Acetate 3-d forms...

I created these net boxes of individually shaped hexagons to look into making my previous experiments more 3-dimensional. As I have said before, I do like working to particular measurements and instructions because when followed properly, the results should look perfectly complete with a professional finish. However, when it comes to making 3-d shaped boxes using nets, my results have never been perfect and I find this frustrating. Using hexagon nets found on the internet, I created two different height sized 3-d hexagon boxes. The larger black hexagon box has a better finish that the white smaller one, maybe because of colour? Now I have found a way of turning this structured shape of honeycomb more 3-d, I want to experiment with them, focusing on the elements of materials, colour, pattern and size.

 

 

After using acetate for the beehive experiment previously and the material holding its structure and working so well, I thought I would use acetate to make some net hexagon boxes as I know it reflects shadows beautifully and reasonably clear. Instead of using the same honeycomb pattern as the printed pattern on the acetate beforehand, I decided to go back to my previous digital drawings of natural forms and use them instead for variety in pattern and forms. For my first hexagon net, I used a more detailed linear drawing of a beehive that did not have a precise mathematical layout. I am impressed with the results, more so because the material holds the hexagon structure so well. I like using acetate because it allows me to look through what is produced, it also when combined with light creates/reflects larger but more faded shadows of the natural patterns drawn.

 

Looking into spider webs is fascinating; they create amazing shapes and show incredible design and structure. Spider webs are viewed to be considerably small with a lot of time and effort put into creating the habitat. Before I viewed spider webs creepy and as a sign of spiders and dirt but looking at these drawings. I think the spider web shape would be interesting to work from, I can vision large suspended spider webs from the ceiling in paper, paper spider webs creeping through corners and maybe even using vanishing film with threads on a sewing machine would be interesting.

For this hexagon shaped net box, I digitally printed my spider web drawings onto acetate. In some area’s the shadows are just clumps of darkened shading because the print onto acetate was too dark which is disappointing. Doing this has made me realise that the smaller linear patterns drew create/reflect better shadowing. In this case, less is more.

Acetate Honeycomb Structures...

 

As I was impressed with the paper beehive experiments, I wanted to play a little bit further with pattern and material choices whilst maintaining the same honeycomb structure. Because I would like my final design proposals/ideas to contain an element of light, shadows seem appropriate to begin looking at also and at the minute I like focusing and playing around with the idea of shadows and patterns and how they are reflected across a room. As a starting point, I began focusing on using acetate because it allows light to pass through it. I started by digitally printing onto acetate, using patterns that I have already found and looked at from nature. Starting with the honeycomb shape because it has proven well to work with before, I began cutting, slicing, making indents and folding to produce these. I like working with the honeycomb form because for it to form right, order and particular sizes, cuts and measurements are needed. I like working precise to produce something specific and perfect. This brings order in my work and chaos if it does not work properly.

Paper Honeycomb Structure...

 

I have always found turning flat drawings or prints into 3-dimensional objects challenging, so I decided to take the simple shape of a honeycomb, found in a natural occurring beehive and turn it 3-dimensional using paper. I chose to use paper clips as the joining agent because I thought they would be a simple way of connecting multiples and it is unusual. I began by folding a line of 6, 3cm by 3cm squares but leaving a lip at the end to connect each side. I began repeating this process. I like the shape but using paper at this thickness and size did not hold as well as I had expected, for the shape to hold better next time, I would either change material or make the honeycomb shape smaller or bigger.

As the first experiment of using paper and paperclips was successful up until the shape not completely holding its structure, I decided to go back to re-creating the shape but making sure the height was smaller in hope of it holding the structure off a beehive more successfully. This time the measurements were 2cm by 3cm, with the width remaining the same. I used smaller gold paperclips because it was all I had available to join the multiples together but the shape still was not holding as well as I want. I want to continue playing around with the beehive structure as it is a natural form that has a lot of room for manipulation and it is something I found interesting and re-occurring in my research.

