First and Last Bell + Roland Barthe’s Punctum

For the preparation for the degree show publication I went to Nathan Jone's seminar in which he talked about Roland Barthe’s book, Camera Lucida, focussing on his ideas on what makes a photograph stand out. For the publication it was proposed that we do not talk about our practice but approach it from a creative point of view, artistic response to the form of text. 

The overall project of Barthe’s Camera Lucida is to determine a new mode of observation and, ultimately, a new consciousness by way of Photography. When we look at a photograph, it is not the actual photo that we see, for the photograph itself is rendered invisible; thus the photograph is unclassifiable, for it resists language, as it is without signs or marks - it simply is.

In his personal, subjective examination of multiple photographs, Barthes proceeded to note a duality that was characteristic of certain photographs: a ‘co-presence of two discontinuous elements’- what he terms, the stadium and the punctum.

The studium speaks of the interest which we show in a photograph, the desire to study and understand what the meanings are in a photograph, to explore the relationship between the meanings and our own subjectivities. The punctum on the other hand inspires an intensely private meaning, one that is suddenly, unexpectedly recognised and consequently remembered (it "shoots out of [the photograph] like an arrow and pierces me”); it ‘escapes’ language. Punctum is an ‘element which rises from the scene’ and unintentionally fills the whole image.

Clearly this element is powerful and compelling to the spectator. Basically it could be anything, something that reminds you of your childhood, a sense of deja vu, an object of sentimental value, punctum is very personal and often different for everyone.

For the session I brought a photograph that was very important to me and also relevant for my degree show piece. I used this image to find its punctum in hopes of producing a piece of writing for my publication from it.

In this writing session I focussed on a photograph of myself on my first day of school (1st September 2002), guided by a high school student in her last year, to stand in line and celebrate the first day of school and start the ceremony. I remember that a bell was rung when everybody was in their place in line, which I can still remember the sound of. It was a symbol of the beginning of school for the first years. Every time I look at this photograph I can hear the sound of the bell.

This led me to question whether a sound could be a punctum. However, the way Barthes describes, punctum is something that is evident in the photograph. In relation to a photograph then, can a punctum be an absence of sound? I would say yes. I would say the punctum here for me is what isn't seen in this image. It's the memory of the moment of the ringing of the bell and the emotions associated with it. The bell gathers a lot of concepts together: history, time, nostalgia, memory, past and present, the moment. It depicts anticipation of the moment of hearing the bell. The weight and authority of it.

It is possible that when I do ring the bell on the day of the degree show to symbolise the end of studies, I will have this image in my mind and the memory of the moment in my head, whilst also creating the moment in the present time. Layering these two important moments together. (Ringing of the bell on 25th May 2017 which is the official day of end of studies which also fall on my degree show. this will be my degree show piece that will exist in Latvia, which I then will bring to degree show the end of the day through the recording of it).

~Ev

The Last Bell - update

After a lot of thinking and discussing my idea with people around me I came to a conclusion that I am trying too hard to link the piece to the degree show, when in fact it is a piece of work in itself that can exist in the moment in Latvia in my old school as I ring the bell. So my original idea of a live transmission became too focused on the degree show moment for the people or in time of the degree show, rather that a focus in itself. 

After a lot of thinking and analysing I have made a decision to fly to Latvia and ring the bell the morning of 25th May, record it and film it for documentation. Then fly back and enjoy the degree show in the evening and be part of it. It was hard for me to accept this version as it became completely detached from the degree show, the only connection was the date and that it was the end of my studies. It was hard for me to accept that potentially I won't have anything else at the show. However, there are still possibilities of how I can bring the moment in Latvia from the morning to the evening of the degree show, creating a two-part piece. The piece would still be the moment of ringing the bell, however what I can show at the degree show is some kind of documentation. 

The documentation for the degree show could take these forms:

- Video of me ringing the bell, without the sound being present

- The conversation between myself and teachers in Latvia in Russian language

- Scripted piece or handout

- Planting people with this tradition, that it exists. For the piece to live in their head after they leave, and remembering the conversation every time the bell rings from then on. Make an association between the bell and the tradition.

- Maybe do something that leaves a trace of the piece after the people leave. Only then it is something?

- The recording of the sound of the bell at the end of the opening night or at the start of it, or both. To ring not just in the show space but all of the building. Speakers on the 4th floor balcony. I think this will create an interesting atmosphere in the space.

- Or have nothing else for the degree show, so the piece exists in Latvia in that moment of ringing the bell
- An interesting piece of text in the degree show publication, focussing on my memory of the first bell. My feeling and what that sound meant to me at the time and what impact it had on me. 

My original idea of the livestream had a lot of drawbacks. First of all, I would have had to use Skype or Facetime for the transmission, where quality of the sound wouldn't have been great and it could have easily failed on me. Second, for the sound of the bell to be livestreamed I had to ring the bell at 9pm Latvian time, for it to be in line with the degree show. This is where I felt I was concentrating to much in trying to fit everything for the degree show, and not getting the most out if the moment of ringing the bell. Thirdly, I would have missed the degree show opening and the whole of the experience of it. I think this adjustment is better and is more true to the piece itself, with many benefits. 

