UNIT 3 Art as a Message

Banksy is an infamous artist who creates meaningful stencilled art using the walls of streets as his canvas. The masked artist is highly controversial as his artwork tackles universal issues, from social acceptance to political stupidity, using his artwork to convey his messages.

Kissing Coppers 2004

Banksy’s 2004 “Kissing Coppers” mural was painted on the side of a Brighton pub and caused a lot of controversy as LGBT relationships were still unfortunately frowned upon. Although the mural was vandalised in 2006 Banksy’s message lived on over the internet and photographs that all love is valid. No matter who shares that special bond, love is love, and couples should feel safe to express their love publicly without fear and judgement. In my opinion, Banksy’s style compliments his work well because the point of his work is to act as a message and the simplicity of his monotone stencils emphasises the context rather than take attention away.



The Caveman 2008

In this piece of artwork Banksy is mocking society, the use of an expressionless caveman represents every man woman and child illustrating that universally we have forgotten our roots, our backgrounds and history. The fast-food may depict that in between the introduction of modern ways of life and our competitive obsession of having the most updated possessions we have forgotten important traditions and heritage. It wouldn’t surprise me if future generations truly believed the caveman survived off greasy processed burgers and chips.

UNIT 3 The Art Review Power 100

The current top ten are as listed:

1.       Iwan and Manuela Wirth

Major Gallerists with spaces in Zurich, London, New York, Los Angeles and Somerset

2.       Ai WeiWei

Artist and social activist, prominent in reconnecting art with issues of social and cultural value

3.       David Zwirner

The head of a New York and London gallery empire with an impressive reputation and spaces to match

4.       Hans Ulrich Obrist and Julia Peyton-Jones

Directors of the Serpentine galleries, with HUO as the initiator of numerous extracurricular international art projects and exhibitions

5.       Nicholas Serota

Director of Tate

6.       Larry Gagosian

Established gallerist with 13 venues worldwide putting on museum quality exhibitions

7.       Glenn D. Lowry

Director museum of modern art (MoMA), New York

8.       Marina Abramovic

Performance-Artist-Turned-Celebrity-Inspirer-and-admirer

9.       Adam D. Weinberg

Director of the Whitney museum of American art

10.   Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev

Curator of the 2015 Istanbul Biennial, and the lauded Documenta 13

 

From the art review power 100 list I have decided to research further into Ai WeiWei.  He is a Chinese activist and artist born in 1957, he grew up in a military re-education camp due to his father being unfairly condemned as a criminal because of Chairman Mao’s ‘Anti-Rightist’ campaign. Therefore beginning his continuous distaste of the Chinese Government.

After returning to Beijing WeiWei studies at the Beijing Film Academy, and then later joins the Stars group participating in exhibitions and protests such as the exhibition outside the China Art Gallery in 1979 which 80,000 people attended. In 1983, he moves to New York City after harsh criticism and political pressure causes the Stars group to disband. He describes his time in New York City as being exiled, he emphasises this fact by documenting his time in exile through photographs. In 1993, Ai WeiWei finally returned to his home country however he continues to criticize the Chinese Government through his work, below is an example of this where WeiWei drops a Han dynasty Urn.

 

Ai WeiWei unveiled his commission for the Unilever Series at Tate Modern in 2010: ‘Sunflower Seeds’. He demonstrates how art can help struggling towns and villages that once depended on their art forms for income. For this particular art piece, he presented millions of porcelain sunflower seeds made in the workshops of a once famous porcelain town; Jingdezhen.

 

UNIT 3 Feminist art group: Guerilla Girls

The Guerrilla Girls are a feminist art organisation composed of anonymous female artists that wear gorilla masks to protect their identities. The group was formed in the 80's in New York to fight against sexism and other forms of injustice within politics, art, film and pop culture. They use facts, humour and outrageous visuals to help expose the discrimination and corruption.

