bodymarks.

Material : pencil, paper, wax crayon, blood, ink

Location : City Gallery, Saint John New Brunswick, 2006

angel eyes

Image 1 of 5

Description : Works in exhibition; john doe, jennifer, rubbed, mark and angel eyes

Detailed Description :

The works presented in the exhibition body/marks are reminders or results of activities related to the methods of conventional mark making (drawing, mono prints, rubbings and tattooing). In the works the body is used as a point of departure: my height, weight, strength, mental capacity, sexuality, gender and endurance are utilized as material to create the initial context in which I work. Using the characteristics of materials I consistently create situations that recognize the restrictions of the formal qualities of mark making such as weight, graphite, diameter of paper (length of paper), texture, resilient and technique. I consider the characteristics of these materials as parameters, a restricting and closed system of creativity. Due to the conventional nature of the material and techniques used I am able to focus on particular aspects of the mark making process and focus on the impact the task has on myself as the maker and intern the impact I have on the medium. Working within parameters I push my bodies physical and mental endurance. Constructing parameters with traditional art making methods creates a tension field that produces ways and means of challenging others and myself.

With the introduction of myself (or the body) time is an intrecle component to the activity, both in its impact psychologically and physically. The time frame of the activity can be linear (within a particular set of conceptual deadlines) or based on the length the time it takes to complete a particular task. For example the duration of the drawings ‘Jennifer’ and ‘Mark’ are defined by the size of the graphite stick, the dimensions of the paper role and my physical/mental endurance. For instance by filling in a roll of paper measuring thirty feet by forty-two inches with graphite sticks, not only does the end result become of interest but the activity of filling in the paper is also a focal point. To complete Mark or Jennifer it took one and a half years per drawing, because of the length of time and physical/mental restrictions a schedule had to be followed so that the drawing could be completed. Or more conceptually as in the case of ‘Angle Eyes’ the drawing is defined by the Golden-means ratio.

I push my concept of drawing by introducing elements of time, materiality and physical effort as a means to concentrate focus. The end result or marks embodied the activity of making. The drawings literally record the act of drawing, thus the drawings are describe by the activity and the activity is described by the drawing.

The second component of the exhibition, mono prints, is remnants of two separate actions hat involved a tattooist, printmaker an audience and myself. The John Doe mono prints are remnants of an action that focused on amplifying the tension between personal and private spaces. The second set of mono prints where taken from my left bicep by a printmaker as a tattooist executed a three hour-long tattoo around the diameter of my arm. In both cases the mono prints are taken directly off of my body resulting in a limited edition (chronological record) of six prints for each set. The prints where framed and then presented as artifacts.

Speculations Concerning body/marks, 2006. By William Fitzpatrick.

Saint John artist Jason Fitzpatrick comes home, 2006. By Grant Kerr.