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Chance Drawing Experiment

Using the sense of touch and darkness

 

 

Throw a die 3 times and follow the rule for each number on each throw – so there are three different instructions for each draw. Draw for as long as you want, finish the drawing when you think you have covered the area being drawn.

 

 

 

 

Draw:

  1. The part of your body nearest to a door

  2. The specific last part of your face you touched

  3. A part of your body that has a fold/crease

  4. A place that enables a sense

  5. An area with varied surface texture

  6. A part of your body that has hair

 

 

 

 

How:

  1. Using a part of your body other than left hand to feel

  2. Feel for 5 minutes then draw from memory

  3.  -

  4. Draw using foot to hold the mark maker

  5. Draw with drawing hand behind back

  6.  -

 

 

 

Position on sheet:

  1. 2 steps forwards, 1 sidestep to the right

  2. 5 steps forwards, 2 sidesteps left

  3. 1 step forwards

  4. 3 steps to the right, 6 steps forwards

  5. 4 steps forwards, 1 step left

  6. 3 steps forwards, 1 right

John Cage

 

The use of chance was purposeful in this experiment. By leaving an outcome to chance, I loose all control of what I draw, meaning that I cannot implicate meaning. Also, this approach adds to the element of non-representation, which is a major factor within my work as Husserl's notion of the epoché has been very influential to my drawing - an attempt to respond more honestly to the sensation of touch, rather than to our natural relationship or understanding of what it is being drawn.

Critical reflection

 

Overal, I like the use of chance because it is appropriate to the style of drawing. It also developed my enquiry into agency and capaciity in a way I'd not tried before, as I had no control over what mix of challenges I would have to face to produce a drawing.

 

 However, this particular experiment was quite unsuccessful because it was very clumsy and fiddly to do in pitch blackness. Also I was constantly worrying about accidently tipping over the bottle of ink. I also lost my paintbrushes a number of times, and had to fumble around on the cloth for them. It's much easier with just one mark-making tool.

 

I think that the use of chance is something I will revisit again at a later date, but I'll have to think it through properly first and consider the consequences like the ones I faced with this activity.

Materials:

 

- large sheet of cloth (to draw on to)

- indian ink

- water

- skinny tip paintbrush

- wider tip paintbrush

- a die

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