In my opinion, I think the work of the Guerrilla Girls is extremely brave and effective as each one of their break through protests has riled up the art world, causing the group to gain popularity and spread their messages far more quickly especially due to the use online media. Most of their work has managed to have an impact as the amount of female artists gaining recognition is increasing however the group are still active to this day continuing to protest until equality is reached.

UNIT 5 Evaluation

To analyse the requirements and parameters for this project I created a mind map stating everything that I would need to complete to be able to pass each assessment criteria. I also produced two visual mind maps: The first was to explore the theme ‘Let the outside in’ where I looked at water and brightly coloured flowers and the second was to explore the target audience to make sure I produce designs that would be suitable for the target audience.

I think my research has been very effective as there are clear links between my research and my design work. My primary research included photographs of a stream where I decided to start focusing on the shapes and the movement of the water and photographs of contemporary doors at a JSS Installations LTD showroom therefore allowing me to explore the designs that other company sells and gain a wider knowledge of this field of design outside of my clients company. I also did secondary research into Distinction Doors current range through their website, by comparing all of my research on existing door designs I discovered what styles, colours and glass designs were most popular.

Additionally, I completed some artist research on the architect Antoni Gaudi looking specifically at his work ‘Casa Batllo’ as Gaudi uses sea influences demonstrating a relevance between his work and my own. I found my artist research wasn’t entirely effective as I found it hard to illustrate clear links to his work in my own work as I had to produce contemporary designs therefore my influence from Gaudi is very subtle. I focused on Gaudis use of unusual bubbled shapes which led me to look into bubbled glass rather than use glass textures already provided by the company. Furthermore, Gaudi is known to be extremely unusual therefore in my last design I decided to take inspiration from him to create a complex unorthodox design.

When interpreting the theme of ‘Let the outside in’ I originally began to look at woodland nature however I realised looking at woodland nature is too obvious as I found several other people looking into the same idea, I wanted to be different and stand out therefore I began to think outside of the box. This led me to look at water, at the movement and the shapes it creates, as water can be found extremely therapeutic and I wanted to create a calming aura for the homeowner to enjoy.

I found it rather easy going when designing for the specified target audience as I had a good understanding of contemporary designs and what the target audience would want from their design. In my opinion, contemporary designs usually uses clean organised shapes and can often interlink with minimalism. Therefore I combined my ideas of contemporary design with all of my research to produce my designs, due to every part of the design process being completed with the target audience in mind I was confident that my designs were suited the target audience.

When producing solutions for 2D door designs I planned, organised and prepared my ideas and research in order to meet the requirements of the designs. When producing my first design due to research of existing doors I used a repetitive pattern of circular glass panels which decreased in size to replicate the imagery of water droplets. Inspired by Gaudi I found a bubbled glass texture that wasn’t in the company’s current range of options which provided the homeowner with privacy due to its obscurity and originality. The second design had a tall thin glass panel as I found in both my primary and secondary research that it was the most popular contemporary door design however I adapted the shape to suit my theme of water, inspired my primary research I distorted the vertical edges of the glass panel to make it appear as though a stream was running down the door. The use of the Taffeta glass texture further emphasised the idea of water running down the door. My third design was my unusual design in which I decided to be like Gaudi and be original therefore I designed a complex arrangement of glass panels that collectively appear to be the ripples created by a water droplet. I adapted the shapes to appear more contemporary and simple, the glass panels used a satin glass texture therefore toning down the complex design and obscuring the windows to provide privacy. All three of the designs used a palette of Sky Blue, Teal, Ultramarine and Sea Green as these bold shades of blue would stand out providing the homeowner with a sense of identity, also blue has strong connotations of water relating the designs back to the theme. Furthermore, I planned out that in all of my designs I would need to use a ratio of 1:3 for glass to door as I discovered by using the ‘door designing’ feature on the Distinction Doors website that by using this ratio I found that my designs were fairly energy efficient therefore my designs were both functional and aesthetic.

