Review
Reflecting back over the work I have achieved over this course, some of which I had manged to forget about! It was good to go back over and find parts that excited me or perhaps sparked that little flame of ideas going.
Casting and moulding were definitely an area I had enjoyed exploring and experimenting with. And there were many techniques that I wanted to explore further.
Gathering those ideas together as a mind map as a starting point on all the different ideas I had spinning around my head.
Jotting down ideas such as Themes, Techniques, Materials, Colours, and What Went Well.
Then narrowing down those initial ideas with one theme and completing another mind map with those ideas developing off each branch. This where my A5 sketchbook began its journey, as discussed on my previous tutor review. This has gone everywhere with me over this assignment and has been great to jot down ideas and sketches.
I chose to follow the idea of creating a piece reflecting my perinatal depression suffered during the pregnancy of my youngest daughter.
This is how I explained my idea to my tutor:
I want to make a vessel with in a
vessel inspired by my perinatal depression I had with my last baby. Quite
possibly one of the worst times of my life but so much joy was growing inside
of me.
I want to play with what I make the vessel
with, thinking wax or maybe the plaster of paris bandages. I then want to wrap it in a
frantic movement tightly to be represent how I felt at the time. Using dark, bleak, gloomy colours to represent the darkness I felt.
I’d also like to try and use a knotted
necklace, when going through therapy it helped me to describe the therapy as
like unknotting a necklace. You undo one knot and then you would find another one had appeared. It’s a struggle and takes time but you can eventually, with
commitment and determination fix it. (Inspired by the artist who used
wrapping)
Then inside I want to experiment with either a
smaller vessel or casting the wax with the a balloon. But this needs to be
colourful to display the joy and happiness I didn’t know would come from my
little potato (that’s what she was called in my tummy)
I then want that suspended in the vessel. With a weaving/spider web like techniques. Not sure how that would work or look
at the moment.
I’d like to work similarly to print artist Jacky Lowry they were limited to the
items around them due to caring with their parent. Making use of the items around the home or found. Melting the wax casts I have, left over wax
crayons. Old necklaces etc.
Then sketching down those initial ideas in my sketchbook.
Research
Julia Couzens
Looking back over the research completed through the moulding and casting assignment at two artists that really inspired me, the first was Julia Couzens.
I wanted to bring in her use of yarns different colour yarns and wrapping techniques, which I feel she uses to expresses her emotions.
Using colourful bright, joyful, vibrant yarns to represent happy memories. And darker, duller, more sober colours used to reflect unhappy memories.
http://voyagemia.com/interview/check-julia-couzenss-artwork/
Judith Scott
Judith binds and weaves together yarns and fibres around piles of common objects, I felt like her work could inspire my work, wrapping the vessels to protect it, hide it, and transforming otherwise ordinary objects.
Judith wraps differently to Julia. Julia's is just a wrap where as Judith is more woven and entwinned yarn. Mixing different yarns together rather than seeing them as separate wraps like Julia. I will need to think about which style would suit my designs better.
Georgie Gerrard
Looking at artists that created vessels I came across Georgie's work. Firstly I love the unusual use of fungus. Its not something I've heard of before, its definitely an area I would like to research at some point in my studies. The use of unconventional materials, like fungus's.
I also liked the concept of connecting her work into family ties. I am looking to tie my work to my connection to my unborn child and my pregnancy journey.
On a more practical level I find the vessel surfaces interesting and then way she builds the product around the inside of the mould. This is another option to explore for moulding.
https://www.lboro.ac.uk/schools/design-creative-arts/whats-happening/news/2022/fantastic-fungi-sculptures/
Kim Thittichai
Another artist I stumbled across was Kim Thittichai. What caught my attention first was the interesting and unusual materials. I could not work out what they were made of and unfortunately I haven't been able to source that information. I have located an article about one of her exhibitions which describes how her she works with mixed media including textiles decostructing plastics, and photography. Her work focuses on layers of texture and colour, These are all areas I would like to include in the development of my vessels.
Sample-making
I began by asking myself, how can I create the vessel?
Due to wanting to create a vessel and wanting it to have translucent features. I felt using a balloon to mould the materials around, or to cast around it. I have used the balloon previously, but in a different method during the casting and moulding assignment.
Next I had to think about the materials I should select to sample with to try and achieve a translucent vessel.
Gathering together tracing paper, toile , cellophanes.