I wanted to photograph the beehive running up a wall because beehives are normally found growing on found objects or hanging so, I decided to work with found on found objects. Maybe it would be a good idea to take smaller samples out and photograph them on natural and man-made found objects? Now the honeycomb shape remains structured and pure but I would like to play around with this shape alongside other natural occurring forms to manipulate this structure, maybe making it more distorted.

 

As my previous honeycomb structures have not held as well as I had hoped due to the sizes, I went on to create this sample created from heavy duty cartridge card, but the size has been decreased by a third of the other experiments. This sample took a lot more time because it is so small and therefore awkward to work with. The results however, were a lot more promising than the others were, mainly because the structure held and no paperclips were used as the joining agent, instead I used double sided sticky tape so that the finish was perfect and presentable with no mess.

 

I like working with this structure because it clearly shows order, order that comes from a natural source, this being the bees who created this honeycomb beehive. This structure running up a wall with lighting would be an incredibly unique piece inspired by nature’s order but manufactured. Not only is the structure 3-d and has slight flexibility, it also creates and presents beautiful shadows, as seen in the photograph on the left hand side. I wanted to begin my experimenting with paper as it is a natural resource but if this was to be manufactured the material choice would definitely need reconsidering to make the finished piece lasting for a lengthy amount of time.

Gathering Visual Research informed from Natural Forms...

Looking through old photographs of my holiday for inspiration, I came across these photographs that I had took of a sea turtle in an Aquarium and noticed how detailed their skin and shell are. The shapes found on the turtle’s skin and shell reminds me of shattered glass, it creates unique shapes for every crack. As the shell is like a shield, if I was to experiment with this shape and structure, I would like to work with a hardened material or the strongest paper card that I can find to represent the shell being protected and to protect. Some turtle shells can survive fossilisation showing how strong their shells are. Turtle shells are also sometimes used for identification in classifying different species. In nature lies beautiful design, ordered creation, all created for a specific purpose, I want my work to represent ordered design and structure in Nature and Manmade.

Seashells are a hard protective layer that once belonged to an animal that lives in the sea. Empty seashells are ordinarily found washed up on beaches, the shells are normally empty because the animal living inside either has died and has been eaten or has rotted away. The term seashell usually refers to the exoskeleton left behind from animals without vertebrate. Seashells vary in sizes, shape, structure and colour, which make them an interesting natural ordered form to look at.

 

 

Beehives are naturally occurring structures, consisting of a densely packed cluster of hexagonal cells that is made entirely from beeswax, called a honeycomb. The cells are used to store food such as honey and pollen. In addition, more importantly the honeycomb is used to house the offspring. The word store brings many ideas to mind, especially when working with this hexagon shape.

Drawing leaves digitally...

Typical leaves are long and thin, externally they are commonly arranged so that each leaf is exposed to light as much as possible with little shading from other leaves, circumstances such as wind and heavy rain conditions can prevent this from happening. Some plants do naturally adapt to such conditions. Leaves no matter the shape or size hold design; the internal of leaves are designed in favour of the leaves survival. Words to bear in mind: internal/external, exposure to light and adaption.    

I began digitally drawing from primary photographs of leaves, looking to capture shape, pattern, texture and more importantly 3-dimensions. Digitally drawing is essentially flat but from looking at the drawings of leaves in both black/white and colour, I have captured more than just a leaf, it becomes experimental, I feel like it can become something other than just a flat leaf.

I printed some of the drawings onto acetate; it allows me to physically shape, mould, bend, fold, cut, crease and anything else. At this stage I did not want to jump into shaping 3-d models, I wanted to cut and play around with the composition to distort the leaf image so my work does not remain literal.

 

These are my results; I am intrigued by the honeycomb shaped design as the shape can be found in a beehive, a natural habitat. I am pleased with how the natural forms are influencing not only my drawings but experimental structures.  For now, I think I am best off researching into natural forms a little more before narrowing myself down.         

