reflective summary

The 6 weeks of exploratory working were nothing like I have expected to be. They were much harder and challenging but at the same time very awarding. I did not think that I will not be enjoying doing so many different things and coming out of it loving fashion when I have never thought of it before.

The worst week for me was lens based media and that was a big surprise because that was what I really wanted to do, however that week I did not enjoy myself at all and did not find it interesting.

Another big surprise for me was loving fashion week so much, as I never saw myself actually getting into fashion. Every single project that we did I absolutely loved even though it was not too easy.

The whole experience of these 6 weeks was great! My main focus on it was not how well I can do each exercise but how much I can learn and experiment. Found out so much about what I enjoy doing and what not. Also learnt that not everything comes out how you think it will and that not always ideas work out and you just have to learn from your failures. These 6 weeks were about trying plenty of new stuff that never done before and going into it with an open mind.

I really enjoyed overcoming challenges and learning so much from every different subject. Also dealing with problems and trying to fix them. It was all about the experience and not the outcome. 

Live drawing

I have done loads of different exercises for live drawing which were fun and exciting. As I done live drawing before I felt quite confident with the whole concept of drawing a nude model and drawing loads of quick sketches. However I enjoyed being told to you exercises that I have never done before such as drawing with 2 completely different drawing materials in both hands 

( 1st picture, charcoal and water colour pen) at the same time. I actually really liked such a complex task and I am satisfied  with the outcome.

Second drawing was done with a water colour pen and in about 3-5 mins.

The second part of drawings were even more unusual as we were asked to take a drawing material and wrap it around any part of the body with tape and draw with it.  I chose a pencil and wrap it around my arm, it was challenging but not too hard to draw. 

And the drawing on the right was created by using a bamboo stick, sticking a drawing material onto it, putting a piece of paper on the floor and drawing on it without looking. I think this was the weirdest exercise but at the same time even though it looks completely weird, I actually like the outcome. It looks very abstract. 

This drawing was created by only using vertical and horizontal lines to create the body and curves. It did not take too long but it was easier than I thought it would be, it did not take too long either.

The drawing below is just a simple sketch of quite weird pose using a brown pencil.

A marker continuous line drawing. To be honest I really do not like the outcome as the pink marker just does not look good and it was hard to create the right curves.

The drawing below is a fine liner sketch used with bamboo stick. First sketch done with fine liner and I enjoyed using it because of how strong the lines were made.

A quick charcoal drawing of an unusual pose and a bit of shading.

Last 20 mins drawing of a close up of a girl laying down on a table.

I think this could been most enjoyable exercise as we actually had time to think of what lines we want to create. Even though with time comes over thinking and struggling of how to make it perfect. 

3D. Bridge

Day's aim: build a bridge
Started with creating bridges in the sketchbook out of paper, which was quite fun. However I did not put too much effort in making them and wish we had more time to create different designs.

After the little bridge designs in the sketchbook we were put into groups of around 6 people and were asked to build a bridge out of bamboo sticks and cardboard.

Our group did not have many ideas of what we wanted to create, all we knew was that we wanted to make the main road with bamboo sticks instead of the cardboard. As we came to realise straight when we started making it that it will be a challenge which it definitely was.That was because of how uneven they are. Also the bridge had to be at the same height as a table and we failed to achieve that. 

We were stressing a lot during this project because we did not know what we were doing so we did anything. We just kept wanting to give up and we did not and carried on trying to solve our troubles. 

Even though this project was stressful and challenging I enjoyed it and hated it at the same time. I think what i enjoyed the most was the problems which I wanted to fix to make it work. 

If i had an opportunity to do this again I would have probably spent more time thinking about the design and how to make it work, instead of going straight into it without a final idea. 

3D . Spaghetti structures

Unusual activity - had to create a structure out of spaghetti that would hold 3 ball. First thing we had to do was sketch out as many ideas in the sketchbook and then go on and doing. However when I got to do my structure I did not follow any of my sketches and just went with it. I started to create some weird little, almost like spider webs and then added triangles on top.

After we finished making the structures we were asked to create a protection for them out of paper, make something that would prevent it from breaking. Therefore i just used paper around the spaghetti, did not put too much thought into it and did not really care how it will look like.

When the protection was made, all of our work was put on the floor and then destroyed with a basketball ball. 

I took a short video to show how the structures were destroyed.

Over all I enjoyed this project as it was interesting and unexpected. I am really used to creating detailed work but this time I liked the process of being focused on the work. I also enjoyed my outcome as I had to idea in the beginning what I was going to make. 

3D design. day 1

As an introduction to 3D we were to take part in a range of projects that incorporate essential elements common to the disciplines within the pathway, namely structure, dorm and function.

First part of the day we were asked to do drawing exercises, such as to draw a favourite type of clothing and then make it into a light, or write your house number and convert it into a bus stop. The exercise was completely random and bizarre but being honest I enjoyed it and thought it was fun and interesting.

Second part of the day we had to create something, almost like a stand that would be able to hold a water bottle. 

These are the picture of steps creating my stand. 

