My practice currently utilises various mediums to explore spaces or venues mostly in a site-specific approach. I attempt to capture each ‘space’ by recording sound and shooting film that conceptually discus’s each site and gives a real sense of feeling that one would experience in being there. For my current work I am replacing sound and audio and installing/recreating the venue itself inside the gallery. This is an attempt to not recreate situations by simply using sound or video but to literally bring the scenarios into the gallery and transform it into an experience and for the audience to be able to feel it.
For me sometimes the content can be a small part of my work, I feel it is more about the framing of the work both conceptually and physically. However I am beginning to make my work about the places I visit or where I live, this meaning I always have content and can always be making work wherever I am.
To create work that are site specific is a great way for me to always be working. I have in the past struggled with the idea of content. It is not just about simply recording a site or gathering lots of sound material, it is a lot about the framing and the choices that are made when editing and cutting a video piece. The same applies to installation work, choosing what to physically include and what sounds to choose are a big part of the work and this is where I feel my real interest lies. Firstly framing the shot and then editing it is an important part of the process for me.
My practice currently, has evolved into a collaborative practice with Kim Seymour, this collaboration has come about due to our similar interests and in particular our shared interest in performing. When making work we tend to do so in a site specific manor, really trying to embrace the atmosphere of a site and creating Videos that evoke a certain feeling. Along with making Videos, we have also produced a performance which involved passing clay around the Gallery, involving the audience, looking at the idea of translation. In addition to this we created a video that was projected on a large scale which consisted of Kim passing the clay to myself, which in time allowed the clay to totally transform shape.
The main struggle I have had as an artist this year is understanding the ‘Content’ of my work. My work doesn't have any social or cultural connotations, it is sometimes purely conceptual in a way that the concept starts in my research of an artist or medium and develops into me being playful with the final work. For example I made a piece where I only showed the palette knife that I had used to make a painting, instead of showing the painting itself. This for me was about looking at the process involved in making work, and if the process is more important than the final work. Another example of this is my performance at Tate Liverpool, where I stood for 10 minutes doing ‘Nothing’. Once again I had researched a lot into the idea of nothing and all the artists that had in some way looked at this. For this performance I was more interested in the idea of the concept in what I was doing rather than the performance itself. Having discussed a lot of my previous work it has become clear that I am interested in the framework that makes up a piece of Art, this is effectively thinking about every different aspect that may contribute to an artwork and understanding what is important for me.
A real turning point and major moment for me was at MAKE when me and Kim started to collaborate, since then we have not looked back and we have an excellent understanding of the way we both work and our strengths and weaknesses. I really feel like I now understand my practice and I can really push on from this point and make work that I want to and work that I enjoy making without worrying about having to justify the work to others and even to myself. My collaborative work with Kim has really helped me understand what it is I’m interested in and the way in which I like work has become clear. When looking at the videos we make together I tried to break up what my part was and what I can give to the collaboration. In doing so I realised I am interested in shooting the video and even more so editing the video in Final Cut, even down to the colour grading and the transitions between clips, all of this interests me massively. Another interest is when it comes to literally and conceptually framing the shots, thinking about what type of shots I am looking for and trying to shoot them in a way that I feel can add to the video is a challenge that I thrive upon.
As well as understanding what I can offer, it was also important for me to understand what Kim brings to the collaboration, in doing so allowed me to understand what it is she offers me that allows me to make work in this way. In breaking I down I realised that is is simple, Content is what Kim gives me. Her giving me this allows me to use this content as a vehicle to create work in the way I want. So effectively, for me to push on my practice individually I will be finding subjects or sites that I can use as vehicles to create work, allowing me to focus on framing both conceptually and literally with the camera.
Research is an important way of initiating my brain into the process of thinking and then making. My recent research has involved a lot of reading as well as generally looking at different Artists and their work. My reading has coincided with the research project we have ongoing, for this I am looking into collaborative work as well as exploring framing of Art in the conceptual and literal term. I have started reading ‘Death Of The Author’ by Roland Barthes and I have recently become aware of Georges Perec, who was a highly-regarded French novelist, film maker and essayist. He was a member of the Oulipo group.
Artists such as Ryan Gander and Martin Creed are 2 Artists I can really relate to, the way in which they approach work in a matter of fact kind of way. Also, more so Ryan Gander, tends to work a lot with humour and be playful in his approach. Adrian Searle described Gander’s work as “Some of his best works appear simple, or not even art at all”. A lot of my work could be described in this manor, as when working in a conceptual way I feel it is easy for people to view is as ‘Anti-Art’ or ‘Non Art’.
Moving forward I will also be exploring the varying relationships between commercial and contemporary filmmaking. I wish to continue with filming and producing video works. This is where my interest lies and I really want to push on with this and explore what can be done with video, in particular looking at certain sites/venues/situations. - With being a creative director for my co founded business, I am working on a lot of commercial videography. This is something I intend to make the most of and utilise in my practise hence the interest in looking at the relationship between commercial and contemporary filmmaking. Finally when I was working at St.Georges and the installation I was creating I couldn't help but think about social media and the similarities between how I think about my work conceptually and the way in which social media works. I will be exploring this link more, as I work a lot with social media, so to bring this into my work whether it be conceptually or physically could be intruiging.
