My research: Testing my boundaries

I am currently studying for an MA in Fine Art. It is a three-year, part-time distance learning course with the Open College of the Arts, with cohort members around the globe. 

I was accepted onto the MA on the basis of my portfolio of watercolours, and quickly realised that I had so much to learn about all aspects of the art world that changing medium would distract me from my journey to advance as a creative individual. The purpose of my project was therefore to demonstrate how much we are capable of achieving, by working through the limiting beliefs that hold us back from realising our potential. The intention was to prise us out of our comfort zones, and prove, within the safety net of the course, that being uncomfortable is part of the process of developing as an artist.

The beginning

My project last year had been to scale up my work, producing watercolours 5 x 4 feet on paper. This year I wanted to take that idea further, to experience the marks that only watercolour can make on an even grander scale. I had briefly considered projecting my work onto the cliffs at Dover, but the practicalities – not to mention steadying a projector on a boat, in the Channel, in winter – brought me back to reality. I regularly produce 1.5 x 1m canvas giclee prints, so the process was not unfamiliar, and after a discussion with my printer I established that it would be possible to create affordable 3m x 2m posters of the work from an image scanned at 600dpi.

Working through ideas, I realised I had several objectives: to bring my work to a different audience; to brighten up our local environment; to encourage members of the public to visit a gallery for the first time; and to market my next exhibition. My son, Jon Barmby, offered to film the process, so this would also be my first collaborative project.

Challenges

The practicalities were surprisingly straightforward. ‘Inspired’ by the grim hoarding in my road, I emailed the owner with my plan and images, and confirmed with the council that I was not breaking any law. 

I felt eager to get started, excited by how the work would look in such a space on such a scale, curious about how it would be received. I became aware of an unexpected blossoming of a confidence I never knew existed.

Collecting the posters, reality and nerves kicked in. No turning back. Determination to complete the task sustained me, but I really didn’t relish, or enjoy, the physical activity of posting the images on the hoarding. Working for three hours in the cold, with a mysterious council van nearby, was challenging, but so was being filmed. I hadn’t appreciated how much control I would be vesting in my son; how much trust this would involve. Days later, some of the work peeled off the hoarding in a storm and the same nerves returned during the re-posting.

Collaboration

Susan Miller from Jon Barmby on Vimeo.

I had been expecting Jon to simply film the story of the project, but he took the threads of the story and wove his own sensitive portrayal of our relationship and our mutual respect. Releasing his documentary has really tested my boundaries and highlighted my vulnerability. Unlike one of my MA colleagues, I do not view my work as ‘my babies’. I am able to distance myself, particularly when the work is digitally enlarged. But this documentary is not about my work, it is about emotion, my emotion, which is laid bare, and in so doing has created a joint art work in its own right. Being bold with my work does not equate to me being bold, but the response to the documentary has been amazing. My German MA colleague described it as “a respectful way to present my work”.

Looking back, was the project a success? The audience has been enthusiastic, appreciative and engaged with my work; several people plan to visit my exhibition, some of whom have never been inside a gallery before; the placement of the work allows me to talk about my work in a way that feels comfortable, at a distance, not contrived; the local press has promoted the project and has offered to write a further article about my exhibition in the summer; local artist networks and Twitter followers have all leant their support; there has even been a sale; and I have the ‘gift’ of the documentary from my son. Yes, I think it has been a success by all measures.

Susan Miller is an artist based in Hastings.
www.susanmiller.org.uk
Tw @susanmiller_uk