kvb222spatialartwillmington
kvb222spatialartwillmington
Taylor Willmington
13 posts
Inquiry line: How can spaces be deconstructed and abstracted? Consciously developing an eco practice that materially and symbolically investigates space
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SCALE: wanted to experiment with larger scales and how this would impact various elements of our work.
->This included the sound difference, it would make a more noticeable sound compared to the bamboo without creating too much noise pollution.
->The speed at which the poles swung was changed with the increased scale, it made the movements of the chime more graceful and peaceful whereas the first module was fast and choppy
->It became more eye-catching in the jacaranda tree, the smaller module would get lost amongst the rest of the tree
Consider the two videos here showing the difference in movement/flow and sound:
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WK 7 - Site 2
EXTENDED RESPONSE
•Experimenting with interactive works
It was a fascinating concept to Janea and I to incorporate an element of interactive properties to our work. We were (and still are) unsure whether that will be our final resolved piece, as through an eco-critical lens, we liked nature being in charge of how the work presents itself. On the other hand, our relationship needs to be strengthened between humans and nature, and this could require an immersive, interactive experience that relates human experience to the natural. Thus, this aspect is yet to be resolved.
We are still brainstorming regenerative art approaches, which will be informed heavily through our consult with the client. Other aspects such as how the chimes will be used after our install is being considered.
Some ideas we have discussed are:
•Gifting them to childcare centres/schools to increase awareness in the next generation
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WK 7 - Site 2
Rapid WIP Module Response:
•enhancing the natural behaviours of a space (i.e.; wind)
We enhanced the natural occurrences within the outdoor space by creating a wind chime like sculpture. We decided to hang it above eye-level so that it would catch the most wind whilst remaining in reachable distance. Our first iteration didn't include seed pods, but I thought that adopting loose parts from the space we were responding to was important.
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Not only this, but it increased sound (as the bamboo on its own was subtle which can be heard in the above video). However, it is important to note we avoided use of a material that would be louder such as metal or bells as this would pose the risk of noise pollution and potentially disturb wildlife.
Spacing the bamboo correctly was crucial to increase/decrease volume of sound production. The closer they were placed, and the longer the string was that they dangled from directly impacted the volume, movement and functionality of the sculpture. It was important to consider how to prevent tangling of the chimes.
Overall, we were incredibly pleased with this first iteration. I would like to create multiple sculptures like this one, and continue to ensure they have a hand-made look to them and adopts items from the space.
I'd also like to investigate regenerative approaches, such as leaving out seed bowls of native plants for birds to digest and spread. Although this a serious question for someone with more knowledge of the space, such as our client meeting next week (wk8). This question will be addressed.
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CREATIVE WORK FOLIO
Week 1 - Fundamentals of 3D (Line, Direction, Site) 
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Taylor Willmington
Head Bangin, (2023)
Steel Wire
12cm (L) x 7cm (W) x 16cm (H)
Week 2 - Plane, Balance, Site 
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Taylor Willmington
Balanced Planar Lantern, (2023)
Wooden panels
20cm (L) x 10cm (W) x 25cm (H)
Week 3 - Site and Artwork Digital Visualisation 
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Taylor Willmington
Gates within Nature, (2023)
Digitally manipulated photograph
Week 4 - Volume + Proportion + Site  
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Taylor Willmington
Mounds, (2023)
Sand on butcher paper
2.5m (L) x 1m (W)
Week 5 - Barrambin Site Design 'Sketch' 
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Taylor Willmington
Veins, (2023)
String and bamboo
16m (L) x 7m (W) x 8m (H)
Week 6 - Object + Site 2
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Taylor Willmington and Janea O'Donnell
Material Hazard, (2023)
String, bamboo and steel wire
6m (L) x 2m (W) x 2m (H)
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WK 6 - Object and Site
We wanted to experiment with the use of several materials (wire, string, bamboo and seed pods within the site), and how those introduced new possibilities for direction, movement, balance, volume, proportion, interval and repetition.