My final outcome did not come out as expected as it did not hold the water bottle.

At the end of the day we were asked to make a chair, 10 cm from the floor and that it would hold the person sitting down. 

I did not have any ideas of what i was going to do, so just went with the flow. Started with cardboard, then attaching pieces together so it would get stronger. My initial ideas kept changing so at the end i just focused on making it stable. 

However my end result looked like a big mess and I was actually a bit embarrassed of it. Also as I tried focusing on it being able to hold a person, unfortunately I failed at making it work.
I found this project very stressful but at the same time enjoyable as it was something that I have never done before. If I had more time I would have made it more neat and organised even though I quite like the messiness. I think if it was painted one colour it would look quite good and unique.

Contextual studies. Day 2. IT - Adobe software

Aims for IT skills:
To introduce the three major software programs that will be most useful to create work within.

The day consisted of learning the skills involved to produce a poster. The first Software was Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop allows the individual to create a picture. We had to choose a place that in the future we could see ourselves living. Straight I thought that I want to live on the beach, most preferably in America, so chose to use a picture of Miami beach for my background. Then we had to place ourselves onto the background representing what we want to be. Therefore I chose a picture of myself holding a camera, as I want to carry on doing Photography all over the world. 

 Made a logo

And then added text describing my future. 

I fount this project a bit boring as I already knew how to use the software. To be honest I did not experiment a lot with it and could have improved it by doing something different to it, something that i have never done before. 

Contextual studies. Tate Modern Review

Aim:  to visit and analyse an exhibition. 

TATE MODERN 

Level 2 Poetry and Dream

REALISM 

Curated by Matthew gale

Realism itself was a contested term with different styles emerging but also different interpretations of its significance. It came to be associated with social equality - art made for ordinary people. In 1930's realistic styles were annexed to support opposed  political ideologies. 

Artists worked with and against these expectations, in some cases simply attempting to set down their own concrete experience within a world of shifting values. André Derain saw his sober work in these terms, as a timeless art within a historical tradition. By contrast, the tendency known as Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity), including artists such as Christian Schad, had an uncanny precision that startlingly captured the decadence of Germany in the 1920s. The murals ofDiego Rivera reflect an entirely different scale of ambition, that of the political purpose and power of making public monuments.(1)

Dod Procter 'Morning'

(fig.1. Tate, Morning by Dod Procter,1926)

This was voted Picture of the Year at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition of 1927 and bought for the nation by the Daily Mail newspaper. From c.1922 Dod Procter had begun to paint a series of simple, monumental portraits of young women that she knew, utilising the fall of light across the figures to give a powerful sense of volume.

This piece of art moved me the most from the whole 'Realism' exhibition as it is very effortless and natural. The soft colours of the woman's body are significant, so innocent and peaceful. However as this painting is captured of a natural pose and environment, the colours that been used such as navy shades for the background and peachy/ pinky tints of the body gives out so much worrying emotion. Therefore as the artist describes this painting, " As an image of awakening the carried allusions to regeneration and stability after the war". (2)

This is a great example of very successful piece of fine art.  It gives out so many messages through simplicity and calmness. It is very inspiring and motivational, making the viewer to want to understand what is behind such a clean portrait and respond to it in own way. The smoothness encourages to take a paintbrush and recreate the feeling of art in real world. 

Bibliography 

1- (Tate, 2007, http://www.tate.org.uk) 

2- (Tate, 2007, http://www.tate.org.uk) 

fashion research

VIOLISE LUNN

Class of 1969, Violise Lunn was born in Copenhagen where she now works in her studio-boutique, which she opened in 1997, two years after graduating. Here, shoes and clothes of an incredible finesse emerge like swallows in flight. So fragile and light that simply touching them could destroy them.

The Danish designer does not stop at using paper. Her research focuses on studying the properties of a material which can give garments unique transparencies and reflections. So special that they become collection and exhibition items.

Evening dresses, wedding gowns, accessories, unique items, astounding materials uncovered during her many travels around the globe. Indeed, the stories and the unique “paste” of the fabrics that she has discovered were Violise Lunn's main inspiration in confecting her sophisticated compositions by hand.



(Lancia Trend visions, http://www.lanciatrendvisions.com/en/article/angels-wear-violise-lunn )

Gary Harvey Recycled Couture

Gary Harvey, who for nearly ten years was the Creative Director of Levi Strauss and Dockers Europe, began designing his dresses out of creative frustration during his freelance work on fashion campaigns. “I needed some really dramatic pieces for a shoot I was working on and the first design evolved using 42 pairs of Levi’s 501’s”. Since that time his passion for creating recycled couture has taken over, and he’s produced a stunning design using 18 Burberry macs, a fishtail corset dress using 28 camouflage Army jackets, and a body-contouring gown using discarded baseball jackets. Gary’s latest creation is the newspaper dress, made from 30 copies of the Financial Times. He comments: “The desire behind this collection is about re-contextualising iconic, everyday garments to create dramatic new silhouettes”.

(Derive, 2007, http://parth.wordpress.com/2007/05/20/gary-harvey-recycled-couture/ )