Specialising in Mixed Media - Week Two

Second week is when I began going out and recording everyday noises such as: busking, stores, cafes etc. I then started asking friends and families where they thought I was when recording these sounds. The responses were amazing. this instantly made sense on how you need music and dance together to show something because without one of them, the concept instantly changes.

I then developed this more and started watching the show The Voice. The programme is about members of the public singing for judges while the judges cannot see them. So, I set myself to be in the judge’s shoes and draw what I thought the person looks like before I saw them. Some outcomes were not as expected.

I did this experiment to show that you need music in dance to complement each other. one with out the together simply does not link or fit well.

On this sample, I looked at a music box with a tiny little ballerina inside. From this, I developed it further by recording just the sound in one. And another clip recording the ballerina dancing without the music. To conclude the sample, I included both of these media; how you usually see it. I asked friends and family what they thought of the recording just with the music, they allegedly thought I was recording something from a scary movie. When I showed them the video with the ballerina dancing without music, they thought it was a bit strange; I toy spinning on the spot. 

At the beginning of this rotation, I targeted myself to plan out day to day work and at what time and for how long I will be working on the project. So, during the first week I called into schools and college arranging when I could come in and take pictures of dance.

The Oldham Academy North

In Mixed Media I found that peer reviews are really helpful. When I was presenting my work, I suggested that I could possibly look at animation because movement is really difficult to capture and to draw. This idea was developed by looking at choreographed dance moves on YouTube. The different dance moves to create a dance was shown there so I immediately thought of animation. So this is how I reflected on my idea.

After a CP lecture, John who was in charge of the resource centre came in to do a talk about slides. This was instantly another sample that I could look at. So I arranged a time to go in and pick some slides out. There were less than few slides available on dance as it was something that would have been difficult to capture in an image.

After further research I found that what my intention was to work on was called Zoetrope.

Friday Drawing Day:

Drawing day was unusual as we were told to bring in Kinder Eggs. After explaining what we were set to do it all made sense. So this is what I did from the toys inside and tried relating it to my project.

Both of my toys were the same so I was stuck. I started playing around with the butterfly wings and created multiple wings from paper and began stacking them on top of each other to create this structure. i found this really interesting and I feel as though this could be developed  using my primary images.

                  

After my tutors review on my work so far, she suggested Eadweard Muybridge who is an animation artist. After research, this artists work is very simplistic which is something that I would definitely want to carry on further.

At this point in time, I am thinking about animation

Specialising in Mixed Media - Artists

Ai Wei Wei - Installation Artist

I looked at several artists for references as well as inspiration. I tried not to look at installation artists because that was my concept, however much I tried to avoid this, I couldn't not use Wei Wei as a reference.

Vladislav Petrovskiy - Photgrapher

Petrovskiy is a photographer I came across when looking at ballet. After thinking abut how I could capture dance movements in an image, I thought about how I could his techniques.

Sayaka Ganz - Installation Artist

Ganz is an artist that works with found objects. Her technique is what really inspires me to actually build something from everyday objects.

FKA Twigs - Singer

Twigs is a singer that was literally chose to use as a reference, just simply because of her style in appearance. As I looked into her work furthermore; her music videos are very unusual to what you usually see. From these videos, I think I would be coperating them in my project somehow.

Eadweard Muybridge - Animation Artist

I began looking at Muybridge when a tutor recommended him while looking at my project that was linked to animation. The simplicity of Muybridge's work is amazing. This technique is definitely what I will be carrying out in this project.

Specialising in Mixed Media - Week One

For the last three weeks I chose to work in Mixed Media because I really enjoyed how I was able to use various materials whereas in the other rotations, I felt very limited to the materials and techniques I was allowed to. 

For my theme I looked at Street Beat and Balance. For my concept I looked at Exhibition/ Installation.

 There are several forms of dance so I chose to work with break dance/ ballet.

 I chose balance because in break dance and ballet, you need music to express yourself as dance and music are part of expression.

 An idea to start where I could base my work was either in the Piccadilly Gardens or the All Saints Campus.

My interpretation of music:

Ballet - Swan Lake

Reggea - Bob Marley One Love

Rap - Eminem No Love

R&B- Drake Hold On

Pop -Meghan Trainor All About That Bass

Rock - Paramore Ignorance

Friday Drawing Day:

The first half on drawing day did not benefit me or my project in any way. The only part that did improve my reflection in my work was when we were set to listen to out favourite music and draw to it using different techniques.apart from that I did not see how this was helpful for me.

Another session was placing paper across the table with object place in the centre. we were then directed to go around and draw the objects in our own way. This was something that I did not enjoy doing.

Second half of drawing day:

Accidental drawing

Draw with scrunched up paper

Fill in 5% of paper

Fill in 25% of paper

Fill in 85% of paper

Draw with dust

Draw with dust

The second half of drawing day was beneficial for me as I was able to interpret more music, as well experiment with different techniques that was read out by tutors, and somehow link them with my project. I find that I actually enjoy drawing days when it comes to focusing on the techniques and how far I can stretch my thought on developing the technique further.

PE Task 2

During my time in Sampling, I aimed to achieve my target in using colour in my work; whether that included drawings, samples or artists. In the past, I have always worked with monochrome colours, so this was where my intention of use of colours came from.

To begin with, there was a session in Print where we were set to focus on our colour palettes that we would be using for the next 3 weeks. I chose a random image and started picking out colours that I would possibly carry out onto my Prints. From the outcomes of my Print samples, I was not entirely happy with my motifs; I did not understand what each motif meant and how it was to be placed. However, I was happy with my colour palette and the use of it in my prints. From this experience, I felt comfortable working with colour. Therefore, I decided to carry this out into Mixed Media and also in the three last weeks in my chosen area, which was Mixed Media.

Colour Palette from Print Rotation

In my next rotation in Mixed Media, I felt enthusiastic about what this area had covered/ offered. I was aware that I would be working with a range of materials by speaking to my peers that had already experienced it; this made me even more excited to start the rotation.

I looked at several artists such as Zaha Hadid, Andy Goldsworthy, Cui Fei and Izzy Miyake. From the inspirational artists I feel that I did not fulfil my goal in use of colour, as most of them did not specifically have a colour pallet, I tried combining selection of colours from these artists but they did not link clearly. From this rotation, I feel that my use of photography emerged strongly. I realised that this was a material form Mixed Media. Therefore, I carried this on as well as use of colour from Print.

Sample From Laser Cutting

For the last 3 weeks in Sampling, I chose Mixed Media. I really enjoyed my time in Mixed Media but I felt that there was more that I could get from it. From previous experience in the other rotations, I felt very limited in the materials I could use, also the different techniques I was exposed to.

Moving on, in this rotation I chose to work with Street Beat and Balance. The theme that I had chosen to work with was Installation/ Exhibition. I was determined to plan out my day-to-day work time and limit rather than weekly in the last 3 three weeks. From the techniques of planning, I realised that it helps hugely. The two main reference that I worked alongside in this project, that I think have been linked clearly are FKA Twigs and Eadweard Muybridge. The simplicity of their work has been combined with mine. I feel that this technique specifically, has been carried out throughout my journey in the last three weeks in Mixed Media.

FKA Twigs

Eadweard Muybridge

I have always been in that area of making bold installation pieces by hand. Nevertheless, from this project, I feel open minded on how simple things can lead to other things I would have never have thought of. I am happy the way this particular project went because I continued working with colour, which I wanted, in addition to my use of photography.

Animation Sample

If I had another chance to change something from my experience, I would rethink my time limits and also material choices.