DIRECTION/MOVEMENT:
This work evokes movement through the pop colour string flowing from several points of the work, the viewers' eyes travelling to every corner around the work. It literally invites the viewer to circle the work to notice the several relationships occurring within the piece, which would be missed from one angle of viewing. The bamboo acts as a pathway for our eyes to follow.
BALANCE:
Our work began looking like the final image, where the tree looked like it was being held up or pinched uncomfortably with bamboo poles. We decided to experiment with more materials as it meant we could play with balance more. Originally, we used string to try and suspend the bamboo poles in space and time, yet it wouldn't hold in place. We problem-solved and incorporated wire to fasten items together and make more visually dramatic compositions.
VOLUME + PROPORTION: 
We had strong contrast between the artificial, neon string that exploded along the structure and painted through mid-air, compared to the bamboo poles that created strong linear markings and framing.
INTERVAL & REPETITION:
The string takes a consistent form, its composition simultaneously mirroring the grass shoots surrounding the foot of the tree yet looks dried out and malnourished (material hazard). The bamboo is repetitive in its consistent lengths and linear form that hasn't been altered.
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All creative decisions responded to the material hazards we identified nearby impacting nature; fumes of traffic from ICB, heavy foot traffic on grass, chemicals from studio, litter, hazardous items in bins etc.
Artist Study
Robert Smithson
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Robert Smithson
Spiral Jetty, (1970)
Basalt rock, salt crystals, earth, water
4.6 m x 460 m
•Ephemeral
•Spirals - represent life source, water, community, time passing
•The work disappeared then re-emerged due to tidal patterns and changes (Loe, 2017)
•Smithsons' fascination with spirals, physical laws of entropy, and the interplay of scale and perception -> ENTROPY -> if something has been randomly dispersed, it has no structure, and if materials are placed with calculation it has structure -> juxtaposition of structure vs sporadic formations of nature (Loe, 2017)
Richard Long
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•Repetitive movements, how these impact a space
•Performative, documented movement
•Primitive, personal and elemental level - personally represent the potential of a pure dialogue between human and nature (Artland, n.d.)
References
•Artland. (n.d.). Top 10 Land Art and Earthwork Pioneers. https://magazine.artland.com/top-10-land-art-and-earthwork-pioneers/
•Loe, H. S. (2017). The Spiral Jetty Encyclo: Exploring Robert Smithson’s Earthwork through Time and Place. University of Utah Press.
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WK 4 - Volume + Proportion + Site  
Mounds, (2023) is a spatial work, responding to the Kedron Brook and the ants nests that surround the area. By placing these mounds on the surface of a 2.5m x 1m thick butcher paper sheet, it makes the sand appear as if it's floating. It becomes man-made, and the nests lack the safety of grass. This work can be seen as eco-critical, as I removed the natural from where it belongs, and represented it in an unrealistic and uninhabitable way.
The making process consisted of filling a cardboard box with sand from the Kedron Brook and pouring it in a controlled manner (as pictured above) onto the paper to create mounds. It was peaceful and methodical, there was no breaking the ordered system. This can reflect the struggle that nature endures trying to fit into our structured, industrialised world. I dictated the volume of sand that was allowed per mound, and spaced them out to have even and controlled proportions.
I further experimented with bending and warping the paper with gestural movements to shift the sand into different shapes. This can be seen in the last set of 4 images. This demonstrated how the work changes based on movement in the making process, how this impacted volume/proportion and how it transformed the relationship to site.
Artist Study
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Jeppe Hein
Pictured above: Please Touch the Art. (2015). High polished stainless steel, aluminium. 106.5 x 346.5 x 338.5 inches.
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Breathe With Me, (2019). Participatory acrylic painting on canvas.
