Devastation to the World

I have been really considering the idea of creating a sculpture to represent the idea of an apocalypse. I would do this by destroying the structure in different ways. My interest of including this in my artwork has come about from the recent devastation caused in Japan due to an earthquake and following tsunami. I would like to explore the destruction of infastructures that natural disasters can cause, but possibly also the power of manmade self-destruction.

Devastation caused in Japan.

General apocalyptic research to structures

Building Environments

Phyllida Barlow's work incorporates a range of mass produced materials including cardboard, fabric, paper, glue, paint, plastic, wood, rubber, hardboard, and adhesive tape. Barlow's work questions the nature and role of the sculptural object in contemporary art. She creates new relationships, experimenting with unexpected combinations of materials creating new objects and environments.

'Machine'

Simis Gatenio is a Greek artist that often works with ink and acrylic. I find his machine series particularly fascinating. The minimalist approach to the series is very effective, working with close connection to line and space. When I initially came across this series I saw a direct link to Construction and possible structural drawings for ideas.



Constructed Building from Found Materials

I had already gathered together these objects from a skip with the intention to use them to create a scultpure at the end of my intervention project. However, I never really found any inspiration for my ideas at the time. I have decided now that I wanted to construct a structure that gives the impression of a small scale building. 

I saw the potential with these objects to create some sort of building through some of the plastic pieces giving an impression of a modern architecture roof.

I initial deconstructed some objects that I found, such as a kids toy oven set. I saw the potential to use the corners of the hob part as roofing for the structure.

There is a possibility that I may develop on this structure, but it has definately given me some ideas of what I can begin to produce. It was an opportunity to get out the studio space and really try to experiment with ideas that I have begin to generate first hand. It will be interesting to see whether people actually remove parts of the structure and essentially causing 'destruction' to the piece.

Constructed Landscapes

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/thearchitecturespace/

I intend to visit this exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts within the next couple of weeks. The title gives me the impression of real relevance to my project. i may find some key inspirations for my work here.

Initial Ideas

Constructing a Landscape?

The pathway stage has definately taught me that I love to construct fine art pieces, whether that be through drawing, painting, montaging ideas or through sculpture. I intend to continue building up a piece in one form or another. Perhaps I could construct my own landscape? I have also been particularly interested in the destruction of buildings and infastructures. Researching possible artists' that may share these interests with me, I discovered Gerry Judah. I can potentially invisage Judah's work becoming an inspirational part of my FMP.

Gerry Judah creates, what he desribes as, paintings, which literally come off the wall.

The paintings are a direct response to conflict across the globe, whether this be through war or through natural disaster. The apocalyptic aspect to the work can clearly be seen by the systematic destruction that Judah has done to these model buildings he has built. Painting the structures completely white gives the impression the constructed environemt has been bombed as it gives the effect of debris. I am interested in the concept behind these paintings, the process and model materials used and also the fact that they are completely 3D paintings.

Within my own work I could perhaps begin to develop ideas of constructing my own landscape to be destroyed, but also think about combining the 3D apsect to a 2D drawing/painting?

Let the fun begin...

FMP.

At the beginning of the week we were introduced to the Final Major Project brief. I was initial quite overwhelmed by the idea of beginning a new project on the bounce of handing in all work for the intervention brief. However, the idea that the project could be based completely on your own interests gave me a great deal of excitement and eagerness to begin developing ideas.

Following on from the direction I was heading in the intervention project, I instantly knew I wanted to base my FMP on 'Construction' in some way. I now needed to consider what aspect of construction i was going to be exploring, what processes and necessary materials I would need to investigate successful combinations and how I would contextualise my developing work. Tutorials at the end of my intervention project also showed me that I need to make choices regarding the significance of certain materials and processes that I use within my practice. I need to consider whether I am going to work with a 'truth to materials' mindset and really consider how the materials do themselves justice, in regards to texture, appearance and properties, or whether I am going to work with materials and processes to try and create an illusion of space, where the work is more about representing environments through the materials. This way I would be able to work with applying paint on to sculptures I create like I have done in previous work.

Over the first few weeks of the project I will complete a Statement Of Intent to identify my project objectives and clarify the scope of my work and my intentions. I will use my knowledge I have gained both practically and contextually from the pathway stage of the course and continue to work with interests I have developed for my fine art practice. Alongside the SOI, I will also be working on a preparatory sketchbook to record initials ideas and intentions for my FMP, but also begin to experiment with materials and processes.

Intervention Evaluation

In terms of my work in general, I feel the intervention project has really enhanced my understanding of art in a public space. A work that really stands out in my mind is 'Green River' by olafur Eliasson. I think this probably due to the epic scale of the intervention caused upon five rivers across the world. Transforming the colour of a river that people walk past everyday and perhaps barely even notice the water flowing by constantly, is really interesting. It is almost a message from Eliasson that is reminding the public of the rivers existence and perhaps even the power of water.

