Working on the first project Manifesto for Change has been like a Newbie’s first time trying out white water rafting.
Before the journey, I fantasized about the beautiful scenes and how interesting it would be. Should I bring some drinks? Perhaps I could lie down and gently reach the end.
But the fact is that, IT WAS A CRAZY RAPIDS FULL OF ROCKS. I needed to keep paddling every second.
We can’t escape_____, so, _________.
For how many times you want to escape?
Therefore, you escape into traveling, food, music, books, art, daydreams…….
But the truth is, wherever we escape, we still need to face trifles, need to face the reality.
We can’t escape.
In the past 5 days, I didn’t make any artworks but think and research, even in my dreams.
This morning, after breakfast I went to sleep again, and in my dream, yes I dreamed about homework again, I dreamed of a big netting which covered my head, my body, my paintings, the houses, the sky, everything, nobody can escape from this big netting.
At the end of the lecture by Jessica, who just finished her Master study on contemporary art practice program at RCA, the advice she gave to us was that “Don’t be forced on your own language but find your language in different ways. After the first semester at RCA, the artworks I presented was totally different from my previous paintings, I started to explore different materials to create my art, I never felt that I lost my own style since the final vision was the still the same, but in different mediums. ”
One day when I went to the school library, looking for inspiration for my art project, I happened to find the introduction book for 250 Summer Exhibition Illustrated 2018, which inspired me a lot especially on the art medium and materials, so I come to the Royal Academy to visit the summer exhibition twice, to see what is happening in contemporary art now and how can I use it for my artworks.
It’s my first time to experience tutorial program in U.K. and totally different with China spoon-feeding education model but similar to the previous mentorship programs I had in different organizations. Instead of following the teacher talking about something and students need to write down and recite everything but don’t understand the reasons behind, the tutorial is giving me additional instruction during the process when I do a project and helping me to learn by doing.
MOWEN 