On Saturday 14th April, I travelled to Auschwitz and paid for a private guided tour of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. I went with Christina and two girls from our dormitory as well as four friends who were visiting the girls. We got a minibus there and back, the journey took around 40 minutes from Katowice.
It is very hard to put into words the feelings and emotions that I experienced before, during and after the tour.
I chose to go and visit Auschwitz because I felt it would be valuable for myself to gain a fuller understanding of what the largest German Nazi concentration camp and extermination centre was actually like, this could only be experienced if I visited the site. We visited both sites, Auschwitz I (the original concentration camp) and Auschwitz II-Birkenau (a combination concentration/extermination camp).
It was a difficult day and although I learnt alot and felt connected to how the victims must have felt, I would not visit again and I don't particularly want to write a long blog post about the experience.
I am pleased that I went and it has made me realise quite how lucky we are in the present day, we must not take anything for granted.
I feel grateful I was able to gain a better knowledge of a large part of Poland's history and I think this visit has helped me to gain a better picture of Poland's cultural identity both in the past and in the present, how it may have changed due to the horrific events of WW2.
"For the dead and the living, we must bear witness" - Elie Wiesel
Monday, 30 April 2018
Monday, 23 April 2018
Light Sensitivity Progress (Interpretation of Literature)
I have progressed rapidly since I last reflected on the work I have been producing for the Interpretation of Literature unit. After my first consultation, I started to gather information about the learning aims and objectives of the studio as well as look at examples of student work to inspire my own project work.
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| ' Tree Meadow in Kosciusko Park' - a photograph from my park series |
I found this statement written on ASP Katowice website about the Interpretation of Literature Studio.
'The premise of the studio is to develop the sensitivity needed to recognise one's own experience in the context of the dynamics of changes in various texts of culture. Verbalising ideas, analysing and articulating problems in the process of conceptualisation of ideas - form of expression, and consequently conscious choice of adequate language - open to the spatial and social context and the full spectrum of interdisciplinary of the medium (imaging technologies and tools) - creates an open work environment for shaping new forms of communication by means visual language. Classes are individual and collective discussions / corrections and, depending on students' interests and competences, are calculated to shape the personality of the artist and develop the ability to make the necessary choices in the creation process'.
Many students have used photography, editing, Photoshop manipulation, close up photo-focused with blurred background or an outdoors environment in the creation of work.
https://www.asp.katowice.pl/en/academy/structure/studios/interpretation-of-literature-studio.html
http://aspkat.edu.pl/zobacz/pracownia-grafiki-interpretacje-literatury
I found this statement enticing to read. I initially thought that the class was going to be narrative illustration based but it is actually more focused on abstract concepts loosely linked to literature. This way of working has helped me to consider how to visualise text in a different light, working in a less obvious way and using mediums I haven't experimented with much over my first year and a half of studying Illustration at UCA Farnham.
Tutorials
I have found the tutorials I have been having with one of the Interpretation of Literature tutors very useful and informative as she has provided me with plenty of idea generation possibilities as well as artists I can research to help inspire my own creation of work.
I was told to look at deeper meanings of my chosen word - light sensitivity. Looking into other areas that could be related to the word such as subjective reality. This defines as the part of reality that exists as experiences. I think this relates to the photographic work I have been producing because my photographs show my walking experiences of exploring Katowice as well as viewpoints I have captured from my dormitory window.
Subjective Reality
I found a blog about the book, 'The Social Construction of Reality' by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The thesis states that everyday reality is socially constructed by human interaction.
"People are not born members of society, they are made members of society" (Berger and Luckmann 1966:149)
This quote suggests that are in order to become a member of society you need to have done or experienced something in a social structure thus creating a reality.
https://blogsociology.wordpress.com/tag/subjective-reality/
Camera Obscura
The camera obscura refers to room (camera) and dark (obscura), a dark room.
The earliest versions consisted of darkened rooms with light admitted through a single tiny hole. Resulting in an inverted image of the outside scene that was cast on the opposite wall, which was usually whitened. For centuries, the technique was used for viewing eclipses of the sun without endangering the eyes.
In the 16th century, it was an aid to drawing - the subject was posed outside of the image reflected on a piece of drawing paper for the artist to trace. Portable versions were built, followed by smaller and even pocket models, the interior of the box was painted black and the image reflected by an angled mirror so that it could be viewed the right side up.
http://brightbytes.com/cosite/what.html
If I get a chance, I would like to try creating my own camera obscura.
Light and Space Movement
The tutor suggested I look into this art movement because it relates to the style of work I am producing. I should also consider human perception when looking at examples of the work produced within this art movement.
'The West Coast Minimalist Art of the 1960s and 1970s was concerned with how geometric shapes and use of light could affect the environment and perception of the viewer. It has been argued that light and space art emerged in no small part because of Los Angeles' radiant light and tempered atmosphere'.
https://www.artsy.net/gene/light-and-space-movement
I created a mind map of related themes, these include:
- Visual Perception
- 20th Century Art - Light Art - Land Art
- Minimalism
- Shiny / Glossy
- Light as a subject
- Immersive
- Colour Gradient
- Transparent / Translucent Medium
I did some further research into some artists associated with the Light and Space Movement. I showed and discussed these images with my tutor during the tutorial.
Robert Irwin
Irwin is regarded as an innovator in the Light and Space movement. He began his career as a painter and turned to installation as a means of disposing with medium and object altogether. Making works of art that don't announce themselves as such, he is best known for the Getty Gardens in Los Angeles, an ever-changing, site-specific installation that explores the interplay between light, flora and water.
