Heroes & Harmony - QUT ePrintseprints.qut.edu.au/45607/1/Linda_Pollard_Thesis.pdf‘Heroes & Harmony’ Portfolio Thesis - Doctor of Creative Industries candidate Linda Pollard - February,

Portfolio Thesis - Doctor of Creative Industries - candidate Linda Pollard - February, 2011

Heroes & Harmony

Doctor of Creative Industries Portfolio Thesis

by

Linda Pollard

‘Heroes & Harmony’ Portfolio Thesis - Doctor of Creative Industries candidate Linda Pollard - February, 2011

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Contents Heroes D.C.I. Project 1 – Part A ‘Heroes of the Club’ Page 3 - 41

A visual representation of the stories of ‘heroic’ Australian surf lifesavers.

D.C.I. Project 1- Part B ‘Heroes of the Club….. from within’ Page 42 - 51 An expression on canvas of the inherent qualities and traits of the ‘heroic’ group of surf lifesavers

Harmony D.C.I. Project 2 ‘Crossing the intersection…… Art and Life’ Page 52 – 77 A post-modernist approach to the harmonious Fusion of the aesthetics of Abstract Expressionism And Pop Art.


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Project I – Part A

Heroes of the Club

The Telstra Country Wide ‘Heroes of the Club’ initiative gave me the opportunity to

interview and write short stories about forty Australian surf lifesavers who had been

nominated as ‘heroes’ by their local clubs.

What makes a hero? Is it courage, fearlessness, dedication and sheer

determination or all of those traits? I soon discovered that the ‘hero’ nomination

didn’t necessarily mean that they had saved a life, as the stories I heard were as

varied as the ages and backgrounds of those I interviewed. Ranging in age from

fifteen to eighty-one, some had indeed saved lives and been awarded for their

bravery, others were SLS Australasian and world champions, and there were those

who were considered ‘heroes’ for their unwavering commitment, always ready to

lend a hand, whatever the task.

I was struck by their selflessness and generosity of spirit and they were all

exceptional people in their own unique way.

For DCI Project One, my objective was to capture the essence of these stories on

canvas and I chose seventeen stories as a representation of this heroic group.


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Examinable Outputs

17 ‘Heroes’ paintings (all acrylic on canvas, 121cm x 91cm)

exhibited

Q.U.T. Art Museum Tom Heath Gallery

August 19 to September 21, 2008


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Heroes of the Club (24 page booklet containing Linda Pollard’s ‘Hero’ artwork and short stories)

Acknowledgement: This booklet was produced for Telstra Country Wide by their Advertising Agency, Clemenger Harvie Edge, Brisbane. The layout, hero photography and printing of the booklet was provided by Clemenger Harvie Edge. All copy and artwork images in the booklet were provided by Linda Pollard. Written approval was sought and obtained by Linda Pollard from each of the Hero participants to use their photograph and short story in the booklet.


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Artist Linda Pollard and Her Excellency, Governor of Queensland, Ms Penelope Wensley, A.O.

One Big Family was gifted to the Surf

Life Saving Australia Foundation. SLSA

re-named the painting Circle of Friends

and used this name for their Bequest

Program. The official launch of the

Program was held at Government

House, May 2010, and hosted by SLSA

patron, Her Excellency, Governor of

Queensland, Ms Penelope Wensley,

A.O. I officially presented this painting to

SLSA at this function where each donor

received a small framed copy of Circle of

Friends in acknowledgement of their

support.


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Project 1 – Part B

Heroes of the Club

‘from within’

Part B is a collection of paintings where I sought to convey my emotional response to

several of the qualities evident in the group of surf lifesavers I interviewed in Project 1

(Part A). This body of work focuses more on my representation of a quality or trait

not in the context of a particular story, but via my emotional response to the trait itself

and to answer the question:

How will I express inherent qualities or traits of the ‘heroic’ group

using paint to express my emotional response to each?


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Notes for Examiners

A Notes for Examiners (28 page) document was provided to examiners prior to

examining the creative outputs, the artwork. The document was intended to

contextualize the project, sharing the influences and inspirations for this work,

techniques I explored, relevant references and insights, all of which were intended to

provide context when viewing the paintings.


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Examinable Outputs

‘from within’

9 paintings

exhibited

Brisbane Institute of Art

August 2009


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Determination 1 , acrylic on canvas, 102cm x 76cm


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Determination 2, acrylic on canvas, 30cm x 30cm Determination 3, acrylic on canvas, 30cm x 30cm

Determination 4, acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 61cm


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Vitality, acrylic on linen, 150cm x 75cm


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Growth, acrylic on linen, 150cm x 75cm


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Nurture, acrylic on linen, 150cm x 75cm


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Courage, acrylic on linen, 150cm x 75cm


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Strength , acrylic on linen, 150 cm x 75cm


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PROJECT 2

Crossing the intersection…..Art & Life

A post-modernist approach to the harmonious fusion of the aesthetics

of

Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art.


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Crossing the intersection…… Art and Life investigates through practice-lead research

how I personally respond to the conundrum that Richard Serra was so concerned about

back in the early 1980s, i.e. ‘How do you love Pollock and Warhol and make a connection?

This research is not concerned specifically with Pollock and Warhol, but the aesthetics of

the art movements for which they have become so legendary, Abstract Expressionism and

Pop Art respectively. The intersection of these two diverse movements, the challenge to

the non-representational, emotionally expressive Abstract Expressionists, confronted and

usurped from the top spot by the emergence and fast rise of the popular, impersonal and

often banal imagery of Pop Art, not only represented a revolution in art taste but marked a

watershed in art history. It is these two apparent polarities of style and context that this

body of work attempts to reconcile by harmoniously fusing aesthetics in a way that

resonates high and low art characteristics, representing Art and Life, through personal

narrative and with reference to artistic tradition and art history.

