I've spent an entire day on the domestic machines. This has allowed me to refamiliarise myself with the techniques etc that can be used on the machine, which has been positive.
However, I also have absolutely nothing to show for today. This is extremely frustrating. I have attempted to e-wrap my latex strips into the knitting but with no success whatsoever.
I desperately need to seek an alternative method of including the latex into my knitting as I feel it really lends itself well to my entire project.
Continued work with latex
I wanted to work with latex more but I also wanted to carry this through to my knitting. I already knew that this would be tricky and there may be some logistical issues as I highly doubt that the material will go through the machine- but I will try.
I have created some strips of the latex, remaining true to my colour palette by using ink to colour the latex before it dries.
I thought that the only way I would be able to incorporate these strips into my knitting would be to e-wrap them into my knitting on the domestic machine.
However, after talking to to the Technician, Sue, she suggested a few techniques on the Dubied that could be used to showcase the latex strips that I must try.
I'm not hopeful that the machine will take the latex but I feel as though the experimentation may lead to another path that I may be able to take it down.
I thought that the only way I would be able to incorporate these strips into my knitting would be to e-wrap them into my knitting on the domestic machine.
However, after talking to to the Technician, Sue, she suggested a few techniques on the Dubied that could be used to showcase the latex strips that I must try.
I'm not hopeful that the machine will take the latex but I feel as though the experimentation may lead to another path that I may be able to take it down.
Tutorial
In my second tutorial, only three other students turned up. I felt this was a little bit disappointing because I really like to hear everyone's suggestions and ideas. I hope that everyone will keep coming to the tutorials as it also allows me to get an insight into how other people are progressing and tackling the brief.
I presented the work that I had completed in between last week's tutorial and now, explaining my proccesses and how I had created the pieces that I did such as the wax pieces and the various latex pieces that had been coloured with inks.
The group liked the colour stripes and felt that it was a good way to break down and identify the less obvious colours within an image.
The group also really liked the coloured latex and felt as though it was a good way to keep pushing the project and I think that I agree but I would like to also bring in some new elements to the project in order to inform my knit choices.
I presented the work that I had completed in between last week's tutorial and now, explaining my proccesses and how I had created the pieces that I did such as the wax pieces and the various latex pieces that had been coloured with inks.
The group liked the colour stripes and felt that it was a good way to break down and identify the less obvious colours within an image.
The group also really liked the coloured latex and felt as though it was a good way to keep pushing the project and I think that I agree but I would like to also bring in some new elements to the project in order to inform my knit choices.
Colour sampling
I have scanned these pages from my sketchbook and painted the colours I could identify in my photographs using gouache paint.
In the top image, I really liked the grey and blues that work alongside the green and grey/black tones.
Textural wax
As you can see, the quality is pretty abysmal. The models themselves do however look nicely lit and the scanner really captured the depth and texture of the shapes, so I decided to try and edit the scanning.
I was also initially annoyed with the spectrum of colours that appeared across the background, however, as you can see in the edited version, this adds something more to the image, a range of colours that I had not originally noticed.
I also feel that the blue tones compliment the stark white and in between greys beautifully.
What I am most surprised about, is how much the wax models resemble smoke. I really love the way that it has linked back to my original idea but is an improvement at the same time.
I feel as though these pieces will allow me to look at both texture and colour, both of which will help inform my choices of yarns.
Working with hot candle wax.
I decided to work with hot candle wax and dropping it into cold water. I was told that it creates interesting shapes that capture the motion of it falling into the water, much like the ink photographs that I have posted about earlier.
I was hoping that it would create longer strands of wax as it fell into the water, however it ended up creating wax pieces with a wider surface area. The side that sat on the surface of the water was left completely flat and the textural side was submerged in the water. They did not look exactly how I expected them to, which left me feeling a little disheartened, however, after looking at the information that they provided me with, I felt that this was a little bit of a happy mistake.
They were extremely fragile, this meant that it was tricky to get them out of the water without them crumbling to tiny pieces.
I was hoping that it would create longer strands of wax as it fell into the water, however it ended up creating wax pieces with a wider surface area. The side that sat on the surface of the water was left completely flat and the textural side was submerged in the water. They did not look exactly how I expected them to, which left me feeling a little disheartened, however, after looking at the information that they provided me with, I felt that this was a little bit of a happy mistake.
They were extremely fragile, this meant that it was tricky to get them out of the water without them crumbling to tiny pieces.
Wolfgang Tillmans
Also, in my tutorial, Laura asked me if I had looked at Wolfgang Tillman's work. I knew immediately which body of work she meant as I had been to visit the exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery a few years back.
They have an immediate visual similarity to my ink photographs.
As a photographer, Tillmans has used extremely large pieces of photographic paper and has used experimental ways of developing his images, resulting in free, expressive marks across the paper.
Light and various chemicals play a part in the colours and the marks that are created and this could be something to look into or consider throughout my project.
The similarity really is striking between my own photographs and these images, which is made even more interesting by the fact that they are achieved in completely different ways.
First group tutorial.
