Sunday 7 October 2007

Findings


One apple on a bare tree
Originally uploaded by gesah

.... are the results of academic endeavour. I've always liked the vagueness of the English term - in German it is much more often the Results section that concludes and brings to an end what has been undertaken.

Findings, by contrast, can be the incidentals and unexpected treasures one stumbles upon. So, as no surprise, going into the woods near my parents' place and looking for mushroom is great - any time of the year, really. The fun of it lies in the never knowing whether there'll be some mushrooms ... findings as sought after, yet not given.

One of the first things my friend said on Friday when we set out for a long sunny afternoon walk was: Maybe we'll find something!
So, apples were picked, sloes were eaten and plenty of pictures taken. No mushrooms but hey, it's about findings when foraging.

Admittedly, the art in this is a bit vague...

...unsurprisingly given the findings headings: Found objects in collages and mixed media are an immediate link to the 'having stumbled upon' of my fondness of mushrooms.

But as for work process there is another link: a piece of art as a finding rather than a result - findings as it's the process of making art rather than the intentional outcome. And all the same while planning, preparing and intending to do something (which I in general do a lot, really), it may be something else that becomes significant about that particular piece.

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