Harumi Designs

Art blog for Fiber Sculpture and more

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Sewing Samples

I had so much fun creating these samples! Above are stitched samples from a sewing machine, stuffed forms, and appliqué. I also had another sewing machine exploration in this post many moons ago. I added more stitches on the yellow sample, exploring the other stitches the machine could do. I really like that thick stroked one. 

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13 Ways to Look at a Blackbird

Summary: 

A work of art cannot be simply “art.” it always conveys some sort of content, meaning, information, idea, etc. McEvilley explains the 13 ways we perceive the content:

1. Content arises from artwork we perceive as being representational. These artworks, however, does not represent an objective imitation of an idea, event, object, person, etc. Instead, it represents our own perception of it, based on our culture, traditions, and experiences. 

2. Titles and other verbal supplements to artworks convey meaning/content to an artwork. McEvilley writes that artists use verbal supplements to control the interpretation of their artworks. No matter how much an audience can try to be objective about a piece, he or she will still be influenced by the verbal supplements associated with the artwork.

3. Even the genre or medium of their artwork expresses content. He cites the shift in cultural forces in the 1960s, in terms of medium, as an example, wherein two-dimensional paintings imply a lack of direct involvement in experience. On the other hand, sculptures convey a more direct and realistic imitation of art. In other words, paintings are perceived more traditional while sculptures are radical and dynamic.

4. The material of which an artwork is made also conveys content. A viewer makes judgment pronouncements on an artwork based on the material used, without intending to do so. 

5. Scale has conceptual significance. For example, an easel painting is portable to signify private property, as opposed to larger paintings--even murals--are intended for the public view.

6. Content can be derived from the temporal duration of an artwork. This means that an artwork created with durable materials, along with its context of royal history and such, conveys immortality -- as it is especially intended to endure through the passage of time. This explains how sculptures of Egyptian pharaohs were made with exaggeratedly durable materials. 

7. Content can be perceived in the way an artwork is delivered to the world. It evidently shows when an artwork is created as a product, commodity, or statement.

8. Content can have a conversation with another artist or as a response to a movement. This reminds me of how we approached our final project and just how meaningful our artwork could be using that approach. 

9. Content can be found in whatever happens to a work as history goes on, as it becomes part of the work itself. McEvilley cites a few examples, one such as Duchamp’s addition to the Mona Lisa. What Duchamp had added onto the Mona Lisa becomes part of the content of the Mona Lisa as well.

10. Iconography plays a role in the content of artworks. For example, Christians may associate the color blue to Mother Mary. Perhaps the artist did not intend to, but audiences may associate iconographic perceptions of the artwork based on their own traditions (culture, religion, etc.)

11. Even abstract art conveys content, as our constantly associative and conceptualizing minds allow us to see everything within some kind of meaning. McEvilley asserts that art demonstrates a type of reality by embodying it. Thus, an audience will have their own perceptions of that reality and the concepts it represents.

12. Content is influenced by the artists’ motives. This is exemplified by propaganda art where we can really see the artists’ intentions.

13. Content relates to people in a biological or physiological sense. Us humans tend to be attracted to dramatic scenes or sexy scenes. This is because we are reproductive beings. 

This was an insightful read. I definitely see how these 13 ways play out during critiques when we see artwork. I’m really interested with how my audience takes my artwork based in their background and experience, even if they could be far from my intentions. McEvilley was thorough in examining every way a person perceives content. I feel encouraged to consult these 13 ways before I construct my work.

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2. Just like most artists I would like to have my work remembered in a positive way. I want my audience to remember feeling happy, surprised, or impressed. I want my work to feel unique. I want my work to leave a good impression especially in terms of craftsmanship.

6. My primary audience would be possible employers from design agencies. But seeing that this group would be quite diverse, my work may not appeal much to them. I’ve been told by professionals that my work seems too “playful”, “cute”, or “kiddy.” Perhaps my work really works well with the younger generations.

10. My laptop for sure! This is the brain of my work. Other very important things are my (friend’s) camera. Although my design is made digitally, I also heavily rely on X-acto blades, special papers, and rulers to execute the product. I love print.

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Wabi-Sabi

Installation, over 6 ft. Found objects, crochet, special yarn, chenille, string, wood 2018

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese philosophy of seeing the beauty in imperfection. My project is in conversation with Maria Nepomuceno’s work Sim. This installation is all about the spirt of positivity even in times of failure. This especially exemplified by the fallen paintbrush on the messy pool of yarn. The bottom paint brush has an inscription of a Japanese proverb:

The foundation of success is failure.

