Nikita

Nikita's Fabric Surface Design Blog Posts

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Chaos

During the past couple of weeks, my room has taken a big hit. I wanted to document this, as this is the space that I have been doing all my work in as well as creating all of my art projects. Because of this, there is an intense chaos occurring within my room.

There is so much crochet, yarn, supplies, and random dishes. My desk has not been used as a desk in many many months, but rather for storage. My ADHD basket is overflowing on my nightstand. Additionally, I put a blanket over a storage bin to create a makeshift desk that I can move around my room. Sometimes, I do work in my closet, but my closet is full of laundered clothes that have yet to be put away, adding to the mess. Not seen, on the other side of my room, there are three full trash bags of trash that have accumulated over time. I have not had the time to take them out though.

I think this is something I will look back on and remember all of the things that I was working in simultaneously at this point in my life.

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Another painting

This is the painting that I made for the environmental impact prompt for my acrylic painting class.

This is an alien beaming up some trash off a planet that is covered in random junk and human made garbage.

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Coiling

This is the coiling sample I made. I used purple raffia around the medium sized paper core. I did not enjoy coiling that much, but I am glad I was able to learn how.

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Studio Project 3

I wanted to make a project that incorporates audience interaction. With this idea in mind, I created a suspended alien, spaceship, planet piece.

alien in the making

This is the planet that I made. I created its existence and featured within my own imagination, so that it would not resemble any real planet. I strived to make the body of the planet wonky to add additional texture to the surface of the planet.

Then I made an additional alien friend!

This is the space ship that I made. I made it more durable with the heavier/ thicker yarn to hold the weight of both aliens and possibly the planet. I added velcro to the crochet suspension as well as the objects themselves so that the aliens can interact with the planet and space ship as well as each other. In order to maximize the combination, I added the soft portion of the velcro to the "recipient" and the rough part to the "provider". So, this would mean that I place the soft side on the top of the aliens head and the rough side on the crochet suspension. Another example, is that at the bottom of the space ship, I placed the soft velcro and then on the string that holds the mini alien, there was rough velcro. Hopefully, this thought process makes sense, but I think it worked within the purpose of my project.

Every time I thought about what I was making as I was making it, I was very amused. It was like "what am I even making" and "how did I even come up with this idea" or "this is weird and crazy, but it is so funny". I am so glad that people were able to enjoy it and I truly enjoyed working on it.

I think that this project is something that I will most definitely add to, as the format facilitates that option. I liked the concept of taking this to a larger scale both in terms of quantity and size of the pieces. I would most definitely contribute to the advancement of this work by creating a larger ecosystem and even building a story line, as we discussed in class.

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new stitch

I learned a new stitch!

This is the Tunisian stitch. I learnt this recently and I thought that this was a pretty fun stitch. It is hard to make this stitch large scale because it requires a large number of loops to be on the needle, but the crochet hook can only handle so much.

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3D felting

I felted around a balloon.

Then, I made a ball.

I liked making the ball, it was fairly easy. I think the balloon felting was also cool, but I think it requires more layers than I anticipated to create a sturdy structure.

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Machine felting

This is the wool crocheted prior to putting it in the washing machine. It is the half double stitch.

This is a close up of the felted wool.

Initially, I could not tell if there was much of a difference just by looking at the photos, but it looks very different in person after the washing machine. I put this in the washing machine a total of 5 times.

whole felted piece.

I think you can really tell that it is felted from the side more so than just looking at it front on.

Overall, this was likely the easiest way to felt because the machine does the work for me, but it took many cycles to get it to this state. Initially, I just put the wool in a mesh laundry bag, hot water, and some detergent. Then, I just went rouge and put in the washer with hot water by itself with the detergent.

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Evolution Shirt

My friend and roommate is a biology major and for one of her classes, there was an extra credit opportunity to dress up as a biological concept. She wanted to dress up as evolution and got a shirt and had me draw one of those evolutionary progression images. The images attached are the results of this.

