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Joshua T Howell documentation year two semester onewww.joshuathowell.co.uk
TraceAn exhibition organised in collaboration with other members of the
Critical Fine Art Practice BA (hons) course of Brighton University running throughout the first week of December 2010 at the Regency Town House, Brighton.
As well as contributing an artwork for the show Joshua T Howell took a prominent curatorial role alongside a few others responsible for the show as a whole. In collaboration with Rebecca Field and oth-ers the concept and direction of the show was decided.
Intended as a meditation on the concept of the ‘trace’ described by Derrida as an ‘always-already absent present’. The shows placement in a transitory space mid renovation coupled with the decision (main-ly due to gallery restrictions) to create temporary structures on which to place work; allowing for artworks to remain autonomous, managed to further this idea of objects ability to perhaps be present and in their presence allude to another place or other objects not present.
TRA
CE
i ii iii iv
v vi vii
viii
ix x xi xii
xiii
xiv
xv xvi
xvii
xviii
xix
A tra
ce, a
n ar
row,
a p
oint
ed h
and,
a s
ign
that
read
s ‘lo
ok a
t thi
s th
at is
no
long
er h
ere’
.
Hum
anity
ass
umes
an
orig
in fo
r eve
ry tr
ace,
arti
sts
incl
uded
. To
crea
te a
rt is
to s
imul
ate
the
crea
tion
of a
trac
e, e
nabl
ing
the
inta
ngib
le to
be
touc
hed
and
the
invi
sibl
e to
be
seen
. To
follo
w o
r dis
cove
r, m
ake
or m
ark,
trav
el o
r pas
s ov
er, d
etec
t or d
ecip
her.
For D
errid
a, tr
ace
refe
rs to
wor
ds th
at a
re e
nvel
oped
in th
e m
etap
hysi
cs o
f pre
senc
e, a
w
ord
like
‘bei
ng’ o
r ‘th
ing’
that
refe
rs to
an
assu
med
exi
sten
ce, b
ut o
ne th
at n
eeds
not
ha
ve e
ver e
xist
ed.
Mar
ked
abse
nce
of a
pre
senc
e, a
n al
way
s-al
read
y ab
sent
pre
sent
.
Wor
k si
tuat
ed in
a s
pace
that
is it
self
in b
etw
een
two
stat
es a
llow
ing
cons
tant
pla
y an
d di
ffers
con
tinuo
usly.
Con
stan
t ten
sion
bet
wee
n th
e un
finis
hed
build
ing
and
high
ly fi
n-is
hed
wor
k re
mai
ns p
rese
nt th
roug
hout
the
show
, the
lack
of p
hysi
cal a
ttach
men
t to
the
build
ing
itsel
f allo
ws
wor
ks to
rem
ain
auto
nom
ous
whi
lst s
till e
ntan
gled
by
the
thre
ad o
f tra
ce.
An E
xhib
ition
by
Crit
ical
Fin
e Ar
t Pra
ctic
e
v
xvi
xvii
ix
xiii
x
xviii
iii
Elen
i Tou
lekk
iIz
zy M
cGou
ghM
ax J
eter
Izzy
McG
ough
Reb
ecca
Fie
ldTa
msi
n D
ever
eux
Sam
anth
a H
arve
yM
ike
Puda
nM
atth
ew V
itty
Beth
any
Willi
ams
Mad
elei
ne F
lynn
Dan
Nut
tPh
ilippa
Sha
rpe
Ros
ie M
arch
ant
Loui
se E
vans
Emm
a Pa
lmer
Fran
ces
Odi
m-L
ough
linAn
n R
ober
tsJo
shua
T H
owel
l
i
ii
xix
vi vii
viii
xixi
ixv
xiv
iv
Trac
e yo
urse
lf N
o. 1
In m
y cr
aft o
r sul
len
art p
t II
Unt
itlle
dIn
my
craf
t or s
ulle
n ar
t pt I
36 D
uke
Stre
et (k
unst
kam
mer
)Lo
ve lo
stA
one
way
exc
hang
eR
etra
cer
Peac
e cr
ane
Tran
sitio
n of
a g
utte
r girl
Pres
sing
I, P
ress
ing
IIAn
edu
catio
nal t
oy“O
ur T
race
”C
onve
rsat
ion
Mem
oria
lC
old
Cas
e N
umbe
r 000
1I d
on’t
rem
embe
r bei
ng to
ld h
e w
as il
l, bu
t I re
mem
ber
Cha
nce
proc
ess
‘hid
es’
TRA
CE
i ii iii iv
v vi vii
viii
ix x xi xii
xiii
xiv
xv xvi
xvii
xviii
xix
A tra
ce, a
n ar
row,
a p
oint
ed h
and,
a s
ign
that
read
s ‘lo
ok a
t thi
s th
at is
no
long
er h
ere’
.
