A Distant Vigil: An Exploration of Memory and Loss Within Drawing-time and Space

Abstract

My practice-based research project explores the connections that expanded drawing strategies and methods of collecting can have with personal experience of time, memory and loss. The research looks at the material conditions required for drawing, as well as the significance of the use of the discarded object. A concept of ‘drawing-time’ is explored, which considers a range of temporal elements such as drawing as a record of events and actions; the conceptual implications of using erasure, and the role of disruption in keeping the work in a state of open-endedness. The importance of intuition, chance and repetition in the making of the drawings is examined, along with the significance of the relationship between touch and memory in the frottage process. A key methodology in the research is the staging of ‘drawing events’, where duration and the performative potential of drawing in the evolution of the research are explored in relation to elements within the installation. As a result of these enquiries, a deeper understanding of my drawing process and the intimate connection between the discarded object, personal loss and memory has been revealed.