Wilson is inspired by patterns and textiles and the relationship between evolution and structured environments as well as the decline in organic nature.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Megan Wilson
Megan Wilson is a visual artist based out of San Francisco. She creates large-scale installations that incorporate traditional crafts and decoration. Wilson explores the meaning and value of “home;” Buddhist principles of impermanence and generosity; beauty and ornamentation; feminism; and the intersections between art/life/architecture/design. Her public projects explore and challenge socio-political structures and their impact on community and culture. Once again, I found Wilson's work to be inspiring and relevant to my EMP; especially as she uses such a unique technique to create her work. She also has an interest in the environment, communities and architecture, which too supports my brief on Environmental Restrictions and how we are impacting on our environment.
Steve Harrington- Illustrator:
Steve Harrington is one illustrator that has really caught my eye recently. I love his simple, yet effective imagery.
When asked what inspires him to create, he replied:
He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Influenced by Time Life encyclopedias from 1965 through 1972, second hand stores and the '60s psych sounds of The Moody Blues. Each piece of his work is created as a tangible object symbiotically defined of a larger context. His work is often self-inspired. Harrington also creates work for the National Forest Design with fellow artist Justin Krietemeyer. So not only do I like and admire his illustrations, the fact that he supports the National Forest Design, works alongside my EMP campaign on how we are restricting our environment. Sorted!
When asked what inspires him to create, he replied:
'The whole of everything together at once, the Congos, Planet Earth, You...'
He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Influenced by Time Life encyclopedias from 1965 through 1972, second hand stores and the '60s psych sounds of The Moody Blues. Each piece of his work is created as a tangible object symbiotically defined of a larger context. His work is often self-inspired. Harrington also creates work for the National Forest Design with fellow artist Justin Krietemeyer. So not only do I like and admire his illustrations, the fact that he supports the National Forest Design, works alongside my EMP campaign on how we are restricting our environment. Sorted!
Reseach and Reference Material.
Obviously as part of my EMP, reference material is vitally important. Moreover, it probably benefits me more than my brief as I have to source new artists/ illustrators, increasing my depth of knowledge and interest. One performance artist that I came across was Marina Abramovic.
She is a New York based performance artist, originally from Yugoslavia. She began her career during the 1970s, and describes herself as the grandmother of performance art. Her work explores the relationship between performer and audience, the limits of the body and the possibilities of the mind.
She once stated:
“I was very angry because I understood there is a physical limit: when you lose consciousness you can’t be present; you can’t perform.”
One piece of work that caught my attention was exhibited at the MOMA in NYC. It was called The Artist is Present. It involved two naked male models standing at the entrance; Hence making the viewer squeeze between them to enter the exhibition. This therefore causes a space restriction, while also highlighting the fact that clothes themselves restrict the body.
I can't say that I would feel comfortable entering an exhibition in such close proximity to the naked models- but that maybe the point. The idea of feeling awkward and uncomfortable limits your mind; your open-mindedness. However, I found Abramovic's work fascinating to research, especially as I have not really explored performance art in the past...
She is a New York based performance artist, originally from Yugoslavia. She began her career during the 1970s, and describes herself as the grandmother of performance art. Her work explores the relationship between performer and audience, the limits of the body and the possibilities of the mind.
She once stated:
“I was very angry because I understood there is a physical limit: when you lose consciousness you can’t be present; you can’t perform.”
One piece of work that caught my attention was exhibited at the MOMA in NYC. It was called The Artist is Present. It involved two naked male models standing at the entrance; Hence making the viewer squeeze between them to enter the exhibition. This therefore causes a space restriction, while also highlighting the fact that clothes themselves restrict the body.
I can't say that I would feel comfortable entering an exhibition in such close proximity to the naked models- but that maybe the point. The idea of feeling awkward and uncomfortable limits your mind; your open-mindedness. However, I found Abramovic's work fascinating to research, especially as I have not really explored performance art in the past...
