Conversation with Selves

Moving to the Sound of My Thoughts is a recent series of drawing and textiles developed as work to reflect with.

Digitally recording both visual and audio of myself making work and reflecting on it (digital auto-ethnography), I experienced versions of my work and myself that were new. I developed a new analysis and understanding of my practice and I became drawn to exploring work that did reveal more.

The imagery of me tumbling, unclothed is not just about being stripped bare and exposed in the sense of auto-ethnography; the work is about times I have felt at my most vulnerable, a depression, feeling weighted down. Several ‘performances’ including me submerged in a swimming pool and curled up on the bed were documented.

A subsequent video piece used the amplified sound of my heartbeat through water speakers. The sound became physical and visual; water movement pushes within this enclosed space self-portrait drawings from the documentation of lying on the bed. A variable rhythm of movement is created from spoken thoughts and simultaneously recorded heartbeat. Footage of video: https://vimeo.com/256282620

Futurescan 4: Valuing Practice

University of Bolton

23-24 January 2019

Photographs by Tony Radcliffe and Di Downs.