Having in the past year launched my own Fitness Company and being creative director I am in charge of everything creative, which involves producing videos for the website and different social media platforms. This is an interesting prospect for me as the videos I am required to produce within the Fitness industry are totally different in many ways to the videos I have been making for my practice. I feel that comparing commercial videography and the conceptual film making that I am currently working on, could be a great starting point for me to really push on and get to grips with my own practice.
For me sometimes the content can be a small part of my work, I feel it is more about the framing of the work both conceptually and physically. However I am beginning to make my work about the places I visit or where I live, this meaning I always have content and can always be making work wherever I am.
To create work that are site specific is a great way for me to always be working. I have in the past struggled with the idea of content. It is not just about simply recording a site or gathering lots of sound material, it is a lot about the framing and the choices that are made when editing and cutting a video piece. The same applies to installation work, choosing what to physically include and what sounds to choose are a big part of the work and this is where I feel my real interest lies. Firstly framing the shot and then editing it is an important part of the process for me.
My practice currently, has evolved into a collaborative practice with Kim Seymour, this collaboration has come about due to our similar interests and in particular our shared interest in performing. When making work we tend to do so in a site specific manor, really trying to embrace the atmosphere of a site and creating Videos that evoke a certain feeling. Along with making Videos, we have also produced a performance which involved passing clay around the Gallery, involving the audience, looking at the idea of translation. In addition to this we created a video that was projected on a large scale which consisted of Kim passing the clay to myself, which in time allowed the clay to totally transform shape.
The main struggle I have had as an artist this year is understanding the ‘Content’ of my work. My work doesn't have any social or cultural connotations, it is sometimes purely conceptual in a way that the concept starts in my research of an artist or medium and develops into me being playful with the final work. For example I made a piece where I only showed the palette knife that I had used to make a painting, instead of showing the painting itself. This for me was about looking at the process involved in making work, and if the process is more important than the final work. Another example of this is my performance at Tate Liverpool, where I stood for 10 minutes doing ‘Nothing’. Once again I had researched a lot into the idea of nothing and all the artists that had in some way looked at this. For this performance I was more interested in the idea of the concept in what I was doing rather than the performance itself. Having discussed a lot of my previous work it has become clear that I am interested in the framework that makes up a piece of Art, this is effectively thinking about every different aspect that may contribute to an artwork and understanding what is important for me.
A real turning point and major moment for me was at MAKE when me and Kim started to collaborate, since then we have not looked back and we have an excellent understanding of the way we both work and our strengths and weaknesses. I really feel like I now understand my practice and I can really push on from this point and make work that I want to and work that I enjoy making without worrying about having to justify the work to others and even to myself. My collaborative work with Kim has really helped me understand what it is I’m interested in and the way in which I like work has become clear. When looking at the videos we make together I tried to break up what my part was and what I can give to the collaboration. In doing so I realised I am interested in shooting the video and even more so editing the video in Final Cut, even down to the colour grading and the transitions between clips, all of this interests me massively. Another interest is when it comes to literally and conceptually framing the shots, thinking about what type of shots I am looking for and trying to shoot them in a way that I feel can add to the video is a challenge that I thrive upon.
As well as understanding what I can offer, it was also important for me to understand what Kim brings to the collaboration, in doing so allowed me to understand what it is she offers me that allows me to make work in this way. In breaking I down I realised that is is simple, Content is what Kim gives me. Her giving me this allows me to use this content as a vehicle to create work in the way I want. So effectively, for me to push on my practice individually I will be finding subjects or sites that I can use as vehicles to create work, allowing me to focus on framing both conceptually and literally with the camera.
Research is an important way of initiating my brain into the process of thinking and then making. My recent research has involved a lot of reading as well as generally looking at different Artists and their work. My reading has coincided with the research project we have ongoing, for this I am looking into collaborative work as well as exploring framing of Art in the conceptual and literal term. I have started reading ‘Death Of The Author’ by Roland Barthes and I have recently become aware of Georges Perec, who was a highly-regarded French novelist, film maker and essayist. He was a member of the Oulipo group.
Artists such as Ryan Gander and Martin Creed are 2 Artists I can really relate to, the way in which they approach work in a matter of fact kind of way. Also, more so Ryan Gander, tends to work a lot with humour and be playful in his approach. Adrian Searle described Gander’s work as “Some of his best works appear simple, or not even art at all”. A lot of my work could be described in this manor, as when working in a conceptual way I feel it is easy for people to view is as ‘Anti-Art’ or ‘Non Art’.
Moving forward I will also be exploring the varying relationships between commercial and contemporary filmmaking. I wish to continue with filming and producing video works. This is where my interest lies and I really want to push on with this and explore what can be done with video, in particular looking at certain sites/venues/situations. - With being a creative director for my co founded business, I am working on a lot of commercial videography. This is something I intend to make the most of and utilise in my practise hence the interest in looking at the relationship between commercial and contemporary filmmaking. Finally when I was working at St.Georges and the installation I was creating I couldn't help but think about social media and the similarities between how I think about my work conceptually and the way in which social media works. I will be exploring this link more, as I work a lot with social media, so to bring this into my work whether it be conceptually or physically could be intruiging.
Having in the past year launched my own Fitness Company and being creative director I am in charge of everything creative, which involves producing videos for the website and different social media platforms. This is an interesting prospect for me as the videos I am required to produce within the Fitness industry are totally different in many ways to the videos I have been making for my practice. I feel that comparing commercial videography and the conceptual film making that I am currently working on, could be a great starting point for me to really push on and get to grips with my own practice.
All works © Sam Hunt.