Personal Statement / Immediate drawing and idealogy

I’m applying to study fine art so that I can continue developing my contextual awareness and understanding whilst actively producing work.

My initial project involved the unreliability of memory. Using pen and paper I produced drawings directly from memories at an almost manufactured rate. I looked at how the intention and automatism in the drawings varied between the different frequencies of memory; from recent memories of metaphysical feelings to distant, hazed mental images of places or famous artworks.
After previously touching on automatism, I came to the realisation that I never totally let myself go to the process. I always retained a degree of control, exploring narrative content or anchoring the work in a conscious response. This motivated change and I relinquished the restriction imposed by the automatist process, instead wanting to explore themes that revolved around a premise of uncultured production without intention.

I decided now that the pregnancy of my work would be uncultured, in the sense that it wasn’t tied to previous predefined art practice. I am to produce immediate drawings, responding to an ever fluctuating environment and sense of self. Drawings that principally skip the baggage of psychoanalysis associated with automatic drawing or outsider art equally associated with what can be first described as naïve. This work is neither of these things, I would reflect the aesthetic of automatism without engaging with its intent.

I am aware that an important element of this work is its eventual existence within a gallery space. I dealt with this issue recently whilst exhibiting in a local shop with other members of the FAD. I selected to completely cover a wall in the space with my drawings, inspired by an Exhibition of David Shrigleys I went to see in Manchester, “How are you feeling?”

You can find all this and updates on my blog:

Robertjbury.blogspot.co.uk

With my time I play online games competitively, which resulted in a recent visit to Amsterdam so I could meet friends I've made in these games over many years . When I'm not online I read, favourites include Bukowski and Nietzsche. I am motivated and constantly produce work. I am excited by the opportunities university will offer.