Process And Enquiry

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BA3: EVALUATION    Matthew Lowth  

Initially when reading the brief I was more intrigued and able to engage more in the stranger brief and going on the mysterious aspect of the stranger brief and looking into the alienation as it helped me to get a better understand of my surroundings and to zone into something in particular and to then get a better understand of individual items as just by looking at my desk I was able to combine items to then use to create art in a very unique way helping to get new experiences in the art world.  the more I started to go down the stranger brief is when I hit a roadblock not knowing what path to do down.  I went with the concept of walking and taking walks and appreciating my surroundings which from doing this helped me realise to choose the index brief as I got a better understanding of what to create and accomplish.

                Firstly, from attending all the workshops, it helped to get a better idea of the route I would like to go down and the most helpful workshop for me was the fold workshop as it challenged me to create something without using any form to help create something 3D out of paper by only folding. It helped to create interesting forms and to enhance my work by making it more visually pleasing.  I was very engaged in these workshops and took many skills with me into my own work and relating it to the index brief.

                Next the one-to-one tutorials had really helped to push me down the correct path and to remind me to be doing more research as I was primarily focused on creating work after work and noticed time flying by.  The tutorials had helped me to do more research and to look at artists with similar artworks.  It had helped to reflect on my work and to get a better understanding of the brief and what the criteria is looking for.

                Thirdly I was met with a lot of deadlines at presentations at the start of the year which helped to some degree with time management and to help guide me into the course by making these deadlines which I was able to stick to and create on deadlines for myself to, I wrote a to do list of ideas I would like to try and experiment with and wrote a date with said idea to help with time management however I did not fully stick to these deadlines I made myself as I feel I was too ambitious with the dates and left no time for myself to reflect on my work.  I still had a to do list to help remind me of the ideas I wanted to try and was still able to stick to my own deadlines to some degree.

                Fourthly from doing these modules I have been trying my best to experiment with materials and surfaces that I would not normally go for or would not know how to go about creating something with it, with the bed sheets I focused on mark making and trying new techniques by using a string dipped in Indian ink to create interesting leading lines.  I felt like I used Indian ink with watercolour the most because I felt like combining these media create something beautiful and add such a unique dimension to the artwork creating a tranquil blend with the medias.  I have been expanding my surfaces and using objects I would not normally go towards, like towels and bed sheets and taking away what the purpose of the object.  With process and enquiry, I tried my best to stick with the same colour theme as the more artworks with the same colour the more they start to belong together.  If I had more time with these modules, I would have loved to have developed my printmaking work more as well as used puppy pads as towards the end of this module I went back to puppy pads and wished I continued to develop with these.

                Overall, I feel as I put in a lot of effort into these modules and expanding my knowledge and understanding the art world in more depth by watching podcasts and listening to other artists explain their own experiences with the art realm has helped me to branch out and experience new ways to create.

Words :736

Visual Language - https://www.tumblr.com/visuallanguagelowthmatthew

Process and enquiry - https://www.tumblr.com/processandenquirylowthmatthew

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Final 10 Images

2D Piece Triptych; Acrylic paints on Face Cloths

3d Piece Duo Plastic Bag with Acrylic paint

Timed base piece - Sound of Bed Sheet

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Timed Based piece, I created these sounds by going on walks and making different sounds using the bed sheet by waving it and shaking it about within a rhythm then editing it over and repeating it. I sped parts up to make it more earing almost like someone is running faster and faster.

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Puppy Pad with Watercolour, At the start of this module I started by using a puppy pad to paint my surroundings in the usual place I would create art when I was at home. I wanted to back to where I started and use more puppy pads and I decided to go with watercolours as I have tended to use them throughout process and enquiry, and I really enjoyed creating this piece plus due to it being a puppy pad I am able to uses plenty of water and not have it torn or rip like watercolour paper. When looking at the back of it, it too looks really interesting due to the originally patter still being then and it being enhances by the watercolour bleeding through.

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Yellow Foam Diptych, I created this by tearing up brown foam and placing it around to create an interesting pattern that6 almost resembles a giraffe print. I then splashed Indian ink onto the yellow foams. I then got my watercolours and stuck to the same colours as I did on the bed sheet and put little colour as I did not want to overdo it with the colour. The next morning when looking at it I was not overpleased with the outcome and felt like it needed something more, so I decided to add some twin and have some parts not stuck down as I like how it dangles and comes off the artwork making it 3D.

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I created this piece by getting two plastic see through bags and tapped them together to create a larger bag, from this I painted the entire bag using brown, red and yellow paint to create these interesting marks and to add more dimension than just using one colour, After this I got my Indian ink and splashed it over the bag then got a brush and went horizontal all throughout the bag after this I lifted the bag up and guided the ink around the bag. I really love the outcome and when coming to take photos I scrunched up the bag and took photos almost like I was inside the bag making it look larger in scale than it actually is which I really liked.

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I wanted to take this piece even further and go to digital media, I started by going through my images and cutting the outline of the bed sheet and then layering it on top of the base image and then start to blend them together, by doing this has created some really nice affects by having al the folds in the sheet it has warped the colours and creating controlled chaos. I like the simplicity of the first one due to it looking earing due to putting down the saturation on some of the layers and by doing so still shows some pops of colour which I like as it leads you around the image.

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This is a video I took whistle taking the photoshoot of me, as I really liked the movement of the sheet in the wind and how eerie it looks while I walk about almost stumbling around looking haunting.

