I have always been interested in the history of objects and the trace memories that are invariably left as marks upon them. My current series of work is based on memorial benches and the traces of memories that are burnt into them as evidence of human interaction and temporary ownership.
The placement of such memorial benches prompted me to consider why the bench was put in that particular location and what memories that site holds. Working with these ideas I have created a piece of interactive work influenced by the new wave of street art, looking to place my work within the context of the public space or by drawing influence from it.
The process I use creates juxtaposition between true deep remembrance and fleeting visits exploring the subliminal messages and thoughts that are left all around us as simple marks and wording as well as the weathering of material over time.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Burnt In
I feel that the memories we have are burnt into the items we interact with so began to work with burning graffiti style images on to wood as well as the silhouette of a person sitting on a bench.
These burnt on images are created using a blow torch.
Memory Graffiti
Ok so it was decided that my photographic images were not as strong as my detailed mini benches but I really wanted to go on and create a life size bench, so it was at this point I went on to think about how our memories are left as traces upon these benches.
Realising that aside from memorial plaques evidence of human interaction is also shown by simple marks and writing on benches in the form of graffiti. So I went on a hunt for graffiti images to give me an idea of what kind of things are written or drawn and how it is layered.
Realising that aside from memorial plaques evidence of human interaction is also shown by simple marks and writing on benches in the form of graffiti. So I went on a hunt for graffiti images to give me an idea of what kind of things are written or drawn and how it is layered.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Contemporary Ideas for a Traditional Craft
I have recently put together a presentation for my textile module to discuss my interest in lace. I wish to share some of this information with you.
Why did I become interested in lace?
Well surprisingly it was the work of Paddy Hartley (whose work I showed in an earlier post) that was my initial inspiration for looking at lace.
I’ve always loved the history of things and places and the lace detail on his pieces seem to really show the historical nature of the work.
Then during a visit to the V&A over the summer I noticed the work of Anne Wilson who looks mainly at the structure of lace. And this solidified my interest in the craft of lace making.
How do artists and designers use lace ideas in today’s culture?
Demakersvan
Demakersvan are a design house that use lace effect designs in their fences. Like brambles fences are rising rapidly around us. So why not make them more decorative?
The high-end metal fabric is meant to give us an insight on how to create unique environments through the combination of the ancient craft of lace and industrial chain link fence.
Demakersvan have integrated the lace fence on the facades of apartment buildings.
And are working on a fence to boarder a sports park - The installation is entitled: ‘Home Sweet Home’, and will contain over 80 patterns and designs which have been influenced by the cultures of the Zuidoost community, in Amsterdam. This project is due to be completed in 2011.
This work and ideas really make me want to try out different materials because although the wire is tough and robust, it still shows off the delicate nature that I most appreciate about lace.
Shane Waltener
Shane Waltener works using shirring elastic and produces pieces for his own interventions on public space as well as community based collaborations.
Waltener’s work attempts to address the balance between art and craft by discovering new ways of working.
He works on large scale pieces known as guerrilla knitting projects, leaving behind knotted fibre spider webs that have a lace like appearance, in unexpected venues such as commercial store fronts and abandoned buildings.
An example of this lace version of graffiti is Chihuly Doily #1 2004, which shows a cobweb of elastic lace like pieces encasing the Dale Chihuly chandelier, installed in the grand lobby of the V&A museum.
Aunt Peggy has departed 2003 is installed in an abandoned London subway station that was used as a bomb shelter during WW2.
The lace like cobwebs are hung inside 1940 phone booths and accompanied by a soundtrack of Churchill’s voice and period radio clips – pointing to the ‘webs’ of communication created through telephone conversations.
It is the scale and traditional nature of Waltener’s work that really appeals to me as a textile artist.
NeSpoon
In a similar style to Waltener, NeSpoon, a polish artist uses lace doilies in her work.
The piece shown here was created on Oak beach in the Baltic sea.
NeSpoon saw this work, named ‘jewellery of the public space’ as a way of introducing street art to the beach where people were free to move the pieces from place to place.
Though delicate in nature these pieces survived on the beach for over a week. She traditionally uses doilies as stencils but here used them to create poetic installations.
Shown here is some of her more recognised stencil work on the West bank wall in Israel. The large sprayed graffiti image has a delicately made porcelain doily in the centre, a real contrast of harsh and delicate storylines.
