13 1/2 Essays on Practice is a series of essays about my art and art practice that I wrote in 2006 while I was living in England. The essays cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from my imagery, techniques, and influences to musings on identity and what it is to be an artist. Tied into these topics are essays on contemplation and spirituality as it applies to my art practice as well as my opinions on craft, digital art practices, and technology. I’ve tried to make the style as readable as possible by avoiding specialist jargon.
The essays can be read in any order, so it’s not necessary to have read Essay 1 to understand Essay 2, and so on. However, if there isn’t a specific topic you want to read about first, I’d suggest you read the collection in the order I’ve presented it since the sequence does have a certain logic to it.
This version contains the exact same text and images as the first print edition. I haven’t made any changes to the text, and aside from the page-to-page navigation have not made any hyperlinks within or between the essays.
I printed the first edition myself in extremely limited quantities while in England. The format was single-sided on A4 paper. The book weighed in about approximately 90 pages. If there is sufficient demand I will consider making a PDF of the first edition available for download. I am also looking into options for publishing the book for wider distribution.
Here is the cover image from the first edition:
Encounters: 40 (Experiment 1) (2006)
Digital media, variable size (2.35:1 aspect ratio)
Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Essay 1: Imagery
- Introduction
- Iconography and Symbolism
- Worlds
- Figures
- Colour, Mood, and Tone
- Quotation and Reference
Essay 2: Between Abstraction and Representation
Essay 3: Contemplation and Spirituality
Essay 4: Processes and Issues of Practice
Essay 5: From the Nonverbal to the Verbal: Titles as Translation and Interpretation
- Introduction
- Nonverbal Practice
- Titling As Translation
- Museum and Gallery Experiences
- Personal Interpretation
- Indefensible Authority to Interpret
- Encounters 10: A Case Study in Titling
Essay 6: Materiality and Nonmateriality: Defining the Work of Art in the Digital Age
Essay 7: Why Did I Go Digital?
Essay 8: The Cult of the New
Essay 9: Technologically-Assisted Mimicry
Essay 10: Craft and Audience
Essay 11: Hybrid Identity and Postcolonial Buttheads
Essay 12: Inspirations and Influences
Essay 13: Why I Make Art
Essay 13 1/2: Sources and Critiques of Sources
References
Acknowledgements