Tracing paper
Ripping pieces of tracing paper into small pieces then using PVA glue to stick the pieces around the balloon. Once the glue had dried I popped the balloon unfortunately the tracing paper stuck to the balloon. It took some time to remove it but I managed to remove most in the end. I feel it worked OK but not didn't achieve quite what I was looking for it as the tracing paper did not hold the shape of the balloon well. I do not think it would work well as a vessel as well as maintaining the same translucency.
I feel if there were more layers of tracing paper then the vessel would hold shape but would lose the translucent effect I want to achieve.
Tissue Paper
Next using the same technique but with tissue paper this time. And this time using clingfilm around the balloon to ease the removal. A similar result as the tracing paper was achieved.
Cellophane
Again using the same technique again but with cellophane, unfortunately this time the cellophane stuck to the clingfilm although this did not effect the cellophane and just moulding into one. I loved the colour the cellophane gave, if I was looking to create a more colourful vessel I could build up a selection of coloured cellophane around the balloon. Or use the colours to represent emotions within the vessel. I could use a clear cellophane but I do not want a completely translucent vessel I want the inner vessel to be slightly obscured.
Netting
I love the look of the netting if I was creating work to represent rubbish washed up from the sea. The glue is more visible between the holes in the netting giving a clear crackled coating in the inside.
In fact in hindsight the cellophane sample remind me of the inside of a limpet shell. I will have to remember this for future work.
This again was not the effect I am hoping to achieve.
Toile
The final material I chose to work with was toile, this produced the closest sample to what I was hoping to achieve. I liked the rough raw edges created. Again I felt as though the glue did not allow the material to mould around the balloon.
I think I've finally realised I need to move away glue it is too rigid for the effect I am looking to achieve. I want a softer feel, something that can capture every curve of the balloon. This lead me on to try wax and plaster of paris.
Wax
Moving away from sticking materials around the balloon and now using liquid medium to cast around the balloon. Dipping the balloon into the melted wax, which was reused wax from the moulding assignment. This is way I like working with wax as an idea can be reworked by simply heating it up, or the wax can be reused once you are finished with the sample.
I began dipping the wax until I felt I had achieved the thickness I desired. This was approx. 5 layers of wax. Anything thinner would have been to fragile and any thicker would look bulky and undesirable.
I like the way the light shines through differently depending on the thickness of the wax as the layers were not even. It produced a really interesting surface. Although the wax was thicker I found it was still fragile and needed to be handled carefully like a delicate glass vase. This medium was close to what I was looking for, it created a nice mould, had an interesting surface that the light could pass through, and had the fragile feel I wanted to portray.
Plaster of Paris
I wanted to try one final medium for casting, returning to plaster of paris. It had been successful in with the previous assignments and I wanted to see what effect could be produced with this medium. Apart from the balloon deflating during the process which created a very obscure vessel, the result was as expected. Although a little thicker than I'd have hoped due to applying enough medium to cover a larger surface but as the surface shrunk with the deflating balloon the medium become more compact.
On reflection I wonder what this would be like with other mediums and allowing the balloon to deflate at different points?
After spending sometime reflecting over the samples I had created, some more success than others. I wondered if actually combining the material and medium would work? Could it create a visually fragile vessel but ultimately could combining the two make the vessel more stable and support one another?
This led onto my second round of samples.
With
this round of samples I wanted to explore size as well as looking at ideas for
the yarns wrapped around the vessel. Combining the toile with the wax. Cutting
the toile into uneven lengths and then quickly dipping them into wax. It was best to do it quickly for a couple of reasons, firstly the wax cooled quickly and I wanted to not have to heat the wax again. Secondly it created a thinner layer of wax, which I felt would give a more interesting surface.
The beauty of using a balloon was that it was easy to adjust the size as a new balloon was used for each sample. So each time I blew the balloon up to a different size.
During this process of samples I began by coming up with some objectives
What size vessel should I make?
How many layers of wax and fabric should I use?
What size yarn should I use?
What colours represent darkness and struggles?
I spoke about knots in my original ideas, how will this work?
How should I do the wrapping, frantic or controlled?
How tight should the yarn be?
The first vessel was the smallest of the samples, I think as it was the smallest the wax seemed more dense. Using black embroidary thread made it easier to control the wrapping as it is a stronger yarn. It also allowed me to pull the yarn tighter leaving marks within the vessel, which reminds me having ligature around an arm, cutting off the circulation.
It was also hard to see how many layers you had done with the off-white toile. So there was a lot of over lapping creating more layers of fabric and wax. Even with the light behind the vessel it was difficult to seethrough.
Now trying a larger vessel, one part of this sample I found interesting were the small holes. Which makes it look fragile and decayed this was not deliberately. Another happy accident due to not being able to see where the toile had been laid over the balloon creating these small holes.