Throughout this unit I have demonstrated practical skills through producing backgrounds and layouts for all of my sketchbook and design pages to make my work more interesting to look at. By producing successful designs I have demonstrated my design skills and a good understanding of the target audience and the brief. I have also shown that I have a good level of knowledge and understanding of the product when planning and preparing designs that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

One minor obstacle I faced during the research process was that I struggled to think of how I would collect primary research of doors knowing that I couldn’t just photograph neighbours doors. Eventually I found a solution after speaking to a Joiner who works with doors often that I could visit a showroom, I then looked online and found that JSS Installations LTD showroom was really close by therefore I continued to visit the showroom and photograph the contemporary doors that were on display.

The progression of my work was rather slow due to the lack of ideas however I quickly caught up on all the practical work having a sketchbook that illustrated my full thought process throughout this unit, three design sheets and a prepared presentation. However due my slow start I fell behind greatly on blog work and failed to submit an evaluation for the original deadline however I managed to complete all blog work and an evaluation from my resubmission date.

I found my experience of working with Distinction Doors was quite enjoyable, I found the extra pressure of working for a client actually pushed me to impress them and produce high quality designs. The idea of producing designs with a client or target audience in mind was enjoyable as it was a new experience and I gained a sense of achievement when they liked my designs and I knew that I had been successful in meeting the brief.

I prepared for my presentation by having a completed sketchbook and three design pages for the staff members from Distinction Doors to look through whilst I presented my work. I produced a PowerPoint that had Images illustrating my thought process as I talked over each slide explaining my reasoning. I knew everything that I wanted to say during the presentation however I wanted to be prepared therefore I bullet pointed my key points on a piece of paper to remind me in case I forgot anything.

If I were to do anything differently during this unit of work it would have been to think more originally at the beginning therefore I would have started a lot more quicker and wouldn’t have fallen behind as much.

UNIT 5 Presentation

 

Since unit 5 is a Live brief at the end of our project we were required to present our ideas to members of staff from the Distinction Doors company. In the presentation we had to speak about our thought processes from being given the brief to having finished design sheets to show the influences and research behind our designs. For my presentation I prepared a PowerPoint that had images to illustrate my thought process as I spoke over the top explaining my ideas. Originally I felt quite nervous about presenting however afterwards I felt fairly confident that my presentation was successful however If I were to redo my presentation it would be to slow down and not rush through my work so that I'd be more clear.

UNIT 5 Design Ideas

As I began to start the production of my designs I first created a page of initial designs where I drew up nine sketches of door designs that were inspired by different elements of all my research and preparation work. These initial designs were produced quickly therefore I chose three of them to be further developed into my three final designs.

My first design was  inspired by water droplets. In my research of existing door designs I found that repetitive patterns of rectangular or square shapes were used quite often therefore I decided to use a shape repetitively in my design too however I used a circle which decreases in size to replicate water droplets. Due to its simplicity I decided to add more detail in the glass panels by using rain glass texture which further emphasises the on going theme of water droplets in this design.

 

 

My second design is based around streams. In my research of existing door designs I found that tall thin rectangular glass panels were also very popular therefore I decided to use a similar shape. In my primary research of the theme I photographed a stream from above and I found the shape of the stream itself was beautifully unusual, therefore by distorting the vertical edges of the tall thin rectangular glass panel I manipulated the shape to replicate that of the stream from my primary research. The 'Taffeta' glass texture for this design was used to further create the illusion of a stream running down the front of the door and provide the homeowner with privacy.

 

My third design was based on ripples. In my primary research I found ripples were one of the most common symbols of water therefore I really wanted to use ripples to influence one of my designs. For this design I decided to take inspiration from my secondary research of door designs on Pinterest and Antoni Gaudi's work and create a complex design. However since this is a contemporary design I decided to simplify the shapes of the ripples to create a more modern and clean appearance. Furthermore, I decided due to the size and shape of a standard door that I would only use half of a circle of ripples. Due to the complex design I decided to use a 'Satin' glass texture therefore it doesn't make the design too busy however it still provides the homeowner with privacy.