This depicts the progression from primate to man. I thought this was a cool way that fabric is connecting with science. The fabric serves as a method to convey this scientific message or concept.

Even though this is sharpie on a t-shirt, I was surprised how clean this turned out and wanted to share.

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Small Group Meeting notes:

Kat, Katie, and I met to discuss our ideas for the last studio project. This time we talked about our plans for the work that is supposed to respond to our researched artist.

Katie said she wants her project to reflect her childhood and elements from that time period that she holds important. She expressed that she is planning on using books and CDs that she found from stories that she either read or were read to her when she was younger. The CDs are movies that she watched. Similar to her researched artist, she wanted to make a sculpture or installation type piece with netting around it.

Kat told us that she wants to stitch ontop of fabric images that she took on her recent trip to Isreal. She specifically wants to make a statement about Hebrew being considered a dead language. The stitching will be Bible verses that correspond to the meaning of the photo. From what I can tell, she seems to be proficient in Hebrew.

I told Kat and Katie about my assemblage idea. I want to do an alien space theme suspended from the ceiling. I am not entirely sure, but I want the pieces to be movable.

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Questions of the Week 4/25

1.) Has there been a person or experience that has steered your work in new or significant directions?

I think that taking fabric design last semester allowed me to explore and develop the skills that I need to be able to even begin creating what I want. In particular, the class reframed by perspective around art because it helped me think about my work in way that welcomed a plethora of ideas, even the absurd ones. I think that as an individual I am unique and my art was finally able to reflect this aspect of my personality in an academic setting. Prior to this, I would make small scale versions of art that I thought was "weird" and did not really want people to see it. I thought that people would think that I was "odd" or like "crazy" for making the work I do because it does not look like the usual art that we (non art majors or like people who have a very limited knowledge of art) see. I know that my peers in science are aware of abstract works, but they definitely minimize the impact that abstraction has, while praising very detailed and representational art works. Because I consider the art that I make a mix of these styles, I have always felt insecure about the reception of my work. However, I was able to overcome these feelings in fabric design and express myself with more confidence than I would have been able to before. Obviously, I am still a little hesitant with certain things, as not all topics will be well received, but these feelings have significantly improved.

I feel that because of this character development in fabric design, I am able to create work that is a better reflection of who I am as a person. This has translated into other art forms besides fiber.

This is a painting I made in acrylic painting recently. This features a painted version of a reference to the work I made in fabric design. I was a bit unsure about presenting this in front of the class during the critique because it was by no means similar to the other work, but I felt that it was representative of the direction that I took the assignment criteria in.

2.) In what ways do artists work with restrictions and rules? How might restrictions or rules help form ideas?

I think that artists have to work with restrictions the most, in relation to other professions. This is simply because art can be anything really and because of this broadness, there are more opportunities for restrictions and rules. However, because of these restrictions, there is an increased need for critical thinking and problem solving skills that are beyond the scope of what would be required within a typical professional setting. Art can be a very individual profession, so artists have to advocate for themselves more so than in other fields. This advocacy can be having to come up with different ideas or developing methodologies that are still within the boundaries of the rules, but still accomplish the goals of the artist. This is why critical thinking and problem solving skills are imperative in this area of study so that the desires of the artist are not compromised by set restrictions.

Working around rules can also inspire new ideas that might not have occurred to the artist before and can even improve the impact of the work.

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More Max

The next category is max activities. By this I mean pictures of him exploring, lurking, playing, and being a weirdo.

This is Max trying to get attention. Every time I would get my laptop out to do work, he would stand on my laptop, sit on my notebook, or mess us my keys and when that did not work, he would plop himself down on my lap.

Wrapped in a blanket.

I loved when he would sit like this with his tail wrapped around his paws, so cute. He would most frequently do this when I went out into the kitchen/ common area (he is spooked by these places because my roommates would be there and make too much noise). He would sit by my room entrance and wait for me to come back to the room, it felt like he was trying to protect me from the kitchen or he wanted to see what was going on out there while still being in my room.

