The following images are the slides from my presentation during the Summer 2015 Berlin Residency at Ufer Studios. The presentation took place on August 11, 2015 in Studio 14. Each image is followed by the text/notes I used for the presentation. The final image contains a YouTube link to the audio recording of the post-presentation questions and feedback portion of my talk.

[show slide as people enter so they have time to read]/Robyn Thomas, second year MFA. Painter. Currently based in Providence, Rhode Island, USA./Starting out with this quote from Tim Ingold in his book Lines. Lines, be they visible, set on a su… — [show slide as people enter so they have time to read]/Robyn Thomas, second year MFA. Painter. Currently based in Providence, Rhode Island, USA./Starting out with this quote from Tim Ingold in his book *Lines.* Lines, be they visible, set on a surface, or the invisible lines we are constantly creating in our journey are of interest to me./There are various types of lines, but all lines create some form of structure by which we navigate./This afternoon I want to talk to you about the memory of the explorations I undertook this past year./Just as Ingold writes, it has been a “laborious process of moving around”.

This is the main home page of the website I’ve dedicated to my project work with Transart. /It is where you’ll find my blog, galleries documenting the work, the writing and assignments./It originated as a host for the required blog, but it grew to b… — This is the main home page of the website I’ve dedicated to my project work with Transart. /It is where you’ll find my blog, galleries documenting the work, the writing and assignments./It originated as a host for the required blog, but it grew to be an integral part of this year’s project; becoming another work in the series of self portraits I created as part of the project. /If you haven’t had a chance to look at it yet, I encourage you to do so.

Exploring the website you’ll find that there are multiple access points to the information it contains./The site is both straightforward yet at the same time slightly disorienting due to its many layers./It is composed of‘small’ sites within the mai… — Exploring the website you’ll find that there are multiple access points to the information it contains./The site is both straightforward yet at the same time slightly disorienting due to its many layers./It is composed of‘small’ sites within the main site, each small site having its own home page such as you see here./This cover page is for the site focused on the written components of the first year project; however a link to the galleries with the studio work is included as well.

[give a minute to read slide]/I’ve taken another look at Duchamp this year; which led me recently to the writings of Allan Kaprow. This quote expresses what I understand to be an answer to the question ‘What is art?’ answered by Duchamp’s Readymades…the artist determines what is art by naming it art, but that does not make everything art…there is more to the naming than the name, there is more to identity than the words used to define it. Kaprow poses a question here, one we all ask ourselves if not daily, then frequently. The question. If you remember Barb Bolt’s presentation, the question is the key to the development of the conceptual framework supporting the practice of artistic research…so, what was the question I asked in my first year project?

[read slide]/This may not have been the ‘best’ question to ask, but it is a question nonetheless which led to further questions./For me this type of questioning is extremely important to the progression of the work and the process.

How did the question manifest itself in the studio?/Through a series of self portraits./Looking first at the period between Berlin and New York, in addition to the website, I created five other self portraits: Pages/Wanderland/Look In Glass/Jus… — How did the question manifest itself in the studio?/Through a series of self portraits./Looking first at the period between Berlin and New York, in addition to the website, I created five other self portraits: Pages/Wanderland/Look In Glass/Just Between Me and You/Index.

[open Youtube window]/This video, titled ‘Pages’, is a slideshow loop of the 100 loose leaf journal pages which feature prominently in four of the five works./I projected it behind me while I presented at Winter Residency./The journal pages are ofte… — [open Youtube window]/This video, titled ‘Pages’, is a slideshow loop of the 100 loose leaf journal pages which feature prominently in four of the five works./I projected it behind me while I presented at Winter Residency./The journal pages are often worked on both sides, using a variety of materials on Bristol and Vellum papers, and measure 11 x 14 inches, just under DIN A3./As a painter I find pleasure in rooting around in the studio with materials; knowing this I started the project with these pages, allowing myself to indulge in that pleasure from the start.