Hum
anity
ass
umes
an
orig
in fo
r eve
ry tr
ace,
arti
sts
incl
uded
. To
crea
te a
rt is
to s
imul
ate
the
crea
tion
of a
trac
e, e
nabl
ing
the
inta
ngib
le to
be
touc
hed
and
the
invi
sibl
e to
be
seen
. To
follo
w o
r dis
cove
r, m
ake
or m
ark,
trav
el o
r pas
s ov
er, d
etec
t or d
ecip
her.
For D
errid
a, tr
ace
refe
rs to
wor
ds th
at a
re e
nvel
oped
in th
e m
etap
hysi
cs o
f pre
senc
e, a
w
ord
like
‘bei
ng’ o
r ‘th
ing’
that
refe
rs to
an
assu
med
exi
sten
ce, b
ut o
ne th
at n
eeds
not
ha
ve e
ver e
xist
ed.
Mar
ked
abse
nce
of a
pre
senc
e, a
n al
way
s-al
read
y ab
sent
pre
sent
.
Wor
k si
tuat
ed in
a s
pace
that
is it
self
in b
etw
een
two
stat
es a
llow
ing
cons
tant
pla
y an
d di
ffers
con
tinuo
usly.
Con
stan
t ten
sion
bet
wee
n th
e un
finis
hed
build
ing
and
high
ly fi
n-is
hed
wor
k re
mai
ns p
rese
nt th
roug
hout
the
show
, the
lack
of p
hysi
cal a
ttach
men
t to
the
build
ing
itsel
f allo
ws
wor
ks to
rem
ain
auto
nom
ous
whi
lst s
till e
ntan
gled
by
the
thre
ad o
f tra
ce.
An E
xhib
ition
by
Crit
ical
Fin
e Ar
t Pra
ctic
e
v
xvi
xvii
ix
xiii
x
xviii
iii
Elen
i Tou
lekk
iIz
zy M
cGou
ghM
ax J
eter
Izzy
McG
ough
Reb
ecca
Fie
ldTa
msi
n D
ever
eux
Sam
anth
a H
arve
yM
ike
Puda
nM
atth
ew V
itty
Beth
any
Willi
ams
Mad
elei
ne F
lynn
Dan
Nut
tPh
ilippa
Sha
rpe
Ros
ie M
arch
ant
Loui
se E
vans
Emm
a Pa
lmer
Fran
ces
Odi
m-L
ough
linAn
n R
ober
tsJo
shua
T H
owel
l
i
ii
xix
vi vii
viii
xixi
ixv
xiv
iv
Trac
e yo
urse
lf N
o. 1
In m
y cr
aft o
r sul
len
art p
t II
Unt
itlle
dIn
my
craf
t or s
ulle
n ar
t pt I
36 D
uke
Stre
et (k
unst
kam
mer
)Lo
ve lo
stA
one
way
exc
hang
eR
etra
cer
Peac
e cr
ane
Tran
sitio
n of
a g
utte
r girl
Pres
sing
I, P
ress
ing
IIAn
edu
catio
nal t
oy“O
ur T
race
”C
onve
rsat
ion
Mem
oria
lC
old
Cas
e N
umbe
r 000
1I d
on’t
rem
embe
r bei
ng to
ld h
e w
as il
l, bu
t I re
mem
ber
Cha
nce
proc
ess
‘hid
es’
xivEvery conversation or word spoken leaves som
ething behind. A mem
ory, a feeling, breath, spit etc. The fine dust that coats the page records the w
ords that were spoken
over it. The dust is then fixed into place to create a permanent record of the invisible
marks of the w
ords.
xviiiThe dice is rolled and a photograph taken. The number show
n on the dice is then used to determ
ine the amount of seconds the negative is exposed onto the photographic paper.
The dice is then covered in developer chemical and rolled over the paper. The num
ber of rolls is also determ
ined by the result of the original throw. The developing process is then finished, and repeated how
ever many tim
es the number show
n by the dice was.
ii & iv
A concern about the lack of practical skills taught on an art degree course, and the resulting feeling of inadequacy, led m
e to seek assistance from craftsm
en outside of col-lege.
