#fdalog

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Final Project

We spent the last 3 days of communications focussed on a final outcome that represents the word we were given. Mine is 'Skill'. I initially had a very abstract idea which revolved around this principle idea:

People are like water, most things are diluted in water and so water becomes more concentrated. Skill is diluted and absorbed by people. 

Skill is a wave: It starts as a drop, a drop of curiosity. It rises and recedes with practice. It eventually becomes great and when it meets the end of its course and crashes upon rocks, it splashes drop of water back into the sea, drops of curiosity. That great wave, that splash, they are 'Legacy'. When ones skill reaches greatness, it splashes inspiration and curiosity to others and begins the cycle again. 

I initially thought of that idea and planned to make a cast of a face with a physical representation of a transverse or longitudinal wave with increasing amplitude to represent the idea of increasing skill. When going over this idea with my tutor he explained to me that too much abstraction dilutes the idea. So I decided to pull out the focal point in this idea which was the wave. 

With brainstorming and peer evaluation I decided that best course of action would be to construct a wave that has a spine and slowly add more material as the wave progresses upwards. The material of choice was paper mache because it is both cheap and easily molded. I experimented with paper mache because it's a quick and simple method of 3D counstruction. I wouldn't say it's a prefered method but for a quick project it worked nicely. When using paper mache there is room for error as I can go about fixing it easily, and so me have more time to develop ideas. Paper mache also gives me the ability to layer as much as I want to in every area. 

i broke down the project into 3 stages: 

- Sketching

- Gathering Feedback

- Constructing 

I feel like gathering feedback is key because if you cannot communicate your idea and pass it on to others, then the piece, as a communications piece, wouldn't be successful. Also being simple is better than being complex, as to not dilute the meaning. 

Reflecting back on the way I've worked I'd say I fast-walked rather than jogged. 

I did not have the chance to complete the project, which only required painting, but I made and presented it successfully. I did receive peer evaluation on the end product as well. 

- A little more research needed, a little more look into artists to develop from, but overall very good idea!

-If you thought of creating a video of a water wave, it would be actually amazing. 

- Your initial idea had a great deal of depth, the analogy with whirlpools + skills gave it a new light. 

-I liked the idea of looking into the way skill increases down generations, the act of passing it on is very strong. 

- The wave is very neat (Imagining it with blue colours) Using paper mache/ newspaper gives a more roughed effect, using smoother material in the future would better portray a wave. 

- The idea would be very clear (more than it is) if you were to display the word 'Skill' and a small sketch with the piece. However it needs a very small explanation to further my understanding of it. 

The feedback given is good overall and so I deem this project a success. 

'It is not when you are consciously competent that makes your great, it is when you are subconsciously competent'. 

October 23rd, 2014

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Illustration and Monoprinting Experimentation

Today we were asked to present our idea in the form of text and illustration. I enjoyed sketching out ideas because I used my experience of tattoo design to help me. I'm particularly happy with my sketch of 'The Pen is Mightier than the Sword'. I also curved my interest towards experimenting with monoprinting and I immediately thought of my native culture when I saw the outcome. I enjoyed merging my culture and my language with art i made in a completely different country. 

October 16th, 2014

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Communications Rotation

Today was the first day of the communications rotation and so far I don’t really see myself progressing into a field where I’d have to base my work or art on someone’s desired idea. We were each given a word and asked to describe them with the first words that popped up, and do the same for other people’s word. I enjoyed writing down abstract or deeper things that could be found synonymous with the word I was addressing and I also was surprised when my tutor liked the way I correlated unconventional and symbolic words to them. 

October 13th, 2014

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Final Piece

We were asked to analyze a few pictures and sounds and to write our first impressions of each piece and our final thoughts. After a group discussion, which was highly influential on my selection of which media and piece I would select for my storyboard, I decided to go with “What’s He Building” by Tom Waits because I immediately thought up a great and dark visual representation for the soundtrack. I began to brainstorm and quickly sketch any idea that I had. I believe that the sketching was the most important part of my development because after I had chosen which sketches I would want to bring to life I had a set plan. Gathering the props was a bit stressful but I managed. Finding a Fedora hat was a vital part of the project as it gave my piece a sense of time and background.

