Unit X- Craft Fair 16/5/13

In the final stages of the project I have refined my ideas down to a large scale wall piece. I have moved the idea on so that the work focuses on the location of the National Trust properties in the North West of England. By connecting all the properties together,  a spatial quality is given to the piece seen by the geometric pattern. I have created a wall piece using 3mm ply wood with 3 adjoining squares which are connected with cotton thread. Although I originally planned to take the colours from the Kelim rugs in the National Trust Online Archive I decided against that as I discovered that recently the iconic National Trust logo has been up dated using a range of 9 vibrant colours to give it a more modern feel. From the 9 colours applied to the logo I chose the combination of blue, purple and orange as when put together they provide a striking outcome. I think that one of the strengths of my work is that the overall design and concept can be applied to a range of locations and ideas therefore giving it scope to be developed even further beyond the project. Furthermore the size of the piece can be adjusted, by adding or taking away pieces depending on the size of the area being mapped. 

A weakness of the project is the quality of wood that I used, although the plywood which I have used is practical in terms of it durability and weight, the piece would have had a more professional outcome if I had used a wood of a greater value and a more interesting surface such as oak.

Alongside the wall piece I have created a small framed hand cut paper piece to sit alongside my work. Although I began the project with the initial starting point of the National Trust, I have furthered my ideas so that the work will appeal to a wider audience. Using the same method of plotting locations, I have proposed mapping peoples ‘personal data’. Through this idea the work becomes more personal and affordable. For example, the data may plot a persons favourite places, a memorable journey or significant locations in their life. The work would be open to commission to allow for each piece to be customised. I have kept the geometric design and the colour scheme the same as the wood piece so that the work has a sense of cohesion and continuity.

I feel that my project is appropriate for the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair as there are several designers and makers who have exhibited their work here who are creating wall based art in mixed media and have a range of products and price ranges in their collections, such as Ella Robinson (http://www.ellarobinson.com/) and Clare Knox Bentham (http://www.clareknoxbentham.co.uk/).  Both artists have also created a collection of smaller more affordable pieces such as jewellery to sit alongside the larger pieces of work

I think that my presentation on Thursday went ok, I said the majority of what I had planned to say, not necessarily in the right order and my sentences became slightly jumbled. If I was to do the presentation again I would ensure that I had written some cards with some clear points to help me keep on track and allow the presentation to flow more fluidly and I would ensur that I maintained eye contact with those watching. It was however good to see all my work compiled together and seen as a whole rather than lots of scattered parts.  If I was to do my project again I would ensure that I carried out more research at the beginning of the project so that I could progress my concept further for the final piece as I would have had more time for development.

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)

Locating- Urban Outfitters

After doing some quick initial drawings and sketches from images of melting ice caps, a pattern was soon emerging within my drawings, the repeating of shapes. I followed this theme through and decided to make the shapes 7 sided in reference to the world population standing at 7 billion currently. The more I sampled the more graphic the samples were becoming less organic and more graphic. I preferred this style as I felt that it would suit the look of the shop more as well as being a different way to work but still keeping the idea of working with wood and thread the same.

Initially I wanted to try and change the colour palette and experiment more with colour, however I found myself reverting back to similar colours that I used for the Geoffrey Manton commission. Although this was not intentional I have been drawn back to the striking difference being the blue and the splash of orange and pink. If I had more time, I would try and develop my colour palette and develop further interesting and contrasting combinations of colour.

Furthermore If I had more time and was not as restricted on space, I would like to develop these ideas further and really experiment with the scale and colour as well as making the components more 3 dimensional by adding extra layers. I have enjoyed working in a more graphic and pattern based way and I think that this is something that I will take through to the next project. I will also explore the further possibilities of mixing organic styles and linear designs together.

Locating- Lasercutting Ply Wood

After my initial wood samples in MDF, I decided to cut similar shapes in ply wood as it is a far more environmentally friendly material. The detail of the grain of the wood complements the organic outline of the components and the lighter shade of the wood enables more colours and threads to used alongside the ply wood. I also added small holes to be able to sew into and add embellishment to the surface.

Once the pieces of ply wood were cut I experimented with different methods of protecting the wood and giving the wood a more finished and professional look. I applied varying amount of layers of a clear sating vanish, which enhances the colour and brings out the grain line of the wood further. I also tested out samples with beeswax which was not as successful  when applied to the surface it became slightly greasy and rough. with my samples from now on I will apply a few layers of varnish to protect the wood.

Below are my samples once they have been stitch into with varying threads. I like how the embellishment on the edges softens the feel of the wood as well as giving the wood a interesting texture and surface.  I also painted the wood with watered down acrylic which changes the look of the wood completely and takes away the grain and detail of the wood. I am not sure which one I prefer, but will experiment with different methods of displaying the components and see which layout works best.

Locating- Lasercutting

From my drawings the edges were standing out to me and it was suggested to me in a tutorial that I  lasercut my designs onto a surface. After working out how to transfer my design onto Illustrator and then Corel Draw I cut the designs into wood, acrylic and  fabric. The acrylic and fabric designs were not as succesful, the cotton fabric did not give enough definition of the outer edge and appeared like a camouflage design. The acrylic was more successful but still did not achieve the look I was after, it was too clean and flat. However the wood was more successful,  I particular liked the burnt effect produced on the edge, which starts to give the impression of a softer finish to the edges as seen in my drawings. I also like the weight and the thickness as it was light enough to be able to hang well. I used MDF as it was the cheapest wood based material to sample with, but I would like to experiment with Ply wood as this is more environmentally friendly as well as having a interesting grain to it. I would also like to add colour to my samples, either in the form of staining the wood or adding embellishment to the surface. By layering the components more depth and interest is created as well as starting to resemble contours of a map.