The restoration of the door is an example of one of the skills acquired , all the other
artifacts document the breakdow
n of a relationship with a builder, one of several form
ed in m
y quest to become skilled.’
xi‘Once som
eone passes away they becom
e an object’. History can be captured in a
gesture a gesture that can be prematurely rem
oved. There being no distinction between
history and its representation. The first flower being the original from
the cemetery and
the second being a faithful reproduction.
iiiA simple m
ethod to (in theory) send a series of images, into space. The light’s transition
will never com
e to an end due to it’s ability to travel huge distances creating a permanent
record of the space. An attempt to show
the existence of our reality demonstrating our
physical and contextual existence through a gallery space.
xvMem
orial pays homage to the short life of Em
ily Jane Brightman, a form
er resident of R
egency Square, by engaging in the craft of cross-stitch, an activity that she almost
certainly would have undertaken
viiiRem
nants, particles, fragments becom
e exponentially distant from their greater origi-
nary part; lost to time and space yet uniform
ly ubiquitous. Amongst all how
ever, resides a past essence, one that can be form
ulaically reconstituted into a new, vulnerable form.
i
‘Fingerprints are the traces of an impression from
the friction ridges of any part of a hum
an hand. The flexibility of friction ridge skin means that no tw
o finger are ever exactly alike in every detail.’
Each individual visiting the exhibition will leave behind their ow
n unique trace. People are asked to dip their thum
bs in acrylic ink, make a stam
p of their thumbs into the book.
xiiFor the teaching of World H
istory. Simply alter sym
bols for justification or condemnation
of various opression.
xviThere are more than 1,000 unsolved m
urders in the UK, according to figures obtained
by the BBC, som
e going back several generations. The death of Janet Henderson in
1866 remains unsolved. A new
spaper report at the time records in grim
detail the position of her body and w
here traces of her blood were found. These traces are all that is left.
xixTo photograph a hunting hide is an oxymoron. An im
age made w
ith the intention of being show
n to multiple view
ers depicting a structure built with the express purpose of
concealment.
xviiA process of excavation intended to remind us of the fundem
ental nature of suffering and it’s relation to hum
an existence.
v
Biblioclasm is the practice of destroying, often cerem
oniously, books or other written
material or m
edia. Information, identity and know
ledge, circumstantially linked in selection,
reproduction and destruction.
x
A journey from coast to coast. Escaping the isolation of island life w
hilst the remnants of
family history linger.
viThe richness of mem
ory lost through the passing of time.
xiii
Playing with old practice norm
alities to validate the act of Dabbling.
The Amateur.
tracebrighton.tumblr.com
xivEvery conversation or word spoken leaves som
ething behind. A mem
ory, a feeling, breath, spit etc. The fine dust that coats the page records the w
ords that were spoken
over it. The dust is then fixed into place to create a permanent record of the invisible
marks of the w
ords.
xviiiThe dice is rolled and a photograph taken. The number show
n on the dice is then used to determ
ine the amount of seconds the negative is exposed onto the photographic paper.
The dice is then covered in developer chemical and rolled over the paper. The num
ber of rolls is also determ
ined by the result of the original throw. The developing process is then finished, and repeated how
ever many tim
es the number show
n by the dice was.
ii & iv
A concern about the lack of practical skills taught on an art degree course, and the resulting feeling of inadequacy, led m
e to seek assistance from craftsm
en outside of col-lege.
The restoration of the door is an example of one of the skills acquired , all the other
artifacts document the breakdow
n of a relationship with a builder, one of several form
ed in m
y quest to become skilled.’
xi‘Once som
eone passes away they becom
e an object’. History can be captured in a
gesture a gesture that can be prematurely rem
oved. There being no distinction between
history and its representation. The first flower being the original from
the cemetery and
the second being a faithful reproduction.
iiiA simple m
ethod to (in theory) send a series of images, into space. The light’s transition
will never com
e to an end due to it’s ability to travel huge distances creating a permanent
record of the space. An attempt to show
the existence of our reality demonstrating our
physical and contextual existence through a gallery space.
xvMem
orial pays homage to the short life of Em
ily Jane Brightman, a form
er resident of R
egency Square, by engaging in the craft of cross-stitch, an activity that she almost
certainly would have undertaken
viiiRem
nants, particles, fragments becom
e exponentially distant from their greater origi-
nary part; lost to time and space yet uniform
ly ubiquitous. Amongst all how
ever, resides a past essence, one that can be form
ulaically reconstituted into a new, vulnerable form.
i
‘Fingerprints are the traces of an impression from
the friction ridges of any part of a hum
an hand. The flexibility of friction ridge skin means that no tw
o finger are ever exactly alike in every detail.’
