FASHION AND TEXTILES

Explain the workshop.....

Give examples of drawing exercises......

DETAILS

Library research                                  11/09 

Brief:                            CHOSEN WORD - CONCRETE

Book 1 

BOOK 2                                                          BOOK 3

BOOK 4

Personality quiz: Sculpture      12/09

Words:

Minimal/Maximum

Regular/Irregular

Anthony Caro/Lynda Benglis

Using the 'personality quiz' brief to create a piece of work using my three cards as inspiration, I began by using a negative trait of my personality to engage with an initial idea. I came up with 'control' which is something I want to tackle - I brought in specific objects and materials like Chinese herbs that support sleep and body functions; going on from this I thought using three-dimensional shapes to show balance and stability would support my initial thoughts. I collected some materials from the skip outside the studio and thought the method of collecting materials was an interesting starting point - I collected a sheet of poly board and wood and calculated the steps I took to leave the studio to the skip. I came up with the number 63. Using my brought in items, I began to use the negative space in a container and measured the space through string. Through this I was able to show the negative space using a material that is both decorative and plays as positive space. Thus, I wanted to exchange the material qualities of wood panels and wrap them in paper in order to experiment with material qualities and gravity that comes with colour and material. I experimented with placing the 'paper-like' shapes against the wall, against the cardboard panel and see if it would be able to be a free stand. Initially, I began using the wood wedge to act as a type of balance for the other forms, however I found that I wanted to place the top-heavy wedge with a nail on the top above, to contradict the preconceptions of paper as material.

Furthermore, I began to see the importance of using the given space and creating an installation rather than creating a sculpture that was both fitting to the space and was able to move around freely. I began with experimenting with balancing my forms and wrapping them in material to appear less 'representative' of the materials personality.

REFERENCES                                  12/09

• Mark Manders, 'Inhabited for a survey' (self-portrait using building floor plan), interesting concept

https://wsimag.com/art/7990-mark-manders-cose-in-corso

Julie Finch, Flavin Judd and Rainer Judd (Donald Judd Foundation, New York) 1967-8

• Eva Hesse, 'Repetition Nineteen III', 1968 (How do the materials relate to the content of your work?)
• Lindsey Mendick, 'The ex files', 2018 

https://www.castorprojects.co.uk/exhibitions/the-ex-files

• Cathy Wilkes https://www.studiovoltaire.org/exhibitions/archive/cathy-wilkes/

A) Kunstverein Museum, 'Mummy's Here'

B) Venice Biennale (2019)

• Oscar Murillo, 'Through patches of corn, wheat and mud'. 

Sculpture workshop                12/09

I began developing a method behind my sculptor, whereby I recorded my journey from sourcing materials in the skip to walking back to the studio. I retraced this journey and recorded that it took me 63 steps to do this. I searched for signs of preventive and controlling signs along the journey, reflecting back to my exploration of my controlling side of my personality. These are the following signs I found.....

PROCESS

OUTCOME

Illustration

Workshop 1: Lost Letters                16/09/19

During the first workshop of the 'surface and Meaning' (week 3), I created a screen print to illustrate a narrative of motion. I was given limitations of colour, size and method to introduce me to the process of illustration. I was given a letter and was asked to illustrate using the letter to inform and support my drawing; using the letter 'O' I began making thumb nail sketches of fruits and used the letter as a caricature. I found these initial ideas too obvious therefore I began using the space a type of endless area to experiment with, therefore I drew a tyre as it represents motion and interesting mark making. I then transferred my drawing onto tracing paper and decided what areas of the composition I wanted to be black and red. During this process, I found that I had made my lines too thin, which in turn made it more difficult to cut out to create a stencil for printing onto. 

The reasoning behind the tyre marks was to create both dimension, feeling of fluidity and create an abstract composition, however possibly on a larger-scale the outcome would have been more successful. 