Our first group tutorial allowed me to see other people in the group's method of working and how they begin a project. It also became apparent that many people had opted to do the "FuturePast" brief, which I found interesting as this was the brief that I crossed off the list immediately.
I felt as though I had made a good start and my direction was clear from the outset as I had a substantial body of work to share with the group and a clear concept set in place.
I explained my difficulties when photographing the smoke and how this had progressed to the ink photographs. They did receive a good reaction and I went on to explain the qualities that I liked about them.
Isobel then told me to try dropping hot, melted candle wax into cold water as this creates similar 3D shapes to the ink. This made a lot of sense to do as I was struggling to find a way to capture the 3D shapes of the ink falling through water- in fact it was impossible! So this did give me another way to do this.
I wanted to retain the transparency with the shapes and the candle wax will be a solid colour. I am hoping that these structures that are created are strong enough to cast in liquid latex, as this will provide me with the transparency that I wanted.
I am quite excited to try this out as the process is entirely new to me and it will allow my project to shift into 3D, as well as 2D- essential in creating shapes in the knit discipline.
I felt as though I had made a good start and my direction was clear from the outset as I had a substantial body of work to share with the group and a clear concept set in place.
I explained my difficulties when photographing the smoke and how this had progressed to the ink photographs. They did receive a good reaction and I went on to explain the qualities that I liked about them.
Isobel then told me to try dropping hot, melted candle wax into cold water as this creates similar 3D shapes to the ink. This made a lot of sense to do as I was struggling to find a way to capture the 3D shapes of the ink falling through water- in fact it was impossible! So this did give me another way to do this.
I wanted to retain the transparency with the shapes and the candle wax will be a solid colour. I am hoping that these structures that are created are strong enough to cast in liquid latex, as this will provide me with the transparency that I wanted.
I am quite excited to try this out as the process is entirely new to me and it will allow my project to shift into 3D, as well as 2D- essential in creating shapes in the knit discipline.
Ink photography
I was hoping to capture smoke through photography to represent the gas that my idea had stemmed from. The smoke photographs were okay, but not as dramatic as I would have liked. The subtle nature of the smoke photographs may be something to consider working with further into my project, however I wanted something more to work from at this point that also included some elements of colour.
I decided to take Beth's advice and photograph droplets of ink falling through water and these are the results. I personally think they are really beautiful and that they have captured the feeling of fluid transparency that I wanted to look at with the smoke.
The image (above) is one of my favourites out of the many that I had taken during my photography session. I love the ethereal and celestial element that this particular image has. I also like that the diffusion of the ink has revealed different colours that you wouldn't expect from black ink. The lilac/violet/blue tones react really well with the pistachio and khaki tones and stand away from the dark black/greys.
This is another example of introducing colour into the black ink. The scarlet ink contrasts beautifully with the greyish green tones of the diluted black ink.
The images that have been selected for this post display all of the qualities that all the photographs have in the series. I love the transparent, weightlessness of the ink as it fell through the space.
I also like the ways in which the colours can overlap but the sheer quality of the ink has allowed a reaction to take place, causing layering and sections of variation. The photographs required minimal Photoshop intervention. More photographs can also be found in my photography file.
Reflection
The smoke photographs weren't nearly as successful as I would have hoped they would be. I was left feeling a little deflated and disappointed that they weren't as I envisaged. However, when talking through and discussing ideas with Beth, also in my tutorial group, she suggested photographing ink that has been dropped into water.
I was a bit sceptical and thought that it would be just as difficult to capture the image at just the right time and that was one of the main problems with capturing the smoke.
I did however give it a go and they have turned out better than I could have possibly imagined.
I was a bit sceptical and thought that it would be just as difficult to capture the image at just the right time and that was one of the main problems with capturing the smoke.
I did however give it a go and they have turned out better than I could have possibly imagined.
A selection of smoke photographs.
I have included some of the images that I feel have been successful from the vast amount that were taken, purely out of difficulty of capturing the image that I really wanted.
A variety of these photographs have also been printed and presented in a file, alongside any other photographs that have been printed that need to be assessed but I feel that the selection on the blog sum up the general vibe of the series of photographs.
I think that the subtle and quite ethereal quality of the images lend themselves quite well to the sinister themes of war and pollution that I am exploring.
A variety of these photographs have also been printed and presented in a file, alongside any other photographs that have been printed that need to be assessed but I feel that the selection on the blog sum up the general vibe of the series of photographs.
Smoke photography.
I decided to try and photograph smoke and develop a starting point for my practical from this. I don't think I realised how difficult that this would actually be.
I set up a mini-studio situation in my living area, providing a dark backdrop and angular lighting. I decided to use an insense stick as this provides constant plumes of smoke that are quite thick, much thicker than the smoke that is created when blowing out a matchstick or candle.
Technically, the photographs were difficult to capture for a number of reasons. The constant movement of the plumes of smoke meant that a fast shutter speed needed to be set on my DSLR. Aperture also needed to be adjusted accordingly. For a full breakdown of technique, see technical file.
I also discovered that by refrigerating a glass and allowing the smoke to fill it, it thickens it dramatically, giving it a viscous liquid appearance that is easier to photograph and is much more dramatic and obvious, perhaps not the right look if I want a more subtle photograph.