His installations sometimes result from elimination of forms from a space, such as his removal of window panes at San Diego's Museum of Contemporary Art to alter the experience of being in a gallery. The work is pictured below:-
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| 1 degree, 2 degree, 3 degree, 4 degree, 1997 Apertures cut into existing windows, 115 x 320 x 221 inches, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 2 locations |
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| Light and Space, 2007, 115 fluorescent lights, 271 1/4 x 620 inches Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 2 locations |
'illustrates the movement's illusionism through manipulated light (which changes over time) and space or depth, in this case conveyed by real salt air breezes wafting through windows'.
Three rectangles are cut into the gallery's tinted windows in order to create actual openings. They challenge the human eye because they frame details of the 'postcard-perfect scene'.
James Turrell
Turrell is another photographer who is associated with the light and space movement. His style involves the use of innovated photographic techniques that 'allow light to have a physical presence'. He uses holography (photographic recording of a light field) to make the light itself the subject matter rather than the chosen medium. He is known for his coloured light installations that appear to 'possess mass and take up space as planes, cubes, pyramids and tunnels'.
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| 6 photograph series - 67 68 69 A two-venue exhibition at 32 East 57th Stand 534 West 25th St. |
The project involved experimenting with high-intensity projectors, using them to modulate shape and the eyes' perception of it. The result was these corner projections, using light as a medium to create the appearance of free-floating, three-dimensional objects that were suspended in the corners of a room at the gallery.
My Light Sensitivity Photographic Experiments
I went on to take a series of photographs on my digital camera, changing the ISO, aperture and shutter speed settings to create photographs that explore my given word.
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| The Dormitory view (from a series of 6 photographs) |
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| Park Visit 1 |
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| Park Visit 2 |
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| Park Visit 2.1 |
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| Park Visit 3 |
I enjoyed experimenting with the different settings on my digital camera that I can manually change. The tutor thinks my photographs are beautiful and thoughtful. She asked whether I write words down when I walk and observe my surroundings, I showed her this simple poetry and list of words I had created:-
I found a peaceful spot
to collect my thoughts together
surrounded by luscious green grass
tall textured trees
and birds singing, the signs of spring
Long shadows fell onto the uneven path
tree domination was strong
birch trees adorned the place where I was sat
observing, thinking, memorising
a gentle breeze
twisting trees
fallen leaves
shadows
sun reflections
sweet birds song
aroma of spring flowers
bumble bee buzzing
variation of trees
twigs
insects
branches
birds
lampposts
feathers
reflections
She particularly liked the last list of words I wrote above, she enjoyed the abstractness conveyed by the simple list. The next stage of my project is to consider printing a selection of my photographs out and finding a space to exhibit them in. I need to consider different solutions of presenting, I could create visualisation sheets using Photoshop to see how my photographs would look if I printed them out in different scales.
I also need to consider how to combine my words with my imagery. My tutor suggested I could use a projector with my memory stick plugged in so my photographs could be projected onto a wall space. I could then record how natural light affects the way my photographs look. I think this is an interesting idea as I have never done anything like this before and I like the thought of my exhibit being a little interactive as I could record people looking at my images and see if any human shadows appear. I would have to think about how to record these photographs throughout the exhibition, perhaps having my camera set up on a tripod or something less obvious and hidden so as not to draw attention to the fact that I am recording the scene.
My work could fit with James Turrell's way of thinking. He uses dark spaces for his exhibitions and I have the opportunity to use the University car park located underground - underneath the main University building for my temporary exhibition.
I hope to exhibit my work somewhere in the University as I would like it to reach a wide audience of Polish art students and professors who may be interested in the work I have been creating. The University also seems quite open so I'm sure that visitors would be able to view it as well. My tutor also suggested I could record myself saying the words I have written and play it within my exhibit, I'm not sure I'm too keen on this idea as I don't really like the sound of my own voice however it could be interesting for Polish people to hear an English accent recorded!
It could be a great exhibit that combines sound, image and space, like an installation.
The first exhibition would be temporary so that I could record my observations and then I could participate in the exhibition at the end of term, including my new photographs in my exhibition series. My focus for the time being is deciding how to create the temporary exhibit and set it up, as well as thinking about camera obscura and returning to the original meaning I interpreted for light sensitivity, in particular use of abstract light in my work.
Sunday, 22 April 2018
ERROR - Developing work for a Collaborative Exhibition (Interdisciplinary Actions)
Last Friday, we met two Fine Art lecturers from Plymouth University who have come to ASP Katowice for a Residency programme. We were told by our Interdisciplinary Actions tutors that we were being given the opportunity to collaborate with the guest lecturers and Polish students on a 2 week project concluding with an Exhibition at an art gallery nearby to Katowice.
I was excited to be told we could be a part of a Professional Exhibition especially considering we are missing the Exhibition unit at UCA. In contrast to our home university, we only have 2 weeks to discuss, create work and curate the exhibition before it opens on the evening of Friday 27th April so the pressure is on. I like the fact that it is such a short project time frame because it allows me to fully focus on the task in hand, going along with my instincts because I don't have time to keep changing or editing my ideas. It is a useful skill to transfer into the workplace in the future as well.
We also have opportunities to exhibit our work towards the end of the semester for our other classes, I will reflect on these in future blog posts when I am able to find out more.
The given theme is 'Error' and for the first week, we were asked to come up with a map of thinking and meanings alongside 5-10 images exploring our personal opinions of error.
I began by creating a mind map researching the definitions, how error manifests my own art practice, brief artist research and reading into some articles about mistakes made in art practice.
