The edge Collective

The Collective...

Arlene

To work collaboratively was, as always, a rewarding experience. Using the Padlet initially to share ideas. We came to this collaboration at different stages and looking a little different at the end of the work than we did at the beginning. Collaboration really is the sum of its total, and while we had contributors start, drop out at different stages and some join a couple of weeks in, all brought valid ideas and suggestions which we need to hone into a finished piece of work.

Our subject of Connection was one that could be interpreted so differently and we all had ideas, gradually we worked through them, starting with some initial work, brainstorming sessions and us all just adding examples of work into the Padlet, we began to see something come to life. Quite appropriate considering our first thoughts were to experiment with creating an exquisite corpse image. Then considering we were meeting on zoom and using technology so heavily now as we’ve all spent longer online, we looked at presenting the work in a style of zoom to bring a familiarity to people but also to highlight that in the past three months, our connections have been via a virtual world.

Slowly we saw colours and patterns emerge, blues, turquoises and pinks dominated our colour palette so we made the decision to retain these and work with them, blending different images together and linking these with the connection lines that were echoed in all of our work.

The work has stretched our technical skills, allowed me to learn new products in the Adobe suite and to bring together painting and photography in one cohesive form. Having the pleasure of curating the images into a final collage and choosing the orders for which they connect and flow was at first daunting (too much choice!) but very enjoyable. For anyone who has yet to work collaboratively, I recommend it, yes it takes you out of your comfort zone, you may work with different people every time, but as an artist, you will benefit and grow from the support and interaction from your peers.

We continued a cycle over several weeks; making work, uploading and then appropriating images to reuse, combine and reform. I found the others’ work exciting and fresh, trigger-

The Collective...Who are We?

ing more ideas and enriching my own work. Working digitally, and curating our final selection of images within a Zoom grid aesthetic seemed an appropriate response to the brief of Connection in this unprecedented time.

Connection with other humans has been the single most important feature of lockdown for most. It has been challenging, heartbreaking, infuriating, tedious, surprising and delightful in turns. Collaborating with other students to explore this specific theme seemed fitting and it has proved to be a positive and enjoyable experience.

The Edge Collective collaboration for this edition was just three of us - me, Arlene and Sarah - with a guest appearance from another student, Emma Piggott, who triggered the visual ideas which set us going. The cross-disciplinary element - in this case a combination of painting and photography - was inspiring for us all and certainly added to the dynamism of the process and the work.

Originally we were considering an ‘exquisite corpse’ approach, favoured by the surrealists, but as we developed the work, our images started talking to each other and a different configuration started to emerge. Soon we found, through a process of editing (via the Padlet) and collation (special thanks to Sarah), an entity which conveyed our individual impressions of what ‘connection’ means but was formed as a single holistic image. We all agreed that we wanted to acknowledge the Zoom grid aesthetic - such a big part of our lives right now - and added the ‘squiggles’ and frayed edges to show the complexity and infinite possibilities of connecSarah

We came to this collaboration at different stages and looking a little different at the end of the work than we did at the beginning. Collaboration really is the sum of its total, and while we had contributors start, drop out at different stages and some join a couple of weeks in, all brought valid ideas and suggestions which we need to hone into a finished piece of work.

Our subject of Connection was one that could be interpreted so differently and we all had ideas, gradually we worked through them, starting with some initial work, brainstorming sessions and us all just adding examples of work into the Padlet, we began to see something come to life. Quite appropriate considering our first thoughts were to experiment with creating an exquisite corpse image. Then considering we were meeting on zoom and using technology so heavily now as we’ve all spent longer online, we looked at presenting the work in a style of zoom to bring a familiarity to people but also to highlight that in the past three months, our connections have been via a virtual world.

Slowly we saw colours and patterns emerge, blues, turquoises and pinks dominated our colour palette so we made the decision to retain these and work with them, blending different images together and linking these with the connection lines that were echoed in all of our work.

The work has stretched our technical skills, allowed me to learn new products in the Adobe suite and to bring together painting and photography in one cohesive form. Having the pleasure of curating the images into a final collage and choosing the orders for which they connect and flow was at first daunting (too much choice!) but very enjoyable. For anyone who has yet to work collaboratively, I recommend it, yes it takes you out of your comfort zone, you may work with different people every time, but as an artist, you will benefit and grow from the support and interaction from your peers.