More samples...

I have spent time making a few more samples that I quite like, they have a bit more of a nicer 'ground' lots of stitch, machine and hand.

So I decided to put some more together: trailing stringy bits; lines; contrasting stitching/colours; piling them up!

I think since the sampling task, I have been much more thoughtful about what exactly I am making, still a few more things to do; more colours (grey,blue and white things) and couching things...all things to carry on doing over the weekend and in the next half of the project!

Kinder surprise...

For this weeks shock task, we were asked to bring in kinder asks, some people were asked to draw from them, but me and Floss we asked to make some sort of sculpture or installations from the leftover packaging, instructions and brown paper bags (which were also asked for)!

We were up for the task! But quite unsure what to do, so we started categorised everything and then thought about creating a looming swarming piece coming from the ceiling... hopefully being a bit of an opposite of the lovely little surprise, that is a kinder egg...

We changed things as we went along, and asked people what they thought; because of the hanging parts and the colours, most people thought it was quite happy, like a mobile or tree, which wasn't really what we were going for, and so we thought about clumping everything together and hoisting up the hanging mobile parts....

We spent most of the day on it, and we were quite happy with the result, the decision to pile (well,very carefully balance) everything together. We had our swarms of rubbish climbing up and falling out, and creeping onto the floor and had a few compliments too!

So, I really enjoyed this task, especially working with a partner and being thrown into it, gave us less time to think about it, which was good for me as I can sometimes over think things, and its best to keep it simple or just try something out (like with the deconstructed drawings).

I think it has definitely made me think about space and scale; this just took a few hours on a monday, so I want to invade a space and maybe pin and stick a few things together, and thinking about what I am making in relation to a space...

Photos from Floss,  mucho thanks!

Space and form

I have been doing a little bit of looking at  some Japanese and Korean textile artists since my tutorial. These ones especially really caught my eye; use of space, how objects are placed in the spaces, the colours and the materials.

Machiko Agano

Kaori Hozozawa

 Naoko Yoshimoto

Shindo Hiroyuki

I really like this piece! I think the strip of colour on one side works really well, and I think its quite subtle and but gives it a strange quality as its so bold...the use of colour is definitely something to think about, as my next workshop is dyefibrecloth, where I hope to push my use of colour...

Sample sample samples.

This weeks 'Shock,wonder and wow' task was a little review to look at our samples, see if there are any relationships, themes and similarities...I had a little help, and it was recognised that what's important is creating my own ground (images below) which when I think about it seems quite obvious, but it's important to take a step back and have a look once in a while. I found it really helped to see different ideas/themes within my work so I think I will be repeating this task again soon...

The samples above are all about creating a ground! After thinking about it, these are some of the pieces that I liked best so it now makes sense; it's because they have a worked ground/surface (as well as hopefully in some way reflecting ideas of my project...). This is what I am going to work on and think about over the next few weeks to really work with the fabric/materials and really experiment. I want to develop this, so I can then link to my ideas about space and form, and possibly move it into more structured 3D ideas...

I really think that these samples demonstrate my thoughts on space and layout, as they are all in the corners! So this confirms that I want to develop the composition of my samples, and work them further to really reflect my ideas and help push the project along.

Definitely want to develop my use of colour, possibly quite subtly, still thinking about space, and maybe linking it into creating my 'grounds'

Sampling sketchbook...

When it comes to my sketchbook I am a little bit obsessive; got to document/record/keep track of everything that I have done/will do/ want to do and I like to keep it a little bit organised, or arranged in a certain way...

I think there is a bit of a connection between the sketchbook and my samples/work in general, as I like to think about the space and how everything connects...

I have always found keeping a sketchbook super important, and I think its really come in handy in these projects when there are always so many thoughts/things going on.

Matthew Barney

Matthew Barney is a sculptor, film maker and performance artist...

Quite interesting; the use of the materials, the scale and the space (interstingly, all the things I am looking at!)

 So...I really want to experiment with materials, experimenting putting pieces in spaces and places, and increase the scale of my samples/constructed pieces. I think Matthew Barney has been an excellent  artist to look at in terms of my underlying concept of my project; creating a feeling of fragility (or robust-ness?!)  and/or the feeling of unheimliche by using materials that possibly have these characteristics too. 

Inspiration for the next few weeks...

New Book

The best presents are books. Especially when it is a book of Rachel Whiteread's drawings.

I am a lover of her work (ideas of space/structure, definitely posted about her before) and her drawings are also quite excellent.

I sometimes find drawing a tricky spot, not because I cant draw, or don't want to draw, just often I am stuck as to how exactly it can help me move along, so not just drawing what I have made, or what I will make. So I read a bit of the book at the beginning, and a few things stood out to me;-

-'In their construction, these drawings mirror the thought processes contained within the sculpture' (and I assume this can apply to anything not just a sculpture...)

-'You can worry something through by placing things on a page'

-(Quote by louise Bourgeois, but still relevant and in the book) 'Everything is fleeting but your drawing will serve as a reminder'

I also read that drawing things, just helps to get things out there, out of your head, just as another thought process, serves as a reminder...

Here are some drawings.

(Scanned from the book, as they are really nicely laid out which add to the overall brilliance of the book)