  Upon starting I explained to my friend, the subject of the photographs, the process he will undergo, including the make up process and what he’d be wearing. In the sketches my subject is wearing a fedora and a trench coat and his physical appearance was slowly getting dirtier and grimier with his progressively deteriorating mental condition. I believe the make-up was very exaggerated but for a self read storyboard, the more exaggerated the piece is the more people will understand what is going on. The image taking was incredibly enjoyable and overall an entertaining experience. The photographs went according to plan and in my opinion were accurate. The added suggestions from friends made the photographs that much more intriguing. One of the shots, where the smoke of the cigarette matches the contour of his eye perfectly was a once only possible shot and I’m glad that I caught it. I believe that that was the most successful shot. To connect all the shots together I put in supportive shots that I had taken but hadn’t intended on using.  I intended to present the photographs as they were but on the following day my tutor suggested that I find a way to present these photographs in a way that people would understand the story. So I decided to turn this photograph set into a short movie clip with “What’s He Building” as the background soundtrack. I cut the soundtrack down, edited out any irrelevant lines and carefully positioned each photograph to match the narrator’s sentences. The project was an overall success and the audience understood the story. 

October 10th, 2014

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Film and Set Design

Film and Set Design is a follow through of Fashion and Textiles for me as we were asked to make a set and I decided to use the fabrics I made to create a set with a very “Opera-House” feel to it. Through tutor feedback and suggestions I realized that complexity sometimes dilutes the message of a piece. So I again used the BBQ sticks and used my Coffee-Tissue Paper Fabric to construct the set. I enjoyed the process as you can take anything and as long as the space given is used correctly you can make a model of practically anything, whether it be architecture, interior design, set design and so on and so forth. The final outcome was successful and what I would change is the cardboard box I used to hold the fabric models together. I used miniature models of people to scale my piece and that way I used the skills of mapping to decide where I’d situate ever component. 

October 9th, 2014

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Textile Experimentation

The potential of this task is outstanding, complete freedom to try out any and all ideas I might have, within reason. I experimented with different things such as bubble wrap, tin foil, dead flowers, tissue, coffee, and paper.

  I started experimenting with layering tissue paper and coffee, and I discovered that the effect that I gain from doing so was very interesting and aesthetically pleasing. I moved on to more innovative experimentation, I started experimenting with bubble wrap and leaves but I soon realized it looked too bland so I decided to melt the bubble wrap over and around the dead flower petals in the oven. The effect was very interesting as it gave the effect of a spider web. 

October 6th, 2014

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Fashion and Textiles

Today we turned simplicity to complexity by using one sheet of fabric but the process was very complex because it being one fabric, or one canvas one would have a massive range of ideas on how to start and create this piece of fashion. When taking dimensions into consideration, as well as the drape, tightness, comfort, aesthetics and the form of the model the process turns out to be much more intricate then it would seem to be. However if given set directions such as what kind of cut or style, what area of the body it would cover, and so on and so forth, it would make the selection of ideas much easier.

  I did enjoy it as I was given complete freedom to do anything with it, without judgment or social criticism.       

  For the second part of fashion and textiles we were asked to create a small piece of fashion that is more focused on a small part of the body so I decided to use the materials I had – BBQ sticks, Blue Tarp and a red checkered bag’s fabric – to make a shoulder pad which I must say was a success up to the part where a model had to physically attach it to his clothing which is a factor I admittedly forgot to add. But if the piece was more spread across the torso I would have been able to attach the shoulder pad by Velcro or stitching. Moving onto the second part of the second part we were asked to cover another part of the body and attach it to the first one but allow movement between the two such as placing it around a joint area. I decided to make a sleeve because it was a simple and quick piece and both pieces would move well together considering the movement shoulder isn’t such an active joint.

  Overall I think the project worked out and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the freedom and how there was so many different styles made throughout the generations and I have such a massive pool of inspiration to look in. 

October 3rd, 2014

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DESIGN - 3D Modeling

I was ill for the first day of design so I missed the afternoon class we spent the morning discussing how to use simple materials to construct a 3D model. I would say my interest curves more towards larger or more solid structures. I prefer working with a skeleton and working my way out.

Day 2 Morning: We discussed the 3D models each of us made and were asked to sketch them, but 3 Dimensionally. This exercise introduced me to an entirely new way of documentation. I poked pins through my sketch, tore and cut pieces out, wrinkled the page and I believe that in doing so, I made this visual documentation stronger.

We were asked to bring in hundreds of an item for an in class project. I brought 100s of BBQ sticks. Today didn’t go entirely well as the structure I intended to build has a lot of connecting points/joints and I didn’t have the correct or strong enough adhesive or time to do it. However I tried it using masking tape, I experimented with the different   products; I went from jewelry to architectural models to costume. I enjoyed the different experiments but I wouldn’t deem them my most successful creations. 

October 2nd, 2014