Evaluation of the Sampling Unit

At first, I found it difficult to research into artists and designers that would be suitable to relate to my work, however, after thinking more carefully about key words that I could search for it became a lot easier.

One of the first artists I looked into was Irwin Glusker, who created a piece of art about the phases of the moon. I liked the shapes he created and the element of time in his work. This then led me to think about the way that time affects the natural world.

When I visited The Language of Process Exhibition at the All Saints Library, I discovered 'Earthbowl' by Fluid Forms (2008) which is a piece that defines the contour lines of a piece of the Earth. This piece particularly reminded me of how tree rings determine the age of the tree and made me think about possible designs for the laser cutter. Furthermore, over the Christmas vacation I sourced primary images from local forests in order to drive ideas for when I returned with tree rings in mind.

By carrying out sampling in the beginning of the project that was relatively flat, with occasional surface relief from the fabric rather than more sculptural samples, I wanted to carry out contextual research in order to develop my designs into something more exciting. The initial research allowed me to generate ideas for the first samples, but I then wanted to make my samples more 3D. I found an artist called Sivan Roys that cuts out several of the same shape and strings them together to make a structure. I tried this out with one of my own designs and, although I liked the effect of the more 3D shape, I felt this area would not allow me to develop a clear context for my work.

 

After experimenting with lots of different design possibilities for the laser cutter using different media and materials, and once I had thoroughly explored the idea of tree rings as data, I concentrated more on the shapes that they created. I have been inspired by threeASFOUR, (a team of three designers that have had their garments featured for numerous years in New York Fashion Week), due to their garments being sculptural and of similar concept to my project. Their designs were inspired by crop circles and spirals, which led me on to think about creating a range of samples that were of a more abstract nature. I used the pin-tuck Bernina foot in order to sew in a spiral pattern onto corduroy and denim to experiment with how the materials would be affected - the denim created a curve when I sew the spiral onto it. I then wanted to make the sample more 3D and sculptural, so by looking at threeASFOUR’s garments I decided to attach several spirals together and create a piece for the body. This allowed me to develop ideas to make more 3D samples and gave me more of a context for my work.

 

Throughout this project I have engaged with research relating to the audience and context of my work and, although I found it difficult at first to find relevant work, I have discovered a lot about different artists and designers along the way as well as being influenced by their work.

I feel that I would have benefitted from carrying out more contextual research in the beginning in order to kick start ideas earlier, whereas I concentrated more on this aspect towards the middle of the project.

Circles and Spirals

Last week I made the decision that I would branch out and explore less literal means of data in nature. With this as my aim, I have used the same embroidery technique of pin-tucking to create new samples. 

The samples reflect loose circles or spirals which, although they link to my project through tree rings as data, they are more abstract.

 I experimented with different materials to see how the spiral pattern would affect them. The poly suede crumpled up slightly but once ironed laid flat. The corduroy was a little harder to work with as it crumpled up more than the poly suede. However, I like the vertical lines on the sample with the spiral in the middle because although it is more abstract than my previous work, it still relates to the tree rings from earlier in the project. 

I also tried the same technique but with thin denim. This was the most effective material to use as it curled rather than crumpled. I then tried to create something more 3D with the spirals I had sewn in the denim by attaching multiple spirals together to create a strip of them.

I attempted to attach them to the body to see what effect they would have. I got this inspiration from research I carried out the other day (threeASFOUR designs - see below). I like the loose spirals on the body as they appear more sculptural.

Contextual Research - Sampling Unit

Whilst carrying out some contextual research into possible audiences for my current laser cut samples, I came across the work of 'threeASFOUR' who are a team of three designers from New York City.

The original inspiration for this collection was Crop Circles.

Their garments which were featured in New York Fashion Week (Autumn 2012) particularly related to my project through their use of circular structures.

Although this garment is relatively structured, I like the looseness of the circles within it.

The colours within this garment also relate to my project due to their natural connotation, whilst the circular patterns are also reflective of my work.

http://susantabak.com/articles/new-york-fashion-weekfall-2012-collections-threeasfour



Laser Cut Sampling

This week I experimented with different materials on the laser cutter to see how they reacted and what effects they created. 

I used plywood to create a sculptural piece to replicate the bark of a tree, however I feel that the pieces I cut out are too sharp and spikey to present this effectively.

With the edge of the plywood burning it makes the sample look more like the bark of a tree and enhances the effect.

