Jessica Stockholder

Jessica Stockholder's pieces are beginning to become a powerful influence on how my own work can progress. Her use of found materials to create sculptures/ three dimensional paintings is something that I hadn't seen before in this context. Stockholder's use of space and mass hold just as much importance as the use of colour in her pieces. This shows a clear route that I can now pursue as I have only touched upon the use of space in a piece and I feel that one of my main intentions is to include the audience in my work, this is where a three dimensional painting could prove incredibly effective.

In an interview I read Stockholder placed a lot of emphasis on the actual architectural design of the piece and how it is just as important as the work that covers it. 

'With installations it’s the building, the architecture, or you might say it’s the place that I work on top of; with the smaller pieces I work on top of or in relation to stuff that I collect.' - Jessica Stockholder

' It doesn’t matter what materials I use. It can be anything. What’s interesting is how what I’m doing combines with the stuff I use, but then it’s not entirely true to say that. I also choose things for particular reasons, though not according to a particular aesthetic. More often I avoid the development of a cohesive look that will too powerfully direct the work in only one direction. A lot of people have written about my work in terms of junk. That I sometimes use junk doesn’t seem of central importance to me. I use all kinds of things, old and new. Much of the stuff I use could be found in your living room.' - Jessica Stockholder.

I found this quote incredibly interesting as I place high importance on using found materials and although in my work it looks random and meaningless the majority of it is strategically planned and of high value to the piece.

As I was saying about previous pieces I must use paint more in my work, Stockholder said about how she 'never stopped painting but only transferred it from the wall into three dimensions.'

This is something else I would like to experiment with in the future as well, as I have always been proud of my painting however this year I have barely touched a paint brush.

In this piece I saw a strong link in comparison to my work. The definite black lines create an incredible geometric containment of colour. This piece is a great example of how my work can now produce further. I feel that now might be the time for me like Stockholder to take what is currently on the wall and transform it into three dimensions.

Wooden Colour Collage No. 3

To progress from my previous pieces I tried to think of ways I could expand the piece, I chose the most obvious which was scale. This was quite an effective choice however there were other areas that I could've explored rather than choosing the most obvious.
What I thought worked well was the use of the obscure, found, wooden shapes. Like previous pieces I tried to slot everything together in a unique way. Although the way I had chosen did cause problems when covering the wood up.

 These problems occurred when I had to cover up the bottom layer of wood after I had already layered other bits on top. If I were to do this process again I would cover each piece of wood with some from of layering before fastening them together. 

Another thing that I thought worked really well is the mark marking that shows through from the back. Even though at the time all I wanted to do was try to get rid of the emptiness and blankness of the wood it ended up becoming quite and effective part of the piece. However I didn't use this technique to it's full potential so in future pieces exploring the realm of paint and then including it more overtly in pieces such as this one.

 

I tried to expand on the use of familiar icons, although this is another avenue that I can expand. One thing thought worked really well was the use of shiny black asitate. This is because with this piece I tried to create an intense feel of texture and contrasting texture. The shiny surface of the asistate works really effectively in contrast to the plain wood grain and the rough feel of the ripped paper surrounding it. It also seem chance still plays a high part in my work (or apparent chance) depending on how aware I am of my subconscious, this is because the main graphic element in this piece which is in the centre was created through me noticing a face like shape in the middle then creating something from it. I was apprehensive over what should go in the centre as it is usually the main focal point when looking at a piece of art. This meant it had to be powerful enough to drag your eye in but then in a subtle way push your eyes around the rest of the piece. Despite my apprehension I feel that this worked well. 

Another element that I tried to include was the use of the negative space in-between the sweeping wooden swirls. I felt the piece was incredibly overpowering and chaotic with a sense of claustrophobia alongside of it. So by including this piece I felt I managed to create a peaceful containment over the incredibly wild work. 

Overall I think the piece works well and is by far my strongest piece, however I need to open my eyes to new ways to use different materials so my work can progress further. I also need to emphasise my intentions of the piece clearly in the future this is because although it is amazing to see my work progress so organically I feel a little more direction wouldn't hurt especially going alongside the experimentation and playfulness that I intend to continue by experimenting further with other materials.    

London!

Despite the everlasting journey into London once I was there I couldn't wait to start looking around. Recently I have been taking photo's of shapes or scenes where I find the shapes interesting. I would then try and include these shapes within my work. This scavenging of shapes could be one the aspects within my FMP.

This is one of the buildings that intrigued while I was shape scavenging, however it is not the shape of the building itself that interested me it was the contrast between the spiraled staircase at the very top of the building next to the jagged roof of the building.