 

All three designs use the colour palette of four colours: Sky Blue, Ultramarine, Teal and Sea Green. I choose these four colours because not only does blue have connotations of relaxation but it is also frequently used to symbolise water. Furthermore, I choose the four brighter shades of blue as the bold colour will stand out giving the homeowner a sense of identity within the neighbourhood and also using bold colours on doors is stylish and modern.

 

I also calculated the energy efficiency of all three of my designs using the 'door designing' feature on the Distinction Doors website. I used designs that are similar to my own to represent my designs and made sure to choose designs that use a similar ratio of glass to my own designs. Although, my calculations are not accurate they provide a rough estimate to the energy efficiency of each design.





UNIT 5 Primary research

For my primary research of the theme I decided to take pictures of a stream to capture the shapes within moving water. I could use these shapes later on for the shapes of glass panels or for inspiration to the glass texture I would use. When take the photographs with my camera I used two different settings to create different effects: the manual setting would capture the individual moment at the time and the TV setting would allow me to capture the overall movement of the stream. By looking at the various shapes I found that bubbles and ripples were common and the most recognisable shapes related to water therefore using them in my designs would allow the audience/client to understand and identify the theme and my ideas.

I also did some primary research into existing door designs: I visited JSS Installations LTD and photographed several contemporary doors to explore existing products. By looking at existing products I can see what is already available and what are the most popular choices of colour, glass texture, shape of glass panels and overall design. Furthermore, by researching into what other companies offer I can contrast and compare with Distinction Doors range and evaluate if other companies have anything different.

UNIT 5 Secondary Research

For my secondary research I looked at various resources to look at different door designs. Firstly I looked at  the Distinction Doors website to look at their current range of contemporary door designs to compare them with my primary research of doors to evaluate what are the most popular designs and decide on what existing contemporary door designs are missing. This research also gives me an insight into what the company are able to achieve in production. I then used Pinterest to explore innovative  and unusual designs, I found designs that use circular or curved shapes as they are more relevant to the theme of water than the usual rectangular/square shapes from current contemporary door designs. These designs inspired me to be a little bold with my designs but to limit myself to the 'almost minimalistic' designs of existing products. As apart of my secondary research I decided to look into the work of an architect, Antoni Gaudi, as he was inspired by sea influences with his designs making him relevant to my chosen theme of water. After looking at Gaudi's work I choose to inspiration from the unusual bubble like shape he uses throughout his work.

Link to my doors board on Pinterest:
https://uk.pinterest.com/leah70107/doors/

UNIT 5 Theme and target audience

When we were given the theme of 'Let the outside in' I originally thought about nature and woodland creatures as did everyone else however I wanted to be original so I focused my theme around water. I found water was a very tranquil element that has the ability to make you feel calm and relaxed, both of which are traits I would want to convey to the client when they come home. Using water as a starting point I began to explore the movement of the water and shapes that I could transcribe to my designs.


As another starting point I decided to explore the target audience to create a product that would be both aesthetically pleasing and functional to the target audiences needs. From what I could infer being in the age range of 25+ the audience is probably just starting their career in an educated and well paying job such as a teacher or doctor. The audience is most likely to be looking to buy their first house to settle down and perhaps to start a family therefore they will want a door that provides them with safety and is long lasting. When settling down the audience will be living in a home fore a long period of time therefore the audience would make the home presentable and decorate nicely, due to the age the decoration would probably be quite modern perhaps taking inspiration from Ideal homes magazines and other design sources therefore the door design must compliment the décor and suit the target audience.

UNIT 5 'Distinction Doors' Live Brief Project

For this years live brief we were given a design brief from an external company, Distinction Doors, to create and present three to four designs. After studying the brief I broke down the requirements of the designs: Produce three contemporary designs and one standard door design, each design must be relevant to the theme of "Let the outside in" and my designs must be designed to appeal to the target audience. The target audience are aged 25+ and could be either gender. The home owner/s are very house proud and will be looking for a unique door to suite either a new build or a renovated home and give them a sense of individuality. The target audience would probably be very style conscious and read magazines such as ideal homes or watch grand designs therefore would require an aesthetically pleasing design. I decided to produce bold designs that would make the clients home stand out from the surrounding buildings showcasing originality and personality.

