Preliminary thoughts on the written exegesis as they have been tossed around inside my head for the past few weeks as I contemplate what might become the chapter submitted for RDC2.
A slightly altered title? Playing Personas Painting
At RDC1 the submitted title was Playing Painting Personas. However, as I begin to think about the structure of the written exegesis a change in the order of the title words is possible. Placing Painting at the end, but not ‘last’, would allow me to circle from my practice as research back to my practice. In a way it would be Painting Playing Personas Painting...but that is too convoluted. Simpler is the three words.
An Introduction about development of a tool (personas) and the method(s) of their application (play) within an established painting practice (mine) as a means to expand/enrich a methodology of painting where each of these are clearly defined.
A body structure of three sections reflective of the title and a smattering of what might fall into those sections. The three sections would most likely be divided into smaller essays of 3-5 per section. Section one, Playing will most likely be more focused on the theoretical concepts associated with my research. Section two will then look at how the theories might be seen to be manifested through the application of personas in the creative practices of others. Section three will focus on painting and painters, my own painting practice, and the application of personas in my practice.
1. Playing:
Piaget, Vygotsky, Schön, Schechner - development, learning and self reflection in children and adults, possible connections made through examples in other areas, performativity, formal and informal education and training, building thru play the ‘tool’ of personas to be applied in painting practice.
2. Personas:
As applied in creative practices other than painting. Why not just Duchamp? How and possibly why personas of varying forms are/have been created, assumed, applied in varying degrees across creative practices. Identity and personas. Visual arts, literary arts, popular culture. The difference between the created persona and mental illness. Examples of personas: Duchamp, Pessoa, Bowie, Eleanor Antin and other examples. Introduction of the personas of my practice.
3. Painting:
The role of the painter. Painters and their personas. Painters painting with materials other than paint. The personas in my studio -sharing space/time, profiles, the work of Melusine (1st and the non painter- writer/critic), Franzi (3rd and the assistant, gatekeeper and novice/apprentice from whom the painter also learns), Petra (2nd and most elusive, the painter-colleague where the learning/sharing occurs not through words and conversations but through the paint. My practice before, during and after.
Summation
A random list of thought-topics-words
Nothing(ness)
Narratives
Rules of the game/rules of play/playing the game
Persona- a Person- the root: where is the painter in the persona?
The plausibility of painting as an other
Channeling (various ways; a form of scaffolding, structures that facilitate)
Adaptability and Change(s)
Models and/of Amusement
And