There are still a lot of decisions to be made, but I feel I am getting closer to what I want to do. 

~Ev

Subtly 16/03/17

'Subtly' was a collaborative experimental performance piece by myself and artist Eryn Gross. As part of artforum90 we had an opportunity to create something for Zuhause space in Liverpool led by students from our course.

"We are incorporating our interests through a performative collaboration, exploring many people’s responses from conversations to behaviours and their connection to the space. This intervention will be subtle, capturing the present moment of time through the use of documentation and language."

Myself ad Eryn are interested in people and their behaviour as well as documentation and observation of our surroundings. We have decided to experiment with this to see where it would lead. We wanted to make use of this group show where we could subtly observe people and what was happening around us and document this in a particular way. For two hours we have observed people, their positions in space, their movements and behaviours and also our own involvement in the space. We had small white stickers for us to document our observations which we stuck on the wall or the floor where we were standing at the time. That way logging in the time and place. 

We also experimented with this through texting and telling and asking each other detailed questions about what we see. Triggering interesting observations to surface. 

Although we looked like we were ignoring or were disinterested in the show, we were very observant, testing the boundary of being present in the moment and at the same time being distracted (texting). 

~Ev

Sowing Seeds with Devon, Elena and my sister Patricija

11/04/17

This day was a day of collaboration between myself, Devon Forrester-Jones and Elena Brake. I have joined them for the day bringing something of my own to their exchange that they were doing all week. The exchange is called The Devon Exchange where you go to each other cities for one week and work together everyday to produce interesting experimentations and activities, that normally you wouldn't do yourself or need that extra support in. This is the link to the exchange between the two artists:link to The Devon Exchange

The week prior to me joining their exchange for the day I had a chat with Devon about collaborating and experimenting, expanding my thinking by collaborating and just doing something different. We had a chat about possible experimentations whilst walking down the docks in Liverpool and looking at all the boats and beautiful sun that surrounded us. We started talking about flowers and the beauty of them, how they grow and whether we can plant flower seeds in different places. This is how the idea of sowing seeds began. We planned to meet the next week and this time joined by Elena Brake as she started her exchange with Devon. 

So on 11th of April, on the fourth day of their exchange I joined them for the day where we wanted to do some experimentations with sowing seeds. We met up in a cafe in the morning to discuss our plan for the day. I brought my younger sister with me who visited me for a couple of days. She is very interested in art, especially animation and illustration as well as writing books. So I thought it would be a good idea to bring her along so she could experience a day in life of a not so typical artist. I loved having her over and really wanted to bond with her as well as sharing a day of my life. 

First of all we all decided that we needed to get some flower seeds before we went anywhere, so we went to Wilko to get some. I chose marigold seeds, Devon chose gypsophila and bergamot, Elena chose pansies and forget-me-not and Patricija chose foxglove. We all chose them intuitively. Marigold seeds looked really different from the rest, the seeds looked like small sticks or very small wood chippings compared to the ones chosen by others.  

Marigold seeds up close

The first place we decided to go and "plant the seeds" was at the top of a car park. 

 

Sowing seeds - car park

Planting marigold seed in the wall of a parking lot

Planting marigold seed in the wall of a parking lot

We decided that it would be interesting to plant seeds in a place they won't grow. Flowers only begin their process of growing when planted but we have taken it away from them, the act of planting seeds whilst knowing they won't take and keep trying is quite beautiful. I went along the wall of the car park and planted the seeds in-between the cracks. It was a pleasantly calming repetitive activity which I enjoyed. 

The second place we chose was St Georges gardens, planting seeds in benches, cracks, stairs, and bins. 

Throwing one seed in each bin we found became our favourite based on the discussions we had later. We discussed the act itself of throwing the seeds away in the bin and where they will end up. We started to talk about how it could be beautiful if the seeds would grow in the landfill site when they get there. The concept became beautiful. We started to think whether we could create a performance out of it that will take on a mass presence. Whether we can take this idea to a gallery and when people come in, give them a seed and ask them to bin it when they get back home. Or sending a seed by post to people with instructions on what to do with it. I personally think this is very beautiful. It's one of those pieces where we need to find the right situation and place for it to work. 

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The second part of the day we spent in the Liverpool Central Library. We did some 5 minute writing exercises to loosen up our writing. We did 5 minutes of writing about our bodies, how they felt in the present moment, 5 minutes of what surrounds us, 5 minutes of just writing whatever comes to our mind and 5 minutes of observing our surroundings first and then writing whatever we remember. For me it was very beneficial, also I really enjoyed sharing my writings with others and listening to theirs too. It was very fun. The library was absolutely beautiful. 

