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.  

Developing in Wire and 3D Drawing

Whilst working through my last project I have become enveloped by the notion of conceptual drawing. This is something I want to push over the coming year and am excited for where it might lead. I was pointed in the direction of Fritz Panzer the other day, he creates HUGE spatial works that have real energy to them - I love it!

Anthony Gormley can be found in this bracket too - just look at those manic swirls!

My own drawings and creations are starting to take some kind of form. I'm struggling for what they 'are' or 'where they belong' but all will become clear in time I am sure/at least hope! 

drawings becoming forms...becoming drawings? again?

drawing from the page...

and literally jumping out of it! 

Resulting in a funny set of characters! But which performance are they acting out?

Addressing tension and the sense of space, pull, motion, stillness....

but where will it all lead next?

I found my tutorial today quite helpful, with suggestions of playground structures and how they react to the space. 

my chosen location: the old rum distillery in Spain

So I am going to continue playing with wire and bring to that some ceramic forms too. We'll see how they interact with one another and from that create the stage for the end product, or idea, or pieces or whatever it's going to turn out to be!

Drawing Movement

I attended a workshop at the Surface Gallery last weekend, it was part of the Big Draw and titled Line in Motion - it was just my cup of tea! We were watching a rehearsal to the performance Gymnast by Bodies in Flight (this is on show again in February in Hinkley and I would definitely recommend a visit!) I'm going to use these sketches as inspiration for my next project and taking into consideration some of the wire line work I was doing in my last so watch this space for the developments!

handstands and leg stretches

swinging around the pomell horse

This was the whole rehersal worked into the page. The colour is the sound of the choir and all the lines the moving people!