Developments from Primary Observations

 Here you can see a collection of my developmental pieces inspired by my original observations and imagery from the Hepworth and YSP visit, experimenting with a multitude of materials and techniques looking into how I can explore the use of sustainable materials in creating 3-d and a few 2-D  developments, helping me to think about the potential direction I would like to go down whether that be a body adornment piece, a 3D Sculpture piece or a range of  3 samples.

Here you can see a piece inspired by a ink piece in the Hepworth, I have sewn into this photo-gram using a sewing machine to draw out from my original observation similar to Maurizos style. I think this piece works well due to the variation in tones and the fact that it is finished with just using black an white adds a nice illusion to the back ground picture and foreground stitch.

 However I don't think it is a piece i would like to develop due to its lack of room to develop.

I particularly like this 3D piece I have developed from an image taken at the Barbra Hepworth, using a list of sustainable material, metal book binders, left over velvet fabric from another project and also wire, I love the way this piece is free standing and the colour scheme works well having a very laid back calm feeling which matches the almost abstract imitation of the original piece. If I were to further develop this piece I could look into scale, colour and the incorporation of adding other techniques such as stitching, trying to personalise the piece more and link it to artist researches ect.

Here you can see a development piece inspired by Shirley Nette Willams work that capture a sculpture from the Hepworth gallery using a number of recyclesmaterials I found around the house and in the bin. If I were to further develop this piece I would look into perfecting my sewing technique and developing a number of observations in this style.

Here you can  see a material print on to velvet however this technique is not sustainable I started to work into it in a similar style as Maurizo using sewing techniques and wire. Unfortunatley I dont think this piece works well for my direction.  

here you can see a see a mixed media piece using hessian,wire,string and clothing, This piece was inspired by Shirley nette Williams work however emulated in a 3d form, this piece was a dvelopment of the charcoal and bread piece I observed from the Hepworth, I like the mixture of metal and fabric I think it has a strong look and could be developed in multiple ways. 

here you can see an abstract mixed media piece using wire, string, fabrics and photograph to produce a development in the style of  Maurizos work developing into the images and also Shirley Nette Williams work using a multitude of media, I think this piece works and if I were to develop it further I could start looking into scale and the materials I use and what relevance they have to social issues.

Here you can see a development piece that I think is very strong having been inspired by one of my original observations, it has now been adapted into a 3d piece lined figure, If i were to develop this piece further I would look into making this piece more relevant to my brief, looking into how this piece can be made to be made from sustainable product and also linking it back into my artist research whether that means having a sub vision also.

Initial Artist Research

Shirley Nette Williams

I have decided to look into works by Shirley Nette Williams an artist who creates her own unique style through multimedia portraits and landscapes linking how the clothes we wear effect our persona and the emotional connection between use and clothes. Williams uses her bare hands and/or sewing machine to stitch images of intriguing faces/landscapes.  In the process she experiments with various mixed media forms such as fabric dyes, acrylic paint, plastic mesh and even teabags, reusing and up-cycling whatever she can find.  The result is an intricately layered piece of art that amazes with its detail and provokes curiosity and fascination with the form, lines, colour, shape, technique and her talent of working with so many materials.
http://shirleynettewilliams.com/

Here you can see one of Shirley's landscape creations, I chose to look into and analyse this piece as Shirley normally tends to stick with portraits but in this instance she adapts her skills and techniques to produce a beautiful landscape observation using a range of mixed media's such as, stitch, dye, clothing. I particularly love the use of minimal colour and the abstract sense of scale and proportion with the multitude of straight, curved and sketched lines.
This piece has a very cold feel to me mainly due to the sombre pale dirty blues and white tones, also giving the piece a very wintry feel.
Over all I love the vintage reworked aesthetic this piece emits with its thick stitches and fine machine stitches, but also down to the sketchy cross hatched effect running up one side of the piece adding a layered translucent look.
This is my favourite portrait by Shirley Nette Williams from her new series of portraits "cut from the same cloth" I particularly liked this piece for the precision Shirley has achieved by using a sewing machine and threading lines to create this very delicate continuous lined drawing which is something I could take forward in developing my observations from YSP and the Hepworth.
I think the way Shirley has incorporated this assortment of materials in the back ground to help shape the face and depth is very clever and thoroughly planned out, having a very vintage reworked look but also being very clean cut and finished to a high standard which again is something I would like to achieve in taking some of her techniques forwards. 

 Here you can see another one of Shirley Nette Williams work, this time a work in progress using a plethora of layered fabrics in the background to produce this very summery fresh vibe, with a continuous lined portrait worked over the top creating a contrasting look between the bright colours and the black lined drawing in the foreground. I love the way the lined drawing is very experimental and not very precise yet it is still clear to me what the portrait is.


overall through analysing Shirley's work I can see how many of her techniques can be incorporated into my development as I begin to look at other media's such as plastics, clothes and foils, using these materials to working previous drawing and developing them further to incorporate continuous sewn drawings.

