing to spend any money and was the only thing reasonable to work with left in my house. As well as being quite a large surface area meant transportation would require folding and creasing the material. Resulting in an unrequited and unappealing final presentation, which would require ironing or steaming to fix.

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​​Where could I Go From Here

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• Display experimentation -  I envision transitioning the work from the floor installation due to its limiting visual capacity, installing it instead into a wall mounted hanging display.

• This change would elevate the marks, allowing for a more intimate and focused engagement with the viewer.

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• Feedback integration - Critiques highlighted that the inclusion of the shoes detracted from the overall display of the work and its expression. In future I'll make sure to edit the work before final presentation.