Many of Hein's works consist of vertical markings and forms spaced in spiraling, maze-like structures that flow and break the rush of the world using form (line, scale, immersive, movement) and content (slow down, save the environment). They are immersive experiences that slow space and time. Breathe With Me invited people from around the world to take a breath and paint this on the canvas, within New York a total of 5,600 people left their mark in this ultramarine blue, showing the hustle and bustle of this space (Hein, 2019).
“Breathe with Me reminds us that we are all in this world together. We all breathe the same air. And every breath gives us the strength to take action for a better world! ” - Jeppe Hein, 2019
Ugo Rondinone
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Seven Magic Mountains. (2016). Spray painted limestone boulders.
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Images sourced from: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/outdoor-art-exhibitions-summer-2016
This work by Rondinone showcases the dynamic of duality; the crossing paths between the natural (captured in the Nevada mountain range) and the city life (the nearby highway and glow of the city lights). It is a staggering work of over 9 metres that towers in the desert (Rondinone, n.d.). This work similar to Heins' makes vertical markings to break up the flow of life and attract attention. These structures defy the flow of nature surrounding, but mirror the linear highway neighbouring. It is childlike, with its palette restricted to the rainbow as well as black and white. It is a merging of pop art and land art, artificial columns that diverge from the natural beauty surrounding (Rondinone, as cited by Nevada Museum of Art, 2017).
References
Hein, J. (2019). Jeppe Hein: Breathe With Me. https://breathewithme.world/worldwide-ny/
Nevada Museum of Art. (2017). Artist Ugo Rondinone on "Seven Magic Mountains". https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=312&v=GDqbobusO80&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fsevenmagicmountains.com%2F&source_ve_path=MTM5MTE3LDEzOTExNywyODY2Ng&feature=emb_logo
Rondinone, U. (n.d.). Seven Magic Mountains. https://sevenmagicmountains.com/about/
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WK 5 concept development
(Pictured above) Burning Man installation called 'Grove' (2016) which used sensors to recognise the breath of the audience to light up.
Two aspects: Trees, light
Tree research
•"The learning isn't written on paper" (pg. 24)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/what-do-these-sacred-trees-tell-us-about-aboriginal-heritage-in-australia-20201030-p56a0g.html , https://wwf.org.au/blogs/treetment-5-culturally-significant-trees-used-in-aboriginal-and-torres/ , https://api.research-repository.uwa.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/1538164/5366_PID5366.pdf
Understanding my site - Barambin indigenous research
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image sourced from: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/parks/victoria-park-barrambin#:~:text=History%20of%20Barrambin&text=The%20area%20now%20contained%20within,with%20the%20local%20Turrbal%20group.
Task 4 - extended response
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Webs in the Pipe. (2023). steel wire and butcher paper roll. 2.5m x 10cm.
The butcher paper creates a tunnel where light can be funnelled in through one end and captures the multi-faceted flow of the wire moving through to the other end. This works use of line is sporadic and condensed towards the end of the tunnel where the light protrudes, and is elongated as if being drawn into a black hole. The act of peering through the tube shifts the perspective so that all we see is the inside of the tube, drastically increasing the volume/proportional relationships.
This work is interactive - it acts as a telescope for the viewer to lay on their belly in a child-like manner at ant-eye-level. Light behaviour shifts throughout time of day, the wire fluctuating between becoming illuminated and casting shadows. This work acts as a magnifying glass that forces us to focus on the smaller things in a space that we often miss.
I wanted to experiment with how radically different my work Mounds would be from a different angle and formal qualities, as well as using different materials. I enjoy the ability to suspend the wire unlike sand, where it can be moulded into any direction and plane and is highly expressive.
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WK 5 - Barrambin Site Design Sketch (Excursion to Barrambin)
On the mini excursion through Barrambin (Victoria Park) we explored several sites including Ibis Island, the beetle-hollowed tree, the seed pod tree and the Jacaranda Tree.
