Faye Waple
My research and practice are very much like the double helix of DNA – they overlap and intertwine. This methodology often creates new questions and further investigations along with a range of outcomes.
In May 2013 the knowledge that I had believed about the workings of my body was stripped away - my diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis changed my perception of the ‘normal’ functions of the human body. A further layer of knowledge was then removed as I agreed to go on a medical drugs trial for medication. This is a gap in my knowledge that someone else has created; the trial is double blind, meaning I could be taking a placebo or a percentage of medication.
For my current work I am my own research, I am using my own brain as a material. I have sought out my own personal MRI images of my brain and spine – a process in itself; these are not readily available from the hospital. I have a computerised file containing thousands of images of millimetre thick ‘slices’ of my body. I am taking a risk in my current work; by using my own personal scan images. I could easily have fallen into the trap of trying to ‘emotionally repair’ myself through this work, or come at it from a highly personal emotional perspective. However, I have decided my approach needs to be totally different in order to view my practice critically and objectively.
I feel pleasure is often removed from science, speaking from a personal and medical perspective, pleasure feels as though it is removed with a diagnosis of a condition. You are informed of all the things you can no longer do because of an embodied condition. I hope to show that pleasure can be gained from tactile materiality in both art and design, while also embodying perhaps hard to digest scientific information.
Using abstraction as a technique to look at my scientific scan results has made me step back from them – I no longer feel absorbed by my condition. From a medical perspective, you are expected to psychologically and emotionally separate yourself and your diagnosed condition, I feel there needs to be a way of addressing this action. Forming this objective distance is difficult, but necessary and part of the healing process, physically and mentally.
The effect of my diagnosis, rather than limiting my practice, has expanded my perception, understanding, enthusiasm, and knowledge of the symbiotic relationship between art and science. I look forward to the possibilities in weaving art and science together in my practice.
Process and material carry as much weight as any final product. The handmade aspect of work is important; the sense of the maker’s hand and attention to detail engages the viewer. Historically the term art referred to skill or mastery, and I retain an element of artisanship, though occupying the border between art and craft.
I have been looking at darning and the process involved, I am trying to remove the action from the highly romanticised version of ‘make do and mend’, instead looking at sewing and embroidery as a construct. Furthermore I have been exploring Abstraction, Constructivism and Brutalism. I call my current work ‘Reductivism’ using just the necessary means to convey my narrative and information.
Bridging the gap between art and science has also been a strong strand to my current work, I feel there is a clear overlap to what are considered to be conflicting disciplines. I would like to contribute to the body of knowledge production surrounding this idea. I am interested in the act of knowledge transfer between art, science and design, hopefully leading to new discoveries in each area.