Stephen Walter

 Stephen Walter is an English visual artist who works by creating maps of specific areas, which when labelled, become very personal and form the piece itself. Walter will often put memories on a specific place where he has obviously had those memories.

 This artist reminded me of Ebon Heath, another artist who uses text, however the artist doesn't create three-dimensional pieces with text but does also appreciate the immense value of writing as a whole. 

 The artwork I have chosen to analyse is called, 'The Island - London', the work was called this as the way it Walter has drawn it with London in the middle and nothing else makes London appear as an island- geographically. The work took a year and a half to make. It is a very meticulous process. 

               The piece in its entirety;

                 A magnified view;

 If I was to describe this work in 5 words I would use: particular, intricate, personal, enduring and precise. This work would actually be relatively easy to describe to someone, despite the immense detail. If I was explaining this to someone who could not see it I would say its a detailed map of London, with each point in the map having a personal label from the artist. The work reminds me of A-Z's that you read when you're in a car. The monotone gives a very refined feel to the piece, colour would somehow detract from the difficulty of the piece, using one colour and displaying such emotion in a piece is no easy task. The lines used at the side as a key give it the ultimate map- like feeling. The flat texture also adds to that feeling. The piece was created using a graphite pencil. The obscene level of detail and accuracy without tracing is simply mind-blowing, I'd certaint struggle to do something on this scale. 

 I think Walter is trying to summarise and communicate what each section of London means to him. I came to this conclusion by simply looking- every section has something depicted which wouldn't be in a map, he uses the formal structure of a map with the informality of personal feelings towards particular places. If I was able to ask the artist a single question I would ask if they would encounter much greater difficulty if they tried to do something on this scale in a city where they didnt grow up in? This work relates to my project as he has based what he has written not simply around geography, but memories and feelings, linking perfectly with my project memories, I was also based in London over the summer, and his work is typically about London, so a lot of his work I'm able to understand. 

 If I was to name this artwork, I would call it, 'My London', due to how personal it is, yet clearly about London.  Walter reminds me Alighiero Boetti, who used maps also, on a much larger scale, global scale to be precise.

 Boetti was much more interested in the visual side of the maps however- Walters seems to me to be far more interested in the physical contents and what is actually written, I can tell this by his lack of colour,  texture, space etc. 

 I think the work is very successful in illustrating the personal feelings he has for certain places, some previously studied artists who's work is based around memories becomes overly personal and particularly difficult to decipher, Hogkin to mention one, Walter however has personal touches while having it readable and accessible, like a map. One person said,' The excessive detail is offputting' I have to disagree, I would normally be overwhelmed with something like this but all the personal memories in it extinguish the fear and misunderstanding from it. The time it took to create this piece I think is worth considering. 

 I want to create an exciting response to Walter, I don't like the idea of geography and accurate placement however places, text and memories I am onboard! I want to incorporate the use of colour in this aswell- effectively ofcourse, I didn't do all that colour theory work for nothing! I want to create a mind-map style response, where I recite one night in the summer, and those points lead me off to side points, which lead me into other points, particularly vivid points should have the colours that they are resembled by in my memory's. Although this is similar to Walter I am not using geographical placement in this. It relates to my project as I am using my memories to accurately choose what colours to use, and text to include.

 I am really happy with my decision to use colour, I think it worked out! It also helped me practise my abstract practical skills which is something I have struggled in since the beginning! The work might be better with some relief style letters! More physical embodiments, my idea has been communicated successfully- if you look at this you can accurately picture how I feel about the places included based on colour and text.