Over spring break, all of my roommates went home and I stayed with Max in the apartment. He was now free to explore as he pleased. I opened the living room blinds for him (or I guess raised them so he could look out the window). He loved it! He would stare at the other cats, who were also lurking out the window.

We ordered McDonald's and got this bag. Max loved it, so we kept it for him to sit in. He would just sit inside and lurk.

The crinkly ball is back!!! Max loved to play with it. After I thew it, he would bring it back for me to throw again (cat fetch) and then after a bit, he would drown it as his "prey" in his water bowl. He then would stare at the ball as it floated around.

He's just staring.

I took out the ball once because it had dyed the water pink and he was very upset about that.

I pulled this container out from beneath my bed to form a make shift desk and Max claimed it.

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Max Update

So I fostered Max until DIA because he got adopted. I am so glad he got adopted because I was not going to be able to keep him by the end of the semester and having to return him to the shelter would have been so sad for the both of us. The person who adopted him seemed to really want Max and was very excited so I think Max will have a good life with his new owner!

I am going to post pictures from the two (ish) months that he was with me.

Max lounging and sleeping:

Sometimes he would nap like this. Other times, he would not sleep, but just roll around.

He is creeping

He is always lurking.

HAHAHAA

I was studying and Max was being quiet, so I thought he was just chilling under the bed. However, around 2 am, I look up and he is just sitting in the sink.

I told him to get out of the sink but he refused (I needed to brush my teeth). Then, I turned on the faucet because he hates water, but that did not deter him either.

Here, he has fallen asleep on a napkin.

The next category is Loafing. Max is a loaf master, he frequently loafs around and it is often a very perfect loaf.

Here, he is a sleepy loaf.

Here, he loafs after playing. The crinkly ball seen in the background was his favorite toy and he loved it. It was given to him by my friend Kelsey (Mr. bubbles' owner).

When I first got him from the shelter, he was already a large boy at 11lbs, but by the time he was adopted, I had made him even chunkier. So, I approximate his weight to be at least 13 lbs.

he was sleeping here.

This was the loafing. I think this is my favorite because it is so cute, however it gives me severe cute aggression LOL. Max would often assume this position when he was just chilling or when he was waiting for me to come back from somewhere (from class, from the bathroom, from picking up food, etc.)

I will continue this on a separate post, as I have met the maximum image allowance.

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Rando cats that I have seen this semester

These are the cats I have seen over the course of this semester!

I have seen this cat on multiple occasions, she seems very unfriendly though.

These are the draper cats in the protected cat colony. I took photos during their feeding time!!

I spotted this one near my apartment.

This is my friend Kelsey's cat Mr. Bubbles. We put the little toys that come with Kinder surprise eggs on her to see if she would get annoyed. She did eventually.

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Weaving Activity

I enjoyed the in-class activity with our guest speaker, Jade. This is my final product from that activity.

I used stretchy fabric, sari fabric, and thread. I enjoyed using the saris because it is obviously culturally relevant to me, but also because often sari fabrics are bright, colorful, and have fun patterns, so I feel like these attributes allowed my branch to turn out well.

For the orange string, I used this on top of the weaving base I build using the saris, but since that bottom layer was so thick, I used a crochet hook to get the thread to go where I wanted it to, especially since I was working perpendicular to the established weaving. I like that I created a vertical aspect to it, otherwise the piece would simply just be horizontal, but I do not want that, I like the multiple directions. This makes it more interesting to look at, even though at first glance it appears to be very chaotic.

I also chose to wrap the handle. This seemed very instinctual to me for some reason. I think because it allows the branch to feel complete in my opinion. The wrapped sari at the handle was secured with the orange thread that I also needed to continue down the handle, also for completeness purposes. It also adds an additional level of contrast because the orange is vertical at the top, but once it gets to the handle, it is now horizontal.

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Questions of the week

1.) What makes art successful?

