Today I went to an event held by Whitechapel gallery’s youth forum, Duchamps and Sons. It was an afternoon of screenings, spoken word performances, and discussions with and about the artists mentioned… everything was centered around the theme of freedom/control and its relevance in today’s society. Everyone’s interpretation of the topic was slightly different to another. The works presented were all very meaningful, one of the film works also included my concept of animal heads on human bodies. The films gave me great insight on how an effect can be created using sounds, angles, length of each shot etc. What stood out most from the whole event for me however, was the spoken word performances. With just words floating in the air alone, and in some cases, thrown at you at full force, the medium of art really challenges you to think of the connotations to each word choice and the overall message when phrases are linked together. It inspired me greatly, since I have a passion for writing, to write more, perhaps consider trying spoken word in the future. I love writing reflections, but I also love more abstract and descriptive writing. I’ll definitely continue to explore this field. Perhaps I can incorporate texts like this into my paintings like how I did with the wood block. Another thing that was new was the interviews with the artists as well as discussions with the audience about the concept of freedom/control. It was fascinating to see a lively debate on real issues, in an artistic perspective. I’d like to go to more events such as this in the future.
