Marco Carofalo ART

It has been rewarding to reflect on where my practice currently situates itself, the work has shifted multiple times; exploring folds and drawing, the relationship between the inside and outside, producing work that was smaller in scale and based on how it looked. I position myself as a printmaker where my practice is now rooted in the changing relationship the human body has with common digital technologies, such as the mobile phone, laptop, scanner, and everyday photocopier. This has fed into how I record my work, filming the process, which has then formed part of the outcome itself. An exciting interchange has surfaced between the traditions of painting and printmaking. Referring to myself as a printmaker allows me to have the conversation concerning the medium and where I see the possibilities of what a print can be, traversing my activity across multiple disciplines,however, knowing that I am a printmaker allows me to bring the conversation full circle back to that of the medium. This concept will now form part of my ongoing research where I will be further investigating repetition and difference. The Repeater exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ was an important moment as responded to these themes and allowed me to further consider seriality in my work. Martin Boyce has been significant in how I started to consider displaying my work, where the mode of display ventured into installation. His function, leveraging a photograph of four concrete tress that were made by French artists Joël and Jan Martel that inspired further works, producing a method of language was very informative. This related to my activity of experimentation, where I have developed a repository of images that now act as a stock resource. There is a challenge to the appearance of my work and how it could appear ‘beautiful’ which will be an exciting conundrum to grapple with.
       The work of Cheyney Thompson is significant conceptually, where investigating the supporting structures of painting, such as the canvas, relates to my fascination with the concept of the pictorial surface. There is a schema that drives Cheyney’s work, where systems will inform his choice of colour which coincides with how I introduced colour into my activity. Taking a conceptual approach to my practice is exciting, focusing on the mechanisms of the creation, distribution and affirmation of printmaking that impose structures and restrictions upon their own elaboration.
        Engaging with my peer group through critiques and test exhibitions has been instrumental in moving my work forward. I have taken full advantage, where rich conversations with my tutors, visiting lectures and workshop technicians have taken place. Taking the opportunity to have a tutorial with Rebecca Edwards from Arebyte was inspiring; the exchange allowed me to reflect on my work in terms of curation and how I was responding in installation. Going through all my work, the theme of an archive surfaced. This made me consider how all the experiments and fragments amassed can be organised and used. This further highlights the importance of making contacts and being able to articulate my work. This has led me to consider the next stages in my practice where I will seek to understand how digital devices can aid those with mental or physical impairments to aid art making. This is rooted in my own physical condition where the ability to use a pen and pencil is diminished.
        I can only describe my top-up year at London Met as an exciting whirlwind! I have thrown myself into my work, pushing the boundaries of my practice which has really paid off. Having to self-instigate inductions for the make works resources was challenging due to various delays in being able to access the print studio. For most of the first term I was unable to print using the university facilitates and therefore adapted my making process to crafting folded monoprints and printing at home. This has been a real strength of mine, adapting my making and remaining positive, being self-sufficient and adapting my practice where my health condition has worsened. Rather than viewing this as a negative, I have taken the position of how this has changed the direction of my making, relying more on digital methods. This has led me to learning new skills such as screen printing, that engages other parts of my body allowing me to still have a physical connection to printmaking. This formed an integral part of my project and allowed me to circumnavigate using the laser cutter. This was a process I identified in my Major Project Proposal, where the lead time in making and printing a laser-cut plate would take three weeks. This would not allow sufficient time for producing iterations, clashing with when I was able to access the printmaking studio which would further extend the making time.
        Planning my time was essential where I had a forward plan of activities and pre-booked resources to allow time for making. This proved to be even more important when I was off sick with covid at the end of November and throughout December. Using my excel schedule, I was able to plan my time in order to work effectively, had time available for reflecting on my work, ensuring I had ample time at the end of the year to make any final adjustments and hang my degree show exhibition(see attached excel document detailing schedule and budget). This proactive management of my time gave me the room to further experiment which was apparent when making my 10m screen prints. I was initially going to make one print, however, decided to make three; I could see how the continuous print was developing and therefore working with two additional rolls allowed me to further delve into what was happening at the screen printing table. I relish this instinctual mode of making and feel it really affirmed the direction for developing a cohesive body of work. Another strength was that I fostered strong working relationships with the various technicians which proved invaluable when making my work. This allowed me to realise my ambitions and make large complex work that would require an ample amount of the technicians time. This confirmed the benefits of working collaboratively which is a principle I will take forward, keeping in contact with the university, peers, and other contacts I made on this journey. 
        A large proportion of my work was made in the print workshop and on refection, feel I neglected the studio space in the initial stages of my project. I would change the space for the group critiques, however, was not using the space effectively to display and observe my work at other times. A turning point was when I re-organised the space with my peer to provide us both with ample working room. This gave me the capacity to operate more in the studio, but more importantly rotate pieces so that I could reflect and plan how I would display work. This space became a productive hub and drove my output forward, providing me with a sense of achievement and the opportunity to discuss my work with peers.
        The work doesn't stop now, it is only just beginning. The end of year show is a marker, a point to reflect and look at my work as a whole and how my output has been presented. Thinking back to how I document my work is now vitally important, this now needs to function as a tool for promoting myself and engaging with others outside the university sphere. Therefore, using the website I purchased for the blog now needs to work for me in terms of displaying my work. The next steps over the coming weeks are to develop my website, creating an online presence using Instagram so that I can engage with other galleries and most importantly, give these details to those who come to the end of year show. This is going to prove a busy and exciting next few weeks building up to the exhibition, where I am now seeking to connect to the wider art world. The significance of instagram was highlighted when visiting OHSH Projects Gallery and talking with the curators who commented on how all their online communication is managed through Instagram; this was how they connected with artists and instigated exhibitions. They will certainly be on my list of invites for the degree show, along with all the other galleries and contacts I have made this year.