1, 10, 1000

With term one finishing today and a 4 week break ahead of me, it's time for some down time.  During the break however I will be thinking about the next project: 1, 10, 1000. 

I have planned a visit to London new week to do some visual research at the British Museum. The Design Museum has an interesting jewellery show on as well so I'm looking forward to seeing that too, post to follow.

So, The Brief: 1, 10, 1000 

6 Week Project 

You Must Chose to Produce finished work using one of three approaches below that you feel most suits you and your ambitions: 

Bespoke: Individual Artworks or Commissions, produced for individuals or a high end gallery/museum context.

Batch: Produced small volume of a similar object or range, produced for a high retail or craft gallery context. 

Mass Produced: object produced using manufacturing techniques that may be produced in large volumes by others people rather than yourself, aimed at a more mass market consumer/retail outlet.
All the above approaches have their pros and cons, which you will need to explore.

However all the approaches require you to undertake some exhaustive market research. The market must be explored in its widest sense, not just as an outlet but as an indicator of trends, innovation, customer motivation and future developments. Through analytical market research, you will identify a potential product for a viable commercial outlet in contemporary design.
Apart from the Market the theme of this project is entirely up to you; remember soon you will have to generate your own brief, idea and concept. So think carefully about a theme which will really get you excited. 

The Process:

You will undertake one of four specialist workshops that are designed to develop your specialist skills and assist with production of work for this project.

You will also carry out personal development of outcomes including: sampling and prototyping in appropriate workshops.

You will produce Market research that shows a consideration of outlet/market place, trend and fashion, product analysis, costing and price points and sustainability issues.

Initially, I'm drawn towards Batch and have opted for leather as my specialist workshop. I'm interested in exploring its properties and taking it outside of it's normal working methods. I'm interested in lighting, porcelain and leather combined. This feels exciting and I'm interested to see the outcome of it through experiments.

Graduation, Dogs and Papers!

It was my sister's Graduation from Sheffield Hallam last week and because I knew it was going to be a long ceremony, I decided to take my sketchbook! Here's the day in marks:

the audience sat

listening to violins

we were welcomed

applauded honorary doctorates

listened to speeches

then some more

before we sat and watched

the graduates walk the stage in their hundreds!

Our weekend continued with lots of time for dogs and papers, 

So as willing life models, here's the family:

Dave

Chris and Dave

Mike

Nic and Dave

Dad

George, Jasper and Nic

and the beautiful floppy eared Jasper up close!

Mouldmaking, Slipcasting, Visualising and, Assessment!

It's nearing the end of term, I am due to present my work for assessment on Monday and as it's been a while since I've updated, here are some pictures of what I've been up to:

By simplifying my movement drawings to the essence of the act,
I formed these into copper wire.

Into the wire I used expanding foam
which created some interesting organic like shapes.

From these I made some plaster moulds which I then used for slip-casting in porcelain

The foam objects were quite complex in shape
and suffered from a  lot of undercuts in the casting process

this resulted in a lot of tears and breaks in the casts

but as a collection they worked well together

Once fired I experimented with how they might look with lighting inside them.

Visualization was an essential part of this project as the work was intended for a large-scale installation. Here are images of the casts in 'situ':

a stumble-upon installation in an only rum distillery

and a suggestion as large scale stage set for a dance/physical theatre performance.

So, with Year Two, Term One coming to a close, here's my space all set up for assessment - wish me luck!

From Slippery Smack to Frosty Shake!

Today was all about mark-making with Martyn. Using graphite, pencil, rubber and chalk we created a series of exploratory marks. These were made in reaction to a strange combination of words and below are the results of the day:

This was a really interesting exercise and a good one to come back to on those days of creative block. After working on white paper we used coloured chalk and pencil on coloured paper, this time making marks in reaction to band names! It really challenged your perception of what is and how that can be represented my mark and line. I'm definitely using this exercise again!

The necessity of paper in a digital age

I read an excerpt from the book Paper: An Elegy earlier and was really struck by its content. It's definitely on my radar for a purchase (alongside Illuminate: Contemporary Craft Lighting, which I managed a sneaky peak of yesterday!) I found myself pointed in the direction of Lucio Fontana during the read and realised that I'd forgotten all about him, having looked at his work during my foundation. Revisiting his work again now is magical - the sense and destruction of space is just great!

From Canvas and Thread

from Sea of Space

I'm reminded also of Rauschenberg, lovely lovely Rauschenberg! And the exhibition Paper: Pressed, Stained, Slashed, Folded which showed at MOMA in 2009. Look here for work like:

John Cage, Dramatic Fire, 1989

Howardena Pindell, Untitled (no.7), 1973

Reading the excerpt has inspired me to dig out all my old boxes of paper and start having a play again. I wonder where it might take me....?

Lovely Lustre (2012)

It's that time of year again, the annual Lustre event at Lakeside. I went with a keener and more inquisitive eye this year, looking at the display and quality of finish to the products on show. I was quite taken by the affordability of the wares and made a few purchases too!

I enjoyed talking with Christine Gray about her process of making these beautiful porcelain bowls:

The cast glass sculptures of Louisa Finch:

More glass sculptures by Samantha Donaldson:

Katie Gilliland's taxidermy inspired jewellery:

The attention to detail in Malin Winberg's work:

The simple yet effective designs of Jane Blease:

The technicalities and consideration applied to the work of Anna Wales:

The scaffold inspired brilliance in the jewellery of Helen Sutherland:

The illustrative delights in the textiles of Teresa Cole:

And the exciting ceramic drawings-cum-sculptures of Nicola Laidstone!

Nicola has an open studio event at the Shed 2 studios on 30th November -
I'm definitley going along to have a peek!

My purchases of the day were: 

these three bear embroideries by Natalia Kukiel...I wonder where they will go?

and a mug by Carly Dodsley - which I'm enjoying as I blog!

So all in all, it was another lovely Lustre and a pleasant addition to the work that I saw there last year. I'm keen to make it a annual visit and continue to support the new, local and inspiring makers that it attracts. Maybe I will be there one day? who knows....

Fusions in Metal and Movements in Clay

Continuing with the technique of drawing > wire > roller, I stumbled across an interesting fusion. Using scraps of metal from the off cut bin, and specifically with aluminium, there is an interesting affect that occurs:

It fuses, almost like an inlay in wood. I think it's very special.

The surface texture is quite delicious, what an exciting secondary act !

And further here with textured aluminium - the possibilities with this are so exciting!

Earlier this week we had a workshop with the clay bully. The extrusions from this are adaptable according to plates. Here are my extrusion experiments, I love the way they have movement! Once fired I will look to glaze these and introduce them to the wire drawings.