      

Nature- leaves linear structure

As I am looking into nature vs. manmade, I began exploring nature. Nature holds many elements that could be helpful to study such as design, fractures, linear structures, overgrowth/growth and the obvious floral patterns. I started by doing some small-scale drawings that capture the detail found in natural matters. I wanted to look at natural forms that hold pattern, shapes and are 3-d so I have been focusing on plants, leaves and flowers.  

I created these rough prints to demonstrate the linear design structure within the shape of a leaf. The linear structures within the leaf remind me of veins in a body and the shapes found on butterfly wings, all this is evidence of natural order.  

This sample was influenced by the linear structures found in leaves; I did simplify the structure, as I was not sure whether the paper would hold the shape properly. It consists of 4 individual leaves, cut and made using thick heavy cartridge paper to hold its construction. I am struggling with turning dimensional work into 3-dimensional pieces I find it difficult. If I had not bent and angled the leaves, they would have remained dimensional. I created these leaves to capture the linear structure of a leaf but as a collection, I do not think it does, individually it clearly portrays leaves but gathered the leaves become confusing and distorted. Am I being too literal?

 

I photographed these images on a white background as well as on the window at different times of the day. I wanted to capture light coming through the leaf structure.       

Yasuaki Onishi; 'Vertical Emptiness', a Crystallized Forest...

Yasuaki Onishi; ‘Vertical Emptiness’ Crystallized Forest

I was stunned to see these images I find it innocently beautiful. It reminds me of a place a child would dream off, something fairy-tale. It is beautifully portrayed and it was all made from hundreds of hanging layers of hot melted glue that hung from upside down tree branches, it was then coated in urea. This clearly demonstrates the mix of nature and man-made but in this case the man-made interference improves on nature. This crystallized forest has a clear connection with the environment. There are also scattered leaves and snowflakes dotted about chaotically. I find it amazing how something so large, unique and fragile was created by simply draping hot glue over upside down branches. I would love to go and see this. Just to see whether it feels like a fairy-tale to walk next to it or through it.

My First Tutorial...

Before going into the tutorial, I was slightly nervous, it does not matter how much work I do, I still think it is never enough. Even if I had not done vast amounts of work, I was hoping that what I had done over the summer would give me a vital starting point, something that I enjoy researching and experimenting with. In the tutorial, my project, my boards and what I wanted to take from them was discussed. I want to continue researching into nature and man-made combining these 2 elements with ‘order and chaos’. In the tutorial, we talked about how ‘order and chaos’ can be represented through both nature and man-made, not just either or like I previously went in thinking. I also want to further my experimenting using paper and Mark suggested looking into a paper book by Paul Jackson. As said on my Media/Process board, I want to use old and new techniques and Mark insists on me trying out the laser cutter so I have a refresher talk on the 22^nd October. I would like my outcomes to aim towards installation/interior pieces as I feel this is where my research and experience is taking me.

Mind-map of where I go from here…  

My 4 boards: Inspiration, Concept, Media/Process and Context...

Inspiration
 

The early inspiration for my project came through photographs and research of natural and architectural elements that display the characteristics: pattern and repetition.   

 

Concept

Here, I begin to explore in further depth what pattern and repetition can create by exploiting the qualities of paper. As these experiments were inspired by elements found from nature and in architecture, I decided that I wanted to combine the two to represent ‘order and chaos’?     

   

Media/Process

Throughout past projects, I have used a combination of techniques and processes that have all produced some good results. I find it hard to narrow down what I particularly may use in my final year. As my specialism is print, this is something I will be using but I also want to use a combination of old and new techniques such as hand processes, dye, digital print and laser cutting.

Context

My summer project work has been aimed in the direction of installation pieces as well as interior designs. As my practice so far has remained flat and my specialism lies within Print, I do worry on how I am going to combine these elements together to produce a 3-dimensional outcome. However, through doing some research, I feel more confident that this outcome is achievable. 

