Further Research Into the use of video to Teach others and How artists are Using video
As stated previously, video is becoming an important part of my project because it has become a way I can show others how to approach certain artistic techniques without the need of being at an in-person workshop. It gives my online educational platform another dimension to it, making it a vital part of my progression. I have previously researched into the use of video by two artists in very brief terms. This was very useful because it showed two different ways of artists approaching education and using video as a vehicle to get people engaged with it. Although I have only approached video by creating very short, basic examples of how to approach certain tasks, I can still appreciate the benefits that come with using such mediums. In this area of my research, Intend to look at a variety of different types of video content relating to education and the arts and make note of how the different angles it comes from portray different messages or intentions. This research links to my project because it will help me find ways to improve my videos for the educational platform, and give me further understanding on how useful the use of video can be when used appropriately. This all adds to my want for the project to have an easy level of usability where young people can decide how they learn, when they learn and in what format. It simply gives them a visual option to follow along with that does not overwhelm them in the way written tasks may do.
Artists use video as a medium to engage with a wider audience about their practice. This is often to promote their work to a wider, more worldwide audience or to show an audience more about the artist in an effort to boost their profile. Using video gives the potential for the artist to be seen worldwide, rather than locally in an in-person conference, workshop or event. When applying it to my project, the use of video is effective when explaining, in practical terms, how to approach a particular task or technique. Educating a wider audience through video is effective because more people can engage with the work due to its easy usability and universal nature. It is my intention to include some examples of artists and organisations who use video to educate and promote their process to a worldwide audience. This will give me further understanding of the multi-purpose nature that video holds and the variety of ways I could potentially use video effectively in the future. These examples include television examples, as well as the use of YouTube to give a full understanding of the difference in use of video.
From my research I have found that video is a medium used by visual artists to either document or promote something in the following ways:
Educationally - through the use of tutorials, ‘how to’s’ and simply documenting their process so a wider demographic can see how they work and emulate what they do.
Entertainment - This method links to television’s involvement with promoting the arts. Bob Ross and Grayson Perry’s art club are examples of how the arts are brought into a wider demographic’s conscience. This often has a softer emphasis on learning how to do something in detail to make it more entertaining or for easier watching. These types of television programs were particularly popular through lockdown as a way to keep people engaged and inspired in an uncertain time.
Therapeutic methods - Some videos created by artists use their practice as a method of promoting it as a therapeutic medium. This is an interesting aspect of using video because it doesn’t necessarily focus on ‘how’ to emulate the work within the video, but rather the production of the painting or drawing is supposed to be calming for the viewer. However, one can argue that you can learn elements of drawing techniques from videos like this, but it is not always the emphasis of videos like this. As art therapy is a very important method of using art, this format of video could be useful in promoting methods of relaxation and basic coping mechanisms while watching someone use their specialism effectively. The use of sound is also very important within this type of video and adds to its calming nature.
Youtube Friendly Art Related Challenges - This format of video promotes a certain level of entertainment value for art related videos. Artists task themselves with different creative challenges and film what they come up with. This makes the content educational, creative but still very visually appealing for the viewer. Its aim is to engage a mixed ability audience while still having a level of education within it. This format of video is quite popular with graphic designers, artists, muralists and painters.
Looking at these different themes and methods of producing videos by artists shows how diverse the medium is, and how important it can be when promoting or educating others about your work and the processes you use. Although within my project the main aim is to have an educational empha
sis on the videos, this research has shown me that other angles of video making can still hold that educational emphasis without it being the main element. Therefore, you can be more experimental with the videos you produce and still make them beneficial to your target audience. Also, having consideration for television’s impact on promoting the arts is also an important factor of how people educate themselves on the subject, as well a
s giving people the motivation to try new things. Everything from children’s art programs like Art Attack to Bob Ross and the Grayson Perry Art club all find ways to engage an audience through practice, discussion and artistic themes. Learning through watching someone approach a task is a good way to develop an interest or general understanding for processes like painting and drawing because you can pick up techniques and approaches through copying. Seeing a range of approaches from different artists on a variety of video programming or online viewing allows people to engage with the arts in its many forms and give themselves the opportunity to learn on their own terms. Also its wider implications on improving mental health, promotin
g art as a form of relaxation or therapy and simply getting people back into the arts after many years are also very impactful reasons for having art on video for a wider demographic. It has shown me that there is great benefit in developing video content as an artist and making it a balance of education and easy watching to to keep it engaging for all abilities or interests.
Another interesting aspect of my research has been the use of art related videos to not only educate but for therapeutic methods. Artist Alexander Winstone uses his specialism of hyperrealist drawing to both show them his process as well as promote art as a relaxation tool. Winstone primarily works with pen and pencil and aims to emulate his photographic references in a realistic form, which has similar links to that of my own work. He draws portraits and traditional landscapes in this manner. I like the elements of using art as a therapeutic form because his videos approach the use of his drawings as a multi-sensory experience rather than solely a visual one. This can be seen
inches videos through the crisp sound of each pencil or pen he uses on the paper, as well as the high production editing and camera angles of him producing the work in a slow time-lapse format. There is much emphasis put on the production of the videos and specifically making the artwork the priority of each frame. The blurring effect around the drawings makes the piece of work the focal point, and thus the area in which the viewer focuses on the most. This promotes the art work, while still giving the feeling of the work being made before your eyes. It also gives subtle insight into the artist’s space, the creative environment and how Winstone approaches his drawings from start to finish.
Looking at Winstone’s work both as someone with a similar use of medium, and as someone wanting to produce videos that are visually appealing, I really like his approach to both aspects. I think the thought behind each video in terms of its editing, production and execution is apparent and as accurate as his drawings. Although I would like to analyse his work further and potentially focus on how he produces his work in far more detail, taking note of his purpose for producing videos such as these has opened my eyes to the potential of having video content as an artist.
Adding to my knowledge on the use of video with credible artistic and television examples has been extremely insightful to my understanding of the overall use of video. It has made me heavily consider my use of video and the potential of learning how to approach it in my own practice in more of an important manner. I think before this, the use of video was about giving people a secondary potion to what I write, but really I should be considering it as an important element of my project. I have gained some insight into the wider uses of the artistic process on camera and how that affects the viewable nature, connection and demographic of people watching such content. It is my intention to analyse the work of select artists like Alexander Winstone further for the benefit of my project, as well as take what I have learn from this early research and apply it to my videos in the future. I think I need to take more consideration of the purpose of the videos, the wider uses and implications, as well as the educational value of what I make. Then, the demographic of people approaching my platform will widen due to it. Overall, I think this has been extremely beneficial to my overall understanding of video and the artistic connection to it.
IMAGE REFERENCES:
Bob Ross Inc, 2021. Bob Ross. [image] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Ross> [Accessed 19 March 2021].
Glasgow Times, 2017. Art Attack. [image] Available at: <https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/15141944./> [Accessed 19 March 2021].
Nolan, E., 2020. Grayson Perry's Art Club. [image] Available at: <https://www.prima.co.uk/leisure/tv-and-film/a32298746/grayson-perry-art-club-episode-1-portraits/> [Accessed 19 March 2021].
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