Three paintbrushes are present in the work. In Japanese culture, 3 is a significant number. Gifts are given in threes. Cultural events such as Girl’s Day and Cultural Day are set on the third day of the March and November. In a more relevant note, the concept of Wabisabi is derived from the Buddhist teaching of the 3 marks of existence (impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and selflessness).

Much like Maria’s work, I am informing this piece with my own cultural background. This piece also speaks to me personally as my parents often cheer me up with sayings during tough times. While they could be cliche, I could feel their love and support for me, even if we live far away from each other. 

I found the feedback during the critique helpful. I would love to make several of these in a gallery setting. I was amused that the class thought the installation is cute and looks like a work by someone who works hard without complaints. That trait is widely revered in Japan, a word called majime. I was surprised that translated with the piece, without my intention. Overall, I am glad I approached this project in this way. It gave me a chance to reconnect with my Japanese background which I find distancing myself away from sometimes, since I grew up and feel more American. 

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Connecting with Maria 

My third project Wabi-sabi, will be in conversation with Maria’s body of work Sim. I was inspired by how Maria creatively employs paintbrushes in her work. My project will also be using similar motifs as Maria; ropes, connections, suspension, and bright color palette. I will also be exploring similar themes such as positivity and seeing the bright side in mistakes. Stay tuned for the final documentation and my artist statement. 

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Studio Update: A Useless Paintbrush

The paintbrush is essential to my project in order to connect it with Maria Nepomuceno’s work. A reoccurring theme in her sculptures are paintbrushes that leave off paint or that transform into something else (such as a tree branch). I am planning to have my paintbrush attached to crochet. In order to do that I had to cut the bristles of my brush (poor paint brush!). It was a little difficult cutting the bristles up to this size, since it is a well made product. I’m considering just making my own paintbrush handle so it’s less wasteful and less effort for me.

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Toy Design: Spin-A-Mole

This is the second project I did for my 4D Electronics Sculpture class. Spin-A-Mole is a toy that you spin with a knob. In this day and age of advanced technology, here is something different. It is a retro toy that is all about simple pleasures and instant gratification without the use of more sophisticated technology. The toy is also more personalized as it is handmade with love.

Hope you enjoy it! See it in action!

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This depends on the person. For me the artwork is bad if it doesn't seem to achieve the goal of the artist. If it doesn’t achieve the goal, it should at least achieve a goal that the artist is willing to compromise with. What makes the artwork good, is a number of things. It’s purposeful, achieves the goal of the artist, and matches the artist’s vision.

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Sewing Samples

I would like to see your independent research into soft sculpture construction methods in your sewing samples. Please make the following samples to show what you have learned about the following techniques:

Sewing Machine

Include an image of any samples you have that demonstrate what you have learned about using the sewing machines. (If you do not have a personal sewing machine, you can use the sewing machines available to you in the Fiber classrooms.) The first image above shows some examples of what these samples might look like…for example showing experimentation with sewing machine stitches, pleating, seams, darts..etc. I need to see at least one example that demonstrates your engagement with the sewing machine. Refer to the handouts that were distributed about fabric construction techniques to help guide your research or use the internet. (Be sure to link to any helpful sites or tutorials to save for future reference.)

Applique

Applique is when you attached pieces of one material onto another material. There are lots of different strategies to do this. We talked about this in class briefly and you were given a PDF that introduced a few different applique techniques. Please include an image of 1 sample of applique as part of your sewing sample post. The second image of above shows a few examples of applique. These can be done by hand or with a sewing machine.

Stuffed Form

For your final sewing sample I’d like to see evidence of your research into soft sculpture techniques in terms of making stuffed form. Please include an image of a 3 dimensional form you have created using sewing that has been stuffed. These can be done by hand or with a sewing machine.

Your sewing samples are due at the end of the semester, graded as part of your final blog check. The last blog check is due the end of finals week, Friday May 18th.

Images above:

some examples of exploration using a sewing machine (all techniques here are included and described in more detail in your Soft Sculpture Techniques handout on beachboard)

some examples of exploration of applique techniques (all techniques here are included and described in more detail in your Applique handout on beachboard)

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Maria Nepomuceno: For Further Study

Maria Nepomuceno is a sculpture artist who works and lives in Brazil. 

Tempo Para Respirar (Breathing Time)   Turner Contemporary, Margate, England | 2012 Straw, rope, clay beads Note: I couldn’t find exact dimensions and materials, but it occupied the whole Sunley Gallery. 

