Inspiration

I find the work of Ingrid Calame interesting; she simply traces found marks and enlarges them to produce an interesting piece of art. The way that when made into the final pieces they do not look like the marks, but something a lot more abstract appeals to me and is something that I would like try to  bring into my work.  I also like the layering and the simplicity of the line, a quality that could be translated into embroidery in many ways. 

Intentions- Research

For the first project of second year, I have continued looking at similar ideas to that of the summer project, found marks.  I have tried to capture some of the lesser seen marks and lines found in Manchester that often will pass people by. Similarly to my photos of Montenegro, the pictures start to look like maps and aerial views of islands. I have always been drawn to maps. I am inspired by the pattern and colour of the lines and being able to discover about new places.  Since collecting the images I have started to draw and sample, concentrating of the lines, colour and shapes of the images. 

Summer Project

 During the summer I visited Montenegro, a country that I did not know much about, so I decided to base my summer project on this small country. I was staying in a small remote village which had some stunning ageing buildings. I loved the patterns and lines created by the layers of paint that had been painted on top of over the years.  From noticing these shapes I started to notice lots of intriguing shapes throughout the rest of my stay, from lamp posts to marks on the ground. They look like maps and imaginary worlds seen from above, despite being zoomed in images.  The shape of Montenegro is very interesting as it has a long inlet of sea, some of the marks I found almost started to look like the outline of the country.

Context Sheet

Below is my context sheet for my project, I have chosen a selection of images that show my journey through the project, including my inspiration, sampling, digital work and final outcomes. I enjoyed putting this sheet together, as it allowed me to realise and reflect on how I got to the final design. 

Strong Image

As my strong image that is to be shown on the screen on Oxford Road I have chosen the image below. I decided to choose this photo as when combined with my visualisation it shows a close up of what the final outlook could look like. I like the details and the shadows, as well as the colours, which reflect the colours of the Manchester Metro Map. It will be interesting ( and a bit nerve racking!) to see how it looks once it is up on the big screen.

Final Visualisation

After struggling to get the desired effect with my visualisations, I had another attempt focusing more on creating a sculptural wall piece. In a digital session, Mary helped me to create a pattern using my folded paper designs which were then placed in situ in the new build, using an artists impressions photo.  I prefer this visualisation as it shows what I want to achieve as well as looking more professional than my previous attempts.  I decided to place it in the reception area as it relates back to the use of maps in my projects of arriving somewhere new and not knowing where to go, therefore needing a map to guide you. The build up of layers on the image too reminds me of maps when the relief is show of hills or mountains.

Displaying My Piece...

I've started to thinking about different ways in which to arrange my sculptural piece. I did a few quick sketches to illustrated how it could be displayed. I definitely like the idea of hanging, whether in space or against a wall. I also like the idea of bringing light into it somehow, maybe arranged a around a hanging light bulb (bottom left sketch) or having light behind it, such as a window or using artifical light that will shine through the piece and create a interesting effect and shadows. 

Mia Pearlman

Having just changed my idea for my final proposal, I saw that Hannah had posted about the artist american Mia Pearlman on the group blog and I really like her work. I feel that it is along the lines of how I envisage my final piece to look if it was to be made. Her paper installations have a similar look to my work in that it is very sculptural and plays with form and I like the draping look to it whilst still being a solid structure. I love how they go from wall to ceiling and onto the floor, something that I will consider for my piece and think could look could in the new building where the walls are very high,a sculptural piece could help to close the space down and make it feel more intimate in areas. 

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 Visualisations

I went to the new Business School here at MMU to photogrpah the interiors as this is similar in style to what the new art school will look like, and could work well as a background to my visualisations. I started to play around by putting my ideas into the space...

This was my first attempt at a visualisation using Photoshop. The background is one of the images I took inside the Business School and then had a pixelated effect added. It looks too much like I have just put my designs on top and looks too solid and structured. 

I then tried using a photo taken from the Living It groups visit inside the new build, as it gives the feeling of the new space. My paper designs all look too neat and perfect here which is not how i envisaged them to be at all. 

This was my next attempt, although it looks a little bit less forced and it place it still looks too perfect to me. I feel like I need to play around with my ideas a little bit more and see what happens and if a better outcome can be achieved.