Final evaluation of the Counter culture project: Our counter culture brief has been the first project of the year. At the beginning of this project I chose to revolve my work around the environment and environmental activism as this falls under the category of counter culture and is something that I strongly believe in. However, while starting this project I found myself having difficulty connecting to the subject in a creative way and in turn this made me feel uninspired and unmotivated. So, to rectify this I began to do a simple walk every day along the same route and photograph and document different kinds of litter that I found and collected this evidence so that I had photographs and material to use as a starting point. In the beginning of the project I was greatly inspired by DaDa artists, in particular Hannah hoch and her collage work. I think that this would be a simple and easy first development for my own work as I had gathered lots of materials to work with. I was...
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Final piece: As a final development for this project I was speaking to some of my course mates and one of them suggested the possibility of placing my cut outs outside. I really liked this idea and thought that it ties in well with my theme so I went into my back garden and placed the cut outs in different places such as against a stone wall and in a bush. The first this I noticed while looking at my work outside is that I believe that this brought my work to life, it was as if everything fell into place and my work suddenly made complete sense while in an outside, natural environment. I think that having my pieces placed outside allowed the images to be tied back to the original photos of litter that I took at the very beginning of the project creating a nice cycle from start to finish. When looking at my final images I believe that there is something quite comical about them, fake litter being placed outside masquerading as real litter. It's ironic in a way that is a...
Experimentation with light and shadows: Before moving on to y final images I wanted to explore the use of light and shadows within my work. While taking photographs using my makeshift photography backdrop and hand help torch I noticed that the cut outs I made were casting large shadows onto the white backdrop. I quite liked this and decided to experiment a little bit more by moving the torch from side to side and in different directions to see what would happen with the shadows. The shadows seemed to enlarge and dance around and I believe creates a sense of depth and movement within the piece, it makes it seem as if the work is alive. I believe that the way the shadows move and dance add a whimsical and fantastical element to my work, it takes it beyond just standing cut outs and invokes an odd but intriguing atmosphere for the viewer. I like this development and the outcome, however, I don't feel compelled to take it any farther. To continue to take this work forwards I wan...
Artist research: Ryota Kuwakubo 'The bell and the sun - The secret gadget museum', the Doraemon exhibition, Singapore, 2022. This installation piece features everyday house hold items and uses light and shadows to create these large figures on the walls. When looking at this piece I am fascinated by the way such mundane objects are able to create these intricate and detailed shapes. As the video plays out I think that the shadows seem to form shapes that resemble landscapes and architecture and seem to create a world of their own. Initially, when looking at this piece I am immediately drawn in by the moving shadows. I think that the contrast between the wandering shadows and the white light allow the piece to be visually stimulating and immersive for the viewer, and they seem as if they are dancing across the wall which I believe adds an undertone of elegance to the piece. I believe that this is a very enticing piece of work, I think that the darkness of the room creates a m...
Found litter development: To develop my piece I decided to make card board cut outs made from printed out images of the different types of litter that I found. I was inspire by artists such as Meredyth Sparks and Matt Lipps and their work surrounding collage and cut outs. I chose to create one large version and one smaller so that I was able to play about with the scale and size which I believe would allow me to make a more interesting composition rather than just have everything the same size. I wanted to be as eco friendly as possible while creating these as this is a performative aspect of my entire project, so I used biodegradable materials such as cardboard, paper and PVA glue which is semi biodegradable and more environmentally friendly than other synthetic polymers. It took me a while to get the section on the back of the cut outs to stand up correctly and I had to reattach them a few times, but eventually I got them to work and was able to stand my pieces next ...
Artists research: Meredyth Sparks and Matt Lipps 'Roxy', 2008 by Meredyth Sparks. This piece is constructed out of 27 separate pieces and features a selection of different women in varied positions ranging from fully clothed to almost nude. The colour scheme seems to be darker with small splashes of paler colours which I think contrast each other well. I think that the way the this has been composed allows there to be depth and layers within the work, as if the women are jumping out at the viewer and trying to break free of the work itself. The women all seem to be done up and have full glam makeup on, they all seem to be staring at the camera either straight faced or with half lidded eye. I think that this invokes a sultry and seductive atmosphere within the piece, however, to me to seems as if these women are being put on display and exhibited as objects and items rather that humans. I think that with this view point looking at the work for a second time gives the viewer a d...
Bonnington Gallery: Robb Claytons 'Estate Series' were the images that I was drawn to the most out of the whole exhibition and features two images. One of what looks like a married couple standing behind a cash register in a corner shop, and the other is a close up of a table with with milk, sugar and an old radio on top of it. I was particularly draw to these two images as as the colour grading that has been used seems vibrant in a way that contrasts the mundane settings. In the first photograph my eyes are immediately drawn to the multitude of alcohol and cigarette packets stacked behind the cash register, and the junk food sprawled across the counter top. It reminds me of the toner shops near my own home that I would go to as a teenager to be able to buy cheap sweets and energy drinks and I believe that this setting invokes a nostalgic feeling for the viewer. As if they were getting a glimpse back to their school days. When looking closely I can see that there are to...