Large Scale Printing

Not being very good with technology I have kept putting off going to use the large scale printers, but I have finally gone, and although it is quite complicated it is easier than I thought it would be! I scanned my maps in using the A3 scanners in the Mac suite in Chatham, I edited some of them and made them into patterns by layering and repeating them on Photoshop, shown below in the pictures. I have never created patterns on Photoshop before, but I surprisingly really enjoyed the process. It was so quick to make a pattern, just by duplicating layer and then layering them. This is a process that I definitely want to keep on working with and seeing what effects and patterns I can produce. I printed these off onto both A1 paper and A1 tracing paper and will now work into them and see what results will come out! It was great to see my designs on such a large scale rather than just on a screen. Seeing them big allowed me to see them in a new way and help to visualise what I wanted to achieve alot more, it was also satisfying seeing your work come out so big.

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. 

CV

ALIX DESSAIN                                                                      

EDUCATION

2011- Present             Manchester Metropolitan University

                                    BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice

2010-2011                         Oxford and Cherwell Valley College

Foundation Diploma in Art and Design- Distinction

2002-2009                       Bloxham School, Oxfordshire

3 A Levels in French, Geography and Spanish (B,B,C)

1 AS Level in Textiles (A)

10 GCSE’s - grades A*-C

WORK EXPERIENCE

November 2010- Present: Inn at Farnborough

            I work as a waitress in this busy pub having contact with the customers, handling money and occasionally working behind the bar.

July 2008- August 2012- Rachel Jones Flowers.
           I assisted this local florist on a variety of events, such as weddings, parties and corporate events. I would prepare the flowers and help with putting the arrangements together. 

June 2007- August 2011: K2 Recruitment

            I regularly work at a variety of venues as a temporary retail assistant at a range of designer shops in Bicester Village Outlet Centre, including Mulberry and Matthew Williamson. I have also worked at Silverstone Race Track at motor racing events as a waitress. As well as in 2009,I had the chance to travel to Abu Dhabi to work at the Grand Prix.

I am currently in my first year of university studying Textiles in Practice. I have really enjoyed my time on the course and being able to discover new techniques as well as improving those that I already knew. I have particularly enjoyed using the facilities of screen-printing and the machine embroidery room. Combining these two techniques has been key to my work and sampling this year, and I am sure will carry on throughout my degree. I like the speed and effects produced from machine embroidery combined with my own designs from printing that helps make my work feel like my own.

My ideas for my work often lead to back to the theme of travelling combined with geography. Having lived in France and Belgium when I was younger, travelling has always been in my bones and since then I have visited a number of countries including Morocco, Peru and Brazil. I always find myself looking to these countries for inspiration, from the colours, patterns and my memories of my time spent there, maybe in the hope that I could go back to visit them one day!

Digital Workshop

I went to the digital workshop yesterday with Mary Stark, as using computers and Photoshop is definitely not my strongest point! This session was really helpful as she showed us how to digitally visualize our ideas in the new building. This is essential to the project, and the design world today, as a digital image of the piece allows it to be seen in context. I started to get to grips a bit more with Photoshop and this is the result of the session. It isn't the best quality, but once I have decided on my final image and get to know Photoshop more it will hopefully look a little bit better! The piece below is not an idea of mine, but a found image that vaguely relates to my project in that it is a hanging and placed against a wall. 

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. 

Inspiration....

I have been looking at artists and designers to inspire my work and help to visualise my ideas on a larger scale.  I have been thinking more about creating a wall or a room divider, as the space is open plan to be able to divide it up with a temporary structure could prove useful.  From my drawings, my ideas could be translated well to create a wall.

I like how Christoph Niemann has translated the colours of the New York Subway map into a colour bathroom design.

These 3D wall dividers by Mike and Maaike remind me of my original drawings using the coloured masking tape, but they also remind me of lines found on maps, in particular the Manchester tram map. I like how it is not all one solid block and that you can see through it as well as the combination of colours

My work...

After all the maps and diagrams that I saw at the Cube Gallery, I have continued to use them to draw from. I was initially using only a few maps, but after a tutorial it was clear that I needed a greater variety of maps to work from. I complied a collection from various places, and it has definitely helped me having more to look at. What stood out to me the most from the  maps of Manchester, were the striking bold colours used, something which I intend to use in my work. My ideas have moved on from the original 'Arrivals Task', but I feel that this did help get to where I am now, as the idea of getting lost in the alleyways is related to getting lost on a map and not knowing where to go or where you are.

Moving Image Workshop

Film and moving image is becoming more and more popular with designers and companies today, who are using it to promote their products to a worldwide audience using the internet. I particularly like the simple but effective results of the Olympus Pen video that we watched. We were inducted into how to use the video camera and create a short film. In our group of 4 we filmed a short stop and start clip of a girl weaving in the weave room, using a varity of shots including a long shot and a close up. I will try and incorporate a short film into my project using my work and see what results I get.

My work...

After my visit to the Cube Gallery, my work has been focused a lot more at looking at maps and the details and patterns found within them. I have been looking at different maps of Manchester and the different styles that are produced. Getting lost in the alleys in Marrakech reminded me of some of the really detailed maps as you didn’t know where one line would lead you from first looking at the maps. I have combined these details with the vibrant colours of Morocco. The idea of a making a map/maze within the new building could be interesting and here are some of my drawings so far. My ideas often lead back to maps, but I think this is often because it can help me dream of being in another country that's far away and exotic where I can escape 'normal' life!

I also went back to Special Collections in the library after our induction there. I found it fascinating to be able to see so many many historic and beautiful hand made books. I found two books on Morocco, both of which had colourful illustrations that represented the vibrant atmosphere of the country. 

Brendan Dawes

I went to the talk by Brendan Dawes that made me realise the importance of technology in the art and design world today. Although I am not very good at all with technology it made me realise that it is crucial to artists and designers work today, as it such an important tool for marketing and taking your work forward. From having his blog and showing his work on it, he was approached by the Musuem of Modern Art in New York, and subsequently his piece was bought and displayed in the gallery.  In his work he often took the simplest and most humble things and made them into pieces of art, such as his piece on paperclips.  This talk showed me that to succeed in your field, you need to out your work out there and show it to others, something that I now need to start doing!