As good a starting point as any...

This is the supporting statement I submitted in application to the course. It seems like a logical thing to post. I think the nuts and bolts of it still hold true... I'll let you know...

Andrew Gannon

Written Proposal in Support of Application

MFA Intermedia Art

Among the maxims on Lord Naoshige’s wall there was this one: “Matters of great concern should be treated lightly.” Master Ittei commented, “Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.”

(Hagakure, 1709 – 1716.)

The most recent body of work I have produced is a series of cardboard sundials made specifically to be shown/seen indoors. The starting point for this work was the simple observation that sundials do not tell the time inside and the subsequent questions that arose, e.g. what constitutes a sundial? How do you make a sundial? Is a sundial still a sundial when it isn’t working?

The work I have been making always starts with a simple observation, which may be perceived as trivial, and develops as an investigation of a thing. A recurring subject throughout these inquiries is a fascination with use and uselessness. I am interested in the appropriation of things and their possible functions as part of an artistic practice. Following this process I find myself naturally lead to working in series and due to the type of the materials I choose to work with, e.g. coins, matches, cardboard, the artworks I create are often temporary in nature. This means that the work has to be remade and/or reconsidered every time it is presented.

These ideas of use, appropriation, and temporariness allude to a sense of lightness, which is central to my way of working and inherent in the things I have been making. Lightness poses an opposition to the weight of everyday life and suggests the possibility for change, free from the restrictions of established methods of working. This appeals greatly to me as an artist and it is this quality I will investigate on the MFA Intermedia programme at ECA.

The next stage in the development of my sundials is to make them as accurate as possible using a laser cutter. This will allow me to make the sundials much simpler, no gluing will be required and the drawn aspects can be engraved directly into the cardboard. This technology will enable me to manufacture large quantities of identical sundials and further my investigation into possible modes of presentation. My main concern will be how to develop my work to a professional level without losing any of the lightness inherent to my practice.