A polyptych (/ˈpɒlɪptɪk/ POL-ip-tik; Greek: poly- “many” and ptychē “fold”) is a painting (usually panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels.

Following tutorial last week, I have decided to start what I hope will be my final piece. I have spent several months archiving, modelling, drawing, and casting my objects. I have a rich body of work now which will inform these paintings. It would usually take me several months to complete five oil paintings of this scale (allowing for development and drying of oil) , so it seems the right time to make a start. I don’t want to save an idea as this may sacrifice a truer outcome for the sake of timing.  The panels were made especially with a polyptych in mind. In total they measure 390 cm x 100cm. With a gap of around 10 cm between this gives a total wall space of 430cm x 100cm. I want to begin by setting an imagined space for the objects to inhabit. A room like space which sets the objects in an actual and relatable space. This is multi-faceted in terms of both the physical set up of the five boards, their sizes, and shapes and the composition of the ground which I am setting out now. I am using the golden mean to think about best way to use the boards as a whole and hope that they work independently as compositions as well as together. I have measured this stage in a particular way which will be in stark contrast to the way that the content yet to be added will develop. I am less sure of how this will look; this will be intuitive and change over the course of the work. I was aware of the value of my sketches and explorations so far and want this to be evident in my final piece, this way I can show decision making and the layers of discovery and error are all present.

A parallel project running alongside the paintings is the ‘book’ element of this project which is a collection of facts and figures as well as the short dialogue pieces which I have with each object, the thing which only I can tell. There is also a multi textural, layered document, the experimental work to date. This collection of paper documentation may not be a book as such. What can a book be? Perhaps it will be loose or behind something, or an index card system, hand bound or clipped together. It may not be necessary to show this at all, however it did feel necessary to make it and collect it together in the process which has brought me to the five paintings and my essay. The crit will be a good place to discuss the possible ways froward for this.

My Essay is the final segment to the three parts of this module. It will put everything into context. I expect it to be part storytelling and part research and reflection. The research will be rich and varied but sit within or aside to give substance to my own project. The idea of memories attached to objects has plenty written about it, it’s not unique in any way and seems well understood, I can only speak from my perspective and develop the idea in a way which is interesting and creative for me, using my experiences and voice.

Plan – sketch: