24/11/13 Practice

I have continued my sampling given a stronger consideration to the composition of the pieces rather than just being a square or a rectangle. I looked at the work of the painter Sean Scully whose work is based on basic geometric shapes repeated in a variety of ways.  I found this interesting to look at as each shape within the work could illustrate a different section of information but all displayed in one large piece.

Using rubbings from my machine stitched samples I have explored varying compositions. The textural results have potential for development and further sampling, whether making them larger, adding colour or stitch.

 Sean Scully

 

17/11/13 Practice

This week I have been focusing on my context.I am aiming to create a collection of wall pieces that are based on using the thread as a measuring instrument. Alongside this I aim to create a series of paper based work. I want my work to have meaning and the information embedded within it and to be created in response to a set of data. The following designers are all working towards a similar context of where I see my work sitting.

Fay McCaul is a textile designer who uses traditional knitting methods to create textile surfaces for wall coverings, partitions and installations.  Her work can be found online at Bespoke Global as well as being seen at trade fair such as Clerkenwell Design Week and TENT, both in London . She also works to commison and will customise the work if required.

Fay McCaul

Emily Barletta is a artist who uses stitch as her method of drawing. Her hand embroidered work is created alongside scupltural crochet pieces.  Her work is shown through various exhibitions in America, most recently Repetition and Ritual at the Minnesota Musuem of Art. As well as being sold through online outlets such as 'Mammoth and Co' and 'Garage Gallery'.  This highlights that there is a market for stitched paper drawings to be created alongside more substantial work.

I visited the Special collections exhibition ‘The Language of Process: How New Materials and Technologies are Changing Product Design’. Within the exhibition there were two pieces by Fluid Forms, an Austrian company who focus on creating ‘design your own products’ based on factors such as location. It was a very worthwhile visit as it allowed me to see other products that are being aimed at being bespoke and commisioned and to see how they are marketing their products to the customer.

                                                     Fluid Forms

10/11/13 Practice

I have carried on using the idea of wrapping and using the thread as a method of recording. I used acrylic as I wanted illustrate the idea that you can reveal the process and see the workings of the piece. I am pleased with the outcome of my pieces and feel that they could be worked into even further. The layers could increased to make it more detailed and layered thus showing more information and creating a more interesting aesthetic. 

 

I discovered the work of Annika Syrjämäki who looks at data and then weaves with the information to create large scale pieces of textiles. The data is not always visible and allows the viewer to discover another layer to her work. I intend to have this element in my work, so that initially the work looks good but when looked into further the content behind the work becomes as important as the aesthetics. 

 

                                                Annika Syrjämäki

3/11/13 Practice

I have to explore the relationship between the thread and the surface further and how the thread interacts with different materials. I have begun to explore wrapping the thread and the results that can be achieved from this and I have enjoyed this process as I feel there is  potential to keep exploring and pushing the idea. By wrapping the thread I feel that I have a stronger connection to the material and that the drawings and flat surface embroideries are brought to life as the samples become more textural.

 

I have been able to further explore what a line can be and the work of Katherine Hinsberg demonstrates just how diverse the concept of a line can be. During the exhibition Cloth and Memory at the Salts Mill, she used a single red thread to represent the dimensions of the space of the room and then wove the thread.  Through using the line of the thread she has represented both the space and the history of the building, as it was originally a textile mill . The idea of using thread as a method of measuring  is something to explore, in particular in response to my thread wrappings.

Katherine Hinsberg

27/10/11 Practice

This week has been a bit of a struggle and I don’t feel that my ideas have developed as much as I hoped they would. I have been exploring new materials but I am yet to come up with any successful samples from these materials. I think that I have not been patient enough and I need to be more persistent for stronger ideas and solutions to come from them. For next week I intend on work on using more durable and sustainable materials to move my ideas forward in a more professional way.

I began to work with everyday found objects, such as balloons and straws, to represent the data information. The samples I made were not that successful as I did not explore the potential of the materials and it was still apparent that I had used these everyday objects and I had not transformed the aesthetic of them enough.

20/10/13 Practice

Moving on from last week I have begun to enlarge my drawings and work on my colour scheme. Whilst the drawings still have a linear quality to them the lines started to appear as shapes which I like as it has given me more to work with. I have also worked on my colour scheme as before I was just using the colours that were available to me. From maps and travel schedules of Manchester, I extracted colours from the keys as it will begin to give more of an identity to my work.

I visited the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Spinningfields and it was a very worthwhile trip as it exposed me to what current artists and designers are making and how they are selling and promoting their work. I particularly liked the work of Ness Donnelly who intricately stitches geometric patterns onto paper to create images for the wall. Her context and method are similar to how I am intending my work to be seen and it has given me something to aim for and be motivated by.
 

                                                                      Ness Donnelly

13/10/12 Practice

 I have started to manipulate and analyse the timetables collected of travel networks in Manchester. I soon moved on from working with these as there were too many numbers and figures to comprehend.  I looked at mapping a space and in particular the spaces I am familiar with, such as in my home. This became more interesting as it felt personal to me and I could make interesting relationships out of a mundane activity.

 

 

I looked at pedestirans movement in a public space and recorded the activity in Albert Square, St Ann’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester. From the drawings I didn’t feel I as though I had a personal connection to the spaces and as the space is not enclosed there was no closure to the line. My drawing below illustrates the direction of the pedestrians and the width of the line indicates how fast they were travel, the thicker the line the faster they were moving.  Sol Lewitt is a American artist who reguarly uses rules to create his work, this often involves instructions and creating a line. Through working with data , the work then has a restricted quality to it that cannot be changed. By working with figures and and information I will have to set certain rules in my work, such as line thickness or colour for the data to be portrayed.

 

Sol LeWitt

 

 I read extracts from Mark Buchanon’s book ‘Small Worlds’ which looks at networks and how everything is connected in our world. It was interesting to read as although the networks they were looking at were more scientific it gave an interesting insight into how and why networks are used and how closely related everything is.  The quote below made me think about my work and has helped to give myself a greater understanding of what my project is about.

‘Geometry is used in a whole range of data visualisation which we use to organise our perception of the world’

 

6/10/13 Practice

After my first tutorial, it became apparent that I needed to define the context for my work and decide where exactly I would like my work to sit. Once I started to fully research it became clear to me that my work is more suited to a retail environment rather than a gallery setting. I see my work to be aimed at the commercial interior market with selected bespoke pieces. ‘Snowhome’, ‘Howkapow’ and ‘Future and Found’ are all design led independent shops with an emphasis on interior home products. These shops are examples of where I would like to see my work as they support British design and emerging creatives.

Claire Norcross creates lighting for both domestic and contract interiors, selling her work via design led interior shops (such as Utility Design) and through her own website. Alongside this Claire also creates one off commissions.  Although she is creating a product the way in which her work is how i would like to market my work.

Furthermore, I began to collect and compile a range of data and maps to start analysing. Initially I was planning on investigating certain locations, but after more thought I have decided to concentrate on networks and journeys as I feel this is broader and will give me more information to explore.