Third Year Degree Show…

Third Year Degree Show Statements..

After visiting the third years degree show titled ‘We Are All Explorers’, I left feeling clearer on where my practice will take me in my final year of University. I have always had a profound interest towards Installations but this so far has never materialised within my previous projects, this is something I hope will significantly change throughout my final projects. When considering working 3-dimensional, I always give more consideration to material choices in comparison to working flat. I find myself thinking inside the box when it comes to choosing materials and I would like to be more experimental next year. The work of Rachel Britch was inspirational for this reason. Her material choices fascinated me she uses mundane objects. In her Geoffrey Manton Commission piece, Britch used linear plastic straws, which she connected altogether using silver paper clips, something that I would never have thought of. Using the silver paper clips added small intricate detail that gives her piece flexibility and movement; she gave herself the option of changing its structure. Form within an Installation piece is something I would want to focus on and include. After reading her statement, I became aware that Britch did not use the silver paper clips for structural reasons but for the purpose of not using any chemicals or adhesives.

 

Pattern has always played a prominent aspect throughout my years of studying Art. I find pattern easy to control because it can be applied to anything. However, I have always found using colour in my work more difficult, as I think it can make my work look cheap and unprofessional. In Elizabeth Jane Winstanley’s work, she makes combining these two elements look manufactured. Winstanley’s colour themes relate with the linear patterns and shapes of the laser cut acrylics, combined together they create illusionary pieces. I do think Winstanley’s work could have been created to a larger scale. Or it could have been repeated continuously to create a bigger, more influential, and powerful installation piece. In her statement, Winstanley does say that her work “can be manufactured to accommodate a range of scale and palettes”.  I do think her pieces could be applied to Interactive Arts in the future. As my practice so far remains flat and my specialism lies within Print, I do worry on how I am going to combine this element to produce a 3-dimensional outcome but after looking at Winstanley’s work and reading her statement, I feel like it is attainable as she achieved it throughout her work. In her statement, she wrote that she explored, “the space between two dimensional and three dimensional patterns through screen printing onto acrylics”, this again would suggest my need to experiment with materials to find the right approach for me.

 

In my first year of University, I chose for one of my projects to do Hand Processes. Choosing Hand Processes back then gave me the opportunity to experiment with materials, materials that I would never have initially thought I could use. Some pieces created did not work but exploring with materials gave me a larger scope to work with. I would like to bring back this experimental aspect of Hand Processes in my final year. Bella May Leonard for her final degree piece used traditional hand-stitched techniques but on a much larger scale. Leonard combines traditional with contemporary; she uses traditional hand-stitch techniques but also adds a modern twist by using different thickness and colour of ropes and threads. Leonard also combines this with the contemporary process of laser cutting. I would consider her work to be decorative than to have a specific purpose. Her hand-stitch technique quality looks impressive, especially on the scale that her piece is.

 

Summarised-My Summer Project...

For my summer project, I began looking into elements that would then progress and eventually lead to my final year’s project. I began mind-mapping words that I found inspirational throughout all of my previous projects and it turns out there was a lot. Narrowing it down to my particular interests was difficult but in the end, I began researching into specific order, chaos, pattern, repetition and structure.

Small-scale samples showing these elements were created along the way. Most of my inspiration in which these samples were created from came from my holiday trip to Lanzarote. For example, shopping in the Teguise Markets I came across a beautiful selection of handcrafted lanterns that inspired me to create these rough and recycled lanterns, which look beautiful when lit at night. Light has always been an interest in my work, I think it makes my work look extremely better, therefore I wanted to look into working with light/sunlight but also with nature as sunlight is a natural resource and it seems fitting alongside each other.

I began looking into natural forms and found a bunch of amazing images and photographs to work with. I began picking out elements that stood out to me and began drawing from them, trying to capture what I admire and want specifically to work with. As I was looking into nature, I found it useful to also research into its seemingly opposite of man-made, where I also found great imagery to work from.