Photographs by Patricija Tracuma

~ Ev

Shenanigans Bar 'Altered Image'

29/03/17

As a group who have been close throughout the year we decided to have a show somewhere outside of university. Lauren McCullough proposed that we should show at her bar where she works as a barmaid. It is an Irish pub called Shenanigans, a quirky little place full of character. I particularly enjoyed the walls that were covered in newspaper from different years, possibly yellowed over time when smoking was still allowed inside. Also the place was covered in framed old photographs, posters and covers. I absolutely loved the atmosphere there. Behind the bar there was even a door to the cellar, a small hole in the floor right where staff were walking to get the drinks, they had to jump over the hole to get to the other side. It's quite funny! 

Newspaper as wallpaper

The team

Osian Fletcher setting up his piece

Peri Simonsen setting up

Around the time of thinking what I might show in the pub I was still exploring ideas for the ballroom I visited and the documentations I have created. The experience in the ballroom had an effect on my decision of what I have shown in the pub. The Reece's ballroom itself had a pub so I decided to make a link between spaces by altering music in the pub. Changing the music to 60s music, mainly ballroom music. I wanted to alter the atmosphere in the space, change the mood and see how people react. A small alteration in space. Another link I made between the two places is the newspaper used on the walls of the pub and the old 1961 newspaper I have found in the ballroom. It felt right to bring my experience of the ballroom and my findings into this space.

On the day as a group we spent at least 6 hours in the pub, feeling its atmosphere and discussing what might go where. Overall there were 2 video pieces, poster coasters, print, 2 performances, altered music, stickers, installation piece. When people started to arrive I enjoyed how the atmosphere was relaxed, it was a pub first and a show second. I really liked how it was in real life rather than a gallery. Everybody had drinks and enjoyed themselves. People who knew there was a show were searching for it as there were so much on the walls, especially framed photographs, little quirky bits and bobs. It was hard to find our work in some places, however I think that made it even better, because the existing collection of different things became part of the show. It means our work has dissolved in the everyday of the pub, breathing and growing in it as one. 

I couldn't help but create a small recording of the pub, here it is:

At the end of the video you can see I begin to move to the music, whilst holding the camera, creating an interesting experience of the place for the viewer through the screen. An interesting documentation. If the sprung floor in Reece's Ballroom was still up, I would have created something with this in mind. Maybe documented the space by asking a ballroom dancer to dance with the camera attached, capturing the beauty of the ballroom around. 

~ Ev

Reece's Ballroom Visit: traces of time and people

17/03/17

I have finally visited the site! After all these months I have finally had an opportunity to visit the ballroom. I had no particular plans of what I might do whilst there, I just wanted to visit the space and see the traces of history and time in it, whilst it is in early stages of development and not a lot has been removed or changed. 

On the day I met one of the builders who have shown me round the site. I had to wear protective boots and helmet and sign health and safety form to visit the place. I have been following the site from November, from researching the history of the building, to talking to architect and getting some plans sent to me of how the space will look like at the end of completion. 

The ballroom was on third floor, however the special sprung floor which was especially made for dancing was already removed. However, I have found one page of newspaper dated back to 1961 which was amazing. 

Removed sprung floor

Found newspaper page from 1961

Found newspaper page from 1961

The newspaper was all in holes and has yellowed over time. It was an amazing find. It has been lying there since that time, untouched in this abandoned space. The feeling of the space was as though everything was frozen in time. In some places you could also see the work that the builders started to do, such as slowly stripping the space clean. 

The whole visit was like a tour of findings made by the builders throughout them being there. I kept asking if anything interesting or strange has been found whilst working inside. Apparently what has been found by the builders were the names of people who built the building, found behind different materials. Also writings on different surfaces, which was a way to communicate between each other. 

Writing made by a builder who was helping
 to build the building from years back

What was very interesting to find for myself was that this way of communication between builders was still present to this day. When I was walking alongside a wall I saw that the builders currently at work also used communication through writing on the wall. 

Writings made by current builders

You could see traces of different people in the spaces, from different years. I felt as though I was on an archaeology mission searching for these traces whilst I could. There was so much information around me to take in. 

How much drinks were back then

I have always have been interested in traces of people in spaces, observing what is happening around me. Recently me and my friend Eryn Gross have experimented with this. At Zuhause, a gallery space in Liverpool, we have observed people and what was happening in the gallery and documented them through writing on stickers, sticking them in the space were we observed it. We have also logged in the time of the happening. Another experiment was to write our observations by text to each other. This triggered more questions to each other which led to more observations. Although throughout the time we looked distracted by looking at our phones, we were present and observed the smallest of details. We observed things such as movements, behaviours and position of people in space. This piece was called "Subtley". 

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In terms of creating a piece of work out of this experience, it might be interesting to focus on traces of people in space and see where it would lead me. Also I have been wanting to create an interesting experience in a space through writing on the wall. No verbal communication but only through writing. 

~Ev