I also felt the surface created, especially with the light shining through it show all the little imperfection in the depths of the wax, the frayed edges of the toile, and the lengths of toile. As I thought the larger vessels made it easier to create a thinner surface.
For my final vessel this was the medium sized vessel, using blue toile this time to see what the effect would be when it was easier the see the toile. It definitely created a more even layer over the balloon and there aren't as many imperfections. Which I didn't like, I like the imperfections that are happy accidents.
Around this vessel I used a nylon thread, created that invisible torment and strain I felt under. I found the yarn difficult to wrap with as it was slipping. I found wrapping in a frantic movement, wrapping many times helped to secure the yarn around the vessel.
Sketch in watercolour pen of the overlapping toile
Wax dabbed on with toile, gouache wash over the top
Wax removed with heat and greaseproof paper
What I am taking away from this round of samples is that the larger vessel, with thinner wall and imperfections created the vessel most like my vision. I liked both of the yarns, the thicker yarn was easier to pull tighter. I need to look at colours as I feel the dark is to harsh against the wax. I have decided to dye the yarn using tea, to create varying brown tones, to signify the darkness that was creeping in. The thicker yarn is also easier to tie knots into, I can cut lengths of the yarn and knot it before wrapping. Using a more controlled wrap to secure the yarn around the vessel.
And
I will use the nylon thread to wrap around in a more frantic motion using a
larger amount of yarn. It will be subtle but I want the vessel to have
different depths to it. Layers to work through, the different yarns, the was,
then the fabric, the different layers created with the wax. Seeing something different at every angle.
Yarns dyed in tea
Wrapping ideas in sketchbook
Now
moving onto the inner piece. I have decided to create a more solid. Exploring
some of the mediums used within this assignment. My original idea was to use
wax to cast within the balloon. Adding crayons into the melted wax, then
leaving it to set solid. My other idea was to pre-melt the wax before adding it
into the balloon with the base wax, again leaving it to set. Waiting patiently
for it to set and then cutting the balloon open only to discover a dull wax
blob within both balloons, I decided to draw a line under that idea and moved
onto thinking of another idea.
I
thought papercrete might be a good way forward. When exploring the medium
previously it was bought to my attention find my tutor, that perhaps I could
explore adding colour to the papercrete instead of keeping it solid white. So I began by
creating the papercrete and then using three different techniques to add coloured
tissue paper to it. First placing the paper onto the outside of the damp moulded ball.
The second one ripping pieces of tissue paper and mixing them within the
papercrete mixture. For the final sample taking several colours of tissue paper
and blending it into the papercrete and then adding each mixture together to
create a solid ball.
Again I
feel that this wasn’t the right move forward for the inner piece. The colour
looked sloppy and mould look too solid to go inside such a delicate vessel. I decided to scrap that idea as well and went back and reviewed my research, looking for inspiration. I
then thought I could use inspiration from Julia and Judith's work, as artists I viewed their work
as though the wrapped items would seem insignificant to others
but were important to them, using different wrapping techniques and colour to express emotions in their work.
It was
one of those moments when I had a few moments to think and began a chain of
thought and started sketching and writing ideas in my sketchbook. Could I use a
seed to represent the baby growing inside me, signifying regrowth, and
life.
I needed to then think of a way to keep the seed safe. To show how precious it was to me.
Gathering together toile, calico and tissue paper. Gently wrapping the seed to
show the importance of protecting it and keeping it safe. I wanted to
incorporate colour, I felt like I could do this through yarn. Winding it around
the seed securing the protective barrier around it. Encasing it like a mothers
arms wrapped around a child.
Knowing
I wanted to involve colour I wanted to use colours that had meaning to the
piece.
Green- New life, peace, nature, calm, fertile
White- Purity, innocence, light, goodness, joy, faith
Pink- Caring, love, happiness, hope
I
then took my delicate package and suspended it through within the vessel.
Taking the nylon thread and weaving it through the vessel walls and then around
the package. Making it seem as though it is floating with in the vessel.
Final Piece
Overall I am happy with the final piece, but I can't help myself as I do with my other work is thinking of how I could develop it further or even creating a series of vessels with each idea.
Could I have put the seed inside another vessel to signify the womb?
Could I have made the vessel larger? Would this have made the walls more fragile?
Could I have found some way of putting light within the vessel?
But reflecting on the piece I have produced I am proud that I have expressed my emotions rather than an copying an actual object. I have thought about how I could make something that is in my mind into a physical object to tell my story. How each layer of the vessel from the layers of wrapping, to the tissue paper wrapped seed has meaning and is thought out. Not just for aesthetics but for what it visualises to me.