We started by looking up at a large tree with rainbow lorikeets nesting and chattering in it. We compared it to the marginally smaller trees surrounding, and speculated how old the tree may be. I predicted something overwhelming like 300 years, and as a group we discussed all the things that trees have endured and witnessed - I particularly got interested in the tree potentially existing before Colonisation.
In the meditation component, I observed the unseen sensations that the space offered; I noticed the warm soft breeze, the coos of birds and rustling leaves. I got angered by the bussing sounds of the ICB motorway eating away at Barrambins' serenity.
We discussed how nature makes us feel and what impacts us - for me I am overwhelmed by trees, their grand ages and wisdom which sometimes feel unreachable. The notion of flipping trees upside down to reveal the ancient roots, the thought of the root system being as large as what is visible on the surface is mind-boggling. 
Evidence of hydrology and path of least resistance
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Large open spaces
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Beetles creating grooves in the tree
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Investigating different textures
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Leaves defying gravity
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Long-withstanding habits of species nesting patterns
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The Jacaranda tree
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Interested in:
•Soundscapes; enhancing the natural and muting the man-made (ICB)
•Spirituality; the park has offered many including myself a sense of respite and escape. Trees feel like guardians. But particularly for myself, I've come to lay under trees when I am experiencing pains (emotional/menstrual). Further, I have enjoyed full moons in the park, time slows and connection to mother-nature is indescribable.
TWO ASPECTS I WANT TO EXPLORE:
•Trees
•Light
Mockup week 5 - Barrambin
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•Made using photoshop
•Red string (complimentary colour for greens of nature
•Reflects complex root systems of trees and brings it to the surface for us to observe - the red replicates blood and becomes a familiar image of veins and life source
Artist Study
Soma Lumia, collective art group
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Image sourced from: https://www.somalumia.art/
•Inspired by use of projections and LED lights
•The lights act as a curtain and immerse the viewer in the all encompassing work
Lyn Haddon
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Image sourced from: https://www.lynhaddon.com/blue-butterfly-effect
Blue Butterfly Effect
•Inspired by use of sensors that react to movement
•The use of one colour is less appealing to me, I would like to work with a rainbow of colours to communicate the depth within each root of the tree, a technicolour maze that is hard for us to comprehend
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Wk 2 - Plane, Balance and Site extended reflection:
I wanted to capture the light and shadows dancing on the sculpture, and how this created an echo from another plane within the space. It simultaneously created a sense of imbalance as the rapidly shifting shadows and implied presence of wind create a threat of the structure losing its balance.
Wk 3 - Site and Artwork Digital Visualisation 
My photograph for digital mock-up:
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Pictured: Moreton Island Desert, 2023
I was fascinated in how nature framed the ascending gateway to an ominous horizon. it had an infinity effect where it looked as if the sand dropped off. I wanted to have an installation that created dispersed circular barriers that sliced this path so that it lost its calculated and confident direction. I wanted them to be made of frosted glass to erase the natural pathway, and have no text or images on them.
Experimenting with photoshop and GIMP
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Concept
I wanted to break-up the natural using the processed, and create a dizzying and immersive experience for viewers to compare natural versus man-made pathways.
Context
I was informed by the re-used circular shape that I used to modify light projections (refer to video above) from the worksop task 2. Furthermore, I was informed by the installation I experienced when walking to Ishiyama-dera Temple. I enjoyed the choice of glass to break up the natural environment. However, I would use wooden planks at a large, obtrusive scale (my 1m x 1m work versus their roughly 20cm x 10cm work) as this created a severing experience of the natural from man-made.
Process
I began by creating my planar forms using Photoshop and warping them to create a smooth circular appearance, then made this into a png and further iterated using GIMP. As pictured above, I used the smudge tool to create the appearance of the panels submerged in the sand. I used layers and scaling tools that accurately simulated real-life perspective. I added some shading to the surface of the panel and sand.
