10 Diary Entries [2010-12]

Simon Granell

This work is an exploration into a personal use of spoken language though a predefined process intended to mirror that of my painting practice. A similar process of self-imposed limitation is applied with the aim of suggesting both an autobiographical residue of my own thinking, and open up a potential dialogue for the reader. A series of ten quotations taken from a painting diary are paired with words and punctuation from a series of books that I own. This process has been repeated until all ten quotations have been paired, one word and punctuation mark at a time, creating lists of footnotes, the suggestion being that language has been acquired in this manner. The relationship between word and associated footnote becomes the source of play, frustration or familiarity. The intention is to demonstrate that this deterministic process far from being reductive in its effect, has resulted in the words being read either as part of a whole or reintegrated and reoriented into something new through a process of appropriation rather that engenderment. The hope is that this procedural limitation can act as a trigger for the reader to resequence and reconfigure the references through association and connection that might say something about them in terms of age, taste and perhaps even prejudice. While painting is the subject of the quotations, the implication is that this is constructed by material from another source. This has a distancing effect, which I hope has drawn some parallels with the process of making a painting itself. The footnotes have become detached for the quotations and are free to be re-cited, and act less to affirm or underline and more of leave a trace.

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“The¹ process² tests³ my⁴ ability⁵ to⁶ concentrate⁷ and⁸ not⁹ become¹⁰bored¹¹.¹² Some¹³paintings¹⁴ take¹⁵ over¹⁶ a¹⁷ year¹⁸ and¹⁹ a²⁰ half²¹ to²² produce²³.²⁴ At²⁵ the²⁶ heart²⁷ of²⁸ this²⁹ is³⁰ what³¹ the³² French³³ philosopher³⁴ Francois³⁵ Jullien³⁶ refers³⁷ to³⁸ as³⁹ blandness⁴⁰.⁴¹ I⁴² try⁴³ to⁴⁴ concentrate⁴⁵ on⁴⁶ one⁴⁷ brush⁴⁸ mark⁴⁹ at⁵⁰ a⁵¹ time⁵²,⁵³ but⁵⁴ am⁵⁵ quickly⁵⁶ reminded⁵⁷of⁵⁸ the⁵⁹ difficulty⁶⁰ of⁶¹ this⁶² task⁶³.⁶⁴ Thoughts⁶⁵ occur⁶⁶,⁶⁷ which⁶⁸ sometimes⁶⁹ develop⁷⁰,⁷¹ sometimes⁷² not⁷³.⁷⁴ I⁷⁵ try⁷⁶ to⁷⁷ get⁷⁸ back⁷⁹ to⁸⁰ the⁸¹ matter⁸² in⁸³ hand⁸⁴.⁸⁵”

21 08 2011

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