The initial interest in this research can be traced to a painting Courage which I completed

for the Heroes project, part (b) ‘from within’. Many saw this painting with its gestural marks

partnered with bright to bordering on fluorescent palette as an Abstract Expressionist /Andy

Warhol cross-over. This notion sparked an interest in researching a fusion of the aesthetics

of abstract expressionism and Pop art as ‘Courage’ was evidence, to me at least, that a

harmonious cohesion could be achieved.

Courage, 2009, acrylic on canvas 150 x 75 cm


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Research Methodology

As with Project 1 (a) and (b), this research for Project 11 is situated within my visual arts

practice, and the research methodology I employed is performative, practice-led research

where my work is considered to be the symbolic data: the outcomes of the research. I

continually questioned my processes and documented reflective trails as I journeyed

through the research, and because my research is practice-led, the material outcomes are

the research findings in their own right and were offered as creative outputs for

examination. I drew on qualitative research methods to reference art history and relevant

information sources which were presented in a Framing Document. However, my

examinable outcomes sit firmly in the multi-method Performative Research category.

Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Performative Research

“the activity or operation of expressing something as quantity or amount – for example, in numbers, graphs or formulas: (Schwandt, 2001:215)

Refers to “all forms of social inquiry that rely primarily on qualitative data, i.e. nonnumeric data in the form of words: (Schwandt, 2001:213)

Expressed in nonnumeric data, in forms of symbolic data other than words in discursive text. These include material forms of practice, of still and moving images, of music and sound, of live action and digital code.

The scientific method Multi-method Multi-method led by practice

(Haseman, 2006)

Together with the qualitative research, my practice-led research processes were outlined in

a supporting (9,000 word) Framing Document which was submitted to examiners prior to

them examining the final body of artwork, the symbolic data, Long Playing. This supporting

document enabled my practice-led research methods to be articulated and was intended to

support my examinable artwork, by contextualising the project, the objectives, the

research, the theorising and thinking, revealing how the project outcomes were achieved.

Reference: Haseman, B. (2006) A Manifesto for Performative Research, Media International Australia incorporating Culture

and Policy, theme issue ‘Practice-led Research’ (no.118) pp. 98-106.


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Practice-led research – initial stages – collage on canvas

LP Cover art collage on canvas, 92cm x 123cm


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Practice-led research – initial stages – vinyl on canvas

Singles on canvas, 145cm x 130 cm


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Practice-led research – initial stages – vinyl on canvas (cont.)

LPs on canvas 120cm x 92 cm


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Examinable Outputs

Long Playing

18 paintings (all acrylic on vinyl)

exhibited

November 9 – November 20, 2010

Metro Arts Gallery 109 Edward Street

Brisbane


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Artist’s Statement

Long Playing

Long Playing is a body of work which resulted from my investigation into seeking a

harmonious fusion of the aesthetics of two conflicted art movements Abstract

Expressionism and Pop Art. My research ‘Crossing the intersection… Art and Life’

explores a post-modernist approach by borrowing the painterly brush strokes of Abstract

Expressionism representing art, fused with the iconography of a consumer-oriented Pop

Art culture representing life. It is these two apparent polarities of style and context that this

body of work attempts to reconcile.

I found LPs to be fitting icons of Pop Art’s celebration of consumer culture and explored the

symbolism of using the LPs by eliminating the canvas altogether to research new territories

of representation. Using the vinyl also appealed to the importance I place on recycling and

renewing items of lasting value that have been discarded, the detritus of a modern society,

and when I can extend recycling to my artwork then I am happy. I hope that the recording

artists, the voices and instruments on the vinyl, would approve of my incorporation of their

work into my work, a metamorphosis in a sense, to communicate to a new audience in a

different way.

n.b. Each work has been given the title of a song taken from one of the LPs or Singles in

the artwork. This is my tribute from the voice of one artist to another.


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Tango Seranata

116cm x 108cm approx.


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Vilia 114cm x 114cm approx.


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Jive Bunny 88 cm x 82cm approx.


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Beyond the reef 69cm x 94cm approx.


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In search of you 86cm x 77cm approx.


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La Bamba 116cm x 98cm approx.


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Jellybean 131cm x 100cm approx.


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Prima Donna 80cm x 70cm approx.


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Rivers of Babylon 96cm x 89cm approx.


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Rigoletto 91 cm x 82cm approx.


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Separate Ways 88 cm x 81cm approx.


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Tie a yellow ribbon 94 cm x 68cm approx.


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Two hearts 66cm x 78cm approx.


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Seraphim 104cm x 91cm approx.


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To the ends of the earth, 108cm x 82cm approx.


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Only Love 136cm x 85cm approx.


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Heroic 117cm x 79cm approx.


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Fly me to the moon 109cm x 77cm approx.


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Thank-you to my project mentors

Jill Barker,

Donald J. Waters,

Peter Hudson,

Dr. Daniel Mafe,

Dr. Courtney Pedersen

and

Dr. Jillian Claire and Prof. Brad Haseman

for their support, encouragement and guidance

throughout my D.C.I. journey.

Heroes & Harmony - QUT ePrintseprints.qut.edu.au/45607/1/Linda_Pollard_Thesis.pdf‘Heroes & Harmony’ Portfolio Thesis - Doctor of Creative Industries candidate Linda Pollard - February,

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