Another idea that came to mind was maybe creating a city scape piece which has been done numerous times before, but this only adds motive to make a piece that stands out. I had an idea that as I have experimented drawing with tape so much creating such a scene in this way may put forward a more contemporary view on a normal city scape. Although this is just an idea that I may or may not pursue.

The first gallery I went to was the Tate modern. I was incredibly keen in finding more contemporary artists that could influence my work. One of the first pieces that struck me was a piece by Andre Masson named, 'The Redlands and the Montagne.'

What I found interesting about this piece was that to me it feels like a stage before geometrical art, and that this geometry is evolving within the piece. There is also a feel of energy and movement within the piece which in my opinion only excels the success of the piece. Masson created this piece using the Surrealist technique of 'automatic' painting where the conscious control over the hand is suppressed so the subconscious could take over. This technique is another way freedom is expressed in this piece.

One of the pieces that captivated me more than any other was a piece named, 'Energy and Process' by Do Ho Suh. It is a polyester and stainless steel installation that replicates a stair case in the artist's apartment in Chelsea, New York.

 
This installation was built to represent Suh's personal memories in an architectural design. What I found fascinating was the use of space in the piece and then finding out Suh's intentions when it came to the use of space.
'The space I am interested in is not only a physical one, but an intangible, metaphorical and psychological one. For me 'space' is that which encompasses everything.' -  Do Ho Suh.

At first I saw no relevance to my own work although after standing in the room for about 5-10 minutes I began to see similarities emerge. As the light passed through the red cloth it changed not only the colour of light in the room but the entire atmosphere. This something I wish to take and apply in my own work. Making the audience almost a part of the work and indulge them within it. This makes installations an area that I feel compelled to explore and experiment within.

Something else I noticed that held links to my work was the repetition of the lights above. Even though the lights are set out in this way to distribute light evenly throughout the installation I found the repetition intriguing. Alongside this the way the fabric affected the way the light came through was also quite interesting. When I left the room I felt as though I had been mesmerised. The feel of the room I had just been in was incredibly peaceful and tranquil despite the amount of people passing through it. This contrast between this room and the grey, bustling room next to it was quite unique.

The next piece that took my interest was by Guy Tillim and his piece held similar architectural features that my previous work has contained although it interested me even more as I found it incredibly similar to a piece created by Rachel Whiteread who I had extensively researched.

However what became most interesting was that Rachel Whiteread's Sculpture pictured the interior space within a building whereas Guy Tillin's piece shows the exterior of a building.

After I left the Tate I went to the Poppy Sebire gallery that was situated about a mile behind the Tate where  a small Danny Rolph exhibition was taking place. It was an amazing experience being able to see Roplh's work in person also the works I saw were more recent than the triple wall series and were painted on canvas. This was still incredibly interesting to see as the development among his work was just apparent as the development through mine. The paintings were as striking and bold as his triple wall series although more emphasis was put upon geometric shapes and planned marks despite this his work still held an element of playfulness and freedom. Another way his work appeared to have developed was through the transition between the feel of his work being temporary and permanent, with his triple wall series holding a temporary feel in comparison to his canvas work. Overall it was an incredibly worthwhile experience seeing Rolph's work despite the trouble I had navigating the backstreets of London.
 

Joanne Greenbaum

Joanne Greenbaum - Fat Yellow

I found Joanne Greenbaum's work incredibly useful to look at and take ideas from. It was also I great source for working out where my ideas can progress to next. Greenbaum's playful abstractions hold similarities to my own work however despite the similar liberal feel, Greenbaum's work has a sense of calculation about it. This is an area that I  could improve within my own work. My work up to this point has progressed organically however I feel that now may be point to calculate the outcome of my work slightly more. Despite this I still feel I need to experiment with other materials to create different outcomes.

Joanne Greenbaum - Tables of Contents

In this piece there is still a clear exploration of colour and shapes although there is a sinister feel underlying the painting. Along with this the apparent chaotic mark marking is also underlined by a blue print imagery. 

 'I am convinced that  two dimensional painting relevant mostly because it is an antidote to the barrage of images and sounds that we are bombarded with every moment of every day. To me, there is nothing more challenging than working with the simple concept of making a two dimensional image have meaning to me and the outside world. I am influenced by everything and nothing, the people who have influence my art nonetheless are Fontana, matisse, basquiet, eva zeisel, and a new great artist I just discovered, Sanyu.' - Joanne Greenbaum

Group Crit: Words that were used to describe my work.

Temporary, colourful, re-useable materials,  texture, contrasting materials, on going colour pallete.

Ideas on how to progress: Lean more towards either temporary or permanent rather than being in between.
Experiment with other materials, maybe stretch out and use a much wider range of found materials.
 

Group Critique.