I went on to create a mind map of visual ideas for the theme. I thought about work I have produced since I have been studying in Poland as well as new ideas I could explore. My ideas included creating 'glitch' effects on photographs I have taken in Katowice, using watercolour very loosely (wet on wet technique) to see how many errors I make, creating illustrative narratives such as creating a pattern of 4 leaf clovers with one 3 leaf clover and visualising a lawn being mowed with a large patch of long grass being missed. Those are just a few of my many ideas and I decided to explore some of them in my image construction.
Online Articles
I did some web research and found some useful quotes relating to Error.
"Creative people understand that mistakes are not meant to be roadblocks and that.. more often than not.. innovation arises on the heels of error" (Dan Scotti, 2015)
This suggests that mistakes aren't necessarily a negative for creative people because they can help us to strive. By being able to recognise you have made a mistake, methods can be considered into how the mistake can be rectified or even built upon. Not every error that is made is unusable in a new context. A creative practice without mistakes would not allow an artist to fully achieve.
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes" (Oscar Wilde)
This implies that the occurring of an error should be thought of as an event in the process, a way of engaging in the process not a mistake because although it may not have been planned it can help a person to develop their learning.
https://www.elitedaily.com/life/creative-people-make-mistakes/1157136
Another article I found particularly interesting was about how mistakes and creative perspectives are linked. When you explore something that is unknown to you, you will have to make mistakes. False starts are attempts that fail at producing the desired result.
http://ryuc.info/common/creativity_perspective/mistakes.htm
Artist Research
When researching artists who work within the theme of error/mistakes I came across the style of Glitch Art. The style is experimented with across the disciplines of photography, video stills, moving image and other image data. It can be described as,
'chaos and purpose - an experimental collision' (Khaikin, 2014)
The purpose of the art style is to create technological errors that are either present already or stimulated, in order to produce an artistic statement. The examples of Glitch art work I found looked as if they were purposely created in a 'glitchy' way, adding visual effects to an otherwise clean image.
Image Construction
I created as many images as I could based on the error theme for our next meeting with the tutors. I tried to experiment with a variety of mediums and concepts. These included photography, drawing, writing, text and image, sculpture...
I was excited to be told we could be a part of a Professional Exhibition especially considering we are missing the Exhibition unit at UCA. In contrast to our home university, we only have 2 weeks to discuss, create work and curate the exhibition before it opens on the evening of Friday 27th April so the pressure is on. I like the fact that it is such a short project time frame because it allows me to fully focus on the task in hand, going along with my instincts because I don't have time to keep changing or editing my ideas. It is a useful skill to transfer into the workplace in the future as well.
We also have opportunities to exhibit our work towards the end of the semester for our other classes, I will reflect on these in future blog posts when I am able to find out more.
The given theme is 'Error' and for the first week, we were asked to come up with a map of thinking and meanings alongside 5-10 images exploring our personal opinions of error.
I began by creating a mind map researching the definitions, how error manifests my own art practice, brief artist research and reading into some articles about mistakes made in art practice.
I went on to create a mind map of visual ideas for the theme. I thought about work I have produced since I have been studying in Poland as well as new ideas I could explore. My ideas included creating 'glitch' effects on photographs I have taken in Katowice, using watercolour very loosely (wet on wet technique) to see how many errors I make, creating illustrative narratives such as creating a pattern of 4 leaf clovers with one 3 leaf clover and visualising a lawn being mowed with a large patch of long grass being missed. Those are just a few of my many ideas and I decided to explore some of them in my image construction.
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| Error - map of thinking |
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| Visual ideas for Error map |
Online Articles
I did some web research and found some useful quotes relating to Error.
"Creative people understand that mistakes are not meant to be roadblocks and that.. more often than not.. innovation arises on the heels of error" (Dan Scotti, 2015)
This suggests that mistakes aren't necessarily a negative for creative people because they can help us to strive. By being able to recognise you have made a mistake, methods can be considered into how the mistake can be rectified or even built upon. Not every error that is made is unusable in a new context. A creative practice without mistakes would not allow an artist to fully achieve.
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes" (Oscar Wilde)
This implies that the occurring of an error should be thought of as an event in the process, a way of engaging in the process not a mistake because although it may not have been planned it can help a person to develop their learning.
https://www.elitedaily.com/life/creative-people-make-mistakes/1157136
Another article I found particularly interesting was about how mistakes and creative perspectives are linked. When you explore something that is unknown to you, you will have to make mistakes. False starts are attempts that fail at producing the desired result.
http://ryuc.info/common/creativity_perspective/mistakes.htm
Artist Research
When researching artists who work within the theme of error/mistakes I came across the style of Glitch Art. The style is experimented with across the disciplines of photography, video stills, moving image and other image data. It can be described as,
'chaos and purpose - an experimental collision' (Khaikin, 2014)
The purpose of the art style is to create technological errors that are either present already or stimulated, in order to produce an artistic statement. The examples of Glitch art work I found looked as if they were purposely created in a 'glitchy' way, adding visual effects to an otherwise clean image.
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| Work by Sabato Visconti - 'Glitching is the careful stimulation of malfunction. It's an absurd scheme that requires some finesse because some glitches will break a file beyond recognition and other glitches will have no effect at all' |
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| Work by Stephen Lofstrom I find this work particularly interesting. The placement of the glitching almost makes the image appear 3D in some areas. The colours blend together well and the distortion of the figures gives them more of a mysterious visual identity |
I created as many images as I could based on the error theme for our next meeting with the tutors. I tried to experiment with a variety of mediums and concepts. These included photography, drawing, writing, text and image, sculpture...