[open Youtube window, read first, then play video]/This second video documents the pieces Wanderland, an installation, and Look In Glass, an object./I created these works in early December 2014, invited a group of people to experience them and then … — [open Youtube window, read first, then play video]/This second video documents the pieces *Wanderland*, an installation, and *Look In Glass,* an object./I created these works in early December 2014, invited a group of people to experience them and then informally share their responses to the works with me./*Wanderland* was the 100 journal pages hung at varying heights in a narrow hallway, painted black, covered in black fabrics, red threads, and with the architectural details of door frames and bannisters left visible. The viewers, experiencing the piece one at a time, passed through the space to enter into a quiet, minimally decorated bedroom where they encountered *Look In Glass.*/All the viewers commented on the disorienting, if not anxiousness inducing initial journey through the hallway to the bedroom. In the bedroom they were able to regain their composure, having a meditative experience with *Look In Glass* which enabled them to re-enter the hallway for the journey back through *Wanderland* with confidence; able to navigate their way through the space without that initial anxiety.

The next two slides are from my presentation at Winter Residency./Unable to bring the site-specfic Wanderland to NYC, I re-developed it as the piece Just Between Me and You. The journal pages became part of an archive that the viewer is invited to i… — The next two slides are from my presentation at Winter Residency./Unable to bring the site-specfic *Wanderland* to NYC, I re-developed it as the piece *Just Between Me and You.* The journal pages became part of an archive that the viewer is invited to interact with on an individual basis, determining the time spent with and the order by which to view each page. The document box the pages are housed in re-purposed materials used in the installation as well as a piece of mirror, and instruction notes in the vein of those Alice encountered upon reaching the bottom of the rabbit hole. Claire Barratt was kind enough to assist in the presentation by interacting with the piece.

Look In Glass, as an object was easier to bring to NYC./To bring it closer into the body of self portraits I gave it an archive box of its own. Again, the document box incorporated materials used in the installation, including a blanket I drew with … — *Look In Glass*, as an object was easier to bring to NYC./To bring it closer into the body of self portraits I gave it an archive box of its own. Again, the document box incorporated materials used in the installation, including a blanket I drew with a hand-sewn line using felt, tulle and red thread. This blanket wraps around the mirror box, protecting and containing it. During the presentation Kelly Reyna interacted with *Look In Glass*./If you were present you might recall that I still felt the piece was unfinished, so I completed it at the end of the presentation, smashing through the mirror glass and iPad.

Here is the completed Look In Glass./iPad still functions. — Here is the completed *Look In Glass.*/iPad still functions.

The final piece from the first half of the year is Index./Index was created specifically for the Winter Residency presentation./It does not include the journal pages, but mimics the pages in a miniaturized form with the additional element of a small… — The final piece from the first half of the year is *Index./Index* was created specifically for the Winter Residency presentation./It does not include the journal pages, but mimics the pages in a miniaturized form with the additional element of a small mirror that disrupts the viewer’s ability to focus fully on the small work./The piece is housed in a much smaller, white document box; the cards in envelopes addressed to ‘YOU’ from ‘ME’ were gifts to the individuals in attendance at the presentation as a means of sharing the experience Claire and Kelly were having with the other two works; an experience which was not shared.

After Winter Residency and the smashing of Look In Glass the spring semester studio work underwent a shift, away from the references of Alice in Wonderland and Alice’s Adventures Through the Looking Glass, and the framework imposed upon it by the us… — After Winter Residency and the smashing of *Look In Glass* the spring semester studio work underwent a shift, away from the references of Alice in Wonderland and Alice’s Adventures Through the Looking Glass, and the framework imposed upon it by the use of the word epilepsy./I began to explore the self portrait in a more traditional sense; completing two bodies of work in the series during this time./*Self Reflective* and *Twinning./*Both are created using iPhone 5 photos, reflective surfaces such as mirrors, picture glass, windows, metal trays, many of my previous paintings, and my own image or body.

