My project started out with me focusing on architecture and buildings, it later developed into stained glass windows and glass in general before finding it’s way back to buildings. The building I focused on was the Birmingham library because the concrete our project is based off was recycled from the old library and they used some of it in the new library. Along the way in my project I began considering image distortion and the idea of ripping an image apart and rebuilding it, this is where my final piece idea came from. My final piece if an image of the exterior detail of the library cut up into stripes and put back together. However, I have not put it back together perfectly, I have created it, so it does not like up. I think my final piece was effective, but I could have been more extreme with it. I kept to simply cutting and changing the composition. In my experiments I was very ambitions with my distorting, I used photoshop to make the images look completely different and I could and should have done that with my final piece. Creating my final piece had issues, the paper I used originally was thin and ripped easily resulting in me having to redo it and the second attempted failed because I used too much glue and it was difficult to change the pieces once I had stuck them down. However, these setbacks did help me find the perfect way to assemble this piece without encountering any more issues. As for my creative text I gathered information on the Birmingham city library and recreated the shape of that building using those words. I included important names like the architect and the contractor as well as important facts about the building itself and the interior. Within my group I was put on the book committee, this meant I was focusing on the design/layout of the book and how we were going to make it. We went with an online book maker as they made perfectly bound books that linked with the structured element of the concrete, but this book maker also gave us the option of using recycled paper. We were already using recycled materials for the exhibition to link with the idea of the concrete being recycled in the new library, so we also wanted to use recycled paper in the book. As well as the book I also showed up to most of the website sessions to give my criticism and feedback, but I did not do any of the designing itself. Due to people dropping out of the project and university itself, our exhibition committee lose a few members, so I was one of the people on hand in case they needed help. I did not help with the designing itself, however, I did help with the placement painting ad wallpapering of the exhibition, as well as the clean-up. I valued the new skills I had to pick up during this project the main one being taught how to use InDesign as I knew nothing about it before going in. I also think I benefited from displaying work myself as I had never properly done that myself before and had to learn how to use new tools, one of them being a electric hand saw. Overall, I think my group worked well together on this project. We had very little arguments and the arguments we did have were negotiated calmly and quickly. We worked well together and were very respectful of each other’s wished for the project and outcomes.