In the meeting (Thursday 19th April) with all the tutors after the first week of the project had gone by, we each presented the images and mind maps we had created to them and the other students involved. I explained the meaning behind each piece I had created and they helped me to pick out the strongest pieces that I can then develop further into the lead up to a final piece.
They thought the photo tube sculpture I had created was very interesting. I took one of my digital graphics pieces that I had printed on photo paper and rolled it into a tube shape, fixing it together with two hair slides. I count this photo as an 'error' because it printed slightly blurred on the photo paper, compared to when I printed it larger on matte paper. I cut out some areas to sort of deconstruct the photo and also added some ink pen marks onto the tree trunk and branches that I blended with my finger to make the image appear slightly distorted. I personally don't particularly like it, I think it looks like something a child would make out of paper. I also crumpled the paper before I rolled it into the tube format so it definitely relates to error, even if I did make it fit the theme rather than using a work that already had the potential to fit with the theme in a more obvious way.
The tutors suggested I could create larger versions of the paper sculptures which could then be placed on the floor of the exhibition room at the gallery. I tried creating some slightly bigger models using some A3 lettering paper I had created roughly and a piece of matte paper that was a printing scrap. I don't think these worked well at all and the tutors agreed. I hadn't managed to find another material to fix them together other than hair clips and I obviously wouldn't be able to use them on a much larger scale! They were thinking I could create sculptures of around 2.5 metres high but this wouldn't really be achievable considering the time frame and the fact that I haven't got much experience on working on such a big scale. If I had more time, I would possibly consider developing this idea but I think it would require a lot of thinking and careful planning to ensure the end result is actually successful.
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| Three paper tube sculptures |
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| My mini collection of paper tube sculptures referencing 'error' |
They also really liked my photograph (below, pictured with a photocopy of the original photo) that I took from my dormitory window on Friday 13th April. They like the fact that I took the photograph recently as well as the eerie effect conveyed by both the glitching and the added handwritten text that tells the date and time. I decided to hand write the date and time at the bottom of the photograph once I had printed it out on photo paper because I thought it added depth and a slightly uneasy feeling to the mood because of the fact that it was taken on a supposedly superstitious day. The black areas above and below the photograph were from when I took a screenshot of the photo on my phone to save it to my camera roll. I took an ordinary photo of the view and then edited it using an app on my iPhone called 'Glitch Photo Camera'. It was a very simple and easy way of editing the image without having to use any software.
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| Original photo (left) photocopied photo (right) |
The tutors suggested I could get the photograph printed on a large scale (around 70x100cm) so it can then be hung, possibly using a magnet in the gallery where the exhibition will take place. On Friday 20th April, I discussed my decision with the tutors. I wanted to print my photograph on a large scale to be hung in the exhibition. I photocopied the original photo to see how it would look when a copy is made. The tutors told me I really needed to get a scan of it instead because then it would be of a better quality.
I went to do this in the University Photo Studio and then came back to show the tutors. The original photograph had gotten a little dusty and some writing had run through to the top of the image - this was from when Pawel (Interdisciplinary Painting studio tutor) wrote the room number of the photography studio now for me as I was struggling to find it! He wrote it on a piece of paper that I had wrapped around the original photo. They liked that these errors had occurred and suggested I keep them when I went to order the large print at Rappid, the recommended print studio. It is actually situated very close to my dormitory and I have used it before to print some of my Digital Graphics images so I went there to order my large print and it will be ready by noon on Monday 23rd April. This is ideal as I will then have time to participate in the curating of the exhibition on Thursday and then the opening on Friday.
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| Scan of original photo |
I look forward to reflecting on the curation and opening of the exhibition later next week. So far, I have really been enjoying this short project and it has been quite nice to talk to tutors who are English nationals especially as they are based quite close to my hometown in Devon. I am sure the exhibition will be a success and I am very pleased to have been able to be a part of the whole production process.
Friday, 20 April 2018
Developing Simulacra 'Time' Project further (Interdisciplinary Actions)
Since I last posted about my Simulacra project progress for Interdisciplinary Actions class, I have developed my ideas further and came up with some possible final piece ideas.
Thinking back to what I had discussed with the tutors previously, I spent some time researching and drawing different styles of wristwatches. I've always been quite fascinated about the design of a watch, wearing a clock face on a strap around the wrist makes time 'portable'. With modern technology, most people I know (including myself) rely on a mobile phone to provide us with the time. There is something sweet about wearing a watch though, especially when I researched the different types of mechanisms that can be found inside watches.
I decided to create a map of thinking about Watches. I started by listing the different types of watch:
Wrist watches weren't always worn on the wrist. Sometimes, especially in the early years, they were carried in the pocket or attached on a chain.
My Ideas about Time
I went on to create a mind map about the different visual ideas I have regarding my chosen theme. Referencing one of my first illustrations - How do you like to spend your precious time? I would like to create narratives about how I personally regard and spend precious time as well as asking friends and family their beliefs on precious time and how they like to spend it.
I would personally like to reflect visually on how I have been spending my time here in Poland. My regular activities include exploring, drawing, taking photographs, seeing landmarks and sightseeing, meeting new people, going out for drinks/food, shopping, visiting art galleries...
I could also think about the day to day activities I do such as my walk to uni, my love for drinking tea and my morning/evening routines. I think I will mainly focus on the cultural side of how I spend my time as I feel this will be more interesting than illustrating general activities that most people also do every day. To summarise, I like the idea of 'capturing a moment in time' not so much in a photography sense but through my passion for drawing and observing.
A statement that I found particularly useful - written at the bottom of the mind map...