Even when photographing the vessel I couldn't help but think how fragile it was to hold and actually this is how I physically felt at the time, little pieces break of me, trying not to completely fall apart, whilst nurturing a life within me.
Reflection
- How exhaustive were you in your sampling, and how did this impact on the final
outcome(s)?
I feel like, explored size, materials and colour at each step of sampling, From the vessel to the yarn wrapped around it. I found sampling key to the development of my final outcome, as the inner part of the vessels design idea changed and developed due to sampling. This ended in a final outcome that I would only refine to create as final piece.
• Did you take any risks? If so, what did you learn from them?
I think the initial idea was a risk, displaying my emotions and a difficult time in my life as art work. It felt like opening up a little bit of myself. I was scary at first to make that jump but I found it really helpful mentally to express the bad and good during a difficult time in my life. I am pleased with the end piece and what it represents to me.
• How did your use of drawing and the sketchbook help to drive the project forward?
During my last tutor feedback we discussed introducing a small sketchbook into my working practise. This has been revolutionary for me. I have used it to jot ideas done when they randomly pop into my head which they often do. Especially after a car journey. And I have also used it to record outcomes, visual and written. This has helped with the write up process, a task I struggle to remain focused on.
• Which of the artists and designers you researched most informed the project?
Judith Scott and Julia Couzens played a big role in the ideas process for this assignment. There work had got me thinking on a more emotional level. Looking to understand the meaning of their work, which ultimately changed my mindset when proceeding with my piece for this unit.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses the approach you’ve taken? (i.e. your working
method.)
I have always enjoyed the more practical side to this course and often getting lost in that process and having the ability to stop when it is time to move on. I feel this element of the course is one of my stronger points.
My weakness has always been the writing up element within each assignment. often leaving it until the end and then having to remember all the information from memory. This was made a lot easier with the introduction of the sketchbook and recording each step in sketches and notes.
• How has your work and your approach to it improved through the course as a whole?
Throughout this course I have improved my research skills whether it be online, through websites, videos or visiting a gallery. This has helped to underpin my ideas and broaden my approach to tasks. Allowing me to become more experimental in my work, as well as producing a variety of samples with a experimental approach. Some not always working so well but learning from them and adapting. Resulting is a selection of successful end sample pieces.
Demonstration of technical and visual skills – materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skill (40%).
This unit has allowed me to home in on the mediums/techniques I have enjoyed working with and have observed potential in exploring further in earlier units. For example wax and papercrete, and being aware of where this these mediums could work and be developed within the samples and final piece. But also observing when it hasn't worked and adapting my ideas to reflect my observations.
Exploring size, colour and materials through extensive sample making, observing and reworking. I feel the work presented in this unit reflects how I have developed through MMT, being aware of what designs, techniques and materials work well with an idea. For example my first set of samples worked through possible materials, then developing on to size not only the size of the vessel but the depth of the materials used to make the vessel.
• Quality of outcome – content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas (20%).
I think each step within this unit has been thought through reflecting back on the previous units on what went well or perhaps even not to well to inspire the developed ideas. I have developed a pattern that I feel works for my method of working. Creating mind maps to off load everything that is in mind and then working through how those ideas would work and reducing those ideas down to one key idea to move forward with. Using my sketchbook to not only sketch but write my ideas and findings out. This helped me to remember details that might ordinarily be forgotten. This has certainly helped my with the write up stage. I also like to photograph my work as I go along to communicate the steps taken. During the write up stage there are some parts where I feel I could have taken more step by step images to reflect the stages of work.
• Demonstration of creativity – experimentation, invention, development of a personal voice (20%).
I think this has been some of my most creative work throughout this degree, pushing my emotions onto a page and then creating a physical object to display that emotion. It reminds me of the artwork you see in the Tate and you think how is that art? And then you read about the artist and what the piece represents and then you see the beauty within the piece. This unit has definitely been a about myself and my journey. Its now light a little flame inside me which is excited to explore further.
• Context – reflection, research, critical thinking (20%).
I feel I am good at being critical with myself and work, which goes hand in hand with the reflection process. At each stage stopping and thinking is this working? could it be better if? and then maybe even jumping back a couple of steps back to the research stage for inspiration from other artists or materials. And that might not even be right and then starting again, like with the inner vessel. It took me three attempts until I was happy with the outcome. I can still see areas I am not happy with but that's art I think you could go on and on changing things but its knowing when to stop and walk away that is the real art.
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