Unit X - Vertical Gallery Pitch

Unit X - Vertical Gallery Pitch

I decided to pitch for the vertical gallery as I thought it would not only be a good experience, something I have never had the chance to do before. I feel like as I am a gallery based textile artist rather than a designer, that this would be the perfect opportunity for me. It also would give me the chance to have the oppurtunity to make my work on a larger scale, something again I wouldn’t have the chance to have done on my own. I decided to pitch a small sculpture that I had made, mentioned previously within my blog. I thought that this would be the best idea to pitch as I felt that it was the most appealing to look at of all of the samples that I have created and would work best as a larger stand alone piece. I also felt that the individual flat circles would take too much time, not only to cut but to thread up as the line needed to be stitched through each sample. The sculpture itself gave more to the audience than my flat circle samples as it was almost an illusion for the audience, with the thread through the middle being distorted. I felt that the sculpture would be worth making a larger scale piece of. I was quite nervous throughout the whole presentation, as I had no experience in pitching before for a commission. I feel that overall, I’m glad that I pitched and gained the experience that I wanted and now know what to expect in the future. This has given me valuable experience as an art based textile artist for the future. 

Unit X - Small Sculptures

Unit X - Sampling

This is a small sculpture that I made using off-cuts of my Perspex samples. Each Perspex sample is made from clear Perspex cut into quite small circles. I created this sculpture from playing around and positioning the Perspex off set from each other to create a jagged line, on the outside and with the thread running through the middle. I really like this different approach to other samples that I had been working on. I feel that this is created with all the same ideas I had in mind with my other samples but finished in a different way. This gives me work a different element and a new view on how the audience can see the line. With my other samples, the line was running in and out of the circles, however with this particular sample, the line is running through the sample, but the outside and off-set circles created a new line and a different journey for the audience to think about. I think that it adds another dimension to work as it has another element of how the line and journey can be presented.

Unit X - Outward Facing

Unit X - Outward Facing

As part of my outward facing, I completed a work long placement with Z-Arts.

Z-Arts is a Manchester based company, working with families and communities to have with within the arts.I took part in was a four day long craft workshop based around ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’. The crafts ranged from screen-printing to clay modeling. Each workshop featured 15 children aged from 7-10. My role in these workshops were to help set up the room before the children arrived. I was also there to help the children complete the tasks that had been set each day. I found these workshops really rewarding and because the workshop was a week long I felt that I could get to know the children really well and build up a relationship with them. What I liked most about these workshops was that I could teach the children some of the skills that I have learnt though out my education and translate it for them to use within their own work. All the children were happy to learn and take part within the workshops. I feel that by completing this workshop, I have a clear sense of what I want to continue with after my University education. The placement at Z-Arts has helped me to understand what is needed of me to become a teacher. Taking on this placement has given me knowledge and experience that I would not have gained otherwise. I feel that I now have a clear view of what it takes to become a teacher or a mentor for children and how much responsibility and work is needed.

Unit X - Laser Samples

Unit X - Sampling 

These are some laser samples that I have created using the laser cutter. I have found that by using the laser cutter to cut my samples, I am achieving the samples that I want. The laser cutter works perfect for what I am trying to achieve as I need my samples to be really precise in order to thread them up and them work together as a collection. I have used these samples to experiment with how my samples would look as a collection. I have tried to create them as a minimum of six in order to get a sense of how they would look joined together. I have experimented with different types and thickness of Perspex, from 3mm upwards to different colours, although sticking to my colour scheme throughout. I have used a white, black and a neutral coloured Perspex. I have found that clear Perspex was my favourite material as I want the line of my work to be the main focus. By using a transparent background the audience is immediately drawn to the line and no focus was taken from the journey running throughout. I also like the thread that I have used, Parachute Cord. I feel that the line is very crisp and clear through this sample. The line is free-flowing and continual throughout the whole sample.

Unit X - Artist Research

Unit X - Artist Research

(Image taken from Hannah's website - www.hannahleightonboyce.com)

For the start of my Unit X brief, I began researching artists to help with inspiration for my own brief. I had already decided to carry on my work from the Practice Brief as I felt that I could take my ideas a lot further and push my samples into the next Unit. I found the Manchester based artist Hannah Leighton-Boyce. Her work is very similar to the work that I have been creating, focusing on data and displaying that data. Although, Hannah displays the data that she finds, exactly how she found it, no visualizations. This differs from my work as I am translating the data that I have found and creating another piece of artwork from my findings. What I like most about Hannah’s work is the way that she displays her data. She uses a huge sheet of paper, made from smaller sheets, displayed onto the wall with her movement drawings on this. I like the way that her drawings escape the paper and go onto the wall. This is also a very simple way of displaying her work. This is something that I want to translate into my own work, a very simple way of displaying my data findings.