Developing Illustrations - to possible Final Piece Ideas
Thinking back to what I had discussed with the tutors previously, I spent some time researching and drawing different styles of wristwatches. I've always been quite fascinated about the design of a watch, wearing a clock face on a strap around the wrist makes time 'portable'. With modern technology, most people I know (including myself) rely on a mobile phone to provide us with the time. There is something sweet about wearing a watch though, especially when I researched the different types of mechanisms that can be found inside watches.
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| Quick pen illustrations on brown paper Illustrating some friends watches - they class them as 'precious', not just because they tell the time but because of the feminine designs |
- Wrist watch
- Digital watch
- Analog watch
- Pocket watch
- Diving watch
- Quartz watch
- Apple watch
I tried to answer the question... Why do people choose to wear watches?
To tell the time, a watch is an accessory for the wrist, to avoid relying on a mobile phone - the battery may run out, a watch has an analog clock so it can help children to learn how to tell the time, it could be a habit or a watch may have been given as a gift by a loved one.
Brief History of the Wrist Watch and the Pocket Watch
'The military origins of wearable tech, a century before the Apple watch' (Friedman, 2015).
The wearing of watches first became a fashion trend in 1916, Europeans were starting to wear bracelets with clocks on them. Time had migrated to the human wrist and the development required some explaining to American people.
"The telephone and signal service, which play important parts in modern warfare, have made the wearing of watches by soldiers obligatory" (The Times, observed 1916, two years into WW1).
Wrist watches weren't always worn on the wrist. Sometimes, especially in the early years, they were carried in the pocket or attached on a chain.
In the year 1574, the first known pocket watch was created but the inventor remains unknown. The watch was crafted in bronze and depicts Saint George slaying a dragon on the front and a crucifixion on the back.
In the 1700s, portable clocks such as large pocket watches became popular; people wanted to start carrying the time around with them.
Advances in time-telling technology e.g. the Apple Watch, aren't just about finding a better way to tell the time. They are often about something else too even if that something else influences the perception of time itself.
Over the past century or so, people have kept time mainly in their pockets, then on their wrists and now back in their pockets.
Watch Movements
There are three different types of watch movements - manual movement, automatic movement and quartz movement.
Manual and automatic movements are mechanical, they are both made up of only mechanical parts like gears and springs. A manual watch must be wound by hand, using the crown usually every day to operate continuously. Automatic, self-winding movements are mainly found in wrist watches, the mainspring is wound automatically as a result of the natural motion of the wearer to provide energy to run the watch, making manual winding unnecessary.
The quartz and auto-quartz movements have an electrical circuit and require a battery to run but may also have some mechanical parts. A quartz watch is regulated by a quartz crystal to keep time.
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| A collection of two watches, playing with words and the relationship between text and image |
My Ideas about Time
I went on to create a mind map about the different visual ideas I have regarding my chosen theme. Referencing one of my first illustrations - How do you like to spend your precious time? I would like to create narratives about how I personally regard and spend precious time as well as asking friends and family their beliefs on precious time and how they like to spend it.
I would personally like to reflect visually on how I have been spending my time here in Poland. My regular activities include exploring, drawing, taking photographs, seeing landmarks and sightseeing, meeting new people, going out for drinks/food, shopping, visiting art galleries...
I could also think about the day to day activities I do such as my walk to uni, my love for drinking tea and my morning/evening routines. I think I will mainly focus on the cultural side of how I spend my time as I feel this will be more interesting than illustrating general activities that most people also do every day. To summarise, I like the idea of 'capturing a moment in time' not so much in a photography sense but through my passion for drawing and observing.
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| Mind map contains alternative meanings, synonyms, research areas, time artists, further ideas, photos and artefacts I could use |
Arts exists in time as well as space. Time suggests change and movement suggests the passage of time. Art work may portray actual motion, the artwork itself moves in some way or an illusion of implied movement.
I will consider this suggestion when concluding my final piece ideas. I could think about how I could make my artwork move, this may be difficult because I plan to work 2D but I could possibly experiment with creating an illustrative paper sculpture/pop up structure. I could certainly portray an illusion of movement but this may not be necessary when considering the nature of my project theme anyway. I intend to feature clocks within my illustrations so an illusion won't really be needed.
Symbolism of Time
I have also been looking into symbolism and how it can be used to represent time. Circular shapes are always related to time because a clock face is round but time can be visualised in other ways as well. As I have researched before, line is an important visual element to consider when creating artwork about time so I intend to include line heavily within my illustration, perhaps as lines of motion.
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| Visualising Time in Art - clock spiral and clock hands |
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| Symbols that represent time - arrows, circle, sun, arrow circle clock |
Developing Illustrations - to possible Final Piece Ideas
I was told my drawing is strong so I should use it in my development pieces to a final piece. I have decided to create circular illustrations that reference a clock face and showcase how I personally like to spend my precious time. So far I have created a series of thumbnail sketches, mainly small with one larger to experiment with composition and colour palette as well as subject matter and spacing.
I am pleased with the drawings I have created so far but I intend to think of more text to include within my work and I also want to carefully consider where to place line, as I mentioned it is an important element when creating artwork about time. I have been using a mixture of first hand observational drawing and drawing from reference so will continue to do this. I won't use photography as collage, I did experiment with it in one of my thumbnails on the third photograph below however I don't think it works as well as my hand drawing because the narrative doesn't have as much of an impact.
Moving my Time Project forward
To conclude, my next intentions are to work on a larger size, possibly creating 9-12 drawings on a larger piece of paper in the same circular outline form.
I have also began to interview family and friends about their viewpoints on precious time. This will be useful within my work because it will help me to visualise other ways of illustrating time and I may possibly create little narratives of how they like to spend their precious time compared to how I like to spend my precious time.