And it is this idea of using lace as a form of street art that I find particularly intriguing.
Henk Wolvers
In a continuation to NeSpoons porcelain doilies Henk Wolvers works entirely with this medium.
He uses strengthened porcelain slip and a painters brush to slowly drip the fluid clay onto plaster boards to form large rectangular panels.
When fired in the kiln the drawings shrink and harden creating a surface texture and composition of overlapping thick and thin lines that invite comparisons to Jackson Pollocks ‘drip’ paintings, yet giving a lace like effect.
The lace panels are mounted a few inches from the gallery walls giving the appearance of being suspended in space.
The delicate openings invite a play of light, making the piece more complex with interlacing shadows cast on the walls underscoring the glowing form.
Wolvers borrows the tracery but not the actual patterns of lace keeping the movement and transparency in combination with the structures and variety of colours.
And it’s this transparency that I believe is essential when creating lace work.
In the future I hope to go on to use more diverse materials in varying scales, adopting the scale of Waltener, the transparency of Wolvers and the outdoor art idea of NeSpoon to create a contemporary piece from a traditional craft.
Why did I become interested in lace?
Well surprisingly it was the work of Paddy Hartley (whose work I showed in an earlier post) that was my initial inspiration for looking at lace.
I’ve always loved the history of things and places and the lace detail on his pieces seem to really show the historical nature of the work.
Then during a visit to the V&A over the summer I noticed the work of Anne Wilson who looks mainly at the structure of lace. And this solidified my interest in the craft of lace making.
How do artists and designers use lace ideas in today’s culture?
Demakersvan
Demakersvan are a design house that use lace effect designs in their fences. Like brambles fences are rising rapidly around us. So why not make them more decorative?
The high-end metal fabric is meant to give us an insight on how to create unique environments through the combination of the ancient craft of lace and industrial chain link fence.
Demakersvan have integrated the lace fence on the facades of apartment buildings.
And are working on a fence to boarder a sports park - The installation is entitled: ‘Home Sweet Home’, and will contain over 80 patterns and designs which have been influenced by the cultures of the Zuidoost community, in Amsterdam. This project is due to be completed in 2011.
This work and ideas really make me want to try out different materials because although the wire is tough and robust, it still shows off the delicate nature that I most appreciate about lace.
Shane Waltener
Shane Waltener works using shirring elastic and produces pieces for his own interventions on public space as well as community based collaborations.
Waltener’s work attempts to address the balance between art and craft by discovering new ways of working.
He works on large scale pieces known as guerrilla knitting projects, leaving behind knotted fibre spider webs that have a lace like appearance, in unexpected venues such as commercial store fronts and abandoned buildings.
An example of this lace version of graffiti is Chihuly Doily #1 2004, which shows a cobweb of elastic lace like pieces encasing the Dale Chihuly chandelier, installed in the grand lobby of the V&A museum.
Chihuly Doily #1 2004
Aunt Peggy has departed 2003 is installed in an abandoned London subway station that was used as a bomb shelter during WW2.
The lace like cobwebs are hung inside 1940 phone booths and accompanied by a soundtrack of Churchill’s voice and period radio clips – pointing to the ‘webs’ of communication created through telephone conversations.
It is the scale and traditional nature of Waltener’s work that really appeals to me as a textile artist.
NeSpoon
In a similar style to Waltener, NeSpoon, a polish artist uses lace doilies in her work.
The piece shown here was created on Oak beach in the Baltic sea.
NeSpoon saw this work, named ‘jewellery of the public space’ as a way of introducing street art to the beach where people were free to move the pieces from place to place.
Though delicate in nature these pieces survived on the beach for over a week. She traditionally uses doilies as stencils but here used them to create poetic installations.
Shown here is some of her more recognised stencil work on the West bank wall in Israel. The large sprayed graffiti image has a delicately made porcelain doily in the centre, a real contrast of harsh and delicate storylines.
And it is this idea of using lace as a form of street art that I find particularly intriguing.
Henk Wolvers
In a continuation to NeSpoons porcelain doilies Henk Wolvers works entirely with this medium.
He uses strengthened porcelain slip and a painters brush to slowly drip the fluid clay onto plaster boards to form large rectangular panels.
