Group Discussion

D E C I D I N G  O N  A  N E W  I D E A

Until this point in Unit X our group has been working relatively individually and only using the group as a support system. However, after discussing in our group once more the idea of 175, Eloise came up with a new idea. Eloise was individually looking at the P and O cruises 175th anniversary when she came across and old poster entitled 'tracing our roots back'. As a group we all agreed that we really liked this new concept and it was finally something we all wanted to research and look into. Over the two week break we have decided to each take 175 photographs and produce a body of 'drawings' each so that we can continue to work collaboratively on the return to manchester. 

I am excited at the prospect of this new idea, and although this is completely different from the research I was originally working on, I can link it in some ways as the number five is linked with adventure, motion and travel.  In order to trace my roots back this involves an adventure back wards into the past and as well as this five promotes radical change; which is exactly what has just happened.

Looking through books

R U M M A G I N G

In order to understand the amount of travelling and searching for thourough artist research I should probably explain my further thoughts on Unit X. After thinking about the starting point of 175 a little deeper, I was most interested at looking at the meaning of the number five. This is because five is linked with travel adventure and motion, I particularly like this quote " Fives also carry instability and unpredictability, and radical changes. It beckons us to appreciate the chaos ". I feel like this quote ties in well with my work because as an artist I find that the mistakes I create through the chaos as it were, are usually the more successful pieces of my work. I really like this factor of my work, and feel like these happy accidents and experiments need to be appreciated. 

By following these key elements of the number five (travel, motion, adventure) to guide me and influence my work on Unit X, I have actively searched for works and ideas and come across an inspirational book by Damien Hirst. 

A P P E N D I X  C O L L A G E S 

 Hung Up 1983-85 

Lancet 1983-85

Expanded From Small Red Wheel 1983-85

With Finger Plate 1983-85

V & A

B A R B A R A  N E S S I M 

The show of Barbara Nessim's work at the V & A, presented around 80 works that cover her output from the 1960s to the 2000s. It includes sketchbooks, prints, drawings, photographs, computer graphics, ceramics, artist’s books and other printed publications. Her drawings and watercolours are highly distinctive which she produced in the 60s and 70s. They are a wonderful evocation of the New York art, fashion and music scene

I found her work quite interesting due to her vibrant colour choices. I also like the way she mostly uses water colour as it seems a very simple form to work in. I like that by purely looking at the style and colour choices, it would be easy to guess that the shoes were sculptured in the mid 70's.

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V & A

V I N T A G E  S E L E C T I O N S

During my visit to the Victoria and Albert museum, I found myself going back to the vintage section of the modern half of the gallery. Although I have set myself a task of looking at contemporary art, I just cannot help myself looking at my old favourites. 

I feel these objects have so much character which I think can be harder to find when looking at very modern items, I often find them plain and they lack the sense of skill and design that these beautiful old designs hold. 

Despite being colour obsessed I love the neutral colours and limited colour ranges of these lamps, it reminds me of that antique feel of golds and rust. 

Below is a photograph of a bright tapestry which I loved against the teak wooden chairs. 

Installations

S U S I E  M A C M U R R A Y

Susie came into talk to us this week and her work is inspiring for me in this project in particular, as I have already thought about doing an installation piece. 

Idea Development

O N E S E V E N F I V E


This week our task was to develop our ideas further and so I have researched the meanings behind the numbers 1, 7 and 5. 

After researching the spiritual meanings of numbers on this website http://www.whats-your-sign.com/spiritual-meaning-of-numbers.html I discovered that the number one primarily deals with strong will, positivity, pure energy and reflects new beginnings and purity. It is ruled by the Sun. 

O N E

The number seven deal with magical forces. Sevens deal with esoteric, scholarly aspects of magic. Representative of scholarly activities, and the focused search for esoteric meanings. Seven deals with the activation of imagination and manifesting results in our lives through the use of conscious thought and awareness and is ruled by Saturn.

S E V E N 

The spiritual meaning of number five deals with travel, adventure, and motion. With the highs that come with these attributes, Fives also carry instability and unpredictability, and radical changes. It beckons us to appreciate the chaos and is ruled by Jupiter. 

F I V E 

For each of my numbers I have devised a colour palette purely based on my own interpretation of the words which have come from the numbers. For example, some of the meanings of the number 1 were positivity and strong will which to me should be portrayed in red.

At the moment, I am unsure on whether I am going to take these colour palettes any further into my project, however I wanted to experiment with my ideas on colour based on meaning and semantics. 

Brassart - Chara Lewis

D A R K  M A T T E R S 

Previously this week I attended a lecture from Chara Lewis. I found her lecture very useful- it was very interesting listening to how she adapts her practice in order to work as a collaboration, as well as learning about different pieces that the practice have created. 

An interesting idea that I took from this lecture was the use of "play". Its interesting and innovative that entertainment is used in the creation of Brass Art's work. 

By looking at this collaborative group I think it will be interesting to see how my own group react to the project in comparison to a professional group. 

http://vimeo.com/lizinha/brassart

Thoughts on Unit X

T H I S  W E E K S  T H O U G H T S

This week is the beginning of Unit X, and after feeling a bit confused for a couple of days I have now had lots of thoughts and ideas on this new collaborative unit. This year, Manchester school of art is celebrating its 175th birthday, and so our Unit X project theme is based on the number 175. I am currently considering the ways that I can interpret 175 to do some research but my ideas so far are based on the meanings of the number 1, 7 and 5.

Throughout Unit X I would like to address the criticisms from my previous unit in order to develop my work in this unit further. One of the main critics of my work from the data unit, was that the artists I looked at were textiles artists and the advice I have been given is to look at artists from all manners of art. I want to broaden my work and create really individual pieces, and to do this I need to look into more contemporary art from everywhere. I now understand that to develop new textile works of art, I have to look further than textiles to be able to successfully produce new ideas.

Following this advice, throughout Unit X I want to look at lots of contemporary artists whose work intrigues me and challenges my previous work. I would also like to produce something completely different to the work that I have done before.

Manchester Art Gallery

K A R L  F R I T S C H 

Karl Fritsch is a jeweller whose craft has been defined as "artistic intervention." Fritsch often uses existing pieces as a starting place -- removing or replacing the stones, recasting the settings, oxidizing the metal -- to create wholly unique and inspired renovations of traditional jewellery. The jewellery is so beautifully intricate and holds so much depth, and this is the reason I find it so inspirational to my own work.