I believe time should be cherished so I hope to showcase this within my illustrations but making them as intricate and beautiful as they can be. This project has developed to become quite aesthetic based but I think it will work well because I am also using storytelling and incorporating text and image so am able to use skills I have already obtained from the illustration course at UCA.
Thursday, 19 April 2018
Intaglio Printmaking - Completing the Process
In a previous blog post (2nd March 2018) I reflected on the introduction I was given to the Intaglio printmaking process. Marcin, the Intaglio professor who can speak English, showed us how to prepare the plate and gave an explanation of the three techniques - etching, aquatint and drypoint.
Preparing the Image on the Plate
Once I had finished preparing the plate before drawing into it, I covered the back with duct tape to ensure it wouldn't get scratched or stuck to any surfaces through the next stages of the process. Then, I went on to produce the first layer etching on my plate referencing a drawing I had prepared. I chose a pen sketch I had created of the doorway of St. Mary's Church, Katowice. This religious building is an important part of Katowice's classical architecture, it is situated at the end of the famous 'Mariacka street'. It is actually one of the first buildings I came across when I had a look online at images of Katowice before I came to study abroad. I decided to draw this image because I have an interest in decorative doorways of buildings and I like the cultural history behind the architecture.
As I mentioned in my previous Intaglio printing post, I also thought I would link the final prints to my 'Simulacra' project, set by the Interdisciplinary Actions class but as I developed that project I decided the religious doorway intaglio print didn't really fit in with my chosen theme of 'Time' anymore. I am keeping the first images as test prints. The prints relate to the culture of Katowice so they do have a visual purpose in that sense.
I used a sharp needle to draw the first layer, making sure I only scratched the surface to create a thin line because it is not necessary to make big dents with the needle. The etching process involves creating a light to a dark line, so I thought about the fact that the first layer would have the lightest line in the final print. I ensured the lines were separate, an important factor we were told to stick to. Once the first layer sketch on the zinc plate had been created, I put the plate into an acid bath to soak for about 10 minutes. The plate is then rinsed/cleaned with water. I repeated this process for two more layers of drawing. The image developed from a simple to a precise line drawing.
The bath of acid was fairly weak as it is mixed with water. Health and safety is highly considered, we have to be very careful when placing the plate down in the bath and picking it back up to ensure the acid does not splash into eyes. I left my plate for 20 minutes for the first layer, I left the second layer for 15 minutes and the third layer for 10 minutes. At this stage, I discussed my drawing with the professor. He said he thought it would work well with a mixture of etching and aquatint printing. He said in future, I could change the composition slightly by moving the doorway down so that it isn't coming off the page and adding line to the foreground. This would help to create more depth and I could also make the image bigger. I intend to work larger for my next print.
I placed a piece of newsprint on the press, placed my plate down and placed another piece of newsprint on top, with a piece of paper to print on in between these layers. I used soaked paper for the print transfer because it is more elastic than dry paper. I soaked it in a bath of water, placed it between two pieces of paper and then used a rolling pin to help to decrease some of the moisture. There shouldn't be too much water on the surface for printing. White cardboard can also be soaked and used for Intaglio printing.
I then layered the felt mat on top, checked the pressure and spun the press to create the print. I used the smaller printing press in the studio but when I make a bigger plate I will use the bigger printing press.
Once I had finished the etching printing, I cleaned the plate with white spirit and then rinsed it with chalk and water. Then I allowed the plate to dry for a few minutes.
Aquatint - Preparing and Printing a Tonal Image
I was then taught how to use the same plate to create an aquatint print. This process began with the plate being put into a resin box, laid on a piece of paper. The handle was spun until a cloud of resin could be seen and left for around 10 minutes. I then took the plate out of the resin box and placed it on the hot plate for a few minutes, sprinkling a few resin pieces on the plate so I could create a speckled print.
I was aiming to create a 3 tonal layer of aquatint so I thought carefully about where I wanted the lightest and darkest tones to be placed in the image. I started with filling in the lightest tone for the first layer, using a water-resistant marker. I could also use the ink that is kept in the printmaking cupboard, oil pastel or a graphite crayon. After completing the first layer, I placed the plate in the acid bath for 20 seconds to create a light grey tone when it is printed. The second layer was left for 30 seconds and the third layer for 2 minutes. If I were to create more layers I could leave the plate to soak in the acid bath for up to 5 minutes. The longer the duration, the more intense the tone is.
The actual print process was the same as etching, cleaning the marker pen off rather than varnish but the inking and printing press procedure was the same. I really like how my aquatint print turned out. It's not perfect and perhaps this doesn't suit the subject matter because it is religious and features biblical figures but the technique worked well to give the doorway added depth that is not observed in the etching. I look forward to experimenting more with the aquatint technique.
Drypoint - Preparing and Printing on top of a Tonal Image
Once I had finished printing the aquatint image, I washed over the plate with white spirit and water.
The third print I created uses the drypoint technique. I added further lines using the sharp needle over the last aquatint layer. Unfortunately, this didn't work particularly well in my test print because I didn't make the new marks expressive enough to be seen easily but I will improve this in my next print.
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| The stage I got to in my last post - varnishing the plate ready to be drawn onto using a sharp needle |
Preparing the Image on the Plate
Once I had finished preparing the plate before drawing into it, I covered the back with duct tape to ensure it wouldn't get scratched or stuck to any surfaces through the next stages of the process. Then, I went on to produce the first layer etching on my plate referencing a drawing I had prepared. I chose a pen sketch I had created of the doorway of St. Mary's Church, Katowice. This religious building is an important part of Katowice's classical architecture, it is situated at the end of the famous 'Mariacka street'. It is actually one of the first buildings I came across when I had a look online at images of Katowice before I came to study abroad. I decided to draw this image because I have an interest in decorative doorways of buildings and I like the cultural history behind the architecture.
