Unit X Post 1

Starting Unit X

I spent a long time deliberating over what would be the subject for my new carvings.  I began in a similar way as I started the last unit by deciding what I didn’t want to do, I didn’t want a repeat flowery pattern or anything that was just a pattern on its own.  I spent several days in the library looking through photography, graphic design, illustration etc. and anything else that wasn’t related to textiles or interior design.  I was happy with the last project and the inspiration I took from Ernst Haeckel with its organic shapes of sea urchins and other unusual micro-organisms, however I had a feeling that I wanted to use something that was more personal, something I could actually draw from and something I could be more inventive with.

For this project I will be taking the inspiration for my woodcuts from the idea of collecting and arranging possessions.  I will set up still life scenes using the considerable amount of curious objects that have gradually been accumulating in our family home.  These objects feel quite close and personal to me as I have grown up with them all around me.  I will carefully select items that I am fond of and that interest me and I will use these to arrange still life scenes from which I will draw directly.  

My photographs of collected objects

I had some different ideas for displaying the objects such as having them hanging from branches, in a bowl, clustered in a glass jar, balancing on the steps of a step ladder, or in a nest as if they were gathered by a magpie.  The way I have arranged the objects has derived from my fascination with the early cabinets of curiosities - an eclectic assortment of items all jostling for space on one shelf.

I have enjoyed using collected objects for work in previous years, images below show the collection I gathered from my dad’s overcrowded shed; it was a real obstacle course to climb over the clutter to find these items.  For the final piece I produced, all the objects were brought together for a city landscape.

System Board City - embroidered piece for first year unit x at Hotspur House

Waste Not Want Not

I visited a really interesting exhibition in 2012 at the Barbican by artist Song Dong.  It was an installation of over 10,000 possessions collected by his mother over five decades.  After his father died his mother became very depressed, she had always hoarded and collected and this only became worse, she used the objects to fill the emptiness.  The rest of the family had to store what she couldn’t fit in her house; Song Dong had the idea to include her in his work as an artist, so her possessions became his art.  The family gets together for every exhibition to lay out the items and rekindle memories.  Organising her possessions made her happy and when all laid out they told the story of her life.  None of the items were particularly worth anything apart from sentimental value.  I like the Chinese value of ‘waste not, want not’ but I don’t think I could take it this far.  

My photos from the exhibition - empty toothpaste tubes, folded plastic bags..

Whilst researching, I came across a book called ‘A passion for Collecting – The art of Displaying Objects from the Exotic to The Everyday’ it is a fascinating insight into other people’s collections of possessions.  When I was growing up I was often intrigued by the minimalist décor of my friends’ homes; they felt so different compared to my own.  Below are some images I found in the book.

I wanted to make a block that was 21 inches wide, which is the size of the wallpaper I have been using; however I know I can be more flexible with smaller blocks as I can arrange them and combine them in different ways. I have increased the scale of my blocks since the last project as I know how long it takes to cover a large area using the Columbian press.  I have been quite mathematical with the sizes this time, as I did not take this into consideration in the last project, I did not think about how the blocks would fit into the 21 inches, in fact the stripes I was using fitted three and a half times across the width and I had to put newspaper down the side when printing, which was not ideal.  This time I have been more careful with how the blocks fit into the 21 inches, whilst still leaving room for experimentation when I come to print them.

Post 15

Hothouse Scheme

I have looked into this support program run by the Crafts Council, it runs for 6 months from January to June and it aims to help new graduates hoping to start their own business.  This is something I would definitely consider applying for. It is very daunting that I will no longer have the support of college in a few months and financial concerns will become very real.

For the most part of this project I have been working on the technical aspects of what I want to do.  I feel I will have more room to be creative and experimental with shapes, images and layout in the coming project

Unit X

My current project will relate directly to Unit X as I will continue carving and printing with woodblocks, however I aim to develop the type of imagery I work with and would like to use colour combinations and layouts that I will be proud to present.

I realise that I have not focused on making clear-cut collections of prints as much as I have on experimentation.  This project was more about testing ideas and gaining experience of the printing process.  During the next project I want to build a more focused, cohesive group of collections.

Overall I have really enjoyed this unit and I think I have continued to develop a better understanding of my own personal way of working and I have really benefited from being involved in this project.

Post 14

Visualisations of some prints in interior settings drawn in black pen and pencil and assembled in photoshop
These took a long time to make, but I am pleased with the outcome 

Finished Note-card/Stationary Box Set

Set of 6 prints to accompany 3 metre length

Post 13

Printing a 3 metre length of wallpaper

block in position ready to be rolled under press

If I were marketing these designs, colour ways could be changed according to the customer’s taste, All designs could, if desired be printed in a colour scheme hand selected by the customer, in this way the client can play a more active role in the design process and the wallpaper will feel more personal. 