I think that successful art is able to capture the audience as well as be understood by the intended audience. As long as the correct group of people are able to understand and conceptualize the work, the art is successful. I say this because I, within the context of art, am not able to understand all references. Specifically, biblical ones. I am not very familiar with the specifics of topics like this, but I am able to appreciate it. I just might not understand the message being conveyed without full context.

2.) What risks have you taken in your work and what has been at stake?

I think in art every single decision you make about your piece is a potential risk. Something could go wrong or not as planned, but since that is the way art is, I have taken many risks. For example, in the most recent project (studio project 2), I decided that the pipe cleaner structures that I made were far too rigid for what I was trying to make and I thought that I would not achieve the same results that I imagined in my head. Well ditching the pipe cleaners was a bit frightening because I had spent a fair amount of time building the structures, and if I went rouge and made my own by hand with just the needle and wool, I would not know what could happen. So, I took a chance and this was also difficult because there was only so much time and the pills needed to be substantial in terms of presence, so the felting would have to be dense. I am glad I did it thought, I was able to shape them the way I wanted and was no longer bothered by the pipe cleaners interference.

Things that would be at stake for risks like this would be: time, grades, sanity. Time is hard because it keeps passing, even if you do not want it to (sad). Being a student, grades are always at stake, for anything and within every field of study. Sanity is the biggest one, clearly I was not able to preserve this while working on the last project, but I have since recovered.

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Crochet Hat

Back in February, I began making a crochet hat for my friend's cat (Mr. Bubbles, who has been mentioned in previous posts). However, due to live continuing to get busy, I was not able to finish, but I did this past weekend. These are the results:

In February, I began by measuring Max's head for the base of the hat. I know that Max and Mr. Bubbles are different cats, but I felt that Max would be able to provide an adequate estimate. He did not even try to take it off, he just accepted his fate haha.

This is the finished hat!!! For the base, I used the box stitches to create a loose, floppy feel. I thought that this would best suit Mr. Bubbles, she seems like a classy lady who would appreciate a floppy hat. For the middle, I used double crochet and then at the top, I used the half double stitch all while decreasing on the way up.

This is Poco, he is back as a hat model. He is wearing the hat, I thought with a head inside, I would get better hat photos.

MR. BUBBLES!!!! She is so cute and I am obsessed with her, but she's even cuter in the hat!!

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For Further Study

Title: Daily, exhibited in the Marian Goodman Gallery (in New York) in April of 2016. Mixed Media.

Title: The Middle Finger Uterus, made from: mixed media, fabric, and acrylic. Made in 2021, Dimensions are: 23x30x4 inches.

Title: Penetration, made from: sewn and stuffed fabric elements and angora yarn. Installation in Malakoff, France in 1994.

Annette Messager

Often using reminiscence and memory as a vehicle for inspiration, Annette Messager's wide range of hybrid forms has had an affinity with tra

The Marian Goodman Gallery represents Annette Messager in New York, by holding exhibitions for her installation pieces. Many of her installations include objects suspended from the ceiling in an irregular fashion at various heights. Many of these suspended elements are composed of black fabrics to place emphasis on the objects themselves, and they are able to be seen as individual pieces as well as a cohesive composition.

https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/1995/messager/penetra.html

This source documents the details of Messager's specific piece "Penetration". It contains 50 sewn and stuffed organs suspended from the ceiling, these are based on anatomical models of organs that would likely be seen in textbooks, rather than based on the reality of organs. These represent a conceptual method of understand the body, rather than the actual body, documenting a view of the body derived from what is considered to be medically correct, rather than the reality that we perceive.

Annette Messager: life enlarged | Stories & ideas | MCA Australia

MCA curator Rachel Kent discusses the work of Annette Messager.

This source is a curatorial essay by Rachel Kent, written in July 2014 and analyzes the artistic creations of Messager. She describes Messager's work as diverse and non-conforming, created using embroidery, photography, drawing, sculpture, and installation. She emphasizes that Messager's work appears to be superficially whimsical, but holds a deeper meaning in terms of understanding life and reality.

I also wanted to add her CV, which details her exhibition and some of her background.