Other samples I created were in denim, holand linen and organza which I engraved into and simply cut through. The better samples were in the stiffer materials such as the denim because it held its shape and didn't fray as opposed to the flimsy organza. 

I collaborated the two textiles worlds I have been a part of and used the cornely and bernina machines to work into the laser cut samples to add texture to them. The ones that worked best were the ones that increased the surface of the sample such as the pin-tuck foot on the Bernina machine. The cornely was effective for creating a new texture on the samples and reflected the natural landscape such as moss.

Although I like the way the thread shows on the pin-tuck sample, I feel the sample would be enhanced further if I used a thread that was the same colour as the fabric in order to create a raised surface that looked seamless. The cornely stitch also reminded me of the rings of a tree although the sample replicated the moon shape through its cycle.

Laser Cutter Creations

Before I began to think about ideas for laser cut designs, I came across the work of Sivan Roys who is a mixed media artist. His work 'Blooming Structures' particularly interested me due to0 the simple yet complex structures which he creates. His way of working influenced one of my designs due to the way he connected the individual shapes together to create a structure using a material as simple as string.

http://sivanroyz.com

My original drawings of natural forms of data included seaweed which I translated into Coral Draw and Laser Cut duplicate shapes which I then connected together with string through small holes. I believe my sample would have been better if there were more of the seaweed shapes as it would have been thicker and more effective.

However, I like the way that the shapes make the final sample 3 dimentional and textured and I prefer this effect to the generic ways of using the laster cutter such as engraving, for example because it makes my work different.

Another sample I have created is based around the idea of the Moon as data. I found an image of 'Phases of the Moon' by Irwin Glusker which demonstrated the moon going through the cycle of changing shape as it orbits the Earth.

I attempted to recreate this into a design and used the engraving tool on the laser cutter to try and make the shapes look 3 dimentional by using deeper engraving at the edges. Although the denim I used was effective with use on the laser cutter for deleting the colour from it, I don't think that the material was the best choice for deep engraving and I feel a lightweight wood would have been better for the effect I wanted to create.





The Language of Process Exhibition Visit

While visiting the exhibition I found one piece of particular interest - 'Earthbowl' by Fluid Forms (2008), who are an Austrian company that allow their customers to design their own products. They are able to do this through the use of Google-Maps and NASA satellites which the customer uses to select an area of the world that interests them which can be translated into individual customised designs such as a fruit bowl or a wall-hanging, for example. The products are made out of laminated walnut and maple plywood which, when cut using a CNC Router (a computer controlled shaping machine), are hand sanded, oiled and polished to finish the product professionally. The CNC Router technique creates contour lines on the plywood which reflect the gradient of the earth. I find this and the texture of the piece particularly inspiring and I feel the piece links to my work through the use of the Earth as data and how it changes through time. This links to my project because I have concentrated so far on how natural objects change through time such as flowers decaying and how the rings within a tree trunk determine how old the tree is which is what the piece reminds me of (see image below).

Preparation - Sampling Unit

In preparation for the sampling unit I visited the Museum of Science and Industry in order to carry out visual research. With the words 'Mapping' and 'Measuring' in mind I set out to identify ways in which these could be communicated through drawing. I started out by looking at some of the old machines that were exhibited and tried drawing them without looking at the page to demonstrate how my eyes moved around the objects. I enjoy this way of drawing because it restricts me from trying to make my drawings too representational and forces me to work in an abstract way. The outcomes were all very different, some worked out better than others.

I also gathered maps of the area and planned out my route from my halls to the museum and the route I would take back to the halls. I also added extra details such as the buses I would need to get onto the route - see below.

The image above is basically the direction I had to turn at the end of each street in order to travel from my halls to MOSI. It could be said that it is in a code as not everyone would be able to understand what it means. 

As I was moving around the museum I was finding it hard to visually communicate the idea of 'Measuring'. I came across a steam machine which needed to have its pressure monitored constantly and I found the gauges an interesting way of translating this idea.  

To develop this idea further I have looked at other methods of measuring things such as weighing scales and tape measures as well as watch faces which all measure things in different ways (weight, length and time).

This is one of my favourite photos from the task because of the old-fashioned style of it. I like how the tape curls and the numbers show the scale and depth of the photo as they're all different sizes. To develop this image into a drawing I will experiment with different media and work in 3D in order to translate the shape of the tape.