As I mentioned in my previous Intaglio printing post, I also thought I would link the final prints to my 'Simulacra' project, set by the Interdisciplinary Actions class but as I developed that project I decided the religious doorway intaglio print didn't really fit in with my chosen theme of 'Time' anymore. I am keeping the first images as test prints. The prints relate to the culture of Katowice so they do have a visual purpose in that sense.
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| My original pen drawing |
I used a sharp needle to draw the first layer, making sure I only scratched the surface to create a thin line because it is not necessary to make big dents with the needle. The etching process involves creating a light to a dark line, so I thought about the fact that the first layer would have the lightest line in the final print. I ensured the lines were separate, an important factor we were told to stick to. Once the first layer sketch on the zinc plate had been created, I put the plate into an acid bath to soak for about 10 minutes. The plate is then rinsed/cleaned with water. I repeated this process for two more layers of drawing. The image developed from a simple to a precise line drawing.
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| Simplifying my drawing for the first layer |
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| Beginning incision into zinc plate |
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| The sharp needle I use to draw into the metal |
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| First layer - ready to be soaked in the acid bath |
Etching - Preparing and Printing the Image
The next session began with preparing the plate for printing. This involved washing and removing the varnish from the plate using white spirit. The whole plate was then covered in ink including the incision, using a piece of linoleum. Using a piece of netting, I removed a little ink and then used scraps of paper to remove more, rubbing the plate using a round circulation in all directions. The incision is the only area that needed to still be inked. Ink was removed from the edges and then I chalked the edges to protect them during the printing process.I placed a piece of newsprint on the press, placed my plate down and placed another piece of newsprint on top, with a piece of paper to print on in between these layers. I used soaked paper for the print transfer because it is more elastic than dry paper. I soaked it in a bath of water, placed it between two pieces of paper and then used a rolling pin to help to decrease some of the moisture. There shouldn't be too much water on the surface for printing. White cardboard can also be soaked and used for Intaglio printing.
I then layered the felt mat on top, checked the pressure and spun the press to create the print. I used the smaller printing press in the studio but when I make a bigger plate I will use the bigger printing press.
Once I had finished the etching printing, I cleaned the plate with white spirit and then rinsed it with chalk and water. Then I allowed the plate to dry for a few minutes.
Aquatint - Preparing and Printing a Tonal Image
I was then taught how to use the same plate to create an aquatint print. This process began with the plate being put into a resin box, laid on a piece of paper. The handle was spun until a cloud of resin could be seen and left for around 10 minutes. I then took the plate out of the resin box and placed it on the hot plate for a few minutes, sprinkling a few resin pieces on the plate so I could create a speckled print.
I was aiming to create a 3 tonal layer of aquatint so I thought carefully about where I wanted the lightest and darkest tones to be placed in the image. I started with filling in the lightest tone for the first layer, using a water-resistant marker. I could also use the ink that is kept in the printmaking cupboard, oil pastel or a graphite crayon. After completing the first layer, I placed the plate in the acid bath for 20 seconds to create a light grey tone when it is printed. The second layer was left for 30 seconds and the third layer for 2 minutes. If I were to create more layers I could leave the plate to soak in the acid bath for up to 5 minutes. The longer the duration, the more intense the tone is.
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| Adding tone - first layer |
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| Third layer of tone |
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| How the plate looked after the aquatint print |
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| The plate after aquatint with drypoint added on top |
The actual print process was the same as etching, cleaning the marker pen off rather than varnish but the inking and printing press procedure was the same. I really like how my aquatint print turned out. It's not perfect and perhaps this doesn't suit the subject matter because it is religious and features biblical figures but the technique worked well to give the doorway added depth that is not observed in the etching. I look forward to experimenting more with the aquatint technique.
Drypoint - Preparing and Printing on top of a Tonal Image
Once I had finished printing the aquatint image, I washed over the plate with white spirit and water.
The third print I created uses the drypoint technique. I added further lines using the sharp needle over the last aquatint layer. Unfortunately, this didn't work particularly well in my test print because I didn't make the new marks expressive enough to be seen easily but I will improve this in my next print.
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| Three final test prints Top left - etching, middle right - aquatint, bottom left - drypoint
To summarise, I really enjoyed learning how to create an Intaglio print and being taught three different techniques. I hope to come up with a subject for my next print that references the work I have done for other classes so far and my experience of studying in Poland in general.
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Sunday, 15 April 2018
Poster Design Class - Film Poster Development
Since the first Poster Design class, I have developed the film poster design project further and have also been working on a new project. The new project involves creating posters that incorporate my own photography with text and drawn elements to create a mixed media poster. The theme is a choice of my own and I have tried to make my poster designs humorous, a theme I don't often explore within my art practice. I will write about these posters in another blog post.
I was also given the task of designing posters for a competition related to music themes but unfortunately I wasn't able to complete this before the closing date. I did, however, manage to do a few thumbnails for 3 of the posters. It was quite difficult because I had to translate all the terms and conditions so if I had more time to research the competition properly, I would have been able to create the 4 posters required for competition entry. The competition information was found on the ASP Katowice Poster design studio Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/KalarusStarowiczCi%C5%9BlakASP-Katowice-177153089757/
I kept my sketch designs fairly simple with limited tone added in some areas to give the drawing more definition. If I were to actually create the posters, I think I would make them purely black and white to keep line, tone and visual texture (mark-making) as the important visual elements to include within the designs. I often associate line with music so I would like that to be the main focus within my drawing.