The group critque was a really reawrding experience. I spend a lot of time looking at work people have displayed on the walls and i've always came up with my own interpretations over their work. But what I found really interesting aswel as hearing from the artist themselves about the piece they had chosen to display is that the way we were told to analyse the piece was brilliant. Before now I had always looked at a piece worked out what it was then created my own interpretation, however this method broke down this viewing process even more, so you weren't just looking at what it was but also what it's made out of, what effect the texture has on the overall piece, the use of colour etc. This then rises a lot more questions about the artists method which made it even more interesting when the artist explained reasoning behind even the smallest or obvious of things.
When my work was being analysed it was something I had been dreading although it was incredibly helpful. After listenting to what people said and hearing the way they interpret my work gave new meaning to my work even to me. It also helped in inspiring me and giving me new ways to progress with my work. Art is something that has to be viewed and appreciated by the audience therefore I feel it is vital to listen to feedback and take into consideration everything that is said.

Portfolio time...

Organising my portfolio like my personal statement was a much harder task than I first thought. There was so much to consider from how each piece of work reflects to the next, page layout and which work to put in. At first I was unsure about the theme in my work, although from the time I started thinking about organising my portfolio to the time I finished it I was still creating work. It was once I had finished creating these works that my theme became obvious to me. It was clear I had shown a keen interest in colour and texture from the start of the course, because of this I included work from the rotation period. I also tried to encorporate some of my life drawing into my portfolio as drawing from the figure is something that has always facsinated me. The pieces I chose were ifluenced by Henri Matisse's nude model work where colour was also a main component in the piece. Something else that I found worked really well was the way I had designed my outer portfolio, I originally took inspiration from my first relief print for the design but then in comparison to my recent work the correllation between them is something that I never expected to work so well. This has made my porfolio become part of the work itself. Overall I feel I have a reasonably strong portfolio that will increase and progress with time and practice.

Danny Rolph - Triple Wall series

These pieces by Danny Rolph have inspired me to create the works I have, his use and exploration into geometric shapes and colour was something that I could really relate to. Another way that I can relate to Rolph is the way he takes the shapes from everyday buildings, objects or scenes then applies it within his paintings. Rolph also insists that his paintings are 'overtly pictorial' rather than textual. This stands out in his work purely through the vibrancy in the colours he combines and also how his paintings just overload your eyes with an abundance of colour and geometric imagery.
 
 “I still crave to imagine the unimaginable and project a kind of pictorial oppulence through a variety of visual conversations in my practise.” - Danny Rolph

Another thing that really stands out about Rolph's work is how he bases his work on the present taking inspiration from the world around him. It's what gives his work a freshness that is making him increasingly popular each year.

Overall Rolph is an inspiration to me not only because of his work but also the way he became known in the art world, although being in the right place at the right time may have helped in some cases overall he achieved what he has through hard work and persistence.

Colour Collages.

At this point I was starting to think about getting together a portfolio for Uni interviews which was a harder task than I first thought. So I really started concentrating and analysing my work so I could identify an under lying theme that is carried throughout my work. One was pretty obvious and that was my use in colour exploration. Every since rotations I was fascinated with colour and found experimenting with colour really intrigued me.

After using overlaying different coloured inks to create an effect I moved on to experimenting with different coloured electrical tape and plastics. I tried to make more of a minimalist piece so the lines were incredibly defined alongside the wood grain. Some lines ran with the grain others went in the opposite direction hopefully making them stand out even more. The definition of lines in this piece was something that I thought worked really well. So did the texture used, the shiny plastic created a really nice contrast against the wood and matte effect the tape gave the piece, however I think if I had worked into it a little bit more the end result would've been even more interesting; either by expanding the piece itself or by adding more contrasting textures or mark making.

In my next piece I tried to be more free flowing with the way I composed the piece. As I felt I had thought to much about the end piece and in turn restricted my work from evolving organically. So in this piece I started it with no preconceptions of the end result, although alongside colour texture is something that also really interests me so I tried to put a lot of emphasis on the texture in this piece.
Combining bubble wrap with the cardboard and tape and a really interesting effect but once I had stuck everything down I felt I was at the same stage as my previous piece so I decided to work into it more by adding different typed of mark making using inks and then I the element of false chance was a compelling factor to add which I did using spray paint. This created a surprisingly interesting effect by highlighting the circular shapes within the bubble wrap and then as the paint ran down the cardboard when it came in contact with the tape it took the same straight, steep gradient that the tape had created.
In this piece I thought all the components worked well alongside one another however like my other ideas it could have been expanded into something bigger perhaps. Although I feel it works well On the bit of cardboard I found as it looks as though its a bit of draft wood. I feel this gives the piece a very organic feel to it despite being made up of man made objects.