Sim (Yes)  Victoria Miro, London, England | 2016 Wood, acrylic paint | 90 1/2 x22 1/2 x11 1/4 in

Refugio Afetosyntesis  Stavanger Art Museum, Norway | 2017 Mixed media, occupied the whole room

Helpful Links:

1. Space to Dream: Maria Nepomuceno In this link we get to learn more about what Maria’s intentions. Based on the articles I’ve read, there are several key things about her work here that she says that is not mentioned much in articles. What her finished work does closely matches her goals. 

2. Maria Nepomuceno: On Art and Umbilical Cords This is my favorite link. It is amazing how Maria overcame her traumatic experience in pregnancy by using art. We also see how Maria has been so in-touch ever since she was a child.

3. Heidi Plant’s Experience in Volunteering for Tempo Para Respirar Heidi Plant, a volunteer artist, shares her experience in making Tempo Para Respirar, an installation commissioned for the Turner Contemporary. Aside from the insightful inside look to this project, there are many pictures of the process. You can tell everyone, adults and children had a meaningful time working and playing with Maria’s work.

4. Maria Nepomuceno: ‘I want to create a place where people can be suspended in time’ This is an interview between Studio International writer Angeria Rigamonti di Cutò and Maria. We learn about Maria’s artist of influences and how her fascination with hammocks inform her work. We also get to learn about Maria’s performative work a rede, o cesto, o colar, a bola, a piece where she collaborated with the Huni Kuin tribe.

5. Maria Nepomuceno on Being a Carioca Artist Maria is interviewed by Artsy on her perspective about being a Brazilian artist represented locally and globally. Maria comments the Rio art scene, and talks about the meanings of her work.

6. Maria Nepomuceno at Victoria Miro Filled with pictures, there is a well-written statement (of art historian persepective) about Maria as an artist. We also get an inside look of Maria’s Sim, a project all about generosity and positivity. At the end of the page, there are news and links to other reviews that pertain to Maria.

Part of Sim, at the Victoria Miro

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Project 3 Group Meetup

I met up with Sarah and Sage to discuss our ideas for project 3. They helped me go to a better direction on how to take on project 3. Thanks! Here’s what we discussed:

I had 2 ideas on how to take on project 3. This was my first idea, that I was initially leaning more on. I was planning to make a crocheted sculpture (the hugging form) and soft sculpture vase that holds colorful felt balls on top. The hugging form will be having extra appendages connected another structure on the wall. 

As you can see, this project is heavily influenced by a sculpture made by the artist I’m researching, Maria Nepomuceno. The concern was it looked too similar to her project, with just changing a few things (such as technique). My group mates were also worried the work might talk more about the artist than me.

I presented my second idea, which was more successful in terms of meeting the assignment. It is a paintbrush, with colorful crocheted forms coming out of the handle, attached to the wall. The form on the wall seemed too ambiguous or abitrary, so my group helped me define what I should do instead of the avocado-looking thing.

This is Maria’s Sim, which my project will be in conversation of. As you can see the paintbrush transforms into something else, which is something I will be exploring in my own project. After some discussion, Sarah and Sage helped me define what to do.

Sarah suggested having it connected to a suspended mouse instead, so it has some correlation to me as an graphic designer. We use the mouse to create art! Brilliant, I think!

Here’s another option I’m exploring. It still has the mouse. Since Maria often uses circles and spirals in her work, I thought of incorporating that. I’m planning it to have a weird tube coming out of it (since Maria often does a lot of things like that) with maybe a basket of felt balls next to it. I thought this option coveys a design process, and how it is a cycle. Maria often uses the concept of time and cycle in her work too.

In conclusion, I will be going forward with the second idea. Shout out to Sarah and Sage for helping me get on the right track!

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Homework #3

For your third homework assignment of the semester, please take some time to read the essay “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” by Thomas McEvilley. (A copy of this will be emailed to you over the weekend. Additionally, it is available now on beachboard. )

This is a straight forward text that I think could be helpful to remind you of some of the ways that content can arise in an artwork. My hope is that by being reminded of these content sources, it might help you to think through the content of your own art practice, where and how it arises in the work and where and how you might increase the intention in how your work directs its own interpretation and engagement.

After reading and reflecting on the text, post a summary and response to your blog. Your blog post response should include both a summary of all the main points and arguments described in the text AND your own thoughtful response and engagement with the ideas presented. Do your best to find ways to connect the essay’s ideas to your own work.

This homework should be posted to your blog as part of the blog check #3 grade. (It is not due as part of the blog check due later this week!)