Spring Fair Birmingham NEC (National Exhibition Centre)

This is a trade show for gift, home ware products etc. there are many hundreds of exhibitors on show.  I was overwhelmed by the volume of products on sale, a yearly visit to this show and there is no need to look around any shops.  Very few products had a real artisan feel, although many were attempting to look like one-off handmade items rather than mass produced products.  The variety of imagery being used in stationery, fabrics etc. was immense and made me realise how challenging it is to come up with something new and different.  Good imagery stood out and it was an eye opening experience.  It was interesting to view the exhibitors competing against one another; some were a jumble of different colours and ideas, others displayed more clear-cut collections, and I was reminded once more that often less is more.  It was evident which stands worked and which did not.  

Daniel Heath, a successful independent wallpaper, textile and surface designer came to talk to us about his work. I was interested to see that he used the same two designs for the majority of his work, only varying the colours on request.  It had not occurred to me that an artist/designer may need to stay with a certain design if it is successful in order to make a living, my college experience has been very much about trying to be experimental and constantly thinking about doing something different.  Hopefully in the future I will still have the opportunity to be experimental and challenge myself.  I had not realised that over time a designer becomes known for a certain style and can get stuck in rut, it can be a gamble to change designs as they are at risk of losing their valuable client base.  This is obviously a big subject which I had not previously considered.  He also mentioned that designs can have a masculine or feminine identity, I will be aware of this from now on.    http://www.danielheath.co.uk/

Post 12

Some new prints 

As I am learning Italian this term, I have decided to give an Italian name to each separate collection which I have divided according to the type of block used to print them

Insetti  (insects)      – using the insect blocks

Davanti al Mare  (at the bottom of the sea)      – using the two stripe blocks

Verdi dal Mare  (leaves of the sea)    – using the 3 square blocks

Forme Naturali sotto il Mare  (Natural forms under the sea)       -using laser cut and 3 circular blocks

On reflection these names might sound slightly pretentious, but for now I am enjoying my Italian lessons.

I have chosen one of the prints using stripes and circles that I think works the best and I am going to produce a set of variations on this particular print which will all complement each other and follow the same colour scheme.   Some will incorporate more or less elements than others, some busy and others less so.  As part of the set I want to give myself the challenge of printing a 3 metre length of wallpaper on the Columbian press.

Post 11

Reflection on laser cutting

I found that although the laser cutting itself was surprisingly fast, the preparation took a lot longer, which I was not expecting.  I spent three days on preparation and it took only 37 minutes to cut.  It almost felt like cheating after hand carving.  This process could have lots of potential and I will consider using it again, I could possibly use a combination of hand and laser cutting.  It is very effective for doing larger cuts with finer detail, however when carving by hand I sometimes like to change and adjust the image as I go along which is not possible with laser cutting.

I wanted to add something to the laser cutting – my final 3 carvings of this project.  I normally spend a long time carving my blocks, from several hours to 2-3 days, so I decided to try some much faster carvings 30 mins-1 hour. Taking marks from my drawings I carved into blocks of cherry and yew – a jagged rock, a small round coral form and a cluster of pointed star-like anemone.  I like the organic outline of the blocks and I think the simplicity of these could be really effective, I will try combining and overlapping them.

Colour mixing with my new brayer on large glass plate in print room

Galbraith and Paul         http://galbraithandpaul.com/

An American duo specialising in hand block textiles and wallpaper, they must be successful because they have featured in almost every recent issue of House and Garden Magazine.  I think the complexity of their designs are just right, not too busy, not too simple.  I like their philosophy that they care about the process of making just as much as the finished product.  I am especially drawn to the way their colours are blended in such a subtle and distinct way.  I have bought a small 2.5 inch roller specifically to try this.

Here are some samples for my live brief some of which I have tried blending the colours with my new roller.  The live brief has been the perfect opportunity to be more experimental with colour combinations.  It has also given me insight into how my woodblock print designs could be used for an entirely different context.

Post 10

Prints using new square blocks

Laser Cutting

I had previously considered trying the laser cutter to cut my blocks, but felt very apprehensive due to my lack of technical IT skills, however I am eager to compare hand and laser cutting and I will be seeking technical help from the Mac Help Bar in the near future.  I want to cut a more abstract shape that does not repeat so I can be more experimental with the layouts.

Fine artist-printmaker Terry Winters uses lasers to engrave woodblocks for his abstract prints, the blocks are printed with white ink as a resist, and then the sheet is rinsed with black ink – a process pioneered by Pablo Picasso.  The abstract imagery Terry winters uses really interests me, I am eager to experiment with designs that don’t look like conventional wallpaper. 

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=86733