Dalsten: Round Round 9 Drawing

My artistic practice is centrally concerned with mark making. Spanning painting, sculpture and drawing, these various mediums and materials lend themselves to my explorations of cognitive function and anxiety. These range from two-dimensional wall mounted pieces to in and outdoor installations. Combining the physical presence of sculpture with a variety of mark making techniques. My current series is informed by my experience with heightened personal anxiety. This is aided by primary documentation and with the exploration of theoretical frameworks. During my current project it occurred to me that the counter-balance to an anxiety disorder could be the act of being present in one’s surroundings and being aware of life around you. I have seen a parallel between the deliberate observation of life that the practice of mark making requires and the everyday effort of being present in the world. Thus asking them to reflect on the act of viewing and grounding them in that moment. The works are done using the mediums of gouache, oil paint, oil stick, coffee and colouring pencil with a focus on meticulous detail and the blending of objects physical forms. When I focused on my immediate surroundings in a moment of panic I could become more present in that moment, and therefore calm my anxiety. The concept behind the current series is a system I created to document periods of time and sort them into ‘rounds’. I began documenting moments inside specific parameters e.g. time, location and compiling each period into rounds. During these rounds, photography, sketching and audio recording are used to document the experience, which when compiled made up the visual material used to draw from for each of the final pieces. This compilation part of the project has become a metaphor for personal narrative and memory. The memories we have unwillingly manipulated and inaccurately documented make up our own personal narrative. The redrawing of many of these elements and their embellishment strips the ‘round’ of any historical accuracy, turning the round in its final form into a new narrative. These disparate elements ask the viewer to consider the relationship between them.