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| Sketches for Poster 1 - Legnica Conservatorium 'A festival that promotes new music - written today on organs or with this instrument. Hosted since 1986, the festival is dedicated to modern creation for this instrument, the diffusion of music and chamber music and above all, the promotion of young composers and performers' |
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| Sketches for Poster 2 - International Festival "Legnica evenings organ" 'In the next few years, the organs are in combination with the trumpet, the fletnia of you, the alpine corner or finally the human. The concert program included both music and classical works, also contemporary compositions' |
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| Sketches for Poster 3 - National Choir Tournament Legnica Cantat 'The oldest festival in Poland, featuring the best teams from all over the country (choirs mixed, female, male, youth, children and teams) competing for the highest and most prestigious prize...' |
'Poster design course is intended to help students to develop a professional approach to the creative process, and in effect a conscious combination of contemporary and traditional techniques. Classes take place at the studio and consist in individual and collective correction of students' work. Apart from assigned tasks, teachers also accept students' own proposals. Works expressing the author's individual style are preferred. The studio presents cyclical exhibitions of graphic design as a form of teaching aid'.
'Poster is commissioned art. A precisely delineated subject is a creative challenge that opens new areas of perception. The variety of subjects influences the development of artistic form. Poster is an intelligent game, intellectual adventure, refined visual art created from many elements. It educates and amuses both the author and the viewer. From its beginnings until today, it has reflected style, movements and trends in art. It is a formal synthesis of a message, the time and place of its creation, and the personality of the author...'
My Film Posters
I have designed one finished British film poster and the other two are works in progress. In this post I will write about the finished poster and the most developed 'work in progress' poster. I began with creating a poster design for Paddington, the 2014 film directed by Paul King.
I went with one of the first thumbnail sketches I created, one that is quite simple because I think simpler posters are often the most effective.
I created an acrylic painted illustration on brown paper with added digital text. I enjoyed coming up with a unique concept to represent the film visually. I did this so that Paddington bear would be recogniseable but not in a 'already seen before' sense, keeping up an element of surprise regarding Paddington bear's actual appearance. I experimented with both handwritten and digital text within my design to create a contrast of typography and an added sense of playfulness. I wanted to make my design playful because it is classed as a children's film.
I'm pleased with the final design of the poster. I think I painted the aspects of Paddington I wanted to include in the illustration skilfully. I used handwritten text within the illustrative part of the poster and digital text for the cast names. I chose to hand write the title and director text because I wanted it to appear more playful. I decided to use digital text for the cast names because I wanted them to be easily read and I thought digital text would stand out better against the brown paper background. I scanned the poster once I had painted it by hand and then added the digital text in Photoshop. I think the one aspect I could think more carefully about is where to place my signature. I placed it sideways towards the bottom of the right side of the page because it's handwritten of course so I wanted to place it near my other handwritten text. I could perhaps have placed it a little higher up the page.
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| Finished Paddington British film poster |
The tutors were pleased with my final design. They said the painted illustration was beautiful and they thought the digital text worked well placed in the top left hand corner of the page. They also liked the simplicity of the design, especially the fact that I only chosen to paint some of Paddington bear's features to keep an element of mystery to his actual appearance.
The next film poster I designed was for Alice in Wonderland. I based it on the 2010 film directed by Tim Burton.
I decided that the initial thumbnail sketches I had created were not strong enough for a poster design so I did a few more very quickly using just pencil sketching. I decided not to add colour to these thumbnail sketches because at this stage I was unsure on a colour palette so wanted to come up with a decision during the creation progress.
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| Quick thumbnail sketches for Alice in Wonderland film poster |
I decided to develop the first thumbnail sketch further because I like the symbolism of a rose and a teacup combined together with a portrait of Alice. The rose signifies Britain's national flower and beauty that could be considered as 'wonderland'. The teacup is British again and references the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Alice is of course the main character and I felt I couldn't make a film poster design without her referenced within the design in some way.
I created an A4 sized pencil sketch of the rose and cup design, adding some hand-coloured areas to the stem, leaves and Alice's dress and hair. I then scanned the drawing and continued to develop the design in Photoshop.
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| Original sketch of design |
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| Digital painting of the rose - development stage |
They advised that posters should always be composed without crop, everything is important in a poster so there needs to be a justification of cropping. They also suggested that I could put the text between the rose head and the teacup.
I went on to make some of their corrections as well as thinking of some of my own. I added a baby pink background because I think it fits well with the 'wonderland' theme, adding to the beauty. I have a love for pastel colours so I made the teacup a baby blue shade. I chose to use an Italics style typeface because I think the text is quite beautiful and looks skilfully created. The typeface I chose is called Lucida Calligraphy.
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| Work in progress - Alice in Wonderland film poster design |
Further Corrections
The tutors said I should change the title text, use upper and lower case letters because capital letters don't work when you are using an Italics style typeface. They suggested I move the title away from the stem and have it split into 3 separate words so each word can be positioned in a different place within the page. I need to make the teacup outline less shaky and more rounded. They weren't sure about the tiny rose I added within the teacup as decoration, they felt it looked like it was a little out of place. The Alice illustration looks a little sad so I should give her a smiling mouth. Personally, I think I may add some tea into the cup so it isn't empty and I may make the teacup exterior decorative but keep the inside of the teacup plain.
Overall, they said it is a beautiful illustration and they think the text at the bottom of the poster works well. I intend to work on these corrections and get my Alice in Wonderland film poster finished for next week. I can then think about printing my first two posters out, maybe on high quality matte paper.
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