Form
This work would be feasibly constructible, but each panel would require stands to prop them up in the sand without falling. The behaviour of the sand matters too, and would need to be firm sand such as the location pictured below as to keep it stable and prevent it from shifting as viewers walk through the site.
Final mock-up
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•Happy with the selection of shape, breaking up the organic shapes of nature surrounding it and becoming an alien form within the space
•The composition works well, truly capturing the 'maze' effect
Artist Study
Ishiyama Meigetsu no Kai
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Photo of Ishiyama Murasaki no Michi Plan, (2014) taken by myself, 2023, Japan (Lake Biwa). The text above translates to: "It is said that plants grow well when you talk to them. Would you like to talk to me?"
This installation was created by Ishiyama Meigetsu no Kai jointly with Tsujii Landscape Co., Ltd. and students of the Department of Environmental Design, Osaka University of Arts.
The project aimed to grow all of Lady Murasaki's favourite flowers as tourists walked towards Ishiyama-dera temple, the place in which she wrote at (Ishiyama Meigetsu no Kai, 2014). I was captivated by these glass panels dispersed along the walkway, and was informed by this ethereal appearance for creating my installation.
Alberonero
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Images sourced from: https://urvanity-art.com/en/2021/08/05/5-artistas-urbanos-que-han-explorado-el-land-art/
Beginning as a graffiti artist, Alberonero was fascinated with colour theory and the emotional possibilities of tonal combinations (UVNT Art, 2021) . Rather than clear figurative stimuli, he reduces the world to colour and sensations where an intimate dialogue with space formulates (UVNT Art, 2021).
References
Ishiyama Meigetsu no Kai. (2014.). Ishiyama Murasaki no Michi Plan. http://www.murasakino-michi.com/
UVNT Art. (2021). 5 urban artists in their exploration of Land Art. https://urvanity-art.com/en/2021/08/05/5-artistas-urbanos-que-han-explorado-el-land-art/
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WK 2 - Plane, Balance and Site
My materials of choice were wooden planks and I chose to manipulate those using a ban-saw, drill, hammer, chisel and sanding machine. I joined two planks by measuring on each plank a 1 inch wide x 7 inches long rectangle and used the ban-saw to cut this shape into both. I used a chisel and hammer to remove the hard to reach leftover chunks and this allowed them to join smoothly. I used a scrap semi-circle plank of wood that I found in the leftovers box and measured a similar rectangle for it to slide onto the structure. These points were a balancing act and the structure would collapse if placed on the wrong angle.
I used the drill and placed the circular extension onto it to create a hole in one of the planks. I re-used this chunk and played with balance in many ways. I manipulated the amount of light that could be projected onto the space (like an eclipse effect), I balanced it to see where its limits were and I carefully balanced it in the hole (thanks to the grit of the un-sanded edges of the circle holding it in place) then breaking this balance again with a scrap rectangle of wood. It became a 'lantern', a light work.
Workshop feedback notes
Positives:
-The projection elements (using sunlight) into the space added dimension
-The message was clear - fertility, cycles, female body, masculine vs feminine, umbilical cord connecting foetus to mother etc.
Improvements:
-Scale could be experimented with
-Experiment more with direction and line
Personal reflection
I enjoy the ephemeral aspects of my work, relying on the sun and wind (the space) to add and/or subtract. The elements of plane and balance were conceptually realised in my work as I was experimental and open to various compositions. This helped me to deduce what enhanced/subtracted from exploring plane/balance.
Enhanced
•Using the circle to manipulate the level of light projected onto the floor - high contrast effect... the space is visually interactive
•Two wooden planks intersecting - Visual portrayal of planes within a space... the skewed structure is slightly unbalanced based on its placement
•Drilling a hole in one plank - creates imbalance... ephemeral qualities of the site showcased... draws viewers eyes to one section as opposed to multiple
Subtracted
•Adding more than two planks to the main structure
•The scale could be enhanced - so it feels more immersive... allows for more interactive features
Materials: Using planks was enjoyable and easily accessible. I enjoyed (similar to steel wire) how malleable it is. However, unlike wire it requires more mechanical aids such as saws and hammers. This does introduce more violent approaches to making, which could be an exiting path to go down for later resolved works.