When fired in the kiln the drawings shrink and harden creating a surface texture and composition of overlapping thick and thin lines that invite comparisons to Jackson Pollocks ‘drip’ paintings, yet giving a lace like effect.
The lace panels are mounted a few inches from the gallery walls giving the appearance of being suspended in space.
The delicate openings invite a play of light, making the piece more complex with interlacing shadows cast on the walls underscoring the glowing form.
Wolvers borrows the tracery but not the actual patterns of lace keeping the movement and transparency in combination with the structures and variety of colours.
And it’s this transparency that I believe is essential when creating lace work.
In the future I hope to go on to use more diverse materials in varying scales, adopting the scale of Waltener, the transparency of Wolvers and the outdoor art idea of NeSpoon to create a contemporary piece from a traditional craft.
Fundraising Pt.2
In our second attempt at fundraising Kitty came up with the idea of doing a film night at the Porter in Bath down in the celler bar, we all agreed that this was a great idea so Kitty and Tom went off and designed the poster.
On the day I organised a float for the event (being the designated treasurer) and Hannah and Ella got to work on some popcorn.
The evening was a success and all those who attended had a great time, another film night is now being planned for 14th March and here is our planned poster designed by Luke, just needs a few minor adjustments to price etc. - thanks Luke.
On the day I organised a float for the event (being the designated treasurer) and Hannah and Ella got to work on some popcorn.
The evening was a success and all those who attended had a great time, another film night is now being planned for 14th March and here is our planned poster designed by Luke, just needs a few minor adjustments to price etc. - thanks Luke.
166 bpm - Art Exhibition
Ok so have I mentioned that as part of my course this year in groups of 10 students we are to put on an exhibition at Walcot Chapel in Bath. Well after plenty of discussion we came up with a tiltle/theme, poster and invites. Included in this post is a press release written by Tom and our final design for our poster and invite.
Poster design:
Invite design:
166 bpm
A diverse and exciting exhibition by ten upcoming artists:
Vanessa Bowden – Sophie Cowan – Ella Garrud – Sophie Jillard
Tom Maryniak – Kitty McCarron – Luke Moore – Mike Smart
Josie Thomson – Hannah Wilmshurst
29 March - 3 April, 10am - 6pm (Sunday, 10am -4pm)
Private View: 29 March, 6 - 9pm
WALCOT GATE, WALCOT STREET, BATH BA1 5UG
ADMISSION FREE
Ten enthusiastic young artists are pleased to announce their upcoming exhibition - 166 bpm (Beats Per Minute) to go on display at the Walcot Chapel gallery in late March.
The concept behind the exhibition derives from the colour of passion and rage, excitement and fire, danger, and of course, blood. Scientifically known to increase ones heart rate by around 14%, the colour red and its effect on our physical state are the underlying themes of this innovative collection of work.
Viewers should prepare themselves for an energetic and variable show which features disciplines ranging from sculpture and ceramics to printmaking, photography, textiles and painting with work as equally diverse in their red related subject matter as their medium.
Of the artists, Hannah Wilmshurst explores the absurdity of human surveillance and the inherent desire to be a voyeur, while Tom Maryniak’s interests lie in the moments between peace and chaos, time and destruction.
Whether it is to shock, excite or nauseate, all of the artists will be attempting to increase the heart rate and leave an impression which will echo in the aorta for years to come.
Additional information can be found at:
Sponsored by: www.kempandkemp.co.uk
Poster design:
Invite design:
Saatchi
Idris Khan Every...Bernd And Hilla Becher Spherical Type Gasholders2004 |  | ||||||||
The Bechers took their photos as a means to document a disappearing tradition; by grouping them according to ‘typology’ the buildings’ designs function like archetypal symbols or an architectural language. Through Khan’s translucent aggregations, structures such as ...Spherical Type Gasholders lose their commanding simplicity and rigid formalism and descend into fractured and gestural blurs. Through his photographs Khan compresses the timeline of repetition into indivisible subsuming moments and creates a poetic mutability from the fixed codes of history.
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TATE Modern - Gabriel Orozco
Chicotes 2010
Orozco has been gathering the remnants of burst tyres from along Mexican highways for years. Brought together in this installation, the scraps of rubber are still imbued with a kind of movement-memory – the rotation of car wheels and the explosion which caused them to be discarded. In elevating debris to the status of sculpture, Orozco once again demands that his viewers reassess their aesthetic responses to humble everyday materials and situations.