 
In my most recent piece I felt this really summed up an overcoming of all the problems I previously had when I first joined the course. This piece was created completely organically and inspired through not just other artists or ideas put forward by teachers but also by the world around me. When I first sat down to do this piece I really just thought to myself in frustration f*ck it let's just through all this together and see what happens. Although once I had started creating this piece I started analysing it and working out which ways this piece could progress and how I could work into it again and again until I was satisfied that the piece didn't need any other modifications. So although the manic emotion was still behind what I was doing it became a lot more calculated and controlled in some parts.
What I really tried to achieve in this piece was the sense of overlaying so that other elements where able to come through from the back of the piece. Something else I considered when making this piece was trying to create a contrast between my crazed frustration and controlled thought processes, so I made each half of the piece separate in this way but still keeping certain elements within each section.
In reflection it was not only colour and texture that became important in my pieces but also the use of found objects. This became highlighted in this piece. The use of ripped tesco bags have quite a big impact on the viewer as it's an incredibly familiar symbol that is comforting to most people. Along with this it also raises question on recycling or how a colour filled world could be tainted by such huge corporations, from money all the way down to litter.

Once I thought i had finished the piece I looked over it and thought it there was any other way I could improve what I saw in front of me. As I didn't want to make the same mistake as in my last work I decided to expand on the piece. I did this using the same underlying technique on a coat hanger, I then attached it to the left hand side of the piece. This is an aspect that I thought was really effective.
I don't feel I could improve on this piece as I finished it with complete satisfaction however I have thought on ways to progress from here. One way will be to look at more corporate logos and other found materials and maybe create an even bigger piece with even more layers. I shall continue experimentation within my sketchbooks and eventually get to the same stage of satisfaction with my next piece.

Drawing Machines

Drawing machines is a workshop that really intrigued me. Our aim was to create a series of mark making using a mechanically powered object therefore giving you a lot less or a lot more control over what the final outcome was. I was incredibly interested in creating and building our drawing machines and there was a definite feel of nostalgia when building my first attempt at a drawing machine. Which was a combination of two different macano toys. However the outcome of the mark making was about as successful as building the piece itself. Although a lot of thought went in to working out which components moved and how effective they would be when it came to mark making, attaching a drawing utensil so it was stable enough to actually create marks was near impossible. However for a first attempt it wasn't a bad effort and the components were there to make a more successful machine.

Macano - Helibike

  After my first attempt at a drawing machine I moved on to using a machine that already had a motor attached this was an incredibly slow rotating disc which I wrapped wire round and then attached different thicknesses to them and I then held the rotating disc above a piece of wood and then left it to rotate for about half an hour. At the end of this process there were some incredibly interesting marks all varying from perfect circles to jagged lines. *put photo here* However to improve this idea would be to use either different coloured pens and to fix the rotating disc above the wood so I wouldnt have to stand there. I also felt that as I was holding the rotating disc I edited the end result to make it more interesting which took away the spontaneity of the piece which was something that really appealed to me at the beginning of the workshop.

One video that really inspired me was a video created by a degree class involving many different types of drawing machines and if I were to ever incorporate drawing machines into my work in the future I would use a lot of the ideas that are presented in the video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xw6sDli1iA

Important things about sculpture.

- Form
- Design
- Colour
- Function or decorative?
- Surrounding space
- Texture

Sculpture

Sculpture was the first workshop I took part in. I felt I didn't know a lot about sculpture so I thought this workshop would be helpful. I started looking at sculpture artists such as Pablo Reinoso and Drew Daily.

Pablo Reinoso - Pret a Thonet

Drew Daily - Merging

 What really interested me was the sense of balance/ unbalance and this gave me inspiration to show my own view on this. I only had a single chair with a metal based frame so I collaborated with Joe in order to merge two chairs to create the intended sense of balance.
What immediately became a challenge was the fact our chairs had metal frames which made them a lot more difficult to work with. Although working with metal did involve using tools that I'd never used before such as a welder and angle grinder. Our first problem with our design was where and how to connect the two chairs and where the balancing point would be. We sketched out a few designs although the keep the strongest sense of balance and symmetry we welded the chairs back to back but then re-attached the legs in a different place taking away the chairs conventional source of stability.
Once we had re-attached the legs we discussed whether to maintain the chairs function or to create a more decorative piece. Overall we decided to at first keep functionality and then maybe progress to a state where the chair would lose function but gain a more decorative status.

 When finished, to keep the feel of equilibrium when is use two people had to be sitting back to back to keep the balance. We then discussed where to take the piece from this point on and we agreed to create a series of photos of us sitting on the chair in places that were already hard to keep balance in even when just standing.

 

  

 

 

 

 Over all I feel the end product was incredibly successful although to I feel the structure could have been stronger and pushing the boundaries on different ways to balance the chair could be another way of progressing this idea even further.