Art and Design: UNIT 8 Supporting Artist Research

The artists included within this post have influenced me on making decisions when it comes to the details of my design work meaning they have not been a large inspiration to my ideas however they have invaluably taught me that subtle changes to my ideas can have a large effect.

'Wave', Martin Jenkins (2015)

Martin Jenkins

Martin Jenkins 'Wave' sculpture was on display at the York Art Gallery whilst I was collecting primary research for this project. His work is very similar to that of Maya Lins however he has used layers of corrugated cardboard to produce a segment of the sea; although this sculpture is not a map nor has it been influenced by a map its almost like he has created a topographic screenshot of the sea. After looking at both Jenkins and Lins work I am definitely going to explore the technique of layering to recreate a form of 3D topography and perhaps develop this technique into the design stages of my project.

'London', Jazzberry Blue (Unknown)

Jazzberry Blue

Jazzberry Blue is one of my more contemporary artists that I researched; she captures the essence of cities within her abstract take on maps of cities from across the globe selling them as prints on various websites such as Society6. I choose to research her work because I believed Blue would allow me to create more diversity amongst my contextual research. Her simplified style of using shapes and block colour looks very interesting and I would like to explore simplifying the shapes within my future designs to see whether it will appear more effect or not.

'London England Street Map', Michael Tompsett (2014)

Michael Tompsett

Michael Tompsett is another contemporary artist within my contextual research, he uses FineArtAmerica as a platform to sell his work which is digitally produced. I researched his work as I thought the use of such a variety of vibrant colours created a really uplifting atmosphere. In my opinion colour is one of the most important elements of design therefore I want to ensure I inject colour into my design somehow.

'Born in the UK', Peter Clark (Unknown)

Peter Clark

Peter Clark is a collage artist who uses various types of maps he discovers in unusual places taking care to find beautiful cartography to add to his collection of collaging materials. Clark places a great deal of emphasis on choosing a material to be the focal point of his piece and then choosing complimentary materials very wisely. I plan to pay attention to choosing materials that will emphasise and work collaboratively with the focal point of my final piece to create a harmonious piece of artwork.

'Pebble Mosaic', Jan Ireland (2016)

Jan Ireland

I found Jan Ireland's mosaic during a visit to the Yorkshire Museum Gardens after discovering a brochure for its opening within the Yorkshire Museum. Whilst reading the brochure I noticed similar to Peter Clark she emphasises choosing materials wisely to reflect the context of the artwork. As I explore materials for my final piece I will make sure to take this into consideration.