This piece is part of Self Reflective./As I said, I am a painter, not a photographer, and with this work I applied the camera as a drawing tool, quickly sketching ideas./The images are very ‘low tech’ despite being created with ‘high’ technology./Be… — This piece is part of *Self Reflective*./As I said, I am a painter, not a photographer, and with this work I applied the camera as a drawing tool, quickly sketching ideas./The images are very ‘low tech’ despite being created with ‘high’ technology./Beyond cropping there is very little digital manipulation of the image; leaving the effect to the play between the reflective surface, the real object and person, and the composition.

The final body of work in the series is Twinning./Also taken with an iPhone 5, this time just my body, a single unshaded light bulb, and a mirror feature in the work. — The final body of work in the series is *Twinning./*Also taken with an iPhone 5, this time just my body, a single unshaded light bulb, and a mirror feature in the work.

Playing with the images in black and white.

Printing small photos, collaging, drawing on them, gluing into sketch books.

Working the images in a basic word processing program [pages], to form a kaleidoscopic image./These are 8 x 10 inches [approx. DIN A4] printed on matte photo paper.

Going back to the easel to smear some paint around./Here two paintings in process I was working on just prior to leaving for Germany./They are acrylic on Bristol paper, 18 x 24 inches.

I had been thinking since winter what to bring to Berlin for the OFE at SomoS./I knew I wanted to bring ‘painting’, and I wanted it to be a larger scale./Eventually, as the work progressed in April and May I thought of bringing standard snapshots an… — I had been thinking since winter what to bring to Berlin for the OFE at SomoS./I knew I wanted to bring ‘painting’, and I wanted it to be a larger scale./Eventually, as the work progressed in April and May I thought of bringing standard snapshots and creating a larger work on site out of the various images…like I had been doing in the sketchbooks. Still remaining quite basic in my technology I did alter a single image, which I then had two sets printed on 4 x 6 inch matte paper by an online photo printing service./And this is what I brought to Berlin.

Here is an installation shot to jog your memory…doesn’t it seem like a long time ago?/Again, this is the work that is serving as the springboard for the studio portion of my MFA project./But back to the key to the development of the conceptual frame… — Here is an installation shot to jog your memory…doesn’t it seem like a long time ago?/Again, this is the work that is serving as the springboard for the studio portion of my MFA project./But back to the key to the development of the conceptual framework supporting the practice of artistic research: what is my question?

I’m going to let you read this. [pause]/In my artistic research this year I plan to explore the role of truth and lies, consciously made or not, in the act of self portraiture./What does the artist reveal, hide, or alter in the image of his or her s… — I’m going to let you read this. [pause]/In my artistic research this year I plan to explore the role of truth and lies, consciously made or not, in the act of self portraiture./What does the artist reveal, hide, or alter in the image of his or her self when addressing or avoiding questions of personal identity?/Does the act of self portrayal become more frequently an act of self betrayal to either the self portrayed or the viewer who is engaged with the work?

To end with this quote from an essay in Rebecca Solnit’s book “Men Explain Things to Me”. [read quote]/For me her words reflect the openness which remains in this project I am undertaking./I’ve put the question out there, I have the work that I am j… — To end with this quote from an essay in Rebecca Solnit’s book “Men Explain Things to Me”. [read quote]/For me her words reflect the openness which remains in this project I am undertaking./I’ve put the question out there, I have the work that I am jumping off from, but as to where the work and research eventually lead me, this remains unknown./The only given is “that the unlikely and the unimaginable will transpire” [Solnit/Thomas] and to this I remain optimistically open.

Thank you./Please take time to check out the work and writings on my website./Any questions or comments come up later, shoot me an email, or tweet it to me; but now I’ll open the floor to Q &A. /I may choose not to answer some of your questions … — Thank you./Please take time to check out the work and writings on my website./Any questions or comments come up later, shoot me an email, or tweet it to me; but now I’ll open the floor to Q &A. /I may choose not to answer some of your questions at this time, but I will get back to you either in person here in Berlin, or via email or social media messaging.

Post-presentation questions and feedback audio recording posted to YouTube.