The image above shows another performance piece from the same exhibition The Artist is Present; in which Abramovic sat and stared at one member of the audience at a time from across a table.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
ALERT! Inspiration Fairy has arrived and I think I have had a breakthrough!
So, after what has felt like ages, I think I have had a breakthrough in where I want my EMP to go, travel, reach by the time of hand-in. Once again through the use of my beautiful DSLR, some good old photography and my creative decisions, I want to explore the idea of Biodiversity, the Green Belt perhaps and basically, how us humans are encroaching on our natural environment. We are creating our own restrictions, due to an increasing population; over housing, building, developing etc. We are taking over ever increasing amounts of natural habitat just to house us people. However in saying that, whatever harm we cause our environment, nature always wins- if it didn't we would have destroyed our planet Earth thousands of years ago. So, in conclusion, I think I am going to create a series of images highlighting the impact that we are having on our natural environment, and how we are RESTRICTING ourselves in the long run by continuing to build developments, housing, car-parks etc.
I was thinking about either making the images into postcards- like a mini awareness campaign in which my postcards would be handed out around university and at the final exhibition. (Recycled card of course, but in conjunction to this, they would also promote my work as an illustrator, hence be used within my Professional Practice Module). I was also thinking about creating one long image; like a false landscape. I think this could be quite effective as many of the photographs work well alongside each other; having a similar atmosphere,hue and colour scheme.
To create my images; I have often combined 2 or 3 original photographs together. Below, you can see how the initial photographs looked and then, when manipulated; the final outcome. I hope you like...
AND FINALLY, once I have selected my favourite images from my collection, I need to decide on which material would be best to print on. I can't decide whether to print them onto heavy, cartridge paper or perhaps even fabric...
As the final part of this process, I want to embroider and stitch the images to highlight specific details- yet, to keep it close to the original title of Restriction; I am going to use restrictive materials such as wire and threads. As part of my exploratory process, I have also been experimenting with which materials are most suitable when attempting to embroider paper! I think the wire and 3D elements will add a more dynamic and experimental technique, turning an ordinary photograph into something creative and unique. (Lets hope so anyway)...
I was thinking about either making the images into postcards- like a mini awareness campaign in which my postcards would be handed out around university and at the final exhibition. (Recycled card of course, but in conjunction to this, they would also promote my work as an illustrator, hence be used within my Professional Practice Module). I was also thinking about creating one long image; like a false landscape. I think this could be quite effective as many of the photographs work well alongside each other; having a similar atmosphere,hue and colour scheme.
To create my images; I have often combined 2 or 3 original photographs together. Below, you can see how the initial photographs looked and then, when manipulated; the final outcome. I hope you like...
Brownsea Island
A block of flats close to my house in London. (I used some of the photographs from the Negotiated Practice Brief)
The view from my train window when returning back to Bournemouth.
THE FINAL OUTCOME...
Below is another example of how I have combined three different images to create part of my final piece.
The three images above resulted in the image below...
The three images above resulted in the image below...
Some more photographic examples/ EMP experiments are shown below.
The above image along with the previous one would work well as a pair or as a continuation, creating an elongated landscape.
AND FINALLY, once I have selected my favourite images from my collection, I need to decide on which material would be best to print on. I can't decide whether to print them onto heavy, cartridge paper or perhaps even fabric...
As the final part of this process, I want to embroider and stitch the images to highlight specific details- yet, to keep it close to the original title of Restriction; I am going to use restrictive materials such as wire and threads. As part of my exploratory process, I have also been experimenting with which materials are most suitable when attempting to embroider paper! I think the wire and 3D elements will add a more dynamic and experimental technique, turning an ordinary photograph into something creative and unique. (Lets hope so anyway)...
Monday, 7 March 2011
EMP Update
So here is this week's EMP update...as the project is developing, I am thinking a possible slight change of direction towards Biodiversity and looking at how us human's are restricting nature and our environment.
I have had quite a good week, taking lots of photos and setting up mini experiments at home to explore the theme of restriction.