Maurizio Anzeri

I have decided to look closely into works by Maurizio Anzeri  who makes his portraits by sewing directly into found vintage photographs. His embroidered patterns envelop the figures like costumes, but can also suggest a psychological persona,exposing thoughts and feelings. The rough and hazy pix-elated appearance of the photographs is often in contrast with the sharp lines of the threads. The combined media gives the effect of a dimension where history and future collide. Working in a multitude of colours Maurizios work is never confined to one colour pallet through out a collection but uses a plethora dependant on the emotion the image portrays and uses his colour pallet in an emotive way.
I have decided to analyse works from one collection of his that I particularly loved, a collection called "it came from the sky" featured on Dazed and Confused -http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/10468/1/it-came-from-the-sky

  Here you can a beautiful piece by Maurizio commissioned by Dazed and confused magazine, I chose this piece I particularly loved the way in which the artists has used stitches and embroidery to portray a number of things being; emotion, movement, line and colour.

I think the composition of this piece the way the picture has been directed and how the artist has manipulated this picture to enhance the emotive picture with the straight, fine stitches protruding from the mouth almost visually representing a scream. Also this emotion is also enhanced through the beautiful detailed embroidery that elegantly intertwines down the figure face almost engulfing her, which is representational to tears. 

I also love the technique used in this picture especially the more detailed area down the side of the woman's face producing an intricate surface pattern and adding visual texture.

The way in which Maurizio has used this cold turquoise colour connotation to deep the understanding for the emotions the figure is portraying. Which Is something I love about Maurizios work, that he is always just enhancing and adding to what is already there in such a simple yet effective way.

I particularly loved this piece as the way in which it has been hand edited by Maurizio makes it resemble a piece of body adornment. starting from the neck and spreading over and around half the face, almost like a mock up Venetian festival Mask with a modern futuristic twist. Again I love the way Maurizio uses a number of thread techniques to work into this vintage picture.
I think the colours, shapes and composition used in this picture are supposed to represent the crazy youthful persona of the figure, with the different line and shapes adding an edgy feel, plus the pink, black and gold again highlighting that classic rock feeling.


 Out of all of Maurizios works this is my favourite for its abstract approach in developing the vintage 35mm picture and the contrast between the straight silky blue lines and the aggressive messy entangled yellow and red lines. The way this piece uses its primary colours is rather interesting with the warmer colours being the messy abstract lines and the cooler blue being the strictly straight angular lines, almost suggesting two sides to this image. Telling a story through contrast of line colour and compositions  having and over all crazy eye catching appearance. This piece particularly has a very up-cycled feel to me through the contrast of the black and white picture and the colourful abstract lines represented by the thread which makes this piece strong and work very well.

Quote :    "DD: Did you come across any challenges in the project?
Maurizio Anzeri: Every project is a challenge, it was good to draw with threads in a different way and mixing it with embroidery.

DD: When you start a piece do you improvise? Or do you know exactly what you’re going to do?
Maurizio Anzeri: I never know what I am going to do, Once a 'conversation' starts with the piece/photo/face, things starts to happen.

DD: What do you want people to take from your work?

Maurizio Anzeri: EVERYTHING, in one moment!"

From reading this interview from Dazed and Confused with Maurizio I can now see the obstacles I may face when trying to re create a similar technique and how I might approach further development to my initial mixed media developments.
After looking at all of Maurizios work I can see the main trait I will take forward is his trade mark technique, working into vintage pictures with threads to represent line and the way this transcends into an emotive outcome through colour and and composition. For example I could take this technique forward as I develop into my observations and again further develop using a range of mixed media's and threads onto a piece of pre used material that can be up-cycled. 

Hepworth Gallery/ YSP

Today I visited the Hepworth gallery and Yorkshire sculpture park I collated a mass of primary information and observations (photography and sketches).
In visiting the Hepworth I was able to further widen my artist Intel, in doing so I was inspired by a lot of artists work (Barbra Hepworth, Magda Cardell, Dennis Oppenheim and Von Rydingsvard) which I was able to capture on a camera and in my hand rendered book using my mark making skills and range of dry media to produce a plethora of drawings and sketches using techniques such as; blind drawing, timed drawing, collage, charcoal, oil pastels, coloured pencil, Biro, continuous line, negative space drawing and painting. Below you can see a selection of the strongest observations from both galleries that I will move on to develop:

 
 

After much analysis of each drawing and technique used I would like to take forward my charcoal and bread drawing of a sculpture in the Hepworth, I have chosen this observation because I particularly loved the technique used in which captured the sculpture using tone line and texture which is simple however effective. In developing this piece I think I will looking into working on a much larger scale trying to perfect scale and tone, I will also look into starting to introduce other materials keeping the piecce fairly monotone using foils, plastics ect.
Therefore I have also decided to develop another piece which will be another piece from the Hepworth being the fine lined continuous line drawing of a tall humain sculpture, I particularly liked this piece because it had a striking resemblence of a high fashion illustration with exaggerated proportions and stance. In developing this piece I will look into using mixed medias such as working into line with sewing and adding used materials such as used clothes and plastics.  

Below you can see a contact sheet of all the strongest images taken throughout both visits:

 
 
 
 
 
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From looking over these images I would like to develop one of my images (image marked with >), in developing this picture I would like to practice a half torn and drawn into effect. Creating a hybrid of image and drawing.