The idea of colour invading spaces has really become a key theme within my work over the past few months. I am intrigued in the power of colour and the transformation it can cause to an image, sculpture or within the public environment. Jessica Stockholder has become a recurrent artist within this project for me. I am fascianted by the way in which she almost creates a 2D painting in the form of sculpture. From creating an installation, she will apply colour to ensure that certain areas of the installation match colours and therefore creating an interesting image from a particular perspective. However, in order to really get an understanding of her work, it seems you would have to explore it from all angles to really get the full effect of the 3D piece.

More recently I have come full circle with my work, from the beginning of the Foundation Course, where I was looking at the monumental construcivist proposals from Vladmir Tatlin and Tatlin's Tower. His proposals were much very utopia's of the Moscow skyline. I am fascianted in the idea of utopia designs and then the possibility of destruction to these utopias. It is almost like the crushing of a dream. An example of this would be the pre-fab housing in South London which I researched. The council were planning to completely demolish the estate, meaning the residents would have to move out. For some residents the memories within the houses and also the estate were just too precious to them. Destroying the estate would destroy those people's lives. The idea of destruction to buildings then made me consider the idea of natural disasters and how I could possibly bring my interest in colour invading spaces into this.

From then to now I have really tried to push myself in terms of creating 3D. The sculpture which I recently built really gave me some elation, not just with the end result, but with the process of constructing something. I am strongly beginning to see myself as having a construcivist mindset and become excited by architecture and construction. I recently bought an 'Icon' magazine, which I found really fascinating as it was a new form of research and general interest to spark ideas within my own practice. I think I am also becoming aware of the possibilites of working various spaces, not just within a studo space. With my confidence growing in the ability to build I am starting to gather materials and objects that I see potential in. I think this will become beneficial to my future practice as I have a strong interest in the transformation between 3D and 2D works. I intend to continue working the way I have been and keep building and generating ideas for my Final Major Project.


 

Liz Brizzi

I discovered this French artist's work in Juxtapoz magazine. Her work is based in Los Angeles and is generally about finding beauty in desolate places.

Her work isn't perhaps closely related to my current work, but I find it very interesting. Her mixed media technique begins with the manipulation of her original photography collaged onto an acrylic painted canvas and then blended within layers of colorful acrylic washes.

For my current sculpture ideas I have been thinking about urban environments and I could possibly reflect various areas within a sculptural piece through the materials used, but also forms created. To generate ideas of a sculptural piece to build I could possibly begin to work in mixed-medias of photographs from areas/structures/buildings of interest and also initial drawings of development ideas. 

Debbie Ayles

 

Local working artist Debbie Ayles currently working on contrasting the structural similarities and differences between East Anglian barns and familiar modern buildings. I love the balance achieved in these paintings between abstraction and identifiable features.

I particularly like this painting, 'Essex Support Structure'. The background combination of colours becomes very difficult to notice due to the intensity of lines in the image. The painting has a definite constructivist quality as the title reiterates. I love how the ladder almost becames the focus point of the image, taking the viewer on a journey up and through the structure.

I feel I can really link my current work interests to Debbie Ayles due to the structural elements to some of her paintings of various areas. I find the deconstruction and reassembling that has taken place in the process of creating these images very interesting. The distinctive thick black outlines reminds me of Michael Craig Martin's work as it has a strong graphical element to it. I can see the potential of creating prints to produce a similar outcome to these paintings, but based upon my own structure I have created.

Current Sculpture Idea

I have done some skip raiding and found some objects with really interesting potential! I intend to build some sort of sculptural piece. I am very much so in the planning stage at the moment, but I'm really excited to start assembling and building and potential deconstucting a piece in response to current architectural and conceptual interests.

The Destruction of the Piece

Possibilities for development of the sculpture?

Trap?

Prison?

Mad scientists Invention?

Rollercoaster structure?

Adding natural materials, i.e. Ivy to intertwine?

Keep building outwards?

Build a new scultpure, think more about intentions before building?

Colour Invading the Piece

I decided to use yellow spray paint to colour the bottom half of the sculpture. I wanted to experiment with the idea of colour invading, which is something I have been really interested in recently.

I really loved the way the spray would transform whatever it touched to yellow. With paint I wouldn't have been able to create this accidental effect.

The twisting and interwining copper and wires remind me of modern day steel rollercoaster structures.

The way the colour completely takes over a space and all that is in that space reminds of an artist I have previously looked at, Jessica Stockholder. She uses colour upon 3D pieces to perhaps give the impression of a 2D painting or image.

I see this sculpture as a very experimental piece, which I can trial out ideas that I am currently curious of and intirgued to try. I now have a real temptation to burn the sculpture. I am really interested in the idea of destroying art, similarly to arsonists did to 'Luna Park' by Heather and Ivan Morison. It may have been an act of crime, however, you could argue, the piece actually became more interesting.