UNIT 6 Evaluation

Collecting primary research from both the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Hepworth Gallery was extremely useful to my project as primary research is vital to any project and collecting images of Caro's work has enabled me to create several sketchbook pages into looking at Caro's abstract style. By visiting exhibitions rather than looking at his work through a secondary source you have a 360 degree view you can see the sculpture from all angles and see the shadows casted when the sun shines through the windows allowing you to interpret the artwork from different standpoints.

My primary research from the exhibitions turned out rather well as I photographed many different types of sculptures such as: the large scale sculptures that include perspex, the brightly coloured sculptures, industrial looking sculptures, table top sculptures and paper maquettes. The wide variety allowed me gain knowledge on the different  to explore the types of sculptures that interested me the most.


Overall my research has been successful as the research has greatly influenced my designs. My primary research of Caro's work provided me with a starting point to consider different materials, colour, scales and styles of sculpture. From the starting point I began looking at other abstract sculptors, Joan Miro and Alexander Calder, to explore different compositions and colour schemes. I also looked at the paper artwork of Peter Dahmen to explore shadows and lighting.

For my three sculpture designs I focused on shapes from the original painting such as the circular layers, windows, arches and sloping walls. These shapes combined with my research of various abstract sculptures influenced each of my designs. The first design was a suspended sculpture that was inspired by Calder's work however it has strong emphasis on the details of the windows on each layer. Caro's perspex sculptures influenced the second design which is free standing and has an element of coloured perspex. The third design is wall mounted, this design isn't as planned out as the others due to the lack of research however I wanted to create a design that was different and focused entirely on the shapes of the 'Tower of Babel' painting.

Throughout the project I have applied practical skills, understanding and knowledge to complete several tasks. The first task being producing paper maquettes, this task requires very little practical skill however I had to apply my knowledge of how pop up mechanisms work to produce successful maquettes for the photography workshop and as preparation for making my final sculpture. When producing my final sculpture I had to use my understanding and knowledge of the interlocking elements of the design to produce the sculpture in an appropriate order. Throughout production I showcased my practical skills when using various machinery, hand tools, clay, etching tools and various materials. During the production process I found I had to use problem solving skills and mathematics often to find solutions to create a successful outcome.

Problem solving was very important during the production process due to complications and errors. The first obstacle was that cutting out the windows on curved edges would be extremely difficult and the curved edges would end up losing their shape therefore I removed the windows and arches from the design. As we were required to incorporate several materials into our designs I struggled to find a place for my clay element however once I decided where to place the clay I found the component looked odd and out of place so to link it into the design better I replicated the design from the print making workshop onto the outer surface of the clay wall. In the 3D workshop I made a mistake when mark making causing me to cut out a slotting gap in the wrong place, to fix this I decided to add another smaller sloped wall to slot into the gap as a decorative element to create the illusion that the gap was supposed to be cut out all along.


My time management throughout this project hasn't been very effective as I had only completed a minimum of sketchbook pages due to last minute catching up, also all my blog work was posted in blocks rather than sporadically as continuous recordings of the project. Although it wasn't very good I managed to complete all the work eventually to a pass standard. I must learn to complete tasks as soon as possible rather than take a long time allowing tasks to build up.

My final outcome was extremely successful once fully assembled it looked how I had envisioned it to appear. My problem solving skills had been effective as everything worked well together and any mistakes appeared as though I had planned it to be there. I was really happy with the appearance of the materials used and the quality they provided. My favourite aspect of the sculpture is the industrial appearance of fixtures, bolts and exposed angled dowel joints, and the curved steel sheets that contrast with the contemporary elements of acrylic and brightly coloured perspex.

UNIT 6 Final Assembled Sculpture

My final assembled sculpture looked exactly how I'd planned it to look the surfaces of the woods and clay appeared neutral showing emphasis on the materials used combined with the industrial looking steel and fixtures, and the plastic elements introducing colour into the design. I was really happy with how successful the sculpture turned out although it was done in an abstract style the shapes that I loved so much from the original painting can still be seen and clear links can be made. My favourite aspect of the design is how the different pieces interlock and support each other which made he production process quite complex however I believe it was worth the time and effort.

