Bare Identity.
Research led practice into the aesthetics of vulnerability.
David Helmers BA (Media) BFA (Ceramics)
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of
Master of FINE ARTS (Ceramics)
National Art School
October 2019
Abstract
The relationship I share with clay motivates my practice. The aim of this paper is to examine the specificity of that relationship, and how that can speak to an audience to question how they know ‘things’. The body of work produced as part of this research project is built on American philosopher’s Jane Bennett’s vitalist theories and examines her experimental thinking on non-human agency and the significance of pursuing life with moments of enchantment. This paper explores the ideas of political philosophers in the vitalist field of New Materialism, with analysis of theory in context of the potential of art’s function in the social sphere; that is, works that advance experience and aesthetic strategies to counter the focus on representation within contemporary art institutional theory.
The body of work consists of three installations, iterations of Animal Matter in Enchanted Space, that aim to foreground experience to explore and understand the nature of vulnerability to contemporary identity. The first was installed in February 2019, at the Fujiki gallery in Japan, the second in May 2019 at Airspace projects Sydney and third is to be installed at the National Art School. Expressed within Jacques Ranciere’s understanding of aesthetics to include what is written about the work[1], the focus of this paper will be on critical writing around the art object and the public (non-institutional) audience. It will advocate for the role of experience in ‘knowing’ within the idea of Stephen White’s weak ontology[2] as an accessible way of understanding self within the demands of modern life. As part of my research methodology I attended a residency at the Shigaraki Ceramic Culture Park that I will reflect on as a lived experience and turn to queer theorist Sara Ahmed[3] to interpret this four-month period. I will also discuss my participation in a tea bowl making workshop and tea ceremony in relation to social practice, identifying similarities in audience engagement with workshops that I have held.