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I decided to take my bed sheet to the outside to get some impactful shots, I had a lot of fun doing this photoshoot and really enjoyed taking this to the next level and creating very visually pleasing shots, these photo s add a mysterious atmosphere almost wondering who is behind the sheet or if there is someone there at all. I really like the first image and looking at the neck being framed by the Indian ink due to painting it on an easel and the part framing the head is where the top of the easel was where I would drag the Indian ink down with a string.

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At the beginning for this piece, I used my watercolours and started outlining all the creases and folds the white bed sheet makes on its on as I was wanting to enhance what it does naturally, after this I got string and dipped it in Indian ink and stared dragging it along the bed sheet created all these interesting marks and almost helping to tell a story due to the scale of the sheet and how many marks I created. I wanted to create enough marks that it helps to lead your eyes around the artwork but at the same time I didn't want to make it too chaotic and cover the marks I previously made as I am happy with the marks that do look a lot darker than others as it helps with depth and enhancing certain parts to make you turn to these marks. I had the bed sheet over an easel so by using string and gliding it along the bed sheet it is outlining the structure of the easel behind which I really like as you would not be able to make these marks if it was pinned to a wall as originally, I was going to do that but I'm glad I hung it on the easel instead.

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From looking at my previous media developed works I decided to go back to it but wanting to make them landscape to add more elements to the piece as there is more space to work with. I started using my portrait and using different facial expressions and scattering them throughout the artwork. I used one of my watercolour artworks as a background and myself as the middle ground creating a focal point and multiple layers to create a visually pleasing foreground using the photos, I took of the emergency blanket. I wanted to go out my comfort zone and try techniques I would usually gravitate towards to try sand broaden my knowledge of what you can achieve with digital media, I am very pleased with the outcome and my favourite piece being the out at the top of this post due to the stare of the eyes making get drawn into the artwork. I also love how these artworks almost look like sentimental photos being burned away almost like letting your past go so you're able to make change and transition into your new period in your life.

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This piece was created by using a plastic bag and using a brush with acrylic paint and made these visually pleasing brush marks, when painting on the plastic nag it felt like it was very watery as once it dries it would have spread from where I painted, I really like the close-up shots of the bag and looks quite tranquil due to the cool colours like blue and hints of purple. I am pleased with the outcome and would like to do something like this again and upscale it, trying to find a way to connect multiple bags together to create an interesting form

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Cecily Brown - Neo Expressionism

Cecily Brown is a British painter (1969) who is known for producing huge canvases covered with pigment and incorporating sexually explicit themes. Brown’s work has an abstract approach to it.  Some of Browns major influencers are Willem de Kooning, Francis Bacon and Joan Mitchell. Brown is a figurative and abstract painter; I am very influenced with the visible brush marks you can see and would like to take Brown's approach into my own studies while using obscure canvases like a sheet or cloth.

This painting of Brown’s looks very dark and mysterious and is difficult to figure out what is going on in the painting. The painting looks like there is some sort of battle going on giving it a sense of violence, Brown also uses a lot of flesh colours suggesting that they may be nude.  Brown uses quite a bit of warm tones giving her painting a hostile atmosphere and seeing a lot of greys and blues giving her painting more chaos.  We can see how loosely Brown paints due to the loose brushstrokes.  The way Brown uses the colour blue in this painting suggests sadness by the coarse brushstrokes she uses. This artwork in particular has influenced me a lot due to how chaotic it looks.

In this painting we see an abstracted tree with what looks to be a girl wearing white swinging on a makeshift swing by using rope and wrapping it around the tree and using a wooden plank to sit on.  We can also see a silhouette of a man on the left which he looks to be fishing or perhaps raising his hand adding mystery to Brown’s painting, I feel as this gives off an unsettling atmosphere as the man is a mystery.  Brown uses a lot of warm tones in this painting helping to portray excitement and happiness, which can also be found within the girl swinging. I too want to work with nature and creating paintings that give off different atmosphere making the viewer feel what the artist felt when painting.

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For this set of artworks I used acrylic paint on face cloths, it was originally going to be a 4 set piece however when I finished the third painting I felt like the colours complimented each other really well and went with the triptych. I used a pallet knife to get interesting marks and a sense of movement to add visual interest to the work and create Interesting textures, I have been enjoying working with obscure materials and experimenting with many different fabrics and medias. I painting 3 separate landscapes however I like how abstract they are and you can immediately see what it looks like which leaves the art to your own perspective, I also love when you get close up you can see all the individual marks making it more abstract.

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Obscure Materials

for my concept I am wanting to create unique artworks using unusual materials that you would not tend to use for art, I wanted to pursue this when I tried my best not to go with paper and went with a puppy pad and was very pleased with the outcome. I want to go upscale and also do photoshoots with these materials and create many unique pieces and doing my best to challenge myself.

this is a close up of a piece I done using a face cloth and I really love seeing the texture and how abstract it looks close up

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made vessels today, when starting this workshop, it proved to be quite difficult as trying to wrap it and make it tight you need some force, so it does not become loose after this we would coat it which is why I decided to wrap string around it, I was quite pleased with how they turned out and it is rewarding, I would like to revisit someone like this but developing it to something more in depth.

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From the previous post of my emergency blanket photoshoot, I wanted to develop this further as I saw a lot of potential, I started getting the silver and gold side and merging them together in photoshop and layering them after doing this I wanted to add another element, so I decided to take some portraits and add them to create a visual pleasing focal point.