UNIT 6 3D Workshop

The 3D workshop was my most hectic workshop due to the fact that this was when all the individual pieces were fixed together, in all the other workshops I created single elements whereas the 3D workshop provided the majority of my sculpture. My design was rather complicated and I had to dedicate a lot of extra time to returning to the workshop to complete the sculpture. I used a wide variety of tools, techniques and processes throughout the production of my final piece gaining skills and knowledge.

The Base: I first marked out a square measuring 42cm by 42cm on a MDF board and then proceeded to marking the sides of the dodecagon by bisecting the lines between the points to find the centre of the two extra sides therefore the dodecagon would be mathematically correct. I cut out the shape of the dodecagon using the band saw and sanded down all twelve sides using the disc sander

The inner circular structure: the inner structure was made up of the full length curved flexi ply and the strip of sheet steel.The wooden half was made by gluing together two sheets of flexi ply wood that measured 24cm tall by 38cm

wide, once glued together they were curved around a drum that had a radius of 11cm and was held in place with belts, I also planed the edges with scrap wood to make sure the edges would follow the curve. Whilst the glue dried I began to curve the strip of sheet steel (6cm tall by 40cm wide) by feeding the steel through metal rollers repetitively until it had curved to follow the curve of the design. The steel curve was connected to the plywood by bolts, therefore I had to drill holes through both components using the pillar drill.

The outer circular structure and support between circular structures: The outer circular structure was composed of

two curved sheet of steel that remain separated. The shorter strip measured 8cm tall by 18.8cm wide and the longer strip measured 8cm tall by 28.3cm wide. Both strips were curved using the same method as before; repetitively feeding the sheets through metal rollers until the curve follows the design. The five sloped walls that connected the inner and outer walls were made of MDF and were placed to provide for the outer circle to have a surface to be glued to. Two of the five were slightly larger as they were placed so that they connected to the curved steel of the inner circle. These MDF shapes were cut using the band saw and sanded by the disc sander.

The Plastic aspects: The first plastic component was the blue perspex stairs. We measured out a sheet of perspex as 34cm tall and 10cm wide, I added 4cm to the height as we will use some of the height each time we bend the plastic. To bend the perspex I used a line bender which heats up a line of the plastic allowing you to bend the plastic over a corner to replicate the same angle; the angle I used was 90 degrees. The pre cut acrylic clear cylinder (7cm tall and a radius of 5cm) was used to create the topmost circular structure that is suspended and supported by two side panels however for now I only needed to position both plastic aspects so that I could create markings for the supporting pieces.

Supports for the suspended cylinder: The supports for the suspended cylinder proved to be a difficult task as we had to mark make whilst balancing the acrylic on rulers and try be as accurate as possible and think of a way to connect the supporting elements to the rest of the structure. We decided to create a slotting mechanism for the piece that connects to the ply wood section of the inner circle however we starting creating the slot in the wrong place therefore to solve the problem we decided to add a decorative shape that would slot into the accidental fixture. Once we had marked out the correct place I used a tennon saw to cut out the shape and a file to open it out to create a secure fixture. For the actual

supports I cut out rectangular shapes with on sloped side out of MDF using the band saw and then sanded the shapes with the disc sander. I then had to figure out a method of connecting the supports to the acrylic cylinder and to perspex stairs.

Fixtures for supports to acrylic cylinder and perspex stairs: After several suggestions from the 3D instructors I decided to use exposed angles dowel joints, for the dowel I used 1/16th brass brazing rod. I marked out all the holes and then very carefully drilled the small holes using the pillar drill and used the hand drill to open up the holes to make sure the

dowel would fit but still be secure. Creating the fixtures was difficult due to the small size of the rod which needed to be bent at 90 degree angles, once I had produced all six fixtures I moved onto assembling all the components.

