Black and White Process

Art Class






I'm currently working in a black and white theme, which I may have mentioned elsewhere. This is partly because I only had black and white paint around the flat for a long while, but also, it fits organically with my first ever (in)formal art course which is partly based upon the course at the Royal Academy, so my tutor Lisa insists upon a black and white focus through drawing and mixed media at present.

My art tutor impresses me both in her teaching style to the group, and in her unceasing ability to deal with my creative "mental" process, verbal interruptions (questions), and even a breakdown which happened a few weeks ago due to the current psychic crisis I am undergoing as I attempt to bridge my inner world of untrained spontaneous creativity with the outer world of trained art expression.

I like Lisa tremendously, and even though I am of course the worst art student on the course, she is constantly positive and supportive of my vainglorious efforts to try and channel ten years of manic expression into a more recognisable, considered, form of artistic expression. I am seeking a balance between my unconscious creative spontaneity, but expressed through more rigorous art skills and practices.

It is as though having reached my peak in terms of the Sociology of art, and the Psychology of creativity, I then experienced this intellectual knowledge as applied experiential creativity through employment, and socially by living in a community of art squatters. It seems I am now attemting to absorb practical art skills, and the applied knowledge of art as business to complete my self-styled creative education.

It is as though I am unconsciously trying to round myself off as complete. In a strange way it feels like I am going through the world of art in reverse, but also as though I am going forward into a world of both art and creativity from an unpredictable multi-dimensional direction.

Art Flat

Breakfast Sat.15th November

As I am now living with two French flatmates the electricity used has gone up from £12 pounds per fortnight to around £25; With the additonal art expenses of red wine, better quality food, and the new stimulus they have bought to my creative process within the flat I find myself even more financially destitute than before. However, as I have previously xperienced, it often seems to be the way that the less money I have the more healthier I become. This morning for example it took me a good ten minutes to decide how I could fashion up a breakfast from the few remaining food items lying scantly amidst our forlorn cupboards. I eventually settled upon a single banana from the two left, a slice of brown bread warmed up in frying pan with a touch of olive oil and coated with marmalade, and a quarter of cucumber which I refreshingly munched on my way to the libary.

I pondered on how my diet had become far more diverse and interesting under the French influence who apart from the latent opportunity to re-invigorate my grade 'A' GSCE french language skills from 1994, they are providing me with an ideal opportunity to learn more about contemporary French culture,philsophy, and the current social climate. I'm also appreciating how Britishness and culture is seen through thier eyes, which is quite fascinating in terms of history, media, and of course our food, which I am endeavouring to share delightly, but of course the odd shriek of amusement, hilarity, and look of utter disdain is a frequent occurrence. But I can warmly say that on the whole we are getting along tremendously well and having some fun along the way. I find them both excellent flat fellows and I doubt if any two equivalent britishers would have taken to my living situation with such a relaxed and "informel" air. It is quite a unique experience which I believe will stand the Creativity Manifesto in good stead for a future sojourn to Paris in 2009.