Autoethnography is research into a phenomenon / culture via the self. Autoethnographic art – is autoethnography via art practice also known sometimes as “visual autoethnography”. An A/r/tographer – is an artist, a researcher and a teacher.
The Art of Vulnerability
My personal practice work has been described as ‘an exploration of the human condition’. It is autoethnographic in nature and ponders, questions and analyses ‘life’ from many perspectives but mainly my own ever-changing lens.
Religion, philosophy, personal history, lived experience, literature, anthropology, psychology, sociology and spirituality all inform my practice which has covered all manner of characteristics, events and situations that have composed the essentials of my human existence thus far.
Themes within my work
Aspiration, Emotionality & Conflict (Fairy Tale, 2003), Growth and Aspiration (Love, Lust and Pain, 2006, The I AM Story 2010), Relationships and Love (This Cuckoo Thing, 2007, Tell Me Something About Your First Love 2008-2011), The meaning of Life (Unanswerable Questions, 2006-2008), Perceptions of the Self, feminism and femininity (Mirror Mirror 2005 and An Intimate Distance, 2008), Mortality and Mental Health (The Tale of Annie Get Your Gun, 2010, A Life Lived Through Lillies 2012), Personal Growth (Mandala, 2018) Education and perceptions of the other (An elegy aimed at the arrogant, 2012) and Rape 2018, Reclaiming my Red).
Recent Work
Thanks to an Arts Council Covid Grant, I was able to spend time learning how to paint abstracts… Alongside this learning the following pieces were made: Family, 2020 & Black Lives Matter, 2020 – both Acrylics on canvas.
During the opening of the Thresholds: The Adjacent Possible exhibition with the Not Just Collective at The Tapestry Gallery Liverpool – I had the opportunity to recite my piece – An Elegy Aimed at the Arrogant… This piece was created as part of my MA thesis which is attached below.
The text above was written in 2011 – my thoughts, beliefs, values and worldview, knowledge has definitely changed since then.
The images below – share a glimpse of my previous practice, autoethnographic & sometimes collaborative.
My first ‘outside of uni’ taste of working in a collective. Ladybirds in school informed the piece: Reclaiming my Red – exhibited & destroyed in 2018.An early ladybird sketchTwo Handed Self Portrait – The Artographer, 2010Two handed Self Portrait – Tired now, 2011Visualising the future… One day – I would create Big Paintings, 2010Still from ‘The Ad Man’, when studying in Toronto I co-created a few films with an artist called Craig – who I TOTALLY had a huge crush on, 2007Decaying Apples, Cast Bronze – the apple as a metaphor for life…, 2007 Buddha: The first Monoprint I created that I ACTUALLY loved! 2003The George Edwards Hall, Cefn Mawr, Quill and ink Series for the PKC group VIEW IT HERECymru Kebabs, Cefn Mawr, Quill and ink Series for the PKC group VIEW IT HERE A.E.Roberts, Cefn Mawr, Quill and ink Series for the PKC group VIEW IT HERECefn Butty Bar, Cefn Mawr, Quill and ink Series for the PKC group VIEW IT HEREAnnie’s Chair, Quill & Ink Digitised. 2011Nannie Annie’s christmas poem, 2010Control me, an interactive film created with Bob, Robert Brown, 2007Drawing myself as ‘The Artographer’ when I first learned about the practice, 2010Detail: Fairy Tale – my first BIG installation – got me a distinction in my foundation too :), – sculpture, mixed media 2003This Cuckoo Thing, Seeds Exhibition at Mook – photographs of writing stitched together, 2006Define – Love, Lust and Pain – A collection and stitching together of others stories, 2004Helping out at the opening of the Tower Works project with Black Dogs, 2009Detail: An Intimate Distance: Casts of 6 womens bodies in two different positions, 2008Tell Me Something About Your First Love, 2008Stitched together: Tell Me Something About Your First Love, 2008Dealing with my Grandmas Dementia, 2010Casting: Detail: An Intimate Distance: Casts of 6 womens bodies in two different positions, 2008The Suitcase full of Love, Lust and Pain, 2006Look how young I was! @ TowerworksLight Night Leeds! 2007 or 8? I’m in the middle. Nannie in her chair, Quill & Ink Digitised, 2010Nan: Observational drawing, Quill & Ink Digitised, 2010Nannies Trolley, Quill & Ink Digitised, 2010Nannies TV, Quill & Ink Digitised, 2010Nannies Telephone Table, Quill & Ink Digitised, 2010An Original & an Ink version of my Cefn Images, 2013The full Cefn Book of drawings, 2013.Sketchbook Doodles about nannies sayings… 2010Discussing the first loves project @ Huddersfield University, 2010Follow, my interactive film displayed at the Carriageworks as part of Light Night, 2009 (I think)Follow, my interactive film displayed at the Carriageworks as part of Light Night, 2009 (I think)My photographic Tapestries on the railings of Leeds Town Hall for Light Night 2007Follow, my interactive film displayed at the Carriageworks as part of Light Night, 2009 (I think)Playing with fabric paints and palette knives, 2016I turned it into a cushion and it ended up living over in Colombia!!!! The first banner I made – for Tell Me Something About Your First Love (mine was Tracey Emin’s work for sure at this time hahaha)The A/r/tographer (two handed portrait) – published as part of my MANannies ‘bike’, 2010Dealing with Dementia, 2010
Jennyanne Smith: Artist 