Weeks 1-3 of new module studio practice 2

The last 3 weeks have been research for new brief. For contextual studies I have been researching craft in the following contexts and asking the questions 

• What is the value of craft?
• What is the value of tradition?

I have also been exploring influence and authorship. For this brief and will be exploring the concept of influence in more depth.
Influence is the effect on something, the effect of something on a person, thing, or event. It is the power to sway, the power that somebody has to affect other people's thinking of actions by means of argument, example, or force of personality. Influence is a special advantage, the power that comes from wealth, social status, or position.
Harold Bloom speaks of influence in this way: "Influence is a metaphor one that implicates a matrix of relationships, imagistic, temporal, spiritual-psychological- all of them ultimately defensive in nature. (Bloom 1997: preface xxii) form The Anxiety of Influence : A Theory of Poetry. 


Bloom continues by quoting Oscar Wilde and it is these passages that I am interested in exploring further for this project.
"Influence is simply transference of personality, a mode of giving away what is most precious to one's self, and its exercise produces a sense, and it may be a reality of loss. Every disciple takes away something from his master."  And this passage from the picture of Dorian Gray. "Because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. he does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtues are not real to him. His sins, if there are such things as sins, are borrowed. The becomes an echo of someone else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him."(ibid.6)
Bloom, H. (1997)  The Anxiety of Influence : A Theory of Poetry. Oxford (etc.) Oxford University press

I love this quote it inspires me in many different ways. If to influence someone is to give them your very soul what does that meant to the person who is being influenced? Do they take the other persons soul, willingly or unwillingly, and if so what happens to their soul? Do we go through life influencing others and in turn losing ourselves? How do we know if we have reached our own full potential and if we had not been influenced by a certain figure in our lives would we be a completely different person?

The other books am reading for my research are:

The Anxiety of Influence: A theory of Poetry.  Harold bloom

The Seven Sins of Memory:  Implications for Self. Daniel L Schacter, Joan Y Chiao and Jason P Mitchell

The Poetics Of Space Gaston Bachelard. There are certain chapters in this book I am interested in researching further. I have skimmed the chapter entitled drawers chests and wardrobes and the varying imagery and concepts described could be beneficial for this body of work. 

I have been researching these artists so far.

This is the work of Alan Horsely he is a glass artist. These images are from his 2010 series entitled Struggles Beneath the Shell of My Flesh and A half Remembered Skin.

This is the work of book artist Sun Young Kang

These final images are by Jeff Wallin  They are made from built up layers of fused glass which he then draws on using powdered glass. this is a process I am interested  in exploring for this project.