Unit X- Craft Fair 03/05/13

Continuing with my project I have researched further into the facts and figures surrounding the National Trust and this has proved to be of far more interest and generated more ideas than my previous lines of research. By looking at numbers, figures and the distribution of the National Trust properties it has allowed me to start mapping the organisation and I have been able to portray  my work in a more precise and analysed manner whilst also giving a stronger connection to the National Trust. 

I am still working towards a wall based piece that will represent the distribution of the properties in the UK. I have also considered creating a smaller form of my idea that could be seen as framed artwork. From the Interim Crit, a fellow student suggested that my pieces could work well as textile products (such as a tea towel or a print) to be sold in the National Trust shop. I had previously not considered this approach, but it is something I will research further into as it could be an interesting more affordable collection to be seen alongside the larger pieces. The Interim Crit proved to be very useful as it made me analyse my work and realise what were the important and most successful points of my project, as well as the weaknesses. From compiling my work together onto boards, it has also allowed me to see what I now need to do to finalise my intended outcomes. It was also interesting to see fellow students work, particular those on other courses and view the range of ideas and concepts that have emerged. 

I have begun to develop and sample my ideas using a range of materials. I am still working with the idea of incorporating wood and stitch, but as wood and using the laser cutter can be a costly, time consuming and more permanent process I have used fabric and paper as an alternative to sample with. By using these materials I can begin to get a feel of the scale and the relationship between the hard and soft materials.

I had a dotted grid cut out on the laser cutter so I experimented with ways of displaying the information using stitch on a wooden surface. Although it has been useful to see the relationship between the wood and the stitch and colour, the grid is restricting and too simple in terms of the patterns that can be made. I have decided that for my next wood cut sample, I will consider the design more thoroughly to ensure that each piece is more of how I envisage the final product to be.  My samples are becoming more geometric in their pattern and have started to slightly resemble the patterns of the Kelim floorboards. I have introduced the bold colours of the floorboards to create a stronger link with the National Trust.

The samples that I feel are more successful are those that combine bold colours and line as this allows the viewer to be immediately captivated and drawn in to look closer at the piece. I looked at the work of Casual Data who undertook a project called 'Sense of Patterns' which looks at the behaviour patterns of humans in public spaces, in particular journeys carried out in cities. Through their research they have created strong visuals  showing daily activities that we all undertake without even thinking about. I particularly like the designs where there is a build up of line and repetition used with strong colours as this makes the work  adds more depth and interest to the work. (http://casualdata.com/senseofpatterns/)

                                    (Images from Casual Data)