My approach to making was highly methodical; I carefully measured, cut and sanded my structure, hence it would be interesting to juxtapose in the future.
Artist study
Andy Goldsworthy
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Image (left) sourced from: http://fineartdrawinglca.blogspot.com/2021/02/andy-goldsworthy-drawing-with-world.html
Image (right) sourced from: https://www.boredpanda.com/land-art-andy-goldsworthy/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
Goldsworthy is the renowned ephemeral land art artist who works with extreme patience and pays attention to detail. He experiments with balance and manipulating materials to create magical compositions. Even with the wind, tide, sun, gravity and other complications, he highlights the true beauty and breathtaking capabilities that nature beholds for those with patience (Georgieva, 2021).
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
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Image sourced from: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-understanding-christo-jeanne-claude-6-pivotal-artworks
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Image sourced from: https://www.dezeen.com/2020/06/01/christo-jeanne-claude-seven-key-projects-installations-design/
This couple worked on large-scale installations that often wrapped tarps around entire buildings, filled gaps in mountain valley or surrounded islands (as pictured above). The artificially bright and shiny material diverged the man-made and natural, undoubtedly to transform our view of the world and thus our relationship with it (Aldam, 2018).
"We make beautiful things, unbelievably useless, totally unnecessary" - Christo, n.d.
References
Aldam, D. Understanding Christo and Jeanne-Claude Through 6 Pivotal Artworks. Artsy. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-understanding-christo-jeanne-claude-6-pivotal-artworks
Georgieva, C. (2021). Andy Goldsworthy: Drawing with the World. Blogger. http://fineartdrawinglca.blogspot.com/2021/02/andy-goldsworthy-drawing-with-world.html
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Experimenting with more dynamic, interactive works
I wanted to extend my experimentations with 'line, direction and site' by making the lines and direction shift based on the audiences' input. The work becomes mouldable to the viewer, thus the space becomes a moving artwork that investigates line, direction and site. It becomes an active site where line is impacted by the direction of the wooden rail it is attached to. I would like to further investigate how the audience can exist within the space, and experiment with more dynamic routes that the sculpture can explore as there is a restricted, linear nature to the rail seen in the video.
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WK 1 - Fundamentals of 3D (Line, Direction, Site) 
In reflection of my task 1 response, I wanted to abstract my ideas further as I found that my sculpture was highly literal. This began as a figurative representation of the female body. It became a self-portrait, specifically of my hair which as a female determines a lot of how I am "surveyed" and received (Berger, 1972). Hair acts as my female shadow on the spaces that I interact with. They clog the drain, pollute my heavily visited office and stick to the pans.
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This work navigates a domesticated woman navigating a home setting through several locations using the same material (steel wire), slightly moulded to represent varying interaction with the space.
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Firstly, the image above represents banging my head frustratedly on an office desk. It is stagnant, a still snapshot that freezes the gesture to extract that lack of hope and frustration in the tension of the office space.
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This piece represents the progressive aggression of hair clogging the drain, the whimsical movement of it swaying and spiralling as it dances with the water flowing from the tap, it sticks to the sides of the basin and gradually pools at the drain.
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Finally, I moulded the wire to somewhat stick to a pan like hair sticking to its surface. However, I enjoyed leaving the wire floating an inch apart from the surface (which is seen with the shadow cast on the pan) as it left a sense of separation from the materials and introduced duality to the direction as shadow and material fought for control.