FINAL SCREEN-PRINT 

ARCHITECTURE    Language and Interaction week     23/09 

BRIEF + PROCESS 

TEXT

4D WORKSHOP                 24/09

*****4D VIDEO ART STILLS

FASHION COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP - 1/10 

LOOK 1 - LIGHT  

During the Fashion Communication workshop I worked in a group of three to produce six different compositions using the chosen three iterations. I found this workshop engaging due to the communal aspect of it, which I intend to take into my own practice as a wider variety of ideas are initiated when working with a variety of people to produce work. The first iteration was light and dark, we used a malleable plastic cover which is a great light material which really holds the form, making for an interesting drape. This material was attached to the left arm of the model which elongated the strong left side of the structure, white wool was used on the right side in order to balance against the black leg. Whilst experimenting with the string, the material was moved up the arm and placed around the head in order to frame the figure. The light gesture of this worked well in moving the eye naturally from the tip of the frame to the left hand side and down towards the strong draped left leg. As I found later on in the workshop, draping was a very effective way of creating both light and heavy gestures when creating a composition; thus, the colour of the material allowed us to create darker shadows when photographing the garment. Due to the materials natural memory, certain areas of the material looked used and ruffled, which again, became deeper whilst moving down towards the floor. To create the dark composition we used a light silk sheet which was placed on the right arm and mimicked on the left side with a different type of material. Both materials were pinned loosely again to create dynamic areas of shadow and depth.

 TEXT

LOOK 2 - DARK

TEXT 

LOOK 3 - PATTERN

FINAL EDIT USING PHOTOSHOP: 

LOOK 4 - BLOCK COLOUR

LOOK 5

HYBRID EDITS: 

TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT 

LOOK 6 

FINAL DRAWINGS

BODY AND FUNCTION PRESENTATION         2/10 

Group discussion notes:

"......the more aspects of human endeavour and habit are subjected to the logic of fashion, the more unattainable the regulation and stability of either." Bauman, Zygmunt 

• Not easy to find roots
• 'Unattainable' something as an aesthetic etc. is difficult to grasp
• Link to fashion and culture
• Efficiency over morals and value
• 'Unattainable' meaning its constantly transforming or progressing in a manner that one can't grasp.
• Individual concerns with capitalism - fashion is directly linked to TREND and sometimes falsehood of media.
• Fashion works along side capitalism and trend - set by media
• HABIT - HUMAN NATURE IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT STABILITY
• Fashion - has a manner of re-representing - something humanlike to it
• Issue of 'liquid' society where one can't keep up with the aesthetics
• Liquidity to culture

'CULTURE IN A LIQUID MODERN WORLD', BAUMAN ZYGMUNT 

Individual writing task: 

**Pick a piece of work created during 'Body and Function' week and create a 'brand identity' for the outcome, description of art direction. I decided to create an art direction description for the work I created during the jewellery and accessories workshop. 

Brand identity for a prototype, Pill, pill 'blue light therapy' box……….

ART DIRECTION FOR A SHOOT:

Through my eyes (which have been deeply damaged) technology is a boost enhancing, virtual daydream that has pushed me to design this product; therefore my customer base is anyone of my generation and beyond, there is no hiding the blue light bouncing off us today. Thus, my idea behind this product was to find a solution to the blue light cloud that follows us around and create medical remedies to support our immune system from the virus that is……. 'Iphonecitus'. In terms of art direction, I would like to show the product as both an accessory and something very functional for the everyday person, the products function is what I want to focus on for all areas of art direction. This includes creating close ups of the pill box attached to a 9-5 workers belt on their way to work or something that can be simply placed inside a bag. Therefore I would like to create the advert around the period in the day when you are walking along a street with several items at hand, again, to emphasis the functionality of the product. In terms of materials, I have a fond memory of my lunchbox being made out of steel - using  stainless steel is both light and allows me to create functional flaps. Furthermore, the location of the shoot is key to presenting a product that is wearable and representative of its function. 