Image above:

image of book by Thomas McEvilley where the homework essay was originally published

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Pecha Kucha Presentations & For Further Study Posts

You will spend significant time and thinking, looking at, and engaging with artwork, ideas, content, and discourse around a particular Fiber Artist you select from the Fiber Artist List I posted. You will present your research to the class in a Pecha Kucha style presentation and a for further study post, posted on your tumblr no later than the day of your scheduled presentation.

This presentation is designed to function as an introduction of your artist to our class community. Use the presentation structure to introduce and discuss important aspects of the artists production to the class and to provide context for how this artist’s work fits into contemporary art discourse. You can decide to structure this presentation in whatever way you decide best introduces your artist. Some may want to focus in one project or body of work by the artist in more depth, others might want to show an artists career in terms of their personal history and biography. You could also approach the artists work thematically, or holistically to give a few examples. There are a multiplicity of ways to think about how to organize the presentation.

Pecha Kucha Presentations will occur on Monday April 16th and Wednesday April 18th. (Students will be given an assigned date and time for their presentations later in the semester.)

The Pecha Kucha presentation should consist of 20 images presented for 30 seconds each for a total presentation time of 10 minutes. (This is slightly longer than the 20 second per image duration of official Pecha Kucha presentations. You can also learn more about the official Pecha Kucha format on the website linked here.)

Do your best to include one image of the artist. If possible, at least one image should depict the studio space or an artwork in progress.

I need to have your 20 JPGs on my computer at least 1 class session before your scheduled presentation. They can be emailed or put on a flash drive and brought to class. Please label each image as: YourName.Image01.jpg so that I can easily determine the chronology of your images.

To accompany your presentation, please prepare a post for your blog that collects and links to more information and resources about your artists for those who are interested to learn more. This post should be posted to your blog no later than the start of class on the day of your assigned presentation.

This post should include:

A.) 1-3 images of artwork by your artist with appropriate artwork information about indicated projects such as title, exhibition context, date, materials, and dimensions. B.) 6 links to high quality sources from contemporary art discourse about your artist. These sources could be reviews, artist/gallery/project websites, links to print sources like exhibition catalogues, etc. C.) Please write 1-3 sentences to describe each source, breifly in your post.

Please use the hashtag: #forfurtherstudy to make your post easy to identify.

Grading:

The presentation is worth 10 points or 10% of your grade for this course.

The grade is assessed by the professor based on the quality and completeness of the presentation and post to include its research depth, clarity and articulation of ideas, organization and structure of information, and image quality.

Image above:

infographic all about Pecha Kucha Presentations, with some tips on how to prepare a good one

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sample Pecha Kucha by crochet artist Diana Roy

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Fabric Marbling “Suminagashi” Teach-in

My group taught fabric marbling for our teach-in. For our teach-in, we demonstrated the Suminagashi technique, since it is perfect for a one-time class environment. The suminagashi technique dates back to ancient Japan, and uses only water and special inks to make beautiful marbling on fabric. Suminagashi literally translates as “floating ink.” I personally like this method more than other marbling methods, because it’s close to my background and has lesser components needed, but still can make beautiful designs! 

Brian, from my group also touched up on another method of marbling (Turkish “Ebru” method) where there needs to more precise preparation. In this method, the artist may have more control on how the design would look, because the inks set in thicker, gel-like water. Whereas, the Japanese method values the element of surprise in the art making process.

I was ecstatic to see everyone’s marbling! The colors and and designs were so vibrant and interesting. I personally think the class made better samples than what we had shown. 

Shout-out to my groupmates for a successful teach-in! Thanks so much! 

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Stuff I Learned from the Teach-ins!

Teach-ins are so fun! Thanks so much, everyone for sharing your knowledge and guiding us. 

Unfortunately, one of my shibori pieces totally washed out! I wonder why... probably didn’t tie it well enough or wet it well enough. 

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Project 2 Process: Sewing

When I made this project, it was my first time using the sewing machine. Winding the bobbin in my own machine seemed much easier to do than when I first saw it in class. But I think the class demonstration helped me learn faster on my machine. 

The yellow swatch is just me practicing running a stitch on the machine. I especially liked that zigzag stitch. It might be hard seeing the stitches. I practiced making a pocket. 

These are my first, practice, rejected stuffed samples. I initially thought of making a lowercase H for the “Oh!” in my piece, but the h I made seemed to thin of a weight. Then it occurred to me all caps would give it a more bold, pop-py vibe I’m aiming for. I also learned how to do the blind stitch and blanket stitch to close up the forms. Closing the forms is my least favorite part, but turning and stuffing it is my favorite!