Introduction and Best Laid Plans

Today is the second of February, it is just after midday and I received my question paper for my final art module of a-level a few hours ago. Depressing as it is I have greatly looked forward to getting this paper, this is due in no small part to me having no life. Ever since I finished my last project over a month ago I have had a long time to develop an idea for this one. There is much emphasis on creating a project which is personal to me, with this in mind I plan to create a project about my life before an art paper became such an exciting thing. When I was a younger I did not want to become an artist as I do now, instead I wanted to be an inventor, a job title as vague and uneconomically viable as artist. I attempted to immerse myself in all things engineering and scientific and learned from the teachings of my grandfather who maintained planes for BA (British Airways) before he retired and made trophies. With the passing of my grandfather I lost my interest in being an engineer/inventor and drifted for a few years, I spent a brief while wanting to be a dentist or doctor. However studying art at GCSE I rediscovered my skills for making and focused them on art. This creative reawakening set my mind on being an artist. It remains to be seen if I'd have been better healing than arting. The fact remains that although my life plans have changed I still have the knowledge I acquired when I wanted to be an inventor. In this project I want to use this knowledge for artistic purposes. How? Well I think that mechanical devices are beautiful in a functional way and the tools I and other artists use to create art are as intriguing as the art created this and the influence of the questions on the art paper will form a project. I once read in a book on architecture that an architect knows something about everything but an engineer knows everything about one thing. I'm currently reading a book on Jeff Koons, much of work is impressive but his part in its creation is more the ideas than the actual making. With these two things in the mind I’m going to explore the relationship between design, manufacture, engineering and art.  The question now is which of the questions set on the paper which thrilled me so much links best to my ideals, in the next post I explore how some of the questions can link to all I’ve just discussed.