I set up a mini-studio situation in my living area, providing a dark backdrop and angular lighting. I decided to use an insense stick as this provides constant plumes of smoke that are quite thick, much thicker than the smoke that is created when blowing out a matchstick or candle.
I also discovered that by refrigerating a glass and allowing the smoke to fill it, it thickens it dramatically, giving it a viscous liquid appearance that is easier to photograph and is much more dramatic and obvious, perhaps not the right look if I want a more subtle photograph.
What am I protecting the people from?
I decided to look at the gas mask previously as it is a traditionally tried and tested method of protecting the wearer from smoke and poisonous gas.
I envisage a world that is enveloped in chemical war and that protection must be provided for this. This has been a catalyst for the beginning of my practical work and I felt that an appropriate starting point was to look at smoke.
I envisage a world that is enveloped in chemical war and that protection must be provided for this. This has been a catalyst for the beginning of my practical work and I felt that an appropriate starting point was to look at smoke.
Face coverings in fashion
 |
| Maison Martin Margiela Couture. |
The image (left) shows a decorative head piece that featured in Maison Martin Margiela's Couture show. The decorative and elaborate detail on the piece are both bright and beautiful. The use of colour and scale is very impressive, especially when you consider that the entire piece was constructed by hand. I am aware that the piece is not providing any actual protection, however I feel as though this is a prime example of the type of protective wear that my 'TomorrowCulture' would like to wear, rather than the traditional, generic and rather ugly protective wear that is currently available.
Style vs Function
I also felt that it was important to address the style vs function debate that has arisen when developing my context. This idea came to me after visiting the Miles Aldridge exhibition at Somerset House, London (see blog post).
I felt that the gas mask was a good place to explore this topic and decided to look at the traditional and functional gas mask and compare it to other variations that can be found in art and fashion.
The image (left) shows the German World War II gas mask that was widely distributed to both soldiers and civilians. The glass eyes and rubber shell provided a level of protection and respiration against chemical gas attacks that were a regular happening throughout the war.
I then tried to find a stylised version of the traditional gas mask and then discovered the "Mickey Mouse Mask" that was designed and manufactured for children to wear during the war.
I feel that this particular mask shows that functionality can be retained and left uncompromised, whilst being aesthetically pleasing and quite dramatically different to the traditional mask that can be seen above. I want the work that I create to be functional and provide protection, but I want the audience to WANT to wear the gear, not just because they have to.
I felt that the gas mask was a good place to explore this topic and decided to look at the traditional and functional gas mask and compare it to other variations that can be found in art and fashion.
I feel that this particular mask shows that functionality can be retained and left uncompromised, whilst being aesthetically pleasing and quite dramatically different to the traditional mask that can be seen above. I want the work that I create to be functional and provide protection, but I want the audience to WANT to wear the gear, not just because they have to.
The Plague Doctor's mask.
In the 17th and 18th Century, this beak-like mask was worn in order to protect the doctor from contracting the plague whilst treating ill patients.
The beak like tip of the mask was traditionally filled with dried lavender, mint or rose petals in order to "get rid of the bad smells".
I find the shape of the quite eerie but the function has over ridden the style of the shape, but the dark theme of the plague marries well with the disturbing appearance of the mask.
The materials are also something of interest; leather, glass and metallic studding. I may also look at the stitching of the leather and the techniques used, as they must have been particularly strong structures in order to protect the wearer.
My 'TomorrowCulture'
I have decided to create my own world that I need to create a range of textiles to sit within. I feel as though this is giving my work context, even before I have created any practical work at all, which is a positive way to start the unit.
I have decided that tomorrow will be bleak. In a world of consumerism and wastefulness, pollution is at an all time high. Smog, acid rain and a darkened sky are an every day event. As a planet, we are on the brink of chemical war, think Syria. We are becoming increasingly image conscious yet have to protect ourselves from the situations that we have created for ourselves as a society- so how am I going to tackle this?
I plan on developing a range of protective textiles that will allow the wearer to feel stylish but does not compromise against its ultimate function of protection.
I plan on looking at examples of protective clothing that are already broadly in use and filtering out what I feel would be relevant to my own world. This may be the fabrics and materials, the techniques used or simply the shapes or function of the pieces.
Intentions- initial thoughts.
I have started the new unit by deciding that knit would be the discipline that I will be specialising in. I feel that knit is the discipline that I enjoyed most during first year and I feel as though my ideas can be translated into knit with ease.
I read all of the extended versions of the briefs and decided that the 'FuturePast' brief would limit me and would not suit my way of working as I do not feel that looking at pre-existing textiles to generate new work will advantage me at all.
After eliminating that option, I then decided that I was going to look at the 'TomorrowCulture' brief. I feel that this brief will push me further than any of the others and it was the one that automatically made the little cogs in my head go round. I find the idea of trend forecasting and predicting what we as a society will need really interesting. I also feel that this may mean that I need to create some form of scenario or narrative in order to generate ideas to satisfy the people in my 'TomorrowCulture' world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)