Working Title

Hybridity, Mimicry, Third space — What results if we take concepts from contemporary post-colonial theory (viz. “hybridity”, “mimicry”, and “third space”, as espoused by Homi K Bhabha), and instead of applying these to community structures and dynamics (i.e. cultural interactions in a society) they are applied to a visual world (i.e. figure/ground interactions in a pictorial space).

Aims and Objective

Background

Abstract art was initially influenced by Theosophy, resulting in the “diagrams” of Hilma af Klint that were intended to represent its spiritual ideas. Other early protagonists such as Kadinsky used color, shape, and lines to affect the soul of the spectator; Sonia Delaunay experimented with adjacent colors and design to develop orphism; and Władysław Strzemiński produce textured fields in his unistic compositions; etc.

If abstract art was influenced by contemporary post-colonial studies, what would be produced?

Aims

To create abstract (non-objective) artworks based on applying concepts from contemporary post-colonial theory (viz. “hybridity”, “mimicry”, and “third space”, as espoused by Homi K Bhabha), but applying these to a visual world instead of to that of community structures and dynamics.

Objectives

• To investigate the influences on abstract artists and the art that resulted (e.g. Sonia Delaunay and orphism, Władysław Strzemiński and unism).
• To explore different media for the figure and the ground, e.g. natural vs synthetic, polychromatic vs monochromatic, etc.
• To explore digital methods of production (e.g. automata).
• To investigate mixing analog and digital methods of production (e.g. bringing analog materials into the digital world and vice versa)
• To explore the relationship between the figure and the ground.
• To explore the relationship between the pictorial space and the spectator.

Context

Historical

Over time, abstract art and its practitioners have been influenced by different things and pursued different areas of interest:

• Hilma af Klint, Kazimir Malevich, Wassily Kandinsky – Theosophy
• Piet Mondriaan — De Stijl / neoplasticism
• Sonia Delaunay — Orphism
• Kazimir Malevich — Suprematism
• Theo Van Doesburg — De Stijl / composition
• Sophie Taeuber-Arp — color and form
• Władysław Strzemiński — unistic compositions
• Josef Albers — colour theory

Contemporary

Two contemporary practitioners of interest:

• Bridget Riley — geometric forms and color theory
• Brent Wadden — yarn as a media

Theoretical

Well-recognized terms from within contemporary post-colonial studies, as espoused by Homi K Bhabha: “hybridisation” describes the emergence of new cultural forms from multiculturalism; “mimicry” is when one culture imitates and takes on the culture of another; and the “third space” is an ambiguous area that develops when two or more individuals/cultures interact.

Gestalt theory and the division of the pictorial space into the figure and ground and how these are perceived.

Methodology

A practice-based methodology will be used and artworks created that explore hybridity between the figure and ground with respect to colors: simple (color fields) vs complex (textures); forms: lines vs curves

Mimicry will be explored through the use of materials: synthetic vs man made.

Example studies will be created as small artworks. Qualitative evaluation will be undertaken and works considered for interim and final shows. It is envisioned that while some studies may be used directly, larger artworks will be based on the smaller studies.

The outcomes will be shown on my MA blog, at the Interim Show, and at the Final Show.

Outcomes

To produce a body of abstract visual work taking concepts from contemporary post-colonial studies and applying these to a visual world.

Work Plan

Block 1 and Block 2: research the area and produce, in a divergent manner, experimental pieces.

Block 3 and Block 4: Convergence.

Block 5: Curation, planning, and creating artworks for the final show.

Block 6: Finalizing artworks for and exhibiting at the Final Show.

The plan is to use the time in blocks 1 and 2 to; Block 3 and 4 will be more convergent in manner; and Blocks 5 and 6 will be refinements of final pieces.

Bibliography

See research paper bibliography.

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