 

The main reflection that came from looking at both of these areas, is that at some point they began to correlate on hidden pattern, shape and structure, all elements that I was keen to cover. At this stage, my summer project was leading me in the right direction. I began taking out elements found from man-made structures and nature and experimenting with them, I did some printing, paper folding and stencilling.

Along the way of all this experimenting I found some amazing artists work that influenced how I approached experimenting. Selecting a few, I looked at Francisa Prieto, Abigail Reynolds, Claire Brewster and Richard Sweeney.

Francisa Prieto works with a wide range of old printed text and imagery pages taken from old books, she then works and manipulates them by skilfully making cuts, creases and folds to the pages to create unique structures. Prieto’s structures are perfectly refined and precise; a significant amount of time has been spent of each single piece. The results are restrained and fragile. Prieto’s work has some elements that I want my project to contain such as; her material choice, her dedication towards precision of her shapes and scale. Even though my design development scale started small, I would like eventually to work towards a larger scale. I already consider myself precise when working with shape and pattern but I want this to be evident through my work.

 British artist Abigail Reynolds creates collages that combine pages from old books, atlases; encyclopaedia’s and travel journals, usually of urban and sometimes rural scenes. Her work is impressive, as it seems to flow well together. I like how Reynolds works with layers; it is as if with every cut and fold she makes is uncovering another piece below the surface.

Claire Brewster’s work is always beautifully presented, just from how it is presented, I can tell her work is delicate and fragile and made using an assortment of papers. Brewster uses discarded pieces of papers, old maps and atlases to create these intricate detailed cut outs of different animals. The simplicity of her work is what makes her pieces stand out for me, they are beautifully refined and simple. What I particularly admire about Brewster’s work is how she has worked her intricate cut-out designs to create shadow silhouettes; by doing this she gives her work added dimension. Nature is clearly Brewster’s inspiration as well as mine, her choice of using paper a natural resource seems appropriate. Using old maps and atlases gives the simple shapes cut out detail, a detail already existing.

I am fascinated with Richard Sweeney’s structural work. Sweeney creates paper sculptures that hold qualities that I did not think could be gained through paper, a smooth and flawless finish that contains curves, making his paper structure ideas endless. Sweeney explores paper folding alongside constructive forms. I find it difficult to transform a flat piece of paper into a worthy 3-dimensional form but this comes naturally to Sweeney, he makes the limitations of paper seem false, as he shows there is not many. Paper is explored and investigated to demonstrate paper models; in his work, Sweeney combines geometry, curved lines and modularity to produce unique modular structures. Apparently, no pre-determined outcome was specified which I consider would help his experimental work; having a particular shape in my mind for me at the minute is hindering what could become enhanced outcomes.  Richard Sweeney’s work has helped to remind me to explore more broadly, without limiting my outcomes with specific thoughts so soon into my project.

I created this small installation of 3-d lanterns because making one of these lanterns seemed to work beautifully, so I wanted to see how a group of them together would look. The installation definitely looks better than one solo light. The birdcage structure came from a triangular shape that I had seen on a building and the structure and shapes works well together. The lights did not project geometric shadowing that I originally aimed for but the results were still impressive. I hung the lanterns up using ordinary string but if I was to do this larger and with a lot more lights then I would use clear wire for a better result. I could see an installation like this being placed in a bar or a shop, somewhere with comfortable seating, that would give the area extra detail and maybe a focal point to the space.
 

I like how at the moment I was focusing on working with paper and exploring all of its qualities. Paper is a natural resource that represents nature clearly; it is also a good source to be experimenting with as it is cheap and has a variety of sizes, thickness, weight, colour and pattern. 

This post is a summary of my summer project, condensed, with my main experiments and research. My summer project has helped me narrow down concepts of interests, media and processes that I want to use in my third and final year and my context in where I see my work. More importantly, it has pointed me in the right direction for what will inspire my third, final and minor project, this starting as nature vs man-made.