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As an extension and further abstraction of this series, I wanted to extend this piece outdoors and investigate the space itself as opposed to applying figurative prompts. I located a space which had line and direction that fascinated me which was a flooring that had significant damage to its wooden panels. Using the steel wire, I moulded it to explode from the deteriorating wood, as if grass shoots or vines fighting against man-made (Tekant, 2020). The wire attempted to fix the broken panels and mirrored its harsh, jagged punctures. I chose to warp the wire into a wobbly line that replicated the echoes of the tearing sound of wood and the vibration of the impact. I experimented with joining the two holes to break the linear lines of the panels. I found that shoving the wire forcefully into the hole replicated the implied violence of the wood breaking, thus it became a direct response to the space. The works' direction consisted of dizzying, spiralling lines which reflected the leaves blowing in the wind in the space.
References
Berger, J. (1972). Ways of Seeing. Penguin Books. Great Britain. 
Tekant, M. (2020). Human-Made Materials Outweigh All Living Beings on Earth. Harvard. https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2020/human-made-materials-outweigh-all-living-beings-on-earth/
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WK 1 - Fundamentals of 3D (Line, Direction, Site) 
This week we were assigned the materials of either steel wire in 3 varying grades, or twine. I selected steel wire as my material as I was particularly fascinated with investigating the feminine/female body. Recently my practice has been investigating ancient representations of women and their bodies, particularly the Venus of Willendorf. I chose steel wire as it is untraditionally associated with women and depicting their bodies.
Workshop feedback notes
Positives:
-The coiling effect was highly visually pleasing
-The message was clear - fertility, cycles, female body, masculine vs feminine, umbilical cord connecting foetus to mother etc.
Improvements:
-Scale could be experimented with
-Experiment more with direction and line
Personal reflection
In response to the feedback 'experiment more with direction and line' while I was making my sculpture, I added more dimension and flow to the work which was originally a solitary mother. By creating the illusion of a floating foetus that flowed from the womb out into the visible world, it allows us to imagine these tendrils as the essence of a protective mother guiding her child into the world. Love is an invisible sensation, but having the wire represent this shines a light on a previously unseeable world.
Materials: Using wire contrasts heavily to the softness of love and traditional models of the feminine/female body. By purely hand-moulding the wire, it makes this work tender and further reflects the mouldable qualities of children. I also decided to only use one continuous line in my piece and avoid soldering as I wanted to create a sense of connectedness and unity without exterior influences.
Artist study
Ruth Asawa
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Asawa creates intricate, suspended wire sculptures that are ethereal and mysterious. Her choice of material is an investigation of "durable fragility", where despite wire being seen as a sturdy material, can become malleable and vulnerable (Asawa, as cited in Reynolds, 2018). the flow of her drooping pieces create this "implication of movement where none exists", creating this illusion of acceleration in sections that bulge and slowing it in sections that pinch together (Asawa, as cited in Reynolds, 2018).
Asawa fabricates each work using her bare hands, a technique which I similarly adopted in my making process (MoMA, n.d.)
Andrea Mulcahy
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Mulcahy is an artist that similarly utilises steel and positions the viewer to forget its hard qualities by bending and contorting it (Mattstonemedia, n.d.). It adopts a fluidity to its form and ultimately yields the energetic flow of the space it occupies (Mulcahy, n.d.)
Likewise, my works represent steel wire as sensual and dynamic despite its predominant material habits (Mulcahy, n.d.). She uses processes such as "soldering" and "pliers" (Mattstonemedia, n.d.), which I decided was not what I wanted to investigate as I wanted to create harmony and a flow where line was entirely connected.
References
Mattstonemedia. (n.d.). Project Description: Andrea Mulcahy. http://cascobayartisans.com/artist/andrea-mulcahy/
MoMA. (n.d.). Ruth Asawa. https://www.moma.org/artists/21
Mulcahy, A. (n.d.). Andrea Mulcahy Fine Arts. FASO. https://www.andreamulcahy.com/about
Reynolds, A. (2018). Ruth Asawa's Shadow Play. Frieze. https://www.frieze.com/article/ruth-asawas-shadow-play
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