Each individual visiting the exhibition will leave behind their ow
n unique trace. People are asked to dip their thum
bs in acrylic ink, make a stam
p of their thumbs into the book.
xiiFor the teaching of World H
istory. Simply alter sym
bols for justification or condemnation
of various opression.
xviThere are more than 1,000 unsolved m
urders in the UK, according to figures obtained
by the BBC, som
e going back several generations. The death of Janet Henderson in
1866 remains unsolved. A new
spaper report at the time records in grim
detail the position of her body and w
here traces of her blood were found. These traces are all that is left.
xixTo photograph a hunting hide is an oxymoron. An im
age made w
ith the intention of being show
n to multiple view
ers depicting a structure built with the express purpose of
concealment.
xviiA process of excavation intended to remind us of the fundem
ental nature of suffering and it’s relation to hum
an existence.
v
Biblioclasm is the practice of destroying, often cerem
oniously, books or other written
material or m
edia. Information, identity and know
ledge, circumstantially linked in selection,
reproduction and destruction.
x
A journey from coast to coast. Escaping the isolation of island life w
hilst the remnants of
family history linger.
viThe richness of mem
ory lost through the passing of time.
xiii
Playing with old practice norm
alities to validate the act of Dabbling.
The Amateur.
tracebrighton.tumblr.com
HidesTo photograph a hunting hide is an oxymoron. An image made with
the intention of being shown to multiple viewers depicting a structure built with the express purpose of concealment.
Four light boxes showing central European hunting hides placed behind an open door.
Alternative magazine StructureA collaboration between Joshua T Howell and Carianne Whitworth.
An alternative or counterpart to a physical magazine, In response to the issue’s theme, a series of images articles and features - selected from the abundant amount of previously published material available on the World Wide Web.
Intending to initiate discussion and to highlight the growing depen-dence that many of us have on support structures such as educational institutions and the internet, the work was presented to a group for critique.
Sadly, the work was described as pointless.
The publication can be viewed here (internet access required)
Imagination Aids for Better WorkA new addition to an ongoing series of works title Imagination Aids
for Better Living.
A number of publications were created using a randomly generated digital still camera (dsc) file prefix inserted to Google image search. The first page of images found were collected and made into a publi-cation.
Intended as aids for those implicated in creative practice suffer-ing from creative block or periods of little inspiration. An argument could be made for the idea that inspiration can be found near enough anywhere if the artist chooses to look for long enough, therefore, the creative aids are generated at random from the plethora of imagery available online.
The physical manifestations of the imagination aids are printed cheaply and bound only by folding with the intention that the user of the publication can rearrange the imagery in order to create new, tailor-made juxtapositions lengthening the time for which the aid is useful.
The digital archive of Imagination Aids for Better Work is available online here (internet access required)
Evaluative StatementMuch of the first semester has been spent organising my trip to go to study in
Kansas City, although I have managed to produce a number of works that I feel have been relatively successful.
I feel that most of my success this term has been in developing the skills involved in organising and bringing together exhibitions. The experience of attempting to work with a number of people with almost diametrically opposed views on all things from content to presentation of work is something unlike anything I have ever done before. Bringing people together to generate a uni-formed and convincing single viewpoint from which a show can be made is a skill that I obviously haven’t mastered as of yet but it was interesting to witness first hand the ways in which interactions surrounding the Trace exhibition took place.
Something I had never given much thought to is the reliance on the assign-ing of titles and roles to certain individuals such as ‘curator’ to have someone to hold responsible for final decisions. Seemingly there are quite strict rules to group dynamics that must be adhered to in order to get things to work, these dynamics are perhaps something that I may chose to study at another time.
The work ‘Hides’ that was showed at the Trace exhibition was not as successful as Ihad hoped it to be. I feel that perhaps the fabrication of the light boxes was not quite up to the standards of finish that they should have been. When it came round to a critique of the work the conversation seemed unable to get past the poor finish of the boxes, something that disappointed me but I am now aware that conscious decisions in presentation work best when near enough invisible to the audience of the work, if something is noticeably presented in a certain man-ner then perhaps it is trying to hard.
Initial dismay at the start of the year due to the fact that the arrangements with studio space had changed soon turned faded as I was forced to find differ-ent places to work. Although it would seem that the intention was perhaps for people to find spaces in the world outside the studio I feel that it was because of our lack of studio based practice that I have begun to develop my work in terms of the internet and occupying virtual space. Although a continuation of a number of ideas I have had for a while now the migration of my work onto and engaging with the internet has developed further this semester, almost all of my work now has a certain element either online or in digital format.
Perhaps the move further towards the internet has had something to do with the move to America at the end of the semester, the existence of my work online will enable me to near enough continue a similar practice wherever I am, this element of universality in the work is something that I am very interested in.
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