Group Project

For the group project I was put in a team with 3 other members (Lisa from Illustration, Mike from Graphics and Luke from Moving Image). We were given the word 'kinetic' as a starting point and our thought process began by examining natural kinetics, in particular water based movement such as rain and tides. We liked how they are not controlled by ‘man’ and have quite a spontaneous nature to them. As a result of the water theme we decided to use inks, which are water based and have a fluid nature to them.

The concept of gravity also played a part in the project. The group thought it would be interesting to see how ink would fall when put on paper. It was very successful and because some drips fell further and quicker than others, it looked really quirky.

We also decided to experiment with throwing ink at a piece of paper. It produced a really nice effect; when different colours collided with each other they mixed and flowed in different directions. The group couldn’t decide between the drips and splatters so we concluded that we would experiment with both on the computer. In the end, we decided to combine the two as it created a more varied animation.

These are the two final pieces that we used in our animation:

This is our final animation/film:

Jen Stark

Sorry for not updating in so long, just don't seem to have chance, but I will make an effort to try and post more often! Whilst doing research for the group project, I came across Jen Stark, a contemporary artist from Miami. Her paper sculptures are so beautiful and captivating; you can't look away from them. I can't begin to imagine how she creates her pieces, they look so detailed and complex, it makes my head hurt! However, it's probably something I'd really enjoy doing, as it's so exact and fiddly.

I was immediately drawn to her pieces because of the bright colours she uses and the varied patterns the paper create. They almost seem to be in mid-movement, one in particular looks like a volcano erupting, which is why I thought they'd be appropriate for the kinetic project. I also like the almost op-art and kaleidoscope look to them; they're so different to anything I've seen before.

Jen gets her inspiration from a variety of sources such as nature, geometric patterns and microscopic views of objects. Her pieces might explore how people and objects are made up of literal and metaphorical layers. This scientific edge is really interesting as there are endless sources to use as inspiration.

Jen has also branched out into creating drawings which are just as crazy as her sculptures. They also seem to have a sense of movement and are very chaotic but beautiful to look at. She has also created animations out of her sculptures, which are really hypnotic and kaleidoscope-like. They're so clever and I'd love to contact her to find out how she produces all her work.

Patrick Hruby

I've just been having a look around my new favourite site, the Print and Pattern blog, when I came across Patrick Hruby. I just had to give him a mention because I absolutely love his work! His sense of colour his amazing, it never looks too much or too little; always perfect. I like the almost graphic nature to his work, the sharp edges and shapes really compliment the colours and make them stand out. I've looked at his blog and website and the range of themes he covers is astonishing, he can do buildings, animals, people; all in different scenarios. He is my new favourite artist and I'm very jealous of him!!

Print and Pattern Blog

While researching for the box project I came across an amazing blog called Print and Pattern. It's my idea of heaven!! Not only do they show artists/designers work but they also go around shops like Paperchase and photograph loads of items. I'll share a couple of my favourite findings, starting with Pat Albeck.

Pat recently created a collection of tea-towels at Emma Bridgwater. I love her designs, she uses quite simple shapes and all of the colours are bright and happy. They're very 60s in style which is something I was very influenced by in the box project. I'm so impressed that Pat has been producing designs for over 40 years; they look so current and fresh. I will definitely be keeping me eyes open to see what she produces next.

Another designer who caught me eye was Carolyn Gavin. Her work she produced for the company Ecojet (which creates products made from recycled materials) is gorgeous! She has an amazing sense of colour and pattern and even though her designs have lots of things going on, they never look overcrowded. I particular like her letters made out of patterns, they look really effective and it's something I'd love to have a go at.

The design company Allihopa are also really inspiring. I love the bright, vibrant colours and the innocent images they create. I really like the colourful patterns set on black, it makes the colours 'pop' out of the page. They're designs are very simple, which is something I really like; they let the colours and images speak for themselves. I like how they've branched out into so many different areas; toys, notebooks, cards, stationery. There is obviously a great market for their work (including me!).

You can have a look at all the amazing work at printpattern.blogspot.com. Enjoy!!

Timorus Beasties

As my recent work has been very pattern based, Ian told me about a group of designers called Timorous Beasties. I had a look at their website and really loved their work. They produce contemporary fabrics and wallpapers reminiscent of Toile de Jouy wallpaper from the early 1800s. At first glance their patterns look like elegant panoramas, but look closer and the images are a grisly depiction of Britain today. They want to explore social and political issues and don't hold back on their subject matter. Prostitutes, tramps and drug users all feature in their controversial patterns, with crumbling buildings and seagulls serve as a backdrop. Once described as "William Morris on acid", the Timorous Beasties aren't afraid to explore taboo subjects, but by cleverly 'disguising' them in a traditional wallpaper style they have managed to create an extremely successful business.

Just to show a couple of examples, these are their London Toile and Glasgow Toile. The first image shows how 'normal' they look from a distance, whilst the second images are close ups which reveal their hidden meaning.

I think this is how to take my work to the next level; through letting my patterns be informed by themes and content. In the next project this is something I'd like to explore, it would be a good way to challenge myself and create work with a more serious content.

P.S. This is a really good video I found of Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons (the founders of Timorous Beasties) discussing their working method and the ideas behind their work.

Tracey Eastham

Yesterday I went to the Cornerhouse in Manchester and saw Tracey Eastham's work. She creates paper collages which usually feature landscapes with a twist. The romantic style images seem to represent something deeper, but as they appear so innocent you are not sure what it is. What I found really intriguing was how the images appeared to float in the frames. There is a real sense of depth even though they are just flat pieces of paper. The pieces on display were a mixture of fantasy and reality; each one telling a different story.

I enjoyed looking at all her pieces and it really inspired me to work with paper again. For the narrative Box Project I want to create an animation so I'm going to explore collage using brightly coloured papers and see where it goes!

Las Meninas, Part 5

Just remembered that I haven't actually posted anything on the last swap of the summer project! So better late than never, here it is.....

Emma used a combination of elements to make her piece and I really like how they cohesively fit together in the composition. I especially liked her use of collage - it's very true to her style. This is her piece:

For my response I decided to take elements of Emma’s work and rework it in my own style. I liked the use of thread in her work so I used different coloured cottons to sew my image of the Lady onto paper. I tried to use colours similar to the original painting and attempted to spilt the line drawing up into sections so each important shape was clearly visible.

I was really inspired by Emma’s use of collage so I decided to create my own. I’ve hardly done any collage since foundation so I thought this would be a good chance to try it again. I really like using old magazines and newspapers to find imagery as I find they have so much more character. I also love the almost tea stained colour of the paper. I recreated the table and tea service and also added a candelabra and shoes which feature in the original painting.

Finally, I added a hanging birdcage which combined Emma’s use of birds and dotted lines. I was a bit worried that the image of the Lady was too faint alongside the collage elements, but I actually quite like it. It’s almost as though she’s fading into the distance after the curse has struck. This is my outcome:

I found it really useful to use Holly and Emma’s work as inspiration; after so long it was nice to see someone else's work. I found it helpful to see how they had responded to the painting and it gave me lots of new ideas to think about.