Incorporate the ceramics and printmaking elements: The ceramics slab I had created followed the curve of the inner circle therefore I positioned it in between the inner and outer circles in the gap next to the perspex stair, in 3D terms it was a simple task of gluing the slab onto the base as the curved shape would prevent it from leaning or falling however the glue lowered the risk. For the print making elements I used the etching plate and the most successful print to create both halves of the topmost circle, these were attached by the excess dowel on he inside of the cylinder.

UNIT 6 Photography Workshop

In the photography workshop we looked at the work of a paper artist, Peter Dahmen. For this project we are required to make paper maquettes of our designs therefore by researching a little into Dahmen's work we will gain understanding of how to create effective paper maquettes. We then continued to make our own paper maquettes for practise using Dahmen's work as inspiration. By creating paper maquettes of our designs we can experiment with different elements to see what could look better and more effective and also take into account the shadows that are cast by the shapes of your maquettes. The shadows can sometimes be important in sculpting as they may tell another story or simply create another perspective. Below are some images of Peter Dahmen's work.

 

 

In this particular workshop however the shadows are our main focus as we experiment with lighting for the photography workshop. We looked at using low key lighting so that shadows would be more prominent and cast darker shadows. Below are the images I took of the paper maquettes within this workshop.

UNIT 6 Print making (Etching)

In the print making workshop we were taught the process of etching to create several prints to incorporate in our final sculpture. Etching can be very detailed or very simple however the mark making technique can be very precise therefore we first created a design that we would work from. For my design I collaged together different sections of the 'Tower of Babel' painting to create a complex design that would add some detail to the fairly simple surfaces of my sculpture. We then secured a clear piece of acetate over our designs, tracing the designs using etching tools to scratch the design onto the acetate. Once I had completed the etching plate I then continued to print my design onto paper and fabrics by covering the plate in ink and sending it through a etching press to transfer the ink to the papers and fabrics. I then halved my prints to create thin strips that I will use on my final sculpture to represent the paper element to my design, I also decided to use the actual etching plate on my sculpture too.

 

 

UNIT 6 Ceramics Workshop

In the ceramics workshop we first decided whether we would want to use porcelain, stoneware or terracotta clay. Our decisions were based off the appearance and properties of each of the clays to see which of the three materials is most suitable for our designs. I decided to use stoneware as it had the most natural appearance and was fairly easy to use.



I decided to use clay for the individual curved wall as I wasn't sure how id attach a clay element to the rest of the sculpture therefore I used it for the individual element and glued it to the base. Once I had prepared the clay I rolled it out and cut out a rectangle that measured 14cm by 11.7cm. I placed the rectangle sheet of clay on the drum I used to mould the wood around in the 3D workshop so that it follows the same curve once it dries.

The clay element would have looked out of place therefore I engraved the same design I created in the print making workshop to add some relevance between the clay element and the rest of the sculpture.

UNIT 6 Studio Practise (Design Ideas)

After looking at the shapes used in the 'Tower of Babel' painting and looking at abstract forms to use I have created three initial designs to begin with. Each of these designs take elements from different parts of my research and previous sketchbook work.

The first design idea was a suspended design that focuses on the circular shapes of the structure, by suspending the individual elements it puts more emphasis on the layers and creates an abstract take on the tower. Another aspect of the image I included in this design was the many different windows and arches therefore adding a little detail to link the design back to the original renascence painting.

 

The third design idea is a wall sculpture that takes shapes from the side view of the topmost part of the tower. The shapes focus on the layers of walls, sloping shapes and arches/windows. The collage of these shapes would create an extremely abstract 3D wall sculpture.

 

 

 
The second design also has a focus on the circular structure except it follows a more abstract design as different elements rely and interlock with each other to stay standing. Since this design is free standing and relies on interlocking with each other I would add a base to attach all the pieces to for added reassurance that it wont just fall down.

 

I decided to develop the second design for my final design as it was my favourite and I could envision the final sculpture in my head. I did change certain aspects of the design to make it more complicated and make sure there was a way to incorporate all the different workshops and materials into the design.