Research Paper: Re-make, Re-Imagine (2023) By April

Synopsis:

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My aim is to explore the vibrancy of material-based artworks and their potential to engage in debates surrounding environmentalism, animacy and agency. I do so by placing value on both material inquiry and sculptural process, as I repurpose industrial waste into visual art. Throughout this journal, I unveil my collaboration with two Scottish manufacturer’s, Midton Acrylic’s, and The Scottish Leather Group, upcycling their biproducts into sculptural objects. In doing so, I recognise my own immersion as the artist within an active environment of ‘things’, intertwining an analysis of New Materialist literature to identify salient points regarding the artistic usage, and treatment of materials. Key term’s within my writing include Anthropocene, material circularity, agency, New Materialism, and vibrancy. Key scholars include Jane Bennett, Rosi Braidotti and Tim Ingold.