The beginning of the Second Year of the MFA

Its hard to believe that my summer holidays are over already! Already I am wondering how 4 months have disappeared so quickly, but when I think back to what I have achieved it makes sense. 

I received a scholarship to attend the SNAG conference in Boston in May.

I also received a scholarship to study traditional jewellery in Florence during July. 

And I was also selected to participate in Ruudt Peter's workshop Ground Now in the Netherlands at the end of July.

No wonder time has passed so quickly.

And now it is my first week back at NSCAD for the second year of my MFA (Master in Fine Arts). Due to the interdisciplinary nature of my work I have been graciously provided with a studio space at the historic Fountain campus and one down at the Port.

The Fountain studio is full of charm and character. Tucked away in the attic of an historic building, which must be over 200 years old, I am nestled in amongst old large giant wooden beams, large thick brick walls that look out over the Halifax harbour. I delight in watching the ferry go past and thinking about the history of the building.

View from my attic window

I feel a little like Rapunzel sitting up so high and watching the world go by. It is a great place to read and think. This semester I am participating in a class which discusses the philosophy and theory of Things, and I am sure you will find me tucked away in here contemplating Heidegger's Thing theory or the fundamentals of phenomenology and metaphysics.

My attic studio looking very clean and organised

My studio at the Port campus is in ceramics and allows for the messy making of larger scaled objects, particularly in ceramics but can lend itself to other forms of sculpture as well. This campus is newly built and has wonderful floor to ceiling windows with great views of the harbour (when there isn't a cruise ship in the way) and natural light.

View from Port Studio
And yes, that is a cruise ship you can see blocking the view!

My summer adventures have led me to realise that I the direction of my thesis will be changing this year. Last year I focused on the pioneer and post colonial feminist theory. My travels provided the space to critically asses my project and with my new experiences I came to the realisation that I was would like to explore the themes of place, travel, loss and regeneration - which essentially does include pioneering (so thankfully my previous research can be incorporated). However I wish to move away from the pictorial and towards a subjective, and perhaps ephemeral or atmospheric artwork.

To give you an idea of my current thinking, check out Olafur Eliasson's phenomenological art work.