When invited to participate in an exhibition, Orozco has often arrived at a gallery empty-handed, creating a work relating to the site and the objects at hand. The materials for Chicotes were imported specially, but Orozco has determined its arrangement in response to the gallery space at Tate Modern.
This work is described as showing the movement memory of the tyres and it is this kind of memory trace that I am showing in my memorial bench work.
Extension of Reflection 1992
Orozco's concern that his works remain active is key to his photographs. These demand engagement in the moment of looking because, as he puts it, 'the event is still happening'. Extension of Reflection is a composition of tree branches reflected in puddles intersecting a circle of wet bicycle tyre tracks. Though the puddles have long since dried out, the photograph continually offers this scene freshly and immediately to viewers.
My Hands Are My Heart 1991
For one of his early sculptures Orozco picked up a chunk of clay and pressed it with both hands to give it the form of the space between them. The clearly visible imprint preserves the impromptu moment of creation, what he has described as 'a gesture of spontaneity'. Orozco's use of regular brick factory clay, rather than a specialist sculptor's material, is typical of his penchant for the humble and everyday.I have included this image because of its similarity to our exhibition poster.
Which reminds me I really must show you all our progress with our exhibition preparation and fundraising - look out for this post.
TATE Britain - Susan Hiller
I started this year looking at quite a lot of Hiller's work and was therefore keen to go and see it in reality.
My work being based on memorial benches it was Monument that first drew my attention to Hillers work. Whilst researching Hiller for my presentation on critacal theory it was From the Freud Museum that I found a real interest in and having the oppertunity to veiw all of her boxes and not just the selected ones you see online or in books gave me a greater understanding of the peice. However the strongest peice from the exhibition for me was An Entertainment, photographs of this powerful vidion installation definately do not do this contradictory video any justice. I would advise all keen artists to see this exhibition as there is definately something for everyone.
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| Monument 1980-81 |
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| From the Freud Museum 1991-6 |
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| An Entertainment 1990 a video, duration: 25min 59secs |
My work being based on memorial benches it was Monument that first drew my attention to Hillers work. Whilst researching Hiller for my presentation on critacal theory it was From the Freud Museum that I found a real interest in and having the oppertunity to veiw all of her boxes and not just the selected ones you see online or in books gave me a greater understanding of the peice. However the strongest peice from the exhibition for me was An Entertainment, photographs of this powerful vidion installation definately do not do this contradictory video any justice. I would advise all keen artists to see this exhibition as there is definately something for everyone.
TATE Britain - Water Colour
Now this weekend I went up to London - in particular to see the Susan Hiller exhibition at the Tate Britain as it turned out I ended up becoming a member so there are many more trips to Tate galleries planned for the next 15 months.
As a member I was able to get into all of the current exhibitions for free so was able to see Susan Hiller, Watercolour and Gabriel Orozco, as well as a visit to the Saatchi to see their latest exhibition.
I've got to admit that seeing this collection of shows really helped me understand why it is so important to go and actually see work and how inspiring it can be to look at work that you may not of ordinarily taken much interest in.
Watercolour
These water colour paintings show similar styling to the burn marks I hope to make on my benches. Goldsworthys image on the left depicts a melted snowball but I cant help but see an image of a figure. The Wittwer image although a watercolour reminds me of the stencil like street art we see all around us which led me the buy the book Street Art.
As a member I was able to get into all of the current exhibitions for free so was able to see Susan Hiller, Watercolour and Gabriel Orozco, as well as a visit to the Saatchi to see their latest exhibition.
I've got to admit that seeing this collection of shows really helped me understand why it is so important to go and actually see work and how inspiring it can be to look at work that you may not of ordinarily taken much interest in.
Watercolour
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| Andy Goldsworthy - Source of Scaur 1991-92 |
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| Uwe Wittwer - Ruin 2008 |
These water colour paintings show similar styling to the burn marks I hope to make on my benches. Goldsworthys image on the left depicts a melted snowball but I cant help but see an image of a figure. The Wittwer image although a watercolour reminds me of the stencil like street art we see all around us which led me the buy the book Street Art.
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