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Liquid Architecture Graduate Prize for Sound Art 2020

Liquid Architecture Graduate Prize for Sound Art 2020Liquid Architecture Graduate Prize for Sound Art 2020Liquid Architecture Graduate Prize for Sound Art 2020

Liquid Architecture Graduate Prize for Sound Art 2020

Liquid Architecture Graduate Prize for Sound Art 2020Liquid Architecture Graduate Prize for Sound Art 2020Liquid Architecture Graduate Prize for Sound Art 2020
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2nd Semester Archive

ARCHIVE: ASSESSOR'S COMMENT

Subject Title: Independent Project

 Jenny, your archived records are an extensive and rich and diverse collation of all of the thinking and processes within your practice. The archive is dynamic and engaging. Well done. 

MARK RECEIVED WAS 18/20

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WRITING MY MASTERS BY RESEARCH PROPOSAL: PRIMARY ELEMENT

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FOCUS AREA: SOCIAL AND PUBLIC ART

Writing this proposal required about twenty drafts. Advice received I approach Keely Macarow, however, after a conversation and some thinking time I decided Keely was not the right person for me to spend two years of my life working with. I approach Marnie Badham again and she suggested. Laresa Koslof, this worked out well and I started to re-write the application. After about six drafts I got there with great support from potential supervisors. 


However, writing this proposal greatly impacted my thinking about my Build a Brain project, not only for the conclusion of this Honours research project, but in relation to social and public art events proposed for 2021. I did a lot more research and discovered people like Professor Antonio Damasio, Portuguese/American neurscientist who writes about emotions and their place in the body, how the brain receives these neuronal messages and converts them to feeling such as fear and anxiety. This awareness of the body's prominence in emotional expereince was a turning point in my project. I was doing a lot of sensory therapy work, noting changes in my body, such as feeling more grounded, safer, connected, Damasio put words to these awarenesses. I coined the phrase Body Bonding. 


I read about Tibbetan Monks meditating under Functional MRI scans.  Results of this research led back through Default Mode, or self-reflexive relaxed mode to Dr Stephen Porges and also to Daniel Levetin who shows how music impact syncronicity, bonding and connections. 


My therapist suggested Dan Siegel who teaches children about naming their emotions to tame them.  Using his Hand Model of the Brain he shows how our Frontal Cortex is key to forming relationships and thereby developing resilience. Richard Schzwarz who talks about the core self, and the many selves, through his Integrated Family Therapy approach. 


These professionals all informed the final stages of my Building a Brain project and my exegesis. I have never been able to form and sustain strong relationships, my fear and anxiety destroy everything. Information is empower and in association with my sensory therapy practices my body and mind developed. Through enlightenment I gained a sense of safety and was empowered to form healthy reliable connections.  

1st Site Gallery Residency Details: Primary Archival Element

A two week residency, I spent the first days at home completing my first semester exegesis. During the break I travelled to Johanna River Farm & Cottages. I wrote & sang songs. I videoed & photographed the farm, the animals, the tree lopper, the horse farrier. A sensory beginning to a self-reflexive second semester.

Art works completed at Johanna River Farm

First Site Gallery out-of-sight residency July 2020

The Lovers' Words, a short lyric.

The Lovers' Words, a short lyric. 

goto the recording
Collage on oil and acrylic painting.

Collage on oil and acrylic painting, attached to a soundtrack about Johann River Farm.

goto the recording
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This image refers to Hello Mr Bowerbird, a song I wrote and recorded.

goto the recording
Hello

Equine Therapy Sessions & Videos: Primary Archival Element

Path of the Horse in Trentham. First time I said I was just taking photos of the horses for my Alfred Hospital Project. I felt a tug at my heart & returned two weeks later.My friend & support worker Sean drove.Dean is an ex-vet & union-man. All the horses are trauma survivors. I felt safe, I changed, so did my project

Alfred Hospital Project Details

Alfred Hospital Project Managed by RMIT's Keely Macarow

1st equine therapy session I  took photos














Dean Mighell psychotherapist supports participants to engage with his horses, all 

have been saved from trauma



















Rocky died not longer after this photo, he was very old. 

see the finished videos

2nd Semester Journal & Working Pages maintained until early September when I started writing the Masters by Research proposal: Secondary Element

The Emotional Narrative: informed by Build a Brain research

I applied to RMIT's Spark Prize in association with Hardie Grant Books with a narrative non-fiction. I wrote the Introduction, Synopsis and Chapter briefs. It's about the history, social conditioning and development of humanity's emotional behaviour, focussing on my own family's last four generations. 

Here's the narrative non-fiction proposal

Submission to RMIT's Spark Prize: Secondary Archival Element

Download PDF

2nd Semester Works in Progress

About: Girl Growing a Rainbow Coat: my images below

I worked on these images for two weeks, I have hundreds of images, these are the nine that I completed satisfactorily. I met Ella at Path of the Horse and she agree I could use her image for the Alfred Hospital Project. I decided to use the photos in these collage works instead, without discussing my decision with her family. I sent the first image to Dean from Path of the Horse who got back saying, please don't associate us with the horse racing industry because they do some terrible things.  Of course I was devastated and went to bed, but realised he was right. So I intend to make this work about a girl who goes travelling with her horse around Victoria. I heard a story on ABC radio Conversation Hour recorded 31st October 2018 about a boy Lennie Gwyther form country victoria who helped his father on the farm during a difficult time and for reward he got to take his horse Ginger Mike to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, alone. Lennie's story appears in Peter Lalor's book The Bridge, published by Allen & Unwin in 2006

hear Lennie's story on ABC radio Conversation Hour here

Girl Growing a Rainbow Coat

Home with Mother & You

Home with Mother & You

Home with Mother & You

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After 1st semester assessment I intended to re-do the audio for this video, however, that hasn't happened.  I still hope to complete the work.

Sad Song

Home with Mother & You

Home with Mother & You

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This was my first song, I wrote the words and drew upon Elton John's version for the chorus and tune. Other songs were written, each cathartic in its own way.

Provocations

Home with Mother & You

Polyvagal Video Trilogy

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I spent a lot of time in zoom conversations with Sue, John (in France), Glenn from Bega and Fiona. I was trialling collaborative art works, only Fiona and Sue responded. The knitter critter is Sue's creation. Some of this work was presented for 2nd Semester Trial Presentation. 

Polyvagal Video Trilogy

Polyvagal Video Trilogy

Polyvagal Video Trilogy

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I aimed to make a trilogy of animated videos, one about the Polyvagal Body (which I made), one about Vagal Polyvagal Body (balanced body) and a third about Social Connection through Polyvagal Theory. I still hope to make these as they are really significant research and many practitioners are following, applying and promoting Porges findings. 

Hearing Voices?

Polyvagal Video Trilogy

Alexandra and Granny

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I started this video in first semester, the aim was to show a technique many voice hearers utilise when in society. If hearing voices and feeling you need to respond, Hearing Voices Network teaches the strategy of holding your phone to your ear and talking into the phone, in this way passersby don't judge you negatively

Alexandra and Granny

Polyvagal Video Trilogy

Alexandra and Granny

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When regional Victoria came un-lockdown  I travelled to Alexandra where Granny & Grandpa lived  1950s to 70s. I was feeling like recalling happy times, the sensory therapies I engaging with enticed me to remember hand-holding with granny collecting eggs,  gardening together and sitting on her knee while playing card games.  I took lots of video then created two collage works. A song would be great.

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