I started to wrap pieces in thread, I would like to take this idea further of mixing the soft and the hard and adding to the surface. This idea responds to the Geoffrey Manton brief and the ideas I'm following in that I'm impacting on the surface through my actions, just as we as humans are impacting on the earth through our own control and action.  

After lasercutting the wood, I decided to sample with some acrylic and I thought that a combination of the hard and soft materials could work well. However I did not like the results that came out. The acrylic look too clean cut and there was so hint of softening at the edges as on the wood with the slight burn. It would need a very strong and striking backdrop to sit against too when hung, which is not provided in Gerofrey Manton in terms of pattern or colour.  I also cut some samples in felt, but the felt was not thick enough and therefore the components were not as sturdy. The line in the felt was also not as defined as the acrylic or the wood and this is an element that I am keen to maintain for the final piece. 

Locating- Drawings

My samples were not going the way I hoped so I decided to do some more research into the devastating effect the planet is currently suffering. The population currently stands at 7 billion and this has grown at a staggeringly fast paced over the past 40 years. In 1960 the population stood at just 3 billion and currently 82 million babies are born every year. As a result of this rapid population growth the planet and its natural environment are suffering. Oil spills are happening more frequently and affecting the surrounding coastline and sea life. In 2010 there was a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that caused great controversy as it was thought that the actual effects were covered up by the oil companies and the press.

I went back to Daniel Beltras images of humans effect on the planet to do some more drawings. Here are the results, I particular like the edges of the drawings, the layering of the lines and the dark colours mixed with a splash of orange/yellow. 

Locating- Taking the thread off the surface

I have started to experiment with the idea of taking the thread off the surface. Inspired by Christo and Jean Claude’s work involving wrapping, I have wrapped a variety of wires and wooden poles as a basis for the work. Although I like the effect on a small scale, I think that when put in the large open space of Geoffrey Manton it would become lost as it is too thin and delicate. 

 The wrapped wooden sticks are too straight and allow no flexibilty or movement.

By wrapping aluminium more flexibility is created, but still the wire is too thin for the building

I created a grid using pins to wrap thread around, but the pins were too delicate with the design being too structured and the thread easily became loose

More Visualisation Work...

Whilst working on my visualisations and playing around with different ways of arranging and photographing my folded paper designs I started to think that maybe my ideas were not that suited to a room divider but something more sculptural. They have become alot more 3D and form based, which are not what a room divider is about. I like how they lay on top of eachother and drape in different ways. I started to play around more with my ideas and the more I did the more I realised that a sculptural form was more suitable as my final outcome. Thinking about my idea practically, a wall divider made of paper may not have been the most suitable as its likely to have not withstood the wear and tear of being used constantly.  Here are some of the photos that helped me to conclude that a a sculptural piece/ wall piece was what I wanted to do.

My Work...

 Not knowing what to do with the prints I have created I started to think in what other ways I could manipulate the paper to make a more interesting room divider. I immediately thought of origami, so I looked at he various ways in which different shapes were made. I Started to play around with paper, folding it and cutting it in different ways and this is what turned out....

My Work...

Having printed the scanned images ( that were then manipulated in Photoshop) on A1 I wanted to do more with them to make them more interesting and attractive, so I screen printed onto them. Although I like the pattern and design, I do not like the quality produced. When printing onto the tracing paper with the procion dyes, the paper tended to ruffle when it dried so a completely smooth surface wasn't created. I tried to press this out, but the crispness of the tracing paper never came back and I could get smooth finish. I carried on working into them more in the  machine room, using the embroidery foot and the pin tuck foot to achieve parallel lines. I really like the effect the stitch gives, as it reminds me more of the original lines on the maps and adds a bit of texture to the paper. Using the A1 tracing paper on the sewing machines was a bit of a challenge as it isnt as easily manipulated as fabric, I lost a bit of the crispness of the paper from the folding and crumpling I had to do in order for it to fit under the needle.

My Ideas... Tracing Paper

I was playing around with various papers and fabrics that I had, and started to use tracing paper, which I liked the effects that were being produced. I like the transparency of it, especially when it is folded and the patterns start to overlap each other, making different patterns from different angles. I think it could be suited to being used as a blind or a wall divider split up the space in the open plan areas of the building. It could also look good as a textured wall or a wall hanging on a large scale.

The above two pictures are my samples using tracing paper with drawing, stitching, masking tape on them, and then folded to distort the pattern and make it more 3D.

This is various of layers (including acetate, tracing paper and handmade paper) on top of each other. The printing didn't work very well on the acetate, where the green has crumbled, but I still like the layered effect and the combination of shapes and lines produced by a combination of screen printing, drawing and machine stitch.  I am going to carry on this idea of layering. 

My Work....

After looking at more maps, the map that stood out to me the most was the tram map, not only are the trams iconic to Manchester but the bold graphic colours stood out to me.  I started to draw more from this and started to like the results more than what I was doing before. I went into the machine room to begin sampling my ideas, which are shown below. 

These were just sowing onto strips of bias binding and webbing, i like the results of the the lines and colours together, but I need to find a better surface to sew into, maybe something more delicate and paper like but that can still hold its structure when folded. 

This piece was weaving the bias binding having sewn into it, I like it but think it could be developed further to make it more interesting.  The piece on the right here is sewing into bubble wrap, I like the texture of bubble wrap and how it is transparent but you cant see everything clearly. I want to carry on working with materials that are see-through and allow the light through.