As part of my experiments, I have bought some runner bean seeds and put them in various conditions to monitor how different restrictions effect their growth. For example, I have a control experiment seed that has access to normal light conditions, amounts of water and maintained at room temperature. In contrast however, I have 5 other seeds that are being kept in varying conditions; ie. in the fridge; in the depths of a dark drawer and in a sock (for warmth). I have also planted one seed in a piece of bread as a wild experiment...I was actually curious to monitor the 'breaded seed' as 2 out of the 3 conditions were going to be regulated correctly; ie. the seed being watered and kept at room temperature. Will the seed grow, that is the question?
The photographs below were taken for experimental purposes really. I wanted to experiment with various editing techniques while on this photographic journey. However, while experimenting, I thought it would be interesting to use the natural patterns within the leaves in an illustrative way. Perhaps by creating a repetitive design. Just an idea or side project to think about on my way...
The photos below show some examples of nature being restricted by humans. For example, through the use of restrictive materials such as wire, or construction/ building developments.
As part of my 'Restrictive exploration' I decided to wrap our garden hedge in cling film. (Photos below. Once again, I was also experimenting with photographic techniques too). I also did this to a couple of Daffodil plants in our garden.(I did feel a bit mean interfering with nature, but all in the name of my EMP)! I did this once again to document the outcome when restricting the amount of oxygen available to the plants. In regards to the Daffs; due to the humidity of the plastic, the buds opened up significantly faster than the ones not wrapped in plastic.
The Cling-Filmed Hedge!
I decided to wrap myself up in cling film, (thus restricting my movement and limiting myself to the use of one arm) while trying to make a cup of tea followed by the washing up. The process could definitely be describes as interesting...
The photo above shows me hobbling, rather than walking into the kitchen from the conservatory...
Above: Waiting for the kettle to boil!
The photographs below document Stage 2 of my Plant/ Nature Restrictive experiments. This time however, I decided to advance the process by building my own mini indoor garden. I therefore had a restricted space, whilst also trying to restrict the area in which the Ivy could grow by using some garden wire.
AND THE WINNER FOR BEING THE BIGGEST LOOKING PRAT DURING AN ILLUSTRATION INVESTIGATION...GOES TO ME!
Once again, I was trying to prove the point or make the comparison between body restrictions- and therefore researched into African head-dresses; corsets and the native neck and jar stretching. I used a piece of the garden wire around m neck while pottering around the kitchen last weekend. I also tried to drink a glass of water; which was not easy! More ended up down me than in my mouth!
Apologies...another awful photograph of me. From here on in, they are thankfully all of landscapes and picturesque scenery!
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Restriction Continued....
So now that the progress of my EMP is up to date, I thought it would be beneficial to log what my intentions are for the final outcomes. As mentioned several times within my blog, my career aspirations are to go into the creative side of the advertising agency. Hence, I want to direct my work in that direction- probably in the form of an awareness campaign to do with human rights and social restrictions. While doing some contextual research, I did find some previous campaign posters for Anti-slavery by Saatchi & Saatchi and a equal human rights campaign by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Reference Material
As part of my research, I found a couple of artists known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude. They are a married couple whom created environmental pieces of art. Their work includes the wrapping of the Reichstag in Berlin and The Gates in NYC. I thought their work would be an interesting reference point as it is similar to the process I want to use when experimenting with the Rubiks Cube.
Their work is very impressive yet often controversial due to its scale. The artists actually repeatedly deny that their work holds any deeper meaning than the aesthetic value.
Their work is very impressive yet often controversial due to its scale. The artists actually repeatedly deny that their work holds any deeper meaning than the aesthetic value.
178 trees in Berower Park, north east of Basel were wrapped in used 55,000 m2 of silver-grey shiny polyester fabric and 23 km of rope.
I think the work of Christo and Jeanne- Claude will be an interesting reference point as it actually combines my plant experiment nicely with my materials exploration.
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