Fashion Design Workshop:                3/10 

TEXT 

Experimentation with collaging images with material

TEXT

TEXT (NOT ALIGNED) 

EXPERIMENTING WITH LIGHT

30/09

Jewellery, Footwear and accessories presentation:

• Jewellery concepts (tradition, culture, social issues, political issues, personal expression)
• Evoke questions and debate - indicate a personal history/ declare a relationship to others
• Digital scanning techniques

3DDA WORKSHOP:

Overall, I found the 3DDA workshop quite challenging but simultaneously exciting due to the fast paced aspect of the workshop. I was introduced to several different practitioners that interpret accessories and jewellery in such vastly different manners that the brief became less abstract and easier to grasp. Artists like Kei Kegami, Xiaotu Tang, Stephen Jones, Karla Newell and Benjamin John Hall were discussed in depth about their practice and how these artists could help initial ideas for the brief. I researched further into Benjamin John Hall's work and discovered a shoe collection which he exhibited at London College of Fashion where he performed several different processes in front of an audience which were located around the elevated stage. Hall's close experimentation with material is profound and plays around with the physical process presented during the performance; in a sense, the artist is engaging with what is the art form, is the leather shoe with ink spattered onto the art or is it the method behind the performance that makes the work captivating. In one pair of shoes, sachets of ink are located just below the knee prior to being popped, once burst the sachets look visibly smaller and deflated - the destructive nature of this encounter with a pair of shoes surfaces several questions concerning performance and play.

Benjamin John Hall, 'Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection' 

https://www.dezeen.com/2012/10/28/birth-life-death-and-resurrection-shoes-by-benjamin-john-hall/

I found the one minute drawings when developing my initial ideas useful as it pushed me to engage with the three words  we brainstormed which were suspend, support and surround; through this I was able to create quick thumb-nail sketches that established preliminary thoughts.

ONE-MINUTE DRAWINGS: 

Naturally, as the exercise carried on I found it a lot harder to establish concise ideas that fitted the brief, however I will definitely take this exercise into my practice as I found it thought-provoking and useful in establishing ideas.  I narrowed down my sketches to three concepts, I found that generally my ideas all were responses to technology and how an accessory can be used to benefit or make easier this lifestyle; following on from this one of my concepts was to create a type of accessory that hangs quite elegantly from the top of the ear which can be used as a portable charger. The thought behind this was that it is both efficient and supportive for a user which both suspends from the ear.

PROCESS: 

My final concept that I decided upon was a 'blue light therapy' pill box that could hang from a belt, the 'blue light therapy' concept was to aid phone users away from the damage caused by blue light, specifically during the evening, and, 'pill box' meaning an accessory that holds pills in order to emotionally and physically 'support' the user. Moreover, the typical plastic pill box with the initials of the days of the week is commonplace in most peoples bags, I thought playing around with this everyday object as something that can be hung from the belt could possibly have potential. Of course, the type of 'pills' found are purely ironic and it was really the shape and concept I was focusing on rather than the physical usefulness of the object. Following on from incorporating the human body, I notice more often than not people using their belts as an extension of luggage, meaning people will use a belt to hook keys, cards and wallets due to efficiency possibly.  

FINAL OUTCOME: 

I thoroughly enjoyed having to work around the body, although I found my final product limiting in its shape and size I think the brief was definantly thought-provoking. Overall, I could have shifted my initial ideas to really engage with the human figure more, I found the use of the belt as an extension of the body limiting and didn't enjoy the final shape of my product. Reflecting back on past workshops I have completed more recently, I have learnt not to go with the initial idea, rather create several different thumb nail sketches that contain completely variant ideas in order to create a strong outcome. Thus, I easily could have used myself to document interesting areas of the body that could push my initial ideas that were drawn up or I could have taken one idea and redeveloped it as I was going on. Naturally, the pill box is quite flat and is usually made out of plastic therefore it is quite a difficult object to engage with the body or interesting areas of given space.

 I took photographs of the pill box in the bathroom as I thought it was an appropriate location and allowed me to use the light from the mirror. Once I collected all the images I shot I began collaging individual shots in photoshop to create new compositions that I thought had a lot more energy to them. 

FINAL EDIT